It’s true. It really is all about the chase; in real life and in romance novels. In a romance, the man pursues. A heroine might take action first, hoping for results, but the action doesn’t start until the hero goes after the heroine with the intention of making her his.

In a romance, no matter what the sub-genre is, the man must be the one who initiates the romantic action and ultimately, he must end it, usually with a proposal or commitment of some type. – pg 6, A Romance by Any Other Name is Still a Romance, Catherine Lanigan

Why is this?

I can give you five reasons.

1. It’s hot. We want to be chased. Why do you think those caveman cartoons where so popular years ago? The caveman with the biggest club wins…
2. It’s a competition between the hero and the losers who didn’t get the heroine. Is he alpha enough to win her and keep her?
3. The heroine is the embodiment of all things inaccessible and unobtainable… like unobtainium. She is impossible to obtain. Sometimes she’s even the one who got away.
4. How often do civilized men heroes get to hunt? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Thrill of the hunt is rare indeed.
5. It meets social expectations. The man is expected to take the risk of rejection; it’s not expected from the woman.

The goal of the chase:

Getting something from the heroine.

Something is defined usually as a kiss, a date, sex, or marriage. Depending on the sub-genre there could be other goals on the hero’s mind: like obtaining hired help, a nanny for his kids, information leading to the bad guy, whatever… options are endless, but the top four chase goals will always remain the same.

Edit: Quite possibly the most obvious thing he wants is her heart. Duh.

The best part?

He won’t stop until she’s his! Perseverance and persistence—not yielding to discouragement. Yum.

Of course what makes it all work is that the hero and heroine are meant to be together. Like Bella Swan, the heroine will want to be stalked, chased, pursued to the ends of the earth and it's okay because the hero is the right guy for her.

Photo Credits: We Heart It

No hero should leave home without these 10 items in his repertoire:

1. Good Looks - if gazing at him doesn't get your motor running and your engine purring, he's not the hero of your dreams.
   • Synonyms: Casanova, Adonis
2. Skills in the Bedroom - or in the shower, on top of the kitchen table, on the living room floor, against a wall, on the stairs, in the car, ahem... you know where this is going.
   • Synonyms: In SBTB land it frequently goes by the term Heroic Wang of Mighty Loving.
3. Brawn and Brains - nothing kills a hero's heroism faster than stupidity. Intelligence is sexy!
   • Synonyms: Nerd, Geek
4. Charm - if he can't charm his way into your knickers with a smile, something's wrong.
   • Synonyms: Magnetism, Thrall, Charisma, Magic
5. Domestic Skills - if he cooks, cleans, and gives orgasms in sets of three or more, he's never allowed out of the house. His name is slave and he answers to Master.
   • Synonyms: Maid, Chef, Sex God
6. Brooding - all heroes brood, it's built into their genetic makeup. We females simply can't resist a good brood, it's our kryptonite.
   • Synonyms: Sulking, Moping, Pouting
7. Possessiveness - they have it, how often they express it is another matter to be taken up by the subgenre or author.
   • Synonyms: Beast, Alpha Male; Green Eyed Monster, Jealousy
     
8. Wealth - not just money, the hero must also be wealthy in knowledge, social connections, life skills, common sense... hold on the last one until later in the novel, because otherwise there might not be a story.
   • Synonyms: Resources
9. Stubbornness - you didn't read that wrong. They're male, it's one of the few flaws we allow them, but only when it serves our purposes.
   • Synonyms: Persistence, Perseverance; Inflexibility, Pigheadedness
10. Heroine - what's the point of #1-9 if he doesn't have #10?
    • Synonyms: She came, she conquered, and he's forever enslaved to the Magic Hoo-Hoo.

Photo Credits: d_vdm

• Alpha Flight Superhero Modern Age 1980-Now Comics Collectibles
• Charm Vending Machines Banks, Registers Vending Collectibles
• Beauty The Beast Figurines Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles