You remember a few weeks ago when I was deliberating the question of which famous personality I’d choose to go on a Valentine’s date with, and I couldn’t think of anyone at all? I ended up spending my hypothetical romantic evening with Pikachu, or someone completely inappropriate, because I couldn’t think of a suitable partner.

Since then, I’ve had an overwhelming number of responses, some with really good ideas of famous people who’d be great dates. One particular comment about how a Valentines’ night might not necessarily mean a romantic date, but simply spending time with someone you really appreciate for their loving kindness and friendship would be a good thing to do. I totally get that.

But then it occurred to me that what we really want is to spend an evening with a romantic hero from a book. Literature is filled with great choices. Why didn’t I think of that already?

Mr Darcy embodies most women’s idea of a classical romantic hero. So much so that Bridget Jones’s hero is named after him, using the same actor who thrilled so many women in the Pride and Prejudice film.

You can always trust a book to find you a good hero.

I recently had this discussion with a female friend, who spent ages telling me why Mr Rochester is a definite no-no. I agree. There are heroes, anti-heroes and some complete villains. Edward Rochester is not for me.

But there are so many male protagonists from literature who’d make incredible Valentine’s dates, for all the right reasons. For the purpose of this blog post, I’m just doing male characters today.

Here’s a list – I’ll just let you think about these candidates.

• Odysseus
• Leopold Bloom, the hero of Joyce’s Ulysses
• Abraham van Helsing
• Robin Hood
• Kunta Kinte
• Frodo Baggins
• Sir Percy Blakeney. The Scarlet Pimpernel.
• John Rokesmith. From Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
• Dr Peter Blood. Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
• Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey.

Here are some of my own favourite choices. There are some great Valentine’s dates here – what do you think?

• Gabriel Oak. Kind, loyal, devoted, a gentle farmer. What’s not to love?
• Beowulf. Come on. Warrior, Hero. He’d bring the dinner, Grendel, on a plate.
• Hamlet. He’s a prince, a philosopher, a scholar. OK, he lacks the ability to make his mind up, but you can’t have everything. I saw Andrew Scott play him live. And Benedict Cumberbatch in the film. That Hamlet will do fine, thanks!
• Dr Cornelius Van Baerle, The Black Tulip. A courageous man, a tulip grower, a romantic hero. I fell in love with him when I was eight years old, when I first read the book in primary schol, snuggled up against one of those big hot wall radiators. He was my first romantic Valentine.
• Tom Robinson. He’s wrongly imprisoned, and he remains honest to the end. He is strong, morally upright, a great man.
• Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird. Thinking women’s crumpet, of course.
• Meursault, The Outsider. Camus. An existentialist hero, fascinating, deep, interesting. Not a psychopath at all…
• Heathcliff. I know lots of people won’t agree, but I love Heathcliff. Brooding, Byronic, wronged, angry, passionate. I have a lot of empathy for him. Or at least for the one played by Tom Hardy in the film.

Of course, I haven’t mentioned any of my fellow authors’ books at Boldwood Books, but I know so many of them have die-for heroes who’d make excellent Valentine’s dates. Check them all out.

And I have some of my own. Here are a few favourites.

• Jean-Luc from A Grand Old Time. He’s a guitar-playing wine-maker, French, filled with angst and passion, and he’s wise and devoted and he has a big heart.
• Bisto. The Old Girls’ Network. One of my most popular heroes for his sense of fun and mischief. We first find him drunk and falling into a bed of roses. What’s not to adore? A great Valentines’ date.
• Cameron Buchanan. Thew brooding warrior of The Lady of the Loch. Agnes’s lover who swims naked in a loch. Think Jason Momoa in a kilt. Or a tunic.
• Patrick Penrose. In The Cornish Witch, in the present day timeline, Megan runs into diver Patrick and thinks he looks like a Greek God. It’s great to create an intelligent compassionate hero with AD/HD. Hed be a fascinating Valentine’s companion.
• Rafe Chetwyn. The Wicked Lady. I loved writing the character of Rafe, Kate Ferres’ highwayman companion knows as Ralph Chaplin. His story is a sad one. He’s deep, passionate and protective, and a wonderful hero. He’d need to be grabbed for a Valentine’s date before he headed off along the highway on his trusty horse to hold up a passing coach.
• Ruan Pascoe. The Seal Bay Series. The Cream Tea Killer. Morwenna’s fisherman ex, whom she can’t ignore. Faithful and handsome, a father, a friend. And probably a lot more. What’s not to admire?

So there’s my list of literary Valentines’ dates for ladies. Yes, I’ve changed my mind. There are lots of them out there, just waiting to be asked.

Pikachu will have to get to the back of a very long queue.

Romantic heroes to set your heart fluttering? Books have the answer every time.