Hello, I’m looking for fantasy/romance books with a male lead that isn’t the usual grumpy / emotionally distant type. Below are some characters I liked from various media, as well as some traits that complement my taste.
Characters Examples:
* **Finias** (Wicked Darlings Series) by Rebecca F. Kenney
* **Jacks** (OUABH) by Stephanie Garber *^(This one isn’t exactly the type I’m looking for but he’s here for reference)*
* **Astarion** (Baldur’s Gate 3)
* **Victor** (Yuri!!! On ICE)
* **Twelve** (Terror in Resonance)
* **Dimitri** (Anastasia)
* **Adam** (Only Lovers Left Alive) *^(Also not entirely the type I’m looking for but still liked him so..)*
Adjectives & Traits:
* Flirty / Charming / Flamboyant
/ Snarky / Emotionally intelligent / Smart / Vulnerable / Empathetic
* Hidden soft side / Morally gray / Wicked sense of humour / Openly perverted
* Loki / Jack Sparrow / Deadpool *vibes*
Appearance wise, I’m not a fan of overly muscular body types, I prefer a more lean, almost androgynous look. Bonus points if he has blond or light colored hair, but none of this is a deal breaker.
Some books I already plan on reading are: The Folk of the Air Series / Harrow Faire Series / A Cursed Kiss / Sorcery of Thorns / Hot Blooded / Divine Rivals
Also please if possible I’d like to avoid female leads that hate on the guy for no reason!
I’m also open to read romances that aren’t in the fantasy genre if everything else is in my taste.
*Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments! <3*
by Sae_01
3 Comments
You might like *Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies* by Heather Fawcett. The male MC fits the flamboyant/snarky/smart/hidden soft side/morally gray requirements of your list. I’m pretty sure he’s blonde and lean though I can’t remember if that’s just how I imagined him or if the book describes his appearance a lot. The female MC does hate on him to start with, but it’s certainly not for NO reason, haha.
– T. Kingfisher {Clockwork Boys} is fun
– Not fantasy, but you might really enjoy Loretta Chase. (Historical Romance) Her witty banter is sooo much fun. Some of her men that I think check most of your boxes:
{The Sandalwood Princess} is a fun heist story.
A couple warnings 1) I wouldn’t in a million years wish this guy as a love interest on anyone in real life. But he’s a blast in fiction. 2) this is an older book, and isn’t politically correct.
{Mr. Impossible} – he plays dumb… brilliantly.
– A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold. I debated about including this, because it is book 13 in a loooong series. But I love it so much, I decided to let you decide. Technically, this can be read stand-alone, but it will be so much better with all the history. If you don’t want to invest that much time… at a min, read Komarr first, some of the action in that book is quite relevant to this one. If you decide to give it a go… google “Vorkosigan Saga reading order”. Will just add – Miles is a blast even in books that aren’t a romance.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer starting with Cinder. Lovely romance with fully characterized men and a kick ass adventure/sci Fi/fairy tale story