Bookish Discussion: 3 Reasons Girls Fall for the Bad Boy

Hello, blogger peeps! I’m Baaack! It feels like it’s been ages since I posted a discussion. I wrote a handful of guest posts for the Corrupt Me blog tour last month, and I wanted to share them, this post included. I believe there’s a certain mold or formula that makes for a good bad boy character. Let’s chat about it, shall we?

 As a writer and now published author, I like to think that bad boys are my specialty. I love getting into the minds of criminals, athletes, dirty cops, etc. You name it and I will write about it as long as I can find some value in the story. One thing I aim to do is make them likable. A fair amount of people read Corrupt and said they couldn’t stand Luca in the beginning but fell in love with him by the end. That was always my intention. My Mafia Prince isn’t just a bad boy. He’s also a mama’s boy. And I know how much we all like a guy who loves their mother.

Bad boys are not one size fits all. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and flavors, and it’s the bad boys that get the blood pumping and the juices flowing. When you read a book about a bad boy who was tamed by that girl—you know, the one girl who ruins him for all women—you start to root for them as a couple, especially if the characters are well developed. You secretly (or maybe not so secretly) cheer for the couple in hopes that the disturbed motorcycle gang leader or the Mafia hit man will end up having a heart of gold.

The ideal bad boy is tall, good-looking, nice skin, hair, and teeth. Bonus points if he has an angular jaw, perfect nose, abs you can bounce quarters off, defined pelvic muscles (the V shape on ab covers you want to lick), and a rock hard body. It’s not a necessity but give him a few tattoos and you add more sex appeal for some women. I like rock stars with trouble pasts that write kickass songs that make me swoon. A good example of this is in the White Trash Beautiful Series by Teresa Mummert. I absolutely adore that series and the songs she wrote for the books.

He has to have swagger for days and the game to back it up. You can’t just say he’s hot and has game. You need to show it. Show, don’t tell! Give me some dirty talk and lines you haven’t heard a thousand times. Oh, and he must be desirable by other women.

Throw in money and you have hit the trifecta. Girls dig rich dudes because who wouldn’t want to be pampered like a princess? I think most women would rather read about a man who wines and dines them and not about the reality of adding water to your milk to make it last another day or how Applebee’s is a treat in real life.

But, there’s more to a character than looks, charm, and the size of his package. Oops, I mean wallet. He has to have a big…heart.

Based on the current romance books on the market featuring strong leads, it’s a fair assessment to say that most of the bad boys either play a sport, ride a motorcycle, or belong to the Mafia or some criminal gang or organization. Crime is hot and so are athletes. Sex with any of these guys is just HOT! There’s something exciting about hooking up with someone you would never meet in real life. You can meet Bob the IT man any day of the week, but you’re not likely to run into Jax Teller or Tony Montana in the food store. But wouldn’t that be nice?

It’s nice when you get everything I mentioned above in a book boyfriend, but he needs to be likable. You can forget that he smuggles drugs or makes you say hello to his little friend when he has some redeemable qualities. And maybe you’re like Kay Corleone and actually believe he’ll legitimize his business for the right girl, but if he’s physically and mentally abusive, controlling, or demanding, you’re heading down the wrong path. Those are my bad boy no-nos.

Talk to me, peeps! Who are some of your favorite fictional bad boys? They can be from books, movies, TV shows… Anything goes.

XOXO,

Jill

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Do you like sports romances? Parker comes out on February 15th!

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