Six Fictional Crushes

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Fictional crushes—what a fun topic! I've listed six below, four true crushes and two honorable mentions. That last one, truth to be told, has more to do with the movie version than the book version, but you'll see what I mean when we get there. Who are some fictional heroes you admire?

Henry Tilney from Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey"
portrayed by J.J. Feild

Jane Austen wrote some wonderful heroes. If I had to pick one of them to be matched with for life, it would be Henry Tilney. He's wicked funny while still being a man of faith. If he actually looked like J.J. Feild, that would also be fantastic.


Cody Clark from Stephen Bly's Lewis and Clark Squad Series

Cody is forever age 13 in literature, but if he had grown up to have the same thoughtful and faithful approach to life as a man, I would be swooning. Plus this isn't too creepy to say when you understand that I was about 13 when I first read these books.


Nicholas Nickleby from Charles Dickens' "Nicholas Nickleby"
portrayed by Charlie Hunnam

This Dickens character strives to help all he comes in contact with, including the oppressed, fearful, and abused. What a guy! When movie Nicholas tells the heroine, "Weakness is tiring, but strength is exhausting"—it slays me every time.


Jay Jarvis from Ray Blackston's "Flabbergasted"

Truth is truth—Jay Jarvis makes me happy. But I have to confess that I'm not sure how well we would get along as a romantic couple. When he bursts into Seussian poetry, would it make me laugh in person as it does on the page? Life would certainly be an adventure.

Honorable Mention


Mr. Knightley from Jane Austen's "Emma"
portrayed by Jonny Lee Miller

Everyone adores Mr. Knightley, and I am no exception. I think he and I would be excellent friends. However, people have remarked how much I remind them of this fictional hero due to our similar personalities, which would take a little of the spark out of things.


John Thornton in Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South"
portrayed by Richard Armitage

You can keep your Mr. Darcy—John Thornton is my favorite 1800s misunderstood hero! He has such a good heart and is always looking out for others, even if it doesn't come across that way. And who doesn't swoon each and every time they watch the final five minutes of the movie? "You're coming home with me?" Be still my heart. 😍
(Again, bonus points if the real life version actually has Richard Armitage's amazing voice.)

Find more Top Ten Tuesday posts at That Artsy Reader Girl.

"The Mistletoe Countess" by Pepper Basham

 


Grace is a fiction-loving, fanciful young lady, but when her family comes into a sudden dire circumstance, she lays her own hopes and dreams aside in order to save the day. Marriage to an earl can't be all that bad, can it?

Frederick Percy was never supposed to inherit his title. Especially not when his family has considered him a black sheep for years. True, some of that was due to his own poor choices, but some of it was from horrible family dynamics. Now he needs money to save the estate, and a wealthy American bride seems like the best ticket. But he didn't expect Grace. Her sweet, adventurous spirit takes him by surprise at every turn.

Accidents have been following Frederick recently. Grace smells trouble, and she's read enough detective books to have a good idea of how to investigate. Frederick isn't sure his new wife should trouble her pretty little head about these matters, but Grace soon proves her worth. 

While the bond between the new husband and wife grows stronger, so does the danger surrounding them. Will Frederick be able to be the hero of his own life the way Grace encourages him? Will Grace's wits save the day? Find out in this delightful and romantic mystery set in 1913.

I really enjoyed this story, and especially loved the way Grace sees the world through the books she's read. There are so many fun literary references here! She also has a lot to say about heroes in talking with world-weary Frederick. I highlighted several quotes, but one of my favorites was: "A hero is never who he was. It's who he becomes."

If you like historical fiction with a dash of mystery and plenty of romance, be sure not to miss The Mistletoe Countess!

I received my copy of the book from NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.