,

Easily one of my most favorite hero tropes.
There's just something about someone all stiff and proper who loosens up that's very endearing.

I'm guessing this trope mostly occurs in Romance Novels, but other works of fiction are welcome too.

Kudos to Willa for coining the trope name
1

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,885,731 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
4.09 avg rating — 74,216 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
4.21 avg rating — 24,621 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
3.95 avg rating — 25,118 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
3.94 avg rating — 34,025 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
3.98 avg rating — 31,818 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
4.15 avg rating — 50,972 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
3.95 avg rating — 23,214 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.02 avg rating — 15,060 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
4.10 avg rating — 26,003 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11

by
4.06 avg rating — 7,048 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
3.69 avg rating — 316,595 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
4.02 avg rating — 22,418 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
14

by
4.16 avg rating — 70,435 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
3.97 avg rating — 9,816 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
16

by
4.07 avg rating — 12,604 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
17

by
3.96 avg rating — 7,663 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11,646 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
3.80 avg rating — 6,384 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
4.30 avg rating — 31,795 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
21

by
4.07 avg rating — 60,928 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 69,966 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
23

by
3.82 avg rating — 6,327 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
3.77 avg rating — 12,319 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
25

by
4.08 avg rating — 14,201 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
3.94 avg rating — 22,963 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
27

by
3.83 avg rating — 3,437 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
4.06 avg rating — 31,137 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
29

by
4.15 avg rating — 18,524 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
3.80 avg rating — 718,261 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
4.08 avg rating — 26,743 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6,814 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
4.17 avg rating — 36,728 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
4.08 avg rating — 8,573 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
4.05 avg rating — 25,906 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
4.18 avg rating — 25,813 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
3.91 avg rating — 7,649 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.22 avg rating — 71,045 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
3.99 avg rating — 11,256 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
4.30 avg rating — 46,405 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
41

by
4.15 avg rating — 185,571 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
4.13 avg rating — 21,654 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
3.78 avg rating — 1,713 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
3.81 avg rating — 1,028,555 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
4.10 avg rating — 21,977 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
4.04 avg rating — 48,489 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
3.92 avg rating — 95,769 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
3.99 avg rating — 7,037 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
3.88 avg rating — 7,640 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
3.81 avg rating — 2,681 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
3.95 avg rating — 2,875 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
3.73 avg rating — 20,958 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
3.79 avg rating — 2,581 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
3.53 avg rating — 1,567 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
3.85 avg rating — 14,309 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
3.81 avg rating — 4,757 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
3.85 avg rating — 841,564 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
4.02 avg rating — 46,655 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
4.05 avg rating — 37,928 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
3.67 avg rating — 13,691 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
4.04 avg rating — 3,458 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
62

by
3.95 avg rating — 6,000 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
3.94 avg rating — 2,509 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
64

by
3.96 avg rating — 7,159 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
65

by
4.10 avg rating — 12,297 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
66

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,529 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
3.97 avg rating — 9,137 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
68

by
4.11 avg rating — 39,240 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
3.73 avg rating — 3,179 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
70

by
4.20 avg rating — 54,339 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
71

by
3.97 avg rating — 10,353 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
72

by
3.98 avg rating — 8,610 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
3.76 avg rating — 3,853 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
74

by
4.15 avg rating — 309,302 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
3.90 avg rating — 13,561 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
76

by
4.05 avg rating — 7,246 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
77

by
4.25 avg rating — 56,958 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
78

by
3.94 avg rating — 8,151 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79

by
4.01 avg rating — 3,243 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
80

by
3.88 avg rating — 9,137 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
4.17 avg rating — 16,042 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
82

by
3.85 avg rating — 6,730 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
83

by
3.84 avg rating — 3,368 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
84

by
3.84 avg rating — 23,442 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
85

by
4.17 avg rating — 24,134 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
86

by
3.76 avg rating — 3,409 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
3.83 avg rating — 2,543 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
88

by
4.06 avg rating — 13,367 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
89

by
3.99 avg rating — 18,568 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
90

by
3.98 avg rating — 13,149 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
3.85 avg rating — 14,346 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
92

by
4.01 avg rating — 5,714 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
93

by
3.74 avg rating — 3,129 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
4.12 avg rating — 48,473 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
95

by
4.12 avg rating — 2,582 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
96

by
4.05 avg rating — 3,044 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
97

by
3.91 avg rating — 6,671 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
98

by
3.97 avg rating — 22,967 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
3.52 avg rating — 9,827 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
100

by
3.71 avg rating — 1,616 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
231 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jan 1307 books
82 friends
willaful 2470 books
307 friends
Juliana Philippa 23035 books
805 friends
Mai 685 books
10 friends
Jane 1014 books
2 friends
Laine 912 books
10 friends
Kelly_Instalove 4840 books
208 friends
Doll_Lil 1711 books
174 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by willaful (new)

willaful I'm honored! The original shelf (including books I didn't vote for): http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

Games of Command, hmmm? [Moves up the TBR.]


message 2: by Jan (new)

Jan I doubted if I should enter it up there, but I thinks it counts, because the hero is part cyborg, and thus starchy and proper and by the book thanks to his programming, and him overcoming that (through the power of looooooove), is what makes the book so great in my opinion.


message 3: by ♥ℳelody (new)

♥ℳelody Great List! Love the name. :P

But uh Heaven, Texas? Really?? Bobby Tom is a complete playboy party animal. I would not describe that guy as 'starchy'. Not even close. lol


message 4: by Jan (new)

Jan Melody wrote: "Great List! Love the name. :P

But uh Heaven, Texas? Really?? Bobby Tom is a complete playboy party animal. I would not describe that guy as 'starchy'. Not even close. lol"


I don't actually see this book on the list?


message 5: by Amas (last edited Aug 29, 2015 09:56AM) (new)

Amas Ely I lovvve your list. Thank you so much. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who refer the "good guy gone bad" than the other around :)


back to top



Related News

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day, according to early...

Anyone can add books to this list.