Ladies love country boys

Alright folks, I’m taking a poll. Not for any sort of scientific research, but more to satisfy my ravenous curiosity.

The question is very simply… Country boys or city boys?

There is no right or wrong answer, and this is just for fun so please don’t think I am criticizing. But as I have wracked up a few novels and novel ideas I find that I gravitate toward a certain kind of man for my heroes. They are all different in trait and character, of course, but in some fundamental way they all seem like country boys at heart. Even if they are living city boy lives. That might not make much sense. Perhaps I should give y’all my definition of each.

You won’t find these in Webster’s. These are homegrown and absurdly stereotypical. Just go with it.

City boy- a man who operates with a certain air of refinement. Overtly ambitious in occupation and appearance. Charming. Slicked back, clean shaven, smooth hands, sharp dresser. Busy.

Country boy- a man who works with his hands, outdoors, or doing something physically active. Hardworking, honest-often brutally so. Unrefined charm. Tousled hair, five-o’clock shadow, callused hands, t-shirt and jeans practical. Carefree.

Some men can be a mixture, it’s not always black or white but for the purposes here, pick which one suits your man, or your type, best.

If you are on the fence, here is a checklist that might help you gage your tolerance for those wild country boys. Channel Jeff Foxworthy’s skit “You might be a redneck” when you are reading these little clips from my life with my country boy.

You might have it bad for a country boy if…

1. You find the idea of attending a tractor pull intriguing.
2. Your man suggests you attend a mouse race and you don’t run screaming in the other direction.
3. You don’t correct him when he says he’s going to go “get a shower” instead of “take” one.
4. The cowboy boots by your door are caked with something that may or may not be mud and you allow them to stay there.
5. You find it cute when he drops the beginning of words like “him” and “them” so they all sound like “eem.”
6. You don’t mind the sand-paper scraping of his scruffy, five-o’clock shadow leaving well earned redness around your lips.
7. You have a weakness for plaid and denim in combination.
8. You find usually unsavory things like sweat and dirt particularly appealing on his sun-bronzed skin.
9. You decide trying elk, squirrel, venison, maybe coon, and wild mushrooms would be an exciting adventure for your delicate palette.
10. You find odd phrases like “grow a wild hair” perfectly acceptable when used in combination with a lazy, rakish grin.

Alright ladies, what’s your preference? And what kind of hero are you more prone to write? And anyone have anything to add to this list?

Whether you get all swoony over your city boy or country boy, be sure to give him some sugar today. ;)