This is National (Sort of) Boyfriend Day: 15 Book and Movie Favorites

Once upon a time, some three or four years ago, I created a list of (mostly) bookish boyfriends. On this day (on a whim which wrecks havoc with my editorial calendar!), October 4 aka (the day after) National Boyfriend Day (who knew??), I thought I’d go back, re-work said publication and share it again because why not? Let’s get this book and movie boyfriends list started, shall we?

LIST | 15 of the Favorite On-Screen Siblings

In fiction or the book blogging community, one of the favorite coined phrases is “book boyfriend.” It’s basically those characters you crush on and consider, well, a kind of bookish boyfriend. Or if you’re anything like me, that term is plural because let’s face it, I have a few too many book boyfriends.

When blogging and/or “work” involves picking through books and finding favored characters, I’m all for this job. After all, gushing about favorite leading men is never a hardship methinks. Though not all of these are guys I’d date… they are nonetheless, good guys (and therefore a few favorite book and movie boyfriends). Most importantly, they are exactly who their leading lady needs. (Also, yes, there’ll be a controversial one or two because, let’s be real, this just happens.) You’re about to meet a single father, military men (*swoon*), and boy(s)-next-door!

Here we go…

Favorite Book and Movie Boyfriends: ALL THE BOOKS!

(Disclosure: this post does contain affiliate links; if you buy anything through these links, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thank you to anyone who makes a purchase through these links. Read the disclosure page for details.)

1: Josh Avery from Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese

Love this character so very much, not only for who he is, but also how he cares for and loves Lauren. Amazon | Goodreads

2: Ben from A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

Ben is not only a chef, he’s also an Italian who whisks his sweetheart off to Italy on a grand adventure to meet his eccentric family. Amazon | Goodreads

3: Cricket Bell from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Aww, Cricket in in a story that doesn’t have his name in it, but is 100% a story he owns nearly every corner of. He’s the cutest, best and smartest YA male character I’ve met for a while. Amazon | Goodreads

4: Davis Carter from A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese

Looks like Nicole has a talent for writing amazing leading men. Davis is, flat out (no ifs about it), a fantastic character. The way he loves his sweetheart, considers what’s best for his son and lives his everyday life impresses me to no end. Amazon | Goodreads

5: Olly from Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I love Olly. At first blush, he’s kind of sporting that “bad boy” vibe (with the description of being clad in “all black”), but the guy has a heart of gold, and a backstory to go with it. Amazon | Goodreads

6: Seth Nguyen from Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Seth is the latest leading guy from Kasie West’s latest, and boy is he a good ‘un. LoveLOVELOVE his character. He’s the best kind of character because he’s genuine, and understanding and perfect for Maddie! Amazon | Goodreads

7: Mason Rogers from The Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey

This guy is good for more reasons than one, but here are two; a: he’s a part of a noble profession (Coast Guard) and b: the way he loves and cares for the woman he’s harbors feelings for (for many years) is special. Amazon | Goodreads

8: Sam Turner from Stay With Me by Becky Wade

Ok, confession time. When it comes to novels by Wade, I always want to add Ty Porter (Meant to be Mine), but since I gush about him enough, I decided to give Sam his due. Because, let’s be real, Sam, also an Australian, is a pretty great character – one I wouldn’t mind meeting. Amazon | Goodreads

AT THE MOVIES (AND ON TV!)

(Disclosure: this post does contain affiliate links; if you buy anything through these links, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thank you to anyone who makes a purchase through these links. Read the disclosure page for details.)

1: Arthur Kinnaird from The English Game

Arthur is really a very interesting character because where he begins (in episode one) and the place he ends (in the finale) are two very different men. He changes, grows and learns from the people around him; the willingness to do so may be reluctant at first, but in the end, he puts in the work and it shows. Something I think is important for any character journey. Steam digitally on Netflix

2: Cal Maddox from Steel Magnolias

Technically, this is also a novel, but since I haven’t read the series, I’m placing Cal in the “TV boyfriends” portion since I don’t know what I’d think of him on a page. In this show, I quite like him. He’s good, kind and best of all, he’s considerate, but I also don’t feel like he’s ever tried to hide his own past, which makes me like him all the more. Stream digitally on Netflix

3: Danny McNamara from Blood & Treasure

Also, another characters I like. What impresses me most is how well the “love story” in this show is written. Unlike the portrayal of most guys, Danny doesn’t fall for the tricks of Lexi, and I love this. It makes everything so much stronger, and I hope this kind of writing also served the second season. Amazon

4: Junior Raines from Hawaii Five-o

There’s just something about this character. It helps that he’s a military man (men and women I am forever grateful for) and of course, the way he lives his daily life is admirable too. He has baggage, all of which is a sad rift in his family, but when last we see him, that is slowly working to find healing. Amazon

5: Steve Rogers aka Captain America

*swoon* You know I adore Captain America. ‘Nuff said. (Though I will admit I crush on Daniel Sousa too – a lot. Peggy has excellent taste.) Amazon

6: Steve Trevor from Wonder Woman 

From Steve Rogers to Steve Trevor (I’m sensing a theme here…). The more I think about, see and get to “know” Steve, the more I like him. He’s a fantabulous character and one I’m sad we may not see more of. Amazon

7: Trace from Chesapeake Shores

Though I haven’t seen second season* Trace, I do love this character. Now if only the writer’s wouldn’t create unnecessary drama by pulling Trace and Abby apart because of exes, and new love interests. Amazon

*since this, I have, of course, seen all of the available ‘Chesapeake’ seasons; while there is ups and downs, I still quite like Trace’s character. Here’s hoping things for Abby and him smooth out – because yes, I’m still a fan.

These are some of my favorite book and movie boyfriends. Some are because of a deeper emotional connection the characters make on the planes of the pages they live on. But either way, I like them for their own merits. Who are some of your favorite fictional crushes? Who are some of the most memorable fictional characters you’ve met lately? Comment all of your favorites and thoughts down below! I’d love to chat with you.

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This originally published October 3, 2017, it’s updated with new edits, format and photos; and yes, I’m leaving the old comments because sometimes it’s fun to read through them again.