Once upon a time, muscle-bound macho hunks like Fabio graced the covers of romance novels – but now readers are calling for a different type of leading man… According to publishing insiders, a growing number of romance fans are requesting fictional love interests that are being described as “squishy-centred men”, “cinnamon roll heroes”, and “golden retrievers”. In romance lingo, these are gentlemen with “a warm, floppy energy and positive attitude”. Publishers say the change is driven by a new generation of readers and a shift in what women want their dream man to be. But not everyone’s on board – Fabio himself, who appeared on the covers of more than 1,300 romance novels in the 90s – called the trend “hogwash”. Who said nice guys finish last?