My idea of the perfect Regency Romance hero is NOT Mr Darcy.
Is that a crime? Should I be hung, drawn and quartered? My mother would certainly think so.
Mr Darcy is handsome-granted and rich. Clever too. He is a good brother, master and friend. But for me, he takes himself a little too seriously. I like a man who is able to laugh at himself and the situations he finds himself in. Despite Colin Firth and his wet shirt, I find Mr Darcy too serious to be a sexy Regency hero.
And who do I find sexier than Mr Darcy? That is a very good question. It takes more than a pretty face and a great body, or wealth and prowess between the sheets. It is that indefinable thing, a chemistry between the reader and the character whom the author has created. It is such a difficult thing to achieve. To be told that a hero is a rake or a scoundrel is not enough to guarantee that he will be sexy.
I, personally, have always liked Max Ravenscar the hero of Georgette Heyer’s “Faro’s Daughter.” He is strong – both of personality and physique, very masculine and with a sense of the ridiculous. I don’t need him to be handsome at this point because I am already attracted! He’s also a little arrogant and downright rude to the heroine which makes for the sort of romantic situation which made me fall in love with Regency Romances in the first place!
Would I want to marry him? Hell, no. But as a Regency hero? He’s perfect.
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