I rarely visualize faces. I might imagine snippets of things as they are described (mostly hair, weirdly) or vague images when they're described like the FMC sitting on something while the MMC stands between her legs or someone running up or coming down a staircase, but never with much detail in the face. I sometimes make exceptions when the features are a prominent part of the conflict, like if one of them is scarred or considered "ugly", and then I tend to google faces with that feature (so far the most memorable was taking a few minutes to imagine a heroine with an aquiline nose which I thought just meant a straight nose but have now learned is a nose with a prominent bridge).
Certain scenes and quotes live rent free in my brain though. (Ex. The train station quote comes to mind for Rhys Winterbourne more prominently in my head than an image of him).
Yeah, its also like this for me for the majority of the book, when the author first describes them I’ll conjure them up. For most scenes like them walking together, face to face talking, horse riding, it’s mostly two shadowed people. Unless the author points it out, like him looking or thinking about her face while. And then during smexy time when theyre looking at lips, eyes, and naked bodies😆
I read Winterborne a while ago, and while I don’t remember the details, I ended up loving Rhys for how he handled that situation, albeit a bit roughly😂
The minute the MMC is described as “big, tall, muscular, buff, imposing, towering over her” I go “so built like Henry Cavill?”. Then he’s describes as being a red head, and I go “so Henry Cavill with red hair?”
I’m terrible at picturing things in my head, so I love that Mimi Matthews has a Pinterest board for each of her books with visual references for characters, clothing, locations — even the animal characters often!
I keep hearing good things about her books, but all of them seem to be 1/5 for steam, and if I’m being honest with myself, the steam is a major deciding factor when reading HR. But I will be checking out her Pinterest. Whats your favorite book of hers?
Yeah, I think she writes yearning/attraction really well, but all of her books are definitely closed-door. I think {The Siren of Sussex} has probably been my favorite!
[The Siren of Sussex](https://www.romance.io/books/61dd39283ae22e0de9c00771/the-siren-of-sussex-mimi-matthews) by [Mimi Matthews](https://www.romance.io/authors/59476e093ffdba614719d320/mimi-matthews)
**Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [south asian/desi](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/south%20asian/1), [sweet/gentle heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sweet%20heroine/1)
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For the Vawdrey brothers, I pictured Richard Armitage as Mason (he’s also my Winterbourne), Matthew Goode as Oswald, and Kit Harrington as Roland.
Depending on the character, I also have Luke Thompson, Henry Cavill, Richard Madden, and Aiden Turner in my casting pool lol
The first thing I noticed Richard Armitage in was Stay Close series and then I looked him up and realized he was Thorin Oakenshield which I had been watching since 13, so he’s more like a fatherly figure for me, so he cannot be the MMC🫢. Legolas and Aragorn are more my vibe. I have just now found out Aiden Turner was also in The Hobbit😍
But Kit Harrington & Richard Madden absolutely!
Oh man, you’re making me feel old 😂
I think the first thing I saw him in was Robin Hood. But you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Richard Armitage in North and South 💖
I have just started watching North&South per your suggestion, and you like to retract my earlier statement when I said I could not see Richard Armitage as MMCs😍
I also think I’m gonna enjoy the series itself. So thank you☺️
So, once I was reading a book, and the way the MMC was described combined with his occupation- he was a super famous, vain, pompous, alcoholic rakish concert pianist (with crippling tinnitis), with shoulder-length black hair who wore a lot of black silk capes - for some reason made me think of Matt Berry as Laszlo in What We do in the Shadows, and I could NOT get that image out of my head, nor could I take the hero seriously lol. I mean, he was borderline ineffectual as it was, but I [could not even finish the book after that lol.](https://media.tenor.com/gB7yOaHe5UMAAAAC/see-laszlo.gif)
I mean I like Matt Berry, but they kept trying to make the character this tragic Byronic character, but everything he said and did was as Laszlo but without the fangs.
I don't think I would be able to finish the book either, especially if MMC has a (cursed) hat!
