Heroes that You Just Can't Stand!

[Goge (BARRONS) le Moning Maniac,]

I meant the last 1/3 or 1/4 of the book I started to dislike the heroine, not hate. I loathe the hero though.

[Neeta]

I have huge problems with heroes who are soo OTT arrogant they just end up jerks - you can do a tough, protective, possessive alpha without resorting to jerkdom (just look at LMR). Also have a huge problem with H's who don't treat the h's with respect. Ditto with H's who cheat, and H's who fight the idea of falling in love - they end up just looking childish (instead of the tough alpha males they're supposed to be) or they resort to the whole shagging-the-girl-out-of-their-system... pu-leez!!!! And of course any sort of physical, sexual or emotional abuse does NOT a hero make.

So, some of the heroes I really don't like who fall into 1 (or in some cases multiple) of those categories are:

KA's Joe, Tack, Hawk, Knight & Dax on the arrogant front (so arrogant they're like the Fonz and physically can't seem to say the word sorry!). Knight gets the bonus of respect thing seeing as he just seems to ride roughshot all over her expecting her to do whatever he wants if she wants to stay with him, and with the whole just ignoring her beliefs and feelings on the Christmas/marriage business. And Dax Lahn trips my switch on the abuse factor! He hits her and rapes her!! He manages to clock up 3 categories. Hero much? I don't think so!!

Most of Diana Palmer's idiots carry the arrogant jerk gene and specialise in fighting their feelings to the nth degree.

Most of Lora Leigh's breeds manage to fall into at least 3 categories: jerk-arrogant, fighting the feelings and no respect (oh and they specialise in coercive sex, a form of abuse to my mind, with the whole "if you love me you will submit to me and give some backdoor lovin'!!). So she gets the prize for managing 4 categories. Non-cheating is about all they CAN do right. Actually for this reason alone (sleazy coercive sex) I simply DESPISE her zeroes (coz no way are they heroes) in the Men of August series more than any other book heroes, ever, with the whole "if you love me you will have sex with my brothers and I'll be having sex with their women" thing. That just icked and creeped me out more than just about any other romance "heroes" I've ever read. Those men needed phychiatric help, not orgy sex!!! (Have to say, the heroines don't get off totally scot-free here either, they're idiots for going along with it!).

Horse from Reaper's Property - has there ever been a H more like a tantrum throwing toddler? Plus I believe he's the sort to cheat in fit of pique at the heroine because of it. Seriously - a hero who 1) gives the heroine the silent treatment for weeks when he doesn't get his own way, and 2) gets a shirtless (I'm sure I remember his shirt being open or off) lapdance from a naked stripper when HIS SISTER takes the heroine out for drinks. Would he have stopped at "just" a lapdance (which is bad enough) with a stripper who "full-serviced" the rest of the MC guys, if the heroine hadn't shown up there.... he was in such a temper with her and so into the "dance" his shirt was off, so I actually wonder. I got the impression he only stopped because her actually physically being there to see it guilted him into stopping.

Most of the bdsm doms I've slogged through - these guys usually trip my switch on the jerk-meter and the respect thing... and seriously, how on earth do they manage to get those women to trust them enough to let them do stuff I would imagine would require a huge level of trust to allow someone to do to you????!!!

Edited to add... Just reading over this list and thinking on it, Tack's, Joe's and Hawk's jerkiness seems a tad insignificant compared to some of these heroes, might have to keep that in mind on future KA rereads.LOL.

[Alisa]

Which book was Dax from? I never made it past Hawk.

[Neeta]

Alisa wrote: "Which book was Dax from? I never made it past Hawk."

Dax Lahn was from Golden Dynasty, 2nd book in the Fantasyland series (Not to be confused with Golden Trail from The Burg series). I picked that book out of sequence and because of that, haven't been able to make myself read books 1 and 3 from that series. Good think it wasn't the first book of her's I read or I'd have never read any of the others, which would've been a shame coz I do love a bunch of them... just not the 5 with the less-than-stellar-heroes.LOL.

