Romance books have been a favourite of the readers since the start of reading culture. Ancient authors and so many classics were centred around the blossoming of love, and what came out of all these books were the swoon-worthy heroes. They exemplified men, who were the perfect mix of chivalrous, gentle, bold and kind. So, here is a list of books from the past till the present that showcase some of the most enchanting heroes of all time!
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Little Women – Laurie Laurence
Louisa May Alcott wrote this book partly depicting her life which makes it semi-autobiographical. Laurie is the Marches’ fun, loving, charming and kind next-door neighbour. In the book, it is shown that he gets really close to Jo, the protagonist of the book but because Jo has other plans and he respects her aspirations, only ends up marrying Amy, the other sister. There have been instances in the book where he is mentioned as someone who is not manly enough, especially by his grandfather. All of this is because of his soft nature and his unwillingness to join the family business. He is the perfect gentleman with a very high emotional ability to understand and value women, something we saw really less of in the eighteen hundreds. In the book-to-movie adaptation of Little Women, this character was played by Timothee Chalamet, making it even more swoon-worthy for the audience.
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Pride and Prejudice – Mr. Darcy
When it comes to a classic, one can never forget Jane Austen’s books. Her books have stood the testament of time and have yielded some of the most powerful and impactful characters of all time, Mr. Darcy being one of them. He is shown as the son of a wealthy and powerful family. He is not really humble and has a tendency to judge too hastily and harshly, and his high birth and wealth make him overly proud and overly conscious of his social status. But as the book progresses further, we see a change in narrative. Unknowingly enough, Darcy is seen changing for the better. Already an intelligent and righteous man, he also starts developing emotional intelligence to win Elizabeth over. Elizabeth’s rejection builds humility in him and perhaps even gentleness. He starts seeing the world with a different eye. A man who was once a very unlikable character soon becomes one you find yourself swooning over.
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Hook, Line and Sinker – Fox Thornton
Tessa Bailey has been writing new age romances for a while now, and although her other books like ‘It Happened One Summer’ are widely popular, this one just had the most perfect male protagonist ever. Fox Thornton is a king crab fisherman and the resident Casanova of the small coastal town of Westport, Washington. He’s the life of the party and has convinced everyone—even himself—that he’s not capable of anything more. But things change when he meets Hannah. He talks about the toxic masculinity men have to face in the industry and we see a very vulnerable side to the handsome and dashing Fox. While Fox must unpack the weight of cultural norms and expectations he’s been internalizing since childhood, we get a book which has the most beautiful and amazing romance ever.
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People We Meet On Vacation – Alex
Emily Henry killed it with her novel, ‘ Beach Read’ and this one was no different. This friends-to-emnies-to-lovers situation will have you rolling and turning every page.
Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has an insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year, they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together, until two years ago when something disastrous leads them to drift apart. Alex is a thoughtful and methodical man, who is far from being an alpha male. His sweet banter with Poppy will make you laugh and swoon all at the same time.
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King of Wrath – Dante
We all know what the author of this book, Ana Huang is famous for. It is because she writes about some really steamy, alpha male-driven and billionaire romances. Now, you may think how can something like this make this list, but this character was actually swoon-worthy for a lot of women. He has the perfect mix of bold, sex drive and gentleness. Dante and Vivian were forced into a marriage of convenience because Vivian’s father blackmailed Dante—unbeknownst to her. In the beginning, Dante is rude and unkind, but as the story progresses, Vivian gets under his skin—in a good way. You will find yourself doubting your own mind sometimes, but if you are looking for something to read in a day and make you feel butterflies in the stomach then this is the book for you. Dante changes completely, from a toxic businessman to a caring husband and someone you might actually admire.
