Roxy’s Top Ten Heroes for 2013

I’ve been reading romance stories since I was about ten or eleven years old.  First, there were the Sweet Dreams Series I gobbled up every week, starting with Barbara P. Conklin’s P.S. I Love You, and then there was Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High Series which I absolutely adored.  Of course, I graduated to reading more adult romance stories and now I’ve begun writing stories of my own, starting with He’s So Into You.

I know each romance story I’ve come to love is just that, a story.  Yet, I can’t help falling in love with the hero, no matter how flawed, gorgeous, brave, rich or even scary.. yes, scary, he might be.  If a hero is too perfect, or too-good-to-be-true, I wouldn’t dislike him, but he certainly wouldn’t tickle my fancy, because he would just bore me to death.

This year I’ve read dozens and dozens of romance novels and even though there are still a few months to go before the year ends, I’m going to share with you my Top Ten Heroes, so far.  So here goes:

1. 1.     Reluctant Hero – [amazon_link id=”B00C7Z1WWQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Captured by the Bodyguard [/amazon_link]by Dez Burke
   

I don’t think any other hero I’ve read so far tried to fight against the attraction he felt for the heroine as Cane Hutchinson did.

 

 2.     Long Distanced Lover – Marine Ever After by Heather Long

 

Paul Torres was a hero who showed Lily how good love could be, even from a distance.  Click here to read my review.

 

 3. Hero with Physical and Emotional Scars – Bargain With the Beast by Naima Simone

Because Xavier St. James was so badly scarred during an accident, he built a wall of hostility to protect himself from feeling emotional pain.  However, there was one woman who was capable of melting his heart.

  

4.  The Lousy Lover – His Right Hand by Silence O’Shea

In the thirty years of reading romance stories, I’ve never, ever met a hero who was so terrible in bed he left not one, or two, but several lovers dissatisfied with his performance.  Yet, you couldn’t help but love Mike Jasper.  Click here to read my review of this story.

 

 5.  Best Schemer – Persuasion Skills by Laurel Cremant

 Jaxon Grey wanted his woman on his terms, and he made damn sure he got what he wanted.  Boy oh boy, Jax was such a schemer, you actually rooted for him to woo and win Pepper Holts.

 

 6. Best Friend turned Lover – Give Me You by Tia Kelly

Nothing is sweeter than falling in love with your best friend.  And Donovan Sinclair was determined to prove to Mya that it is a real good thing when friends become lovers.

 

7.  The Compassionate Hero – Scarred by Jennifer Willows

Benjamin looked beyond Amelia’s physical imperfections and saw her beauty, which lie both within and without.

 

8.  The Techie – Jaded by M.j. Kane

It was Zachariah Givens’ competence in technology which allowed him to come into Jasmine Phillips’ life, and it was his love for her which kept him there.  Click here to read my review.

 

9.  Military Hero – The Santinis:  Gianni Book 3 by Melissa Schroeder

 

Gianni conquered every obstacle (age, ethnicity and educational background) which threatened to keep him from Kianna Jones. Click here to read my review

 

 

10.  Lover – Promises Kept by Erosa Knowles

Cannon was so adept in bed, Karyn yearned to make love to him over and over again. 

 

*~*

| [amazon_link id=”B00CWKHKTU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] | Bookstrand | SCP | ARe |

Blurb:

Being badly injured in a plane crash and feeling responsible for losing his fiancé keep Jordan Cooper from getting involved with another woman, but his best friend Caleb talks him into going on a blind date. He’s surprised that in a short time his feelings for Raina Abbott runs deep. Jordan wants more than just one night with her, but he has to convince her first.

Leaving an abusive ex and ending an unhealthy relationship with food still aren’t enough to help Raina Abbott overcome her feelings of insecurity, but her best friend Jayce convinces her that going on a blind date is the first step to boosting her self-confidence and feeling good about herself again. Jordan Cooper shows her that she’s beautiful, both inside and out, but can a date and one night of passion assure her that he’s really into her?

 

Excerpt:

“May I ask you a question, Raina?

“Sure.”

“I just wondered why you’re here with me.”

“Because you invited me to your room, remember?”

It was obvious she evaded his question. It was the first time Jordan noticed Raina wasn’t altogether comfortable. So why in the world is she here?

“You know what I mean. Why are you on this date?

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“You’re beautiful, charming and intelligent. I would think you’d have men lining up just to be with you.”

Raina laughed without humor. “The trouble is, the guys I know either don’t want to be romantically involved with a full figured woman or just pretend they do.”

“You’re telling me you’ve never been seriously involved with anyone? Never been in love?”

“What’s love anyway?” she asked mockingly, and then shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe it’s just the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”

“You think quoting Robert Frost is a satisfactory answer?” Jordan shook his head. “Be honest with me.”

Raina stopped swaying to the music and looked at him seriously. “Okay, you want to hear the truth? The truth is, I met a man who threw kindness my way, flowers, late night phone calls, the works. Within three months I moved in with him, much to the angst of my family. It didn’t dawn on me that he never took me anywhere, never invited his family or friends to our apartment, until I had invested so much time and effort in the relationship, I felt I shouldn’t leave him. He treated me like crap, insulted me, nothing I said or did met his approval. I became a chicken-shit, afraid of him, afraid of my freaking shadow, for god’s sake. I felt like such an idiot, because I didn’t even realize what I had become. Everyone noticed but me.”

*~*

Author Bio:

Roxy Wilson is a self-professed junkie whose excessive consumption of traditional and electronic books is legendary.

As a graduate with a degree in Education, she writes blogs which help readers to think critically about and appreciate poetry. In July, 2012, however, she decided to delve into the world of writing romance stories.

When she is not reading or writing, she spends her time cooking, listening to music and visiting the various islands of the Caribbean.

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Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7094458.Roxy_Wilson