I remember when I used to read books and actually looked forward to the love scenes because there was so much delicious tension built into the pages leading up to them. Even books that relied on less friction had love scenes hot enough to cause their paper bindings to practically burst into flames. These days I rarely read a romance without skimming those scenes.
The books I’ve been buying lately have body parts flying and meshing together (and not in a fun, gruesome Mad Max kind of way) about every ten pages. Did I miss a memo? When did love scenes turn into a competitive sport graded for level of difficulty, frequency and flexibility? The one-upmanship and shock value in these sex scenes seem to take precedence over progressing the story.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been reading books where the hero and the heroine are in peril (one or both are severely injured) and then wham, they’re ripping their clothes off and he’s taking her anally. Blink. Uh, your wound barely stopped bleeding. How are you physically able to do that? For that matter, what happened to the bad guy? He was right behind you.
Another disturbing storyline I’ve been seeing a lot involves the victimized heroine who has been sexually abused/raped/molested. The books don’t glamorize the abuse—thank goodness, but by the mid-point in the novels (or sooner) the heroine suddenly turns into a nymphomaniac on steroids. Hello? This woman couldn’t be touched two pages ago. How in the world did she get over her inhibitions enough to have a ménage? The fact that this turnaround occurs due to the hero’s urging only makes it worse. I can suspend disbelief as well as anyone, but come on. You have to give me something to work with here.
I’m sure right about now several of you are saying to yourselves, “She’s one to talk. She writes romances, too.†And you’d be right. I do write romances, among other things. I am not excluding myself. This is not a case of the pot calling the kettle black. I’ve had editors request more love scenes. Did I like adding them to my stories? No, but I’m not about to fight over it. That said, I try very hard to make sure that the scenes that I add develop the story in some small way. If I can’t, then that love scene has to go. Period.
Before everyone leaps on my back and starts beating me to a pulp, let me say this isn’t just one author’s problem. This is a problem I think affects the entire romance genre. There seems to be two schools of thought on this subject. One is to give the reader more shocking material because they are so desensitized that only the harder stuff reaches them. The other is to pull back and refocus on the story. Bet you’ll never guess which one I’m voting for.
Now let me have it.
No related posts.
Jordan,
There was a hidden yet in my post. Not sure what I’ll do when it’s mentioned if it ever is. I imagine I’ll consider it and see if it’s possible or not and go from there.:neutral:
Sarah, I’ll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you that you never have to experience it.
[...] Jordan Summers posts Sick of Sex at Romancing the Blog. (Yes, I’m sure everyone here has read it.) I don’t feel like I’m well-read enough in erotic romance to comment, though I have certainly been reading books I enjoy where my eyes begin to glaze over during a sex scene. My eyes will glaze over during other scenes, too, though. [...]
Jorrie, *ggg* I’m not just talking about erotic romances. I’ve read a few books that weren’t in that sub-genre that did the same thing. I hear you on the eyes glazing over in various scenes.:lol:
This eye-glazing is especially a disappointment when the book is otherwise good!
Anyway, all this discussion—I’m going to have to take a trip to Ellora’s Cave. (I have been there a couple of times already.)
Jorrie wrote:
Anyway, all this discussion—I’m going to have to take a trip to Ellora’s Cave.
Funnily enough, I decided to pick up a good old fashioned menage book after this column. It’s been a while since I read about three or more people having sex at the same time. Hopefully, I wont have to skip the sex scenes. (g)
I’m curious. This seems like a good time to ask while we’re on this topic. I hope I don’t sound too naive. I’m not making any judgments either. Do people use the really sizzling books to get their solo jollies ( insert M-word) or to get in the mood for fun with their significant others. Both? What is it that sizzling books offer that others that aren’t so explicit don’t?
Jana, Wow, those are loaded questions. (pardon the pun) *ggg* I can’t answer for anyone, but myself. I’ve ALWAYS liked the hotter books. I started reading Susan Johnson, Virginia Henley, Kathleen Woodiwiss, etc., when I first picked up romance novels. After those ladies, I couldn’t go back to less sizzling reads. I’ve never liked books that shut the door on bedroom scenes, erotic or otherwise. Remember hot doesn’t necessarily mean graphic. Some of the hottest books I’ve read aren’t graphic at all.
As for your other question, that’s not why I read spicy romances, but I don’t see a problem with that being a byproduct of reading the books if one is so inclined. *wg*
Now see, I totally disagee with this. If you can remove all the sex and still have a workable story then it’s NOT erotic romance. It’s a romance with hotter-than-average sex.
A true erotic romance REQUIRES the sex to move the story forward. The sex scenes are where the character and relationship growth take place.
