I’m slow but here they are—the results of my “readers’ romance survey”.
My favorite romantic hunk is…
A. Tall, dark and ruggedly, “bad-boy” handsome. He’s dangerous and mysterious, but the heroine eventually tames him and makes him her own.
B. Fair, brawny, Navy SEAL-ish or cowboy-ish, possessing the physical strength of Superman on steroids. He takes no prisoners and leaves no hearts unbroken, but the heroine manages to capture his in due course.
C. Average looking, nerdy, but with a heart of gold. Although outwardly not quite as appealing as other romantic heroes, the heroine sees through this guy’s shy exterior and ultimately discovers that he’s a diamond in the rough. True love and happiness soon blossom.
D. An alien—either from outer space or from an exotic, distant land and/or time. He could be a combination of archetypes, but his alien nature pervades how he woos and makes love to the heroine. “The Sheikh meets Star Wars” would be a likely title I’d pick up.
Well, the romance readers have made their opinions very clear. There’s no hard and fast consensus on every topic, but I can safetly say that those “Bad Boy” alpha male heroes are here to stay. The most interesting thing about it is how readers love a “mix” of character traits. The stereotypical alpha male bad boy just isn’t enough:
May I have a mix of A, B and D, please? So, Tall, dark and ruggedly, “bad-boy” handsome. He’s dangerous and mysterious plus, brawny, possessing the physical strength of Superman on steroids and An alien—either from outer space or from an exotic, distant land and/or time. He could be a combination of archetypes, but his alien nature pervades how he woos and makes love to the heroine. –Melanie
I love those heros that are strong, a beauty, protective of his heroine, quiet type when it comes to revealing himself (but it comes out eventually) and who's a good talker during love making, etc. –Cathie
Believe it or not, “C” the average, guy next door hero came in second place. Yeah for those nerds witha heart of gold! Love surveys show that these lovable geeks also rank high on “happily ever after” endings in the real world, too.
2. My favorite romantic heroine is…
A. Drop-dead, fashion model gorgeous. Her figure is perfect, her hair is perfect, her teeth are perfect and she leads the most perfect life with oodles of cash and a credit card with no limit. The hero finds her shallow and materialistic at first, but he digs deeper and uncovers her true beauty underneath all the glamour and glitz.
B. An “older woman” (over 35 years of age) who has been around the block a few time and isn’t looking for love this time out. The hero has a different idea, however, and chases this self-assured, independent gal until she succumbs to his sexy charm—both in and out ofthe bedroom.
C. A modern day “Cinderella”. She may possess physical beauty and intelligence, but it’s been buried beneath emotional scars of indifference or outright abuse. The hero gently woos her and brings out her inner strengths, including her latent sexuality, so at last that she becomes the woman she was meant to be.
D. A “bigger is beautiful” heroine who’s proud of her body and her sexuality. She doesn’t starve herself to look like the magazine covers, and the hero appreciates her honesty, her gusto for life and her screaming orgasms.
E. Something completely different than anything listed above
Heroine preferences were al over the map. About the only thing I can say is that readers are more particular about their heroes in romance than their heroines. “C” (Modern Day Cinderella) and “E” (“other”) were the leaders by a slight edge.
(I like) a heroine who is tough and independent. She knows the world isn’t safe and cuddly and can handle it just fine. She thinks she doesn’t need anyone and survival-wise she is right but emotionally she is wrong. She’s a woman who needs love just like anyone else and in some cases, much more then anyone else. –Bonnie
3. My favorite romantic plot is…
C. The hero and heroine are thrown together under unusual circumstances and have to make the best of things—which ultimately leads them to discover their mutual attraction in the bedroom among other places.
Hands down, the “hero/heroine thrown together under unusual circumstances” plot took the prize. In fact, it was the most consistently voted for item in the entire survey. I guess when it comes to romantic plotting, readers love those tried and true formulas after all?
4. My favorite romantic setting is…
A. Nowadays in the good ol’ U.S. of A. (or at least Canada, Great Britain or Australia). It’s a setting I’m familiar with, be it a small town or a mega-metropolis.
B. Long ago in a mysterious and exotic foreign land. It’s the “princess in the castle fantasy” to the extreme.
It’s either here at home or some place in a galaxy long, long ago for most romance readers of this survey, with contemporary settings boasting a slight edge over fantasy settings. So, toss a princess into a cornfield with an alpha hero and you’ve got a winner of a romance novel I take it?
5. My favorite level of sensuality in romantic fiction is…
B. Simmering sensuality with some consummated love scenes as the hero and heroine get to know each other better. A wedding ring makes the sex even better.
C. Sexy and sassy right out of the chute. They can’t wait to rip each other’s clothes off and get it on right then and there on the desk. Handcuffs and vibrators work, too.
Here’s the biggest surprise to yours truly… Although most romantic fiction is getting hotter and hotter in the bedroom, there is still a desire for a “mutually exclusive” relationship with the hero and heroine. Group sex isn’t quite wanted in a romance novel. That’s not to say erotic stories aren’t selling well—they are—but at least when a reader sits down to read a romance, she wants one guy and one gal getting it on. And even if the hero and heroine don’t wind up at the altar by story’s end, the handcuffs are still definitely okay.
My favorite length of romantic fiction read is…
C. Somewhere in the middle. Sometimes I enjoy reading a longer story and sometimes I enjoy reading something shorter. It depends on my mood, the story and/or the author.
Another point of consensus was reach here—readers are very flexible in their favorite length of romantic fiction. It depends more on the mood, story or author than it does on anypreconceived notion that a longer book is better or worse over a short story.
Most readers who commented to the survey questions said they felt “different” in regards to what they like in romantic fiction. Their tastes didn’t quite fall along the preconceived notions of the mass market romance industry:
I have to say...almost always different. That's why I love e-books! I love to be surprised. I love heroes who aren't "Alpha" but know who they are and make no excuses. I love heroines who may be struggling with their perceived strengths or lack of them, but find them when needed. I like settings I can identify with, yet when the author adds a touch of paranormal it peaks my interest. So...there you are. Different. But that's what I like. –Cyndi
Thanks to all the readers out there that answered my questions. Your insights are invaluable and are certainly… different. :)
Cindy
: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK17NHEIAY7I2X7