Welcome! Welcome! Swoony Saturdays are your opportunity to be introduced to a book hero who fits high quality hero characteristics. (okay, so he just makes us weak in the knees for all kinds of reasons, but you get the point)

The photos involved are chosen as the most representative of the heroes featured, so IF they look like someone you’ve seen before, that’s almost entirely accidental.

We are having a little fantastical fun today with our featured SWOONY hero.

Who? Beast aka Dan Stevens

Where can we find this dreamboat? Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast released March 2017

Personality summary: Some people are experiential learners and for this prince, it’s going to take an enchantress’ curse, some faithful houseware, and a fearless commoner to transform him into hero material. Not all heroes are born. The prince’s future and personality were impacted by his mother’s death and his father’s cruelty, corrupting his heart into a loveless quest for self-indulgence. When the enchantress changes him into a beast, the only way to break the spell is for him to “learn to love and earn their love in return”, but not a lot of people brave a wolf-infested forest to a creepy, always-winter-never-Christmas castle in the middle of nowhere…except maybe a beautiful woman trying to save her father.

Through an interesting turn of events, Belle, the girl, takes her father’s place as the Beast’s prisoner, and with a little rescuing of each other, healthy arguing, a whole bunch of compassion, some singing flatware, a pretty substantial gift of books, a deeper understanding of their backstories, and the discovery of their mutual interests, this uncertain, brooding hero is rescued by true love.

What makes us swoon?

Dan Stevens

Dan Stevens’ voice

Dan Stevens’ eyes

Oh, sorry…you mean the character of Beast. RIGHT!

Beth Erin says “Fur is manly and warm and cozy.”

He has a teachable heart, once he gets over his grumpiness

Tina Turpin said, “He is kind and compassionate.” Which is true once he sets his bitterness aside.

His insecurity is sweet

He likes to read

And he gives Belle a LIBRARY…WHAT can be swoonier than that?

He also gives her a trip to Paris, but that’s anticlimactic after the library gift.

He is quick to apologize when he realizes he’s wrong

Humility looks fabulous on him

Marisa Deshaies had this wonderful quote to add: I have something: The Beast/Prince Adam is swoony because he becomes who is meant to be as he falls in love with Belle. He is the embodiment someone who learns to love (and not just in the romantic sense, as he also loves his friends) and becomes the better for it because in loving he forgoes his own desires and gives to the other person what they need.

Did we already mention Dan Stevens?

Here is the video of Beast’s song:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diLa-gpHRKc&w=560&h=315]

Kissing level of such swooniness: In all honesty, it’s a kid-flick, so the kissing level barely made it to a 3. I’m certain if the camera hadn’t panned out so fast, we’d have gotten more of the 4 kind-of-kiss we see in the animated version.

Basic hero type: The consensus is that Beast is a combination of Darcy and Edward Ferrars. This melancholy is a brooder with a whole lot of uncertainty underneath that growl. When given the opportunity to show affection and love, he’ll shower it in extravagant ways from a tender heart, but his past keeps him second-guessing himself. Good friends, a steadfast heroine, and

 opportunity, truly transform this beast into prince charming.

How can I meet this swoony mister? Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast. You can order it on Amazon HERE.

Kissing Levels & Hero Types