Today’s post is a long one so bear with me! It’s Best Book Boyfriends
of 2012 (MUST be from a book released in 2012 and from a book you've READ in
2012)
And make sure to stop by my co-hosts sites Fiktshun, Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life Bound By Books, and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads
for their lists! Oh and make sure to sign up with the linky to share your
lists! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Details at the bottom of this
post.
This is by far one of the hardest categories for me! There’s so many
swoon-worthy guys so there are honorable mentions but they deserved to get as
much attention as the others! I’m not doing covers for this post I’m sharing quotes
and scenes from the books!
1. Hector de Ventierra from The Crown of
Embers by Rae Carson. He will always be in my heart and he will always be
on my top 10 list. Anyone who says this deserves it!
But Hector chuckles deep in his throat, and I feel it all the way down to my toes. Softly he says, “My life has ever been yours, Elisa.”
My limbs tingle and heat fills my cheeks as we stare at each other.I snap back to myself. He’s talking about his duty. Of course his life is mine. He is Queen’s Guard, after all, sworn to jump in front of a crossbow bolt if that’s what it takes to save me.Carefully I say, “You’re a good friend, Hector. And I’m grateful to have you at my side.”His gaze drops to the ground, and his chest rises and falls with a breath. “Always.”
2. Gavriel Duval from RL LaFever’s Grave Mercy. He is one of the most romantic dudes on my list at least in my mind. I swoon whenever I think of him. One of my favorite scenes with him in it check this!
“I fear it is what my convent expects,” I tell him.”They may train us in the arts of love, but in their minds our hearts belong firmly to Mortain.”
“I disagree with your convent,” he says. “Why give us hearts at all then?”Slowly, as if afraid I will bolt, he reaches for my hand, which has somehow escaped from the covers. When he laces his fingers through mine, my heart does its now familiar panicked flight, bumping painfully against my ribs. My shoulder twitches as if to pull my hand back, but my heart overrules it.His hand is warm, the skin firm. We sit together in silence. I do not know what is going through his head, but my own mind is unable to form a single thought. At least, not a coherent one. After a long while, he squeezes my hand, then leans down to kiss the back of it. His lips are warm and soft and I am filled with the memory of them on my mouth, my throat. Slowly, as if with great reluctance, he pulls away, and I shiver. “Perhaps,” he says. “When this is all over.”“Perhaps, my lord.”
3. Daemon Black from Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Onyx. Pssh he’s like hotness times a thousand and he can fry a laptop with a kiss! He can feed me anytime and this is a lead in to one of my favorite scenes J
Around six in the evening. I felt that now-oh-so-familiar tingle on the back of my neck right before Daemon knocked. A ball of confusing feelings unfurled inside me as I hurried to the door.4. Kaidan Rowe from Wendy Higgins’s Sweet Evil. Sex on a stick that’s what this dude is! Remember I said I made my friends DEAR this book? Yeah I took a picture of page 11 in the ARC that is when I fell for him to convince them if they needed it! A gorgeous drummer with a British accent mmmmmmmm…….And then he does this!
The first thing I noticed was the large box beside him, and then the scent of roasted turkey and yams.“Hey,” he said, holding a stack of covered plates. “Happy Thanksgiving.”I blinked slowly. “Happy Thanksgiving.”“You going to invite me in?” He held up the plates, wiggling them. “I come bearing gifts in the form of food.”I stepped aside.Still grinning, he came in and waved his free hand. The box lifted off the porch and trailed behind him like a dog. It landed just inside the foyer. As I shut the door, I caught sight of Ash and Andrew climbing into their car. Neither of them looked over.A lump formed in my throat as I turned to Daemon.“I brought a little of everything,” He headed toward the kitchen. “There’s turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole, some kind of apple crisp thing and pumpkin—Kitten? Are you coming?”
He blinked at me, seeming surprised by my easy forgiveness. I gave him a small smile and took a sip of my orange juice. He leaned back in his chair and observed me.
“How’s your orange juice, Ann? Does it have a touch of lime?”The glass paused at my lips as I processed his innuendo, and I took a second to make sure my embarrassment stayed hidden inside. I let the drink swish over my tongue a moment before swallowing and answering.“Actually it’s a little sour,” I said, and he laughed.“That’s a shame.” He picked up a green pear from his plate and bit into it, licking the juice that dripped down his thumb. My cheeks warmed as I set down my glass.“Okay, now you’re just being crude,” I said.He grinned with lazy satisfaction.
5. Adrian Ivashkov from Richelle Mead’s Golden Lily. Yep I’ve been in love with this dude since Frostbite what more can I say?!?!? And he’s so *sighs*
“Sage,” he said “What are you wearing?”
I sighed and stared down at the dress. “I know. It’s red. Don’t start. I’m tired of hearing about it.”“Funny,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of looking at it.”
6. Zachary Moore from Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shine. Oh my heart from Scotland you can take me to prom wearing a kilt anytime! And Zach is definitely one of the more romantic characters in this list!