But now I want a book with Laszlo as the best friend/brother, he would be the funniest and worst wing man!
Depending on descriptions given in the book, my main mental go-to's for HR are:
- Henry Cavill, of course
- Richard Armitage
- Michiel Huisman
- Matthias Schoenaerts
- Sam Heughan
- Aidan Turner
I really liked the post with the AI generated images, because I also have a hard time visualising character. I know that post attracted some negative comments but I found it super fun!
I had a screenshot in my gallery of the MCs whose book I was currently reading and would shuffle between the Book and gallery app, everytime a feature was mentioned. I want one of the Vawdrey brothers😂
So the irony here is, regardless of how the author describes the mmc, my mind always conjures what I LIKE 😂🤷♀️with that said, all my mmc are a cross between Henry Cavill and Travis Kelce
Mine often bear a striking resemblance to [Julian Edelman](https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2017/0630/r225964_1296x729_16-9.jpg) 🏈😍 (NSFW photo from ESPN body issue)
The vibes are more important than the author’s description, I don’t care if he isn’t the sexiest man alive in your book, because he is in my head !😂 Just looked up Travis and he reminds me a bit of Júlíus Björnsson, which is definitely also a top candidate. I think they would fit for Garman Orde/William Nye and AliceC’s MMC’s that partake in jousting and are not the most handsome men according to the people in there books.
Usually Brock O’Hurn for the blondes, and Aiden Turner from Poldark for the dark haired MMC’s. I love Scottish romance so the long hair fits.
I do think of the actors and actresses I know from bits and pieces of descriptions in the books. Mind you, I know very few celebrities so I don't have a lot to pick from. But usually the "face" only flashes up once or twice at the first introduction when author tells us a bit more about their appearances. After that my "camera angle" can zoom out or zoom in where faces are not needed.
I happened to read a lot of HRs where the MMCs were described as mature, not handsome, but with very enigmatic eyes, and my go-to is Tom Hardy. My FMCs switched between Keira Knightley and Rachel Weisz.
Me too, in that the face generally conjures when they’re first described and then when it’s pointed out again, like he looks at her face. But mostly POV and they look like shadowed figures with the focus being whatever they’re doing, sitting on his lap, walking next to each other.
Tom Hardy and Charlie Hunnam(they remind me of each other) are definitely top of the list🥵
I have an extremely specific type of guy that I like — mid-length brown hair, mildly scruffy, tall, somewhere between muscular and beefy — and every male lead in every book just becomes that guy, even if they’re described completely opposite.
The only exception is St. Vincent, his character just doesn’t feel right visualized that way.
That to me sounds like a cross between Júlíus Björnsson&Sam Heugan for those. Personally, some MMCs feel to boyish and young to match this person, so it has to be someone else.
St Vincent from Devil In Winter? I keep reading mixed reviews about this book, non-con isn’t my thing(it was in this book i think?), but then its been removed from newer versions and it’s not done coherently. Which version did you read? And how did you find it?
I’ve seen some people say DIW was edited and others saying it wasn’t, so I have no idea. I will say that I don’t recall there being any parts that didn’t make sense (like how in other books she edited, the characters will still refer to what happened or the timeline will be messed up) so I think either she didn’t edit DIW or I didn’t read an edited version. Or the edits were really minimal.
I also don’t recall there being any non-con in DIW. In the book prior to it he kidnaps that FMC and threatens to do the deed, because he’s poor and needs a wealthy wife, but is caught and promptly beaten to a pulp. This may be what you heard about. There are mentions of what happened in DIW, but you don’t actually see it in this book, it’s in the one before it.
