List Maniac #18 - Favorite Women of Fiction

Form the beautiful mind that brought you lists such as "Favorite Men of Fiction", "Favorite Guys of Fiction" and "Favorite Girls of Fiction", now comes Favorite Women of Fiction! YAY!

Okay, let's cut to the chase:

Emma Dove (And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke)

Why do I love Emma?? Well, she lives her live by all the rules, she's too sensible for her own good, and being that way often puts her at risk of not getting what she wants.  But one day she decides she has had enough and decides to go after her dreams with all she has. And she promises herself - and Harry - that she will never again lie or cheat herself out of the things she wants. She's smart and sweet and proper, yet she has a wild streak hidden. 

Sugar Beth Carey (Ain't She Sweet? by Susan Elizabeth Phillips)

In high school, Sugar Beth was the epitome of a mean girl, but life gave her more of her fair share of struggles afterward, and those struggles were what made her turn her life around. And yet she kept the sass of her youth, only that now she uses her powers for good instead of evil. She also got the guy she almost ruined 10 years before, to write a romance novel for her- you know, after they make up and get together. And she loves Georgette Heyer over Faulkner!

Penelope Featherington (Romancing Mr. Bridgerton/Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn)
Penelope was the kind of girl everyone always made fun of: She used to be chubby and her mother insisted on making her wear orange and yellow because they were happy colors and gentlemen like happy girls, never mind both colors made her look awful. Yet, as time passed, she grew into herself and displayed an enormous amount of quiet courage and dignity. When she was about 21, she heard the man she had been in love since she was 16, declare: "I' am certainly not going to marry Penelope Featherington!", and her answer was priceless: "I never asked you to marry me. And I never said to anyone that I wanted you to ask me." (He later has to eat his own words which is awesome). Penelope is also the keeper of the most delicious secret, she has a super secret identity!

Giselle (Enchanted)

I don't know why I loved Enchanted as much as I did, but its my ultimate feel-good movie. And Giselle has a lot to do with that. I guess it's because deep down I always thought that if a 'cartoon fairy princess' ever came to life, it would be kind of silly, that all those deliciously ridiculous notions that make classic Disney' Princess movies the particular brand of awesome that they are, would be utterly saccharine and dumb in real life; but Giselle proved that they weren't. Amy Adams played her with aplomb, sweetness and character, and I adore her for it. If ever were were to be a fairy princess, I would definitely be Giselle.

Lou Calabrese (She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot)

Really, I could name most of Meg Cabot's adult, contemporary heroines, but why did I love Lou in particular? Well, she writes action films and a Titanic-like super dramas. She's the only girl in a family of cops (all 4 of her brothers are cops), and they all respect her and think her capable (high school boyfriend selection aside). Lou made a name for herself as a screen writer, loves to watch disaster movies and is very close to her family, even though she lives away from them . She's funny, resourceful and smart, and she makes her sworn enemy/Hollywood's hottest actor fall in love with her, just by being who she is.

So, that's my list! Who is your favorite woman of fiction?