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Genre novels where at the end the self-acknowledged villain/villainess gets the affections of the non-oblivious heroine/hero.
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743 books · 1,564 voters · list created September 29th, 2011 by Hirondelle (not getting all notifications) (votes) .
592 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Sandra 1864 books
110 friends
Kay Webb 3146 books
101 friends
Anya 35220 books
215 friends
Manuela 1644 books
80 friends
Mai 685 books
10 friends
April 3697 books
446 friends
Noah 3914 books
345 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-24 of 24 (24 new)

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message 1: by ☆Eiko (new)

☆Eiko Uncertain Magic fits this list :D Faelan is more of an anti-hero and is looked upon as the very devil. Another work by the same author (Laura Kinsale) is Shadowheartwho is considered to be the villain and a skilled assassin in the first book of the two in the series 'Medieval Hearts'. Not to forget, there's also Meagan McKinney's When Angels Fall. Thank you for making this list!!! :D I finally have new books to add to my collection!!!


message 2: by Kagama-the Literaturevixen (last edited Apr 29, 2012 10:42AM) (new)

Kagama-the Literaturevixen I think the correct term is gamma hero ;) Anne Stuart writes a lot of those,and Lisa Kleypas too. They arent as popular as Alphas though...but fun to read about :)

http://www.cynthiaeden.com/romance/he...


message 3: by ☆Eiko (new)

☆Eiko Kagama-the Literaturevixen wrote: "I think the correct term is gamma hero ;) Anne Stuart writes a lot of those,and Lisa Kleypas too. They arent as popular as Alphas though...but fun to read about :)

http://www.cynthiaeden.com/roman..."


Oh wow... hahaha apparently not many know that gamma heroes exist... Thank you very much for the clarification!!! :D i hope i find more titles with this type of heroe XD I suppose Alpha's are getting over rated and over used don't you agree?


message 4: by Kagama-the Literaturevixen (last edited May 07, 2012 05:18AM) (new)

Kagama-the Literaturevixen Eiko wrote: "Kagama-the Literaturevixen wrote: "I think the correct term is gamma hero ;) Anne Stuart writes a lot of those,and Lisa Kleypas too. They arent as popular as Alphas though...but fun to read about :..."

Yes,gamma heroes are a bit more fun to read about.
Not that I dont enjoy reading about an alpha hero now and then but its more fun with gammas ;)

Always on the lookout ;)

description


Hirondelle (not getting all notifications) Interesting, thanks for mentioning it. But personally I don´t really like that term, seems to be used just by a few strictly genre romance authors.

I mean villains as romantic love interests as a wider, and clearer title for the list. I meant the list to apply as well to things which are not exactly romance novels.


message 6: by Kagama-the Literaturevixen (last edited May 08, 2012 04:07AM) (new)

Kagama-the Literaturevixen Hirondelle wrote: "Interesting, thanks for mentioning it. But personally I don´t really like that term, seems to be used just by a few strictly genre romance authors.

I mean villains as romantic love interests as a ..."

Ok I racked my brain and added some like that (I think)

Then...I suppose I will have to nominate Thomas Harris "Hannibal"(view spoiler)


Hirondelle (not getting all notifications) The problem with that spoiler is that even saying what work it is for is a spoiler, but without knowing the work the viewer can not know if they read it or not ;) But if you think adding a book to the list is spoilers to the book, well, dunno, maybe it´s still right to add it. As you think best.

I do not mean this to be a just-romance-genre list. I was discussing the trope with a friend and thought it fun to start a list. I included things like the Vicky Bliss mysteries by Elizabeth Peters or this Kage Baker fantasy novel. Romance is welcome, duh, if it includes a romantic relationship then likely romance is the genre which will fit better, but it´s about the trope, not genre. And I do not really like the term gamma hero - first, I think it seems to be pretty technically in-genre and not helpful to readers in general (would not have been to me), second it just sounds silly to my ears, third it´s clearer as it is.


Hirondelle (not getting all notifications) LOL, just asked a friend who reads romance if she knew what a gamma hero was. Her reply - no idea, is that a new description for Hulk? there you have it.( and now my mind can not be cleaned of that connotation. what eyes have seen, they can not unseen. Hulk, LOL. OTOH, Mark Ruffalo... could be worse)


message 9: by Sandra (new)

Sandra Rosa i admit i was one of the reasons this list exists, hehe

I'm not entirely comfortable with the Gamma Hero description when it comes to this list.

The point of the list is that the hero must not only consider himself a villain, in most romance novels the hero thinks "boohoo i lied when i was five and my momma was run over by horses because of it, oh i'm so evil" or "well i went to war with millions of other soldiers and like all the other soldiers i killed people, hence i must be evil"

This isn't for the cases where you did some bad things, hence you must be bad, no this is for the guy that does the bad things knows that that's bad, and does not give a damn about it, the point of the list is to avoid the whole "oh i'm so misunderstood" part.


message 10: by Emily (new)

Emily Lovitch This list is abominable. A vast and unforgiving desert of shallow heroines and sweaty nipples.


UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish Emily wrote: "This list is abominable. A vast and unforgiving desert of shallow heroines and sweaty nipples."

Fortunately it's not required that you read any of them! Though, I have to admit, I'm kind of interested in the sweaty nipples... wait... whose are sweaty, the hero's or the heroine's?


 Danielle The Book Huntress Nothing like a villainous hero to make the heart beat faster!


UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Nothing like a villainous hero to make the heart beat faster!"

A to the Men, sistah! Yummy!


message 15: by Pamela(AllHoney) (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) So does Roarke qualify?


UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "So does Roarke qualify?"

Depends, does he have sweaty nipples?


message 17: by Pang (new)

Pang on Mission and Holiday I LOVE this list so much!! Going to read a lot of these and will come back to vote. :D


message 18: by Rozus (new)

Rozus people misunderstand this list


message 19: by MBR (new)

MBR I keep wondering how some of these heroes qualify. Like Lisa Kleypas heroes. Only hero who was remotely villainous in her historical romances was Derek Craven from Dreaming of You. I guess its a matter of perspective. LOL!


V. A Court of Wings and Ruin is NEW ADULT/EROTICA but Goodreads editors won't tell you to include it in the choice awards MBR wrote: "I keep wondering how some of these heroes qualify. Like Lisa Kleypas heroes. Only hero who was remotely villainous in her historical romances was Derek Craven from Dreaming of You. I guess its a ma..."

I agree


AℳY♔Queen of Fat cats♔Ain't no lie Baby Byebyebye *Clears throat
Ahem! Villains, really? Cause I'm seeing mostly anti-heroes. Warner doesn't get the girl while keeping villainous ways.


message 22: by Azet (new)

Azet You gotta be kiddin
I do love this list-but there are so many non-villians on this list!


message 23: by peachrings (new)

peachrings Someone put Pride & Prejudice on a list of villainous love interests? Seriously?


message 24: by Azri (new)

Azri I wish these sorts of lists didn't include sequels etc.


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