Danielle The Book Huntress ’s Comments (group member since Jan 27, 2010)

Danielle The Book Huntress ’s comments from the Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group group.

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "John Thornton, huge sigh!

I really like Tyrion from GoT. Not my typical type, since I like tall guys, but there's something about ..."

True that! I like Jon a lot. My problem with Ned is how severely he underestimated the Lannisters. :(

Cindi wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "From TV, I'd probably fall in love with these guys in real life.

Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow
Wesley Wyndham-Price from Angel
S..."

I love me some Spencer! :)

Pallavi wrote: "Here goes mine :P (This was really really tough given the number of fictional men I've crammed into my heart lol)

From Books :
Zach Benedict from Perfect
Coburn from [book:Lethal|10..."

We might have similar tastes. :) I might have listed Coburn and Diaz, but I don't know if I'd really fall for an assassin in real life. Love them in fiction though.

Susan (the other Susan) wrote: "Oh the other hand, George Clooney. "

You mean, the more you know him the less attractive he gets?

Cindi wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "I like guys who grow on you. The more time you spend with them, the better looking they get." That's it! Its what I meant to say."

That's a very real life phenomenon, don't you think? I think it would be fun to see that more in romance books.

John Thornton, huge sigh!

I really like Tyrion from GoT. Not my typical type, since I like tall guys, but there's something about him.

I like guys who grow on you. The more time you spend with them, the better looking they get.

From TV, I'd probably fall in love with these guys in real life.

Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow
Wesley Wyndham-Price from Angel
Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds
John Reese from Person of Interest

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "Okay, characters I'd fall for in Real Life! This is hard because I have a slew of heroes I adore but how would I like them in real life? Most of them are the uber alphas and I have to be honest and..."

Yes, I would not mesh well with an uber-alpha in real life. We'd probably fight all the time!

Martel wrote: "Jean Valjean from Les Misérables, Nikolai Wroth from The Warlord Wants Forever, Winter Makepeace from the Maiden Lane series, S.T. Maitland from The Prince Of Midnight, Sethos from the Amelia Peabo..."

Good list. You reminded me of Samuel Gerard from The Shadow and the Star, a long time love of mine.

Tammy wrote: "Simon is a good one!

I'd add Adam Hauptman from the Mercy Thompson series. I know he's a wolf but I think he's a good husband and father"

Oh, my yes!!!

I love romance, but I did get burned out on reading only romance, especially with the tendency towards oversexed romance. I am reading a lot more mystery and suspense, including cozy mysteries and it's a nice palate cleanser.

Yes, I like a hero who is smart, even if it's not traditionally necessarily educated. I definitely like a hero with strong muscles, prefer tall, but if they have presence, that's fine if they aren't really tall.

Tammy wrote: "I think that if there is a "reason" behind a rakes bad behavior but somehow the heroine solves that problem for him, it's much more believable when he starts to behave better. And by solve I don't..."

I agree. I prefer the books where the hero is a tortured rake instead of just being an overpriviledged jerk with no morals.

Natalie wrote: "PepperP0t wrote: "Natalie wrote: "PepperP0t wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Am I too late to nominate for this group read? If not then I wouldn't mind reading Katie's Hellion by Lizzy For..."

Thanks for the idea!

Good idea for a thread. I think this is the list of heroes I'd probably fall for in real life.

Carter McKoy from The Texan's Wager
Simon Hunter from Secrets of a Summer Night
Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird
Matt Murdock aka Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Miles because I love nerds--Fatal Strike
Adam Hauptmann from Mercy Thompson Moon Called--so in love with him!
Samuel Gerard from The Shadow and the Star
Max Hunter from Bonds of Justice

I could probably think of more.

I think that rakes are a bit overused in HR. I think they can be well-done, but when they make the rake super-nice it's hard to believe in them, knowing that goes against the code of being a rake.

At the same time, I don't like if they cross very hard lines, like the rake in the book I mentioned.

I started this thread because I recently read a book about two rakes who make a bet for who would be the one to relieve the heroine of her virginity. Honestly, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

I think the author was pretty realistic in her portrayal of rakes, showing their amorality, especially in the second character.

I was reading up about the 2nd Earl of Rochester, John Wilmot because I was watching the movie "The Libertine" with Johnny Depp. This man died of venereal disease at 33, and it made me think about how historical romance seems to dodge around that. Now there is a passing nod to watching out for pox and perhaps using 'french letters' (condoms), but the truth is if you're dipping your wick all over the place, including brothels, your chance of getting something is pretty high.

I kind of have a love/hate thing with rakes. I like when an author can show me something deep in a rake hero, but I don't like how their behavior is trivialized, like they aren't harming themselves or others. One can say that as long as their partners are consensual, no harm done. But in the case of that last book I read, their making bets over seducing women was pretty heinous. How many devastated women did they leave in their wake? How many women's reputations and lives were ruined by that?

This book was set in the Georgian era, when society was a bit more lenient about sex. The Regency was stricter and definitely Victorian age.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Rakes seem to be one of the hallmarks of historical romance. 9 out of 10 heroes seem to fall in this category. I don't think I'm overestimating that number, but feel free to correct me.

Where do you stand with rakes?

What is their allure?

What doesn't ring true in the way most rakes are written?

When is a rake too rakish?

Is there a difference between a fake rake and a real rake? Do you like your rakes cleaned up for romance or the real thing?

Who writes the best rake heroes?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Sometimes you just get tired of reading certain themes. What have you reached your saturation point with?