BREAKTHEBAR, sometimes known as B LeBar, is a Canadian author who started his journey writing fun, smutty stories in 2015, was told by an ‘industry professional’ that he should wipe his entire brand and catalogue of stories from the internet if he ever wanted to have a career in writing, and subsequently took a seven-year break. Returning to “fun and smutty” in 2022, he has been thrilled to prove that one fuckin’ guy in particular wrong by becoming a full-time content-producing machine of sexy slice-of-life soap operas, magic-filled myths, and amorous apocalyptic adventures. Not to mention serving as the Keeper of the Timeline for the Quaranteam Project, stewarding a shared Modern Pandemic setting for over 20 other online authors.

An utter nerd with too many hobbies when he isn’t typing away, Break has always been a ‘story guy’ from his youngest years when he would set up toys and action figures in elaborate battlefield dioramas, counting the casualties until there were only a small contingent of survivors... Actually, that might have been a red flag? Good thing he came out sort-of normal in the end! That desire for the Epic has continued on into adulthood as he dabbles in TTRPGs, Tabletop Wargaming, Magic the Gathering, and collecting books and comics for a library that gets harder and harder to take with him every time he moves.

With previous careers in Education and Labour Unions, Break doesn’t seem like a “Romance” kind of guy but believes that every story should have a steamy love interest, and every relationship deserves a happily ever after. He thinks stories should be Entertaining first and foremost and leave the reader craving more of everything. More twists, more relationship, more sex. If you, the reader, can be both satisfied with an ending and desperately wishing for more, he considers that a story well told.

BreaktheBar is a Top 25 Most Followed Literotica Author, 5 Time Literotica Awards Winner, Winner of the CHYOA 10th Anniversary Writing Contest, and a Top 25 Patreon Creator in Adult Fiction.

Romance for Men isn’t just romance?

What is “romance for men,” you might be asking yourself.

First we should define Romance - it’s a big genre. Huge, even! Traditionally, a Romance novel is a story where the developing relationship between two (or more - love triangle!) lovers is the central focus of the story. Aragorn, Arwen and Eowyn have a little love triangle-y thing in Lord of the Rings, but that doesn’t make it a Romance story. Bella, Edward and Jacob in Twilight? The relationships are the whole thing, and the vampire stuff is secondary (and, honestly, the vampire stuff was kinda cool and I felt let down by not seeing more of it.)

So if a Romance novel is about relationships, what’s the difference between “regular” Romance and Romance for Men? It’s in the fantasy being told - Jane Austen wrote about precocious young women trying to find love and matches in a world where they had very little control. It’s not just about the Point of View, but also the fantasy - the kind of partner that makes the intended reader tingle. Traditionally, the kind of man who can no longer bottle up his overwhelming emotions despite however genteel or manly he is until he pours out his heart to the centre of his affections and throws himself upon her mercy.

Romance for Men (or, more appropriately, romance for straight men) flips the Tingle Character around - not all the readers need to be men by a long shot, but it’s the Female Romantic Interest that we’re interested in. A broody, bitchy romantic interest could stand side-by-side with a sweet, innocent and preppy Disney Princess-type in a Romance geared towards men because it’s how she interacts with our protagonists that really makes the difference.

Acceptance.

That’s what Romance for Men is really about. Down at the bottom of the well, beneath whatever level of spice or sex, beneath the other plots and subplots and action going on, Romance for Men is about the male protagonist being accepted and wanted for who they are, and not the wealth, super power, or sacrifice that they bring to the table to prove themselves worthy. The classic RomCom ‘Run through the airport and make a big, embarrassing display to show that I’ve changed my ways and needed to learn to put you first’ can be a great, heartfelt moment… but it isn’t about acceptance. It’s about the male lead proving their worth and putting all the power into the other person’s hands to decide whether “you are enough.”

Sometimes, when we just want to feel good, men don’t want to read about needing to give up all control, or sacrificing to prove ourselves. That’s not to say that we don’t want to read about self-sacrifice, or giving up control to someone we love - but the fantasy is doing it knowing that we’re already accepted. Already loved. Already enough.

That’s the fantasy of Romance for Men.