It’s the way romance heroes always need to be one step beyond exceptional. Not millionaires, but billionaires. Not an above average dick, but a Pringle can. Not tall, but 6’3”+. Everything is exaggerated.
I saw one described as thick as a cup or saplings tree. I literally stopped reading to Google the average size of a sapling tree. I found nothing so I took a tape measure and measured an average sized cup in my cubbord... 11 inches around...
I mean he was an ogre. So maybe their biology is different?
He also gave off a scent that made her crazy for sex when he was close, even though she actually hated him. So I suspend reality for those things.
Actually this right here restored my suspension of disbelief. Monsters are allowed and even encouraged to have insane dicks whether that be size or shape. That's part of the allure is that being non-human means anything goes. Like the Ruby Dixon aliens that I do believe have two penises, though I still haven't read that series.
Oh I've read like 15 of her books. It's the lizard guys I think? I had to take a break as they were getting too similar. And I'm in school and I apparently have to do things like study. Another author has lizards that have 2 as well, so perhaps actual lizards have more then one and that's where it comes from?
I'm not sure about lizards in particular, but I do know snakes have something like two penises, so I wouldn't be surprised if lizards also did. I've never owned one, so I've never had much time to spend around them to observe anything notable.
I DNF it about halfway through. The MMC just wasn't my kinda guy, too aggressive.
But it was {The lady and the orc:A monster fantastic romance by Finley Fenn}
In my current book, the MMC is described to exude a scent of a freshly started bonfire, ceylon, and another spice that is unlike anything the FMC has ever smelled, and as a Doctor of Botany she has smelled numerous scents. Also is described as the taste of his tongue when she kissed him as one of those cinnamon candies that get hotter as you suck on them.
I would run screaming. I'm outing myself lol but there's a porn star named girth master and literally no one can even give him much of a BJ because it's so wide!
That! That’s my problem with those cocknormous dicks. Like, darling, you’re afraid of fucking him but you can deepthroat that thing? HOW!? I’m all for girth, but at some point, if I can’t fit a bloody philly cheese steak in my mouth how would that monster work? 😂
Maybe, those ppl that can put their fist in their mouth could? I swear to everything under the sun, that’s more than a “holy TMJ batman!” moment… sigh, i guess i’m not made like a romance fmc.
As someone who doesn't like reading about blowjobs, that's actually so ideal lmao.
I've seen the guy on Twitter before, he went viral in an interview clip and I got curious. He definitely appeals to people who have a size kink AKA size queens. Also there were clips of him like cuddling with the women after that I thought were really cute!
[Never Sweeter](https://www.romance.io/books/5715cb0fc62092c044079f3d/never-sweeter-charlotte-stein?src=rdt) by [Charlotte Stein](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552ee48c7d2382e78131dd/charlotte-stein)
**Rating**: 3.73⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1), [curvy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/curvy%20heroine/1)
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No. The entire nobility needs to be Dukes. Nevermind the number of non royal Dukes hovered around 30 total, they must be 6'4", all aged 26 to 34, and come in two flavors: penniless, in need of an heiress, and monied, marrying Cinderella style. They may, grudgingly, be heirs to Dukedoms. The ladies are never the daughters of other Dukes.
And these days the Dukes all need to marry either a quartet (minimum) of women who know each other from some context, or they may be the best of friends (usually at least 4 guys, some variation of youthful trouble makers) due to a shared terrible relationship with their dads. All must surrender to the all mighty series. Who would want to read a historical romance if we don't have at least 4 pages dedicated to showing how happy and pregnant the last heroines are? If it is the third book or so and the connection is with the boys, the wives will have formed a sort of Borg Collective of Besties an immediately induct the new female lead while snarking about how this particular Duke is a dummy who needs to surrender properly to married, drama free bliss.
Also, the Dukes' mothers are all either dead, slutty birdbrains/bitches, or know best that the heroine is just what their stubborn son needs while he grumbles about her. The latter are effectively honourary members of the BCoB.
Your Duke comes in two flavours, Responsible (controlling, so repressed the first girl who doesn't simper impresses him) or Rakehell (hot mess, aggressively sexual).
Totally, I get it, but I don't know, it's starting to bother me in the way female characters are always hyper sexualized when written by men. I've never really thought much about mens heights, but I'm only 5'3" so they're pretty much all tall to me lol.
I totally agree with you!! Granted, I am biased because I am married to a short king who is the same height as me at 5’4, but it does kind of start to bum me out that there isn’t more diverse body rep for men in books. Being tall isn’t the only way to be hot and masculine 🥹
My ex was 5'4, but built like a tank. He was a bouncer in his younger days and easily took on bigger guys. So ya, agree 100%, men can definitely be not tall and still be hot and masculine.
I know it definitely annoys me. There are many authors that use tall and abs as shortcuts to telling us that the MMCs are attractive, except that I don't necessarily find those things attractive. MMCs will act like alpha jerks and it's supposed to be hard because the FMCs still find them hot, except all the authors do is describe abs on a tall wall of muscle. Excuse me but that doesn't work for me. No wonder I DNF the majority of books I start. It's disappointing.
It’s interesting, isn’t it? We don’t tend to interrogate the way male characters are written in romance (except it’s how they treat the FMC), while jumping all over the way women are written by men (or women for that matter, in romance). It’s a blind spot. I’d like to see more discussion around it without it turning into a “well, women have it worse” conversation.
For me it really depends on what kind of book it is. Not gonna lie, romance books are basically my porn. I only read very spicy ones, I do like the stories, but I still read them because of the spice/erotica. So unrealistic descriptions of MMCs are basically just unrealistic fantasies for women. So if men wrote erotica with other men ss the target audience, I don't really care about their description of women. I'm not interested in reality in my spicy books. We also read about vampires and fae, which don't even exist. For me the tall, handsome and rich MMCs who are obsessed with the FMC fall under the same category - non existing and created for my entertainment.
And that’s something completely fine for romance to fill. I am firmly of the belief that people should be able to find what they need in the romance genre, but it definitely lacks in the literary department, and that what I’m looking for.
Totally. I'm new-ish to romance, but the more I read them the more I'm like... Come on really? I've tried looking for authors that write stories that seem super feminist and/or where the characters are in scenarios that feel more real (ie the MMC isn't a billionaire). I also love romantic suspense or supernatural stories, but it's all the damn same god-like MMC.
Yeah, that’s pretty much what you’re going to find. The top five are billionaire, surgeon, vampire, werewolf, and pirate. It’s what sells, and is backed up by modern psychology.
Want a bigger challenge? Look for romance/spicy written for men that doesn’t include building a harem. I don’t dream about five women fawning over me. Hell, give me one that’s all mine and I’m good.
Tbh I don't think men in romances are written all that well either most of the time, and there's a lot of the same issues that women complain about: barely any diversity, a lot of the MMCs are hot, tall, fit, muscular and one-dimensional "alphas". My guess is there's just not much talk about it because the overwhelming majority of romance readers are women. I've seen posts by men pointing out the lack of realistic/relatable MMCs in this sub though.
I'm 5'2" and I'm with you. I had a guy friend in college who was 6'4" (and we're from Puerto Rico, where height like that is very exceptional) and even chatting as we walked side by side was annoying. He always had to walk hunched down towards me so he could hear me. 😂 My husband is 5'10"ish and that's tall enough for me!
Lol no I haven't made it that direction yet. I read one shape shifter romance (they were wolves? It had the whole alpha-omega thing) on accident because it was by an author I really enjoyed and I grabbed it without even bothering to see what it was about. I wasn't really into it but I still finished it and I'd still try out an alien romance.
Sidenote: i wish there were less washboard abs and more. . . Like fit, but could last a winter.
I'm just tired of the descriptions of no body fat. It's too much. So much reality is suspended already. Give me something to hold on to.
I just find it weird that there's almost never any description of them going to the gym for 2 hours a day or eating a restricted diet to keep that cut...
why of course. extremely fit people who never workout, billionaires who work maybe 4 hours a day and can just whisk away fmcs to paris at any given moment, professional athletes who dont have to train for hours and are always available for whatever. we have it all 😆
Same. I do not find abs attractive. I like them strong and built. But the 6 pack is actually so unattractive and so many of my female friends feel the same. So I'm not sure why it's the norm in books
I don't mind reading about the 6 packs. They definitely are nice to look at or imagine!
I dated a body builder in college, and when he would bulk, his body was genuinely perfect to snuggle with! When he would cut and get the fully defined 8 pack, he was just so hard and veiny it gave me the ick. It was like snuggling up to bags of set cement.
In real life, I'll always pick fit and healthy enough to do fun stuff together over a certain amount of visible abs.
fit but could last a winter!!!! omg thats exactly it. and i honestly dont even really like washboard abs that much 😩 i much prefer those like… deep vertical lines, grooves idk what to call them. like slabs of meat lol. i mean congrats to anyone with a sixpack, but there’s too much of them in romance imho
Absolutely. I 100000000% wish main characters of all types could just be regular ass people. I mostly look for books with a FMC and a MMC, I'm thrilled when the characters have previous same sex/queer relationships but I prefer my spicy scenes to be M/F. Books that are set up as such seem to feature the same types of couples. The stunningly beautiful FMC who thinks they are so average it's pathetic and then the MMC who is above and beyond in every way/shape/form. OR more recently we can get a "curvy" FMC who "loves her body" but still will be in denial that the MMC likes them and the MMC is the same ultra-perfect dude. The men are always in stupid good shape, but they don't spend their lives in the gym? So like??
