the ask@AAR: Who’s your favorite hero in romance?
Back in 2006 (!) we did a minipoll on favorite heroes in romance. 13 years ago, AAR readers picked, in order, Roark (In Death series), Jamie Fraser (Outlander series), Sebastian Ballister (Lord of Scoundrels), Derek Craven (Dreaming of You), Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Rupert Carsington (Mr. Impossible), Harry Braxton (As You Desire), Matthew Farrell (Paradise), Zsadist (Lover Awakened), and Beowulf Malloren (Malloren series).
I doubt that these men would be the current top ten favorite heroes were we to do our poll today although I feel sure Jamie Fraser and Fitzwilliam Darcy would be on a current list. None of these erstwhile gentlemen would be my favorite romance hero of all time. That would be Sebastian Kennett (My Lord and Spymaster), I mean Joshua Templeman (The Hating Game), or maybe–damnit, this is hard–Asher Flint (I Kissed an Earl). (Clearly, I need to give this some more thought!)
Who is your favorite hero in romance and why? What makes someone a the best hero ever?
Oh I forgot about Stella Riley! Dominic in The Parfait Knight and of course Tracey the darling Duke of Rockliffe!
Stella Riley has written some great heroes. I think I’d choose one from her English Civil War books (though I love them all). It would be a toss up between Luciano and Justin.
I forgot about Stella Riley’s books too! I love the Rockliffe series, but her English Civil War series is incredible. Luciano, sigh. And Eden, struggling with the right thing to do.
I keep thinking of the men / romantic heroes I love most, and the absolutely top of the top do not come from romance. Though I like many of the guys listed above, nice to think of some old favorites, thank you to all above!
Slightly off topic, the men who made me rethink what a man can be, when in love, are from other genres:
Aral Vorkosigan in Shards of Honor, his son Miles in Komarr by Bujold. And both of them in the following books whenever their romance was in the foreground. This is SF, beware.
Bujold’s Curse of Chalion – such a lovely yearning hero! Fantasy
Guy Gavriel Kay’s great lovers in Song for Arbonne, in Lions of Al-RAssan, in the Sarantine Mosaic duology. Fantasy again
Catherine Asaro’s heroes, Kelric from Last Hawk, Ascendant Sun is the very best one, but her men are truly extraordinary. SF
Jacqueline Carey’s Imriel in his own trilogy (Kushiel’s Scion ..) Fantasy
Dunnett’s Lymond Historical series – big long fat – only a small bit of room for the love story in it
Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Wimsey in Gaudy Night (and other books, start with Strong Poison) crime
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller write amazing guys in love, Shaan you Galan is my great love but Val Con …. Partners in Necessity – Fantasy
and yes, Jamie from Gabaldon’s series, too. He is special, but as the series never ends, my patience and commitment have waned – I have become impatient, when it comes to never ending series.
“I have become impatient, when it comes to never ending series.” Uh oh. Then you’d better stay away from my m/m novella series. It doesn’t have a definite end in sight. Like Bronwyn Parry was saying earlier, we writers have a tendency to fall in love with our own heroes.
So Sorry, Nan!
Like Chrisreader, I am ok with a shift in couples, so having new people as the romantic leads, a series can go on and on, but the same couple being tortured or continuing its life forever and ever is very hard to bear. Or with the first leads being part of a tribe that has adventures.
But when it is just one long long story. So some war, some mystery, some historical arc is going on and on, and we get no end to it.
A more episodic format is different – where you just return to a world, that is easier.
Even Nalini Singh, whose Guild Hunter series worked so well for me, with some books focusing on the “main couple” and some having other romances, or Thea Harrison’s series – at some point, I just did not want to have drama with the original two characters anymore.
Also, the overall story arc did not resolve for me at all. In both cases.
Then, I just lose my commitment to a series, because I do need to have some closure.
Gabaldon is a case in point.
I loved the story until they got established in America.
And then, it was good fiction, but like a huge river, it had great moments, but I was just not invested enough to remember all the stuff from book one when reading book 7, and rereading started being a chore. Now, I let it go, I wait for someone to shout “ending” and then I may reinvest in the whole thing.
Robert Jordan dying was also a trigger.
I do not feel good when I need to worry that there will be no closure at all, because there is no end in sight.
