We have a very interesting Rec League today from Lace:
I only just discovered Olivia Waite’s Kissing Books column at the Seattle Review of Books – lots for me to read through. But my main suggestion is a Rec League topic inspired by a comment in her review of Talia Hibbert’s Mating the Huntress, from this post.
Waite’s comment: “There’s a particular type of hero I’ve come to call the Sex Puppy: hot, cheerful, usually funny but not too bright, and absolutely here for the heroine’s pleasure and happiness, exactly as she wants it, no more, no less.”
Freddie from Cotillion is an all-time favorite, and I think this could give me a lot of potential great reads.
Amanda: I can’t think of any right now, probably because my hero catnip isn’t this, haha.
Sarah: SEX PUPPY.
Amanda: Though back in my Tindering days, I’ve found that Australian men had that sex puppy personality, though they were very intelligent.
Aarya: I know exactly what Waite means, but I’m drawing a blank, too. I’m going to go through my kindle and investigate.
Sarah: Except for the “not too bright” part, I do enjoy this hero type. (I like brainy heroes and brainy people in general.) They’re often fluent or at least highly conversant in emotions, sexuality, arousal, and the sex part, too.
The hero in The Bookish Life of Nina Hill might fit this description, though he is hella-brainy.
Amanda: “Enthusiastic and eager to please” might be a better descriptor.
Sarah: It seems to me that a lot of this heroic archetype is built on a perspective that is partially or entirely divorced from repressive views on sexuality. Partner pleasure is mutual and paramount (hur, mount) and sex is something to be enthusiastically enjoyed for all parties involved, for its own sake.
Aarya: Amanda, would you say Malkolm from Immortals After Dark fits? He’s the hero from Demon from the Dark.
Amanda: Malkolm is pretty gruff, but I can see the connection.
Puppy-esque definitely.
Aarya: Yeah, not funny or cheerful.
Sarah: This archetype also tosses out a lot of heroes who are selfish in their desires: only interested in the other person as a tool for revenge (heh heh. tool. they are indeed tools) or who are determined to bang that person out of his system (which never works) or have been “too long without sex” or “too long without a woman” (I hate that phrase) like any orifice will do. For the Sex Puppy, sex is something to be enjoyed and done deliberately and thoughtfully, not something they do *to* another person.
Or *for* themselves alone.
Aarya: Everything you describe is precisely my catnip (I like a selfish hero who gets reformed, okay?), which might explain why I can’t find any sex puppies on my kindle. I’m drawing a serious blank, though I’ve read Mating the Huntress and would agree the label fits.
Sarah: LOLOL Probably! That’s very funny!
Aarya: Well, can an alpha be a sex puppy? I don’t think so. Maybe?
Sarah: Early Victoria Dahl heroes like from Talk Me Down ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and Start Me Up ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) might work.
Depends. How are we defining alpha? For me, and this is my own weird quirk, SO MUCH of what is accepted as “alpha” reads to me like “rampant insecurity.” So I might be the wrong person to ask. 0_0
Aarya: Gabe from Dahl’s Taking the Heat is extremely enthusiastic about sex and pleasuring the heroine (the author calls him Cunnilingus Gabe!). But I wouldn’t label him puppy-like or fawning over the heroine.
This is where the definition trips me up. I can think of several heroes like Gabe, but they’re just not outwardly adoring of their partner like Luke is (Luke is the hero from Mating the Huntress). And strangely, Luke is a werewolf, but would I categorize him as an alpha? I’m not sure.
Amanda: I think Colin in A Week to be Wicked as Sex Puppy characteristics.
Definitely is invested in the heroine’s pleasure and for the most part, has a cheerful and goofy demeanor. On his road trip with Minerva, he creates these fantastical lies about who he and Minerva are and what they’re doing traveling together.
Elyse: Curveball ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) apply.
Aarya: If Colin qualifies, then definitely Drew from Play of Passion by Nalini Singh ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). Intelligent, but cheerful and invested in the heroine’s pleasure.
