You’ve been there. You’re ready for an escape, so you’ve purchased a new romance novel. You’ve settled in your favorite reading spot. You’ve told everyone you know to leave you alone while you slip between the “covers” with a new guy. You get a few pages, maybe a few chapters in, and the WHAM! The hero does something dumb and turns you off. Total buzz kill! You toss the book across the room and rant about the unfairness of it all.
I know that can’t be just me.
I’ve been reading romances since I was thirteen, and while I enjoy the whole story, I also read to fall in love with the hero. He doesn’t even have to be uber handsome to make me fall in love. But if he has a few qualities I’m in it until the end.
So here is my list of things that make a hot hero. (In no particular order)
- He can fix shit! Let that man roll up his sleeves and repair the heroine’s toilet or change her tire. Swoon! I mean, yeah, she’s strong and can do it herself, but why not let that man work a little to get into her heart.
- Great in bed. Obviously, right? Who wants to read a romance where the hero can’t even get the heroine off? Not me.
- He’s observant. You know like in a second chance romance when he remembers little things about the heroine. How she likes her coffee. Her favorite cereal. Stuff that tells you he’s been thinking of her over the years.
- He’s considerate. Call me old fashioned or whatever, but if it’s cold and he takes off his jacket to wrap around her shivering shoulders then he’s a winner in my book.
- He’s not all “I gotta get in your pants” from day one. I love a slow burn. Yeah, he may notice the heroine is attractive, but he’s not pushing up on her trying to get her in bed starting on page one.
- Confidence! Not the alpha-asshole type of confidence either. I don’t need him cursing and yelling at everyone in the book, including the heroine. But, if he’s got that I know what I’m doing don’t come for me swagger…yeah that’s pretty damn hot.
- He kills things. This may be more for a paranormal romance, but if the hero is willing to fight and kill the bad guys to protect the heroine I’m there. I mean, Superman is cool, but sometimes that bad guy needs to be taken out.
- CEO in the Streets and a Freak in the Sheets. Okay, yeah, I get this is another sex thing, but it’s something I love to discover in a beta hero. The guy you don’t expect to be intensely sexy during the fun times but then he has the heroine moaning like a cat. I’m fist pumping and cheering when that happens.
- He can be funny. I love a tortured hero, but I also need a little bit of laughter to lighten the mood. If he can relax and be himself around the heroine then my heart melts right along with hers.
- He’s not afraid to be weak. This goes back to confidence. One thing I love is the way heroines in today’s romances are strong as hell. A hero who isn’t afraid of his lady’s strength, who can step back and let her kill the bad guys, rescue the captives, or go first into danger because she should lead the mission, well, that’s a guy who has his woman’s back.
What do you think makes a hot hero? Comment below and tell me if there’s other things I should add to the list or something you hate in a hero.
Check out my hot heroes in the books section.
Synithia, I think you NAILED the list of what makes a hot hero!
🙂 Thank you!
God fearing protector. He’s there when ever you need him, A master lover, he’s got that down pack! Shows the world that you’re his in actions and words. If he can build me a cozy She-shed with bookcases for my books..then baby it’s done!!!
She shed! I love it!
I think you covered it for me.
Girl yeah – considerate: opening doors for me, walking on the outside, pulling the chair back for me – just old fashioned manners! Also showing affection in public (not too much). I
agree that a Huge turn off is the hero or heroine making a really stupid decision -somewhere out in left field- that doesn’t really fit into the storyline