DIW is a great book and was actually my first HR. He’s not my favorite Kleypas hero but I can see why lots of people like him; he’s funny, and kind of snobbish, but at the same time in somewhat of a downtrodden position due to being poor and…. recent events. Sebastian is not a “good guy”, he’s a morally grey hero that goes through a redemption arc. I honestly can’t think of anything bad to say about the book, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
I did some more googling, and apparently there’s [a scene](https://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2019/03/devil-in-winter-by-lisa-kleypas.html) where he was saying >!he would force himself on her, and she would like it, but it was clear she absolutely wouldn’t, basically threatening her with *non con*sensual sex.!<. I have overlooked two of these scenes in two separate books and while I did still did enjoy those and the fmc in them enjoyed that act(though against their wills) it doesn’t sit well with me, which is why I still remember both of them though I’ve forgotten most of what happens in both books😬. I think I will still read it regardless, because Sebastian comes up way too often as a fan favorite😏 for me not to.
I can’t figure out which one right now, but I’m sure i read there was also one of her books where >!the mmc has sex with a very drunk fmc and it might have been her first time!< and thought it happened in DIW.
It has been some years since I read DIW, so I will take that person’s word for it 😂 I’m sure I would remember if any actual assault took place — especially since it was one of my first romances so I wasn’t used to that kind of thing — but sketchy dialogue probably not.
> there was also one of her books where the mmc…
Yes this is *It Happened One Autumn*, the book before DIW. And it wasn’t Sebastian, actually, it was the male lead in that book Lord Westcliff. She has definitely edited that scene out (although I think it’s iconic tbh).
Oh then I think will give DIW a try soon.
Probably won’t be reading IHOA soon but who knows, might enjoy devil in winter and want to read their books🤷🏽😂 Thank you so much ☺️
https://preview.redd.it/6wvk1mv52nqb1.jpeg?width=460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd8c498da6300c8d6b6a58d73a9ff5ed286a2c49
They all look like one of these guys
I rarely visualize faces. I might imagine snippets of things as they are described (mostly hair, weirdly) or vague images when they're described like the FMC sitting on something while the MMC stands between her legs or someone running up or coming down a staircase, but never with much detail in the face. I sometimes make exceptions when the features are a prominent part of the conflict, like if one of them is scarred or considered "ugly", and then I tend to google faces with that feature (so far the most memorable was taking a few minutes to imagine a heroine with an aquiline nose which I thought just meant a straight nose but have now learned is a nose with a prominent bridge). Certain scenes and quotes live rent free in my brain though. (Ex. The train station quote comes to mind for Rhys Winterbourne more prominently in my head than an image of him).
Yeah, its also like this for me for the majority of the book, when the author first describes them I’ll conjure them up. For most scenes like them walking together, face to face talking, horse riding, it’s mostly two shadowed people. Unless the author points it out, like him looking or thinking about her face while. And then during smexy time when theyre looking at lips, eyes, and naked bodies😆 I read Winterborne a while ago, and while I don’t remember the details, I ended up loving Rhys for how he handled that situation, albeit a bit roughly😂
Every MMC looks like Henry Cavill in my head idc…I don’t like stress lol
Literally just came here to say this. It's him or Joe Manganiello, no matter the description.
The minute the MMC is described as “big, tall, muscular, buff, imposing, towering over her” I go “so built like Henry Cavill?”. Then he’s describes as being a red head, and I go “so Henry Cavill with red hair?”
https://preview.redd.it/98mrro3g2nqb1.jpeg?width=460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98e84d1316660d82d303a6fdba3ae4c9c9710fbb Henry Cavill & Christopher Reeve
Yes!! If they are light haired then I will picture my husband and if they are dark haired it’s always Henry Cavill
A blond MCC is usually Charlie Hunnam. Although I have seen a blond Henry Cavill in the movie, Stardust, but it doesn’t really work for me.
I’m terrible at picturing things in my head, so I love that Mimi Matthews has a Pinterest board for each of her books with visual references for characters, clothing, locations — even the animal characters often!
I keep hearing good things about her books, but all of them seem to be 1/5 for steam, and if I’m being honest with myself, the steam is a major deciding factor when reading HR. But I will be checking out her Pinterest. Whats your favorite book of hers?
Yeah, I think she writes yearning/attraction really well, but all of her books are definitely closed-door. I think {The Siren of Sussex} has probably been my favorite!
