I was just considering this the other day and thought I would ask readers how they feel about it...What do you think of every historical hero being thought of by all of society as handsome, swoon-worthy, dashing, etc?
Who doens't love a good looking hero right? I mean we want someone to swoon over. But...
I can't help but find myself love those stories and heroes who aren't conventially handsome. Someone the heroine loves for more than just his good looks and reformed rake status.
Not only do I enjoy heroes who the heroine loves in spite of everyone else not thinking them beautiful, I love the scarred hero. Give me a man with a deep scar across his cheek that all other women but the heroine can't bring themselves to look at and I'll fall in love.
I guess this means I'm a total sucker for the Beauty and the Beast trope. Yep. I'll totally own it. I don't find myself needing this as much in contemporaries or paranormals. There's something about an imperfect man in a historical that draws me in. It's not just about a scarred hero, but one who doesn't have the ladies falling at his feet.
As much as I enjoy a dashing Duke or reformed rake, I love the slightly less handsome or eccentric looking hero all the more. More heroes with spectacles, red hair, a dark complextion, scars, etc. Give me something off the beaten path for a historical hero. Give me the imperfect hero!
What about you? Do you long for a these types of heroes too? Are you a fan of the Beauty and the Beast storyline? If so, what was your favorite book or hero? Authors - share your heroes with us too! I would love to find some new books to add to my list!
Imperfect heroes are ALWAYS my favorites!
ReplyDeleteAhem! Was this written in memory of MY beauty and the beast story in which there is a hero just like: "a man with a deep scar across his cheek that all other women but the heroine can't bring themselves to look at..." ?? ;-) Heh.
ReplyDeleteObviously, I love that type of hero too. In fact, my favorite movie is THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA...no amount of scarring could take away from the beauty of Gerry Butler! LOL!
Leslie - you totally know it was! :)
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty though - I loved Leslie's book but this isn't JUST about her awesome story and hero. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's one of my favorite tropes, too. Ravished by Amanda Quick is a perfect example of this. Scarred, ostracized hero meets his match with a fossil obsessed spinster.
ReplyDeleteI find obviously handsome heroes (and heroines) a little...dull. The sizzle for me is how the hero and heroine see each other. Then, a perfectly "ordinary" looking person becomes breathtaking in his (or her) partner's eyes.
ReplyDeleteI love beauty and the beast themed books and or quirky heros. Elizabeth Hoyts The Raven Prince comes to mind. Its a wonderful book! The hero is scarred and tortured. Also Viscount Iverley, Sebastian in Miranda Nevilles The Dangerous Viscount. He is quirky, nerdy, wears glasses, tortured and is a virgin! Can't get better than that! Great fun post today!
ReplyDeleteOh, that great book by Jennifer Ashly "The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie" where the hero isn't marred physically, but he suffers from mental problems. She did such a fabulous job of making him a hero...
ReplyDeleteI love creating heroes that are not the basic cup of tea!
@Amber (aka BBB) I'm totally going to add this one to my list! Thank you!
ReplyDelete@Johanna R Jochum Thank you for the suggestions! Nerdy and glasses - wahoo!!!!
ReplyDeleteMaureen - I just finished the Madness of Lord Ian 2 days ago and its one of the reasons I wrote this little post. LOVED IT! Loved Ian as a hero and want more of heroes like him. :)
ReplyDeleteI adore this trope. If there is one thing that will get me to buy quicker than anything else it's a scarred or plain hero or heroine. Some of my favorites - Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale (hero is gorgeous but suffers from deafness and terrible vertigo due to an ear injury), Simply Love by Mary Balogh (hero is scarred and lost an arm in the war), To Beguile a Beast and The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt, A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl (unlovely hero), and in contemporaries, Butterfly Tattoo by Deirdre Knight in which the heroine was attacked and horribly scarred by a stalker.
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