Hi. Yesterday, i was chatting with a woman in a store in Laguna Beach about those few products that are so exceptional, so perfect for their purposes, that nothing can really compete. I submitted my short list. First was Hanky Pankys, the remarkable thong panties for women that make thong wearing not just better, but an actual delight. Speaking as a person who didn’t grow up wearing thongs, the adjustment period looked to be extreme — until Hanky Pankys came along. Today, i will confess under threat of TMI that i wear them under everything and my lingerie drawer features no other panties!
My second addition to the list of “perfect” products is FitFlops. These thong sandals are 
nothing like a traditional flip flop — those wildly floppy, unsupported, fun things that ruin your feet. FitFlops have all the cool of a flip flop with none of the downside. They’re support for every curve and angle of your feet. They don’t fall off when you walk, and i walk everywhere in them. In the summer, i hardly wear anything else since they come in gazillions of cute styles that look great with everything from dresses to shorts.
Okay, enough hymns of praise to products. But this line of thought made me wonder about romances. As a romance author, i, like my peers, am always trying to write a “perfect” romance that will touch the hearts of virtually everyone who reads it. Are there any “perfect” romances? I think maybe so.
Pride and Prejudice comes to mind. I always marvel that my macho male husband will happily sit and watch Pride and Prejudice the tenth or twelfth time and never get tired of it. He hates most romances. Not P&P! It has everything. The “ideal” hero but for his stupid pride. The perfect feisty heroine who defines all feisty heroines. A considerable amount of angst and real problems to be overcome, and a phenomenally satisfying HEA. I’m sure many will disagree, but i think P&P remains the source of all romance because it’s very nearly perfect.
I know many will disagree with this one, but i have often described Dirty Dancing as the
perfect movie. It had everything for the people who went to see it again and again, and it remains popular today. The rich, idealistic heroine who believes everything is possible, and the bad boy hero from the wrong side of the tracks who is striving to better himself make an irresistible combination. Patrick Swayze’s dancing doesn’t hurt. The movie is funny, angst-ridden, sexy as hell, and ultimately so satisfying it leaves you wanting to start it again from the beginning. Sigh. Nobody puts baby in a corner.
So that’s my little lineup. What perfect products are on your list?