Motorcycles and leather jackets are the modern-day fetish symbols
of the "Bad Boy." Think of James Dean (or even George from
"Seinfeld"!). But Romance's Bad Boys aren't restricted to leather
jackets, jeans, motorcycles and T Birds--historicals offer a
variety of "dangerous" heroes, too. These Bad Boys are often
defined by their career rather than their gear, but be they
outlaws, pirates, highway robbers, lawmen, mercenaries, drifters
or rakish noblemen, romance readers know that Bad Boys always
offer that intangible "something" so attractive that we women
just can't resist. In fact, if you ask any romance reader to name
their favorite Bad Boy romance, they literally growl out the
answer. Just the thought provokes a gutteral response.
Try it!
Romance readers shudder with delight when they hear the words
"Bad Boy." They know these dangerous men are misunderstood by
everyone except the heroine. Danger is her business...and
adventure is her game. Because she is willing to take a risk, she
is able to win the ultimate prize: the bad boy!
What's The Appeal?
"Mad, bad and dangerous to know" is the motto of romance's bad
boys. But just what is it about those tough, dangerous,
non-verbal and terribly misunderstood men that appeals to romance
readers? Why don't readers throw down their books and say "no
more of these loutish, abusive, no-talkers--we're sick of
them"?
It's the challenge! Without a woman's love, these men are
hopeless. Doomed to be misunderstood by the law, society, even
their own families, they are lost without that special woman's
vision and love to transform them into good guys.
Bad boys are trouble with a capital "T." They find it, they make
it and they can't pass it up! Usually, circumstances have molded
the bad boy; he's born on the wrong side of the tracks
(misunderstood by birth), falsely accused of a crime
(misunderstood by the law), or spent his youth unwisely (simply
misunderstood). But sometimes the bad boy hero just has a chip on
his shoulder and is personally responsible for his misunderstood
status.
In either case, he has given up on himself and operates outside
of society. He doesn't play by the rules and he teaches the
heroine to break them. She has a chance to become a thrill
seeker, but can maintain her "good girl" status by saving the
hero from himself!
The bad boy isn't a bad man. He's a combination of raw
vulnerability and tough machismo. He's magnetic and virile,
appealing to the heroine's subconscious sexual identity. The
promise: a transference of powers. She learns to express herself
sexually and he, emotionally. Danger is a powerful aphrodisiac!
And the heroine puts herself at risk just by loving the hero.
The bad boy romance offers wonderful lessons in love. The heroine
learns that she doesn't always have to play by the rules to win
and the bad boy learns the power of transformation through love.
Both learn that appearances are deceiving. And readers love to be
reminded that you can't judge a book by its cover.
-Kate Ryan
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