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You: 5 Literary Boyfriends Who Are Much Better Than Joe

by  | March 25
Literary Boyfriends

I’m supposed to write about literary boyfriends who would be a much, much better boyfriend than YOU’s Joe. Considering Joe is a stalker, a manipulative psycho, and a murderer, the bar for amazing literary crush is set pretty low, don’t you think? The only boyfriend that could possibly be worse than Joe was Pat Bateman from Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho. And if Patrick Bateman is your type, well then you probably would be the kind of person who would have sent Ted Bundy fan mail. And if that’s the case, then we cannot be friends. But, I have to tell you, it’s hard to find a book with an awesome boyfriend or husband because flawed characters make the best books. After thinking really hard and after lots of heated discussions at work, I pulled together a decent list. And since these boyfriends aren’t the murdering kind, it’s already a win-win situation for our literary fantasies.

Image Source: Netflix

Crazy Rich Asians (Media Tie-In Edition)

Crazy Rich Asians (Media Tie-In Edition)

by Kevin Kwan

My grandma Phoebe used to give out a lot of advice: some of her old standbys were “never leave the house without lipstick or a purse,” and “always offer your seat to old people on public transportation.” And then there’s this one…“It’s just as easy to love a rich man as it is a poor man.” So what’s so amazing about Rachel and Nick’s love story is not only did Rachel fall in love with Nick when she thought he was just an ordinary professor, he turned out to be filthy rich AND super nice. That’s hard to find! And Nick was willing to give up his inheritance to be with Rachel. Now that’s a love story even my grandma could get behind!

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The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger

Now some might argue that Henry wasn’t the greatest boyfriend (and then husband) to Clare because he kept dropping in and out of her life and disappearing for long periods of time, and then showing up naked at her doorstep (because clothes don’t come with you when you time travel!). Henry’s sporadic forays through time are the ultimate long- distance relationship, and Clare’s yearning is the epitome of a favorite Phoebism: “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” which could have easily led straight to another one, “out of sight out of mind.” I happen to think Henry was a great boyfriend because he was committed, yet mysterious. He couldn’t help that he was a bit unattainable—he had a genetic disorder, a paranormal one to boot!

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Me Before You (Movie Tie-In)

Me Before You (Movie Tie-In)

by Jojo Moyes

Although Louisa’s relationship with Will was complex—she was the caregiver of a suicidal quadriplegic—the beauty of their short romance was based on finding your life’s passion. Will encouraged Louisa to start living her life to the fullest and to find her purpose. And Louisa chipped away at Will’s prickly exterior with her compassion, and brought some happiness to a guy who was having trouble finding peace with his life as a disabled man.

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Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park

by Rainbow Rowell

Park is the ultimate supportive boyfriend: he defends Eleanor against bullies, offers her a safe place to stay because her home life is volatile, and he thinks she’s beautiful just the way she is, even when she struggles to embrace her body and looks. Park also faithfully writes Eleanor letters after she moves away, even when he doesn’t hear back from her. I heart Park.

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Hopeless

Hopeless

by Colleen Hoover

Now, I’m going to confess I have not read Hopeless. But according to my colleague Saimah, who is a Colleen Hoover Super Fan, Dean Holder is THE Best book boyfriend around. He’s a little bit of a bad boy, sports a tattoo, and he’s hot. Sky tries not to give into Dean’s charm, but they fall madly in love. There’s also some mystery when it comes to their smoldering connection. Saimah had such a dreamy look on her face when describing Dean to me, so we will have to take her word for it that Dean is book boyfriend material.

Editor’s (Saimah) Note: In addition to his hot physical appearance and bad boy vibe, Dean Holder is an extremely supportive boyfriend when shit hits the fan in Sky's life, which is why he gets my vote for best book boyfriend.

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