The hero in romance novels is often possessive, aggressive, dominant and protective—characteristics attributed to the alpha hero.

He is a leader of men and, more often than not, a serial seducer of women who can’t seem to help succumbing to his irresistible charisma. This leading man is often the bad boy until he meets his match in the heroine, who eventually tames him…a little.

Beta characters are usually relegated to the role of best friend in romance novels; they’re the amiable sidekick of the tough-talking, butt-kicking and, often, emotionally-distant alpha hero. There are times, however, when the beta takes center stage and creates a memorable hero for the ages.

Mr. Darcy, from Pride and Prejudice, is the ultimate beta hero. Darcy is quiet, contained, and seemingly arrogant, but we eventually learn he is innately kind and puts the well being of others before himself.

 Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice”

Sebastian, the hero in Tempting Bella, the second book in my Accidental Peers series, is also one of these kinder, gentler leading men. He is decent, honorable and essentially selfless. He’s also complex, virile and very sexy.

While I love a good alpha hero, there is something undeniably alluring about a beta hero, too.  Here’s a little primer on how to spot the difference between an alpha and a beta:

The alpha hero can have a little bit of a jerk in him.
The beta hero is a nice guy.

The alpha hero doesn’t always start out treating ladies with respect.
The beta hero treats a lady with the respect she deserves.

The alpha hero goes after what he wants.
The beta hero usually puts other people’s desires before his own.

The alpha hero loves sex and has lots of it with a variety of women…until he meets his true love, the heroine, and then sex becomes meaningful and monogamous.
The beta hero loves sex but is often not as sexually experienced as an alpha male, so intimacy is more meaningful to him.

The alpha tries to impose his will on the heroine, at least in the beginning.
The beta refuses to impose his will on the heroine; he prefers using gentle persuasion.

The alpha hero is never a wimp and he’ll kick plenty of butt to prove it.
The beta hero is never a wimp, but he often operates behind the scenes to achieve the outcome he desires.

The best alpha hero has a bit of beta in him.
The best beta hero has a bit of alpha in him.

The alpha hero is the guy you love to read about in books.
The beta hero is the guy you want to marry in real life.

In Regency romance novels, society and everyday living are often depicted as elegant and gentile. However, in the course of researching my historical novels, I’ve come across several cringe-inducing Regency realities.

In honor of Halloween, I’ve listed the top five scariest things about living in Regency England.

I guarantee more than one of them will make you squeamish!

TOP 5 Scariest Things About Living During Regency Times

Doping Up the Kids  If the baby was a bit fussy, colicky or teething uncomfortably, it wasn’t unusual to slip a little laudanum into his cup or to use laudanum-laced medicines such as Steedman’s Powder or Godfrey’s Cordial to sooth the little darling. Women also used the substance to ease anxiety or menstrual cramps. Today we know this miracle drug by its more modern name: opium.

Surgery Without General Anesthesia  Since ether wasn’t discovered in England until the 1840s, patients were generally operated on after being plied with booze or, you guessed it, laudanum! But you couldn’t give the patient too much of the drug for fear of overdose, so these methods did not always keep the patient asleep during the operation.

Gathering Leeches for Blood letting  Blood letting using leeches was a commonly used medical procedure in Regency England. Doctors believed bleeding patients could cure a variety of illnesses. That’s bad enough, but what might be more hair-raising is the way in which these leeches were collected. Women would stand in marshes, river banks and lakes, and allow leeches to attach to their legs. The leeches were then detached from the limbs and placed in a pot or basket.  

Wife for Sale  During this period and beyond, the occasional dissatisfied husband would decide to sell his wife. He would lead her to the marketplace, sometimes with a rope around her neck, and auction her off to the highest bidder. In one case, in 1835 (just after the Regency period) the wife outlived both her husband and her buyer, and was successfully able to claim her rights as her husband’s widow.

Relieving Oneself in the Dining Room (Not as scary as the top four, but this one makes the list because of the gross factor.) Once the ladies had withdrawn and left the gentlemen to their port and cheroots, it was not uncommon for one of the so-called gentlemen to relieve himself in full view of others. One can only imagine what a mess this could be if said gentleman had a little too much to drink.

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Tempting Bella, the second book in my Accidental Peers series, features a kinder, gentler leading man.

In short, Sebastian is a beta hero. Betas are often consigned to the role of best friend in romance novels, the sidekick of the tough-talking, butt-kicking and, often, emotionally-distant alpha hero. As the hero in Tempting Bella, Sebastian is decent, honorable and essentially selfless. He’s also complex, virile and very sexy!

While I love a good alpha hero, there is something undeniably alluring about a beta hero—he’s the guy you’d love to marry in real life.

Here are my Top 10 Things to Love About a Beta Hero

1) He’s a nice guy.

2) He treats a lady with the respect she deserves.

3) He’s comfortable enough with his masculinity that he doesn’t have to act like a Neanderthal to prove he’s a real man.

4) He often puts other people’s desires before his own.

5) He is warm, tender and projects a quiet strength.

6) He is often not as sexually experienced as an alpha male, so intimacy is more meaningful to him.

7) He refuses to impose his will on the heroine.

8) The beta hero is never a wimp.

9) He has a teeny bit of alpha in him 

10) On top of all of those winning qualities, a beta hero can still be hot, charismatic and sexy!