Favorite Heroic Archetypes « All About Romance’s News & Commentary Blog…

Another favorite is Sebastian in Patricia Gaffney’s “To Have and To Hold”. I know he’s quite a controversial character, but I think the book is an exhilarating portrait of the redemption of a true rake. Far too many of the Dukes of Slut are what I like to think of as “wallpaper” rakes — shown in chapter 1 acting quite studly with a mistress and whose prowess is talked about constantly by everyone else, but somehow it all feels fake. Sebastian, however, is the real thing, and his redemption at the hands of a woman he first sought to use as heartlessly as he’d used all other women is a true soul-change. Gaffney is a wonderful writer who seems to understand the many twists and turns of the human heart.

But I also agree with those who love Carla Kelly’s heroes. They are usually classified as beta, but I think they’re actually alpha in all the ways that count: they’re intelligent, usually leaders of men (sea captains or army officers, for example), and once they determine the right path necessary to care for the heroine, they are unswerving in their care for her. They may question themselves and their choices (to me, that’s often a sign of intelligence as none of us are infallible and it helps to periodically do such checks), but they embody the word Honor even as they come before us, flaws and all. Her heroes are all the more romantic because they are so human.

My other favorite heroes are the gentlemen who populate the “Fallen Angels” series by Mary Jo Putney. In varying ways, they’ve had to overcome difficult situations in their lives, and they manage to do it with women who are smart, perceptive, and NOT simpering fools! I would say that my favorite Fallen Angel is Lord Michael Kenyon, who is really nasty when he appears in the first book, “Thunder and Roses”. Through the forgiveness of his friends, he becomes a terrific hero in “Shattered Rainbows”.

I don’t like him at all! In fact, I couldn’t bring myself to read more than this first book of the series, even though everyone was raving about it. Jamie is a pervert. Remember the scene when he gave Claire a beating with his belt? I do understand why he did it, and in fact, he explained it to her at length, but he hurt her badly AND IT TURNED HIM ON! That is one of the most disgustings scenes I ever read, and a man who gets turned on by hurting his wife is definitely not hero material.