I am honored to have a special guest on my blog today Chanel Cleeton. She'll be discussing my favorite topic--Men erm Fictional Men. Thanks Chanel!
Ten Men to Fall in Love With
By Chanel Cleeton
I started reading romance novels when I was
ten years old. The moment I read my
first romace, I fell in love. There’s
something about a great romance novel— you fall in love with the story, the
writing, the characters. You live within
the pages of the novel. More than
anything, though, so many of us fall in love with the hero. Over the years, I’ve ready so many great
stories about dukes and businessmen, assassins and vampires. Alpha men.
Men who are willing to fight for their heroines and risk all for a happy
ending. But of all of these heroes,
these ten men stand out the most:
1.
Mr. Darcy, Pride & Prejudice by Jane
Austen
I can’t say enough about
Mr. Darcy. He is the ultimate romance
hero. He’s charismatic, powerful, and
undergoes a transformation that has readers falling in love with him. He’s sexy too— without even kissing
Elizabeth, he’s able to conduct a courtship full of passion and love. He’s a gentleman, one who is made better
through his love of Elizabeth.
2.
Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind by
Margaret Mitchell
Okay, so this
one is arguably, not a romance, but Rhett Butler is the kind of character who
doesn’t play by the rules so he earned his place on this list. He is the ultimate alpha male. He challenges Scarlett and is the
quintessential Southern gentleman— with a naughty twist. He’s also the perfect example of a rake
redeemed.
3.
Hardy Cates, Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa
Kleypas
Hardy is another alpha
male. He’s a Texan whose success is entirely
self-made. He’s a little rough around
the edges, but the way he cares for Haven, the story’s heroine, will melt your
heart.
4.
Matthew Farrell, Paradise by Judith
McNaught
Matt is probably
responsible for my unrealistic views on men.
I read this contemporary romance when I was a kid and fell completely in
love. He’s another alpha male— self-made
and proud of it. He can be brash and
over-confident, but his love for Meredith defines him.
5.
Leopold Dautry, Duke of Villiers, A Duke
of Her Own by Eloisa James
I’m a total sucker for a
story with a duke. A wicked duke? Even
better. Villiers is really more of a
duke redeeming himself— he’s trying to track down the many illegitimate children
he’s lost track of— but he still has plenty of opportunities to be a bit
wicked. He’s a chess prodigy and
brilliant, challenging the novel’s heroine at every turn. If you like intelligent, witty heroes, then
he’s the one for you.
6.
Calder Hart, The Deadly Series by Brenda
Joyce
Calder’s another one of
those heroes who I fell in love with in a young age. He’s the quintessential alpha male— jaded,
powerful, loved by many women. But then
he meets Francesca, the series’ heroine.
The best thing about Calder? He loves Francesca for who she is,
accepting her bluestocking ways and unorthodox profession (she’s a
sleuth). He’s an easy hero to fall in
love with.
7.
Will Sumner, Beautiful Player by
Christina Lauren
Will’s in between a nice
guy and a player, until he meets his match.
A successful venture capitalist, Will’s budding relationship with his
friend’s younger sister, Hanna, is enough to make the reader fall in love. Will’s confident and sexy, but not an
over-the-top alpha male. He’s the kind of
guy who is a great “catch.”
8.
Jason Fielding, Marquess of Wakefield, Once
and Always by Judith McNaught
Pretty much every hero
ever written by Judith McNaught belongs on this list. No one writes alpha males like she does. But Jason has a special place in my heart. He carries a lot of dark, difficult baggage
with him and strains under the weight of an immeasurable loss. It isn’t until he meets Victoria, the novel’s
heroine, that he begins to open his heart again. Jason is a complex, jaded hero, but he’s also
one that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book.
9.
Rehvenge, Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
You would think it would
be hard to make an occasionally impotent, drug-dealing vampire wearing floor
length fur coats sexy. Somehow J.R. Ward
does it…and then some. Rehvenge is
another tortured hero with a really dark past and a pretty tough present. But, Rehvenge is also the ultimate alpha male
and when he meets his perfect match, he sets out to change his life. J.R. Ward writes the best heroes.
10. Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, How the Marquess was Won by Julie
Anne Long
I struggled a
bit with this one because I LOVE all of Julie Anne Long’s heroes. But Julian stands out because he has some of
the best dialogue I’ve ever read and he pretty much steals the story. His love is fierce, protective, and changes
him completely. This book is a bit of a
Cinderella story and Julian is a perfect Prince Charming.
These are some
of my absolute favorite heroes. What
heroes have you fallen in love with?
Chanel Cleeton writes New Adult contemporary romances and Young Adult thrillers. Her New Adult debut, I SEE LONDON, will be released on February 1, 2014, followed by a sequel, LONDON FALLING, later in the year. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, Chanel is happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, puppy cuddles, and her fighter pilot husband. Chanel loves to travel and is currently living an adventure in South Korea.
www.chanelcleeton.com
www.goodreads.com/chanelcleeton
www.twitter.com/chanelcleeton
www.facebook.com/authorchanelcleeton
www.chanelcleeton.com
www.goodreads.com/chanelcleeton
www.twitter.com/chanelcleeton
www.facebook.com/authorchanelcleeton
I have started a mailing list for
those who missed it. You can sign-up here and it’s also in the Sidebar.
Thanks for having me!
ReplyDelete