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Mr. Fix-it: the hero of plumbing

Strong heroes — we all love them. They’re those courageous, lethal men who slay enemies, diffuse bombs, and save the grateful world. But do all heroes have to be so glamorous? Can a non-weapon wielding, non-karate chopping man star in one of our books?

I know that depends on genre. The hero of a romantic suspense novel probably needs more weapon skills than one in a romantic comedy. But still. Can a regular guy become a credible romance hero?

I started thinking about this topic in a rather round-about way — because of our bad plumbing. We’ve lived in our current house for about ten years now, and ever since we moved in, the water pressure has been lousy. I’m not talking about moderately low water pressure, I’m talking about really pathetic water pressure — trickling showers, dribbling faucets, toilets that barely flush. And we could never quite figure it out. We have a lovely, modern house on city water. There was no reason to have such terrible pressure. The city checked the lines to the house and said they were fine. We replaced faucets and shower heads in case they were blocked or corroded, checked to make sure everything was turned to the proper settings, all to no avail. The water continued to dribble out. After a while we gave up, resigned ourselves to living with lousy plumbing, and simply endured.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when an unrelated plumbing disaster forced us to call in a professional plumber. I took advantage of his presence to ask him about our water pressure problem, and lo and behold, it turned out that all of our faucets had those water-saver devices on them. He showed me how to remove the devices, and seconds later we had fantastic, glorious water pressure everywhere in the house.

It was amazing. What a difference! The water gushed from the faucets. I felt almost giddy every time I turned on a tap. And taking a shower became an experience in decadence. What a thrill!

So all this made me think about plumbers as romance heroes. Okay, maybe not the particular plumber who came to my house. But I did start thinking about what skills we like to see in our heroes. And being a handy guy — whether it’s to unclog a garbage disposal, increase the water pressure in the shower, or fix the computer — is definitely high on my list.

So what do you think? What traits do you like to see in your heroes? Have you read any good books starring ordinary guys who still manage to save the heroine’s world? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

13 Responses to “Mr. Fix-it: the hero of plumbing”

Funny you should mention this. I was just talking with my friend as we trod the treadmill about how our fathers could (and did) fix anything. These days it seems impossible to find a guy who can do it all.

We have found a man who helps us with all the little fix-it jobs around the house and, FWIW, he could be a hero in a novel. We’ve overheard him talking with his wife on his cell phone and he’s always gentle and loving, saying goodbye with “I love you.” Plus he’s handsome. He is an all around handyman and he’s managing to make a living at it.

You know, I have read a story about a guy like this but it’s been a few years. But I think he was a contractor. Oh yeah, and Nora Roberts had “handyman” hero, of sorts, in Blue Smoke.

by Laidybyrd on January 24th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Well, Nora married her former handyman, so it makes sense that she would write about one!

Maybe it seems as if there are fewer men who can fix things these days because there are more things to master, such as computers???

by Gail Barrett on January 24th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Just off the top of my head, the only thing that popped into my mind is “Devil in Winter” by Lisa Kleypas. St. Vincent grew up all his life pampered and womanizing and then he marries Evie and realizes he wants to run her father’s club. Like, whoa, this work thing isn’t so bad!

by Sharmi on January 24th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I love a hero who’s good with his hands! Seriously, my husband is a carpenter and I never get tired of that toolbelt. Even the orange safety vest is strangely attractive. While I enjoy aristocratic characters in historical romances, for some reason this theme doesn’t translate as well for me in contemporary novels. Give me a Lori Foster, rough and tumble hero over a tuxedo’d billionaire any day.

by Jill Sorenson on January 24th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Jill, I agree with you. I much prefer a man in a well-worn pair of jeans to a tuxedo. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s true. I remember my mother always told me how attractive she thought a man looked in a suit, but I never quite understood the appeal. Give me a tool belt anytime!!!!

by Gail Barrett on January 24th, 2008 at 11:58 am
I love heroes who are good with their hands, but I also love the geeks who can fix your computer or explain maths without making you feel yourself like a complete idiot.

by Minna on January 24th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Maybe it’s the skill and competence that attracts us, whether it’s building a shelf or fixing something like a computer. And intelligence is always a big turn-on, especially if it’s paired with patience.

Sharmi - I haven’t read that book yet. I’ll put it on my list.

by Gail Barrett on January 24th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I agree with everyone’s comments about a handyman, but were missing one very important occupation, the mechanic. I love to see a man in his mechanics uniform with a sexy butt bent over the hood of my car.

by Patty L. on January 24th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Hi Gail,
I think what makes a hero really attractive is his competence. I admit I’m someone who finds a guy in a good suit really attractive. And uniforms. But - for people who are handy (my dad can fix *anything* - from cars to plumbing to circuits, computers and more (he just isn’t so good at *using* a computer). Maybe its the “if all the technology dies, you can still provide” that’s appealing. A friend once told me if she were ever shipwrecked on an island, she’d want my cousin with her. He’s a former marine.
I think a lot of the “heroes” in Rachel Gibson’s books are “regular guys.” Or maybe the hero in “Déjà You” by Lynda Sandoval (although we do find out he owns his own company.) The billionaire hero offers more glamor and an easier escape, but I really enjoy the “ordinary guy” with a great love. Jill, I agree. I love Lori Foster’s heroes as well. Shannon McKenna’s heroes are also all regular guys, albeit extremely alpha. Ok, and oftentimes a wee bit paranoid ;-). I’m a fan of books by all these authors and love their “regular guy” heroes. Its not their career, but their character that distinguishes them.

by JSL on January 24th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I love the handyman too. Something about a guy who is good with his hands and knows how to use his tools. LOL. Of course the successful sexy hunk in a tux is hard to resist too.

by Pat L. on January 24th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Excellent points, everyone! I also think a man’s intensity is appealing. There is something about single minded concentration that is sexy — maybe because we can imagine it focused on us.

by Gail Barrett on January 25th, 2008 at 4:41 am
I’m with you on the showers. That and comfort food top my list of simple pleasures.

by Alice Audrey on January 25th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
What JSL said–competence is really sexy! I think people are really most attractive when they’re doing something they’re really good at, whether it’s flying a fighter plane or fixing my crashed computer, making an excellent omelet or re-roofing the house… So just about anyone can be really hot, when they’re doing what they’re good at. And of course, “ordinary” guys have the advantage of (usually) not being totally full of themselves (as some extremely physically attractive people can fall into being).

And for romance heroes, I’ve read ones starring teachers, preachers, contractors… and of course, cowboys

by Fedora on January 27th, 2008 at 11:13 pm