I’m Telling Bad Boys Bye-Bye
It’s the eternal question, right? What do women want? I sure as hell don’t know. In fact, I doubt there’s a consensus from females writ large on much of anything. I only know what I want and, as a romance reader, it is not another bad boy.
I’ve been falling out of love with the bad boy hero for a while now. What was sexy in Anne Stuart’s Cold as Ice is beyond dull in much of modern machismo-filled erotic romances. In too many a New Adult romance, the bad boy trope means little more than “I’ve slept with so many women that, hey babe, I’m a god in bed.” (If I were Abby, I’d have given Travis the number of a good therapist–the guy IS a disaster.)
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for a god in bed. And I find an alpha male exceedingly appealing. But there’s no reason the alpha male who knows how to rock a woman’s world can’t be the good guy. That’s the guy I want.
Luckily for me, there are lots of these great guys around. Here are some of my recent favorites.
Sam Brody from Jill Shalvis’s It’s in his Kiss is, like all of his Lucky Harbor brethren, an utter hottie determined to make the world a better place one unselfish act at a time. When he realizes the heroine, Becca, is recovering from a violent act in her past, the ways in which he both accommodates her fears and enables her to move past them is just lovely. He’s a strong man, stoic and self-reliant, but he hasn’t a bad bone in his body and is all the sexier for it.
David Rivera of Nalini Singh’s Rock Courtship is a more interesting guy than many rock star heroes. He loves his family, is a one woman kind of man, and treats the love of his life, Thea, like a queen. He courts Thea, using words rather than sex (although he’s hot and their love scenes are compelling) to win her heart and her mind. I’d take him over Fox, the bad boy hero of the first book in the series, Rock Addiction, any day.
Erik Gulbrandr, the cooly supernatural hero of Meljean Brook’s Frozen, is a noble guy. He sees himself as a monster and denies himself any chance of happiness in an effort to control a curse that dooms him to destroy the woman he deeply desires. He’s an ethical employee, cares for the environment, and, no matter how much it literally pains him, he always does the right thing. His love story with the clever and confident Olivia is sweet and sexy and I loved seeing them find their HEA.
Perhaps my favorite nice guy hero is Mack Kennedy in Amy Andrew’s No More Mr. Nice Guy. When Josie Butler (she’s his little sister’s best friend) decides, after breaking up with her very dull boyfriend, she wants to live a little, Mack is horrified at the risks she seems willing to take. He decides that if Josie is determined to work through her Sexy To Do List, she can do so safely… with him.
He raked a hand through his hair. “You’re telling me you’d rather be with some unknown bad-boy than some unknown nice guy who’s solid and safe?”
“Jesus, Mack, since when did you become the fun police? I want to have pretzel sex with him, not design the latest Volvo.”
“Pretzel sex would be safer in a Volvo,” he said through gritted teeth. That demonic note crept back into his voice, and an eerie kind of hush surrounded them, locking them into a little tense bubble.
“You’re just angry because I called you nice.” Obviously, it was a sore spot for him, and she’d gone and given it a good hard prod.
“I’m not.”
Josie frowned. “You’re not angry? Or you’re not nice?” He couldn’t deny the latter, surely? The last time she’d seen him, he’d been petting a bunny for crying out loud.
“Oh, I’m nice,” he said. “I’m just not that nice.”
His voice dropped an octave or two, and he raked his eyes up and down her body. Goose bumps bloomed across her arms, beading her nipples, and his gaze lingered for long moments on her breasts. She blushed beneath his exceedingly thorough examination, heat in her cheeks, a hitch in her breath. His eyes returned to her face, and he looked wild and dangerous.
Mack is wild but not at all dangerous. He’s a generous, superb lover, a kind big brother, and one of the greatest veterinarians I’ve encountered. He’s a dreamboat of a guy. And he does a hell of a job helping Josie live out her down and dirty fantasies. When I think of my ideal romance hero, it’s someone like Mack.
What do you look for? Do bad boys do it for you? Or is it the good guys that make you swoon?
Actually, I still want the hero to be a bad boy in the end but his maho days are at end. The heroine is it for him romantically but in his dealings with others he can still slay dragons and not feel guilt about it.
I find that I like reading romances where the hero is in the mafia for instance. Kristin Ashley has her Unfinished Heroes series which fall into to this category. Vanessa Waltz is another author with this hero type.
