Let's Talk about Anne Stuart Heroes

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Gotta Have My AS Fix!]

I assume you like them if you joined. What are you thoughts on AS's heroes?

What appeals about them?

Who's your fave and why?

[Arch]

My favorite Anne Stuart hero so far is Reno. Because he's a dangerous bad boy with a heart.

To me, Reno wasn't afraid to stand in the front of an audience naked, to let them see who he really was. Yes, he was a dangerous bad boy, but he was human as well. He did what he knew - what he was raised to do. He wore the uniform that someone made for him to wear. In Fire and Ice, we've seen things that showed who Reno was away from the killing machine. He took Jilly to his apartment. We've seen a picture of him and diploma, if I am not mistaken. He told Jilly he was taking her to a friend's house. This showed me that Reno enjoyed being the normal person and that he likes living in normacy, but because of who he is or should I say was raised to be, he has to wear another man's shoes. That's why he blocks out his other side.

He's a family man. He believes in protecting family from danger and rather Jilly was real family or not, she was family, because of family relations.

I would love to see how Reno is now. I could be wrong, but I am sure that we would see the other side of Reno. The only time the fighter will come out, if he has to protect someone he loves.

[Eastofoz]

Hmmmm, there was something about Bastien in Black Ice that I liked but I think Peter in Cold As Ice was my fave because he was a cold, calculating killer with a heart deep down and oh so sexalicious :D

[Crista]

For me....I NEVER met an Anne Stuart hero I didn't like!

Her heroes have changed the entire romance genre for me. I remember where I was when I read my first Anne Stuart novel. It was her contemporary suspense novel NightFall. Richard Tiernan is a convicted serial killer charged with the murder of his family. I remember thinking at first that I'd picked up the wrong book on mistake! I can only say that the book captivated me from the first paragraph....

"SHE dreamed that night. Visions of blood and sex and death surrounding her, smothering her. She reached out, but there was no one there to hold her, comfort her...She woke up safe and warm. HE dreamed that night. Of fields and flowers, peace and happy endings. He woke cold and sweating in the dark prison cell, only the knowledge that darkness was all around him, death lived in his soul, and his hands were stained with blood."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????....Right there I was hooked for life!

Richard Tiernan ranks up there because he was "my first" and he made all other men look too safe, boring, and cookie cutter. Then I met Luke Bardell, the charismatic cult leader, and after that STUNNING book Ritual Sins, I bought up her ENTIRE backlist and I've never looked back.

I guess what makes Stuart's heroes appealing to me is that level of darkness, danger and mystery that surrounds them....(what are they capable of?, what have they done?, what will they do?). The heroines are usually somewhat in danger, yet Stuart's heroes protect them.....the brilliance of this woman's writing knows no end!

Some other favorites for these reasons are Killoran from To Love a Dark Lord, Nicholas Blackthorne from A Rose at Midnight, and Alex from Shadow Lover!

[Pamela(AllHoney)]

Anne Stuart manages to make the anti-hero into a hero. Something that doesn't always work for most authors.

I really liked Bastien (Black Ice) too. Maybe it was because it was 1st in the series but he just remained my fave to date. The Ice series was my re-intro to Ms Stuart. I remember reading her way back in the day when she wrote for Harlequin.

[Fani *loves angst*]

I also adore Bastien, perhaps because he was my first AS hero. I also love Takeshi from Ice Blue, because he's physically more to my taste and he's lethal too:) Finally, Simon de Navarre from Lord of Danger, because he was so lonely and caring under his sarcastic, dangerous personna.

[AgentScully]

I love them all - Dillon, Caleb, Alex, Griffin, Coltrane, Reilly. Well almost all - Bastien was too cold for me.

[Noelle]

I've only read a few of her books so far but I loved all of her heros LOL. My favorite is Takashi O'Brien from Ice Blue, wich surprised me because I never really thought about an Asian hero being "it" for me. Boy was I wrong! LOL I also really liked Bastien from Black Ice. He was yummie as well. =)

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Gotta Have My AS Fix!]

Well-said everyone. Arch, you are dead on about Reno. That's what I liked about him too. It was interesting and it stood out to me that he was the most human of the Ice heroes. He had to work pretty hard not to feel anything. I think the other heroes were pretty much programmed into robot killer mode. But Reno was on fire with emotion. That's why he pushed Jilly away so much.

I pretty much love all of AS's heroes, some more than others. It's hard to pick favories.

I love her heroes because they are very dark and conflicted. They are more just carefree rakes (a character archtype which bores me to tears). Most authors are afraid to go there and make the hero truly bad. I like that AS is not afraid to do that. They are truly dangerous. I like the idea that love can change the blackest heart (although deep down, all of them have some goodness-even if it's just their love for the heroine).

My fave AS heroes:

Simon from Lord of Danger
Nicholas from A Rose at Midnight
Sam from Special Gifts
Reno from Fire and Ice
Taka from Ice Blue
Killian from Ice Storm
Valerian from Shadow Dance
Rafe from Rafe's Revenge
Blackheart from Catspaw I&II (A British cat burgular!)
Luke from Ritual Sins (even thought I was horrified that the hero was a religious shyster, I ended up just as captivated as Rachel was)
Luke from Rancho Diablo
Reilly from The Soldier and the Baby
Mac from Lazarus Rising
Michael from Glass Houses
Charles from Blue Sage
Coltrane from Shadows at Sunset
Billy from Dangerous Touch (short story)
James O'Malley from Sultry (short story)

I admired how dark Bastien was. He's not one of my faves, but I appreciate AS for crafting such a unique hero.

I'm convinced that Elric from The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes was AS's creation. He oozed AS hero vibe.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Gotta Have My AS Fix!]

I forgot Clancy from Angels Wings. He was definitely a tough 30s era hero.

[Nilofer]

I'm one of Bastien's fans too, I liked the fact that a heart as frozen as his could actually thaw out :) Simon from Lord of Danger was the first of AS' heros I had come across, so he'll always be a favourite for me. And Death, from her short story Dark Journey. Plus the hero of The High Sheriff of Huntington , based on Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, I believe - and I just remembered, Gabriel from Falling Angel.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Gotta Have My AS Fix!]

Those are all good heroes, Nilofer.

[Bekah]

Crista wrote: "For me....I NEVER met an Anne Stuart hero I didn't like!

Her heroes have changed the entire romance genre for me. I remember where I was when I read my first Anne Stuart novel. It was her contem..."

I think Richard was my first as well, and he always comes to my mind when I think of the perfect AS hero... he was sooooo fascinating!