by Candy Tan, originally posted 05/17/05
“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to Thursday
With Harry, Mark and John”
- Lou Reed, “Sattelite of Love”
Are you the kind of person who has a story (sometimes several) at the ready in your head at all times to keep yourself entertained should you be stuck doing something incredibly boring for long stretches of time? I am, and I’ve been that way ever since I was a kid. As a child, my favorite types of stories to work on were fantasy novels. Man, I created whole universes, languages and magic systems while attending weddings and formal Chinese New Year dinners, or waiting for my mom to be done handbag shopping. Once I hit puberty, though, my favorite kind of story became a lot spicier.
And I do mean a lot spicier. Once I figured out that sex didn’t have to only be between a man and a woman, I would occasionally imagine fun love stories involving more than two people. You know, Lord Tentinpanterson has two weaknesses: beautiful women and beautiful footmen. One balmy summer’s eve, he’s caught indulging in the latter by Lady Chesste-LaRue. The intrepid lady decides to join the fun, and in between having loads and loads of kinky sex Tentinpanterson finds himself falling in love with the winsome Chesste-LaRue. However, he doesn’t want to give up his hot footment–and, well, neither does her ladyship. Oh, what’s a sexual libertine to do?
I never imagined I’d ever read romance novels that featured storylines of this sort. Pornography, yes. The amount of group sex porn out there is legion, and so is the abysmal quality. Not so love stories centering around couples who are faithful, but not necessarily monogamous. Let’s be honest, here: although a genre known for being unabashedly sensual, sexual adventurousness isn’t exactly one of romance’s fortes. Just look at the massive number of romances in which the heroine is kept a virgin and/or orgasm-free at all costs, even if she’s been married for years and years. Old wiener, improperly plumbed wiener, drug-addicted wiener, hubby likes wiener–the excuses are manifold and sometimes quite hilariously creative. So I figured, in this sort of publishing climate, how can a romance novel be published featuring a swingin’ couple? There’s no way.
Enter Candy’s introduction to Emma Holly.
From what I’ve read so far (and mind you, it’s not at all extensive–yet) Emma Holly has taken most sexual taboos held dear by the mainstream romance community and trampled on them with great and evil glee. Anal sex. Man-on-man sex. Girl-on-girl sex. Man-on-man-on-girl sex. Girl-on-girl-on-man sex. Bondage. Manually-operated toys. Battery-operated toys. Remote-controlled toys. Voyeurism, with and without informed consent. Mutual masturbation. Cross-dressing. And perhaps violating THE cardinal rule of romance novel sexdom: The heroine has hot, sweaty, mind-blowingly awesome sex with several different people, people she doesn’t necessarily love (a romance novel privilege previously bestowed only upon heroes and skank-ass villains). Hell, oftentimes the hero is right there enjoying it with her.
But here’s the biggest shocker–for me, anyway: In between all the athletic boinking, there’s actually a love story. What’s more, the love story is pretty damn good, and the characters are well-written and extremely sympathetic. There’s a believable happily-ever-after, and so far all of the contemporary Emma Holly novels I’ve read have the hero and heroine making a commitment to each other, while also keeping another regular sexual partner (usually a man) in the mix, so to speak.
I, for one, think this trend is pretty damn cool. Don’t get me wrong, I love monogamy–in real life, it’s the only kind of romantic relationship I’m able to handle, and I’m so shy about my body that the very thought of strangers seeing me in my bare-assed glory makes me want to simultaneously laugh and cry. But the fantasy of having multiple sexual partners, of sharing the one you love with other people, is very appealing and I really enjoy reading these stories. I think acknowledging that monogamy isn’t always the be-all and end-all of a romantic relationship is busting through all sorts of interesting frontiers and taboos.
So what do you think? Are stories featuring couples who (ahem) play well with others romantic? Sexy? Both? Neither?
No related posts.
Personally I don’t find anything romantic about those types of stories.. sure, they may be ‘hot’… but I prefer my romance to feature two people, one man, one woman, in love (or falling) with each other.
I guess I like monogomy in real life and in my books.
But this is just my personal opinion on the books in my library, not anyone else’s.
I like all kinds of stories, including all different kinds of sex, but I have to believe the situation, whatever it is. So far, I haven’t found that in a Holly book. I tried reading Strange Attractions(?), and I couldn’t get past the setup. Maybe I picked the wrong one.
No thank you! I guess I am entering geezer-hood faster than I thought, but quite frankly what you wrote about sounds like far too much work. And, naturally, since there is “love story included” (apparently with batteries ’cause it sounds like lots o’batteries are required), this couldn’t possibly be erotica or porn, oh, no, this is “romantica”. Sorry, but this sounds like a self-help book on masturbatation (excuse the pun), not literature!
