The Nicest Guys in 2000s YA
Who are the Nicest Guys in 2000s YA? The male characters in YA that make the perfect Book Boyfriend? Here’s my take and I want to hear yours!
Who Were the Nicest Guys in 2010s YA
This post was originally written in 2012 and I am editing it over a decade later. What a difference!
Just think back for a minute to the 2010s in YA, when YA bad boys were in.
Controlling behavior toward women was sexy.
Cinnamon rolls were just a food at the mall.
The Duckies of the world still usually didn’t get the girl.
You with me?
Here’s my (2012) vote on the Nicest Guys in 2010s YA.
Original post:
Nice guys don’t finish last! They’re the ones who offer a shoulder to cry on after the bad boy breaks the girl’s heart … and then swoop in and grab her.
Here’s my list of my Top Ten Nice Guys in YA! Highlighted titles take you to Goodreads.
10. Quentin “Q” Jacobsen from Paper Towns by John Green. He’ll do anything for Margo. Anything. Break into buildings. Break into SeaWorld. What a guy!
9. Christian Ozera from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, is such a great guy. And he makes meatloaf.
8. Sam Weston from Speechless by Hannah Harrington, is the adorable kind of nice guy with rumply hair and glasses. He’s smart. And he can jump out of windows.
7. Rollins…. Does Rollins have a first name? If anyone knows, please tell me in comments. Anyway, Rollins is the best friend of Vee in Slide by Jill Hathaway. He writes a ‘zine called Fear and Loathing in High School.
6. Jem Carstairs from the Infernal Devices series by Cassie Clare. Jem’s an enigma. I mean, I haven’t read The Clockwork Prince yet, but Jem’s a great guy so far. He’s self-sacrificing, brave, kind…
5. Cricket Bell is such a quirky guy. He’s tall and lanky, he’s kind of shy, he invents stuff. He’s the classic guy next door. Oh, and you can find him in Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins…
4. Lend. I’m not sure what his last name is either. Do nice guys often have only one name? Lend, from the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White, is a man of mystery. He’s an artist and a shapeshifter, so he can look like any guy he wants.
3. Tucker Avery from the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand. Tucker’s a real live cowboy. I mean, who can resist that?
2. Sam Henry from Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally, otherwise known as Henry. (See, I’m onto something with the one name theory!) Henry’s another best friend of the heroine character. He definitely deserves his own happily ever after.
1. Dexter Jones from This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. Dexter is a musician — he’s in a band called Truth Squad. He’s a little clumsy, kind of goofy, and completely sweet. He has this old smelly dog named Monkey. Just writing this makes me want to go visit him in the book!
Hi, it’s 2023 Jen!
Hoping you enjoyed this little trip down 2010’s YA memory lane!
I can't think of any nice guys! Oh, wait, the boy from Ashes…I can't remember his name. He was a sweetie. Then there's my current novel-which I'm querying-he's a nice guy.
I can't remember his name either — I was so freaked out by the zombie stuff.
Good luck with your querying!
1
I think I would have to say Thomas from The Maze Runner – I think he's a nice guy (and it gets him in lots of crap). Xander from Matched – he is one of my favorite YA guys!
I haven't read Maze Runner, but I agree that Xander is one of the nice guys!
2
Oh, nice guys you mean? I totally agree with you – Lend from Paranormalcy!! 🙂 And Ren from Tiger's Curse, Quest and Voyage by Colleen Houck!
Haven't read the Tiger's Curse series but glad you agree on Lend!
3
Sigh…. Cricket Bell. He's pretty fantastic. And I'm totally in the mood to reread Paper Towns.
I love both of those books!
4
This is so hard! Sarah Dessen has the "nicest" nice guys. I loved Wes from The Truth About Forever and Eli from Along for the Ride.
Thanks!
You're right — she almost always writes nice guys! Even Owen in Just Listen with all his anger management stuff is such a nice guy!
5
Ohh, Jem! I really like him but…not with Tessa! Anyway, I would add Ron Weasley to the list! Always considered him such a lovely guy.
Well, I agree with you. I hope Jem gets his own girl — can't wait to read Clockwork Prince. And yes, Ron is pretty sweet!
6
Out of those 10 I only knew 3 (i guess bad boys are my thing). Christian Ozera, Tuker Avery, and Jem Carstairs are my favorite nice guys too! I am going to have to check out the other guys you mentioned. ^_^
Ha — I know a lot of you love the bad boys 🙂
7
Haha…"Do nice guys often have only one name?" Apparently so.
