A Learned Hero

I've been blogging about the hero of my latest book, THE VISCOUNT'S KISS and his appearances in my previous books KISS ME QUICK, KISS ME AGAIN and A LOVER'S KISS.

There's another character who also appears in those books, Sir Douglas Drury, Buggy's best friend and the hero of A LOVER'S KISS. When Drury is in trouble at the start of his story, he sends the heroine, Juliette, to fetch Buggy.

This is Juliette's first impression of Buggy:
"He was younger than she expected, good-looking in an average sort of way, and well- dressed as she would expect a nobleman to be, although more plainly than most."

In other words, he's a nice, average sort of guy. In fact, the previous heroines and other female characters in this series would concur with that description, with the addition that he's very intelligent and an excellent writer. None of them see him as the heroine of THE VISCOUNT'S KISS does, as a sexy, attractive man. To Nell, Lord Bromwell is "the most handsome young man she'd ever seen."

Yet he begins his wooing as only Buggy would, by catching a spider and putting it in his hat, prompting the heroine to think: "However handsome he was, however gentlemanly, he was definitely eccentric and possibly deranged."

He also makes his attraction known a few minutes later as only Buggy would.

Buggy: I wonder...?
Nell (the heroine): Yes?
Buggy: If I should attempt an experiment."
Nell: Experiment?

And then, "...with no further warning, without even knowing her name let alone being properly introduced, the young man raised his head.

And kissed her."

Buggy's reaction to that first kiss isn't the norm for a romance hero, either, although it's perfectly appropriate for him: "...with a gasp like a drowning man, he broke the kiss and scrambled back as far as he could go."

As he thinks later, "...what the devil had possessed him to act like a degenerate cad?"

But it's not just shame he's feeling:

"Whoever she was, he should be thoroughly ashamed of himself for kissing her - and he would have been, had that kiss not been the most amazing, exciting kiss he'd ever experienced."

You see, while Buggy may be "good old shy, studious Buggy Bromwell," he's no babe in the woods when it comes to women, "as certain very willing young women in the South Seas could attest."

Yep, Buggy knows a thing or two about making love.

So while other women see Buggy as just a nice guy and he's content that they should, all that changes when he meets Nell. As for Nell, while she's immediately attracted to the handsome stranger, she also gets to see him demonstrate not just his intellect, but his ability to command and remain calm under pressure. She sees Buggy acting like a hero - and that's enough to make her want to know him better, even though she really hates spiders.

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"Buggy" Bromwell makes his first appearance in KISS ME QUICK, which is still available in ebook format. Otherwise, you have to find it used.

KISS ME AGAIN is still available new in both paperback and ebook format.

A LOVER'S KISS is still available from Harlequin in ebook format and at Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle formats.