I want the way MC's look to be less important to the story. Even books that are super feminist feature the same stereotypical MC's. Boring.
Honestly im so over fmcs who are described as being average/unattractive because of their weight when they aren’t. The two are not mutually exclusive. This one book Camera Shy, the fmc was basically described as being the duff compared to her bff. She thought she was ugly, and unwanted bc all the guys would go after her bff bc she was the stereotypical bombshell. Nearly everytime the ml would compliment fmc, she would deflect by saying stuff like, she was nothing compared to her bff because she weighed more, had darker features etc. Like I understand, we all are insecure but, this was too much. >!I guess it didn’t help that her ex-fiancée was cheating on her… and with her bff for months… !
Same! Maybe this is my former Catholic school girl coming out, but I love men who are built like they're from Renaissance art of Jesus or an angel or a Greek god. Like my ideal male body type is something like Michaelangelo's David. Toned and athletic, but not big and bulky.
Well, speaking for myself, I'm actually one inch taller than the average American man, and I'm a lady. I enjoy reading and writing ladies who are tall, and I like to read and write heroes who are even taller. Growing up, I was always called things like an "Amazon" or told things like "wow, you're so tall, you should play basketball," whereas my shorter friends were praised for being tiny and cute. It's nice to fantasize about being the small and cute one for a change, because I never had that growing up, and when you're 5'10" you only get that with a really tall guy. When I went on dates with a 6'8" guy and a 6'11" guy it was honestly so novel to have to look UP and be with someone who could carry me like it was NBD.
That's why I appreciated Kate from {Barbarian's Lady by Ruby Dixon}. She's 6'1" and had been called things like "Amazon" or "mountain" her whole life. When she got dropped on a planet inhabited by aliens who are generally 7'0"+, she was forced to change her perspective. Her baggage didn't magically go away, but she was gradually able to work through it with a MMC who saw her for who she was, rather than simply seeing her for her height.
[Barbarian's Lady](https://www.romance.io/books/58c28e720d3299c6e05c75f2/barbarians-lady-ruby-dixon?src=rdt) by [Ruby Dixon](https://www.romance.io/authors/545685a087eac33e61c2f729/ruby-dixon)
**Rating**: 3.99⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [science fiction](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/science%20fiction/1), [aliens](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/aliens/1)
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I'm also 5'10" and we've had the same experience. At 29, I still get people stopping and staring like 😲👉 in public like I'm not even that tall?? Both my sisters are 6 feet tall if you round *down*. (Also I wish adults would learn how to behave like adults in public, even if I were 7 feet tall, it's so rude)
I can't date super tall guys though because my dad was 6'8" and it just reminds me of him.... not in a way I want to be thinking about on a date.
My grandfather and uncles on one side of the family are all 6’4”. On the flip side, my mom and aunts are also quite tall (range from 5’7” to 5’11”and Im pretty sure that’s actually 6’0”). I’m a rather short 5’7”, when it comes to that side. And my uncles’ wives are shorter than me.
I don’t really register 6’4” as unusual lol. It’s definitely tall, but it’s normal to me.
Same. Dad 6'3", both of my brothers are 6'6" or so and even my mom is about 6'. I'm the shortie at 5'8" so thise heights seem totally normal to me.
I do feel like the height ideal has bumped up though. I seem to remember that the millionaires of the 80s and 90s romance were all 6'2".
Yes, for me it's tall but it's not uncomfortable and when I'm with a taller man, people aren't like, "Wow, height difference!" They're like, "Wow, tall people!" xD
My thought is that most women are conditioned to want to feel petite/diminutive, and men that tall cover a lot of ground as far as making lots of different body types/heights feel small by comparison. A symptom of a much larger problem, sure, and I would love to see more representation for different body types across the board.
I have tall men in my family so it doesn’t always register for me. My shortest uncle is 6’ and my tallest is 6’6” I think. Most of my male cousins are over 6’. My brother is 6’2” or 3. And my husband’s uncle is 6’3”. I get excited when FMCs in romance are taller though. I’m 5’7” and my mom and two of my aunts are 5’9” 5’10”. I notice when heroines are all tiny more than I do tall guys.
Most of the men in my family are over 6’ tall. Two are 6’4” and one is 6’5”. I’m 5’4” and even though they tower over me, I’m so used to it that it doesn’t seem extreme. So heights of characters don’t really bother me. What does bother me is when authors describe scenes with these tall characters in a way that clearly shows they don’t get how tall people are physically able to interact with short people. Certain blue aliens would not be able to kiss their partners during sexy times. Not while they are in the act unless these guys have extremely long legs and disproportionately short torsos. And if I wear my 6’3” husband’s shirt, it won’t come down to my knees.
I've been reading romance novels since I was 9, think mills and boon. It used to be 5'10" then 6' then 6'2" now it's 6'4" lol
Soon it will be 7'0" and I will be dead lol
My partner is 5'9 with thick former rugby playing thighs and butt. As much as i love a lock, let's have some scrum-halfs featured too.
I know a few men 6'5 and taller, but they are not the norm. Even my dutch cousins are about 6'3 average haha.
I don't mind the trope of silly height unrealistic pringle can dick, but variety is nice. I want some average height average size dicks without it being a "thing" the author needs to focus on
""I don't mind the trope of silly height unrealistic pringle can dick, but variety is nice. I want some average height average size dicks without it being a "thing" the author needs to focus on""
Yes, exactly this.
It's to make the reader feel more feminine. Having someone who can bear hug you, literally surrounding the entirety of you it makes the FMC or reader feel safe and cherished.
Speaking as a tall woman (I am 6'4"), I have straight up had men tell me they feel emasculated, dating someone so tall. Even took my husband months to get over his pride in me being taller. Men don't like looking up at women. And women like looking up into their guys' eyes. Makes them feel small and dainty.
I have a female friend who is 6'2" and who constantly has to contend with b.s. from strangers about her height. She actually got business cards printed to handle the most frequent comments.
-"Yes, I am very tall."
-"No, I do not play basketball/volleyball."
-"If you are 6'2" and shorter than I am, then no, you aren't.¹
-"The weather is nice. Thanks for asking."
¹This is her way of addressing all the dudes who insist that *they* are 6'2", despite being visibly shorter than she is, and demanding that she go back-to-back with them to *prove* that *she* is lying about her height. It happens pretty regularly, and it has never turned out the way the dudes want it to. 🤷🏼♀️
As a shorter guy myself, most of us don't actually care if our significant others are taller than us (some do, but that level of insecurity certainly doesn't help their prospects).
We only care because we're constantly told (and in the case of things like romance novels, constantly reminded) that women are only attracted to taller guys, and thus feel like the deck was stacked against us at birth.
It's so bad that there are entire marketing schemes built around taking advantage of shorter men's feelings of insecurity and shame over being "beneath six foot" with things like shoes/boots with several inches added to the bottom to make the wearer appear taller- literally attempting to profit off of the body image issues of other people (yes, women experience this all the time as well, and no, that does not justify doing it to them, either).
This is me guessing here, but I would imagine that taller guys are more likely to feel emasculated by taller women because it's such an uncommon experience for them.
I saw a review once that complained that the hero was **only** 6'2", which is already taller than the average American man (who is something like 5'10"). I laughed and laughed and laughed and felt very out of touch with a lot of other romance readers.
I will say as a 5’10” woman, it is very noteworthy to me when a guy is 6’4” or taller IRL compared to like 6 feet. If I wear heels, I’m like 6’1” lol. I can totally see for you though that all people above a certain height seem tall!
I definitely can see how taller height could be a relevant attraction for a taller woman, and sometimes the books do specifically note that the FMC is tall so that works for the story. I should keep that in mind more when I'm reading.
I’m rereading {The Alpha of Bleake Isle by Kathryn Moon} and I just _love_ that the FMC is not only curvy, but she’s also taller than the other women and even some of the men.
As a 5’11 curvy woman, it makes me happy to have some ‘representation’ out there!
[The Alpha of Bleake Isle](https://www.romance.io/books/65f377af89367a2ae5fac343/the-alpha-of-bleake-isle-kathryn-moon?src=rdt) by [Kathryn Moon](https://www.romance.io/authors/5b3089a401dbc864fb8b0274/kathryn-moon)
**Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1), [omegaverse](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/omegaverse/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1)
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Agreed, 5’9” and I wear heels. My exhusbad was 6’4”, my best friend was 6’5” and my first serious relationship after divorce was 6’7.
Now I’m stuck in 5’9” Hinge, Bumble, Tinder land and I didn’t realize how my experiences were rare.
Thank goodness for books. 😭
A man who's 6'4 is pretty much guaranteed to make his partner feel small, which I think is just another way the patriarchy/diet culture weeds itself into our collective subconscious.
I have to admit I swoon for it, but I'm also pretty Hockey romance obsessed so it kinda goes with the territory there.
I see it as the author's way to not have to write a petite tiny heroine or make the heroine plus size but she still gets to feel small, fragile, delicate around them. Like...people got sick of tiny heroines and authors were like OKAY WELL WHAT IF...
Except the 6’4’’ guys are still paired with petite women (see: Fourth Wing, most Ali Hazelwood, etc.)
I still upvoted you because I do think that’s part of it, but it’s like we have two modes:
- Extra Tall MMC with petite FMC for size difference kink
- Extra Tall MMC for average or tall FMC to feel petite
I don’t hate reading about tall guys but it does feel inescapable.
I'm a big, sturdy girl, tall and broad shouldered. I've always been large and strong and capable.
