The Worst Leading Men in Romance Books
- Jenna Moreci
- May 5
- 5 min read
HelloOoOo everybody!
We are once again talking about my favorite genre, romance. More specifically, we are talking about the leading men in romance novels. Particularly, the leading men whom I do not want to read about. I'm going to skip over the obvious ones, like romanticized abusers and the walking red flags of the dark romance genre, and focus more on niche character types and tropes that really pull me out of the story. Whether I'm reading gay, straight, poly, or pan romance, these male main characters, or MMCs, do not appeal to me. And I don't really understand why they appeal to anyone.
Onto the list. Here are the worst leading men or MMCs in romance novels, in my humble opinion.
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Number 1: The MMC With Deep, Mysterious, Soulful Tattoos
Tattoos are popular both in real life and in the romance genre and sub-genres, and for good reason. A lot of people find them attractive. I think it's great if you want to write about a guy with tattoos. It's a cool way to separate him from other characters. Unless you decide to give him the same black tribal inspired shadow tattoos that every other romantasy guy has.
My biggest problem is when authors try to ascribe some proof of emotional superiority because of the tattoos. I've read enough books where the tattoos are described as poetic and soulful.
“There's a mystery lying behind those markings, a story left untold.”
Yes, sometimes tattoos hold deeper meaning, but other times they're just cool. And even if they do hold a deeper meaning, a dead relative or a personal mantra isn't difficult to explain. This mystery could be cleared up with a single conversation.
And more often than not, the reason the author gave this character tattoos is that it's hot. And there's nothing wrong with that. Do you know why I gave Tobias a six-pack? It’s because I think six packs are hot and I'm not ashamed of it. But you don't have to pretend his ink makes him a tortured soul. All this shit just sounds like something a 12-year-old would post on Tumblr.
Number 2: The MMC Whose Character Arc Is Learning Not To Be a Misogynist
Nope. Don't want to read about that. If I'm reading a romance and there's a male party involved, I need to like this guy. And if he dislikes women or doesn't see women as people, I automatically hate him. It's great if he learns over time that women are people. It's wonderful if he sees the error in his ways.
But in a romance novel, the character arc happens while the romantic relationship is being pursued. That means this man is engaging in romance while still treating women like shit. I don't think a misogynist should be in a romantic relationship, certainly not with a woman. I think he should be in therapy, prison, or perhaps a pit of cement. If a male character in any other genre undergoes this character arc, fantastic, but not romance. I need him to drink his Respect Women juice from the very beginning, or else I'm going to abandon ship. Just let it sink to the ocean floor.
He can have some other flaw. Maybe he has daddy issues. Hell, I would rather read about a guy with a gambling addiction. I just can't respect a romantic relationship between a man who hates women and the woman he is actively traumatizing.
Number 3: The MMC Who Talks About How Big His Dick Is
Romance writers around the world, why are you writing about male love interests who proudly proclaim they got a big dick? And why are their partners impressed and aroused by this proclamation? Do you know what happens in the real world if a guy says he has a big dick? He gets blocked and then ridiculed in the group chat. Because men with big dicks don't have to tell you they've got a big dick. They've got nothing to prove because the proof is in their pants. So if a man is out there bragging about his dick, I automatically assume that it's tiny, and so does everyone else I know, because that's the energy they're giving.
Also, “big” is subjective. Big to one person could be average to another. So why are you making promises that you don't know you can keep? Stop saying your dick is big if you don't know if it's big to them or just big to you. Stop saying it's big in general because you just sound like an idiot.
Big dick energy is not talking about your big dick. It's just letting the big dick speak for itself. Let the big dick be a pleasant surprise. Woo your partner with your wit and charm and your washboard abs if you got ‘em. If you need to tell someone you got a big dick in order to get with them, you've already lost the game.
Number 4: The Mpreg MMC
“Mpreg” means male pregnancy. That's it. That's the trope. There isn't a whole lot of depth to this answer. I don't want to read about pregnancy in any romance book. Whether a man or a woman is carrying the baby is meaningless to me. I don't want there to be a baby. Period.
I think the fact that Mpreg exists is amusing, and in some ways validating. Men should get pregnant. Women have been doing it for years. It's their turn. I'm just not interested in any sort of babies in romance, because I don't think babies are romantic. Whether they come out of a cooter or a crapper.
Number 5: The MMC Who’s a Man Because He Says “Fuck”
I know this is super ironic coming from me, but the fact that it's coming from me makes my entire point. It's important when writing a romance novel to give each character a memorable voice, and sometimes authors will tweak the voice based on the character's gender. One thing I've noticed is that sometimes authors will try to make it clear that we're reading from a male perspective by having the character say “fuck” a lot.
This is especially noticeable when the novel is a dual point of view, where we've got a female character talking and a male character talking almost every other chapter. The female character will drop zero F-bombs, and then the male will be using “fuck” like a comma. Now, everyone knows I have no problem with salty language. I actually don't trust people who don't swear. I think they're liars, phonies, and supremely suppressed.
But that's my point. Swearing isn't gendered. Sure, swearing is more closely associated with men because men are allowed to swear. Whereas if a woman swears, it's considered unladylike. You wouldn't believe how many comments I get from idiots telling me I'm not a proper lady, or they think that I'm faking the swearing for attention. I'm 39 years old. I don't want attention, I want money.
It's fine to write a male character who swears a lot. Lord knows I have. But it's not a defining trait for manliness. I'm not going to read 20 F-bombs on a page and think, "Oh yes, the pinnacle of masculinity.” If that's all you can think of to make a character's voice sound male, you probably have a lot more research to do. I'm just saying.
So that's all I've got for you today!
These are five of my most disliked leading men in romance books. One might say they’re the worst. In fact, if you like these guys, please comment below. I am very curious to hear your take.
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