Happy Valentine’s Day! As a life-long book lover, I’ve naturally had the occasional crush on a fictional character. I would have married any one of them, if a) they were real people; b) they weren’t already involved with fictional females; and c) I hadn’t met the love of my life 13 years ago.

Leanne’s literary crushes:

1. Gilbert Blythe, Anne of Green Gables. Gilbert was smart, competitive, funny, and capable of falling in love at first sight with a woman with “anne” in her name. He also turned into an award-winning scholar, life-saving doctor, and father of six. Plus, there’s that awesome last name: “Blythe by name and blithe by nature.”

2. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice. I’d have seen his potential and snatched him up before Lizzie got it through her thick, prejudiced head that Darcy was a stand-up guy. Yes, he sometimes acted a bit snooty and aloof, but that merely stemmed from his natural introversion and high standards.

Also? I’m not a gold-digger, but he had “ten thousand a year,” and let’s not forget Pemberley.

3. Rhett Butler, Gone With The Wind. Everyone loves a bad boy, and Rhett was the baddest of the bad. A war profiteer, backer of prostitutes and criminals, unwelcome in the best society, Rhett was a handsome rogue in need of reform. But he was also kind-hearted and generous, and even saved a life on occasion. He showed intense devotion to one woman, even though she was too blind to see it until it was too late. And he was a loving, doting father until the day little Bonnie died.

4. Westley, the Dread Pirate Roberts (a.k.a the Farm Boy), The Princess Bride. Handsome, strong, dashing, smart. And the swashbuckling; oh, the swashbuckling. Also intensely devoted to his lady-love, even when her own love failed to save him.

5. Harry Potter… every Harry Potter book. Disclaimer: while I do love Harry, and can’t keep him off my list of literary crushes, I don’t think I’d want to be married to him. For one, I don’t think I’m his type, or he mine; I’m very Hermione-ish, and I need a Ron-type to balance me out (no matter what Rowling has recently said about Harry and Hermione belonging together, I think they’re too similar to be truly attracted). Also, it would be hard to trust a husband with magic powers. But I adore Harry as a friend, and I come back to him again and again (in literary form, of course).

Who are your fictional crushes?