Book Lovers Inc.
Romance Novel Reviews, Author Interviews, Commentary
Romance and Me: Is it the money? – The Appeal of the Billionaire Hero
Hey Everyone!
It has come to our attention (thanks Amanda for pointing it out) that lately there has been a real billionaire hero boom in romance novels. No, of course I’m not saying this is something new, wealthy, obscenely rich, exotic heroes were always à la mode for category romances, it’s only that in the past couple of weeks we have read novel after novel featuring one of them (like Weekend Agreement, The Marriage Bargain, Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire just to name a few). So we wondered what is it about rich heroes that makes them such a popular choice?
Nina Croft author of Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire even asked readers for their opinion and here are some of their answers:
Gaby: I think it’s because usually money gives a man power, and women don’t like powerless men. Also, who wouldn’t like a private island?!
Erinf1: Ummm… guess a billionaire is more appealing b/c he literally has no limits. He can do/have practically anything.
Maria S (Pronounced Mariah): I would say it would be his confidence! Confidence is sexy!
Sienny: what’s so sexy ’bout a billionaire? his confidence that he can have everything he wanted. oh wait, that’s also what I hate from a billionaire!
Stacie D: Billionaires are sexy because they don’t have to answer to anyone for anything. They can buy anything and do anything they want. I like to see a billionaire hero matched with a woman who isn’t impressed with his money. He has to prove he is worthy of her as a man. It humbles him and make me like him even more.
Booksaver: I think all the confidence and power is extremely sexy. They are used to making decisions and are very intelligent and precise in their thinking. I find intelligence very sexy.
So now it’s your turn to tell me
What do you think is the appeal of all those billionaire heroes?
Are we readers shallow, is his money his most attractive trait?
And how come we never encounter billionaire heroines? What do authors have against rich women?
Do you find billionaire heroes especially yummy? Why is that?
Or do you prefer to read about everyday heroes who work hard to pay the bills and can’t afford lush vacations?
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Easy he has so much money that I could stay home and just read books and he would support me 😉
“Let’s talk about money, money…” Pray, why so many billionaires need a wife/lover/girlfriend etc. at all? They should have had a dozen or more whenever they slap their fingers and they don’t because there are things money can’t buy. Shocking, isn’t it?
Is he self-made? Will he be spending all this time at work instead of chilling with me? Since in real life wealthy men cheat (because they can and have the opportunity), will I have to work with him to have quality time and prevent any straying?
As for billionaire heroines, she’d be too busy working, too. What could a hero offer her?
I already said why I think billionaires are popular…I wouldn’t mind having money to spend on books without worrying about anything else!
i think the billionaire hero is just an updated form of royalty. In older romance the girl falls for a Duke or Prince or King of something. They are powerful. But in today’s society there isn’t royalty so the CEO Billionaire kind of represents that type of characters.
Great topic…
What do you think is the appeal of all those billionaire heroes?
I agree w/ SharonS. Single, young, good looking billionaires are practically non existent in real life and in the US are practically like royalty. It’s not so much the money as the idea of someone being able to swoop in and make all your dreams come true and completely and totally provide for you.
And how come we never encounter billionaire heroines? What do authors have against rich women?
Do you find billionaire heroes especially yummy? Why is that?
Or do you prefer to read about everyday heroes who work hard to pay the bills and can’t afford lush vacations?
Crap… apparently my keyboard is on a hair trigger today… here’s rest of my comment…
And how come we never encounter billionaire heroines? What do authors have against rich women?
I think that the appeal to romance readers (mostly women) doesn’t extended to billionaire women b/c who wants to read about the beoytch who has it all? lol… so… maybe authors are just writing to the audience they expect to have.
Do you find billionaire heroes especially yummy? Why is that?
Well… I think that I’d settle for a simple millionaire… lol… it goes back to the idea of absolute security of having some one who can provide for me. Pamper me, and allow me to live very, very comfortably.
Or do you prefer to read about everyday heroes who work hard to pay the bills and can’t afford lush vacations?
To be honest, I don’t really care. as long as the story is engaging and I like the characters, they can be struggling blue collar or rich yet humble billionaires. But… sometimes the more every day heroes are more appealing as they are more relateable/approachable and the rich guys can be a bit aloof and prideful.
Interesting subject. Since I’ve never had the opportunity to meet a billionaire, I won’t know one if I see him. But I find billionaires appealing in a book. They are usually portrayed as having everything except love.
One possible deep answer is that money strips away all the drudge-level conflicts most of us readers face on a daily basis, and allows the story to be about far more personal obstacles.
The more likely answer, though, is that those kinds of books take the “fantasy” part of romance to an extreme level. My mother used to tell me “it’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor one.” Well, I didn’t. LOL So it can be fun to experience it along with the heroine. 🙂
well, not that we are shallow, but having a billionaire as a spouse do makes our lives easier in a way even if it become more complicated in another way. but i also look at his personality, is he a jerk or not, does he have a heart and compassion.
now talking ’bout billionaire heroine.. i’ve read one by jasmine haynes, can’t remember the title though.. but yeah, we rarely see a billionaire heroine meet a regular blue collar hero.
Lol, we secretly all want our husband to be rich, so we can have an entire library to fill with our own books, and have all the time we want, to read them.
For billionaire heroine, do Jordan from A Lot Like Love is rich? She like a better version of Paris Hilton! I think maybe because women love to imagining stong and wealthy men, they want them rich than Midas himself. I’m myself not too fans of this kind of hero. But I do love Roarke that is a billionaire hero 😉