Tucker Avery definitely tops my list. LOVE him. Then there's Sam Roth from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. And I love Jem Carstairs, as well, though I'm much more a fan of Will's. 😛 Do you consider Ian from The Host a "good" guy? I mean, he did hit Wanda/Melanie upon their initial meeting, but he redeemed himself, right? ;0) Oh, and how can I forget Jay from The Body Finder books? That guy's all kinds of sweet and adorable. Cal from Hex Hall, Catcher from Dead Tossed Waves (TFoHaT, book 2), Peeta from THG, Jace from My Life Next Door…man, I could go on and on…and ON. Apparently, I like the nice guys just as much as the bad boys. 😛
I am just listening to the Host right now and I have not met Ian yet!
Jay: totally agree. Cal: yep. Peeta: definitely! Jace: absolutely!
8
Dextar from This Lullaby is definitely a favorite. Jem from Infernal Devices is as well. Ooh and Tucker from Unearthly! And don't forget about Ethan Wate from Beautiful Creatures.
You know, I had Ethan on the list, but since I hadn't read Beautiful Chaos, I thought, "what if he turned evil or something?" He didn't, right???
9
I am so happy to see Dexter on this list! This Lullaby is my favorite Dessen and that is partly because of the sweetness of Dexter. I also like Cal from Hex Hall as mentioned above, Adam from Jennifer Echols' The Boys Next Door, and Robert from Anne Osterlund's Aurelia and Exile. Oh and Jack from Everneath and Win from All These Things I've Done. Yay for the nice guys!
Love the addition of Cal, Adam, Jack and Win. I haven't read Aurelia or Exile!
10
I love the good guys. But my absolute favorite? Jack from Everneath by Brodi Ashton. That boy has a heart of gold. *falls in a heap*
: )
That is true – I can't wait for Everbound!
11
deacon leeds from deacon leeds and the pyramid of symbols
Ooh, I haven't read that one!
12
I love Tucker Avery! And I do love Jem, but I am still Team Will on that one. LOL I tend to fall for more of the bad boy but there are so many great and sweet good guys too. Augustus Waters is a good guy. I love him to pieces. 🙂
I am Team Will, but Jem is such a sweetheart. I hope he gets a HEA!
Augustus — great choice!!
You are lucky comment 13 🙂
Jeez I only know two of these ones you listed. Christian and Jem. I agree with those completely. The only other one I can think of that you didn't list is Vincent from Amy Plum's Revenants Trilogy. I think it falls more on the side of nice guy than bad boy.
I haven't read Die For Me since it came out, but I think Vincent was a good guy, right??
14
Tucker from Unearthly, Dimitri from VA – both are so swoony and sweet!
Well, Dimitri did have that short evil thing going on!!!
15
Love this one as much as the bad boy post!
Yes, to Dexter in This Lullaby for sure. And yes to Sam Henry although he's kind of working a bad boy vibe too, you know? How about the love my book life Joe Fontaine?? Hottest nice guy I have ever read:)
From The Sky is Everywhere? I had him on my long list but he got cut *hides face*
16
Thomas in the Anna books by Kendare Blake is the first one that springs to mind…Oh and Astley from the Need Pixies series by Carrie Jones.
x
Oh, Thomas, nice one!
And I haven't read the Need series yet 🙂
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The only one I can think of is Peeta from Hunger Games! Thanks!
A great choice!
18
I love Jem Carstairs. But I usually prefer bad guys.
Ha ha — a lot of people do!
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This is really hard… I agree with you when it comes to Lend, he's really nice and he always supports Evie… The bad boys question was so easy to answer… *sigh* Does this mean that there are few nice guys left in books? Jokes…
Nah, I had a huge list. They're just sitting there, unappreciated and unnoticed!
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I love Tucker Avery from the Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand and Sam Weston from Speechless by Hannah Harrington. Thank you for the giveaway!
Glad you like my choices!
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There doesn't seem to be as many good guys as bad ones! I love Peeta from The Hunger Games and Lincoln from Embrace & Entice.
Peeta! And yeah, Lincoln is a pretty good guy 🙂
22
I agree with Tucker from Unearthly, but I also LOVED Sam from Incarnate.
I need to read Incarnate!
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I loved Prince Kai from "Cinder." A totally nice guy…and royalty to boot. 🙂 Can't wait to read more about him in part 2!!
Oh, great choice! I completely agree!