Sorry, if that sounds harsh, but I got to the point in my own life where I will walk away sooner rather than later, from endless series of books, because getting invested and then letting it go is harder for me.
Once I see that there is no good ending point in sight, where stuff is well resolved, I go away.
And do not let me even start on cliffhangers….
That’s okay. We all have our preferences when it comes to series vs standalones. I tend to think of my Joey & Johnny Forever Series of Erotic Novellas as a grownup, X-rated “Hardy Boys” or “Scooby Doo” or “The Fugitive” in that certain stories just never end. My books aren’t mysteries per se, but I love giving my couple lots of erotic adventures- some dark, some light, and all of them over-the-top sexy fun.
I definitely appreciate standalones and often prefer them to series myself. But sometimes, it’s just nice to follow around familiar characters on their newest adventures. There sure were a lot of Sherlock Holmes and Zorro stories plus all the adaptations, but there are always going to be fans begging for more of the same.
I agree on the never ending series, it’s another pet peeve of mine. There is a limit to how much emotional torture I can bear for a couple. Jamie and Claire hit the limit for me many books ago. I still follow the story but from an emotional distance.
I do like seeing couples from previous books show up to help along the plot in subsequent ones as long as it adds to the story and doesn’t mess up whatever went on with them in their own books.
I also hate TV shows that don’t know when to end or how to wrap up so they distort the storylines and most of the actors leave over time. I really hate it when shows don’t even know how they are ending the mysteries or the stories! With Gabaldon at least I am sure she has a very definite and well thought out way to wrap up Jamie and Claire’s tale.
According to Gabaldon, the ghost of Jamie that we meet in the first few pages of Outlander will be in the final scene of the final book. Which supposedly is book 10. I’m hoping book 9 will be out in 2020.
I always figured that he was waiting for Claire to come to him in the afterlife so he could take her to heaven with him. Or the highlands, whichever. But Gabaldon always has tricks up her sleeve, so we’ll see!
A lot of my favorites have been listed already: Sebastian Kennett! I think Dabney is the only other person who loves “My Lord and Spymaster” as I do.
Derek Craven was at the time “Dreaming Of You” came out, one of the most original heroes and still one of my favorites. He set the standard for the “lower class” self made man heroes.
Jamie Fraser- need I say more?
Many of Joanna Bourne’s other heroes top my list as well including Adrian and Doyle -with the exception of Gray from Spymaster’s Lady. I just couldn’t warm up to him as I did with many of the others. Perhaps it’s because the reader never sees his weakness or vulnerability in the way you do with his companions.
Cam Rohan from ” Mine Til Midnight” is another of my favorite Kleypas heroes. I think he is just lovely with a mix of Alpha and non alpha traits that I adore. It’s one book where I have no doubt the couple will remain happily together.
Others have mentioned Sebastian from “Devil In Winter” and I love his combination of wry humor and wit.
One of my newer favorites is Blade from Bec McMaster’s “Kiss of Steel”. I can’t think of a McMaster hero I didn’t love but he is the one who started it all for me with her books and remains my favorite amongst her men.
Im not sure if “The Oracle Glass” by Judith Merkle Riley is considered romance or historical fiction but as it has a happy ending and I love it I’m counting it. Florent D’Urbec is one of the most interesting, charming, complex and well rounded characters ever and an equal match for the amazing heroine.
Yes, Oracle Glass. Genevieve (as well as Margaret Ashbury) would easily make my favorite heroines list.
Genevieve is probably one of my favorite heroines and Margaret isn’t far behind. That’s what makes Merkle Riley’s books so great. The heroes and heroines are both interesting, intelligent, likeable and flawed.
What a great author she was. I was so sad when I read of her passing. I had been waiting for years for another book after “The Master of All Desires” and it never came.
I think we have the same hero type! I too love Adrian and Doyle–especially Doyle–and Gray isn’t my guy. Cam is THE BEST. I love how dedicated he is to Amelia and how he treats sex with her. I love Blade and I have a serious crush on Malloryn as well!
Yay! I feel like Doyle doesn’t get much love from the readers because he isn’t as “flashy” as Adrian but I adore him. In The Forbidden Rose he is pretty much a perfect hero. He and “Maggie” are one of my favorite couples.
