No, it’s not a new boy band (although wouldn’t that be special?)
It’s one of my favorite things, frankly. I make no secret of the fact that I like a bad boy. I like a cold-blooded son of bitch, brought to his knees by the right woman. I’m sure there’s enough gender empowerment material in that particular trope to serve as fodder for ten psych papers, but never mind that.
There was this historical romance where the author took the villain from the previous book and made him her hero for the next one (and damn me if I can remember the title or author, which might make you think it wasn’t very good, but trust me, it was awesome). As I recall, the villain was obsessed with this heroine (who I frankly didn’t like very much and couldn’t understand why he was so into her). She wound up with someone else, although the villain did everything he could to compromise her and force her to marry him. He was an icy, vengeful SOB, and I remember liking him more than the hero. That first book was just okay.
Then I found this author’s next book and saw it had the villain as the hero. And I fell in love. I believe the plot had to do with the border wars between Scotland and England. The villain was a merciless army officer who was in charge of ravaging the local populace to make them kowtow to English Law. Might’ve been Ireland too I guess. His heroine (and the woman who would melt his icy heart) was an itinerant healer, pert, saucy, and unconventional. He was supposed to be arresting her, and he just couldn’t stop falling madly, passionately in love with her. That book twisted me up in knots in such a glorious way.
(Damn, I wish I could remember the name of that book. Maybe this is a matter for the SB. But no, they’re busy with the CE / Signet kerfuffle. How’s this, if anyone can figure out book and author, I’ll give ‘em a prize. No, I’m not telling you what. But it’ll be something worth having.)
Anyway, I freakin’ love when authors do this. Redeem the villain? Oh yeah, baby, give me more. More, I say!
I read a post by Anya Bast recently — it appears readers had misconstrued one of her excerpts — they thought Stefan, the villain from Witch Fire, would be the hero in Witch Blood. Turns out, no, it’s Thomas. Well, he had plenty of chemistry with Isabelle in book one, so that’s cool with me.
But I have to say… when she said that Stefan was irredeemable? I was disappointed. I really was. I would have loved to see what she could do to humble a wicked warlock — what woman could make him want to change his ways?
If you can think of any off the top of your head, I’d love to read some more books where the hero was formerly a villain. Of course, I’d probably need to read the villain book too, just so I could enjoy the delicious flip, but I’m fine with that. See, I’ll be in the States next week, and I have this Villains2Heroes yen to satisfy. So if y’all could help me work up a list, that’d be awesome.
And don’t forget; if anyone can figure out what book I was talking about above, you’ll win something!
Catherine Coulter’s “Song” series comes to mind. Her villain Graelam de Moreton in the first book “Warrior’s Song ” is her hero in the next book “Fire Song.” He may be on of the most hated characters that she has ever created. Just go to Amazon and read the reviews for both books and you’ll see what I mean. I really can’t remember “Warrior’s Song ” except for his parts, but I do remember “Fire Song” and how much it fascinated me. When you asked about Villians2Heros he was the first character that came to mind. Even though I don’t know if you can even call him a hero.
And I cant wait to read Witch Blood. I’ve seriously got a thing for Thomas.
Not that I want to win something – but you did make me want to read the book, so I googled a little…
Could it be Briar Rose by Kimberly Cates? It is Ireland, but otherwise the general outline on Amazon seems to fit. The earlier book is called Magic.
My cousin has a villain-turned-hero in her American Heiress series. Magnus first appears in ‘Love According to Lily’ by Julianne MacLean, but is the redeemed hero in ‘Portrait of a Lover’.
Noted! Thanks for the rec, Julia. I’ll be book shopping later.
And we have a winner. Ding-ding-ding! Marianne, you’ve knocked it out of the park. I can’t believe you nailed the book, based on what I gave you.
Email me with your address and I’ll send you something awesome.
We talked about this the other day – I love complicated characters and redeemable villains are always fun!
LOL. S’okay, if that’s right, I’ll order the book and that will keep me happy.
Prize enough to find another book to read.
Thanks for the offer, though.
Yes, it absolutely was right. I bought it at a used bookstore in San Diego, and I lurved it. Reread it on the plane home, and it had me sniffling and sighing. Soooo good.
We did, Lauren. You know I love them too.
Try A Gentleman’s Wager by Madelynne Ellis when it’s re-released April 1st (Black Lace). It’s an erotic historical set in the Georgian era. One of the three leads, Vaughan, is both the hero AND the villian. He’s one of the most deliciously complex characters I’ve ever read.
Another one that fits that pattern is Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflowers Quartet. Sebastian from the It Happened One Autumn winds up the hero in Devil in Winter. I think she tries it again with Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil, her new contemps.
Nothing better than a redeemed rogue, and I mean one who was seriously bad-ass, not these guys where the author gives lip service to the idea of “bad boy” but makes him all squishy sweet underneath. God, I hate that. Whatever happened to truth in advertising.
Of course, I also love the theme of the boy next door/best friend/geek whom the woman overlooks for far too long and finally loves. You couldn’t get more opposite ends of the spectrum than those two archetypes.
Bev, I’ll have check that one out. You have a link to a blurb?
I’ve read the Kleypas you named, Carrie. I didn’t buy Sebastian as a bad boy, though. And frankly, I was a little disappointed in Sugar Daddy. Not because of the first-person; I thought she handled that well. But she convinced me so thoroughly early on that Liberty and Hardy belonged together, I felt as though a bait and switch had been pulled on me.
And then when he turned out to be “bad” there at the end, I had a hard time buying it. I mean, if he was really as bad as all that, why wouldn’t he have slept with her when they were teenagers? It felt like a sudden, convenient shift pulled out of left field that didn’t ring true for me.
Bonnie, you and me both, girl. And you know what? I sort of used both in MY VALENTINE. Sounds crazy, but there you are.
I’m talkin’ out my ass about the Kleypas contemps coz I haven’t read either
More of my squeeing about it.
Madelynne’s bibliography
Heh. I’ll probably check out Blue-Eyed Devil, but I don’t know if I’ll get the hardback. I don’t much like hardbacks. Take up too much room on my limited shelf space.
Oooh, thanks, Bev! Looks interesting.