It’s great to be here to celebrate the coming of Lila’s next Fiery Tale, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED. I love fairy tales, including those of the fractured variety. Those classic stories never go out of fashion. I tried to decide which fairy tale was most like my latest book, THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT. At first I thought Beauty and the Beast. The hero, Sebastian is a bit of a mess: badly dressed, hates women, and speaks mostly in grunts. But there are aspects of Cinderella – with Sebastian getting the transformation – and The Sleeping Beauty. (It’s the virginal hero who needs awakening, heh heh.)
I jotted down some reasons The Dangerous Viscount is like a fairy tale – and some deviations from the classic formula.
1. LIKE: Sebastian falls in love with the beautiful lady at first sight. NOT LIKE: It’s her leg, clad in pink silk, that attracts him.
2. LIKE: He badly needs a fairy godmother to clean him up. NOT LIKE: Instead of a magical being in pink tulle, he gets his two best friends: Cain, a reformed rake (see THE WILD MARQUIS) and Tarquin, an exquisite dandy (see A BOOK TO BE NAMED LATER, coming next year)
3. NOT LIKE: Neither Sebastian nor Diana is poor. In fact they both have pots of money. In the best fairy tales the prince marries the kitchen maid, or the princess the woodcutter’s third son (gotta be the third for some reason)
4. NOT LIKE: Sebastian does not have a wicked stepmother, only a wacky great-uncle. Uncle doesn’t starve him, beat him, or send him on an irrational quest. Instead he dies and leaves him a title and a Very Large Coal Mine.
5. NOT LIKE: Diana is not an orphan. She has two functional living parents who love her. She loves them too, even though they are sometimes embarrassing.
6. LIKE: Sebastian’s ancestral home is large, dark and sinister. NOT LIKE: None of the servants is a piece of furniture or kitchen implement, neither do they sing.
7. LIKE: after many trials and tribulations, they all live Happily Ever After.
You can read an excerpt from The Dangerous Viscount on my website. You may win a copy if you answer the following question.
QUESTION: What’s your favorite book with a virgin hero? If you’ve never read one, are you open to the idea?
Please indicate if you’re outside North America in your comment.
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To win you must:
1. Answer Miranda’s questions below in your comment.
2. You MUST be a follower/subscriber of Lila DiPasqua’s blog (through Google Friend Connect).
3. You must reside in North America.
* Winner will be selected from a random commenter on SUNDAY.
Read a yummy EXCERPT of THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED HERE.
Ways to increase your odds of winning are found at the very bottom of this blog.
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My favorite story with a virgin hero is Untouched by Anna Campbell, a great story.
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Wow, that sounds really interesting. I’ve never read a book with a virgin Hero but have read plenty with a virgin Heroine
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Hi Miranda!
The Dangerous Viscount has a beautiful cover! Love the reasons why it’s a got fairy tale elements and why it doesn’t:)
I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book with a virgin hero, but I’m definitely open to the idea. I’ve of course read a ton of books with a virgin heroine, but I’ve never really thought about a hero, hmmm… I’ll have to check into that. I don’t know why I never thought about this before.
Heading over to your website to read The Dangerous Viscount excerpt… Thanks!
Hi everyone! Great to see you here!
Hi Miranda! Welcome to the Princess Blog Party. I so enjoyed your post…and I’m a total virgin at reading about a virgin hero. (Cheezy, I know. I need more coffee before I become witty.) But I sincerely can’t *wait* to read THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT.
Hugs,
Lila
Jamie in Outlander! And lots of people love that character.
I’m certainly open to the idea, thoough it plays better in historicals than other genres.
Your cover is gorgeous. Look forward to reading your book.
The most unforgettable historical romance with a virgin hero for me was Mary Balogh’s No Man’s Mistress, the story of Viola and Ferdinand!
I can only recall one book I have read with a virgin hero but I can’t think of the name. I am open to the idea although I think I prefer it when the men have more experience:)
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
Thanks to Lila for inviting me to join the party today. I’m surprised at those of you who have *never* read a virgin hero – though it’s true they aren’t that common. But you should all give it a try. It’s fun when the women is the one who knows that to do! @throuthehaze. I wouldn’t like every hero to be inexperienced, but once in a while it’s fun. And I assure you Sebastian is a very fast learner 🙂 @Maureen. I adore Untouched – Anna did a brilliant job with Matthew. @Victoria. Jamie is probably the most famous male… Read more »
Hi Miranda
I live in England so don’t count for this. I have never read a book with a Virgin hero i have however read many with a virgin woman in the story
I only read one book with a virgin hero and it was a Diana Palmer book
I think Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s series was a virgin….right? If so, that’s the only I remember.
