Romance is Like Wine, it Gets Better With Age: 6 Sexy Older Heroes to Swoon For!

Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
You know how every once and a while Hollywood gets something right? Well, casting Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility is one of them. Elinor and Marianne Dashwood represent the Sense and Sensbility respectively in the title, meaning the latter is more prone to follow her flighty emotions than her good sense. She falls for the dashing and charismatic John Willoughby, ignoring the quiet and somewhat haunted Colonel Brandon in the process. The romance between Colonel Brandon and Marianne may win the award for slowest burn ever, but that’s why we love them. When Marianne realizes that Willoughby is not all he seems to be, Brandon is there to pick up the pieces.

The Thorn Birds, by Colleeen McCullogh
Fair warning: while the torrid romance between Meggie Cleary and her much-older priest, Ralph de Bricassart, is forbidden, tantalizing, and full of twists and turns—it is not for the reader fond of happily ever afters. Meggie and Ralph meet when she is quite young, and Ralph is already a priest in exile—they become quite close, and see one another as a lifeline amidst the tumultuous drama that surrounds Meggie’s New Zealand family. Eventually, their relationship turns romantic, but despite his temptation, Ralph resists turning away from the Church—for as long as he can. If you like your gentleman heroes haunted and a little haunting, this is the perfect read.

Beast, by Judith Ivory
Phantom of the Opera meets Beauty and the Beast in one of my favorite historical romances: Louise Vandercort is an American heiress unlike any other. Not content to simply be a wallflower to her own life and wanting the freedom marriage would provide her (remember, back in those days single women were basically witchy heretics), she agrees to sail across the ocean and marry a wealthy aristocrat. She has heard Charles D’Harcourt is a beast of a man and she never intends to love him, which is why when she is seduced in darkness by a stranger on the ship she has boarded, she goes to his bed willingly. Except: plot twist! The stranger is Charles himself, having boarded the ship to seduce his intended in darkness, and he has fallen unexpectedly for his bride.

The Saint by Tiffany Reisz
The first novel in The Original Sinners’ second quartet gives fans what they’d been salivating for for years: the backstory of how fifteen year-old Eleanor met Father Soren Stearns. I highly recommend reading this series from the beginning, starting with The Siren, as Soren and Eleanor’s genesis can only be best appreciated when you know how their story ends. Soren is as deeply moral as he is transfixed by Eleanor—his almost immediate love and desire for her is overshadowed by his commitment to the Church and to his ideals of never harming a child. But that doesn’t stop Eleanor from trying to seduce him; their game of cat and mouse is perfect for a toe-curling beach read.

Midnight Angel, by Lisa Kleypas
I love governess-romances but didn’t want to recommend Jane Eyre (again) so instead, I went with Midnight Angel by Lisa Kleypas. My favorite thing about this romance (aside from Luke Stonehearst, the older and gallant widower) was Tasia, the heroine. She is full of desire and not afraid of her own sexuality—even though her past almost got her killed. Tasia fled Russia after being accused of a murder she didn’t commit and sent to the gallows. In England, she assumes a different name, Karen Billings, and becomes governess to Lord Lucas’ young daughter. . Both Luke and Tasia are broken by personal tragedy, and their blooming romance amidst the danger of Tasia’s past coming back to haunt them enhances the gripping pace of this novel.

Saving Grace, by Julie Garwood
Lady Johanna, a sixteen year-old bride, becomes a widow and is determined never to marry again…until she’s forced to by the monarchy, of course. Her intended husband, Gabriel MacBain, a Highland warrior and friend of her foster brother, scares her, as does the prospect of marriage—her first husband was quite cruel—but soon she learns that beneath Gabriel’s gruff exterior is a sensual and passionate man who cares for her safety. Outlander fans looking for a bit less history and a lot more romance, this one is for you!