Hot Dads

I recently attended a conference where one surprising trend as noted by a publisher seems suitable for discussion today, being the day after Father’s Day. I’m talking, of course, about the ‘Hot Daddy’ trend.

I know, this one caught me by surprise, too, but then I had to think—how am I surprised? It really is quite obvious, isn’t it?

I mean, one hot, imminently readable style of hero is the firefighter, a hero who will risk his own life and limb to face incredible danger to rescue those in mortal peril. And then you have … dads.

Dads aren’t that far behind, are they? How many times have women (usually mothers) bemoaned the fact that they could push a shopping trolley through the produce section, with kids, and never get a second glance, yet when a guy does it (and there’s no obvious partner to associate said gorgeous guy with), he’s insta-sexy. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen. There must be something that harks back to some primordial survival instinct when it comes to men and kids—and that’s not meant to sound as creepy as I now realise it does. I’m talking about the capacity for a man to prove he is a more-than-suitable mate just by being a caring, loving father.

I think women know exactly how demanding being a parent can be, and when you see a man doing it on his own, and either doing it well—or feeling hopelessly out of his league and still desperately trying—when he’s providing for his children, when he’s sacrificing his own personal happiness and self-pursuits by getting his children to their weekend sports games and/or dance recitals, when he’s going beyond his comfort zone to make his little charges feel safe, secure and happy—it’s like catnip to us chicks. I don’t mind admitting it.  

Even if he has to use a vacuum cleaner to create a ponytail, it’s the fact they’ve gone that little extra mile for that cherub’s smile that makes our hearts melt, so it really isn’t a surprise to see readers responding to the ‘Hot Daddy’ romances out there.

Have you got any ‘Hot Dad’ reading recommendations out there? I would love to hear about them! Pop them in the comments below, because I’m looking for books to add to my TBR pile. J