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Let me see…I don't know why but this is such a hard one to answer…I guess I would have to say Cole from Cambria Hebert's Heven and Hell series…I guess I have a thing for the naughties. Huh, go figure. LOL
Ha ha — you aren't the only one!
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Aargh! You took my guy! Imma use him anyway. 😉
Sam Henry has got to be the sweetest guy character that I've come across recently, so that book also just happens to be one of my recent favorites. 🙂
I have nine other nice guys on the list *hands Sam right over*
Loved that book!
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Peeta Melark from The Hunger Games.
Should have had him on the list!!
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oh gosh, i love nice guys 🙂
Yay — a fan!!!
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Jesse from Mediator series by Meg Cabot:) He is great!:)
I want to read that series — I love Meg Cabot and I love ghost books!
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I prefer bad boys… but good guys have their farmec. I loved Lucas from Easy … but I'm not sure if he is all that good.
I have not read that one!
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I love nice guys and your list is awesome!! Lend, Jem, Tucker… perfect choices. I love Peeta too. I think I tend to like the broken boys more though. Not the bad boys who are just bad, but the ones who act bad as a shield.
Aw, thanks. It was fun to make the list!
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You've got some I like up there 😉 Christian, Jem, Tucker, Lend…I especially LOVE Tucker!
Yay — another Tucker fan!
32
Ok so I agree about Cricket but not with Tucker. He was a jerk in Unearthly! however I have to add Four from Divergent and Adam from Shatter Me!!
I guess you're Team Christian??
Four is kind of bad/good. Adam, definitely good!
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Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars was A Good Guy. What a heartbreaker, he even gave his wish away. What more can you ask for?
You're right — he should be on the list!
34
Tucker definitely, ammm also Peeta from The Hunger Games, Archer from The Hex Hall series, Sam from The Gone series and Percy Jackson.
All great choices!
35
Peeta from The Hunger Games, Cricket Bell from Lola and the boy next door and Four from Divergent…swoon!!
Love all your choices!
36
Percy Jackson and lend!
Percy — yep, he's definitely nice!
37
My favorite nice guys in YA are Seth from unlovable, Jem from The Infernal Devices Series, Lucas from Easy, and Shay from The Nightshade Series!
Lindy Gomez
Shay is a great choice!
I haven't read Unlovable or Easy!
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Definitely Jack from Everneath, Lance from Illuminate and Lincoln from Embrace. 🙂
Clearly I need to read Illuminate!
39
I am going to go with Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door.He truly is a very sweet and nice guy 🙂
Love him! He's the ultimate nice guy!
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Gabe from the Personal Demons series.. He is an angel after all 🙂
Interesting choice! You know I love those books!
41
who are some of your favorite nice guys of fiction?
——-
Puck from Iron Fey.
Call from Hex Hall.
Tobias from Divergent (not really in Insurgent)
Silas from Sisters Red.
I have not read the Iron Fey series or Sisters Red — but love your choices!
42
I love me some nice guys! They are my favorite kind of guy! but of course, whenever I need to think of some on the spot my mind blank! I agree with you about Lend though! He just melted my heart 🙂
Yay for the nice guys!!
43
Peeta from The Hunger Games and definitely Christian Ozera, too!
Both great choices!
44
Yeah, Rollins from Slide is a sweety pie, nice guy!
Hooray — my first vote for Rollins!
45
I've only met Christian (lol meatloaf) and Jem from your list. I like Christian but not Jem, I don't know why but I find Jem kind of selfish..lol
I'd have to say that my favorite nice guy is Peeta, I rooted for him the whole time 🙂
I have not read Clockwork Prince yet.
Yeah — I was torn on the whole Gale-Peeta thing!
46
Tucker and Jem! Love those guys. I also love Zachary from the Shade series. I think he's a nice guy 🙂
I like Logan a little better, but Zach is a nice guy!
47
Oh, I love Jem~! And I liked Rollins, too (a whole lot better than that other guy).
And as the others have said Peeta as well 😛
I've yet to read the characters you've mentioned but some of the books are in my to-read pile ;D
Rollins — whoo!
Peeta- yes!
48
Not YA but how about Doc from John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. A character based on his old pal Ed Ricketts to whom the first book is dedicated.
Wow, I haven't read that book in a while — and thanks for picking a character from a classic — I love Steinbeck!
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I love nice guys! My favorite is Peeta from the Hunger Games for sure!
Peeta is the ultimate nice guy!
50
I love Caleb Jacobson from Significance by Shelly Crane. Soo in love with him!
