LET'S TALK HEROES ...

[Gaile, co-librarian]

I read the review. I remember the plot now.
I am really miffed that the library did not have that book.

[Emery, GROUP FOUNDER]

I put this entire series on our HR shelf due to the rave reviews Ms. Foley got from many of our members.

[Phair]

Gaile wrote: "...All the books by Jean Plaidy and Norah Lofts have been cleared off the library shelves here. I have to find older books online and I don't always remember if I read s..."

I always remember when I first took up my job as library director (40 years ago!) and I was busily weeding in the stack room, a patron came up to me and said "I hope you won't get rid of all the older books!" I took that to heart and as a fan of some of the "older" authors myself I have made it a point to keep a good number of older authors like Frances Parkinson Keyes, Giles, Lofts, Elswyth Thane, etc. on our shelves and to replace some with newer editions when they come back into favor such as Heyer and Plaidy are currently enjoying.

And while I recall no specifics I do remember Roberta Gellis as being one of my favorite historical romance authors way back when.

[Julianna]

Emery wrote: "Alright Ladies-
Now you must share this secret. book:Lord of Fire|958537]
I had to know! I just read Julie's review in which she praised Ms. Foley's meticulous rese..."

I see that you already put the series on the bookshelf, Emery, but thought I'd chime in anyway. Gaelen Foley's books aren't as "historical" as some HR I've read. She doesn't really include real people and events so much as putting the history in the details. Some examples that come to mind of things that she describes in details which IMO add to the historical authenticity: a whist tournament, ladies' bathing (swimming) practices, life inside a prison and in the rookery, battlefield flashbacks of the Napoleonic War. I'm sure that there are lots more things that I'm forgetting, but with her, I'd say it's all about the lush descriptions of all aspects of life in the Regency era.

[Emery, GROUP FOUNDER]

Julie (Mom2lnb) wrote: "Emery wrote: "Alright Ladies-
Now you must share this secret. book:Lord of Fire|958537]
I had to know! I just read Julie's review in which she praised Ms. Foley's met..."

Thank you so very much Julie! I had read some reviews about her meticulous research but nothing specific. You have definitely enlightened me. She is superbly suitable for our growing HR shelf, and I am eager to dive into this series.

[Julianna]

You're welcome, Emery! The Knight Miscellany is an excellent HR series IMHO. I hope you enjoy it.:-)

[[deleted user]]

Adam Tremaine in The Black Swan and Moss Rose by Day Taylor
Hunter MacBeth in Forever My Love by Rebecca Brandewyne

But I've got a major soft spot for this nasty boy...
Felipe Tristan in The Flesh and the Devil by Teresa Denys. The whole book is awesome, really.

And this is straight HF, but for years I've been mad for Lucius Cornelius Sulla in The First Man in Rome. Who wouldn't love a guy who kills his mistress, stepmother and nephew, keeps a gay lover on the side, kicks barbarian butt on the battlefield, and had bloody conscriptions of the wealthy Roman class before succumbing to a massive skin disease and madness?

He just needed a little love. LOL

Colleen McCullough also got me majorly crushing on Pompey and Cato as well. Maybe I just have a thing for egotistical, neurotic Romans.

[Emery, GROUP FOUNDER]

Karla wrote: "Adam Tremaine in The Black Swan and Moss Rose by Day Taylor
Hunter MacBeth in Forever My Love by Rebecca Brandewyne

But I've got a major soft spot for t..."

Hey Karla-

WHAT ABOUT SCORPIOS??? LOL!

I LOVED your beautifully penned review of The Flesh and The Devil so I am making a spot for it on our group shelf. Are any of the other books you mentioned in your post likley candiates as well?

[[deleted user]]

Thanks for the compliment! And yes, Scorpios might be a weakness of mine as well. LOL

I'd suggest the two Day Taylor books. There's some bodice-ripperish WTFery in Black Swan, but Moss Rose is a great Reconstruction South tale.

[Rima]

Karla - I love that you have a thing for egotistical neurotic Romans. ;)

I can tell you that the heroes of fiction completely effed up my adult love life. Completely. My standards are so delusionally high that I'm surprised I ever got married. (For the record, my husband is amazing, but human. As he should be).

Ivanhoe. I can't believe I just admitted that.

[Gaile, co-librarian]

Let's see, I had two Libra boy friends, a Taurus boy friend, A Virgo boy friend, two Scorpio boy friends, a Cancer boy friend --- and ended up marrying a Pisces.
Out of all of them, the Cancer guy was the worst and the two Libras were out and out jerks!
I wonder why authors seldom bother to inform us of the hero's birthday. Only occasionally do I come across mention of a birthday and I can say, "Aha! He's a Sag!"
and then read on to see if this guy is really behaving like a Sag. The guy in the novel who is always shoving his hair out of his eyes --- Sag --- the boring but good looking smart guy --- Virgo --- maybe?
Are writers just being cautious because if they mention the hero's birthday readers will be writing to them saying, "Hey, you can't have a guy with dimples born in December!"