Claudia: I think Rupert in Mr. Impossible ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) also qualifies as sex puppy — btw love it.
That’s by Loretta Chase.
Sarah: Oh that’s a great example. Totally he does.
Claudia: There’s a very memorable scene that he helps her through bad menstrual cramps. He’s smart, but no one, including Daphne at first, sees it.
Which heroes would you classify as a “sex puppy”? Tell us in the comments!
I’m twinning Sarah here, because “not too bright” doesn’t work for me. Otherwise, the type reminds me of Nick Lightfoot from Jayne Ann Krentz’s THE GOLDEN CHANCE. Nick’s an alpha dog, but he lets his heroine take the lead in the bedroom because she has backstory reasons. He’s ridiculously cheerful about their sex life and definitely all about her pleasure. (And this was 30 years ago!)
And I forgot Lucy Score’s Blue Moon series where all the men make an effort to fit the heroine (except Mr. Mayor, he’s not a puppy).
I would say Colin (A Week to be Wicked) is more like…a sex parrot. They have a bit of attitude and aren’t exactly easygoing. But I can definitely see the argument for Colin, especially how he sees himself. I was going to call Theo (A Lady Awakened) a parrot too, but I think Zoe is spot-on that he’s a stymied puppy. Rafe (Say Yes to the Marquess) is too wounded angry to be a sex puppy, per se, imo, but he is definitely divorced from repressive sexual norms and adores Clio. Maybe a Sex Guard Dog.
Not all these meet all the Sex Puppy characteristics (especially the not-so-bright part), but:
-I’m echoing Longmore from Scandal Wears Satin!
-Thorne from When a Duke Loves a Woman, perhaps. Definitely the laidback, adoring part.
-I think Rannulf Bedwyn would qualify.
-Maybe Sawyer from Sleepover? He’s emotionally fluent and mostly chill iirc.
Adding a few more to the list!
I think Vig from The Unleashing qualifies – he’s a laid back sex puppy who wants Kera to be comfortable with her new life. Not quite a guard dog, but maybe a nice Lab?
I think the guys from two of Tawna Fenske’s Ponderosa Resort series qualify: Sean from Chef Sugarlips and Mark from Hottie Lumberjack. I’d say Sean is a smart Golden Retriever, and Mark is like a Bearded Collie or an Old English Sheepdog – intimidating to look at, but a marshmallow inside.
Highly enjoying this categorization method and adding lots of books to my TBR list! Thanks for the top on Open Hearts – I’ve got my copy waiting on my Kindle!
Simple Jess by Morsi might also be in the running.
Yes to Laurenston! Lock is a Sex Bear! Mane Squeeze.
@Carol S – I’m so interested in how Aiden in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me fits! He seems completely focused on himself and his needs for 93% of the book, and they only do it once…
I knew this topic couldn’t miss. Thanks for all the great recs.
I think Darian from Alexis Hall’s Glitterland fits the sex puppy category. He’s a favorite of mine with his sense of humor, kindness and joy for life. And I’m pretty sure there’s a scene where he wears an adult onesie.
Vince Taylor from m/m romance Tell Me It’s Real by TJ Klune is 100% sex puppy. Not the brightest, to be sure, but so sexy, loyal & so in love with Paul. I saw a graphic novel adaptation of this book is coming out soon. That should be very fun.
The demographic is different – YA or younger – but something about this reminds me of Perry in L M Montomgery’s “Emily of New Moon” series.
He IS bright, but he’s deliciously direct. I liked him better than the guys in twisty main plot romantic arcs. (And I guess I quite like a male Cinderella plotline, though not as his aunt tried to pull it off, via blackmailing minors into a forced marriage promise.)
(Triggers warnings.) The most characteristic incident is when Emily is fighting for her life against measles, and Perry is playing faithful retainer outside her front door. He corners the doctor as he leaves and warns him “If Emily dies, I’ll drown myself in the pond. Mind that.”
For m/m romance, there’s Harry in A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles.
