I would suggest almost anything written by Anne Stuart presents nearly unlikeable heroes, at least in the beginning.

I admire authors who can take unpalatable characters and make me fall in love with them too. I also like it when they take a character that I think I would never go for in real life because of political beliefs etc and make me fall in love. (Karyn Langhone just did that to me in Unfinished Business and made me fall in love with a Republican, good ole boy senator from the south) It's unsettling for sure... But it does leave me in wonder, sort of in a--Damn how'd she do that? Shit!--kind of way... :-)

Gwyneth

I second Anne Stuart. In Lord Danger, the "hero" has a crippled hand and is very bastardly in the beginning.

Cast novel heroes aren't so much unattractive as they are...weird. You know, like based on the minotaur and mermaids and such.

Susan Krinard novels have loads of an angsty heroes. Braden in Touch of the Wolf. He's erm, very kinda...psycho-ish. That's a book you'll either love or hate. But I do recommend Secret of the Wolf, were Quentin, the male protagonist, is both an alcoholic and suffering from multiple personalities.

I can't remember which Connie Brockway it is, but there is one book where the hero, who is kinda crazy, has a crippled-ish hand.

You know, I'm not sure if a slight limp or a crippled-y hand is good enough. That's stuff fan-fic authors do to prevent their characters from being "perfect" when it's just a superficial flaw that in no way infringes upon the secondary characters thinking the protagonist hung the moon.

I'm talking about Kevin James style heroes. Talking about a woman whose looks can't be fixed by taking off her glasses, pulling the pins out of her hair and giving it a good shake.

I recently read a Susan Mallery title, where I was very excited at the beginning... because the heroine was 40 pounds overweight, and not gloriously beautiful in all her curves. She has a giant honking nose. I mean, she's homely. She is. She's also freakishly smart.

Well then, fast forward nine years, and she's lost forty pounds, had a nose and had breast implants. I didn't hate the book or anything, which is a testament to Ms. Mallery's skill, but I felt awfully disappointed that the problems went away offscreen and suddenly in chapter two, the heroine was a hottie.

And then the hero just sort of glossed over that. Oh, yeah, baby, I've always loved you. I loved you even when you were a dog's dinner. I just was too broken up with my many angsty issues to hook up with you then. And you were too young.

Sure you loved her then. *eyeroll* And it just so happens, the fact that she's hot now has nothing to do with your change of heart, right?

Bitch, mutter, grumble.

True, but I've never read a story where the hero was out right messed up in the looks department, save the Hoyt title mentioned. Some people will say nerd titles are, but I loves me nerds, so I can't agree.

With heroines, it seems to vary based on what era she's in. She can be "too busty" for a certain time's fashion and yet be be-yuuu-ti-full to her hero. Though that does seem like a huge rip-off, because all I can think is that she has boobs, and what guy doesn't want that?

Heroines tend to either realize they're fine the way the are if they have some unfashionable body, which is mostly a crock because that was more self-esteem than they were in any way unattractive, or they make a physical change alongside the emotional one.

Which sucks, because I figure the real ultimate fantasy is the ugly duckling being the one to land prince charming, not some poofy princess with perfect teeth.

the nerd books don't count.

Those guys are just hotties who wear glasses and work in IT. I bet they have no idea who gave Shadow Cat her first kiss.

You know, you make a good point, L.

I can't remember reading one where the hero is truly fugly. *ponders* The Elizabeth Hoyt book was the closest I've found, I think.

Can anybody else think of fugly heroes?

Gwyneth, that sounds interesting. The author won you over on a good ole boy Rep. senator? Now that I'm tempted to read. *runs off to Amazon*

Awww, I'm not the only one that like Schnider. A lot of people hated the first Deuce Bigalow but I thought it was real sweet.

I normally love any book where the the fat, scarred or homely girl gets the guy. It really doesn't happen often but, I really like when the heroine stays the same and doesn't have to change herself physically to get the hero.

I agree with you Anne. It doesnt count when the heroine just takes off her glasses, shakes the pins from her hair, and gets some new clothes and then all of a sudden she becomes magically delicious. That's a total cop out to me.

A good scarred hero is hot too. Make him a total asshole anti-hero and I'm soo there.

Romance needs more real people. They still get their HEA but ,they just look like us doing it.

Me too, Sweet.

I hate when somebody has to change in order to be "worthy" of love. So normal people or ugly people can't be desired? Adored?

That pisses me off.

I've been wracking my brains and I cannot think of a single fugly hero who stays fugly and still gets the girl. Other than Edward in The Raven Prince.

Okay, wait, this isn't a romance, but in The Hob's Bargain, which is a sort of Beauty and the Beast re-telling, there is no magical transformation. He stays fugly and the heroine loves him anyway.

But damn, I can't think of a single romance novel where the hero is overweight or ugly or seriously messed up. I mean, he might have some macho war scars that he thinks make him "disfigured" but really it just adds to his "dashing war hero" air. I mean, how many war heroes in romances come home missing their noses or ears or some shit that really will make them homely?

Interesting... I guess it brings home how much of a fantasy romances are. I mean, I guess women don't want to read about the fugly guy getting the girl. That's another genre altogether (and men buy that!)

But I'd kind of like to read it. Like sweet, I'm all over ugly guys / anti-heroes. Can't get enough of them.

It's right up there with heroine in man-drag, mistaken identity, friends to lovers, long time crush, and a bunch of other plot devices that make me go gooey with glee.

Hmm. Can't really think of any books (although I'm writing a semi-hero right now I've described as "astonishingly ugly")...but I too love Seth Rogen, ever since Freaks and Geeks.

Michele, I love Rob Schneider. I think he's hilarious. And I liked Deuce Bigalow, too.

Sounds interesting, December. Seth Rogen is awesome!

I love the fat/plain/awkward girl gets the great guy (HAIRSPRAY, all time favorite). I loved Raven Prince. I am all for the inside person being attractive and the outside is not important. I like cranky, hard headed, rude heroes. Maybe I should write one since there doesn't seem to be a lot out there. Thanks for the inspiration.;)
Love Kevin James and Mark Addy (Full Monty, A Knight's Tale)! I just want to eat them up!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been thinking about this, and I still can't come up with a romance novel where the hero is just fugly.

What was wrong with Harcourt from Judith Ivory's Beast. On Amazon it says "though scarred by a childhood illness..." So does that mean he's pocked like Edward in The Raven Prince? It's been a really long time since I've read this.

If you like pointless funny movies, how could you NOT like Dumb and Dumber? That't the quintessential dumb comedy and one of our family favorites which we quote at each other.

As for unpalatable heroes...You know that's my favorite thing. I love an anti-hero best of all, and will always choose books featuring one.

I dunno; it was just TOO dumb for me. The jokes were on the crude side of not funny. That's not to say I don't ever laugh at fart jokes, but those just didn't hit my funny bone.

I tend to like Adam Sandler, except for Punchdrunk Love. And I tend NOT to like Jim Carrey, except for Man in the Moon. So he may have contributed to my lack of appreciation.