“Aye.” He turned his head to face me, but stayed on his back. “You look beautiful.”
I glanced at my live shot in the corner. My features were as dim as his. “You can barely see me in the dark.”“I don’t need to see you to know that you’re beautiful.”
7. Warner from Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me. I know many of you hate him but I just can’t. I see the goodness in him. I saw it before reading Destroy Me and Unravel Me and I see it even more now! I know most of you haven’t read it yet but here’s just a small quote from Unravel Me….
He touches the tips of his fingers to his lips. Tilts his head back, just a little. Smiles a strange unhappy smile. Says, “You must know how sorry I am. That I”---he swallows---“That I kissed you like that. I confess I had no idea you would shoot me for it.”
8. Roar from Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky. Perry is the main dude I know but I can help that I fell for Roar. He’s gorgeous, funny, smart, sensitive…… ah I could go on forever. Here if you haven’t met him let Aria tell you about Roar.
“Up close, she saw a gleam in Roar’s gaze. He had a prince’s looks but a pirate’s eyes. Roar smiled, an appealing, clever flash. Aria laughed. Definitely more pirate. Roar laughed at her laugh, and she decided on the spot she liked him.”
And then there’s this…
‘Yes, but this feels intimate. Don’t you think it does? I don’t mean that I think we’re being too intimate. I guess I do. Roar, sometimes it’s really hard to get used to this.’
Roar flashed a grin. “Aria, this isn't intimate. If I were being intimate with you, trust me, you’d know.”She rolled her eyes. ‘Next time you say something like that, you should toss a red rose and then leave with a swish of your cape.’He gazed off like he was imagining it. “I could do that.”
9. Will and Elliot from Bethany Griffin’s Masque of The Red Death. Yeah both of these are hot boys in completely different ways! One is dark, handsome, and mysterious; the other is blonde, a rich bad boy, and completely adorably infuriating. And since I can’t pick here’s a quote from each.
Will:
When he pulls me close, there is no flirtation, no suggestion of anything except comfort. My heart beats faster anyway.“I’m sorry that you lost him. And that you’ve chosen to punish yourself because of it.”It was my fault. But there is no point in arguing. We are almost to the end of the alley, and I know he must leave me in just a few steps.“Be careful,” he says. “If you aren’t, I won’t get a chance to convince you that you are wrong.”
Elliot:“We aren’t madly in love?”“You scorn me. But I am infatuated with you.”“You’re a better liar than I thought,” I say lightly.“I’m a fabulous liar.” He swings down from the carriage and walks around to lift me down. He pulls me close and says quietly, “And you need to be too.”
10. Ben Matthews from Elizabeth Norris’s Unraveling. I love this dude soooo much it’s not even funny! He’s romantic, loves motorcycles, isn’t afraid to curse, is gorgeous, and just happens to be from an alternate universe lol.
I smile, and that’s all it takes. He leans forward and our lips touch, and it’s like his lips were made to fit around mine.
His arms tighten around me, and I reach up to the back of his neck and pull him into me. Our lips part, our tongues touch, and I taste him until a sigh escapes with my breath.Ben pulls back just a fraction of an inch so our foreheads are touching and his lips smile against mine.“This was perfect,” I whisper.He closes his eyes, and his voice is quiet, like the words are simply being exhaled. “It was better than perfect.”
Honorable Mentions
Jack from Kresley Cole’s Poison Princess. I also fell,
hard, for Jack, with his Cajun accent and broken French which thankfully I
understood without translation since I speak passable French lol. Here’s a
swoon-worthy scene.
In answer, he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing rigid planes of muscles. Yes, I’d caught glimpses of him shirtless before—but this was the first time I’d utterly lost my breath looking at him.
His face and his broad chest were still tanned, his eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight. That onyx rosary around his neck glinted with his movements.He was stripping before my eyes, yet I couldn’t look away. I bit my bottom lip.Any minute I would turn my back. Any minute…As he began to unbuckle his belt, his stomach muscles rippled.I grew weak in the knees. Any minute—When he reached his zipper, he cocked his head and met my gaze.
Aiden St. Delphi from Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Deity. Hotness, hotness, hotness! And has a heart of gold too!
He cupped the nape of my neck. I heard his sharp intake of breath. Then he let go of my wrists and grasped my hips. Before I could blink, I was on my back, and Aiden hovered over me. Using one arm to support himself, he lowered his head and brushed his lips over my swollen cheek.
“How do we always end up like this?” he asked, voice rough as his gaze traveled away from my face and down my body.“I didn’t do this.” Slowly, I lifted my hands and placed them against his chest. His heart jumped under my palm.“No this was all me.” The lower half of his body shifted down. Our legs were flush. His eyes searched mine, “It gets harder every time.”
Gavin from JA Souders Renegade Hot boy with a
sense of humor even in the most dire of situations! I just have two words for
you SHOWER SCENE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I find a pair of black leather sandal wedges that I can run in if I need to, then I gather up Gavin’s clothes and step into the bathroom to set them on the counter for him.
