From Alpha-Holes to #HeFallsFirst: The Evolution of the Romance Hero

When I first started reading romance, the ideal hero was often emotionally unavailable. He was arrogant, guarded, and determined not to fall in love. The heroine’s job was to break through his defenses and win his heart.

​These days, many readers seem to want something very different.
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The perfect hero does exist!

The Rise of the Alpha Hero

We all know the type of hero I’m talking about. I remember them from the historical “bodice rippers” I used to read, as well as the Harlequin Presents line. They’re the traditional tall, dark, handsome, wealthy, and powerful guy who is often so incredibly harsh with the heroine that I used to wonder what she saw in him at all! Some deep hole in his past meant he didn’t do relationships, and he was determined to protect his heart from the heroine, even if he did manage to talk her into bed.

These heroes reflect the times in which they were written, when men were expected to be the breadwinners and to look after their families, while the wives stayed at home and had babies. Think Don Draper from Mad Men and you’ll be on the right lines.

The heroines in Harlequin Presents began to challenge this by having careers and standing up to the hero when he tried to dominate, but the struggle for equality was real for these heroines, just as it was for women in the real world.

The romance genre hasn’t completely changed. Powerful, controlling men remain eternally popular. One glance at the Amazon romance charts reveals page after page of Mafia Romance and Stalker Romances in which men dominate and control their women. Personally, I don’t see the appeal, and I’ve been relieved, if not overjoyed, to see a recent rise in readers’ requesting another kind of hero.
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Why Readers Want Something Different

I’m in lots of romance Facebook groups such as The SmutHood, where readers ask for recommendations based on tropes, themes, or kinks they enjoy. I’ve definitely seen a rise in the request for books containing Cinnamon Roll and Golden Retriever heroes.

A Cinnamon Roll hero is sweet, kind, and supportive and openly expresses his emotions. He’s the modern evolution of what we used to call the beta hero. 

A Golden Retriever hero is similar, and embodies the traits of the dog breed. He’s optimistic, energetic, loyal, and has a sunny disposition, and is often a counterpart to a grumpy heroine.

So why are many readers preferring to read about guys like these? I believe it’s partly because of the rise of Dark Romance and Stalker Romance, and also because women’s role in society has changed significantly. Lots of readers are still struggling for equality in the real world, even if it’s just trying to get your husband to do the dishes 🤣. Many women still get paid less than men, and it’s a permanent battle to be taken seriously in many careers. So they don’t enjoy reading about toxic men who want to control women, and instead they’re drawn to healthier, more communicative relationships.

We spend our days managing emotions at work, at home, and in our relationships. We want a career, and independence, but we still want to share our lives with someone we love, who is respectful, kind, and generous. Someone who is protective and looks after us when we need him to. Not someone we have to spend a lifetime fixing.
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Cinnamon roll, anyone?

Enter the Emotionally Safe Hero

Alongside the re-classification of the beta hero as Cinnamon Roll and Golden Retriever, we’ve also seen the rise of hashtags like #hefallsfirst on social media. Many readers want to read about heroes who are devoted and protective from page one. We believe loyalty and kindness should be present from the beginning rather than something the heroine has to spend the entire book extracting from him. That’s not to say we want weak, passive, boring men. We just want them to be emotionally available.
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Why Billionaire Heroes Work So Well

I’ve written about many guy-next-door heroes (like all the men in both my Doubtless Bay and Between the Sheets series.) But some time ago I started writing about billionaires, and I never looked back. A reviewer commented recently “in this author's books it seems that everybody in New Zealand is a billionaire. Does their currency have extra zeros? is it easier to become a billionaire in New Zealand money?” 🤣 Come to New Zealand, where practically every guy you meet is 6’2” and a billionaire!
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Of course, most of us are aware that all genre fiction is fantasy to some extent. There weren’t really 103 deaths in Oxford as were portrayed in the Inspector Morse series inspired by Colin Dexter’s hero. And you’re not going to bump into a billionaire around every corner of NZ (unfortunately). But arguably, the billionaire fantasy has never really been about money. It’s not as easy as “women like rich guys.” The current rebound against the questionable ethics of real billionaires is evidence of that.

I believe the reason we read billionaire romance is because a billionaire hero isn’t powerful because he’s rich. He’s attractive because he uses that power well. He’s capable, competent, confident, and generous. And these are qualities we all want in our long-term partners.
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Billionaire heroes ❤️

The Heroes I Love to Write

Apparently I've been writing emotionally safe heroes for years without realizing there would eventually be a name for them! I’ve often compared my heroes to actors like Nathan Fillion (think Captain Mal in Firefly or Richard in Castle.) I love Harrison Ford both as Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Brendan Fraser in The Mummy. And I adored Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary.
 
What do these guys have in common? They’re warm, adventurous, confident, competent, sexy, and--most of all--funny. I love a guy with a good sense of humor who teases the heroine. Add into the mix a substantial bank account, and you have a perfect hero!
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Seriously, though, this is the blend I enjoy writing. Making them billionaires allows me to fly the reader across the country in private jets and helicopters, to stay in five-star hotels, to eat in exclusive restaurants, and to go to high-class balls and wear designer clothes. And it also enables the readers to imagine, for the few hours it takes to read my stories, that they can spend time with a book boyfriend who’ll take care of them, protect them, and be kind, generous, and sexy all at once. If you can think of a better packaged hero, I’ll be interested to hear it!
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Who are Serenity’s Favorite Heroes from her Books?

That’s a tough one! I love Charlie from An Ideal Present (Three Wise Men #2). He’s on the spectrum, and he struggles to understand social signals, but he’s loving and has a very dry sense of humor. Like a lot of my readers, I adore Noah from My Lonely Billionaire because he suffers from agraphobia, but forces himself to leave his house when Abby needs him. But I think my favorite of all my heroes is Saxon from Cinderella and the Billionaire Boss. He falls for Catie the night he meets her, and when she appears at his office, four months pregnant, he works tirelessly to convince her to let him look after her.​

Saxon from Cinderella and the Billionaire Boss ❤️

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​Trends will come and go, but I suspect emotionally safe heroes are here to stay. Readers still want confidence, competence, and strength. They still want adventure, passion, and excitement. But increasingly, they want heroes who are kind as well. And personally, I couldn't be happier about that.