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Oooh, Cal Morrisey. *sigh*
The leading man in Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, Cal is a dreamboat. Yes, it’s an old-fashioned word but that’s what he is. He’s good-looking, he’s effortlessly charming, he owns a successful business, he’s a great cook and a loyal friend… He has it all.
But the charm is more out of habit than a genuine desire to charm the woman he’s with. He’s a heartbreaker. He doesn’t set out to be one, but women can’t resist him and he’s not ready to settle down so he’s left a string of disappointed women in his wake.
Then he meets Minerva Dobbs. Min puts him in his place. She sees that the charm isn’t genuine and calls him on it. Cal is kind of angry at first but then she intrigues him. Who is this woman who sees through him? Does she see the real Cal underneath everything? He tries to stay away from her but they keep getting thrown together.
I believe Cal was described basically as tall, dark and handsome. Pierce Brosnan popped into my head and wouldn’t leave. So this is my Cal.
Cal does have a deep insecurity. He’s dyslexic and he struggled with it in school. His father was very hard on him. Anyone wanting to push Cal’s buttons just calls him stupid. Stand back when it happens because he has a temper too.
Cal sees past Min’s apparent dislike of men and starts to rebuild her trust and her own self-confidence. Whenever she needs him, he’s there whether she calls him or not. Min is very self-conscious about her weight. Some women are just born with curves and no amount of dieting will change that; Min is one of those women. She sees herself as fat because of her horrible mother and tries to hide her body under shapeless clothes and tries to tame her curls into a severe bun. Cal can appreciate women of all shapes and sizes. He sees the bombshell Min can be if she just glories in herself. He constantly tells her how beautiful she is and encourages her to dress to show off her curves. She will probably always be a little self-conscious but she makes huge strides under Cal’s loving gaze. She dresses to impress and lets her curls run riot. She starts to feel sexy and starts to look sexy. What a huge gift to give a woman!
Read Becky’s Character Connection featuring Min.
Who have you connected with recently? Link your post on Mr. Linky, then be sure to go check out the other Character Connections!
Who do ya love?
Or love to hate?
You know you’ve got a lot to say about some larger-than-life characters, and this is the place to say it. Write a straightforward post. Draw a picture. Vlog, write poetry, write fiction, cast the role, be as creative as you want!
Be sure to post the book’s title and author, and be very careful not to give away spoilers while talking about how much you love your characters.
Mr. Linky will be posted here on The Introverted Reader on the first Thursday of every month.
I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s, my local independent bookstore located in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.
3 Comments
+JMJ+
Based on your description, Cal sounds like a really sweet guy, and I hope Min didn't hurt his feelings too much when she "put him in his place." Especially since he does give her the great gift of feeling so good about herself that she starts to look good to the rest of the world as well! But then again, I do feel very much for people whose happy, charming demeanor hide deep insecurities, which can be triggered by anyone who knows exactly what button to push. They seem to be the most vulnerable ones of all, because, if you think about it, the demeanor isn't much of a defense; it's the weakest of smokescreens.
As always, thanks for hosting this meme, Jen! =) I hope to have another Character Connection later this month.
Don't ask me where Pierce Brosnan came from; I haven't thought of him in ages. But he popped up and wouldn't go away!
Your post reminded me of how much I enjoyed this book. Pierce Brosnan isn't who I pictured for Cal but he certainly is charming!