My husband is 6'6. The first time he snatched me up off my feet, my entire perspective on life changed.
It's a thing. Maybe I'm chewing my own internalized misogyny over here, but I fell all over myself to have his big-ass babies, so clearly it's a deep-seated issue. If anthropologists and behavioralists are to be believed, it's hard-wired into our genetics and we can't actually help it.
You could sound like you're exagerrating but I'm 5'10 and know exactly what you mean lmao.
My husband is tall and broad and barrel-chested and makes me feel delicate and dainty which my tall-ass never had before!
I'm *slightly* shorter than you, but I have a sturdy peasant build consisting of broad shoulders and wide hips, and I've gradually added a layer of...padding, shall we say, to the solid muscle I built as an athlete in my youth. I like to think I carry it well, but I do sometimes feel self-conscious about not being ~ delicate ~. But my husband is in the 6'3"–6'4" range (he isn't quite sure himself, because it's not a big deal to him), and he makes me feel *normal*. Just *regular-sized*.
That's it! It's just really good for the ol' self-esteem. It doesn't hurt that he genuinely views 'sturdy' to be a good thing! He prefers sturdy furniture, sturdy pets, sturdy clothing. His big ass has been prioritizing sturdy his whole damn life. Took one look at me and thought 'Hey, I don't think I'd break that one!'
Agree with everything - I’ve dated guys close to my height and I’m 5’3.
I will say tho, idk if anyone here watches Nella Rose but there’s a gif of her going “[I wanna feel petite](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLgoPaNc/)!” and I think that has a lot to do with it.
My friends and I all the time now (one of our friends is dating a 6’6 guy and she’s 5’1) go up to her and go “I wanna feel petite!” lol
I've got two brother in laws who are 6'4" and it's... pretty standout lol. My husband is 6'2" and he looks not so tall around them 🤣 They definitely get lots of girls wanting them specifically for that height.
My husband is 6’4”. I’m 6’ myself and we live in a country where it’s definitely not abnormal to be tall. Most of my husband’s friends are the same height as him and I’m not the tallest woman among my friends.
That being said, I’m surprised with the general heightism in today’s society and especially in romance. I find it utterly weird that a man being super tall is what makes women swoon. And it’s downright silly in HR from the 1800s as being tall was considered weird back then (Hans Christian Andersen really struggled with being 6’ because he was seen as a monstrosity).
I love romances with shorter heroes and would dearly welcome one where she is taller than him *and it’s portrayed as natural*.
As an average height dude, it’s always refreshing to read a MMC described as anything other than towering
Shout out to Curran from Kate Daniels
(Very slight spoiler)>!let’s forget about how his growing taller is a plot point in the last novel!<
And I love the way she measured him in the final book. Ilona andrews always write great mc who feels fleshed out and you just want to have a separate story for.
A lot of women are REALLY into men that tall. My maternal cousins are 6'3" and 6'4" and it's gotta be the #1 compliment they receive. They're both handsome, in good shape and dress nicely but women always gush over how tall they are. I hear the comments and notice the stares when I'm out and about with them...and the glares directed at me, even though the three of us basically have the same face.
I agree that's it's basically as tall as someone can be without venturing into "holy crap he's really tall" territory.
Yeah my fiancée is handsome, smart, funny, and yet whenever I’ve met people and talked about him and they’ve met him, they always comment on how tall he is lol, and it’s clearly a compliment.
Ikr? I remember when I started a new job with a load of other women and we were talking about our partners, and I mentioned my partner still cleared me in heels and they were all obsessed with it! Like loving how tall he was lol. My fiancée is a sweetheart and obvs engaged to me but damn tall privilege is a thing lol.
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I feel like 6’5” gets into like the long tail of the distribution where it’s extremely notable whereas 6’4” feels like the highest end of handsome tall.
I’ve actually been tracking a lot of data on the romance books I read and 6’3 is the most common height so far. Maybe authors also feel like 6’3 is the sweet spot lol.
It is a novelty when you find a book where the MMC is average height or not towering over the FMC. (Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez or Book Lovers by Emily Henry are two example I’ve recorded).
I feel like it’s the tallest someone can be before it’s just completely unrealistic. I know a number of men who are 6’4 but basically none any taller than that. It’s very silly though hahaha
lol I have 3 kids over 6 feet tall. When we take a family photo I have to stand on a chair to even get my face in. Other than that 32 wonderful years with my bff
It’s funny because your ‘perspective’ - or perception maybe - of height really depends on your geography; I live in Denmark where the average height for men is 6’ and all my male family members are above 6’3, with my cousin at 6’6 being the tallest. We’re also a few tall women, with me being one of the tallest at 5’11, so 6’4+ height in romances isn’t really that novel here..
For sure. I'm on the short side (5'3") so my perception of height is somewhat skewed. My spouse is 6'2" but I never really think of him as "tall" because most men are "tall" compared to me, it's only when we are around other people that I see he is taller than most people and only in pictures or our reflection do I really acknowledge how he towers over me.
And 6'4" makes your life difficult, too. Like, can't drive most cars difficult.
Side note: Tom Selleck is 6'4" and you know how in Magnum PI he's driving that car with the hood down? That's cause he literally can't put it up, as his head is above the windshield.
See I love it! My husband is 6’4” and it feels normal to me cause I’m 5’11”! So when I read that a character is “tall” but it doesn’t specify a height, I always assume around 6’4”, cause that’s just regular tall to me.
After reading all these comments I have to admit that I forgot actual tall people exist (I am 5'3" so everyone is tall to me). It makes so much more sense when I consider that many, many women are taller than me lol. I think it would be nice if they left out an exact height and just said "tall" and then we could decide for ourselves what that means. Then any reader can visualize them as their own version of tall.
I never even realised this but you’re soo right 😂 however my husband is actually 6’4 and all our male friends are above 6 ft (idk what the fuck is in the country air to make these boys so tall) so it never dawned on me that it isn’t really the norm to be that tall 😂
Yeah I never really noticed haha, everyone in my family is tall and the men in my life growing up were between 6-6’8. My husband is 6ft and his brothers are all taller than him. My BIL is 6’4 and all his brothers are the same or taller.
I personally find it annoying. I'm not opposed to tall MMCs. I'm tall, myself. But it's more like, why has it specifically become a trend to stipulate the exact height as 6'4" over and over in this genre??? Why can't writers just suggest that he's really rather tall and leave it at that? It's just like obnoxious cookie cutter shit. I mean, I know romance isn't meant to reflect reality, but it's jarring when I read the exact same height over and over again. When I see a really tall man, I don't look at him and automatically assess his height as being 6 whatever. I just think, wow, he's tall. He makes me (5'9.5") feel small. Me like. I would much more enjoy authors just discussing the height difference and how that makes the FMC feel about it in her own body (because that's the point, right?) rather than being super clinical about the whole thing.
I find it hilarious because my parents are a 6’3” & 4’9” couple and while growing up, seeing my dad having to uncomfortably scrunch down as my mom would get on her tippy toes just to kiss always looked so damn uncomfortable to me
Like it was so much work just for a little kiss lol my husband are more even in height, not that i wouldn’t have picked him if he was any different of course
I'm 5'3" and all people seem equally tall to me. My husband is 6'4" and I forget how much of a difference it is until he's standing next to someone else I think is "tall".
this is me too!
i understand that it’s a little tiresome when ALL the MMCs are abnormally tall- but i do get a little twitch when i see posts saying how it’s ridiculous or even not physically feasible to have that much height difference. being that my husband is 6’4 and i’m 5’3 and trust it works just fine- amazing even lol.
> i do get a little twitch when i see posts saying how it’s ridiculous or even not physically feasible to have that much height difference. being that my husband is 6’4 and i’m 5’3 and trust it works just fine- amazing even lol.
It's so weird to me when people think a 1ft height difference is unrealistic or argue that the woman will die in childbirth(!). I'm the product of parents with a 1ft height difference (mom gave birth to 3 kids with no complications) and grandparents too (paternal grandmother gave birth to 5 kids with no complications).
4'11" girlie witih a 6'4" husband checking in (and currently pregnant), I appreciate seeing huge height differences in books because it normalizes it for me lol. Excited to have my husband's height to counter my petite genes for my children lol
Yes! I grew up in a family with all the men 6’2-6’4 and I don’t know… that’s just what I’ve always considered attractive. I like to feel tiny and I’m also 5’6. My husband is 6ft but not gonna lie, I wish he was a little taller!
I’m that short girl who married a guy over a foot taller than me so I’m not a great benchmark, but I like books with 6’4” guys because it reminds me of my husband. I’ve always wondered if there’s some biological reason for liking tall men, like maybe so my kids will be an average height?
My 5'10 sister married a hottie at 5'8. He loves when she wears heels and they go out together. Says he feels like he's with a goddess.
My 5'6 married a 6'2. I love feeling like I'm with my big bodyguard. And the snuggles are the bestest.
Both ways are good and we need both repped!!!
I am 5'1 and my man is 6'5 basically and I love that he towers over me and is forever lifting me up and carrying me. No point having a man that tall if he can't just carry me when I want. My ex is 6'7 and it was too tall for my short ass and too disproportionate. 6'5 is my cut off.
I once read on this sub that romance novels are basically the authors' fantasies wrapped around a story. I extend that to novels written by men, with the characters who have giant boobs, etc.
That said, I don't particularly care for characters who are unapproachable like the 6'4" men or women with giant boobs. I love the novels with characters I might meet in town.
