The Bad Boy Myth: Why My Stories Break It
Updated: Sep 25
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💔 The Bad Boy Myth—and Why I’m Done With It
How many of us grew up crushing on the bad boy? I did. Through my teen years, I gravitated toward jerks—boys who objectified me, pushed boundaries, and treated me like a challenge instead of a person. I even spent years hopelessly in love with a skater who dropped out of school to pursue a career in… being a pothead. Meanwhile, when I met my husband—a genuinely kind, respectful man—I instantly friend‑zoned him. He couldn’t possibly be my missing piece, right?
That’s what happens when you’re conditioned to believe danger equals passion. I grew up reading authors like Victoria Holt, devouring stories where the rake, the criminal, the brooding menace was the prize. Romance fiction still worships this archetype. But honestly? I’m sick of it.
Good men get almost no credit. They’re mocked by “alpha males,” overlooked by women, and ignored by a genre that insists toxicity is sexy. Yet in real life, I work with dozens of wonderful men—devoted husbands, respectful partners, steady souls. Fiction rarely reflects them, and I’m tired of pretending the fantasy matches reality.
🔥 The Real‑World Cost of Romanticizing Toxic Men
I’ve watched my daughters get hurt by awful men. I’ve watched friends and family be cheated on, manipulated, abused—often by men who are considered “hot,” “dominant,” or “desirable.” I’ve watched countless shows and books glamorize disrespect and call it romance.
Well, I don’t care if only ten people ever read my books. I’m done worshiping these men.
I’m exposing abusive jerks for what they are: emotionally stunted, insecure and dangerous. And I’m championing the sweet guys—the ones who’ve been bullied, sidelined, overlooked, yet somehow kept their integrity intact.
⚡ Why the Somewhere Aching Series Breaks the Trope
Judith falls hard for Justin because he seems perfect. But underneath the hero‑cop façade, he’s just another toxic alpha male. Her journey mirrors the reality millions of women face: falling for the jerk, getting gaslit, manipulated, groomed, and punished when they finally try to leave.
Men are the greatest threat to women. They account for nearly all domestic homicides. Leaving an abusive man is statistically the most dangerous moment of a woman’s life. This isn’t melodrama—it’s reality.
Every day, 137 women and girls are killed by intimate partners or family members. In 2024, 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members – one every 10 minutes – according to data released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women.
So why do we keep romanticizing these men?
It’s time to stop.
Stop glamorizing cruelty.
Stop calling manipulation “passion.”
Stop giving abusers the spotlight.
And start celebrating the men who actually deserve it—the ones who listen, who care, who show up, who treat women with respect.
🌟 My Platform: Championing the Underdog Hero
I may not be the most talented writer, but I’ve written twelve novels—and every single one champions the underdog. The misunderstood man. The gentle man. The man who doesn’t need to break a woman to feel powerful.
In my world,
These are the heroes who save the princess.
These are the men who win her heart.
These are the men who deserve the happily‑ever‑after.
If you’re tired of the same old tropes, if you crave stories that honor survivors and uplift good men, then you might be exactly the reader I’m writing for.
It’s time to throw the romantic fallacy of the “alpha male” in the trash where it belongs.
📚 Book 4: A Karma to Kill For — Out Now
Book 4 is brutal, emotional, and the buildup to Book 5 is intense. I take you on a rollercoaster of romantic drama, trauma recovery, and hard‑won strength. It’s one ride you don’t want to miss.
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