I fell for Adrian in “My Lord and Spymaster” when he sat on the steps and told Jess she was the only female who ever told him she loved him. I love their non-romantic but very loving relationship. It’s one part avuncular and one part teasing but protective older brother and it added another layer to his character.
I like a little vulnerability mixed in with my heroes, even the alpha ones. Back in the heyday of Suzanne Brockmann it was the scenes where the tough SEAL heroes like Sam or Kenny broke down a bit that endeared them to me more.
Oh and Malloryn! I had been waiting to get the story on him since he was introduced in Kiss of Steel. Remember how he came off as the nonchalant playboy?
I love him and his befuddled approach to his bride. So sexy and charming and sweet.
So many heroes! My abolute No. 1 is and always will be Devil Cynster (Laurens). I have the audio and the narrator is perfect, so I can indulge in my love for Devil whenever the mood strikes. Sure, he’s arrogant and used to getting his own way, but at heart a loyal family man, one willing to take a bullet for his lady love. Sigh. Others, more or less in order, are: Sebastian Lord St. Vincent (Kleypas), Derek Craven (Kleypas), Wulfgar (Balough), and Sebastian Ballister (Chase). I think the trend here are strong men who appreciate a lady their equal in backbone. More recent heroes that bring me back (reread/or relisten) are Glencrae (Laurens), Marcus (Kleypas), Winterbourne (Kleypas), and Ashbury (Dare). I recently started the Pennyroyal Green series and I think Falconbridge (Long) will be a hero I revisit. I expect Tom Severin (Kleypas Chasing Cassandra) may be my next great hero.
I have tried some of the recent contemporary romances recommended by AAR, but most have not made any kind of lasting impression — every Penny Reid I tried was a DNF. Hating Game was IMO just OK, but that may be because I do not like to read either first person narrative or office bickering. I did finish it, but will never reread or listen. I am a fan of some older contemporary romance by SEP, but none of her heroes make my top 10.
Julie Anne Long’s The Duke of Falconbridge made my short list too. I think he’s Long’s best character.
I agree with you that the trend is strong men who appreciate equality in their relationships. I remember not that long ago having to look hard to find these books and now it feels more like the norm, for which I am so grateful. I don’t read many romances that are throwbacks to the past, and to be honest, I don’t go back and read many romances of the past either, but there must be a market for them still, even while the evolved heroes are becoming more established today.
I don’t mind a rake as long as he isn’t an arsehole and he is reformed by the love of a good woman or man.. But I prefer a man who is a good person, maybe a bit lost or confused, but one who is willing to let love in. He’s protective but lets his love fight their own battles as much as possible, and who enjoys a strong personality in his partner. HR or CR, that’s my ideal kind of hero.
I agree, there must be a core or even a kernel of decency there or I just can’t buy into the happy ending. There are books where the hero is really (IMHO) a sociopath he’s so bad before he’s redeemed, I just can’t believe that guy is going to make some woman happy for the rest of her life.
My absolute pet peeve is the “hero” who decides to make some innocent person “pay” for a misdeed some relative did.
Anne Stuart was for me an author who focused on reforming not only the rake but often the cold-blooded killer and turning him into a domestic sweetheart. Sometimes it worked for me and sometimes not as much. I don’t know if it’s just my own reading preferences or if the pendulum has swung so sharply in a different direction, but I don’t encounter that many controversial heroes anymore. I read plenty of books with grumpy guys (misanthropes, curmudgeons), introverts, tortured heroes who suffer from background trauma, but I rarely read flat out rakes who need a woman to teach them how to treat her. I scanned the list above and from recent books written within the last handful of years, I don’t see rake heroes listed, which is kind of interesting.
Very true.
The fantasy of reforming the rake seems to have lost appeal.
I still like it – but I have become more demanding as to reasons and personality.
The heroine’s innocent appeal is not enough anymore, to make me accept the reform.
Some oldies but goodies mentioned above that I love are Chase’s Ballister series (Lord of Scoundrels – I believe that rake’s motivations and change totally) and MJ Putney’s Rake, but many newer ones do not work as well.
I guess we respect ourselves and other women more, in romance, even the ones that were” just pastimes”, so if the rake was / is awful to his “short term ladies”, we do not like him anymore.