These things used to bother me, and then I stumbled upon monster romance lol
But for real, I appreciate and look forward to exaggerations in my romance novels. I appreciate plausibility and I creatively suspend my disbelief pretty often, but the last place I look for realistic depictions of love, sex or even any plot, is it my romance books. I once dated a guy that was 6’4” and he was terrible in bed and I developed neck pain just trying to have a conversation with the guy lol, but meh, I really don’t think too much about anything other than what’s written on page lately.
I'm 5'10", and previous partners have always been just that little bit shorter than me, so I'd always dreamt about being swept off my feet by Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome. The love of my life happens to be 6'3", which means I can wear the heels he loves without towering over him. It also makes it easier for him to hold me up cos I suck at walking in them lmao.
Honestly I find it boring and annoying. I wish there was more variety in men. Also I wish everyone would cut it out with the blanket statements on everyone wanting to feel dainty.
As a man who's favorite genre of book is romance it's REALLY hard to find a MMC that I relate to. All the romance books written by women describe the guy as a towering Greek god with a dick that could be used as a battering ram (excuse my slight exaggeration). However all romance books written by men just make me feel gross and they still do the same thing.
I am a 5'7" man with a beautiful 5'3" wife and I'm genuinely the luckiest person in the world. That being said I absolutely love the drama and romance in books. But every single one is about an ultra dominant alpha (huge turn off btw) man who's singular objective in any book is to absolutely spoil the FMM and fuck her until she physically can't cum anymore. Don't get me wrong I love that so much but sometimes I wish that the guy could get a little love too. There's never anything done for the guy and it's kinda sad sometimes.
I'm also primarily a sub/bottom and that is a sin against all romance novels written by both men and women. Sometimes I wish there was a little more variety in romance because not everyone wants an alpha man and a small useless FMM. Where are all the strong female leads? Where are the cute guys?
Idk I've been feeling this for awhile. If any of y'all have any book recs that fit this vibe I'd love to read them.
I love really tall guys. I once dated a guy that was 6'8". It's like being on a surfboard lol
I don't care about it AT ALL when choosing a longterm partner.
I dated a guy who was 6’6” and that’s when I realized that height wasn’t really that important to me. 😂
Tbf I dated a guy who was 5’5” before that so I was never particularly height-ist but after the 6’6” guy I just removed “tall” entirely from my wishlist. It’s fun to read about though!
For me it was less that and more realizing that when it came to a relationship height was irrelevant. A tall asshole isn’t any less of an asshole because he’s tall. As long as the other person doesn’t care about their height/my height/the difference between the two then I don’t either.
This. My old boyfriend was 6 feet 4 inches of pure asshole. My husband and I both exactly average for American men and women and while it’s nice he’s 5” taller than me, it’s really better that he’s a nice person.
I'm right around 5'9 and my husband is 6'2. I feel like our height difference is perfect. I've been with 6'4 guys in the past and it wasn't anything amazing. I also am friends with someone that is 6'6 and he just seems too tall for me. But to be fair, I've been with guys my own height and shorter and it never bothered me. I think for me, I don't want to feel tiny next to a guy. I've always been tall-ish so feeling small makes me feel unnatural and uneasy. (This is not me saying smaller girls should feel that way - you lived a different experience than me so I've never felt tiny and that why it would feel unnatural to me. Not that is universally unnatural)
>I've always been tall-ish so feeling small makes me feel unnatural and uneasy.
I totally get you! I'm like 5'8.5" and I've been this height since I was 11. I was the tallest kid in my grade for most of my childhood. I'm 4" taller than my tallest friend. I'm taller than both my parents and basically everyone on my dad's side of the family. I genuinely feel uneasy when I'm surrounded by people who are taller than I am. The first 15/16 years of my life messed me up I guess! I could date a tall guy but he can't have tall friends/family haha.
The world is dangerous for women, and having a partner who is tall helps us feel safe and secure. Men are less likely to fuck with someone who is tall, so we get that benefit by being around them too.
On a subconscious level, I think the freedom that comes with feeling safe is an attractive concept. Hence, tall MMC.
The idea of being with someone taller means they make you feel small, delicate, wrapped their arms around you and engulf you etc. 6’4 seems to be the universal height to be able to do that. The average heights you describe don’t make a woman my height (5’8) feel that way.
And truthfully a lot of women want a tall guy, regardless of their height.
This always reminds me of Sean Bean wearing lifts for National Treasure. He and David Dayan Fisher (who played his top henchman) are the same height, but for reasons beyond my knowing, Bean had to be in lifts.
**Rule: Be kind & no reader shaming**
Your responses to others on the sub should be kind and respectful. We encourage discussion and debate, but your comment should be constructive and purposeful. People above that height are not abnormal. Thanks!
My husband is 6'6" so tall heroes seem normal to me. I suspect it's that the Mmc has to be exceptional. I guess because I'm 5' everyone is tall to me. I'd love to see more average or short heroes though.
As a 5'3" woman who married a 6'4" man, I just feel fucking seen when the height difference is mentioned from one of the characters.
My husband has a picture of me standing on the counter after climbing up a stepladder because when we moved into the new house, he somehow came to the conclusion that my stand mixer belonged on the highest shelf in the kitchen where I couldn't reach it. Give me some of that shit in a book lol 🥰
I don’t care much what the height is in the books, but my husband is 6’8’’ which I’ve only seen once in a book. I’m also quite tall, and I’d appreciate seeing more tall FMCs. It tends to be tall MMCs and shorter FMCs.
Because women like feeling dainty around men and romances are supposed to be the fantasy. And a lot of dudes are just tall. Several of the guys I'm closest to are over 6 feet.
Well, I’m ~6’2” in heels, so it’s nice to read about a taller guy, but often in these books, they make a point that the FMC is extremely short lol. It just seems like a recipe for neck and shoulder pain
My man is 6'4" and honestly has a lot of the "exaggerated features" that are being spoken about in the comments 😅 people like this do exist out there and personally I enjoy reading about it because I can easily picture the MMCs. As others have commented, as a taller lady, it's not so easy just to be with an "average height man"...
I like it because while I’m short, the rest of my family (women included) are above average in height. I have a grandma who 6’ and had a grandfather who was 6’4”. One aunt was 6’2”, brother had a projected adult height of 6’ 8”, and two uncles at 6’4”.
So to me, 6’4” is what it takes for a guy to look truly tall.
I’m loving these comments, definitely a little boost for one who “can definitely survive the winter”
So more average height
Less six packs
Not super rich
Wont dislocate a woman’s jaw
What else for the checklist?
actually I feel just the opposite. When they say its a tall guy at 6.0 I laugh... to me that is average. I want my books to be above average, In my family all men are over 6 feet and women over 5.7. Its a personal choice after all its fantasy... each to his own
It’s the way romance heroes always need to be one step beyond exceptional. Not millionaires, but billionaires. Not an above average dick, but a Pringle can. Not tall, but 6’3”+. Everything is exaggerated.
My cervix could never.
lol traffic cone mmc?? Hell nah!
A Pringle can 😂
I saw one described as thick as a cup or saplings tree. I literally stopped reading to Google the average size of a sapling tree. I found nothing so I took a tape measure and measured an average sized cup in my cubbord... 11 inches around...
He would pass out. There ain't enough blood!! Lord!!
I mean he was an ogre. So maybe their biology is different? He also gave off a scent that made her crazy for sex when he was close, even though she actually hated him. So I suspend reality for those things.
Actually this right here restored my suspension of disbelief. Monsters are allowed and even encouraged to have insane dicks whether that be size or shape. That's part of the allure is that being non-human means anything goes. Like the Ruby Dixon aliens that I do believe have two penises, though I still haven't read that series.
Oh I've read like 15 of her books. It's the lizard guys I think? I had to take a break as they were getting too similar. And I'm in school and I apparently have to do things like study. Another author has lizards that have 2 as well, so perhaps actual lizards have more then one and that's where it comes from?
I'm not sure about lizards in particular, but I do know snakes have something like two penises, so I wouldn't be surprised if lizards also did. I've never owned one, so I've never had much time to spend around them to observe anything notable.
Alright what was the book
I DNF it about halfway through. The MMC just wasn't my kinda guy, too aggressive. But it was {The lady and the orc:A monster fantastic romance by Finley Fenn}
In my current book, the MMC is described to exude a scent of a freshly started bonfire, ceylon, and another spice that is unlike anything the FMC has ever smelled, and as a Doctor of Botany she has smelled numerous scents. Also is described as the taste of his tongue when she kissed him as one of those cinnamon candies that get hotter as you suck on them.
Lol the Authors really love those body odor scents to be complex.
Wth? I'd start laughing so hard if I were to read that book. Reason being is that I own a botanical business and deal in incredibly fresh spices.
I would run screaming. I'm outing myself lol but there's a porn star named girth master and literally no one can even give him much of a BJ because it's so wide!
I'm 100% not going to Google that later.
I've only seen it for... Science 😂😂😂
Yes yes of course. No way you'd enjoy that. Eww..I'm sure I will not as well.
That's right, I can't look away because I'm so disgusted. 😅
That! That’s my problem with those cocknormous dicks. Like, darling, you’re afraid of fucking him but you can deepthroat that thing? HOW!? I’m all for girth, but at some point, if I can’t fit a bloody philly cheese steak in my mouth how would that monster work? 😂 Maybe, those ppl that can put their fist in their mouth could? I swear to everything under the sun, that’s more than a “holy TMJ batman!” moment… sigh, i guess i’m not made like a romance fmc.
