Top 10 things a romance hero needs

It's something oft discussed - what makes a good hero? I was wandering around the web - as one does - when I came across this list and thought I'd throw it out here...

No hero should leave home without these 10 items in his repertoire:

1. 1. Good Looks - if gazing at him doesn’t get your motor running and your engine purring, he’s not the hero of your dreams.
   • Synonyms: Casanova, Adonis
2. 2. Skills in the Bedroom - or in the shower, on top of the kitchen table, on the living room floor, against a wall, on the stairs, in the car, ahem… you know where this is going.
   • Synonyms: it frequently goes by the term Heroic Wang of Mighty Loving.
3. 3. Brawn and Brains - nothing kills a hero’s heroism faster than stupidity. Intelligence is as sexy as muscles!
   • Synonyms: Nerd, Geek
4. 4. Charm - if he can’t charm his way into your knickers with a smile, something’s wrong.
   • Synonyms: Magnetism, Thrall, Charisma, Magic
5. 5. Domestic Skills - if he cooks, cleans, and gives orgasms in sets of three or more, he’s never allowed out of the house. His name is slave and he answers to Master.
   • Synonyms: Maid, Chef, Sex God
6. 6. Brooding - all heroes brood, it’s built into their genetic makeup. We females simply can’t resist a good brood, it’s our kryptonite.
   • Synonyms: Sulking, Moping, Pouting
7. 7. Possessiveness - they have it, how often they express it is another matter to be taken up by the subgenre or author.
   • Synonyms: Beast, Alpha Male, Green Eyed Monster, Jealousy
8. 8. Wealth - not just money, the hero must also be wealthy in knowledge, social connections, life skills, common sense… hold on the last one until later in the novel, because otherwise there might not be a story.
   • Synonyms: Resources
9. 9. Stubbornness - you didn’t read that wrong. They’re male, it’s one of the few flaws we allow them, but only when it serves our purposes.
   • Synonyms: Persistence, Perseverance; Inflexibility, Pigheadedness
10. 10. Heroine - what’s the point of #1-9 if he doesn’t have #10?
    • Synonyms: She came, she conquered, and he’s forever enslaved to the Magic Hoo-Hoo.

I was going to comment and discuss, but damn it all if after I read the whole list that didn't sum things up pretty well. I thought humour - but then number 4 kind of covers that. The only other things I could think of adding were honour and a good heart, but they could easily fall under #8.

If you're looking for a more detailed list why don't you have a gander at the list composed by Mills & Boon and see how it compares. Their list relates specifically to their different lines and it's interesting to compare the heroes in each line. Although their list mentions particular traits the list above doesn't include by name, all the traits could probably be wedged into the 10 above.

I'll leave you to add your thoughts/criteria...

PS: You know something else when I compared my hubby to the list I decided I was a pretty lucky woman :)

Music: Thelonious Monk Quartet

Currently reading: 'The star Prince' by Susan Grant