At least, I notice that I pay more attention to that, and “all those nasty women he had, did not particularly respect, and then dumped, before he met the pure heroine” is a trope I do not enjoy anymore.
Anne Stuart is pretty much the only person who regularly convinces me to fall for cold-blooded killers.
Anne Stuart is an author who is an example of this totally working for me and one where the hero is the first sociopath I think of above.
Her first two Wicked House of Rohan books totally worked for me until the third one where the guy was IMHO just mentally ill.
One book where I do break my own rule is Kerrigan Byrne’s “The Hunter” where the guy is a soulless assassin. Somehow I did buy the heroine caused something in the hero to snap, and reconnect him to his humanity and love he had felt once before in his life for his murdered mother. Maybe because he was just a numb robot like assassin who learned to kill to survive, who didn’t feel anything until the snap happened -and he was not some bored, cruel aristocrat looking for kicks. He didn’t enjoy or revel in his job it was just what life handed him and he had blocked out pretty much all pleasure and comfort, just existing rather than living until the heroine came along.
Yes, I forgot about Kerrigan Byrne. Her heroes have been edgier than most that I read.
“He’s protective but lets his love fight their own battles as much as possible, and who enjoys a strong personality in his partner.”
I just finished reading “Renegade Protector,” a Harlequin Intrigue title by Nico Rosso and really enjoyed the hero Ty Morrison and the heroine Mariana Balducci. You might enjoy the chemistry as well because Ty is a tough guy vigilante cop who admires the strength and determination of the woman he’s honor bound to protect.
It’s not a perfect book by any means. Some of the sentence structures get clunky at times and I felt like Mr. Rosso was holding back on some of the violence because it was a Harlequin Intrigue title as opposed to a self-published work or non-romantic thriller. The character depth isn’t fantastic, but it felt like a great Saturday morning cartoon for grownups in the best possible way.
Some romance readers have a problem with vigilante stories on the grounds of “fridging,” but make no mistake. Mariana is a tough, resilient heroine who fights beside her man rather than pining away waiting to be rescued. The fact she can wield both a .44 rifle and an antique pistol? Instalove.
Most of my favorite heroes are from Paranormal series.
Roark (In Death series) is still my absolute favorite hero of all time, but Adam (Mercedes Thompson) series is now running a close second. After that (in no particular order): Raphael (Guild Hunter series), Connor (Hidden Legacy series), Dragos (Dragon Bound), Vlad (Night Prince series), Matthew (Paradise), Royce (A Kingdom of Dreams), Vasic (Shield of Winter)
That’s a pretty tough question! I’m listing the first to come to mind, knowing that I’m probably forgetting at least ten more that are equally great.
Ian Mackenzie (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley)
Elijah Montgomery DuPont (Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey)
Gilbert Ingraham (Marian’s Christmas Wish by Carla Kelly)
T.J. Casey (Casey by Kelly Hunter)
Patrick O’Doul (Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen)
St. Cyr is a great hero! I also like Stoker from Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series and Lady Sherlock’s Lord Ingram and I’m loving the curmudgeon Lord Wrexford in Andrea Penrose’s Sloane/Wrexford series.
I second all of the above!!!!!!
Yes, these are all great heroes!! I like both of Raybourn’s heroes (Brisbane and Stoker) and Penrose’s Wrexford. I am collecting St. Cyr as they go on sale but won’t them read until I have the early ones so I can enjoy them in order. My favorite male/female detective pair are Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell since I have been a Sherlock fan since grade school. I did not put any of these heroes on my favorite list because I compartmentalize into romantic hero vs mystery hero. Just me.
Brisbane is favorite for me too. I love the Julia Grey series and wish it would come back since I just can’t get into the Veronica Speedwell series at all.
Oh, these are such good suggestions! I have read most of them, but not all–fortunately. I want to thank you who have put in the title and sometimes the author of your favorites. For the few that haven’t, could you please supply them?