I am certainly open to reading a story with a hero who is a virgin…interesting!
Valerie
in Germany
I have only read one book where the hero was a virgin and that was JR Ward short story The Story of son which kinds of goes with her Black Dagger Brotherhood series although loosely. Micheal was the hero’s name. He was a vampire like the brothers are and it takes place around Caldwell NY like the brotherhood books do.
I really liked the story so i imagine i’d like others. Like everything else it’s all in the writing and how it’s presented.
Lisa B
My favorite was No Man’s Mistress by Mary Balogh! Which is one of my all time favorite books ever. I have read that one at least 4 times. Another good virgin hero book is When the Duke Returns by Eloisa James! YUMMY! I love virgin heros. There is something sexy about them! Thanks for sharing today!!!!
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Can’t say I’ve ever read one before, but I definitely would be up for it! After all, a romance is a romance 🙂
Stephanie
My favorite is Lover Awakened by JR Ward. I absolutely loved Zsadist and Bella’s story.
Congrats on the release Miranda. I’ve been looking forward to reading this for sometime now. From what I’ve read in the exerpts I can’t wait to see more of Diana’s kooky family.
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My favorite book with a virgin hero is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It was so cute and refreshing.
I wouldn’t mind reading more novesl with virgin heros.
I’m a follower.
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
Hello, Miranda! I am seriously, seriously “crushing” on Sebastian. Seriously ; )
I am not averse to reading a romance with a virgin hero. Cheryl St. John wrote a very touching historical western romance called “His Secondhand Wife”. The hero of the story, Noah, was not only a scarred, wounded hero, he was also a virgin. A very emotional read!
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As I recall, one of Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses books had a virgin hero (on his travels, he didn’t want to pick up any diseases to transmit his wife), Simeon of “When the Duke Returns”.
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Oh, definitely Jamie in Outlander. But I really love King Arthur in HE OF THE FIERY SWORD. He’s the first hero I got published. And he’s a shape-shifting dragon from the future!!! So, he’s got reasons for his celibacy… Poor guy! We’ll just call them plumbing-related and a lack of female dragons. 🙂 Anyway, The Dangerous Viscount sounds extremely interesting. 😉 ~Skhye
Definitely some Jamie Fraser love out there. And another vote for Ferdinand from Johanna. And yes, Eloisa James’s When the Duke Returns had a lovely virgin hero. (Sheree names him too). She also had a Sebastian who had a running secondary thread through her Duchess in Love series,
Danielle: Lover Awakened is on my TBR. Hope she enjoy TDV. Diana’s family are weird but fun!
Virgina C. Don’t know that Cheryl St. John but it sounds great!
Skhye – your dragon sounds really interesting. I can see how mates might be a little hard to come by!
I don’t really remembering ever having read a book with a virgin hero but it sounds like an interesting concept!
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Hi Miranda and Lila! I’m so glad I haven’t missed the chance to read the blog and comment. The Dangerous Viscount sounds so interesting! Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella – and a great excerpt – sounds like a ‘curl up in the front of the fire’ read. My favourite book with a virgin- well, two books too close to choose – Joanna Bourne’s The Spymaster’s Lady, J.R. Ward’s Lover Awakened.
Carolyn
I love me some virgin heroes. ;P It’s so refreshing from the constantly virginal heroine. One book I love with a virginal hero is Sherry Thomas’s Private Arrangements. They’re each others’ first. Awwww.
Oh my goodness, I forgot about Untouched by Anna Campbell and Jamie Fraser (for shame-lol :)There’s also Emily Bryan’s Vexing The Viscount.
Look forward to reading The Dangerous Viscount.
Carol L.
Hi Carolyn: I loved Joanna Bourne’s book. That’s one where I was surprised the heroine was a virgin, given her busy past.
Rosie: Private Arrangements is such a terrific book
Carol L: How could you forget Jamie? I loved Emily Bryan’s book, soo funny.
One virgin hero book no one has mentioned is Forbidden by Jo Beverly. It’s an older one but I have an idea it has been reissued lately. I won’t give a spoiler but let me just say the way the hero loses his virginity is unusual!