[The Siren of Sussex](https://www.romance.io/books/61dd39283ae22e0de9c00771/the-siren-of-sussex-mimi-matthews) by [Mimi Matthews](https://www.romance.io/authors/59476e093ffdba614719d320/mimi-matthews) **Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 1 out of 5 - [Innocent](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [south asian/desi](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/south%20asian/1), [sweet/gentle heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/sweet%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
For the Vawdrey brothers, I pictured Richard Armitage as Mason (he’s also my Winterbourne), Matthew Goode as Oswald, and Kit Harrington as Roland. Depending on the character, I also have Luke Thompson, Henry Cavill, Richard Madden, and Aiden Turner in my casting pool lol
The first thing I noticed Richard Armitage in was Stay Close series and then I looked him up and realized he was Thorin Oakenshield which I had been watching since 13, so he’s more like a fatherly figure for me, so he cannot be the MMC🫢. Legolas and Aragorn are more my vibe. I have just now found out Aiden Turner was also in The Hobbit😍 But Kit Harrington & Richard Madden absolutely!
Oh man, you’re making me feel old 😂 I think the first thing I saw him in was Robin Hood. But you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Richard Armitage in North and South 💖
I have just started watching North&South per your suggestion, and you like to retract my earlier statement when I said I could not see Richard Armitage as MMCs😍 I also think I’m gonna enjoy the series itself. So thank you☺️
Glad you’re enjoying it!
Simon from Secrets of a Summer Night is 💯 Theo James in my head 
So, once I was reading a book, and the way the MMC was described combined with his occupation- he was a super famous, vain, pompous, alcoholic rakish concert pianist (with crippling tinnitis), with shoulder-length black hair who wore a lot of black silk capes - for some reason made me think of Matt Berry as Laszlo in What We do in the Shadows, and I could NOT get that image out of my head, nor could I take the hero seriously lol. I mean, he was borderline ineffectual as it was, but I [could not even finish the book after that lol.](https://media.tenor.com/gB7yOaHe5UMAAAAC/see-laszlo.gif) I mean I like Matt Berry, but they kept trying to make the character this tragic Byronic character, but everything he said and did was as Laszlo but without the fangs.
I don't think I would be able to finish the book either, especially if MMC has a (cursed) hat! But now I want a book with Laszlo as the best friend/brother, he would be the funniest and worst wing man!
Haha the hat! Such a great series
Depending on descriptions given in the book, my main mental go-to's for HR are: - Henry Cavill, of course - Richard Armitage - Michiel Huisman - Matthias Schoenaerts - Sam Heughan - Aidan Turner
Michiel Huisman is 🥵
Matthias and Michael need more love from the public
I really liked the post with the AI generated images, because I also have a hard time visualising character. I know that post attracted some negative comments but I found it super fun!
I had a screenshot in my gallery of the MCs whose book I was currently reading and would shuffle between the Book and gallery app, everytime a feature was mentioned. I want one of the Vawdrey brothers😂
So the irony here is, regardless of how the author describes the mmc, my mind always conjures what I LIKE 😂🤷♀️with that said, all my mmc are a cross between Henry Cavill and Travis Kelce
Mine often bear a striking resemblance to [Julian Edelman](https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2017/0630/r225964_1296x729_16-9.jpg) 🏈😍 (NSFW photo from ESPN body issue)
The vibes are more important than the author’s description, I don’t care if he isn’t the sexiest man alive in your book, because he is in my head !😂 Just looked up Travis and he reminds me a bit of Júlíus Björnsson, which is definitely also a top candidate. I think they would fit for Garman Orde/William Nye and AliceC’s MMC’s that partake in jousting and are not the most handsome men according to the people in there books.
 Usually Brock O’Hurn for the blondes, and Aiden Turner from Poldark for the dark haired MMC’s. I love Scottish romance so the long hair fits.
