Alphas Vs Cinnamon Rolls: Finding Heroes

If you follow my blog, you know that I am addicted to awesome heroines.  But I also enjoy a great hero.

There has been a raging debate over the last few years on Romance Twitter and it involves a debate over which type of hero people prefer: alphas or cinnamon rolls.  (Spoiler: I'm a fan of both and what I prefer depends on the day, my mood, and the character.)  So I thought I'd share some of my favourite of each type.

For those not familiar with the terms, alpha refers to a hero of the laconic, take-charge, punch your way through problems kind of guy.  He's usually damaged, fighting for redemption, and struggling with his self-esteem.  A true alpha is always a protector with a heart of gold, one who will do anything to save the people he cares about.

A cinnamon roll is a hero who is emotionally available, openly supportive, and just plain sweet.  He can be physically strong and capable, but doesn't have the harshness of an alpha.  He builds teams, gives rousing pep-talks, and will sacrifice himself to help others.  A cinnamon roll wears his heart on his sleeve, always has a ready joke, and can make the world seem less scary and intimidating.


Let's start with one of my favourite cinnamon rolls, the Captain himself.  I've used him frequently as an example when people insist that cinnamon rolls are weak.  He's strong but also kind.  There's a reason he's the one who gives the "we can do this" speeches to the rest of the team, not to mention being the one who sits down for heart-to-hearts.  One of the sweetest things about him is how much he believes that everyone around him can be a better version of themselves than they imagined.

He has a great love, Peggy Carter.  He's proud of her strength and never expects her to pretend to be less than she is.  He wants her to be happy and he strives to be worthy of her.  He made the difficult decision to sacrifice himself to save her (and everyone else) by crashing his plane into the ice.  And he still gets his happily ever after.

For me, the appeal of Steve Rogers is the combination of strength and kindness.  It makes him an appealing romantic partner.  A hero who will support his chosen partner and who sees them as an amazing person in their own right is definitely worth a little crushing.

On the other side of the hero spectrum is another favourite of mine: Wolverine.  He has no faith in humanity or himself.  He only finds meaning in his immortal life when he defending others.   He's never met a situation he couldn't carve his way through and he doesn't hesitate to throw himself into combat against impossible odds if it means there's a chance he can save someone else.

Damaged bad boys might not be fun in real life, but in fiction there's always that little thrill of being the one he opens up to, of being special.  Not to mention the reassurance of knowing that your boyfriend could slice and dice his way through any number of evil henchmen to rescue you, should the occasion arise.  While I recognize the problems of fridging as plot device, I still love the idea of a powerful hero ready to tear through the universe to save the one he loves.

Next up is a new cinnamon roll sweetie for me, Aram from The Blacklist.  He's incredibly smart and skilled and absolutely dedicated to the woman he loves, willing to do whatever she needs.  (Don't talk to me about what happens in Season 6, I'm still not over it.)  He might not be able to rip a log apart with his bare hands, but he is the guy who would change diapers at 2 a.m. or bring you coffee exactly the way you like it, because he pays attention.  He's willing to give up his entire life to be with the woman he loves.

Sometimes a girl doesn't need a superhero.  Sometimes she just needs a sweetheart with a great job and a willingness to watch nerd movies all weekend.

Speaking of nerds... let's talk about the Jaqobis brothers from Killjoys.

With D'Avin and Johnny, there's one of each (and both with a sense of humor, which I adore).  An alpha who can shoot a long distance target and who is always willing to strip off his shirt in the name of science, and a cinnamon roll who can sweet-talk any computer, fly any space ship, and is always there to support his friends.

Both of them are adorably hot and heart-meltingly loyal.  Though there's plenty of entertaining petty bickering between them, in the end they always have each other's backs.

One thing that none of these heroes would do is be controlling.  That would be an automatic deal-breaker for me.  Even when it causes them heartbreak, they respect other people's wishes.

These guys are all about being protectors and a protector will always be sexy for me.  The line between cinnamon roll and alpha is a thin one, when it comes down to it.  The point is that they are the type of guys that we all deserve for our own happily ever afters.  Or at least some happy daydreams.

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