Barbara Cartand - Heroes

Barbara Cartland heroes are very human and as such they have plenty of characteristics that get up by nose.

When I first thought of doing this post I wrote up a list of all the qualities and characteristics that have stuck out to me and I was blown away by how many of them I loathe in a hero.

First and foremost loads of them can put arrogant on their CVs. But I think that this is mainly a by-product of the way that they had been raised. They want something so they will get that something. On some occasions even offering to set up our virtuous heroine as their mistress – because they want her but why should they have to give up their single status for her.  I always love how they are always shocked when she says no and removes herself from the situation.

Weak – Yip, some of our Sir Perfect-a-Lots have gambling debts coming out of their ears and not ven 2 farthings to rub together. This I don’t mind but it is the fact that they are determined to continue living the life to which they have grown accustomed.

Dandy – yeah, I am not a huge fan of the dandy hero…

Controlling – some of them are pretty high up on the alpha male scale. Sometimes I don’t mind this but other times I just want to throw the book across the room. It depends entirely on how it is portrayed and on the hero’s personality.

And then we have my favourite.

The jaded, worldly hero - Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books and Mr Rochester one of my favourite heroes and if he does not fit into this category then I have no idea who will, so I always love it when I come across this type of hero. Why? Because I know that by the end of the book out heroine will have given him a new lease of life and changed his opinion on just about everything.

There are plenty of other personality traits that defines a hero some that I like and some that I hate beyond all thinking but there is always one thing that redeems them by the end of the book.

Their love, devotions and adoration of the leading lady!