Jane Austen might have set the standard for delightful heroines with Lizzie Bennet and her fine eyes, and even finer observational skills and witty retorts. I love Lizzie, and her modern equivalent (arguably) Bridget Jones. The great thing about writing historical heroines, for a modern writer, is that the heroine's career path is limited enough to avoid judgment. The writer doesn't have to worry about giving her a career that reflects her abilities and strengths without coming on too strong or too brainy. It's perfectly acceptable that a Regency or Victorian, even Edwardian, heroine would be sitting around sewing, or visiting friends, or shopping in the middle of a weekday. Her hero might also avoid any serious employment. The challenge is getting them together enough to let the romance develop without boring the reader. Oh, look, they're sitting down to tea again! They're going out on horseback again! He's studying her figure as she crosses...
READ. REVIEW. REPEAT.