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Pages: 62
Goes Well With: A scoop of mocha chocolate chip ice cream and a margarita
Every day, millions of women bury themselves in steamy romance novels, falling in love with the authors’ interpretations of the perfect man. But the romantic fantasy comes to life in Romancing the Hero—and a lonely writer gets to meet the man of her dreams: the one she’s created.
Romance novelist Jody Feather has topped bestseller lists by giving her readers what they want: the perfect man. Jody’s hero, Jake Emerson, is perfect in every way—from his gentle, accommodating nature to his chiseled physique. Unfortunately for Jody, though, he’s just a figment of her imagination—or is he?
As Jody is leaving for a weekend conference, Jake—or at least a gorgeous guy who claims to be Jake—shows up at her door. Assuming that he was hired by her agent to help promote her latest book, Jody brings him along.
This living, breathing Jake is just like the fictional version: charming, attentive, and nice to look at. He’s a hit with the women at the conference, too—but he’s only interested in Jody. After a while, it becomes harder and harder for the love-starved author to tell the difference between fiction and reality.
Romancing the Hero is a cute short fantasy about stepping up and taking charge of your life—but the message sometimes gets lost in the characters and their drama.
Jody is a likeable heroine—the kind that most readers will be able to relate to. The talented author has thrown her life into her work, and she isn’t strong enough or confident enough to give her own life the kind of excitement and adventure that she writes about. Of course, she’s about to learn a thing or two about excitement and adventure—but her path to personal enlightenment is rather questionable.
Initially, Jake may seem like a much-needed boost to the lonely author’s confidence (and a gorgeous one, too), but he ends up stealing the spotlight, with women at the conference lining up to buy Jody’s books and get them signed just for the opportunity to have their picture taken with him. Though she ends up selling lots of books because of it, Jake is the star of the conference—not Jody.
At the same time, instead of being a strong romantic hero—the adventurous, take-charge kind of guy that he’s supposed to be in his books—Jake comes off as weak and needy and sometimes even desperate. Sure, he’s supportive of Jody—definitely an attractive trait in a man—but, in the process, he seems clingy and possessive. After all, his entire world revolves around his author. And, instead of charming, he comes off as creepy—more like an obsessive fan than The Perfect Man.
Eventually, the story takes a more solid step toward fantasy—but the action and adventure of Jake’s fantasy world are cut short a little too quickly, making those few scenes seem out of place.
Romancing the Hero offers readers a positive message, a touch of adventure, and a hint of romance. But, if you like strong leading men, you won’t feel especially romantic about the book’s hero.
Ed. Note: For more on Romancing the Hero, visit TheWildRosePress.com.
