Gritty Lo-down: Sex Scenes in Romance Novels
by Insane Hussein
Hi, first I'd like to thank Danielle for having me over! She's awesome, and a super dooper wine drinker *brown noses*
As we read romance novels, we come across some amazing, and not-so-amazing, sex scenes. I find that I truly love the scenes where there is a deeper connection between the partners than just the superficial. I mean emotion, that connection with the one(s) you love and want to express that in a physical sense.
For instance, we see that deep emotional connection in Nalini Singh's Archangel books, Meljean Brook's novels (Iron Duke--Rhys is MINE), Julie Garwood, Michelle Reid (HQN Presents), Lynn Raye Harris, just to name a few.
However, I also quite enjoy the sex scenes where there are more than two partners, gay and lesbian, BDSM themes and Domination. Like Kate Douglas, Josh Lanyon and James Buchanan. They are able to write some amazing, soul (and other body part)-clenching scenes where it isn't just sexual desire, but that need to be one with your love.
Oh, god, look at me, waxing poetic.
Especially Kate Douglas. Because, really, group sex. HELLO. Body parts aren't just flying all over the damn place and bodily fluids aren't just being exchanged. They're a pack. They love their mates, but also love each other and commune as a family. How Kate keeps up with whose penis/hand/fingers/vagina/butt go where and how is astonishing. Additionally, all the partners are individuals, as well as part of a whole. Do not think Borg, because Borg are a whole, not individuals at all. (Do I win for a Star Trek reference? I say yes!)
An author I got hooked on this year: Caris Roane with her winged vampire series. In the first book, Ascension, she wrote: "[...] Deep within, her female organs began to contract and release. She felt the path of his seed and now in her mind she could see a golden trail. How was this even possible? Dear God, how was any of this even possible? Now she could see the chrysalis of her genetic material, a bright burning light at the end of a tunnel. The imagery made her smile then laugh. She could see his sperm, like lightning [...] If his DNA wanted to make a child, why wouldn't it move at an accelerated rate? She felt the moment when her egg received his sperm and their child began all the fantastic portentous crazy cell replications. [...]" (This quote is a fine example of "WTF I must continue reading naowwwww!!!" which I did. WINGED VAMPIRES FTW!)
This also brings me to a topic I don't generally like to think about: Fluid Swapping. Yes, it happens in books. No, it is not sexy. I don't want to see that in teh porn. I don't want to read that in teh smutty books.
Another author whose books I absolutely can't get enough of: Lora Leigh. Specifically, her Breeds series. OH. MAH. GAWDZZZZ!!! The sex is scorching. It is also, sometimes, WTF. A prime example of the cervix bruiser. My vagina cringes in sympathetic pain when I read that his cock is bumping her cervix. WHAT!!! NO BACK THE HELL UP! That hurts and is not sexay. (Don't ask how I know this. We'll say that it's general women's intuition.) However, you know who is feeling what, when, where and how. And this is before, during and after the cervix bumping, and the primal "locking" that breeds do (read the books--learn it!).
Which brings me to another point: individuality in sex. We are all individuals and I want to know who's thinking what and when. I don't like dropped personal pronouns. If I think, "Did Billy really think/say/do that, or was it Johnny? I CAN'T TELL!" quickly makes me move on from that book to another. I absolutely, positively, DETEST when that happens. I go into a rage, and think of adding that book to my emergency fire kindling pile (winter power outages). Really. I do.
Sex scenes should be empowering, not demeaning. They should clearly be indicative of the partners as individuals, as well as partners (I say 'partners' because I'm talking about all kinds of sex scenes, not just hetero). They should also be hot, steamy, scorching, sweet, gentle, loving, tender, lovingly rough.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my sassy low-down of sex scenes, body fluid swapping, cervix bruisers etc.
You can find Insane Hussein (link http://insanehussein.com/blog) talking about a host of stuff, like romance novels, authors, adult novelties, etc:
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