I read the description, immediately thought “Dean in Open Hearts” and then scrolled down to see the first comment! He was lovely.
I also agree about Blake Riley, although his book is my least favourite of the series and a lot of his behaviour was not okay. And Randy from Pucked (whichever one of them is his), I would say Miller (I think his is Pucked Up) as well.
Adam from Olivia Parkers’ To Wed A Wicked Earl. He’s cheerful and funny and hopelessly in love with the little wallflower heroine who is DEFINITELY his intellectual superior. It is a hilarious book.
And whatever happened to Olivia Parker – she only published very few books which definitely showed promise and hasn’t been heard of for years now 🙁
Sex Puppy is the term I never knew I wanted for the heroes I love to read. Awesome.
DiscoDollyDeb and others, thank you for the rec of Open Hearts! Dean was DELIGHTFUL. Some other parts of the novel didn’t entirely work for me, but man oh man did I love Dean. He’s the most unusual hero I’ve read in ages.
I enjoyed Eve Dangerfield’s writing, so I’d love to know which other of her novels also have submissive men. I think Something Borrowed is one. Anybody know of more?
Most of the novels I would recommended have already been listed, but I would add another Jennifer Cruise: Alex from Anyone But You. (Second time in a week I’ve mentioned it, but I really love that book!) Total sex puppy and he falls for the heroine way faster than she falls for him.
@Georgina: I’m not sure about Dangerfield having other submissive heroes. I’ve read a lot (but not all) of her books and most of the heroes are on the alpha side. The hero of SO WICKED seems passive and quiet next to the tattoo artist heroine, but they have a spanking dynamic and he’s definitely the top there.
I’d absolutely pick Admael from Clare London’s m/m SAY A LITTLE PRAYER. He’s not dumb, just very innocent in the ways of humanity (being an angel and all). His extreme eagerness to try sex, coupled with his total unselfconsciousness and devotion to Jonathan and his pleasure, is just irresistible!
Claire Kingsley has a series about the Miles family, and one of the main characters, and the hero of the third book (called Reckless Miles) is Cooper Miles. Quote: “I love being naked. Naked is awesome.” ~Cooper Miles
Cooper is such an endearing, goofy, hot, sweet character, that Claire has an ongoing advice column written by “him” on her website. I’m a fan of series, so not able to say whether his book could be read standalone. The first in the series was good, but my least favorite as it’s a second chance romance, which is not usually my thing. But I did love the whole series!
Totally agree about Dean from Open Hearts (learned about that author from Tessa Bailey, who found herself name-checked by one of the male characters telling Dean “thank god for Tessa Bailey for getting my wife revved up” or something like that, haha)
Love Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy’s WAGS series and agree Blake Riley is a total sex puppy – he refers to his penis as “Snake Riley”, which made me laugh out loud in a waiting room in front of strangers.
@DiscoDollyDeb I also look for your name in rec comments because our taste in books often overlaps! Have you ever read Aubrey Bondurant? I’ve read both of her series and think she’s fantastic. Available on KU!
@Courtney: I have had Bondurant on my tbr list for a while (a trilogy of books, I think). I just got KU so now I’m going back through my list to read the books I can find there. KU has already paid for itself!
Did you know Tessa Bailey & Eve Dangerfield co-wrote a book? CAPTIVATED. Very good!
I love this trope, although the “intelligent” end. Largely because I hate Alphas (mostly Alpholes, but I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the Alpha heroes I really love (Jack from Mary Brown’s Playing the Jack is one).
Two of my favourites are Harry from A Fashionable Indulgence as previously noted, and Freddie from Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion (one of my favourite novels ever, because it is funny and so trope-aware). Both of these are probably Sex Puppies (although you don’t see Freddie having sex with Kitty, it’s very easy to imagine it would be all about her pleasure, just like his showing her round London and taking her clothes-shopping), and both of them are considered idiotic by the people around them, but they’re brighter than they look.
