Nice and Hot Men of NA: Cade from Faking It

Another week, another hot-but-gentle hero. When I first announced my quest to find these gentlemen of NA, some of you suggested Cora Carmack's work. I loved Losing It--I read it while Hurricane Sandy raged outside, and barely even noticed when the power went out. I recently read her second book, Faking It, and loved it just as much! In fact, I enjoyed these books to such an extent that you can find mention of them in ONLY BETWEEN US!

Ah, Cade. He had his heart broken by Bliss in Losing It, and this book starts with him trying to pick up the pieces. He lost out to the BRITISH guy, and yet he's still trying to be a friend to Garrick and Bliss, even though it hurts him. He is, as his heroine, Max, calls him, a "Golden Boy." He's a genuinely good guy, like the polar opposite of a douchebag. Max, therefore, initially has the incorrect impression that he's bland.

I think this is actually an assumption that many readers make when they hear that a hero is "nice," or isn't an alpha male. They perhaps draw the conclusion that he is without edge, without intrigue or strength or spice. As if the quality of being snarky is what makes a guy interesting. Bleh.

This is why I loved Cade, and how Cora Carmack showed his perspective. I loved that when Cade gets pissed off, his anger is not expressed through cruelty or temper tantrums. He can be forceful, for sure, but he always has this underlying gentleness and control over himself. And he's rock-steady when it comes to being there for the girl he loves, even if it hurts him. That's the epitome of an excellent romance hero, in my opinion.

Cade falls into the category of just-plain-nice. He doesn't have the deep, dark secrets or soul-deep emotional wounds that characterize the damaged-yet-nice heroes like Lucas from Easy or Drew from One Week Girlfriend. That doesn't make him any less compelling, though, especially because he's paired up with a woman who is a perfect match for him.

Have you read Faking It? Do you agree with me about Cade? Any other reading recommendations for me?