I can never remember the names of characters, but my long-time favorites that I often reread are from “Bet Me” by Crusie (very funny, too!), “Heaven” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Bobby Tom–whoever would think that such a name could grace such a great hero? Very funny book with great heroine too), “Midnight Man” by Lisa Marie Rice (former SEAL–sexy book), the perfect “Dukes Prefer Blondes” by Loretta Chase–along with her “Lord Perfect” and even more ,”Mr. Impossible.” I think it’s “Texas Destiny” by Lorraine Heath about a man who wants to establish an empire and married an oppressed woman–sight, unseen, also Heath’s “Texas Glory” about a scarred Civil War vet. ( I may have these titles reverse, but they’re both great), “Sunshine and Shadows:” Tom and Sharon Curtis (AKA, Laura London) about a movie director who falls in love with an Amish woman. (Almost everybody by the Curtises is great.) Gentle, great romance. “Morning Glory” by Lavyrle Spencer about a pregnant widow–rejected by the town–who advertises for a husband.
It’ still Rupert Carsington from Mr. Impossible for me, possibly because that was the first romance I ever read. (Can you imagine a better introduction?) But I also love his brother Benedict, Lord Perfect, and for a more recent read, Adrian Hawker from Joanna Bourne’s spy series. As someone said of Wulfric, you need to read the whole series to see his wonderfulness.
Jamie Fraser in the Outlander series. Anxiously awaiting publication of Vol 9. Adore him beyond the rest. There are plenty of others I’ve loved over many years of reading romance in all its many genres but he’s truly my #1.
I’m anxious for volume 9 as well. I do love Jamie, but he’s not my dream man or anything. But, he is the kind of guy America needed to build a nation with.
I LOVE THAT DESCRIPTION OF HIM!
Now that they’re in America, Jamie reminds me a great deal of both Washington and Jefferson. A natural leader of men, who sees beyond what is to what is possible. He had the intelligence and classical education and would have been a dynamic founding father, imo. But his own dream was personal freedom, to love his wife and children, and to be a simple farmer. He’s an interesting character, and he keeps growing and changing almost in spite of himself.
He’s probably the only hero I’d leave MY husband for! I can totally sympathise with Claire! ;-)
My all time favourites are – Sir Ross (Kleypas); Jocelyn Dudley and Edward Ailsbury (Balogh); Alexander Monecrieffe (Long); Raven (Chase); Lucian Langdon (Heath); Marquis of St. Aubyn (Enoch) and Mickey O’Connor (Hoyt). Must mention Sebastian St. Cyr.
Please let’s do favourite HR heroines next or soon.
Derek craven(dreaming of you), wulfric bedwyn(slghtly dangerous), Bobby Tom Denton (Heaven,Texas)
I love all 3 but maybe derek craven just a wee bit more.
All 3 are glorious..
Bobby Tom Denton oh my! Best SEP hero.
My favorite SEP is Kevin Tucker.
He is a hero to be sure, I also like Dean Robillard in Natural Born Charmer.
I love SEP’s audiobooks read by the late Anna Fields.
Dean is great. I love his story with his parents and their story as well.
I love Grip from Kennedy Ryan’s great Grip duology, and the men in her Hoops series are also uniformly great, too. I’m also fond of Hazard and Somerset these days! They’re both tremendously well realized – loveable – characters. I think Cat Sebastian’s heroes in The Ruin of a Rake are memorable, and one of my all time favorites is Harry, the Earl of Longmore, in Loretta Chase’s Scandal Wears Satin.
YES! Kennedy Ryan’s heros from her HOOPS series are SWOON-WORTHY…even Jared from Blocked – Kennedy somehow managed to turn a Bro-tastic Frat boy into the right guy for the heroine.
As for GRIP….he is my all time fantasy book hubby. And I’m not even a rap fan!!
She writes some great heroes! I loved Grip, but I think my favorite of hers is actually Kenan Ross of “Hook Shot.”
Grip’s my Kennedy #1!
I think it’s a tie for me: Reiner Kulti from Mariana Zapata’s amazing novel _Kulti_. International soccer star forced into early coaching retirement due to knee injuries, Kulti is grumpy x10, monosyllabic and conversant only when necessary, but his relationship with female soccer star Sal breaks down his reserve and defenses. At the end of the novel, Kulti’s still wonderfully grumpy and short on words, but it’s his actions that count.
On the other hand, the wonderfully eccentric know-it all Cletus Winston from Penny Reid’s _Beard Science_ really stands out for me. Cletus is one of a kind and so well-developed that I feel as if I know him. Maybe it’s because Penny Reid has stated many times that Cletus is her and she is Cletus. But in all honesty, how many romance authors can pull off a sexy and devious hero named Cletus?
