Almost every woman says she wants a nice, funny guy. No matter what the media tells you, it's true. Real stories of women seeking out the bad boys are exaggerated. Nice guys don't finish last.
We don't see that many nice guys in romance novels, though. Why is that? Women want to read about the bad boy with the hidden heart of gold. Women of every social class, of every age. Again, you ask why? For the fantasy of it, for an escape from reality. If you ask the same women if they want a man in real life like the arrogant and possessive heroes in the books, they'll say no. They want the nice guys.
Nice guys are almost impossible to find in paranormal romance. The dark supernatural worlds with all those monsters to fight tend to produce hardened men. Or the men that the heroines fall for are the monsters. I love all the layers this adds to the romance aspect of the story. Ah, the complexities of being a vampire's life-mate or falling for a gorgeous ghost that you can't even touch.
Not that paranormal romance is void of nice guys. Usually they're family or friends. Not the love interest.
I find nice guys are more common in YA than adult. I'm glad for that. The most popular example I can think of is the Harry Potter series. I love that Harry and Ron were nice guys. They prove you can have a fantastic story with nice guys. They each got the girl at the end too.
My heroes are usually the sarcastic, arrogant type. They're just so much fun to write. Of course, they can be highly moral and have good hearts, but they have flaws that would make them highly annoying in real life. I should take up the challenge and write a story with a nice guy as the hero.
Do you prefer reading romances with the bad boy or the nice guy? Can you name any paranormal romances with a nice guy as the love interest?
I MUCH prefer stories with the bad boys!! >:D I actually can't think of any with the nice guy as the love interest. >.>
ReplyDeleteMy YA Paranormal Romance has a nice guy as the hero. All of my critics say things like "real men don't talk/act/think like that". My response; Well maybe they should. It's paranormal/fantasy, they/I can do whatever they want. Isn't that the example/stereotype we would rather have out there for our daughters. Isn't that who we want them to 'look/wait'for.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I married two 'bad boys. Obviously, not a good choice the first time around. Jury's still out on the second marriage, but I think I'll keep him.
Sure, women like a nice funny guy so long as he has muscles and a lot of money. It's really been hard for me to accept the fact women are just as shallow as men.
ReplyDeleteBad boys sure are a lot of fun to read about. It'd be interesting to have a nice guy win out, though.
ReplyDeleteWell...hmmm...it's not a book, but The Buffy the Vampire TV show had Angel...and he was nice until she slept with him, right? LOL! Honestly, that is all that comes to mind! How funny to fall for the nice guy, and then have him turn into the WORST bad guy EVER when you "do the deed"!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Christine! Check out my contest at mydemonspirits.blogspot.com
PudgeMallow, oh yes, bad boys make for good fantasy material!
ReplyDeleteFarawayeyes, I like when writers use a nice guy as the hero, especially in YA books. I also think it takes more skill to write a great story for that nice guy. Bad boys create their own drama, so they're easier to write.
Grumpy Bulldog, I've known many shallow women. Too many.
Cherie, I totally agree!
Heather, HA! That's hilarious, but true. Yet Angel had that dark past to make up for being a good guy in the present. Then there was Spike. Bad boy with a cool accent! Xander was the nice guy and he got the friend role.
My YA paranormal has a nice guy! :D Hopefully people will be able to read about him someday. I always have a soft spot for the nice guy. Even though I'm usually rooting for the bad boy. ;)
ReplyDeletecan't a girl have both?! *sigh*
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't read romance, but in real life I'm one of those boring nice guys.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the answer is to make a nice guy with some bad boy tendancies. :) What would be a fun read is the gal chasing after the bad boy then changing her mind. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteI like the nice guy more than the bad boy, most of the time. I don't mind a little sarcasm . . . but sometimes it borders on just being a jerk. :P
ReplyDeleteGreat point about Harry Potter.
For me, it depends on the book as to the sort of hero I'm rooting for. As for a paranormal story with a nice guy as the love interest, I'm leaning towards Ali Cross's "Become". Considering the mythology of the series (and the guys she had to choose from), I think Michael definitely falls under "nice guy".
ReplyDeleteHmm, I think you're right about the nice guys. I don't read much paranormal romance, just starting on the genre, but yeah, gotta have those badboy flaws.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you mention Harry Potter and Ron. Good examples of the good guy winning.
I agree that bad boys are so much more fun to write :)
.......dhole
I guess the bad guy persona creates more conflict, hence makes it a more interesting read, but I do the like guy who appears bad initially, but in the end we discover he is a softy on the inside:)
ReplyDeleteChantele, I love seeing all these YA books with nice guys as heroes.
ReplyDeleteTrish, ah, how I wish it could be true!
Alex, you're definitely a nice guy but far from boring. :) I'm married to a man who calls himself a boring nice guy. Suits me just fine.
Mary, I like the idea of a girl suddenly realizing that the bad boy she's chasing isn't what she really wants.
TGE, yeah, too much sarcasm can get to jerk level.
C D, I have to read that book. I haven't read any Ali Cross yet.
Donna, I adore Ron Weasley. I like Harry as a role model, but I wasn't his biggest fan. It was Ron and Hermione all the way for me!
Tania, that's the sort of guy I usually write. Hard outside, soft inside. :)
Hey Christine,
ReplyDeleteI'm with Trish; I think I'd like both lol! A girl can dream, right? ;)
Ninja Girl