Originally we were going to call this theme "disfigured heroes," but the name suggested that the heroes were less than "perfect." Which we know isn't true! When we asked readers for their favorites–no one was exactly sure what really qualified as "disfigurement." One reader suggested a book in which the hero had a club foot. She wanted to know, "Does that count?" This proves that true romantics see beyond the purely physical. Readers who suggested heroes with "psychological" scars don't fret. We will feature them in an upcoming column called "tortured" heroes.
A hero who is physically disabled requires a special kind of love–one that will save him from his own inner demons and will make him forget and most importantly forgive his own "defects." Romance readers know that the love of a good woman can cure any ailment, or save any hero, no matter how lost or how "damaged." There's nothing wrong with a hero who is "perfect," but a hero with a physical disability takes a special kind of loving. Proving once and for all that you can't judge a book by its cover! Listed below are some of our reader's favorite titles on this very popular romance theme.
What's The Appeal?
In a successful romance, the reader may not identify with the heroine, but she certainly wants to be in her shoes. Why? Because of the hero. A romance hero is strong, proud, often mysterious and always resilient. He is every woman's fantasy. Is he handsome? Generally so–but not always. The romance that features the "imperfect " hero is no different. The hero is still every bit as strong and appealing–but on the surface he is emotionally wounded because of his physical disabilities. He doesn't want to love or to be loved.
The "scarred" hero comes to love reluctantly. He feels unworthy of romance and certainly the love of a good woman. But, this fellow's love is worth having! For this reason–the "imperfect" hero is the ultimate challenge. The heroine must heal the hero's wounded soul before his heart is free to love.
For the heroine, emotions are paramount. It is the heroine's gift of love that can save the hero. She is the only one who is able to see past the surface, past the hero's "flaws" and find the wonderful vulnerable man that is underneath. Not only is she able to love him despite his "imperfections," but she is able to make him love himself.
The "imperfect" hero is unique in romance because his physical disability renders him more vulnerable than the "normal" hero. Yet this vulnerability lies beneath the surface of an angry, frightened man who lashes out at everyone he encounters like a wounded beast.
The heroine is a healer, a magician. She is blind (sometimes literally) to the hero's negative qualities. She forces him to fight his inner demons–not succumb to them. It is the heroine's innate nurturing talent that encourages the hero's transformation. He evolves from a victim into a man possessed of love and strength. A "perfect" man who once may have been considered "imperfect." A journey through the dark side for a romance reader–but one that always has a "happy" ending.
-Kate Ryan
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