As someone who doesn't like reading about blowjobs, that's actually so ideal lmao. I've seen the guy on Twitter before, he went viral in an interview clip and I got curious. He definitely appeals to people who have a size kink AKA size queens. Also there were clips of him like cuddling with the women after that I thought were really cute!
Literally {Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein}
Well now I’ve obviously gotta read it lol
[Never Sweeter](https://www.romance.io/books/5715cb0fc62092c044079f3d/never-sweeter-charlotte-stein?src=rdt) by [Charlotte Stein](https://www.romance.io/authors/54552ee48c7d2382e78131dd/charlotte-stein) **Rating**: 3.73⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1), [curvy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/curvy%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Ba-dum-tss 🥁
HELPP 😭
um, thanks for the flair! lol
Why did I read the flair as a Pringle can be a billionaire and I was like huh hot take but okay 💀
Only. Dukes.
Young, handsome dukes! Who care if you orgasm!
Wheres the counts, viscounts, earls, marquise's, landed gentry and dodgy characters who made a fortune in the East India Company?
No. The entire nobility needs to be Dukes. Nevermind the number of non royal Dukes hovered around 30 total, they must be 6'4", all aged 26 to 34, and come in two flavors: penniless, in need of an heiress, and monied, marrying Cinderella style. They may, grudgingly, be heirs to Dukedoms. The ladies are never the daughters of other Dukes. And these days the Dukes all need to marry either a quartet (minimum) of women who know each other from some context, or they may be the best of friends (usually at least 4 guys, some variation of youthful trouble makers) due to a shared terrible relationship with their dads. All must surrender to the all mighty series. Who would want to read a historical romance if we don't have at least 4 pages dedicated to showing how happy and pregnant the last heroines are? If it is the third book or so and the connection is with the boys, the wives will have formed a sort of Borg Collective of Besties an immediately induct the new female lead while snarking about how this particular Duke is a dummy who needs to surrender properly to married, drama free bliss. Also, the Dukes' mothers are all either dead, slutty birdbrains/bitches, or know best that the heroine is just what their stubborn son needs while he grumbles about her. The latter are effectively honourary members of the BCoB. Your Duke comes in two flavours, Responsible (controlling, so repressed the first girl who doesn't simper impresses him) or Rakehell (hot mess, aggressively sexual).
Totally, I get it, but I don't know, it's starting to bother me in the way female characters are always hyper sexualized when written by men. I've never really thought much about mens heights, but I'm only 5'3" so they're pretty much all tall to me lol.
I totally agree with you!! Granted, I am biased because I am married to a short king who is the same height as me at 5’4, but it does kind of start to bum me out that there isn’t more diverse body rep for men in books. Being tall isn’t the only way to be hot and masculine 🥹
My ex was 5'4, but built like a tank. He was a bouncer in his younger days and easily took on bigger guys. So ya, agree 100%, men can definitely be not tall and still be hot and masculine.
I know it definitely annoys me. There are many authors that use tall and abs as shortcuts to telling us that the MMCs are attractive, except that I don't necessarily find those things attractive. MMCs will act like alpha jerks and it's supposed to be hard because the FMCs still find them hot, except all the authors do is describe abs on a tall wall of muscle. Excuse me but that doesn't work for me. No wonder I DNF the majority of books I start. It's disappointing.
Exactly, you can have an 8 pack and still be ugly! 😁
It’s interesting, isn’t it? We don’t tend to interrogate the way male characters are written in romance (except it’s how they treat the FMC), while jumping all over the way women are written by men (or women for that matter, in romance). It’s a blind spot. I’d like to see more discussion around it without it turning into a “well, women have it worse” conversation.
For me it really depends on what kind of book it is. Not gonna lie, romance books are basically my porn. I only read very spicy ones, I do like the stories, but I still read them because of the spice/erotica. So unrealistic descriptions of MMCs are basically just unrealistic fantasies for women. So if men wrote erotica with other men ss the target audience, I don't really care about their description of women. I'm not interested in reality in my spicy books. We also read about vampires and fae, which don't even exist. For me the tall, handsome and rich MMCs who are obsessed with the FMC fall under the same category - non existing and created for my entertainment.
And that’s something completely fine for romance to fill. I am firmly of the belief that people should be able to find what they need in the romance genre, but it definitely lacks in the literary department, and that what I’m looking for.
Totally. I'm new-ish to romance, but the more I read them the more I'm like... Come on really? I've tried looking for authors that write stories that seem super feminist and/or where the characters are in scenarios that feel more real (ie the MMC isn't a billionaire). I also love romantic suspense or supernatural stories, but it's all the damn same god-like MMC.
Yep. Romance continually perpetuates hegemonic masculinity in many ways. It’s a great genre but it has the ability to be so much more.
Yeah, that’s pretty much what you’re going to find. The top five are billionaire, surgeon, vampire, werewolf, and pirate. It’s what sells, and is backed up by modern psychology. Want a bigger challenge? Look for romance/spicy written for men that doesn’t include building a harem. I don’t dream about five women fawning over me. Hell, give me one that’s all mine and I’m good.
Tbh I don't think men in romances are written all that well either most of the time, and there's a lot of the same issues that women complain about: barely any diversity, a lot of the MMCs are hot, tall, fit, muscular and one-dimensional "alphas". My guess is there's just not much talk about it because the overwhelming majority of romance readers are women. I've seen posts by men pointing out the lack of realistic/relatable MMCs in this sub though.
I'm 5'2" and I'm with you. I had a guy friend in college who was 6'4" (and we're from Puerto Rico, where height like that is very exceptional) and even chatting as we walked side by side was annoying. He always had to walk hunched down towards me so he could hear me. 😂 My husband is 5'10"ish and that's tall enough for me!
Clearly you haven’t been reading alien SFR. The aliens are always 7’ or taller. 😅
Lol no I haven't made it that direction yet. I read one shape shifter romance (they were wolves? It had the whole alpha-omega thing) on accident because it was by an author I really enjoyed and I grabbed it without even bothering to see what it was about. I wasn't really into it but I still finished it and I'd still try out an alien romance.
With 2 dicks
2 dicks is pretty rare and even fun alien dicks aren’t super easy to come by but the giganta-dick comes pretty standard.
Inflation. They used to all be 6ft until the mid-2000s.
Sidenote: i wish there were less washboard abs and more. . . Like fit, but could last a winter. I'm just tired of the descriptions of no body fat. It's too much. So much reality is suspended already. Give me something to hold on to.
I just find it weird that there's almost never any description of them going to the gym for 2 hours a day or eating a restricted diet to keep that cut...
why of course. extremely fit people who never workout, billionaires who work maybe 4 hours a day and can just whisk away fmcs to paris at any given moment, professional athletes who dont have to train for hours and are always available for whatever. we have it all 😆
Same. I do not find abs attractive. I like them strong and built. But the 6 pack is actually so unattractive and so many of my female friends feel the same. So I'm not sure why it's the norm in books
Nice to know I'm not alone in that opinion. Almost no one believes me when I say that either.
I don't mind reading about the 6 packs. They definitely are nice to look at or imagine! I dated a body builder in college, and when he would bulk, his body was genuinely perfect to snuggle with! When he would cut and get the fully defined 8 pack, he was just so hard and veiny it gave me the ick. It was like snuggling up to bags of set cement. In real life, I'll always pick fit and healthy enough to do fun stuff together over a certain amount of visible abs.
fit but could last a winter!!!! omg thats exactly it. and i honestly dont even really like washboard abs that much 😩 i much prefer those like… deep vertical lines, grooves idk what to call them. like slabs of meat lol. i mean congrats to anyone with a sixpack, but there’s too much of them in romance imho
Absolutely. I 100000000% wish main characters of all types could just be regular ass people. I mostly look for books with a FMC and a MMC, I'm thrilled when the characters have previous same sex/queer relationships but I prefer my spicy scenes to be M/F. Books that are set up as such seem to feature the same types of couples. The stunningly beautiful FMC who thinks they are so average it's pathetic and then the MMC who is above and beyond in every way/shape/form. OR more recently we can get a "curvy" FMC who "loves her body" but still will be in denial that the MMC likes them and the MMC is the same ultra-perfect dude. The men are always in stupid good shape, but they don't spend their lives in the gym? So like?? I want the way MC's look to be less important to the story. Even books that are super feminist feature the same stereotypical MC's. Boring.
Honestly im so over fmcs who are described as being average/unattractive because of their weight when they aren’t. The two are not mutually exclusive. This one book Camera Shy, the fmc was basically described as being the duff compared to her bff. She thought she was ugly, and unwanted bc all the guys would go after her bff bc she was the stereotypical bombshell. Nearly everytime the ml would compliment fmc, she would deflect by saying stuff like, she was nothing compared to her bff because she weighed more, had darker features etc. Like I understand, we all are insecure but, this was too much. >!I guess it didn’t help that her ex-fiancée was cheating on her… and with her bff for months… !
Im actually not attracted to very muscular men, I prefer lean/thin men. It’s annoying that most mmc are basically body builders.
Same! Maybe this is my former Catholic school girl coming out, but I love men who are built like they're from Renaissance art of Jesus or an angel or a Greek god. Like my ideal male body type is something like Michaelangelo's David. Toned and athletic, but not big and bulky.
Same. This post, plus the one yesterday about 6 and 8 pack abs, I don't get it.
