Is your girlfriend’s book boyfriend ruining your real-life relationship?

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift · Dec 6, 2025 · 10m

It might sound dramatic, but it’s becoming a real issue. When fictional heroes are written to be endlessly patient, impossibly romantic, or superhumanly perfect, it’s easy for real guys to feel like they’re constantly falling short…. and for your girlfriends to have superhero-like expectations. Fictional heroes swoop in with perfect lines, flawless devotion, and just the right amount of brooding mystery — and real people rarely stand a chance. But letting those dreamy characters set the bar for actual relationships can quietly sabotage our chances at real love…