Do you have a type? Tall dark and handsome? Blonde sexy and scruffy? In a suit? On a plane? In a car? On a train? No, we’re not in a Dr. Seuss book! But every time I have to describe a male lead character, I stop and think. Who is he? What should he look like? Interestingly, in the case of Alex in Dare to Desire, he started off a scruffy blonde type but when I was cover model hunting and when I created his history with Ian, I decided he’d work better as also having dark hair.
But then I realized, most of my male characters are dark haired men. I think that’s because I lean towards liking that type in real life and when I go to pick out a character I want to pin so I can envision my character, I want to be looking at Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome.
Which of course got me wondering if you have a book boyfriend type? What do you prefer in your perfect reading men? Is it the same as your real life preference?
RT @carlyphillips: Book Boyfriend Types:
Do you have a type? Tall dark and handsome? Blonde sexy and scruffy?… http://t.co/iDgrb…
It depends on the mood or the book I’m reading.
I love the rough and tumble biker kind of guy who’s really a teddy bear in disguise. I also like the polished guy.
Tall, dark and handsome!! A bit scruffy and slightly long hair. Also, dark eyes and sure of himself and masterful!! The sweep you off your feet type, and BUILT!!! 😉
Tall and tanned with blue eyes…my fantasy! More importantly, kind, loving, affectionate, smmart, & great sense of humor!
I have a huge list of book boyfriends, and I have my own mental picture for them. I think I do often tend to lean towards tall, dark, and handsome. Dark hair with blue eyes tends to be my fave. 🙂
It isn’t so much their looks as who they are that does it for me. That being said I am partial to tall, dark, and handsome. I’d love to see more heroes and heroines with brown eyes. It seems like the only folks getting lucky these days have blue or green eyes.
My favorite book boyfriend has dark black hair, blue eyes, tall, rugged looking with six pack abs and is a bit of a bad boy who likes to take charge. He can even have a tattoo or two as long as it’s not his whole body.
Ohhh my book boyfriend is tall dark 6 pack abs dark hair blue eyes.. Tattoos on arm, muscles that want to wrap his arms around me… Ohhh yes, that’s my book boyfriend!! Wink wink
I was not sure I have a type. I married tall, dark and handsome but when I started to think about it I realized that most of the movie stars I had crushes on were tall, dark, and handsome. There aren’t many actors who are blond.
As long as they have a great smile and a good heart I don’t care what the color of the hair or the eyes are. 🙂
I did marry a tall guy with dark hair and green eyes but he has a very good heart and smile.
I married a medium size, dark and extremely handsome man so I tend to lean toward tall, dark and handsome men as my favorites. I love good smiles also as my husband has a great one.
I love the tall, dark-ish and handsome. Reminds me of my hubby, though he would disagree with that characterization.
Dark Hair, Light Eyes, Scruff Facial Hair, Built but not Overly Muscular. Actually the first picture on this page is HOT.
It’s not as much that I have a type, but that I have a deal breaker. I can’t stand long hair on guys. If the description of the book boyfriend has long hair, I either ignore the text and reinvent him in my mind with short hair or totally lose interest if it’s mentioned all the time to where I can’t mentally over ride the text in my mind.
Longish dark hair, twinkly eyes, cute smile, NO TATOOS
Partial dark hair and brown eyes. Tall, generous, and well groomed. Tattoos don’t matter either way.
I just envision a man who will sweep me off my feet (metaphorically speaking,) like my husband did.
As long as they have a sexy smile and a hot bod, a little scruff is okay… But a man in uniform, does rock my world..
Longer dark hair, tall, great smile.
I like the tall, dark and handsome type…I prefer the businessman type who is a little rough around the edges, but with a soft heart. What’s funny, is that I was enjoying a book the other day and then all of a sudden, the author mentioned he was blondish. I hadn’t focused on that part before and I sort of skipped over it. So, I guess I sort of make a mental picture of my ‘book boyfriend’ and then skip over the description.
I seldom think of book boyfriends as being blondes. Guess it’s because I am attracted to the guy’s with dark hair, scruffy, tight jeans, sleeves rolled up, watch on the wrist. They can have long hair or not. I love some guys with long hair but not if they are businessmen, doctors, lawyers, etc. Eye color doesn’t matter much. Like a little muscle but they don’t always have to be built like a bodybuilder. Think Jed Hill, Joe Manganiello, Lionel DeClerc, etc. The only exception would be Chris Hemsworth. Love his eyes, his smile, good looking blond.