Runners up: any of Lucy Parker’s wonderfully grumpy heroes; the misunderstood snark, Josh Templeman from Sally Thorne’s _The Hating Game_; the starched-shirt duke, Alexander Moncrieffe, from Julie Anne Long’s _What I Did for a Duke_; the charming cad, Adrian Rohan, from Anne Stuart’s _Reckless_; and the hero masquerading as a wolf, Hugo Marshall, from Courtney Milan’s _The Governess Affair_. (And from 2019, I’m still crushing on the shy, kind introvert, Leon Twomey from Beth O’Leary’s wonderful debut novel, _The Flatshare_.)
Cletus was great in the first half of the book, but lost his Cletusness, and became a generic Hero in the second half IMHO
Cletus gets to have his own romance in the second half of Beard Science and I actually thought that Reid pulled it off. In subsequent Winston Bros books, he has from time to time slipped into caricature. I’m keenly interested to see how he fares with in his own upcoming series in 2020.
Adrian is everything.
I agree on Adrian. Anne Stuart somehow convinces me to adore a character who on first glance should be despicable. I think actually I hated him at first and then kept rereading the book. There are so many scenes with him that make me laugh. I love when he is sexually frustrated after his first nights with Charlotte and briefly contemplates having sex with a man to get himself out of the doldrums. He’s straight and in love with Charlotte, but what the hell, maybe give it a go? I don’t know how Stuart did it, but he’s one of the most interesting heroes I’ve encountered. And seriously hot…this is a very hot romance. One of my favorites.
As a heterosexual man, heroes don’t, “do it” for me. As long as I can respect them I am happy.
With heroines, it is the ones who I could happily put my life in their hands who REALLY get to me. Annique from my favourite book of any genre, The Spymaster’s Lady. Cordelia Naismith from Shards of Honor. Elise deVries from A Duke to Remember (highly recommended for fans of Joanna Bourne’s Spymaster’s series). From a non romance setting, but at least I get to actually see how beautiful she is, Modesty Blaise from the eponymous comic.
I’m a hetero woman, and heroes can definitely do it for me, but I’m a heroine-centric reader and am drawn to strong portrayals of female protagonists first and foremost in any book I read. I hope there is a follow up blog on favorite heroines.
Annique from Bourne’s _Spymaster’s Lady_ is so interesting and one of my favorite heroines too, but from reading lots of reviews, I see that she has been a little controversial for some who find her too much the victim and in need of saving too often. I always read her as the one character who stops the hero in his tracks at every stage, and while blind too!
There are some weird reviews of TSL. Annique is fully a match for Grey, and he, and the entire British Service know it.
The funniest reviews are the ones that go apoplectic over his treatment of her, which, considering the entire fate of Britain is on the line, was exquisite.
I’m not keen on kidnapping or drugging women in romances, but it’s hard to overlook how Annique outsmarts him every time. And I agree, Grey definitely knows it and respects her talents!
I loved Simon Hunt from “Secrets from a Summer Night” (Kleypas) and, of course, Joshua Templeton from “The Hating Game” (already mentioned) and Cletus Winston, “Beard Science” (Reid) is my favorite of the brothers. Houston from “Texas Destiny” is everything,
Definitely Adrian in Bourne’s Spymaster series.
Some other favorites I have a soft spot for:
Winter in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Thief of Shadows
Matt in Ellen O’Connell’s Sing My Name
Wyatt in Jo Goodman’s Never Love a Lawman
Barney in LM Montgomery’s The Blue Castle
Alex Randall in MM Kaye’s Shadow of the Moon (Historical rather HR)
Some fantasy heroes I’ve loved:
Eugenides in Megan Whalen Turner’s Attolia series (Queen of Attolia is the book that cements the relationship)
Joscelin in Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel books
Bigwig in Watership Down (yes, I’m in love with a rabbit!)
I almost want to put Quin from Ibbotson’s The Morning Gift on the list. I loved him in the first half of the book, but then there is a big Mis and some frustrating behavior on the part of both hero and heroine in the 2nd half which knocked it down a peg.
Bigwig!! Yes! I love him. What a great choice.
yes yes yes Eugenides!!