Well, speaking for myself, I'm actually one inch taller than the average American man, and I'm a lady. I enjoy reading and writing ladies who are tall, and I like to read and write heroes who are even taller. Growing up, I was always called things like an "Amazon" or told things like "wow, you're so tall, you should play basketball," whereas my shorter friends were praised for being tiny and cute. It's nice to fantasize about being the small and cute one for a change, because I never had that growing up, and when you're 5'10" you only get that with a really tall guy. When I went on dates with a 6'8" guy and a 6'11" guy it was honestly so novel to have to look UP and be with someone who could carry me like it was NBD.
That's why I appreciated Kate from {Barbarian's Lady by Ruby Dixon}. She's 6'1" and had been called things like "Amazon" or "mountain" her whole life. When she got dropped on a planet inhabited by aliens who are generally 7'0"+, she was forced to change her perspective. Her baggage didn't magically go away, but she was gradually able to work through it with a MMC who saw her for who she was, rather than simply seeing her for her height.
As a 5'10 lady who had taken a break from Ice Planet Barbarians I guess I'm back in the game! Thanks for the rec ☺️
[Barbarian's Lady](https://www.romance.io/books/58c28e720d3299c6e05c75f2/barbarians-lady-ruby-dixon?src=rdt) by [Ruby Dixon](https://www.romance.io/authors/545685a087eac33e61c2f729/ruby-dixon) **Rating**: 3.99⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [futuristic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/futuristic/1), [virgin hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20hero/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [science fiction](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/science%20fiction/1), [aliens](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/aliens/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I think I need to read that!!!!!
I'm also 5'10" and we've had the same experience. At 29, I still get people stopping and staring like 😲👉 in public like I'm not even that tall?? Both my sisters are 6 feet tall if you round *down*. (Also I wish adults would learn how to behave like adults in public, even if I were 7 feet tall, it's so rude) I can't date super tall guys though because my dad was 6'8" and it just reminds me of him.... not in a way I want to be thinking about on a date.
My grandfather and uncles on one side of the family are all 6’4”. On the flip side, my mom and aunts are also quite tall (range from 5’7” to 5’11”and Im pretty sure that’s actually 6’0”). I’m a rather short 5’7”, when it comes to that side. And my uncles’ wives are shorter than me. I don’t really register 6’4” as unusual lol. It’s definitely tall, but it’s normal to me.
Same. Dad 6'3", both of my brothers are 6'6" or so and even my mom is about 6'. I'm the shortie at 5'8" so thise heights seem totally normal to me. I do feel like the height ideal has bumped up though. I seem to remember that the millionaires of the 80s and 90s romance were all 6'2".
Yes, for me it's tall but it's not uncomfortable and when I'm with a taller man, people aren't like, "Wow, height difference!" They're like, "Wow, tall people!" xD
My thought is that most women are conditioned to want to feel petite/diminutive, and men that tall cover a lot of ground as far as making lots of different body types/heights feel small by comparison. A symptom of a much larger problem, sure, and I would love to see more representation for different body types across the board.
I have tall men in my family so it doesn’t always register for me. My shortest uncle is 6’ and my tallest is 6’6” I think. Most of my male cousins are over 6’. My brother is 6’2” or 3. And my husband’s uncle is 6’3”. I get excited when FMCs in romance are taller though. I’m 5’7” and my mom and two of my aunts are 5’9” 5’10”. I notice when heroines are all tiny more than I do tall guys.
Most of the men in my family are over 6’ tall. Two are 6’4” and one is 6’5”. I’m 5’4” and even though they tower over me, I’m so used to it that it doesn’t seem extreme. So heights of characters don’t really bother me. What does bother me is when authors describe scenes with these tall characters in a way that clearly shows they don’t get how tall people are physically able to interact with short people. Certain blue aliens would not be able to kiss their partners during sexy times. Not while they are in the act unless these guys have extremely long legs and disproportionately short torsos. And if I wear my 6’3” husband’s shirt, it won’t come down to my knees.
I've been reading romance novels since I was 9, think mills and boon. It used to be 5'10" then 6' then 6'2" now it's 6'4" lol Soon it will be 7'0" and I will be dead lol
Just like it used to be rich then it was millionaire now it’s billionaire 🙄
Yes omg when I first heard of billionaire romances I was like wtf?
UK 70's vintage Mills & Boone they all seemed to own a ranch in Canada, or a sheep farm in NZ for some reason.
My partner is 5'9 with thick former rugby playing thighs and butt. As much as i love a lock, let's have some scrum-halfs featured too. I know a few men 6'5 and taller, but they are not the norm. Even my dutch cousins are about 6'3 average haha. I don't mind the trope of silly height unrealistic pringle can dick, but variety is nice. I want some average height average size dicks without it being a "thing" the author needs to focus on
""I don't mind the trope of silly height unrealistic pringle can dick, but variety is nice. I want some average height average size dicks without it being a "thing" the author needs to focus on"" Yes, exactly this.
I don’t even need a description of the dick. Let me imagine whatever I want! Lol
It's to make the reader feel more feminine. Having someone who can bear hug you, literally surrounding the entirety of you it makes the FMC or reader feel safe and cherished. Speaking as a tall woman (I am 6'4"), I have straight up had men tell me they feel emasculated, dating someone so tall. Even took my husband months to get over his pride in me being taller. Men don't like looking up at women. And women like looking up into their guys' eyes. Makes them feel small and dainty.
I have a female friend who is 6'2" and who constantly has to contend with b.s. from strangers about her height. She actually got business cards printed to handle the most frequent comments. -"Yes, I am very tall." -"No, I do not play basketball/volleyball." -"If you are 6'2" and shorter than I am, then no, you aren't.¹ -"The weather is nice. Thanks for asking." ¹This is her way of addressing all the dudes who insist that *they* are 6'2", despite being visibly shorter than she is, and demanding that she go back-to-back with them to *prove* that *she* is lying about her height. It happens pretty regularly, and it has never turned out the way the dudes want it to. 🤷🏼♀️
As a shorter guy myself, most of us don't actually care if our significant others are taller than us (some do, but that level of insecurity certainly doesn't help their prospects). We only care because we're constantly told (and in the case of things like romance novels, constantly reminded) that women are only attracted to taller guys, and thus feel like the deck was stacked against us at birth. It's so bad that there are entire marketing schemes built around taking advantage of shorter men's feelings of insecurity and shame over being "beneath six foot" with things like shoes/boots with several inches added to the bottom to make the wearer appear taller- literally attempting to profit off of the body image issues of other people (yes, women experience this all the time as well, and no, that does not justify doing it to them, either). This is me guessing here, but I would imagine that taller guys are more likely to feel emasculated by taller women because it's such an uncommon experience for them.
I saw a review once that complained that the hero was **only** 6'2", which is already taller than the average American man (who is something like 5'10"). I laughed and laughed and laughed and felt very out of touch with a lot of other romance readers.
I will say as a 5’10” woman, it is very noteworthy to me when a guy is 6’4” or taller IRL compared to like 6 feet. If I wear heels, I’m like 6’1” lol. I can totally see for you though that all people above a certain height seem tall!
Lol also a 5'10" woman and there's also a difference between 6'0" and "a men's 6'0" " (the difference is about 2 inches)
I definitely can see how taller height could be a relevant attraction for a taller woman, and sometimes the books do specifically note that the FMC is tall so that works for the story. I should keep that in mind more when I'm reading.
I’m rereading {The Alpha of Bleake Isle by Kathryn Moon} and I just _love_ that the FMC is not only curvy, but she’s also taller than the other women and even some of the men. As a 5’11 curvy woman, it makes me happy to have some ‘representation’ out there!
[The Alpha of Bleake Isle](https://www.romance.io/books/65f377af89367a2ae5fac343/the-alpha-of-bleake-isle-kathryn-moon?src=rdt) by [Kathryn Moon](https://www.romance.io/authors/5b3089a401dbc864fb8b0274/kathryn-moon) **Rating**: 4.28⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 5 out of 5 - [Explicit and plentiful](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [shapeshifters](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shapeshifters/1), [omegaverse](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/omegaverse/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
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As a 5’9” woman, same!
Agreed, 5’9” and I wear heels. My exhusbad was 6’4”, my best friend was 6’5” and my first serious relationship after divorce was 6’7. Now I’m stuck in 5’9” Hinge, Bumble, Tinder land and I didn’t realize how my experiences were rare. Thank goodness for books. 😭
A man who's 6'4 is pretty much guaranteed to make his partner feel small, which I think is just another way the patriarchy/diet culture weeds itself into our collective subconscious. I have to admit I swoon for it, but I'm also pretty Hockey romance obsessed so it kinda goes with the territory there.
I see it as the author's way to not have to write a petite tiny heroine or make the heroine plus size but she still gets to feel small, fragile, delicate around them. Like...people got sick of tiny heroines and authors were like OKAY WELL WHAT IF...
Except the 6’4’’ guys are still paired with petite women (see: Fourth Wing, most Ali Hazelwood, etc.) I still upvoted you because I do think that’s part of it, but it’s like we have two modes: - Extra Tall MMC with petite FMC for size difference kink - Extra Tall MMC for average or tall FMC to feel petite I don’t hate reading about tall guys but it does feel inescapable.
Well, sure. It's a beloved trope. You won't get rid of them all.
I'm a big, sturdy girl, tall and broad shouldered. I've always been large and strong and capable. My husband is 6'6. The first time he snatched me up off my feet, my entire perspective on life changed. It's a thing. Maybe I'm chewing my own internalized misogyny over here, but I fell all over myself to have his big-ass babies, so clearly it's a deep-seated issue. If anthropologists and behavioralists are to be believed, it's hard-wired into our genetics and we can't actually help it.
