What We're Writing: Book Boyfriends by Jenn McKinlay

Jenn McKinlay: I can't remember who my first book boyfriend was. Possibly Ned Nickerson from Nancy Drew, although he was about as exciting as a neutered Ken doll. Most likely, it was Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series. These two crazy kids had solid enemies to friends to lovers and second chances tropes happening a plenty and it took them four volumes to get it together. Twelve year old me was beside herself.

Anne and Gilbert

What is a book boyfriend you ask? In short, it's a male character in a book who you crush on as a reader as hard as you did that cute guy in Algebra class who didn't know you were alive. Oh, wait, was that an overshare? LOL! There are book girlfriends, too. Just ask my Hub, he's got a few.

While writing my next Library Lover's mystery, Killer Research, I decided that the crafternoon club - this is a group of friends who meet up in the library once a week to share food, discuss a book, and do a craft, thus, crafternoon -  would discuss Pride and Prejudice. Naturally, as we got to the discussion part, I remembered that Darcy is probably the most famous book boyfriend in literature, so I thought I'd work him into the discussion for the group.

Here's the snippet: KILLER RESEARCH

 “I don’t get it,” Paula said. “What is the allure of Darcy? I mean he’s kind of a jerk.”

     “Ah,” Beth gasped. The top bun of her story time hamburger costume flapped as if to emphasize her outrage. “He is Darcy! He is the perfect male.”

     “Is he, is he really though?” Paula persisted. “I mean, sure, he’s rich and all but he’s not the warmest or most likable guy, now is he?”

     Beth blinked as if she couldn’t comprehend such heresy spoken about one of her most beloved book boyfriends. The crafternoon room had gone very quiet. There was nothing that could bring out stronger emotion in their group than character loyalty. 

     “I think I’m gong to have to rethink our entire relationship,” Beth said to Paula. 

     Paula laughed and shook her head. Her eyes sparkled when she said, “Well, that answers that.”

     “What?” Nancy asked with a frown.

     “Who of the crafternooners is most in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy,” Paula said. She winked at Beth, who blushed a hot shade of pink.

     “You set me up,” she said. But then she laughed. “Yeah, it’s me. It's totally me.”

     “Can you imagine the library in Pemberley?” Lindsey asked. “Even if Darcy is flawed I could overlook a lot for a library like that.”

     Nancy laughed. “Does Sully know your head can be turned by a vast collection of books?”

     “Yes, which is why we have one ground rule in our marriage,” Lindsey said. “Books are considered an essential expense, assuming I feel the need to own a volume outside of the public library, which I frequently do.”

     “We’re getting off track,” Beth said. She wrestled her burger costume off, dumping it in the corner of the room. Underneath, she was wearing a maternity top and pants. She folded her hands on the top of her belly and said, “I’m sorry but I have to insist that when Darcy says, “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you’, he becomes the best book boyfriend of all time.”

     “Admittedly, that is a lovely sentiment,” Paula agreed. “But at that point in the book, he still thinks she’s not truly worthy of him because of her family.” 

     “Redemption,” Violet said. “His character arc needs redemption from his pride and prejudice. I agree with Beth. It's delightful to watch Elizabeth Bennett stand her ground and demand to be treated with the respect she deserves. Truly, it was a glorious take at the time the novel was written.”

     “Jane was ahead of her time,” Lindsey agreed. “Did you know that when her novels were published they didn’t use her name as the author? Her first novel was published as being by “A Lady” and her second, our selection this week, was credited as “the writer of Sense and Sensibility”. None of her novels were published under her name until after her death and then only at her brother’s insistence.”

Of course, I had to end the scene with some trivia, because...librarian. Also, I have to repeat no name attribution on her books? The cheek of those publishers! Honestly!

How about you, Reds and Readers, who was your first protagonist crush?