Tall, dark, sexy and with a great smile! 😉
Dark hair, blue or green eyes, tall & muscular, but not huge. Preferably some hair on the chest.
Blonde men with green or blue eyes are my man Kryptonite. Think Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chris Pine or Paul Walker. My Hubby has amazing blue eyes and even after 16 years together, I love looking into them. As far a body type, I like the stockier, sturdier build of a man who does physical work for a living.
I prefer men who have been, or are, in the military, law enforcement or emergency services. Most of my uncles, growing up, were in the military or law enforcement, so it was part of my childhood. I majored in Criminology in college and was surround by these men. I understand their sense of humor, honor and service. Men in suits are too much like dating my “job” and I’d be too afraid I could hurt them. (They’re too “soft”, IMO).
Ethan was a good choice. A little scruffy that cleans up nice. Dirty blond to brown hair, not blond blond! (hope that makes sense) So far I don’t think I’ve read a book where I didn’t fall for the guy I was reading about. I would say all my favorite authors have a done a good job in picking good subjects!
It depends on the book I’m reading. But I do have a preference for the men I like in real life in the books I read – dark haired & tall.
My perfect book boyfriend is the military-type, from the haircut, to the perfect body, to their attitude.
Hmm, believe it or not I never really thought about this. I married someone short and blond, and wouldn’t change that, but I guess most of the books I read tend to have heroes with dark hair and/or eyes. As long as the story is compelling (and steamy) I don’t much care what the hero looks like. I don’t care for tats in real life but I don’t mind reading about guys with them in books. Books are for getting away from day-to-day life and zoning out! 🙂
Mmmm. My preference is right at the top of your post, actually! Matt Bomer is the epitome of my male preferences. Tall, Dark-Longish Hair, Blue eyes.
When I first met my husband he was in the ROTC so he was dark haired, wore a uniform some of the time and rode a motor cycle. I guess that would be my type but I would eliminate the uniform unless the character could have a cute beard and mustache.
That picture is of “E. J. Dimera” from Day of Our Lives! He is hot hot and with an accent! No wonder none of the ladies can resist him. So I guess he’s a current favorite since I’m a Days fan for too long to tell. Dark, moody, and slightly scruffy does it too.
The “Dark” is because our eyes go for the contrast to the lighter skin. Now if he’s black I go for the (premature) grey…get the idea. The guy I go for in character is the rescuer, who aids the heroine’s growth/healing and she rescues him right back. They “fight” back to back for each other. I’m a sucker for second-chance at love and cinderella type stories. One of my favorite book-boy friends is Joey Marzetti from Cheryl Brooks’ Undeniable. He’s a little kinky want to be rock star who writes awesome music.
I am the type of person who is attracted to dark hair and either brown eyes or light colored eyes. I really do not mind a bald guy as long as he good looking. I do not mind a tattoo as long as it is tasteful. I do not like a guy that has long hair. I do not want to compete for hair products. LOL. Definitely a keeper is a guy who wears a uniform
I love the tall, dark and handsome, but I also find that I have a personality type also. Strong Alpha male that knows how to be the right kind of man for his woman. Men with long hair and tats work also, but I love a man in a uniform 🙂
I don’t care about hair color but I do like a buff strong type, like a fireman, a detective, a construction worker. I like former Navy Seals turned personal protection or security. I like blue eyes.
I want a man who is a mix of John Wayne, Sean Connery and Tom Selleck…with Sean’s accent of course lol 😉
misspelled my first name lol, it should be Patsy
Have you recently experienced the end of your relationship.
He is going to come to realize you are doing well even without him.
If so, you’re probably frustrated right now and want to know how to make your ex boyfriend
want you back.
I like tall ,dark hair , muscles ,tattoos and deep voice !
I’m an older author, so my men vary in age. My current hero closely resembles Mark Harmon. Love the salt and pepper hair and those eyes and half grin….swoon. One of my others was half-Native American who reminded me of Benjamin Bratt. I guess it depends on where my muse is taking me.