I’m working on an idea for my next Romancing the Blog post and need your help. I’m trying to come up with a list of reasons why readers might skip/skim love scenes in romances for comparison to, um, something else I don’t want to talk about yet. 😉 Here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
- Too many/too repetitive – This is mainly where an author is known for having a lot but it also happens when their loves scenes always seem to be the same
- Noticeable break between writing style of the main narrative and the love scenes themselves – I’ve only noticed this with a handful of authors but it does happen and usually feels like a major change in writing rhythm for lack of a better way of putting it.
- Language within love scenes much more “purple” than in rest of narrative – I suppose this one is a variation of #2 but it doesn’t always feel that way. It’s much more like the author falls suddenly starts pulling euphemisms out of a hat. 😀
- Love scenes appear tacked onto regardless of plot – Again, probably a variation of #2 but with a completely different effect which is to give the story a padded feeling.
Granted I rattled these off the top of my head when I started thinking about the idea this morning so they may need to be reworded some, but I hope you get the general idea. Can you add any more to the list?
Or help me clarify something already there?
My mother had 50 million romance novels lining her living room. I read most of them before I was 12. Most of them were Lindsey, Woodiwiss, etc. I honestly can’t recall how explicit the sex scenes were, but I recall them being there!
Would you believe my mother recently told me she skipped those parts?All of them? And found them disgusting? Sure mom… sure you did… and sure you didn’t read the smutty bits.. that’s why you had so damned many of the suckers all over the place. Mmmhmmm.
It’s everything you list and a little boredom. Like Kristie I probably skip/skim 50% of the love scenes. I’ve been reading romance for a long time, I’m not admitting how long–LOL, and it’s often, a been there, done that mentality. Don’t get me wrong I’m not looking for every romance to have gymnastic sex scenes to hold my attention, because I wouldn’t read those either. But like Kristie I like to know they’re there if I want to read them.
I don’t read romances for the sex, I read them for the romance, the relationship building, the conflicts, and the HEA–good sex is a nice extra.
Kristie makes a good point. Hey, I love me a good sex scene(s) – but if it completely shifts the overall tone of the story then it just annoys me. An immediate example I can think of is a novella I read recently. I was really enjoying it – until the sex scene – which seemed tacked on and really out of place. If the story had remained “sweet,” it easily would have been a keeper for me. As is, it bumped my opinion of the story down to around the B/B- range….
I also hate it when the hot sex scenes are thrown in – masking the larger problem that there is no plot to speak of. I see this a lot in the paranormal/erotica hybrid genre. Instead of giving me interesting world-building and character development – the author gives me endless sex scenes featuring cardboard characters (like that’s hot?!) inhabiting a universe that I’m lost in because it’s so vague.
Hi, Kristie sent me 🙂
You hit on most of my reasons. I just finished reading a couple of old Carla Kelly books and, even though the sex scenes were practically nonexistant, she created such a feeling of sexual connection between the H/H that your imagination does it all.
I like some of Stephanie Laurens books there are a couple I’ve thrown against the wall because I get so sick of the extensive, gratuitous sex scenes. Why does she do that? She’a a great writer.
The sex scenes have to be belivable in the context of the story I guess.
This is hard to get my finger on, but the ones I skip seem to add nothing to the book.
There needs to be some development of the realtionship or display of trust (not just consenting to anal, thanks) or some way in which the characters grow during the scene.
If they’re just having sex, just because, then it’s not adding anything. I’d like to see them possessive, or tender, or trusting, or *somethng* within that scene.
Sorry to have responded so late–
You pretty much covered what makes me skip a sex scene. I’d say of all the books I read I just skip a good 50% of them. Yet take them out and I’m not nearly as likely to get the book. I think what makes me skip them is if they don’t quite seem to fit into the story. I read a book by Anne Gracie recently and I loved the book right up until the sex scene. I really got the impression it was tacked on because said book was supposed to have one. I think it takes a rare talent for an author to do one well and to be honest, not every author has that talent. It’s almost as if you can tell they were uncomfortable writing it, but had to include one or two.
Too much cussing makes it sound as if the author is trying too hard to establish street-wise or badass characters. Yawn. Even a five year old can cuss!
Love scenes that are way too descriptive. It gets boring and it sounds as if you are reading a manual. I don’t have to know every little momvement they make!
LOL.
I like using the word bland to describe sex scenes.
Um. I don’t like it when authors stick in toys, menage and anal just because either.
Does that help?