Erotica also requires sex. The difference is in erotica the focus is not on the growth of a romantic relationship, but on the individuals. The sexual situations help the protagonists grow — not together, but individually. If in the end, they end up HEA that’s great, but it’s not the focus.
Jana, I’m sorry to say that I can’t get my “jollies”, solo or otherwise, from erotic romances. Sure, there is a vicarious thrill for me, but it’s not sexual but more romantic in nature. Even though I’m an old bat now and single to boot, I can still get all the sex any woman would ever want or need. Can’t say the same about getting all of the romance, though. Never could, actually. Real life has always gotten in the way of that.
I’ll be the first to say I don’t wade far out into the pond (I pretty much stick to Georgian/Regency historicals, unless the book is written by a friend). I’ve only read ebooks that were SPECIFICALLY recommended by friends I trust (it’s just not a form of reading that appeals to me; I like physical books!). I’ve been reading some of the Bravas and Aphrodesias since I sold to Kensington, and some of them (like Celia May Hart’s SHOW ME) have been fantastic.
Jordan …. excellent comments, and I agree completely. You’ve also just nailed (hehehe) why I’ve recently decided NOT to write erotic romance.
Stacy said, “If you’ve ever read Linda Howard, you know what I’m talking about.” That’s exactly what I was thinking as I read both your & Jordan’s comments. I love how she handles it. Charlaine Harris and Janet Evanovich are also favorites of mine for just that reason. They give me just enough to leave me wanting more (and that’s a good thing).
Imelda said, “Even if it’s good, it still isn’t the best thing to put in a book – because if it’s that good, it makes me put the book down and go find my husband!” *LOL* I’m with you. I about wore him out while reading Laurell K Hamilton and Angela Knight!
Ten, LOL! I think it’s important to know what you want to write.
What a great post, Jordan! I’ve never been asked to add more love scenes to my books. As for timing, my love scenes usually don’t happen in the first few chapters and in a few books I’ve written they didn’t happen until halfway through the book! Now, sexual tension, I’ll drag that one out to the n’th degree.
Jordan wrote…I’ve ALWAYS liked the hotter books. I started reading Susan Johnson, Virginia Henley, Kathleen Woodiwiss, etc., when I first picked up romance novels. After those ladies, I couldn’t go back to less sizzling reads. I’ve never liked books that shut the door on bedroom scenes, erotic or otherwise. Remember hot doesn’t necessarily mean graphic. Some of the hottest books I’ve read aren’t graphic at all.
Jordan, you sound just like me with your past reading choices and preferences when it comes to stories! LOL! I agree with everything you’ve said. Hot doesn’t have to equate to graphic.
I loved this post. As a newbie erotica reader I’m really seeing sex that goes all over the place. One of the books I just read (can’t think of name at moment) had extremely hot sex, but it totally fit the story. It didn’t pull me out of the romance of the story. The other two books were nothing more than gratuitous sex with a plot that wasn’t a plot. I hate that.
I’m of the opinion that really hot sex is great as long as it fits the context of the story. If the characters have sex at the beginning of the book, make sense of it! Gratuitous sex is just stupid and irresponsible 99% of the time.
Patrice, Like you, I don’t think there should be a hard and fast rule about love scenes. (ie number of, locations in a book, etc.) I don’t know how anyone could set a story up that way. I never know what will happen from book to book.
I think that a lot of people are confusing graphic with hot.
Kaitlin, Yah, I knew I wasn’t the only one who’s read books like that.
I think it boils down to story. 
I prefer the good sexual tension between the hero and the heroine than sex scenes between the characters that have absolutely no chemistry between them. I have read great novels in which there’s plenty of chemistry between H/h and the sexual tension is palpable, yet they barely kiss at the end of the book.
Tempest, Nothing beats great tension.
I don’t think it has to do with the sex.
A bad book is a bad book. Bad writing is bad writing. I think it is a cop-out to say if there was less or no sex book X or Author X would be a good writer.
LOL if no sex was all it took to make a great book the Trad Regency would still be around. Well other than what EC is trying to do *g*.
I think it has to do with NY (and every other new epub popping up) trying to jump on the Erotica and Erotic Romance wagon. And the power of ‘trends’ to cloud editors eyes. Too much of a good thing can be bad. Too much of something that sucks already can be horrid.
LOL of course I like the hotter romances so what do I know
Sybil, I agree, a bad book is a bad book.
I don’t mind all the steam in a book as long as it makes sense. The strange thing is I’m a REALLY forgiving reader. If you entertain me, I can overlook just about everything. 
I believe in sex making SENSE. I’ve read books where the H&H are having sex in the middle of a battle, too…and my first thought is, “How stupid is that?” There are times and places for everything. That is NOT one.
