I'm reading an American romantic suspense at the moment. I'm going to finish it, as I want to see how the plot works out, but I'm having a bit of of trouble with both hero and heroine - mostly the hero. He's bossy, overwhelmingly possessive, short tempered, a womaniser and might have criminal connections. The heroine isn't sure, as she doesn't really know him that well. He's told her that she's going to have his babies, but other than that ... She can't resist him though, because he makes her feel safe - oh, and he's filthy rich and sexy as hell.
Now at this point I'd be on the bus and heading for the hills, but of course the heroine can't resist him and doesn't think she's good enough for him. And if she ran, he'd only come after her and haul her back, possibly by force.
Now the only thing I can subscribe to in all that is that he makes her feel safe, which is one of my go-to qualities in a hero. Protective, but not smothering. The book is by a top rank author, so there must be readers who do go for that type of hero, but it isn't me. Even my very alpha types are not that bossy. I'd cut them down to size if they were. My heroines have to have room to be themselves, and the hero has to be man enough to let them. I also like vulnerability in a hero, even if it's kept between him and the reader, by way of access to his thoughts on the page - maybe it's best that way - it's the reader's secret ...
For me there's nothing so entertaining as an alpha who is falling in love and doesn't have a clue why he feels like he was just hit by a truck. Which probably makes me a sadist? It wouldn't fit with a bossy hero.
It clearly takes all sorts both as readers and writers, which is as it should be. We don't all have the same taste in men, on or off the page, thank goodness.
No comments:
Post a Comment