Don't know him but I better check him out! Thanks 🙂
51
I like nice guys but I just love bad boys.
Ha — you're not alone!
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YES! Cricket Bell! MAJOR LOVE! 🙂
Sometimes it's so easy to love the BAD boy that we forget about the nice guys!
Cricket is such a great guy!!
53
Jem is my favorite! Thanks for the chance to win!
I think he's so sweet!
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Jem for sure! Also, Tucker from Unearthly, Jack from Everneath, Jace from My Life Next Door, and Cricket Bell. Love them all!
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Jack and Jace are definitely great choices!
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Ahhhh why am i blanking on his name….gahhh it's the kilt guy from the Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready!
-JennyC
Zach!!
57
Hands down, Roarke from the In Death series by J.D Robb. I LOVE that guy! He's my favorite! Thanks for the giveaway! Fingers crossed!
Roarke is a great guy, I agree!
58
I love Christian Ozera too from Vampire Academy and David from the Uglies series. 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway!
I need to read Pretties and Uglies!!
59
As you said, Jem Carstairs is so perfect.
I'm dying to read Clockwork Prince!
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I love Ren & Kishan from the Tiger's Saga and Peeta from The Hunger Games.
Have not read the Tiger Saga yet!
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WOOO NICE GUYS!!!
Jem of course!
Adrian because he is nice and sweet and gave all his money to Rose
Cricket
Tucker
Lend
Sam Henry
Rollins
Sam Weston
Matty – Flat-Out Love
Sam – Wolves of Mercy Falls
Jay – Body Finder
Bennett – Time Between Us
The Lost Girl – Sean
Josh – The Future of Us
Jase – My Life Next Door
Corndog/Will – Stealing Parker
Christopher – Airhead
Nathan – A Midsummer's Nightmare
Bram – Dearly, Departed
Alex – Wake
Jake Hayes – What I Didn't Say
Zeke – The Immortal Rules
Gabriel – Wither/Fever
Alex – Delirium
Sam – Incarnate
Oliver – The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Logan Keeley – Shade/Shift
Ed – Graffiti Moon
Astley – Need
Shay – Nightshade
Graham – Between The Lines
Lucas – Easy
Xander – Matched
Adam – If I Stay/Where She Went
Sam – Before I Fall
whoops I mean Kent from Before I Fall Sam is the girl lol
Wow — that is an amazing list. You have some great guys there!!
62
Yes! Cricket and Christian are such nice guys! I had a hard time thinking of any because I usually go for the bad boys 😉
You're not the only one!
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I have to say that my number one would be Lucas from Easy. He's so sweet and kind and just wants to save the love interest <3 I'd definitely read that book if you could! I'd also put Tucker and Jem from your list on my mine. I'd also have to put Sam from Incarnate. He was so freaking sweet and didn't care that Ana was a new soul and naive! ah Sam <3
I have not read Easy yet, or Incarnate!
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Definitely Sam Henry and Tucker. Love them. Also, Percy J., Quince from the Fins series, Jack from Everneath. 😀
Great choices!
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My "nice guy" pick is Harold Fry of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce. Thanks!
I will check that one out!
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Adrian Ivashkov!!
He is kind of the perfect blend of good guy and bad boy — kind of bad on the outside but good underneath!
67
Tucker, Cricket and Jem are some of my favorites too! I really love Sam from the Mercy Falls series 🙂 Love them all so much, especially Cricket!
Glad you liked my choices!
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Thomas from The Maze Runner, Simon from The Mortal Instruments, and Todd from the Soul Screamers series!!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Leanne
Fantastic choices!
69
I don't know what it says about me, but I tend not to remember the nice guys as well as the bad. Going through the comments I do recognize a number.
This is why I did the list – nice guys get overlooked!!
70
It looks like I've got some reading to do because I only recognize one of these nice guys! Tucker Avery would definitely be at the top of my list if I had one!
He's such a sweetheart!!
71
Lochan from Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma! God, I cried so much…… :(((
Also, one of my favorite nice guys is Tucker Avery, too! And Sam from Wolves of Mercy Falls, and Valleysman Zachry from Cloud Atlas. 🙂
Thank you for the giveaway!!
Marijana Sitar
I haven't read that book, but I've heard of it. Also Valleysman Zachry — great name!
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I'm dying to read Shadow and Bone!
54
I like Owen from Just Listen and Zach Goode from Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy.
Owen is also one of my favorites. I've never read the Gallagher girls series, but I love her Heist Society series!
