Jay had an interesting point in her comment regarding the ‘bad boy’ books…
My issue with the Bad Boy books is that they rarely if ever feature bad boys. Just because they’re alpha doesn’t mean they’re bad.
So what does Bad Boy mean to you? When you pick up a novel, a Brava Bad Boy ‘catch phrase’, or any book that describes the hero has a BAD BOY – what do you expect? Or should I say, what do you want to expect?
What are the characteristic of a Bad Boy?
How is a Bad Boy different than what you expect in an Alpha Hero?
Does Bad Boy = Rake for a historical novel?
Is leather the official gear for a ‘bad boy’ or just a way to piss off Misty.
Do we not want the good guy to get the girl?
You know who I think is the perfect bad boy right now? The character of Sawyer on Lost. He’s not perfect, he’s really hot (doesn’t wear leather..heh)he’s sometimes self destructive and self serving, but in a way that makes you see that there’s more to him than meets the eye. Troubled, but at the same time, when he cares about something he stands up for it.
A bad boy has good to him, but he’s not ruled by morals, more by passion. Maybe he’s not Mr. Forever in reality, but in order to make him romance worthy, a writer would have to make seem more than Mr.Great For A One Night Stand. In other words, a bad boy in fiction needs to appeal to a woman’s need to make him seem misunderstood and chageable for the love of a good woman.
I think some writers confuse a bad boy with a good boy who just likes a lot of sex. Which is why I rarely buy books with Bad Boys written on the cover. They rarely ever are bad boys.
My question is this (probably for those of you who are familiar with the Lost TV show)…who would be better in bed? the Sawyer type or the Jack type? Personally, I’m voting on the Sawyer type. But then, I have a thing for tall, scurffy blonds with a southern accent.
Though there’s the issue of selfishness…would Sawyer be more concerned about pleasing himself than his partner?
Yep, Sawyer is a bad man – I prefer that to boy 😉
Jack from 24 is an excellent example except he does his job to protect his country so there are altruistic concerns. All the same, he can kill and not seem to have remorse. I guess he would be more of an anti-hero.
Anne Stuart’s heroes are bad men.
I actually cringe with the whole ‘wrong side of the tracks, biker in leather bad boy – yuck’.
I like men who are dark and the darkness is still there but is somewhat tamed by the heroine. All the same, the hero wouldn’t think twice about hurting someone, even the heroine if it was for the best (as he sees it)
I can’t read the Bad Boy anthologies for just this reason. They don’t feature ‘bad men’.
CindyS
Ladies, you’re killing me. Not buy Bad Boys books…ack!
I love Sawyer but I do wonder if he’s heroic. Good in bed – I’m betting the answer to that is yes, but there should be more. A hint of hero. Jack Bauer is a great example. The question is whether the Bad Boys have to be of the have-gun-will-travel variety in order to be bad. Seems to me they can be a bit more down to Earth. For example, the bad boy in my first novella is an architect – not that bad sounding, I know. What makes him “bad” is how he acts out of character to get the woman wants. A clean-cut guy goes after a blue-collar gal and sheds his Ivy League image to do it.
Misty & Cindy – here’s my offer: If you’re willing to try another Bad Boy (with the hope of getting you to buy more), write me an email (hkdimon@aol.com) and I’ll send a copy to you. I have a few ARCs and will get the author copies soon enough. I can’t send out 100, but I’m willing to try to woo some of you back with the copies I have.
Alpha men = dominating men (to me)
Bad Boy = grew up shady (breaking the law, slept with the popular girl in school, played pranks and such as a kid, but whose moral compass as an adult, is now, in the right direction, sort of
All those bad boy titles seem to run together to me…not read a one, honestly.
Keishon
LOL is this a bad time to say I have never watched lost?
I think I have seven BB books. Eight if you count the one in my car to trade away. But I haven’t finished moving all my trade size books so I might have one hiding somewhere. The only one I have read all three stories from is BB Online. Oh and Beach one… which I pre-ordered then traded so that would take me to 9.
Like a dumbass I bought Lori Foster’s newest reissue. And I knew I didn’t need it but while at the store reading the bad I couldn’t place the stories. As soon as I got home I figured out they were bad boy books I have and yes have read.
I like the stories but wouldn’t say any of the hero’s would be ‘bad boys’.
And really cindy – bad men just doesn’t have the ring to it that bad boy does ;).
I agree with avid readers take on alpha vs bb.
And I think THERE is another that could be good….BAD BOYS OF SUMMER by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy and Amy Garvey. I really need to look into the MM turn around time.
I agree with Keishon as well. I think of alpha men as dominating. There’s no way for them to be in the room without you knowing it, even if they never talk.
A bad boy, however, is a guy that does have good in him, but for whatever reason chooses to downplay or ignore that for “the road less traveled” so to speak. I think a bad boy is usually one of those guys that does what he likes, and doesn’t care what other people think. Not necessarily bad, just not bound by society’s expectations.
With regard to the Brava Bad Boys – I read them, but dammit I don’t know why. It doesn’t help that for the most part Lori Foster is the headlining author and I can’t stand her. Add to that, the fact that there’s another 3 or 4 authors that I’m not a fan of that always seem to be included and I really start to wonder why I keep reading. I think I keep waiting for one to have all three stories not annoy me. So far, Bad Boys Online is the only one that comes close and that was the first of the BB series I read.
I agree with Misty. Sawyer is the perfect example of a bad boy. He comes across as being only out for himself, but underneath, hidden so you only catch glimpses, is a heroic figure just waiting for the right moment to burst forth. Helenkay, I’m absolutely convinced Sawyer does things out of a heroic motive – only he doesn’t realize it. Sybil – you simple have to start watching it!!!