Swoon Worthy Heroes

by Andrea Renee Cox

What makes a hero swoon worthy?

Is it his dashing good looks? His upstanding moral code? What about his willingness to lay down all in order to fight for what’s right?

A hearty yes! to all, if you ask me.

But is there something that runs a little deeper than all of that?

Here’s where it’s difficult to pin down the truth for me. What truly makes a hero swoon worthy is something not easily identified yet simple enough to spot when we see it.

I think it has to do with the underlying pull toward obeying God, no matter what or who stands in the way.

One great example of this is the Biblical Jonathan. A great friend and trusted comrade to David, Jonathan knew and kept secrets, went against his own father to rescue David, and fought and died in the name of standing up for God’s will. (See 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:1-7; 20:1-42; 23:15-18; 31:1-2)

The thing that makes my heart swoon for Jonathan is how he was willing to give up his right to the position of king for his best friend:

Another example of a swoon worthy hero is Two Hawks, from Lori Benton’s Pathfinders series. I’m an influencer for the second book in the series, A Flight of Arrows—which basically means I get to read an early copy of the book and share cool tidbits with you guys—and let me tell you: You are going to love this book! (But make sure you read The Wood’s Edge first, so you’re all caught up on the chain of events. See my review for that book here.)

What makes Two Hawks particularly swoon worthy (don’t get tired of that phrase, y’all!) is how he’s so torn about what to choose. Should he search for his missing brother? Stay with the woman he loves? Support his parents and tribe when they lack enough hunters to bring in a sufficient amount of meat for the winter months? Such difficult decisions he faces, yet he relies on an inner strength given to him by the Father he’s only recently come to accept.

Definitely a bit of swooning going on over here.

Before I wrap this up with a blurb and a *sneak peek* of A Flight of Arrows, take a look at one of my favorite lines from Two Hawks so far:

About A Flight of Arrows:

Hearts are divided. 
Loyalties will be tested. 
The fates of two families hang in the balance.

Twenty years past, in 1757, a young Redcoat named Reginald Aubrey stole a new-born boy--the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins--during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry and raised him as his own.

No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime. Not his adopted daughter Anna. Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back. Not Two Hawks, William's twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna. Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God's forgiveness--and her love.

Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army. The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York, and the Continentals, aided by Oneida warriors, including Two Hawks, rally to defend it. As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture but united by love and faith must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies.


Sneak Peek at A Flight of Arrows:

Visit this page and click the icon in its sidebar to read the first chapter of Lori Benton's upcoming release!

What is your definition of a swoon worthy hero? What are some of your favorites that fit that description?

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