Everyone loves an anthem—some songs just stick with us at some primal, deep level. 

I stand by the claim I made a few weeks ago on my podcast, Fated Mates, that most women love the song “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. It’s catchy, but the power of the song is in its progression. It starts in a place of fear—"First I was afraid, I was petrified”— but ends with a bold reclamation of the future—"I’ve got all my life to live.”Maybe I should leave a little wiggle room, but the truth is, I have yet to meet a woman who doesn’t love “I Will Survive.” It’s iconic because the story of triumph seems to speak to women of every class, race, age, and sexual orientation. It’s an anthem for all of us.

In the first week of March, the Dixie Chicks returned from a 14-year hiatus with “Gaslighter,” a song that is poised to become an anthem for our time. I don’t even like country music, and yet I had it on heavy rotation.

Considering that “Gaslighter” dropped the week that Elizabeth Warren, the last viable female candidate, dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, it was hard not to feel that the song is not just a breakup anthem but, instead, a furious repudiation of an entire era that told women there was nothing to be afraid of, and that the year of the woman was finally here: Gaslighter, denier, liar, where is my apology? 

What does this have to do with romance? 

Hear me out: Many a great romance starts with a woman in a moment of defeat. In fact, I’d argue this is a primary difference between romance and literary fiction. In romance, a woman’s arc is ascendant; but serious literature often ends by dropping an anvil on a female character and leaving her there. Romance readers love the happily ever after because it promises that characters can face strife but still persevere in the end.

Romance readers know that Natalie Maines, the lead vocalist of the Dixie Chicks, has only good things ahead of her. That being said, “Gaslighter”  has one deliciously mysterious verse: “And you know you lie best when you lie to you/’Cause, boy, you know exactly what you did on my boat/And, boy, that’s exactly why you ain’t comin’ home.”Sarah MacLean, my podcast cohost, and I keep talking about it: What did Natalie Maines’ husband do on her boat?Since there’s no way of knowing, here are three romances that might provide some entertaining and exciting possible answers. 

Did he throw her overboard on their wedding night?

How to Lose a Bride in One Night by Sophie Jordan (Avon) opens as Annalise Hadley is about to walk down the aisle and marry the young, handsome Duke of Bloodsworth. A year earlier, she was a supposed orphan working in a sewing shop, but her very wealthy father discovered her existence and brought her out into society. Annalise can hardly believe the duke wants to marry her—turns out she should have trusted her instincts. After departing on their wedding barge, Annalise nervously prepares for her wedding night. Her new husband, a cad who was only after her dowry, attempts to suffocate her, then throws her overboard. Luckily, handsome ex-soldier Owen Crawford finds her on the banks of the river and rescues her. A truly delicious beginning for a romance novel. 

Did he neglect to tell her he was a pirate? 

In the classic ’90s romance The Gift by Julie Garwood (Pocket Books), 14-year-old Nathan and 4-year-old Sara are betrothed at the whim of the king, in order to bring peace to their warring families. Now that Sara is 18, they must marry for real or else the marriage contract will be void. They both have their reasons for finding each other—Nathan wants her dowry, and Sara wants to save her beloved Aunt Nora and escape their controlling family. Once Nathan rescues Nora and Sara, they set sail on Nathan’s ship, The Seahawk. Sara doesn’t realize that the vessel, running for the staid-sounding Emerald Shipping Company, is a pirate ship, and that her husband, the Marquess of St. James, is really the infamous pirate Pagan. 

Did he tie her up instead of his boat?

In Lowdown Dirty by Holley Trent (self-published), architect Valerie Lawson only has a few more months in North Carolina finishing up model homes for a subdivision, when she meets local boat builder Tim Dowd. Tim is highly successful in his profession, but his private life is a mess. He’s divorced and having a hard time parenting his rebellious college-age son. When Tim and Valerie meet at a BDSM party in the Carolina backwoods, sparks fly. They agree to a short, no strings affair—one where Tim shows Valerie everything she’s been missing, hoping to rope (ahem) her into a shared future. 

Romance correspondent Jennifer Prokop cohosts the romance podcast Fated Mates. Follow her on Twitter@JenReadsRomance.