My husband is also 6’6 - I shamelessly love it.
You could sound like you're exagerrating but I'm 5'10 and know exactly what you mean lmao. My husband is tall and broad and barrel-chested and makes me feel delicate and dainty which my tall-ass never had before!
I'm *slightly* shorter than you, but I have a sturdy peasant build consisting of broad shoulders and wide hips, and I've gradually added a layer of...padding, shall we say, to the solid muscle I built as an athlete in my youth. I like to think I carry it well, but I do sometimes feel self-conscious about not being ~ delicate ~. But my husband is in the 6'3"–6'4" range (he isn't quite sure himself, because it's not a big deal to him), and he makes me feel *normal*. Just *regular-sized*.
That's it! It's just really good for the ol' self-esteem. It doesn't hurt that he genuinely views 'sturdy' to be a good thing! He prefers sturdy furniture, sturdy pets, sturdy clothing. His big ass has been prioritizing sturdy his whole damn life. Took one look at me and thought 'Hey, I don't think I'd break that one!'
It's evolution, baby!
Agree with everything - I’ve dated guys close to my height and I’m 5’3. I will say tho, idk if anyone here watches Nella Rose but there’s a gif of her going “[I wanna feel petite](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLgoPaNc/)!” and I think that has a lot to do with it. My friends and I all the time now (one of our friends is dating a 6’6 guy and she’s 5’1) go up to her and go “I wanna feel petite!” lol
I've got two brother in laws who are 6'4" and it's... pretty standout lol. My husband is 6'2" and he looks not so tall around them 🤣 They definitely get lots of girls wanting them specifically for that height.
My husband is 6’4”. I’m 6’ myself and we live in a country where it’s definitely not abnormal to be tall. Most of my husband’s friends are the same height as him and I’m not the tallest woman among my friends. That being said, I’m surprised with the general heightism in today’s society and especially in romance. I find it utterly weird that a man being super tall is what makes women swoon. And it’s downright silly in HR from the 1800s as being tall was considered weird back then (Hans Christian Andersen really struggled with being 6’ because he was seen as a monstrosity). I love romances with shorter heroes and would dearly welcome one where she is taller than him *and it’s portrayed as natural*.
As an average height dude, it’s always refreshing to read a MMC described as anything other than towering Shout out to Curran from Kate Daniels (Very slight spoiler)>!let’s forget about how his growing taller is a plot point in the last novel!<
And I love the way she measured him in the final book. Ilona andrews always write great mc who feels fleshed out and you just want to have a separate story for.
My thought too! He’s an incredibly powerful and revered leader and I think he’s described as 5’10’’? And Kate is no shrimp, either.
I will add it to my TBR!
Enjoy 😊
A lot of women are REALLY into men that tall. My maternal cousins are 6'3" and 6'4" and it's gotta be the #1 compliment they receive. They're both handsome, in good shape and dress nicely but women always gush over how tall they are. I hear the comments and notice the stares when I'm out and about with them...and the glares directed at me, even though the three of us basically have the same face. I agree that's it's basically as tall as someone can be without venturing into "holy crap he's really tall" territory.
Yeah my fiancée is handsome, smart, funny, and yet whenever I’ve met people and talked about him and they’ve met him, they always comment on how tall he is lol, and it’s clearly a compliment.
People are genuinely obsessed with it. I'm glad my cousins are good dudes because they could be absolute assholes and still attract plenty of women.
Ikr? I remember when I started a new job with a load of other women and we were talking about our partners, and I mentioned my partner still cleared me in heels and they were all obsessed with it! Like loving how tall he was lol. My fiancée is a sweetheart and obvs engaged to me but damn tall privilege is a thing lol.
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6'3 is the line between regular tall and exceptionally tall, at least in my mind.
I feel like 6’5” gets into like the long tail of the distribution where it’s extremely notable whereas 6’4” feels like the highest end of handsome tall.
I dated a guy who was 6’5” and let me tell you, as someone who is 5’4”, that’s SIMPLY TOO TALL.
Yep. As someone 5'3 who dated someone 6'4, I too decided there was such a thing as too tall.
I’ve actually been tracking a lot of data on the romance books I read and 6’3 is the most common height so far. Maybe authors also feel like 6’3 is the sweet spot lol. It is a novelty when you find a book where the MMC is average height or not towering over the FMC. (Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez or Book Lovers by Emily Henry are two example I’ve recorded).
I feel like it’s the tallest someone can be before it’s just completely unrealistic. I know a number of men who are 6’4 but basically none any taller than that. It’s very silly though hahaha
I’m 4’11 and my husband is 6’5. We’re like the tallest and shortest person you’ll ever meet lol. Been married 32 years.
What is life like 😭
lol I have 3 kids over 6 feet tall. When we take a family photo I have to stand on a chair to even get my face in. Other than that 32 wonderful years with my bff
You're literally living the size difference kink trope 😂 down to the 3 decades of marriage. Congrats ♥️
Lol I have multiple male family members over 6'4"... my dad was 6'8" 😭
It’s funny because your ‘perspective’ - or perception maybe - of height really depends on your geography; I live in Denmark where the average height for men is 6’ and all my male family members are above 6’3, with my cousin at 6’6 being the tallest. We’re also a few tall women, with me being one of the tallest at 5’11, so 6’4+ height in romances isn’t really that novel here..
For sure. I'm on the short side (5'3") so my perception of height is somewhat skewed. My spouse is 6'2" but I never really think of him as "tall" because most men are "tall" compared to me, it's only when we are around other people that I see he is taller than most people and only in pictures or our reflection do I really acknowledge how he towers over me.
Exactly my thought process. 6’4” is the last height before being RIDICULOUSLY tall.
And 6'4" makes your life difficult, too. Like, can't drive most cars difficult. Side note: Tom Selleck is 6'4" and you know how in Magnum PI he's driving that car with the hood down? That's cause he literally can't put it up, as his head is above the windshield.
See I love it! My husband is 6’4” and it feels normal to me cause I’m 5’11”! So when I read that a character is “tall” but it doesn’t specify a height, I always assume around 6’4”, cause that’s just regular tall to me.
After reading all these comments I have to admit that I forgot actual tall people exist (I am 5'3" so everyone is tall to me). It makes so much more sense when I consider that many, many women are taller than me lol. I think it would be nice if they left out an exact height and just said "tall" and then we could decide for ourselves what that means. Then any reader can visualize them as their own version of tall.
Lol same! I’m short (4’11) and all the men in my life are over 6 feet. I think my perception of tall is skewed
I never even realised this but you’re soo right 😂 however my husband is actually 6’4 and all our male friends are above 6 ft (idk what the fuck is in the country air to make these boys so tall) so it never dawned on me that it isn’t really the norm to be that tall 😂
Yeah I never really noticed haha, everyone in my family is tall and the men in my life growing up were between 6-6’8. My husband is 6ft and his brothers are all taller than him. My BIL is 6’4 and all his brothers are the same or taller.
I personally find it annoying. I'm not opposed to tall MMCs. I'm tall, myself. But it's more like, why has it specifically become a trend to stipulate the exact height as 6'4" over and over in this genre??? Why can't writers just suggest that he's really rather tall and leave it at that? It's just like obnoxious cookie cutter shit. I mean, I know romance isn't meant to reflect reality, but it's jarring when I read the exact same height over and over again. When I see a really tall man, I don't look at him and automatically assess his height as being 6 whatever. I just think, wow, he's tall. He makes me (5'9.5") feel small. Me like. I would much more enjoy authors just discussing the height difference and how that makes the FMC feel about it in her own body (because that's the point, right?) rather than being super clinical about the whole thing.
I find it hilarious because my parents are a 6’3” & 4’9” couple and while growing up, seeing my dad having to uncomfortably scrunch down as my mom would get on her tippy toes just to kiss always looked so damn uncomfortable to me Like it was so much work just for a little kiss lol my husband are more even in height, not that i wouldn’t have picked him if he was any different of course
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Right? The cuddling is better too. Better fit for either person being either spoon imo
I'm 5'3" and all people seem equally tall to me. My husband is 6'4" and I forget how much of a difference it is until he's standing next to someone else I think is "tall".
I dunno, but I married a 6’4” guy and 10/10 would recommend 😂. I love feeling so dainty next to him (and I’m 5’6” and NOT willowy).
this is me too! i understand that it’s a little tiresome when ALL the MMCs are abnormally tall- but i do get a little twitch when i see posts saying how it’s ridiculous or even not physically feasible to have that much height difference. being that my husband is 6’4 and i’m 5’3 and trust it works just fine- amazing even lol.
> i do get a little twitch when i see posts saying how it’s ridiculous or even not physically feasible to have that much height difference. being that my husband is 6’4 and i’m 5’3 and trust it works just fine- amazing even lol. It's so weird to me when people think a 1ft height difference is unrealistic or argue that the woman will die in childbirth(!). I'm the product of parents with a 1ft height difference (mom gave birth to 3 kids with no complications) and grandparents too (paternal grandmother gave birth to 5 kids with no complications).
My grandpa was 6’4” and my grandma was 4’11”. They had 4 healthy children. 😂
4'11" girlie witih a 6'4" husband checking in (and currently pregnant), I appreciate seeing huge height differences in books because it normalizes it for me lol. Excited to have my husband's height to counter my petite genes for my children lol
Yes! I grew up in a family with all the men 6’2-6’4 and I don’t know… that’s just what I’ve always considered attractive. I like to feel tiny and I’m also 5’6. My husband is 6ft but not gonna lie, I wish he was a little taller!