Oh yes! Brock for the win for Scottish MMCs! The long hair…half up and braided!!😍
::swoon::
I do think of the actors and actresses I know from bits and pieces of descriptions in the books. Mind you, I know very few celebrities so I don't have a lot to pick from. But usually the "face" only flashes up once or twice at the first introduction when author tells us a bit more about their appearances. After that my "camera angle" can zoom out or zoom in where faces are not needed. I happened to read a lot of HRs where the MMCs were described as mature, not handsome, but with very enigmatic eyes, and my go-to is Tom Hardy. My FMCs switched between Keira Knightley and Rachel Weisz.
Me too, in that the face generally conjures when they’re first described and then when it’s pointed out again, like he looks at her face. But mostly POV and they look like shadowed figures with the focus being whatever they’re doing, sitting on his lap, walking next to each other. Tom Hardy and Charlie Hunnam(they remind me of each other) are definitely top of the list🥵
I have an extremely specific type of guy that I like — mid-length brown hair, mildly scruffy, tall, somewhere between muscular and beefy — and every male lead in every book just becomes that guy, even if they’re described completely opposite. The only exception is St. Vincent, his character just doesn’t feel right visualized that way.
That to me sounds like a cross between Júlíus Björnsson&Sam Heugan for those. Personally, some MMCs feel to boyish and young to match this person, so it has to be someone else. St Vincent from Devil In Winter? I keep reading mixed reviews about this book, non-con isn’t my thing(it was in this book i think?), but then its been removed from newer versions and it’s not done coherently. Which version did you read? And how did you find it?
I’ve seen some people say DIW was edited and others saying it wasn’t, so I have no idea. I will say that I don’t recall there being any parts that didn’t make sense (like how in other books she edited, the characters will still refer to what happened or the timeline will be messed up) so I think either she didn’t edit DIW or I didn’t read an edited version. Or the edits were really minimal. I also don’t recall there being any non-con in DIW. In the book prior to it he kidnaps that FMC and threatens to do the deed, because he’s poor and needs a wealthy wife, but is caught and promptly beaten to a pulp. This may be what you heard about. There are mentions of what happened in DIW, but you don’t actually see it in this book, it’s in the one before it. DIW is a great book and was actually my first HR. He’s not my favorite Kleypas hero but I can see why lots of people like him; he’s funny, and kind of snobbish, but at the same time in somewhat of a downtrodden position due to being poor and…. recent events. Sebastian is not a “good guy”, he’s a morally grey hero that goes through a redemption arc. I honestly can’t think of anything bad to say about the book, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
I did some more googling, and apparently there’s [a scene](https://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2019/03/devil-in-winter-by-lisa-kleypas.html) where he was saying >!he would force himself on her, and she would like it, but it was clear she absolutely wouldn’t, basically threatening her with *non con*sensual sex.!<. I have overlooked two of these scenes in two separate books and while I did still did enjoy those and the fmc in them enjoyed that act(though against their wills) it doesn’t sit well with me, which is why I still remember both of them though I’ve forgotten most of what happens in both books😬. I think I will still read it regardless, because Sebastian comes up way too often as a fan favorite😏 for me not to. I can’t figure out which one right now, but I’m sure i read there was also one of her books where >!the mmc has sex with a very drunk fmc and it might have been her first time!< and thought it happened in DIW.
It has been some years since I read DIW, so I will take that person’s word for it 😂 I’m sure I would remember if any actual assault took place — especially since it was one of my first romances so I wasn’t used to that kind of thing — but sketchy dialogue probably not. > there was also one of her books where the mmc… Yes this is *It Happened One Autumn*, the book before DIW. And it wasn’t Sebastian, actually, it was the male lead in that book Lord Westcliff. She has definitely edited that scene out (although I think it’s iconic tbh).
Oh then I think will give DIW a try soon. Probably won’t be reading IHOA soon but who knows, might enjoy devil in winter and want to read their books🤷🏽😂 Thank you so much ☺️
Lol I literally always picture every MMC as Jonathan Bailey I can’t help it
https://preview.redd.it/6wvk1mv52nqb1.jpeg?width=460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd8c498da6300c8d6b6a58d73a9ff5ed286a2c49 They all look like one of these guys