Preacher from Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr comes to mind for me
Daniel in Flesh by Kylie Scott. Definitely a Sex Puppy, and nicely balanced by Serious Guy Finn. Zombie apocalypse and ménage, it’s a beautiful thing.
I didn’t know what to call this trope till now! Recently was trying to think of similar book heroes and now I realize it’s definitely my catnip! That Rogue Jack by Maya Rodale in ‘At The Duke’s Wedding’s anthology. One of my favorites!
Late to the game, but try Frankie Hartigan in Avery Flynn’s “Muffin Top.” He was explicitly told that he was only good as a fun time… Nice series with “Butterface” and “Tomboy.”
Thanks, DiscoDollyDeb. I don’t think there’s any others either but I was hoping!
Ian McNab, Delia Peabody’s man in J. D. Robb’s In Death series, is often described as a puppy, and is definitely sexy! Smart, but often overlooked because of his colourful, bouncy personality, and 100% invested in Peabody.
Have to agree with both Ian McNab (he of the technicolor fashion) and Ivan Vorpatril of the Bujold books (to the extent that I invented his unmarried cousin Anatoly when Ivan himself got married).
Keane Morgan in Lauren Rowe’s Ball Peen Hammer. Hot, goofey to the max, totally invested in multiple orgasms, and a weird combination of douchey and sweet that moves more and more towards sweet as the book progresses. The whole book is really about him growing up and finding himself. Plus, it’s really funny.
What about alphas that turn into puppies? In Ilona Andrews’ KATE DANIELS series, Curan is definitely an alpha (though usually not an alph-hole) but when alone with Kate he’s funny, goofy, and apparently a master of making Kate happy. I only say apparently because Andrews doesn’t do detailed graphic sex scenes. But it’s his mischievous goofiness with her that makes him so endearing.
The definition of Sex Puppy is my definition of a Beta Male (my favorite–minus the dumb part, but I’ll take funny, cheerful guys over brooding alph-holes anyday). They’re Sex Puppies from now on.
I second most of Shelly Laurenston/G. A. Aiken’s books, a lot of Victoria Alexander’s heroes, perhaps about half of Suzanne Enoch’s.
My favourite Sex Puppy is Ricky from Kelley Armstrong’s Cainsville series. He’s not the main hero, and he’s not exactly dumb,but he is cheerfully enthusiastic about life in general and sex in particular, and he’s such a sweetheart. And the “puppy” thing is particularly apt in the context.
Josh in The Friend Zone? Largely because of how he reacts to buying the heroine tampons for her horrific periods.
This one’s a throwback, but I think Tucker from Nora’s Carnal Innocence has a lot of sex puppy going on. He’s bright and there’s more to him, but he’s laid back, totally into Caro’s pleasure and care, charming, and good with kids and dogs.
Sean from Penny Reid’s THE PLAYER AND THE PIXIE. He’s bad at sex and knows it and Lucy teaches him and it’s wonderful. Technically he was the “villain” from the first book. One of my favorite heroes because he’s really a loyal sweetheart who’s been hurt and is growly and rude at first. He’s even compared to a neglected abused puppy and helps Lucy at the animal shelter and talks lovingly about his childhood dog. Love love love him. I also love him in the third book where the heroine is his cousin.
I second Keane from BALL PEEN HAMMER. Almost didn’t read it because I hated the description but glad I gave it a chance because Keane is goofy and sweet and hilarious and clueless. Ive reread it a bunch of times.
Didn’t know I loved this type of hero so much until this post and now realize so many of my fave books fall in this category
What Mara said about BALL PEEN HAMMER. Bought it because someone upstream recommended it, and I just loved this book. Hero has the WORST mouth evar, but the best heart.
I hate to say this but I think this author Lauren Rowe may write sex better than I do.
@Jennifer Stevenson hard to resist a guy who is handsome and happy all the live long day, right?
Many of the heroes of the ICE PLANET BARBARIANS series qualify – innocent barbarian aliens who are all about pleasuring their human partners. (BTW the premise of how the couples in this series pair off is very heteronormative so be aware before reading if that is a turnoff.)