To start, for those unfamiliar, MMC stands for the male main character and FMC stands for the female main character. Now that we are acutely aware of the content of this article, let’s discuss how authors are publishing some of the most swoon-worthy MMCs and FMCs right now! I thought only Mr. Darcy made me love-struck, but I have to admit, authors writing romance novels right now are doing a brilliant job! The best part is most, if not all, of the authors are women so I can truthfully say that these men have been “written by a woman” and deserve, in my opinion, to be obsessed over.
I also want to mention that this is purely my opinion based on books that I have read and enjoyed. I share many of the same views as other Booktokers, but this is how I feel! The best part about having TikTok is connecting with other readers and realizing many feel the same way about their book crushes.
Let’s get to the juicy stuff! There are so many to-die-for characters that make my heart ache! I had such a difficult time narrowing down who I thought deserved a kiss. I would climb right in my books and kiss them all if I could!
When choosing this list I wanted to compile people based not only on their lovely looks but also on how they treat their partners and the tropes they embody. I, once again, wish I could climb into these books, but, this time, take over as the love interest!
*Spoilers ahead!*
Nico Russo
The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori
Off to a great start, we have a mafia romance. Dashes of Italian, male superiority complex, arranged marriages, it’s got it all. At its core is Nico Russo the head (of course) of the Casa Nostra. He is covered in tattoos, known to be the most intimidating man in the outfit, and goes by Ace. I’m sorry, I must be color-blind because those seem like green flags to me. He is engaged twice in the novel, once to Adriana Abelli, the younger, quirky sister of Elena Abelli, who you can guess becomes his second engagement.
This is a enemies to lovers storyline, if you will. You can feel the tension seep from the pages but it was mixed with interest from the very start. They were undeniably meant for each other and everyone could see it. What I enjoy so much about this story is the multiple-perspective storytelling. We are able to hear just how deeply obsessed he is with Elena from the start, showing his soft side while still being a macho man. Then we hear from Elena who suffers from guilt and fear of pursuing a romantic relationship. I have a deep fondness for how Nico cares for Elena and it means everything to me when they finally realize they have felt the same for each other all along.
Not that I would even get close enough to Nico to give him a kiss (readers know Elena is just as possessive of Nico as he is of her; I love that deeply), but I do believe he deserves one.
Christian Harper
Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
Oh, Christian, this man… Now, what I had to learn about the Twisted Series as a whole was that they were named as such because every climax in the books was twisted. Christian, this statue of a man; all suits, dark hair, chiseled cheekbones, and whiskey eyes dabbled in a bit of stalking towards his eventual love interest, Stella.
Now the crazy, obsessive part of me is screaming, “He did it because he was fascinated by her! He only stalked her online! Not in person! He tried his best to stop!”. I do my best to rationalize what he did and truthfully it was creepy and odd, which was why Stella got so upset. I mean he kept her ring in his pocket…
The twisted nature of their relationship, aside if you will, Christian worked in cyber security and helped Stella with a very serious stalker issue. As you may assume, that certainly made things confusing when she found out about Christian. Maybe it’s just me wanting to see the good in him, but he never wavers in his dedication and protectiveness towards Stella. You can feel just how deeply he cares for her, but he doesn’t know how to express it (I am a sucker for that). He is horrible at communication and thinks he’s always right, but Stella helps him loosen up a bit and learn how to be a partner. For that reason, the fact that he changed for the better, for her, means he’s worthy of a kiss in my book.
Lachlan Duke
Until I Get You by Claire Contreras
I cannot stop reading this book! I just finished reading it again last night. Lachlan James Duke has infiltrated my soul. Not only is this a delectable college hockey romance which is by far my new favorite genre, but it is also much more than that. It depicts the aftermath of trauma, the truth behind what having a soulmate means, and just how far someone would go to protect someone they love.
What I love so intensely about this story is how Lyla and Lach open up a side of themselves no one has ever witnessed for each other. Lyla finds her confidence again and breaks out of her shell. Lach is able to be in a committed relationship and find somebody to care for. They complete each other in ways that happen so naturally it’s beautiful.
When part two of the story begins and everything is different, I felt resentment towards his insane character switch; from this sweet caring guy to someone I didn’t recognize at all. But I just love how the story progresses and we see that his aggressive personality was just a mask for all the pain and sadness he felt when Lyla disappeared on him. He spent years tracking her down desperately wanting them to be together again. Is that a little crazy? Absolutely. But maybe it’s just me, but I am sensing that I gravitate toward dominant protective energy.
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This is most certainly not all the men that deserve a kiss but these are perhaps my top three. How do you feel about my picks? Would you agree? You may have found this absolutely psychotic and thought all these men as horrible and that’s okay! Again, this is completely my own opinion (and that of many BookTok book lovers).
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