My Favorite Book Boyfriend with Virna DePaul and Giveaway

Virna DePaul is a former criminal prosecutor and national bestselling author of paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense. She writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, HQN, and Random House, and is also a bestselling indie author.

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Thank you, Danielle, for having me on your blog today to talk about my favorite book boyfriend!! There are so many romance heroes I’ve fallen in love with, but the one that immediately came to mind was Dane Hollister (from Dream Man by Linda Howard). What is it about Dane that has stuck with me? I was pondering this question when I came across an article listing the Top 10 Traits of A Great Boyfriend. I decided to see how Dane measured up… He’s not perfect by any means and can definitely use some work in certain areas, but for me, he scores pretty darn high…=)

10. A great book boyfriend listens to his woman (asks questions, shows genuine interest, respects her opinions):

A homicide detective, Dane knows how to get answers, but he’s thrown for a loop with Marlie, a woman who claims she’s a clairvoyant psychic who “saw” a murder he’s investigating. Dane wants to know more about her, but because he’s skeptical of her talent, he doesn’t necessarily ask in the best way possible:

“So what are you?”

9. A great book boyfriend isn’t boring (is unpredictable and mysterious, spontaneous):

In trying to find out all he can about Marlie, Dane takes a spontaneous trip to Denver.

8. A great book boyfriend pleases his woman in bed (enjoys foreplay, satisfies her physically and emotionally):

Dane has no problem giving Marlie space when she needs it, but he also pushes her to overcome her fears about sex.

He put his arms around her and pulled her close, forcing her hips against his. His mouth settled on hers for a kiss so hard and hungry that she went limp in his arms, shivering with delight.

7. A great book boyfriend is strong and confident (has a spine):

In convincing Marlie to go out with him, Dane has this exchange with Marlie:

“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“No.”

He folded his arms. “Then I’m not leaving.”

She slapped the countertop in frustration and whirled to face him. “Can’t you take a hint? I don’t want this. Whatever you’re offering, I don’t want it.”

“That’s a lie.”

Those hazel eyes were glittering again, this time with stubbornness. She had already noted that trait in him. It felt as if she had a bull in her kitchen, and couldn’t budge him.

“You feel it the same way I do,” he continued relentlessly. “You’re attracted to me, and it scares the hell out of you…”

6. A great book boyfriend is detail oriented (attentive, notices the small details):

When Dane sees Marlie for the first time, he notices all kinds of details about her:

Her eyes were the deep, dark, fathomless blue of the ocean, the kind of eyes a man could look into and forget what he’d been saying. There was something exotic about them, other than the richness of colon a sort of otherworldliness that he couldn’t quite grasp. The expression in them, however, was easy to read, and Dane knew beyond a doubt that he hadn’t exactly over-whelmed her with his charm.

5. A great book boyfriend gives his woman space (trusts her, understands her need for independence):

He suddenly released her mouth and sat back. His skin was flushed, and pulled taut across his cheekbones. “That’s enough. That’s almost too much. I’m going to leave now, before I try to push you too far.”

4. A great book boyfriend respects his woman (and her family) (sees her as an equal, is kind and courteous):

Even when Dane is suspicious of her, he is a gentleman:

“What do you want?” she asked in a cool, flat voice.

He reached out one big hand and effortlessly lifted a grocery bag from the cart into the trunk. “Just helping you with the groceries.”

3. A great book boyfriend betters himself (proves his woman deserves the best):

Dane isn’t a patient man by any means. But with Marlie, he’s determined to give her everything she needs, including time to get used to him:

“Because there’s something between us, and you can’t deny it any more than I can. We aren’t comfortable with each other yet, but one day it will be okay. I can wait. And I can wait until you’re ready to make love, too.”

2. A great book boyfriend challenges his woman to be better (inspires her to make changes, encourages her):

Dane urges Marlie to face her past and move forward with life:

“I don’t want to talk about Gleen.”

“That’s understandable, but I’m not going to let you hold him between us. The bastard’s dead; he can’t ever hurt you again. There’s too much pleasure in life to turn your back on it.”

1. A great book boyfriend makes his woman feel beautiful (isn’t afraid to tell her and others how attracted he is to her):

It’s obvious to Dane and the reader how beautiful he finds Marlie, but he could be a little more vocal about it. It fits his character, though. He’s more a man of action than words.

Dane is attracted to Marlie from the moment he sees her, even though he doesn’t like her, and this is apparent to his partner, Trammel:

“No, I mean you had a hard-on the size of a goddamn nightstick, and you were standing so close, you were about to poke her in the belly with it,” Trammell snapped.

Dane turned and glared at his partner, but he couldn’t think of any excuse to give. He didn’t know what had happened, only that from the minute she had turned those dark blue eyes on him, he’d had a boner so hard a cat couldn’t scratch it.

Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into what makes Dane Hollister such a drool-worthy hero. What hero do you think is a contender?

Marlie Keen was trying to lead a quiet, ordinary life. She thought the knowing -- the clairvoyance that allowed her to witness crimes as they happened -- had been destroyed in the nightmare of her past. Then one night it returned with a vengeance, and she desperately needed to find someone to make it stop.

Detective Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department had never met anyone like Marlie. He had doubts about her clairvoyance, but there was no doubt how much he desired her. Her soft, sweet scent set his blood afire, and he wanted to wrap her in his arms and chase the sadness from her eyes. To Marlie, Dane was all heat and hard muscle, and he made her body come alive as it never had before. But not even she could foresee where their passion would lead: a hungry quest for the elusive, dreamy ecstasies of love...and a dangerous journey into the twisted mind of a madman who would threaten their happiness and their lives....

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Melina Parker prides herself on being a lady in public, but after she's dumped yet again for being a lady in the bedroom, she's ready to go back to school.

Determined to find her inner sex diva, she enlists her childhood friend, Max Dalton, to tutor her after hours. Instead, she ends up in the wrong bed and gets a lesson in passion from Max's twin brother, Rhys Dalton, a man Melina's always secretly wanted but never thought she could have.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

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Up For Grabs:

• 1 lucky winner will win a copy of Bedding the Wrong Brother + Dream Man

To Enter: 

• Please answer the question: What hero do you think is a contender?
• Choice of print or eBook copy if US winner. International winner will get a eBook copy.
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

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