We all have our catnip. Bad boys on bicycles, tattoos and tortured histories, Idris Elba wearing anything he wants. But the thing that gets me going, that I can’t get enough of and look for no matter what I read, is kindness. I know, welcome to Snooze City: population two lovebirds permanently glued to the couch. It sounds boring, but hear me out. Kindness remembers your birthday. Holds the mushrooms on your half of the pizza without your having to ask. Kindness knows what an apology is and, just as importantly, what it’s not. Kindness isn’t perfect, but it always strives to be on your side.
Men who complain that they’re “nice†to women and then get rejected for it because “nobody wants a nice guy†are entitled, whiny, and, by definition, not at all nice. But the duds shouldn’t ruin the word. Kindness is, I think, at the root of any good relationship. You can’t have someone who is loyal, trustworthy, respectful, engaging, committed, a good listener, etc., if they are not kind.
I’ve read more than a few books where the hero’s actions would have me running for the door. When I write heroes, I think about their pasts, their fears—all the complexities that make them who they are. No matter what situation they’re in or what drama is about to unfold, I strive to make them kind. Call me demanding (you wouldn’t be the first), but I have standards for how I want to be treated. My heroines do too, which is why they won’t fall for anything less.
It seems obvious—nobody wants to be around people who are mean. But kindness is so unassuming, it’s often taken for granted or simply left behind. So I wanted to write this Valentine to kindness, and find out what qualities you, dear, readers, could never do without.
Leave a comment below about what qualities you value most in your favorite heroes and heroines and be automatically entered to win a FREE copy of Rebecca Brooks’s steamy contemporary romance ABOVE ALL. Please include an email address where you can be reached if you are a winner.
Above All
Reeling from a sudden breakup, Casey Webb leaves Brooklyn, drives north, and settles in a sleepy mountain town in upstate New York. She’s convinced she’s happy being alone—until she reads the acknowledgments to her ex-boyfriend’s hit debut novel, thanking his new girlfriend “above all.†Good thing Ben Mailer is in town. The hot, young Brooklyn-bound chef offers the perfect distraction, and soon Casey is having the best sex of her life—on a mountain, in the lake, all over the cozy cabin where she lives. But as their weekend fling turns into something more, the demands of Ben’s family and budding career make moving to her idyllic town impossible. Now Casey must decide what she can’t live without: her life in the mountains, or the man she wants to be hers above all. Smart, sweet, and blisteringly hot, Above All is about getting lost… and finding yourself right where you belong.
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Read the first two chapters of Above All here.
Visit Rebecca’s website here and find her Scavenger Hunt clue!
- About the Author
- Posts in the Past
This sounds like an excellent book…two people who really deserve a happily ever after! Loyalty is one of the most important things to me. I feel that this trait is an essential part of any loving relationship, and I always emphasized that to my kids, too.
intelligence
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
I cannot find the clue on the website. Does that mean I am just clueless? *groan* Sorry, couldn’t resist. 🙂
I saw it there now Diane!
Qualities I like… them to seem real to engage my emotions whether good or bad.
Thanks Colleen. 🙂
It’s all fun and exciting when we read it in a book, but indeed most of the alpha male protagonist out here would make me run the other way should I meet them in real life…no matter how hot they look or how experienced they are…they are unlikeable, selfish and not really good people to have around. They are still fun to read about, though, and the romantic bone in me doesn’t mind their antics as long as they ‘change’ and learn to love and all that mushy stuff…it’s not like I’m going to live with them anyway.
But the books in where the hero is actually kind and someone I might indeed fall in love in real life (and not regret about it, no matter if the story ends up badly) are treasure. They are usually the ones I find myself reading and re-reading again and again.
ellis_dream (at) hotmail (dot) com
Strength, intelligence, sense of humor and common sense.
I love hearing these responses! (And am glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. :))
Elisa D, I totally agree. It’s fiction, right? And most of the time I let a lot of things slide in books that I’d never put up with in real life. But the heroes I could actually see myself falling for IRL? :swoon:
I love your post! I like all kinds of traits in characters. Sometimes ill even admit, i like a bit of meanness or coldness. Just because by the middle, then end of the book, you see how the H or h has developed, came to love themselves, as well as there significant other. I love watching the “thaw” and fall! But i love kindness too! And strong characters. Ones with personalities. And flaws. This way i can relate to them, and enjoy watching them fix what went were. What can i say, if the characters arent whiny, ill love them! lol Whining is about the one thing i cant stand… I have to agree with ya there! Thank you for hsairng! That was fun!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Congratulations Shadow! I used a random number generator to pick the winner and you’re the lucky one! Thank you so much to everyone for reading and commenting, and Happy Valentine’s Day! xo Rebecca