I think I could enjoy this for the most part, except the ending. Because I can’t imagine living with anything other than strict monogomy in my life, I’m not sure I could come at a happy ever after that maintained another regular sexual partner – although if they both are involved with him/her, maybe… I guess I’ll have to try one of her books and see.
I think I could enjoy this for the most part, except the ending. Because I can’t imagine living with anything other than strict monogomy in my life, I’m not sure I could come at a happy ever after that maintained another regular sexual partner – although if they both are involved with him/her, maybe… I guess I’ll have to try one of her books and see.
Opps, sorry for the double post.
Ultimately boring and unoriginal.Those taboos and frontiers were broken a long time ago.
Candy, kudos for quoting a great musician and poet, Lou Reed. As for the topic, maybe it’s just because I’m a man, but I think Emma Holly’s work–at least as you describe it–sounds great. *Of course* what she’s portraying is a fantasy: nobody could really live that way for very long and find themselves truly satisfied and happy. But I don’t think the unreality of such a portrayal is any worse than, say, a movie that shows somebody working at a minimum-wage job but living in a Manhattan loft whose monthly rent would probably be equal to a year’s pay for the character. Or movies that portray publishing in ways that appear patently absurd to anyone in the know. I don’t think any reasonable person would read Emma Holly and come away thinking that she’s saying *that* is how someone should live his or her life.
Romance is a very personal concept, what one thinks is romantic will be different for another; so too with what is sexy, what is hot, etc… For me, in real life, NO WAY. Mine, mine, mine! But, when writing, the vouyersitic scene that I wrote recently was one of the most, ahem, *enjoyable* scenes to write.
Gee, can I just say WCS (What Candy Said)? Yes, yes, yes. To everything, from the fangirly squeeing over Holly (okay, maybe that was just me–Candy was nicely calm and logical, as always) to monogamy being what I want IRL.
But it’s not just the subject of multiple partners or other taboos that I like so much–I can get those in porn. It’s the characters and the emotions and the way it’s written. When I read Menage, I can believe in a three-way HEA. When I read Strange Attractions, my heart breaks for B.G. and I’m convinced that he needs both Charity and Eric to be complete.
Oh Jo that’s definitely the wrong Holly book to start with. I’m a fan of her works myself and couldn’t even finish that one. I’d start with Personal Assets or Menage (a fan favourite).
I always had a mixed reaction to Emma Holly’s “Menage.” Let me explain:
My mind says: Isn’t this great? An equally weighted romantice love triangle, and the heroine doesn’t have to choose between the two guys, Joe and Sean. She gets both and they live happily ever after. Wow, this is witty, sophisticated and very hot.
My heart (and other parts) say: Ditch Joe. He’s just not all that interesting. You tried, Emma, to convince me that he’s the one, he’s worthy of marriage — but something in me is just NOT going for it. To the heroine, I’m whispering: Go for Sean, for God’s sakes. There’s no competition, it’s Sean all the way. Sean, Sean, Sean, YES!
So while I **try** to feel sophisticated and worldly about the triangle in “Menage” going on and on happily, and I try valiantly to assume an “anything goes” sort of attitude, I find that, in spite of myself, deep down, in my heart and gut, I am gunning for some kind of monogamy with Sean, the bad boy — though I know that would be causing the character to deny half his nature. (I know, I know, not good.) I cannot seem to overcome this.
Did I say again how much I really, really like this book?
I really enjoy all the kinky aspects of Emma Holly’s stuff,except, like the others above, I want a one on one at the end. Even if it’s the two GUYS together at the end, hopelessly in love.
Basically, I feel like down the road, someone is going to feel left out, betrayed, or hurt because of the threesome dynamic.
But as far as the rest goes…bring it on!
Candy,
Kudos on the article. I’m a big fan of Holly and agree with what you said.
After reading all the posts after mine (I was one of the first ones to post) I am more convinced than ever that these books are nothing but porn wrapped up in a pretty package. Anal sex, three ways, bondage, sex toys, and the list goes on. No wonder so many people dismiss romance novels.
From reading the posts and replies, it seems to me that a LOT of readers prefer a one on one HEA ending.(THAT has marketing implications of course!) And it looks like SOME prefer hot sizzling over the top sexuality in their romance stories. Sounds like a mirror of real life to me!
One woman’s fantasy in another’s nightmare.. that’s why there are SO MANY sub genres!!
Labeling a sizzling romance as pornography is limiting. Guess what? Anal sex, group sex, menage, masturbation, are all real ways that people approach their romantic lives.
It takes more sizzle to keep the interest of some readers, and that same amt. Turns others off.
Fantasy, regency, sex with vampires and werewolves, two guys and a lady, two ladies and a guy, missionary sex with your next door neighborhood nerd..
Let’s keep an open mind!
MADDIE