One or my favourite heroes is Adrian Hawker, from Joanna Bourne’s Spymaster series, and particularly from his book, The Black Hawk. And Jervaulx, from Laura Kinsale’s Flowers From The Storm. I probably reread it at least once a year, and that speech when he confronts Maddy in the Quaker meeting house towards the end of the book makes me full-on cry Every Time. I recently enjoyed Diarmid’s pragmatism and honour in Anna Campbell’s The Highlander’s Lost Lady. And although I haven’t reread them for a while, I have fond memories of Kelly Hunter’s Bennett Brothers. (Of course I fall in love with the heroes I write. Especially the ones who appear first as secondary characters in someone else’s book, They stride on to the page, hint at their potential awesomeness, and wait impatiently for their own book so they can shine. Although I do put them through the wringer first!)
“Of course I fall in love with the heroes I write.” Absolutely! I was going to say this earlier about my own m/m heroes, but I didn’t want to sound like too much of a self-promoter. (I can just imagine someone writing, “Why stop now, Nan De Plume?”)
Jervaulx would be on my list too.
Jervaulx is an interesting character. I don’t know if others ever feel this way about him but I am always left a bit with lingering sadness or a sense of the fragility of life. It’s unusual for a main character to suffer a disabling stroke and at such a young age, and while Jervaulx recovers, I’ve never been able to let go of the thought that his HEA might be more of a happy for now. The stroke furthers the plot of _Flowers from the Storm_, but I’m not entirely reassured from a health perspective that Jervaulx has a long life ahead of him. Kinsale has a number of unsettling books that keep me thinking long after reading them.
If you ask me just one name I’d say Derek Craven, of course. That’s my number one romantic hero. Ever.
But a few of my favourites one are Rupert Carsington (MR. IMPOSSIBLE by Loretta Chase) and Cash Boudreaux (SLOW HEAT IN HEAVEN by Sandra Brown). The first one, in the chronological sense, was Cole Latimer (ASHES IN THE WIND, by Kathleen Woodiwiss). Just to name a few..
I second Rupert Carsington! He’s a wonderful hero who loves his woman like the crazy guy he is. Love him! I also love Marcus, Lord Westcliff, from It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas. He’s kind of gobsmacked by love, and his rigid ways get a makeover by his impudent American heroine. And Raven from Dukes Prefer Blondes is another hero that I really like. He can’t get over the fact that Lady Clara of renowned beauty and brilliant mind loves HIM. HIM!!!
Marcus is definitely on my top ten hero list.
I agree with the above choices of heroes from romances written over a decade ago. The Carsington brothers, Derek Craven, Raven, Marcus and Simon Hunt from Kleypas’s Wallflower series. I would still put Harry Braxton on my longer list from Connie Brockway’s _As You Desire_. Some of these characters really stand the test of time. I reread As You Desire routinely and never tire of Harry.
I tend to like the hero in whichever romance I’m currently reading (if I don’t feel at least some affinity for the hero, the book usually ends up being a DNF, even if the heroine is likable). In my long-ago youth, I had book crushes on Mr. Rochester, Heathcliff (why? why?), Rhett Butler (ditto), Gabriel Oak (from FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD), Oliver Mellors (Lady Chatterley’s Lover), even John of Gaunt (as he’s portrayed in Anya Seton’s KATHERINE), but that was more adolescent yearning than any understanding of what makes a good hero. When it comes to historicals, I second the selection of Wulfric Bedwyn—but I do think you do need to read the entire series to get the full arc of his character.
“I tend to like the hero in whichever romance I’m currently reading.” That’s a good way to put it. I know I’m probably a bad romance reader because I don’t typically remember most of the characters I read about by name, especially if it’s been more than a couple of weeks. Since HR is typically written by women and for women, I’ve found that the heroines are generally more interesting and unique while heroes often feel cookie-cutter. Not that a lot of them aren’t good hero material. But for me, it’s often a case of, “You’ve seen one rakish duke, you’ve seen them all.”
Regarding Rhett Butler, I like him as a complex, flawed character, but not a romantic hero by any means. I also think Scarlett O’Hara is one of the most fleshed out female characters I’ve ever read. Again, she’s no romance heroine, but what a protagonist!
