Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group discussion
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June Group Read Nominations - Tortured Heros
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Laurie, what book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood would you like to nominate?
They are all good suggestions for this theme, aren't they?

So you are nominating ALL of them? How about you pick one for your nomination? Think about Tortured Heroes....men who have been through the ringer!




"But what is the allure of a tortured man? Why do so many romance readers delight in the suffering of the brooding hero? It seems incredibly mean-spirited to enjoy the mental or physical pain of the man the reader is asked to fall in love with. The darker his angst, the better. Why?
First, the hero's pain engages the readers emotions, and romance books are all about emotion. When I meet that hero with the dark wounded soul, my initial reaction is not sadistic delight in his pain, but rather a sympathetic ache, a burning desire to help, to heal, and to ease his suffering. While there is nothing I, the reader, can do for this poor hurting man, I put my faith in the love of the heroine to rescue the hero from his pit of despair.
Secondly, the hero's inner pain also adds another layer of conflict to the story. More conflict usually translates to more emotion for the reader, a bigger stake in the outcome of the romance. Not only must the heroine resolve the external conflict she faces to reach her goal, but in order to find true love, she must help the hero find resolution and peace from his inner demons. This theme of redemption resounds with us because we all have, to some extent, past sins, past pain and lingering heartache from which we want to be freed.
A tortured hero does have an element of danger about him. What dark secret is he hiding? What is at the root of his pain, and will his pain suck the heroine in and ruin her as well? Danger has a titillating allure that stirs our adrenaline.
Plus, brooding men are sexy. How many cologne and underwear ads have you seen where the male model is practically snarling at the camera? Plenty.
The tortured hero takes this serious brooding to an extreme, and when the heroine manages to break through the tortured hero's pain and protective walls to find the charming prince that lies beneath, she claims the best of both worlds. Tough and tender. Macho alpha outside with a gooey marshmallow center. No wonder a romantic's heart flutters for the tortured hero!"















Unfortunately Laurie, I could not put all of them in the poll for this month's poll. Perhaps you can nominate a specific book from this series next month?
You are right though-they are all good!



I noticed it was the same with me.

Books mentioned in this topic
The Duke of Shadows (other topics)Black Wings (other topics)
The Rake (other topics)
Poughkeepsie (other topics)
The Passionate One (other topics)
More...
The poll will go up on or around May 10th.