A good romance has to have a hunky hero who gets the heroine’s heart pounding. I personally find a lot of different qualities attractive, but when it comes to my romance heroes, here are 10 of my favorites.
1) A tortured past – he might be surly, grouchy, or just plain mean, but as long as there is a reason behind it (especially one that can be worked through) then this gives the hero a little license to behave badly for a bit.
2) A rockin’ bod – okay, this probably isn’t politically correct, but we are discussing heroes in romance novels and fantasy guys are just more fun when they are built 😉
3) A heart of gold – like #1, he might be the meanest guy in the room, but there is a difference between mean and cruel. If he’s a jerk to the heroine at first because he’s just trying to protect himself but deep down he’s really totally in love with her and wants to ride off into the sunset and make her dreams come true, then that totally works for me. If he’s the sort that will kick a puppy just for the fun of it, then no.
4) A quirk or two – I like my romance heroes to have some little quirk about them that sets them apart from all the other alpha males out there. Maybe the big, strong hunk likes to curl up with a book and a cup of cocoa at night, or maybe he likes to spend his downtime writing poetry or knitting socks. Just something unexpected that makes him “different.”
5) A physical flaw – a rockin’ bod is definitely a plus, but those little imperfections can be sexy too. A nose that’s slightly too big, a crooked tooth, scars, shaggy hair….small imperfections can really add to a heroes attractiveness and keeps them from being just an average pretty boy.
6) A dangerous side – I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for a bad boy. As long as that bad boy has a reason for being bad (i.e. a tortured past) and is basically a good guy deep down (heart of gold), then being a little dangerous can be sexy.
7) A brain – I’m all for a handsome face, but my hero needs to have some brains to back up the good looks or it just doesn’t work for me.
8) A soft side – he can be big, burly, and dangerous, but if he’ll also pet a kitty when no one is looking, that just makes him all the more sexy.
9) A romantic side – again, no matter what his other qualities, a guy who wants to please his lady with a few flowers or by wrapping his coat around her when she’s cold is top on my list.
10) A protective side – I like to write (and read) about strong heroines who can fight their own battles. But there’s nothing wrong with having a strong man at her side who will protect her at all costs.
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