In a classic case of worst possible timing, he steps out of the shower just as I look up from the clothes. My jaw drops and I have to force myself to shut it. I can’t help it—my eyes travel the whole lovely way from his muscled shoulders to his stomach and back up again. Water slides gloriously over every muscle, causing them to glisten in the lights.I’m barely aware that I’m staring until he says, “Enjoying the view?”Heat rushes into me and I blush from the tips of my toes to the roots of my hair. I quickly avert my gaze to the wall behind him. “I’m so sorry. I just meant to drop off your clothes for you. I, uh, I’ll see you…out there…when you’re finished.”I rush out the door on shaky legs. The minute I hit the living room, I lower myself onto the couch and stare off into space.Oh, Mother. My mind keeps replaying what I just saw. Wavy, golden hair. Thick muscular chest, hard toned abs. Bronzed skin. And…I shake my head. That is not something I should be thinking about.I fan a hand in front of my face. It feels hot, like someone has raised the temperature a good twenty degrees.
Luke from Leah Clifford’s A Touch Morbid. Another that could make my boyfriend list or villain list but then he does something sweet and I have to put him here. And he’s gorgeous as all hell! And yep then there’s this….
He trailed his fingers down her face and then further. They lingered against the swell of her breast, the lace of her bustier. “Because you tempt me. You demand I fight for your affections instead of taking what I please.” He dropped his hand. “You tell me no. You say stop. And I listen.” He said the last words like a curse, anger bleeding through, each word rougher than the last.
Luke tilted his head, his neck tense, cracking with a snap. He rolled his shoulders.“You’re a silly little dead girl.” He glared at her, his tone harsh. “You should mean nothing to me.” He grabbed her chin, forced her to meet his eyes. “And yet I covet you more than anything else on this Earth.”
Did any of my favorites make your list? Fill out the linky and let me know! And good luck with the giveaway! Today’s is hosted by Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic!
Oh I love so many of your choices. And I totally agree about Warner. I like him so much better than Adam and I just started Destroy Me a little while ago. Cannot wait to start Unravel Me.
ReplyDeleteTeresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives
Fantastic list!!! I LOOOOOVE Warner! Can't wait for Unravel Me! And I have the Lux series on my TBR list :) And I can't even begin to talk about Hector...swoon.to.the.max.
ReplyDeleteYes we are on a few different teams. I do like Warner now after Unravel Me but it is a 2013 book so I couldn't include him. I hate Zach though. But I LOVE Adrian! My number 1 forever. I like Kai and Daemon but not enough to make my list. Although Daemon was pretty great in Opal, I wasn't such a fan before that. I still need to read all the rest of these books! Thanks for stopping by and hosting!
ReplyDeleteDang it! I can't believe I don't even know a lot of the dudes on your list! *tears*!!!! CONGRATS on the new blog design! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's because you need to read more of my suggestions lol ;)
DeleteGreat list! I'm adding all of these to my TBR and bumping the ones I have up (like Shift and Shatter Me).
ReplyDeleteMy Top Ten is here if you'd like a look :)
I LOVE Roar. And I definitely put Luke on my list too - he's pretty amazing...
ReplyDeleteHow could I forget Gavriel from Grave Mercy!! OMG he is so swoontastic!! And Zach!! I haven't read Shine yet though, but I read the first two, so I didn't think that would count. Yest to Daemon and Aiden! They made my list too!! I am seeing a whole lot of Warner on lists. I am not convinced that I can like him, but with so many people who do I am starting to doubt myself. *runs of to read Destroy Me* Ahhh and Will and Elliot from Masque!! Yes!!! Gavin from Renegade too!! He is so sweet!!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I know I told you on twitter, but I love your new design!! It's so pretty!!!
DeleteLove your list of hot guys and totally agree with them all :)
ReplyDeleteWow! Some of those quotes had me swooning!
ReplyDeleteKaiden Rowe <3
Wow I love all your picks (technically it's not ten, but)! I know a couple of them, and boy do I agree with you! Especially Warner, that hunk. Ugh why is he so perfect. The rest of the books will be making their way into my TBR pile soon. How can I not add them after reading your quotes? LOL. Great list!
ReplyDeleteYea another Warner fan... I thought I was the only one.
ReplyDeleteI've only know 5 of your boyfriends and they are really good picks!
ReplyDeleteThis one was the hardest topic EVER! It took me hours to make my post but it was worth it :)
Grave Mercy is one I really want to read.
ReplyDeleteI love Kaidan and Jack! The rest I still need to read but I look forward to meeting them, finally! :)
ReplyDeleteMy Best Boyfriends of 2012 List
A few I have not read, but such a great list.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I can't say I have read them but reading the excerpts you have, they do sound enticing. All of the men sound terrific to me.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
I've seen Daemon on everyone's list! I'm super excited for Through the Ever Night because I read Under the Never Sky a few months ago. It was seriously amazing. :D Great list!
ReplyDeleteKrystianna @ Downright Dystopian