Recommendations for classic strong female-lead novels I've read
I'm very particular about what I read. First, here are my requirements:
1. One-on-one romance, preferably with both leads having no past relationships.
2. No angst. Of course, there are many kinds of angst. I mean that the male and female leads' feelings for each other must be steadfast.
3. No Mary Sue. The female lead can have as powerful a golden finger as you like, but she absolutely can't be loved by everyone she meets, with every man resorting to any means to get her. Nor should she be universally adored just because she's rich. It's perfectly normal for a strong, beautiful female lead to have lots of admirers, but not every man has to pine for her alone!
4. I like stories with strong female and male leads, but I guess I have pretty strong feminist tendencies, so I prefer the female lead to be as strong as the male lead, or stronger than him. That doesn't mean the male lead is weak, just that he's a little weaker than she is.
That's all I can think of for now. If I think of anything else, I'll add it later.
I hope you'll recommend some strong female-lead novels to me, too.
There are so many male supporting characters, it's not like there are no men who will die.