[Emery, GROUP FOUNDER]

Gaile wrote: "Let's see, I had two Libra boy friends, a Taurus boy friend, A Virgo boy friend, two Scorpio boy friends, a Cancer boy friend --- and ended up marrying a Pisces.
Out of all of them, the Cancer guy ..."

Cute Gaile!
After all our prior zodiac hero discussion, I decided to look up my two sons signs. I have a sterotypical Capricorn and a Scorpio/Sag rising. This was interesting indeed. Can't help wondering what kind of husbands they'll make. (They're almost 19 and 16 respectively).

[[deleted user]]

I'm a stereotypical Gemini and I want to spare any guy from having to deal with that. See how selfless I am?

[Rima]

I am a Taurus, married to a Leo. Bad. BAD.

[Gaile, co-librarian]

Karla wrote: "I'm a stereotypical Gemini and I want to spare any guy from having to deal with that. See how selfless I am?"

Hi Gemini! We may have to fly but it doesn't mean we'll be hopeless wives.
I did marry and at the end of my husband's life, he said he never regretted marrying me.

[Gaile, co-librarian]

Emery wrote: "Gaile wrote: "Let's see, I had two Libra boy friends, a Taurus boy friend, A Virgo boy friend, two Scorpio boy friends, a Cancer boy friend --- and ended up marrying a Pisces.
Out of all of them, ..."

Get Suzanne White's two books!

[Alexandria]

Well, this thread seemed to have turned into a discussion of past loves.

And I'm a bit surprised by the lack of Mr. Darcy.

But as for fictional hero, I think I'd have to go with Sir Percy Blakeney AKA The Scarlet Pimpernel. While at first he seems a bit annoying and not-so-bright, it's just a ruse. He's really a dashing and brave fellow with a great sense of justice. Who doesn't love a hero in disguise? And he does love his wife, despite her actions in France before their marriage.

[Victoria]

Great choice!

[Larisa]

Lost track of the number of Scorpio boyfriend's - notable are the two born on the same day two years apart that I dated back-to-back. One Gemini, one Leo who looked like a young Antonio Banderas (sadly with a gargantuan ego)one crazy Virgo, ex-husband Sagittarius (Peter Pan as a drug dealer - bad, very bad combo)two Aquarius - one the Love of my Life (LML). And I can't remember the rest (yes, single for decades)

Between Life and romance novel heroes LML ended up meeting all 55 requirements/wishes I had for a Mate. Much to be said for standards and not settling. We get a Hero then.

[Christine]

1. Ideally I prefer hero or heroine who really are heroic, not trash and sleaze: NOT like Scarlett/Rhett/Amber in Forever Amber/some Nora Roberts´s heroines etc. I read for entertainment, so I would hope hero or heroine is not cruel, whiney, foul-tempered and so shallow that he/she has only youth and great body to recommend. So yes, historical romances with hero/heroine as a social reformer/activist/someone who does charity for poor, mentally ill, elderly etc are for me, thank you very much.
2. Lookwise: I have thing for young, handsome men in cassocks. Hey, Anglicans can marry!

[Emery, GROUP FOUNDER]

Christine wrote: "1. Ideally I prefer hero or heroine who really are heroic, not trash and sleaze: NOT like Scarlett/Rhett/Amber in Forever Amber/some Nora Roberts´s heroines etc. I read for entertainment, so I woul..."

Men in Cassocks??? That's definitley a new one on me! I have yet to read a hero who's a clergyman.
Oops! I take that back- I forgot The Thorn Birds!!

[Christine]

Emery wrote: "Christine wrote: "1. Ideally I prefer hero or heroine who really are heroic, not trash and sleaze: NOT like Scarlett/Rhett/Amber in Forever Amber/some Nora Roberts´s heroines etc. I read for entert..."

Well, there is some, but those pesky rakes are more popular! p That said, good historical romance is entertaining - Regency, Victorian, paranormal, whatever.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

My favorite hottest hero in romance fiction is Billy Blade from Lady of desire.

[Anne]

I like my hero's to have black, black, black hair, but prefer them to be from Scotland, England Ireland or Europe minus Spain and Italy. I am not too picky about eyes, but prefer brown or green. They way Romantic Historical writers write, you would never guess that the majority of the world is brown eyed. I never was a fan of blue eyes until I found my soul mate and yes, he has blue eyes-but not pale blue. I do not like that.

[[deleted user]]

For looks and acting my ideal hero is Richard Armitage (actor), especially in the mini U.K. series North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

When I am writing about a hero, I keep the description a little vague as I think it is important for the reader to imagine her own ideal man as the hero. After all, the reader has to fall a little in love with him too.
Old Sins Long Shadows

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

I would have say that I too usually prefer a hero with black or otherwise very, very dark hair. It is still quite a surprise to me that Billy Blade from GFoley's Lady of Desire is now my favorite hero. While he does not have the dark hair that I prefer, his hair is sandy or dirty blonde rather than a true blond. I feel that if his hair was truly a pale shade, I wouldn't feel he is the greatest hero in any romance fic that I have read.