[Jill]

Neeta, your list just made me laugh. You have a definite opinion on a lot of the hero's I like. I love how other people see things differently.
On the plus side for you, the heroes from the fantasyland books in book 1 and book 3 are absolutely nothing like Dax. They are pretty good books. No rape or abuse as far as I can remember. Maybe you could give them a try :)

[Neeta]

Jill, I will probably get to them eventually. I get in these moods where I just sort of crave a new KA and it'll cause me to cave like it did with the Rock Chick series.... I put that off forever because of the "silly" factor. So eventually I caved and started with book 7 since reviews lead me to believe it was the least silly, thankfully they were right, coz it's by far the best of the series, and it prompted me to eventually get all of them. I've read the RC, Burg, Ghosts & Colorado series ( and a couple of the so-far stand alones) but I've been a bit "skitso" with KA coz the only set I actually read in order was The Burg books.

I love how everyone has different opinions on books, characters, etc. It'd be boring if we all thought the same and it makes you think, reinforces your own ideas or even persuades you to change your mind. Plus it's great here, coz you can express those opinions and not get fan-girl assassinated.LOL.

[Rachel Annie]

Neeta wrote: "I have huge problems with heroes who are soo OTT arrogant they just end up jerks - you can do a tough, protective, possessive alpha without resorting to jerkdom (just look at LMR)..."

Neeta, I so agree with you. Those kinds of out of control jerky heroes are not sexy to me.

But, and I feel stupid here, who/what is LMR?

[~Melissa~]

@Rachel - thanks for asking - I'm wondering the same thing...

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

I think LMR is author Lisa Marie Rice.

[~Melissa~]

Lisa - (Aussie Girl) wrote: "I think LMR is author Lisa Marie Rice."

Thanks! I haven't read any of hers yet. They are on Mount TBR though....

[Neeta]

Yep, LMR is Lisa Marie Rice (she also writes as Elizabeth Jennings). One of my fave authors. She tends to write to a formula, but I love her coz you know what you're gonna get - a non-jerk yet totally alpha hero, a smart likeable non-tstl heroine, respect to both hero and heroine, NO cheating ever (not even a hint of it), no "big misunderstanding", no bdsm, no sharing (heroes way to possessive to EVER go there), no cliffhangers and a HEA.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal]

Sometimes, it's very good to know what you're getting with a romance novel, Neeta! (especially if you're not into kinky stuff like me!)

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal]

About Diana Palmer. I know her heroes are jerks, but I still love her books. I think she somehow makes me feel sympathetic towards them, and they do grovel well. There are a few I would brain with a shovel, but generally, most of her heroes come around. And they aren't physically abusive, which is a plus.

[Neeta]

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "About Diana Palmer. I know her heroes are jerks, but I still love her books. I think she somehow makes me feel sympathetic towards them, and they do grovel well. There are a few I would brain with ..."

I know... I tend not to like her heroes, but often I can't help myself and read the damn books anyway (can anyone say "guilty pleasure"). Plus she gets bonus points for writing the rare and almost extinct celebate and occasional virgin hero.

[Paganalexandria]

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "About Diana Palmer. I know her heroes are jerks, but I still love her books. I think she somehow makes me feel sympathetic towards them, and they do grovel well. There are a few I would brain with ..."

I have always loved Virginia Henley historical romances, but hate because the "hero" hits the heroine. How can I root for physical abuse? Which is totally different than BDSM themes to me.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Loves 'Em Lethal]

@ Paganalexandria: Ugh, I can't stand heroes who hit the heroine. I know that it's more common in the older bodice rippers. But nowadays, I am glad we don't see that anymore. I can tolerate/don't mind forced seduction more than I can tolerate a hero who slaps a heroine!

@ Neeta, so true. Another meeting of the minds!