Ask the Staff: Who Was Your First Romance Book Crush?
✨ Hallo, friends!!! Welcome to Ask the Staff—a little blog series where you can get to know US, the fangirls behind Romancing Portland.
Just hearing about Romancing Portland? We are a boutique romance reader convention in a historical hotel, inviting you to escape into whimsy, meet new besties, and expand that TBR pile! You know those people who stay up until 2 AM saying “just one more chapter,” and then endlessly obsess about which morally grey man we love to hate and hate to love? That’s us. We’re readers, nerds, and chaotic human beings who use the em dash. 💖📚✨
Who was your first romance crush?
Heather
Tough to pinpoint, but probably Jaime Fraser. Outlander was a series my mom read in the early ’90s, so for years I wouldn’t touch it. Eventually, I became mom-aged and gave them a shot. Jamie is the dream. Yeah, he’s a bit problematic, but Claire putting him in his place is very satisfying.
MK
Maxim de Winter from Rebecca. Looking back now, emotionally-unavailable-wealthy-man-lurking-dramatically-near-the-sea was probably not the healthiest choice. BUT THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS DAMMIT.
Leslie
I am really aging myself here, but Team Edward from Twilight! Something about the way he fawned over Bella, protecting her and being so singularly focused on her – it was so romantic. Also a literal vampire, but I was kind of a goth tween so I LOVED that part. Sure, he was a predator, I mean… really literally a monster… but he LOVED Bella and would never hurt her. The tension was GAH.
Jalitza
Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson & the Olympians was one of my very first fictional crushes. I love a good loyal guy who is funny and a little bit of a dork.