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<3 Luckily there are so many sweeties to choose from!
While I've only read the first book in the Hunger Games trilogy, I thought Peeta was the King of All Nice Guys – especially when he shared a loaf of bread with Katniss when they were both young and she was so hungry, and then his witch of a mother beat him for it.
So, I guess that makes him VERY special & kind, because he wasn't only sweet to her just because of her beauty or anything. It was purely a compassionate gesture. <3
He is like King of the Nice Guys and he SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY LIST *hangs head*
74
I want that copy of Defiance soooooo bad!
Well the one guy that pops into my head when I think of nice guy is Sam from Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater. I guess he could be considered a bad boy but to me he is just super nice.
I definitely agree with you on Jem too.
Here is an oldie but goodie: Louis from Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice.
I love this blog! These questions are so fun to answer!
Sam and Jem are classic nice guys. I can't remember if I ever read Interview With the Vampire, but I love the suggestion!
Thanks and welcome to the blog — followed you back on Networked Blogs!
75
Tucker, Peeta, Adrian – they're all favorites and great guys; but, I think Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars would have to be pretty darn close to the top of the list.
I completely agree!
76
Hmmm… I have only read one from your list, but totally agree on Lend- love him! As for others, Peeta, and Po from Graceling. Great list though, even if it does make my TBR pile a bit higher!
Po……
Can't believe I forgot him too. He's one of my favorites!
77
My favorites are Will Cooper (Slammed) and Sean Kendrick (The Scorpio Races)!
I'm about to read Slammed (excited!) and I agree about Sean!
78
Nice guy!! Alex from Ashfall by Mike Mullin!! And he knows karate!! 🙂
Ooh, I'm about to read that book too! Excited!
79
Some of my favorite nice guys are Belen from Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder, and Luca from the River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren. Belen is such a nice, sweet big guy, and Luca is very sweet and charming. Love them both!!
LOVE the Touch of Power trilogy and haven't read River of Time!
Thanks so much for weighing in!
80
I ADORE Ethan from Beautiful Creatures. He's so sweet and loving, and had me bawling in Beautiful Chaos.
Uh oh — I guess I need to read that one. I read the first two books!
81
I love tons of guys in YA. Including Logan from Defiance! *high-five* So MANY I couldn't list them all!
Logan is a great guy!! *high fives back*
82
Finn from Born Wicked is definitely in my top 5 YA guys. But then there's Cricket Bell. My heart freaking bursts for that guy <3
While I thought Finn was a great guy, I just didn't see him with Cate. But Cricket is one of my top nice guys ever!!
83
Kain from the Syrenka Series by Amber Garr *sigh* For all the stuff the protaganist put him through… Kain, you are too good!
Ooh, I don't know him. Will have to check that guy out!
84
Oooh! it's Freebie Friday! 🙂 I would definitly agree with Tucker! Ooh Adrian from Bloodlines has to be on this list! Despite his drinking and laziness. LOl 😀 Ooh Defiance! And A Midsummer's Nightmare! 😀
Someone above suggested Adrian and he's an interesting choice. I'd call him more of a bad boy. We'll have to see what happens in Indigo Spell!
85
Ooh, love your list! I totally agree with Lend, Jem, and Christian! 😀 And Tod from Soul Screamers is one of the ultimate good guys that I love, and Ash from The Iron Fey, too, and Hale from Heist Society, since you said he's not really a bad boy. (Yeah, I agree- he's too nice to be one! :P)
Who else? Gabriel from Wither, Jack from Everneath (I'm still torn between him and Cole!), and Kai from Cinder! And I LOVE Day from Legend, but he's kinda a good bad guy (yes, guy, not boy :P) so I'm not so sure where to put him!
What????? Cole? No way!!!
But I agree with your other choices. Yeah, Day is kind of like Adrian, a "good bad boy"
86
Sam from the Mercy Falls trilogy and Jem is another. Hmm. Tod from Soul Screamers.
Very good choices!!
87
i like your chocies Christian from the Vampire Academy series , Tucker from the Unearthly series , lend from the Paranormalcy series and i would add
– tod from soul screamers series
– stephen from name of the star
– Michael from morganville vampires series
-Derek and Lucas from the shadow falls series
dose Adrian from vampire academy & bloodlines count as a good guy ? he is underneath all the drinking & cockiness .
See, a lot of people agree with you on Adrian. If I had to pick, I'd put him in the bad boy category. But I could see the argument the other way!
88