Which makes me wonder WHY people add sex when it doesn’t fit. Not to slam the original poster; she felt she had to because the editor asked for it. I won’t argue her perception there. I’ve never had an editor tell me to add sex, so maybe I don’t have cause to talk. But, I have to wonder about this.
I can see adding sexual tension to other portions of the book. I really can, though I would argue that the characters have places their attention SHOULD be. If your heroine is fighting vampires, her eyes aren’t leaving the vampires long enough to take a long assessment of the hero’s arse. Or…they SHOULDN’T be. She’d be one DEAD heroine, and that would kill the romance, wouldn’t it?
There’s a balance. If the sex scene fits that balance without reading as TOSSED IN, there’s really no problem with adding it. That means finding a reason for it being there and tying it in. If you can do that, I don’t see much of a problem. But, as you noted…if there is no reason for it, no connection to what’s around it that keeps the flow going, why add it?
Brenna
Brenna I think that is where things go wiggy. It is very subjective. You could think it fits, it moves the plot, it is hawt or whatever… and I think it is crap and wonder what crack you are smoking.
It is like anything in a story, it comes down to what works to that reader and what doesn’t.
Before anyone starts to yell at me for being mean I have never read Brenna Lyons so I have no clue if her sex fits or not.
what happened to the bad guy? He was right behind you
Oh, he still is. Try to disentangle the limbs and you’ll notice it’s an anal threesome.
Brenna, That was my point. Like Sarah, I’m glad you’ve never been asked to add love scenes. It gets a bit tricky to do that after a story is finished.
Sybil, I do think it’s all subjective. I just seem to be running into a lot of these books lately and for me, it’s gotten real old.
Gabriele, You’re bad. *g*
[...] Jordan Summers has an interesting entry up at RTB about sex in books. [...]
Sybil,
Honestly, I think it’s MORE than that. You see, there will always be the reader bias. I agree. No piece of literature is universally loved OR hated. I don’t expect that it will be. That is why an author can get two reviews or feedback from two agents that say the exact opposite about a book, when there have been no changes made to the book.
But, as Jordan said, there is REASONABLE suspension of disbelief and unreasonable. Is it reasonable that the hero gives the heroine and quick peck on the lips and they both turn to fight the bad guys rushing at them from down the hall? Yes, IMO, it is. Is it reasonable that they are going to be so overcome with lust that they ignore the rushing bad guys for a quickie? Probably not. I mean, really… Staying alive rank anywhere up there?
Let’s drop sex scenes for a moment and just discuss POV for a second for a deeper understanding.
There are times when the characters do a long, slow perusal…the first time they see something, when something changes, when they are deep in consideration or memories, when comparing and contrasting… In short, it’s when they have time to MUSE.
There are times when characters are focused on something in particular. Take a fight scene, for example, since we’re talking about sex when the bad guys are on top of you. When you’re in a fight scene, your focus is on something in particular; your opponent would be a smart move. In one of my POV articles I make the point that the fight scene comes down to quick sentences, snapping motions that follow the flow of the fight: attack, rebuff, attack, dodge, attack, parry, counterattack. EVERYTHING should be focused on staying alive. What is your opponent doing, saying, etc. While a quiet moment may have the character focusing on the wallpaper, in a fight, the only two GOOD reasons to look at the wallpaper are: a) it just came to life and started moving and b) the character is drugged or otherwise incapacitated and thinks it’s really cool. Or something similar to the above. Other than that, NOTHING else should be on the character’s top ten but getting out of the fight, preferably in one piece.
Brenna
i just wanna say I LOVE YOU! its so refreshing to see an AUTHOR agree with everything thats on my mind..im actually to the point wher ei will completely skip over sex scenes. there are times when i want to read it, so i will go for the more erotic books, other times i just want something else..a heroine and hero who have chemistry but not ever two pages.
lately ive resorted to changing genres. certain times when i want the sex and rush and love and all that, ill read romance..when im bored of all that, ill switch to mystery, like patricia cornwell or something, where there are no sex, just plot. so ill go back and forth.
Kim, (blush) Thank you. I’ve been reading outside of the romance genre as of late. When I do choose to read a romance, I tend to stick with my favorite authors. I know what I’m getting that way.
Brenna has a point about writers being too close to their story to see the nits. Personally, I consider it more a problem of editorial judgment. There’s the thinking that erotic romance = more sex scenes, which leads to unfortunate insertions of sex scenes, such as your example. My editor hasn’t asked me to add sex scenes, just that I maintain a consistent level of heat between books, which I think isn’t too much to ask.
But other editors aren’t as discerning.
Thank you. I needed to hear something like that, that I’m not totally in another galaxy.
Nessili, You aren’t.
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