I *do* wish there were more historical fiction novels with happy endings because their heroes tend to be fleshed out more than HR heroes, at least in my experience. John Blackthorne from “Shogun” and Dirk Struan from “Tai=Pan” are amazing protagonists. And they both have leading ladies who match them in intelligence, wit, and cunning. But because their stories aren’t romances, you can forget about HEAs.
Yes, I realize there are a lot of Darcy and Rochester fans out there, and they are quite memorable characters who have made it into popular culture, but Regency and Gothic generally aren’t my thing. Sorry, Regency and Gothic fans! If I do read a Regency or Gothic, it’s *despite* the setting, not *because* of it.
I tend to like heroes in good books that I’ve read recently. I never could pick favorites or do ranked lists of anything.
With that in mind, two good ones in recent rereads:
– Silas Mason in A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles. There’s a fantastic review of this book over at SBTB that’s well worth reading. This is an m/m title, so there are two heroes, and while Dom is great too, Silas is a standout. He’s a 40-something radical atheist bookseller, and he never aspires to be anything but who he is. The Society of Gentlemen trilogy has fantastic heroes in the other books, too.
– Leighton Atwood in The Hidden Blade and My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas. Thomas puts her characters through *a lot* in these books, and what’s striking about Leighton is how he puts others first no matter what he has to face, even at a very young age. He’s just a legit good guy.
That’s still the only book to which I’ve given an A+ here – it’s simply outstanding. And I also have a definite soft spot for Silas!
Wow – that could be a whole different ask AAR – pick your favorite Heyer hero! I think mine would be Adam Deveril from a Civil Contract because he’s so darn honorable. My favorite from other HRs is Wulfric Bedwyn from Mary Balogh’s Bedwyn Saga. Also love Alexander Moncrieffe, the Duke of Falconbridge from Julie Anne Long’s What I Did For A Duke. In CR, I’d have to say Penny Reid’s Billy Winston – again, the so darn honorable thing!
My new favourite hero is Arland in Ilona Andrew’s Inkeeper Chronicles. I also love Declan from The Edge.
Most of Heyer’s heroes, but I love Damerel and John Staple with all my heart.
Chase heroes are always good, but I pick Raven.
Balogh’s Wulfric, best Duke EVER and Kit, Viscount Ravensberg.
Mary Jo Putney’s Reggie Davenport in The Rake is my best hero.
Rourke is the absolute dream hero, but I like Robert’s Rogan Sweeney from Born in Fire and Cameron Quinn (my fantasy husband) from Sea Swept. I also like Last Nora’s cops and writers.
But if I had to choose one hero it would be the devilishly delicious Marquess of Rothgar, Beowulf.
Great post! So many fabulous heroes……swooning just thinking about the romance of it all.
La Nora! grumble grumble….auto correct.
Love Raven! He was so caring with Lady Clara; Dukes Prefer Blondes s a delight of a book!
I love how gobsmacked he is by her!
Okay, does Roarke from the “In Death” series count?
He’s endlessly understanding, but powerful in his own right. He supports Eve and knows her better than anyone on earth. Without him, she can’t function as well as she does. He has his own life, for once we have a wealthy man who actually does some work. And he’s sexy, sexy, sexy.
I can’t believe in many of the current “historical” romance heroes and if I can’t believe in them, then I can’t get invested in them. There are good historical romances around, but you have to hunt for them harder than you used to – I mean historical romances with some history in them. Even some previously wonderful authors have slipped into the non-historical historical slot, and I really don’t go for those. So for a favourite historical romance hero, I’d have to go back and name Damerel, from Heyer’s Venetia. He’s done it all, and he’s settling down. He can meet Venetia in wit and intelligence. Despite what he’s gone through, he’s a perfect gentleman. And he’s sexy as all get-out.
“Even some previously wonderful authors have slipped into the non-historical historical slot” You are so right about this. When I read historical fiction, or HR, I’m not interested in implausible what-if scenarios such as “Well, what if this was Regency England with zombies?” or “What if this was Medieval Scotland with dragons?” or “What if the heroine is a time traveler and she goes back to the Gothic era and falls in love with a hero who’s actually a shapeshifter?” No thank you. I like both speculative fiction and historical fiction, but I like those two genres to stay separate.
I love the chemistry between Damerel and Venetia!
Ooooh, yes!! He’s the best Rake in the entire Regency canon without doubt.