5 Reasons to Love a Rogue
A rogue by any other name would not be nearly as secretive, solitary and downright sexy. Rogues have had a long history in romance novels; you’ve seen plenty bodice-ripping covers with that word in the title…but what actually IS a rogue, and why should you consider making one your next book (or IRL) boyfriend?
1. Rogues are the original bad-boys.
You know a rogue when you see one; he’s the guy across the room, usually cloaked in literal (and metaphorical) darkness. He’s got a certain authority (aka swagger) to his step, but every move he makes practically screams “caution, hot flame: stand back or you’ll get burned.” But part of you definitely wants to feel the heat.
2. Rogues have dangerous, sordid—and sometimes, secretly heartbreaking—pasts.
All rogues wear a mask; a protective exterior to shied them from being hurt as they have been in the past. Some of my favorite rogues like Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind, St. Vincent in Devil in Winter, and Christian in Flowers from the Storm have something in common: a dark past, shrouded in mystery and heartbreak, that only the heroine can heal them from. It’s up to you to figure out what’s behind the rogue’s façade and bring him into the light.
3. Rogues have money and power—but have often overcome social prejudices to attain it.
Everyone likes a self-made man, don’t they? Rogues can be Lords and Dukes and Nobles….but a lot of the time, they’ve achieved their means of wealth and power by the virtue of their own skill. No one handed Simon Hunt from Secrets of a Summer Night his wealth; he was born the son of a butcher and worked his way up in the ranks of society, making some enemies along the way. A man who has to stand up to others and fight for what he’s earned is attractive, indeed. (As is a rich gentleman who can buy you pretty things.)
4. Rogues know their way around the bedroom (and your body.)
Rogues get their reputations from somewhere, don’t they? Anthony Bridgerton in Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me even has the gossip columnists of 1814 wondering which woman he’d bed next. But just because a man is experienced in the art of lovemaking doesn’t mean he isn’t true and faithful once he meets his match, which brings me to…
5. Rogues will stop at nothing to defend what belongs to them.
Once a rogue has decided to leave his rakish ways behind and claim the heroine for his own, nothing had better get in his way. He will lie, steal, even kill to keep you, because you have become more precious to him than his money, or his reputation. (SWOON.)
Why do you love a good rogue?