Lauren Blakely | Men in Uniform

One of the immutable truths of romance fiction is this -- men in uniform are undeniably sexy.

Doesn’t matter if the man is a soldier, a sailor, a cop, or a fireman. The uniform is like a catnip to many women, myself included.

Especially a fireman’s uniform. Be it the navy blue T-shirts, the beige turnouts, or the dress uniform -- all are hot in novels and in real life.

I’ll be the first to admit that I stare unabashedly when we drive past the firehouse that’s one-quarter miles away from our home. (By the way, have I mentioned how awesome it is that we live near a firehouse? BECAUSE IT IS! It is equally awesome that the men are often seen drinking coffee at the nearby coffee shop, providing yet another opportunity for ogling as I run my morning errands.)

And since I know I’m not the only woman who loves a fireman, that’s why I chose to write about hot firemen in my Fighting Fire series that includes BURN FOR ME and my newest release MELT FOR HIM.

But what is it about firemen in particular that can cause such jaw dropping and neck craning on the part of the female persuasion? That can feed fantasies and drive demand for such things as firemen calendars?

First, firefighters are strong. They need to be fit to carry their equipment and run into burning buildings, as well as handle all the EMT work that comprises their job. That adds to their appeal. They aren’t working a desk job or staring at a screen all day.

Beyond that, a friend and I were recently discussing the specific mystique of the fireman. One needn’t be a rocket scientist to understand the answer we arrived at, nor is the answer unique to this job -- but we enjoyed breaking down the allure of the fireman. The answer is, quite simply, the nobility and courage required for the job.

A fireman might have to run into a burning building at some point to save someone else’s life. Or to pull an injured person from a damaged car in a precarious accident. To hold the hand of a scared child in those situations. That is hot. That is sexy. That is ridiculously, intensely, incredibly attractive.

The job itself is rooted in service -- serving the community, saving lives, rescuing people, even rescuing pets. It is a selfless profession grounded in giving back.

So when you add a hot fireman to a romance novel, you have a combustible combination. Many romance readers crave alpha heroes with alpha professions and firefighters fit squarely in that ideal. Add in the natural protective element, and you’ve got the recipe for a fantastic hero in my opinion. And so, writing about firefighters was a must-do for me, especially since I took it a step further by layering in my signature trait that most of my sexy, alpha heroes possess -- I made Becker in MELT FOR HIM a dirty talker. I loved every second of writing about this dirty-talking fireman, because a guy who risks his life to save another is a turn-on.