Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk in my writing circles about what makes a great hero in a romance novel. I wanted to write a little about my thoughts on the subject. At first, I thought it would be a single blog, but now that I’ve started I can see that this topic is going to take a few weeks to get through.
Even though I had never heard the term “book boyfriend” until a few months ago, I knew exactly what it meant. It’s that one hero that you just can’t stop thinking about, who seems so real that you feel jealousy toward the heroine, the guy that you dream about in your sleep. I’ve had a few book boyfriends over the years. Some are only crushes and fade away after a few hours or days, but some have stuck with me for a lifetime.
My longest and most severe book boyfriend crush has been on Jamie Frasier from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. Gabaldon has done a tremendous job of building a complex character. Jamie has a strong, almost prudish sense of morality, that is at odds with his violent Highland warrior lifestyle. All of that is balanced with a sense of humor and his total ignorance to just how hot he is. What appeals most to me about Jamie is that he is far from perfect, makes epic mistakes, and can be a little scary at times, but his love and tenderness for Claire is unwavering. He epitomizes what a real man should be and that might be why I’m still single. Jamie has ruined me for all other men!
What about you? Do you have a book boyfriend?
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