Ashley or Rhett? Healthcliff or Mr. Darcy?
In Romanceland, there are two types of heroes. The Alpha and the Beta. In the early years of genre romance (1970s-1980s) the Alpha male ruled supreme. He never saw a heaving bodice he didn’t want to tear asunder. He pillaged and plundered. He was always the corporate titan, the conquering Viking, the angry Duke.
Was it any wonder readers got weary of the Alpha Male, and turned to the kinder, gentler version in the 1990s? The beta hero is Mr. Nice Guy. He is responsible and kind. A great best friend. Think of Jimmy Stewart in A Wonderful Life or Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle. Mainstream romances by Catherine Anderson, LaVyrle Spencer, and Pamela Morsi typically feature beta heroes. Heroes in Inspirational romances are usually betas. Despite the popularity of beta heroes in Inspirational, mainstream romance is still dominated by the Alpha.
In a recent Facebook party, I asked a group of women (mostly fans of inspirational romance) which they preferred. Of the 40 answers, about 35 were in favor of the beta heroes.
This kind of surprised me. I don’t think an Alpha male precludes the qualities of honor and decency inspirational readers expect in their heroes. For my own reading, I am an omnivore. So long as the hero and heroine have great romantic tension that crackles off the page, I don’t care if he is an Alpha or a Beta.
So….what’s your preference? Alpha or Beta?
Comments 1
Oh my goodness. I laughed so hard at the “He never saw a heaving bodice . . .” line. Great article. I’m like you, an omnivore. As long as the characters have chemistry (a real connection, not just physical), I don’t care if the male lead is alpha or beta.