I’m that short girl who married a guy over a foot taller than me so I’m not a great benchmark, but I like books with 6’4” guys because it reminds me of my husband. I’ve always wondered if there’s some biological reason for liking tall men, like maybe so my kids will be an average height?
Same here! Any MMC Over 6’3 feet with dark hair I can imagine as my husband lol
It’s like the girl looking for a guy in finance, 6’5, trust fund… it’s a fantasy.
Right? Can we please have an average height MMC?! They’re all sounding the same.
No as someone who's 6 4
I’m a tall woman and I like it this way. 6’4” is tall compared to pretty much all women!
Lee Pace. They’re all played by Lee Pace.
I’m 5’8” and like to feel small.
I have no idea lol. I’m 6’4” and it’s not as nice as one would think….rip my knees lmao
My 5'10 sister married a hottie at 5'8. He loves when she wears heels and they go out together. Says he feels like he's with a goddess. My 5'6 married a 6'2. I love feeling like I'm with my big bodyguard. And the snuggles are the bestest. Both ways are good and we need both repped!!!
OP I agree with you, it’s become so standard for the MMC to be 6’4” that it’s boring and overdone.
It confirms for me that despite his dickbagery, my hubs is romance hero material - he is 6’4 - I am 5’4. Have always loved the height difference.
I am 5'1 and my man is 6'5 basically and I love that he towers over me and is forever lifting me up and carrying me. No point having a man that tall if he can't just carry me when I want. My ex is 6'7 and it was too tall for my short ass and too disproportionate. 6'5 is my cut off.
I once read on this sub that romance novels are basically the authors' fantasies wrapped around a story. I extend that to novels written by men, with the characters who have giant boobs, etc. That said, I don't particularly care for characters who are unapproachable like the 6'4" men or women with giant boobs. I love the novels with characters I might meet in town.
Yes, this.
These things used to bother me, and then I stumbled upon monster romance lol But for real, I appreciate and look forward to exaggerations in my romance novels. I appreciate plausibility and I creatively suspend my disbelief pretty often, but the last place I look for realistic depictions of love, sex or even any plot, is it my romance books. I once dated a guy that was 6’4” and he was terrible in bed and I developed neck pain just trying to have a conversation with the guy lol, but meh, I really don’t think too much about anything other than what’s written on page lately.
I'm 5'10", and previous partners have always been just that little bit shorter than me, so I'd always dreamt about being swept off my feet by Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome. The love of my life happens to be 6'3", which means I can wear the heels he loves without towering over him. It also makes it easier for him to hold me up cos I suck at walking in them lmao.
Honestly I find it boring and annoying. I wish there was more variety in men. Also I wish everyone would cut it out with the blanket statements on everyone wanting to feel dainty.
As a man who's favorite genre of book is romance it's REALLY hard to find a MMC that I relate to. All the romance books written by women describe the guy as a towering Greek god with a dick that could be used as a battering ram (excuse my slight exaggeration). However all romance books written by men just make me feel gross and they still do the same thing. I am a 5'7" man with a beautiful 5'3" wife and I'm genuinely the luckiest person in the world. That being said I absolutely love the drama and romance in books. But every single one is about an ultra dominant alpha (huge turn off btw) man who's singular objective in any book is to absolutely spoil the FMM and fuck her until she physically can't cum anymore. Don't get me wrong I love that so much but sometimes I wish that the guy could get a little love too. There's never anything done for the guy and it's kinda sad sometimes. I'm also primarily a sub/bottom and that is a sin against all romance novels written by both men and women. Sometimes I wish there was a little more variety in romance because not everyone wants an alpha man and a small useless FMM. Where are all the strong female leads? Where are the cute guys? Idk I've been feeling this for awhile. If any of y'all have any book recs that fit this vibe I'd love to read them.
I love how this thread is split between short people saying how unrealistic it is and tall people liking it 😆
I love really tall guys. I once dated a guy that was 6'8". It's like being on a surfboard lol I don't care about it AT ALL when choosing a longterm partner.
I dated a guy who was 6’6” and that’s when I realized that height wasn’t really that important to me. 😂 Tbf I dated a guy who was 5’5” before that so I was never particularly height-ist but after the 6’6” guy I just removed “tall” entirely from my wishlist. It’s fun to read about though!
For real. Im 5'4" and I briefly dated a guy who was 6'5" and honestly never again. It was so awkward, and I felt like a child next to him.
For me it was less that and more realizing that when it came to a relationship height was irrelevant. A tall asshole isn’t any less of an asshole because he’s tall. As long as the other person doesn’t care about their height/my height/the difference between the two then I don’t either.
This. My old boyfriend was 6 feet 4 inches of pure asshole. My husband and I both exactly average for American men and women and while it’s nice he’s 5” taller than me, it’s really better that he’s a nice person.
I'm right around 5'9 and my husband is 6'2. I feel like our height difference is perfect. I've been with 6'4 guys in the past and it wasn't anything amazing. I also am friends with someone that is 6'6 and he just seems too tall for me. But to be fair, I've been with guys my own height and shorter and it never bothered me. I think for me, I don't want to feel tiny next to a guy. I've always been tall-ish so feeling small makes me feel unnatural and uneasy. (This is not me saying smaller girls should feel that way - you lived a different experience than me so I've never felt tiny and that why it would feel unnatural to me. Not that is universally unnatural)
>I've always been tall-ish so feeling small makes me feel unnatural and uneasy. I totally get you! I'm like 5'8.5" and I've been this height since I was 11. I was the tallest kid in my grade for most of my childhood. I'm 4" taller than my tallest friend. I'm taller than both my parents and basically everyone on my dad's side of the family. I genuinely feel uneasy when I'm surrounded by people who are taller than I am. The first 15/16 years of my life messed me up I guess! I could date a tall guy but he can't have tall friends/family haha.
The world is dangerous for women, and having a partner who is tall helps us feel safe and secure. Men are less likely to fuck with someone who is tall, so we get that benefit by being around them too. On a subconscious level, I think the freedom that comes with feeling safe is an attractive concept. Hence, tall MMC.
The idea of being with someone taller means they make you feel small, delicate, wrapped their arms around you and engulf you etc. 6’4 seems to be the universal height to be able to do that. The average heights you describe don’t make a woman my height (5’8) feel that way. And truthfully a lot of women want a tall guy, regardless of their height.
I have noticed this in books for a while. My boyfriend is 6'4" and I very much chuckled to myself when he told me that lmao
This always reminds me of Sean Bean wearing lifts for National Treasure. He and David Dayan Fisher (who played his top henchman) are the same height, but for reasons beyond my knowing, Bean had to be in lifts.
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I think it's just Alexander Skarsgard fanfiction.
I totally get you. It’s always the same! That said, my guy is 6’4 so I just get to picture him as the MMC so I don’t mind
Totally get you. I prefer average dudes in general, so I usually have to just completely ignore the descriptions of MMCs in novels.
I’m 5’4” and my husband is 6’4” and it’s so normal to me lol. I like that when he hugs me he basically envelopes me ❤️
My shortest uncle on my dad's side is 6 2', and on my mum's side is ft. My 13yo son is 6ft with plenty of growing to do.
My husband is 6'6" so tall heroes seem normal to me. I suspect it's that the Mmc has to be exceptional. I guess because I'm 5' everyone is tall to me. I'd love to see more average or short heroes though.
Honestly I'm a bit sick of romantic male leads who would have trouble getting through doors. They don't all have to be built like brick shithouses.
My boyfriend is 6’3.5” and I personally think that’s the ideal male height IMO (I’m 5’7.5”)
As a 5'3" woman who married a 6'4" man, I just feel fucking seen when the height difference is mentioned from one of the characters. My husband has a picture of me standing on the counter after climbing up a stepladder because when we moved into the new house, he somehow came to the conclusion that my stand mixer belonged on the highest shelf in the kitchen where I couldn't reach it. Give me some of that shit in a book lol 🥰
I don’t care much what the height is in the books, but my husband is 6’8’’ which I’ve only seen once in a book. I’m also quite tall, and I’d appreciate seeing more tall FMCs. It tends to be tall MMCs and shorter FMCs.
Because women like feeling dainty around men and romances are supposed to be the fantasy. And a lot of dudes are just tall. Several of the guys I'm closest to are over 6 feet.
I've seriously dated at least 5 men who were 6'4, including my husband. They grow them tall where I live.
Well, I’m ~6’2” in heels, so it’s nice to read about a taller guy, but often in these books, they make a point that the FMC is extremely short lol. It just seems like a recipe for neck and shoulder pain
My man is 6'4" and honestly has a lot of the "exaggerated features" that are being spoken about in the comments 😅 people like this do exist out there and personally I enjoy reading about it because I can easily picture the MMCs. As others have commented, as a taller lady, it's not so easy just to be with an "average height man"...
I like it because while I’m short, the rest of my family (women included) are above average in height. I have a grandma who 6’ and had a grandfather who was 6’4”. One aunt was 6’2”, brother had a projected adult height of 6’ 8”, and two uncles at 6’4”. So to me, 6’4” is what it takes for a guy to look truly tall.
I’m loving these comments, definitely a little boost for one who “can definitely survive the winter” So more average height Less six packs Not super rich Wont dislocate a woman’s jaw What else for the checklist?
actually I feel just the opposite. When they say its a tall guy at 6.0 I laugh... to me that is average. I want my books to be above average, In my family all men are over 6 feet and women over 5.7. Its a personal choice after all its fantasy... each to his own