Likeable hero vs not-so-likable heroine

[Chill]

Is it just me or do some romance authors put too much energy into making the hero likeable? The heroes pretty much bend over backwards sometimes while the heroines themselves can often be wilfully blind to the hero's positives, do stupid s*** so the author makes the point that they are "independent", and pretty much refuse to make up for anything they do wrong. There is a long list of books that are great and I would give 5 stars if not for a pigheaded heroine.
Maybe it is because the expectation is that a majority of the readers are female and so they want to read about their dream man, but shouldn't the heroine be someone whose actions make sense to the reader? It is one thing for them to have a couple of faults, but the hero ends up looking angelic in comparison, I start subtracting stars.

[Avid Booker]

Chill wrote: "Is it just me or do some romance authors put too much energy into making the hero likeable? The heroes pretty much bend over backwards sometimes while the heroines themselves can often be wilfully ..."

I definitely agree with you. For example Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. I love the book, but the heroine was annoying and controlling. It was nerve-wracking because he bent over backwards for her, constantly and practically begged her to marry him. Also by Kleypas Cold-Hearted Rake, the hero isn't that likeable either, but the secondary characters who are luckily getting their own book are to die for. BUT, the main character of the first book, Cathleen is annoying as hell, she pried her way into the 2ndary's relationship and it irritated me. Mind your business!

[Chill]

AVID BOOKER wrote: "Chill wrote: "Is it just me or do some romance authors put too much energy into making the hero likeable? The heroes pretty much bend over backwards sometimes while the heroines themselves can ofte..."

I so agree about Cathleen. Kleypas still wrote a phenomenal story, but the heroine was way too interfering. I honestly never thought of Amelia that way, but now that I think about it, yes she was a bit annoying.