As a successful romantic novelist - one of my publishers is Mills

"As a successful romantic novelist - one of my publishers is Mills & Boon - I create the sort of male heroes that no woman could fail to adore and few real men could hope to emulate." These words by P. C. Cast offer a window into the world of romantic fiction, where heroes are crafted with an idealized version of masculinity—powerful, handsome, and often unattainably perfect. In her role as a novelist, Cast admits that the male characters she creates are fantastical and larger than life, embodying a form of heroism that no real man could consistently live up to. The romantic hero is the embodiment of the ideal, an image designed to evoke desire, admiration, and love, offering a portrayal of masculinity that exists more in the realm of fantasy than in the world of real human relationships.

In the ancient world, such figures were not unfamiliar. Greek mythology is filled with gods and heroes who possessed physical beauty, strength, and nearly divine qualities. Consider Achilles, the mighty hero of the Iliad, whose prowess in battle made him the epitome of the perfect warrior. Achilles was invincible—except for his vulnerable heel—and loved by the gods. Yet, his greatness came with flaws, especially in his arrogance and pride. Homer’s portrayal of Achilles as a nearly perfect hero, but one still deeply human, shows the balance between idealism and realism that Cast acknowledges in her own writing. Just as Achilles captured the imagination of the ancient Greeks, the heroes of modern romantic fiction capture the emotions and fantasies of contemporary readers, even if these heroes are as imperfect and untouchable as the gods themselves.

The idealization of the romantic hero is also found in medieval literature, where knights were often depicted as paragons of virtue, honor, and strength. Think of the legendary figure of Lancelot in the Arthurian legends. Lancelot was the very embodiment of the perfect knight—brave, noble, and yet tragically flawed in his love for Guinevere, the queen. His love was a highly romantic and unattainable ideal, as Guinevere’s own emotions were torn between the love of her husband, King Arthur, and her passion for Lancelot. In this story, the heroic qualities of Lancelot as an unattainable lover elevate him to a mythic status, one that is admired by women but ultimately leaves him unfulfilled and broken by his human frailty. Like Cast’s romantic heroes, Lancelot symbolizes the tension between the fantastical ideal and the real human who cannot fully embody that perfection.

Even in the real world, history is filled with figures who have become idealized in the eyes of the public, yet whose lives were marked by imperfections and contradictions. Alexander the Great, for example, was seen as the epitome of heroism in his time—conquering vast empires and creating a legacy that endured for centuries. Yet, beneath the glory of his military conquests, there were many flaws—ambition, violence, and ruthlessness. Cast’s acknowledgement that her heroes are a reflection of the ideals women seek speaks to the human tendency to imagine the perfect partner, one who embodies all the qualities we desire but whose real-life counterpart often falls short. The hero in literature, much like the real-world hero, is a mixture of idealization and imperfection.

The romantic hero thus serves a very human purpose—offering a fantasy that fulfills emotional needs while also allowing us to project our hopes and dreams. The perfect male hero, as Cast crafts him, becomes a symbol of what love could be, a reflection of desire, and intimacy, set in a world where perfection is not only possible but expected. However, just as Achilles’ flaw—his pride—led to his tragic downfall, or Lancelot’s infidelity led to his heartbreak, the romantic hero’s perfection is always fragile. This paradox is part of the charm of the romantic genre. We are drawn to the ideal, even while knowing it is unattainable, because it gives us something to aspire to, a measure of love that transcends the imperfections of our own relationships.

The lesson here is simple but profound: the romantic hero, whether in the ancient myths, medieval legends, or modern novels, represents idealized love—the kind of love that exists in our hearts and imaginations more than in our day-to-day lives. The romantic hero is both a source of aspiration and a reminder that no real person can live up to such an ideal. While romantic fiction and mythology can inspire us to seek great love, they also teach us that true love exists not in perfection, but in the connection between imperfect beings who choose to love, even with flaws and limitations.

To future generations, I say this: do not be disheartened by the imperfect nature of love in the real world. The romantic heroes of fiction and history may represent a version of ideal love, but true love is often found in the real and flawed journey between two people. As you seek love, let the stories of great heroes inspire you, but remember that the romantic ideal is only a reflection of the deeper truth—that the beauty of love lies in its humanity and imperfection. Choose love not because it is perfect, but because it is the most genuine and real connection we can ever experience.