Good boys need love too.
Let's talk about boys.
There’s a lot of bad-boy love going around. Dark boys. Broody boys. Boys you don’t want to take home because they might traumatize your parents. (That, and your parents would probably try to keep you from seeing them and...I’m sure we can imagine how great that would go over with bad-boy boyfriend.)
But let’s talk about good boys: guys who try to do the right thing (even if they sometimes fail), who would never use you as bait, and would do anything in his power to help you achieve your goals.
I love good boys. I think they’re underrated, often accused of being boring and vanilla and whatever. But good boys can be just as compelling (and sexy) as any bad boy out there. Here are a few of my favorites, in alphabetical (by author) order.
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Jack is this sweet, smart, funny, glasses-wearing dude. He’s completely ordinary. Except that he’s not ordinary. The way he loves Nikki is so perfect and heartbreaking. Reading about their relationship—what happened and what's happening now—just about broke me. I think I would like to hug Jack.
A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Randall Woodstone is just...swoony. I swooned for him the way I swooned for Mr. Darcy. He’s proper, thoughtful, and wants so badly to help Charlotte, even when she makes life difficult for him. Even when terrible things happened and her pride betrayed them both, he remained unwaveringly loyal.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
There’s an interesting case with Christian and Tucker. They're two sides of a love triangle. They’re both good boys. This is just so cool that I needed to mention both of them. Each guy is completely different from the other one -- one's a preppy popular guy, and one's a cowboy -- but they both have one important quality: they’re Team Clara. This is one of the few love triangles where I honestly cannot choose between them.
The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan
Raven is a strange and fascinating love interest. After being accused of being mad for his whole life, he's just so different from ever other guy I'm naming here. But when he finds room in his heart for anything other than pain, that space goes to Marnie, who helps heal him as much as he helps heal her. Watching him grow through Marnie’s eyes is really something special.
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Oh how to describe Michael? Electric kisses, all-over hotness, and he can travel through time. One of the things I loved most about Michael was his faith in Emerson. I loved that even when she thought she was losing her mind, he was there for her. He always believed she had the strength to overcome anything.
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Decker is steadfast and sweet, and always there when Delaney needs him. Though at times their relationship and interactions are heartbreaking, watching their friendship shift into something new as the story moves along is just magical. Decker is another more-than-ordinary ordinary guy.
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Kyle is the BFF. Lots of times, guy best friends get overlooked in favor of hot new guys, but there’s something about Kyle that makes my heart go pitter patter. The going theme in this post seems to be guys who are there for the ladies in their lives, and Kyle is no exception.
Defiance by C.J. Redwine
Oh Logan. What can I say about him? Smart, devoted, and all filled up with honor and the need to do the right thing, no matter the cost. Logan actually gets a point of view in this book, and seeing the world through his eyes—seeing Rachel through his eyes—was just awesome. Now that I've shared a few of my favorite good boys with you. Who are some of the most swoony good guys in your eyes?