I have to agree, Erika. I would even go as far as to say that sometimes I feel cheated if the bad man reforms too much. For instance, even though I loved Kleypas’s “”A Devil In Winter “” I was kind of let down at how nice Sebastian came across.
It sounds then that the “”bad boy”” has to be reformed in his treatment of women, or the one woman at least? That sounds right though for a reformed rake, otherwise, how would he be an acceptable partner in a loving, adult relationship?
One thing I see frequently with the whole “”bad boy”” characterization in romance writing is the desire for readers to see the badness transformed into something palatable – the reformed rake syndrome. So, it seems to me that it’s not so much a bad boy most women want but ultimately a good (goodish?) one that has been changed because of his love for one special woman that has the ability to do what other women have failed to do. I guess I can understand why it would be appealing to see a transformation wrought from love. In the end though the bad boy still needs to be changed or he can’t really fit the mold of a hero of a romance novel, right? If that’s correct, then most readers probably don’t want a bad boy at all in the end, or how would that concept be reconciled with a happy ever after, in any realistic sense?
That’s an excellent perspective. Thanks!
I still love bad boy manwhores. Wish they would become popular in historical romances again. I love watching them transform into someone the heroine wraps around her finger and he would go to absurd lengths to protect her. Love love love seeing that.
Good guy heroes bore me. So perfect won’t even react if the heroine slaps him. Ugh.
This resonates with me, although I don’t particularly seek out bad boy heroes. I’m fairly comfortable reading about a wide range of characters.
A number of readers have stated that they enjoy difficult or even unlikable heroines. Given this, it’s not obvious why heroes should be expected to be perfect. In addition, as you point out, some of the “”good guy”” heroes are a bit too noble and self-sacrificing for their own good. Courtney Milan, Cecilia Grant and Pamela Clare are particularly fond of such characters. I admire a good guy hero as much as anyone, but he definitely needs to be willing and able to stand up for himself – just as heroines should.
I’m tired of bad boys. I’ve gone past the point when I can believe a slutty manwhore with issues is ever going to be a sure thing for a HEA. Men who are ruled by their manbits are going to be cheaters the first time something goes wrong in the relationship. I’ve been reading romance since 1976 so I’ve read a lot of bad boy heroes. Loved Mack and want to see more of this kind of hero.
I happen to love to read about bad men. Lothaire, Sebastian (from Black Ice), Jericho Barrons (from Moning’s ‘Fever”” books), Mad Rogan from the new “”Burn For Me”” by Ilona Andrews and Drake from “”Dangerous Passion”” by Lisa Marie Rice all rank among my favorite heroes. And one of my favorite songs that I just wish would get a romance novel treatment is Jonathan Coulton’s “”Skullcrusher Mountain”” about an evil mad scientist who kidnaps a pretty girl (don’t worry –it’s a humor song).
In real life? Not a chance. I don’t mind some sarcasm and “”evil genius”” playfulness from my husband, but he is really a nice and very sweet person which is what I value most.
I like to read about bad men though, because I don’t read to insert myself in a story– I read to explore other peoples’ stories. I love the conflicts that arise (will he kill her or kiss her?), and the narrative tension of the fine line between love and crime and all that juicy good stuff. Plus, watching a bad man be brought low by love is rather delicious.
I also happen to love good guy heroes, but I wouldn’t say they’re my favorite type.
Where I think the bad boy type fails is when they are boys — a lot of New Adult books (most that I’ve read) seem to have the uber-damaged man-whore crying on the inside. This CAN work, but by and large many of them are NOT skillfully drawn characters and come off (to me) as mentally unhinged and I would much rather read about them going to therapy sessions than falling in love!
Good guys for me – in reality and in fantasy. I worry for those who are drawn to “”bad guys”” and really want to have them pin down exactly what qualities they find appealing: selfishness? vigilantism? toughness? promiscuity? misogyny? rudeness? surliness? inability to commit to another person? What are the qualities that draw women to the bad boy?
I much prefer good guys. I tend to be risk-averse, with a strong ability for delayed gratification. I think bad boys fulfill the random-reward function that also makes gambling so appealing to many people.
I like bad boys, but not the NA type of bad (only man-whoriness and tattoos).
There could not be nicer than a pastor (Noelle Adams’s Married for Christmas), but Daniel is quite sexy and swoon-worthy material.
I also loved Alex in Alyssa Everett’s Ruined by Rumor, so quiet and shy, but just a sleeping volcano.