Yesterday on Twitter we were talking about Lothaire, and Jane asked, where are the nice guys in PNR?
There does seem to be a lot of bad boys out there. I love to see a bad boy be brought down by love. Lothaire has walked the Earth for centuries, always getting his way. I am amused by how his heroine Ellie makes him learn how to be unselfish (somewhat). Dmitri from Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Blade is another very naughty hero. So wicked. Again, I love how he stays wicked throughout the book. Dragos from Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison is another majorly alpha hero that comes to mind.
So while the bad boys can be fun, I had a hard time thinking of the good guys. The heroes that are a little more kind, and gentle. That are still protective over their mate (duh – this is PNR we are talking about!) but might not fly completely off the handle at every little thing.
The first one that popped to mind is Tohr, in JR Ward’s upcoming Lover Reborn. He has to be nice, right?
I turned to Twitter to give me some “good guy” recs, and here is what I received:
Lillie – Southern Arcana Series by Moira Rogers, Play of Passion by Nalini Singh, Dark Melody by Christine Feehan.
Highland Hussy – Bodyguard and Wild Cat by Jennifer Ashley
Buckeyegirl31 – Succubus Series by Jill Myles, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta, Lucani Lovers series by Stephanie Julian, Size Matters by Stephanie Julian. Desmond from Something Secret Comes this Way by Sierra Dean, Time of Transition by Gabi Stevens
Jill Sorenson – Soul Gatherer Series by Annette McCleave
Karen Mahoney – Dirk & Steel Series by Marjorie M. Liu
Fiction Vixen – Acheron
Ren Puspita – Kerrlyn Sparks books
Susi M. – The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper, Georgina Kincaid books by Richelle Mead (Definitely agree with this!)
Jess – Shelly Laurenston’s Pride series
Lusty Reader – Owen from Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series, Riley from Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh, Drew from Play of Passion by Nalini Singh
c2 – JL Langley’s With or Without series
Tori – Geist by Philippa Ballantine
Julie Leto – Book two and three of her Phantom series
Shiloh Walker – Rune from Serpent’s Kiss by Thea Harrison
I think that is a pretty good list!
What other books can you think of that have a “nice” PNR hero? Do you tend to lean towards the nice guys or go straight for the bad boys?
John Matthew from JR Ward’s BDB is another good guy in PNR.
Oh yes! I love him. He is so sweet. And sexy :)
I did see this on PNR and thought about it, but what makes a guy a good guy? Good to her? Cos yes a lot of jerks around, or good to everyone? Still lots of good guys around
Wellll…someone that has a good attitude, that is unselfish, and maybe smiles more than snarls? LOL. I’d say good to everyone in general
That means: no alpha hero.
Some of my favorites:
– Lucas Cortez from Kelley Armstrong’s Dime Store Magic & Industrial Magic.
– Jake from Meljean Brook’s Demon Bound, and I think Drifter from Demon Night, too. And Archimedes from Heart of Steel. <3 <3 <3!
– Taylor from Alisha Rai's Never Have I Ever.
– Most of the heroes in Vivian Arend’s PNRs.
– If you stray a little over the line into UF, Ben from the Kitty books by Carrie Vaughn.
I need to go stare at my bookshelf and find more! And go pick up the listed ones that I haven’t read. Wheeee!
I agree about Vivian Arend’s heroes, they are all pretty nice-guy like.
I would add Molly Harper’s heroes. They tend to be less Alpha-hole.
oooh…good list! off to check some of those out.
I’d add:
Phin from Karina Cooper’s Lure of the Wicked
Seth from Richelle Mead’s Georgina Kincaid series
Archimedes Fox from Meljean Brook’s Heart of Steel
Byron from Melissa Marr’s Graveminder (albeit not a PNR, technically)
Oh I second basically all the heroes from Marjorie M. Liu’s Dirke and Steel series.
I’d add:
Charles from Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega series
Great “good guy PNR” suggestions! Thanks girls!
I feel that I’m missing out by not having a Twitter account…I feel so outta the loop!
I second the vote for Charles from Brigg’s Alpha and Omega books and will add Adam from the Mercy Thompson books as well. I think Curran from the Kate Daniels books is inherently decent (once Kate gets to know him). I just started reading the Kindred books by Evangeline Anderson (more sci fi than PNR I would say) and her heroes are almost TOO NICE!!
Acheron, of course.
Did anyone say Sebastian Roth from IAD No Rest for the Wicked? He was a sweetie….
Definitely Seth from GK series.
Nobody has mentioned Bones or Spade. They are both naughty and nice. ;)
All the guys from Anne Rice’s Black Jewels series. Almost all of Moira Roger’s characters.
I’m so tired of the dominance theme and the endless, “yes, he’s an arse but it’s because he loves her.” When did being rude, threatening, dominant, and arsehole-ish equal love? It weakens the woman-making her look like a child in need of a daddy. A daddy she can sleep with. And we swoon over them. LOL We all know that 95% of us would knock the crap out of our guys if they pulled that on us.
I like a strong guy that will do whatever to protect his woman but not an alpha hole. When I see a character that pushes and pushes, telling his woman that “this is how it will be and you will accept it because this is what I feel” then I get twitchy.
Agree so much. What’s with the sexualization of total and utter douchebags? Gross.
Most if not all of the heroes from Lynsay Sands’s Argeneau Series.
I think I’d put Vane and Fang from Kenyon’s Were Hunters (Dark Hunters) series in the nice guy column as well. It would be a bit of a stretch since they have attitude in buckets but overall they are good.
Alex (Bunny) from Bear Necessities, Shane from Artistic Vision and Parker from Blood of the Maple by Dana Marie Bell. (Actually most of her heroes tend to not be overly cavemanish.)
And another “vote” for Bones and Spade whom Paula suggested.
How about Eidolon from Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione. He’s a nice guy…er Demon. ;)
I just finished Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke and Quinn was a really nice guy/dragon I thought.
John Matthew was a great choice! Can’t Bieber I forgot about him
Did anyone mention Phury? He is beyond nice, almost annoyingly so. LOL I love him, though he isn’t my favorite. Gotta love all the BDB boys.