The Bump and Grind

DarkDesireX · Mar 5, 2009

I was wondering for all you romance readers: how long will you wait for a couple to start doing the nasty before you're bored with the book?

Don't get me wrong, I know that a romance doesn't have to have sex in it to be good. It's not really that important to the storyline, as long as they fall in love, right? But still, if I read a romance novel and I get to the end and there was no passionate love making I feel like I got jipped. That's just me.

But yeah, my question. I've noticed that sometimes the books add little pre-full bedroom sessions to like...hold off the reader. They get started and end up having to wait, which only heightens the need factor, but yeah.

I'm rambling a little. Sex: how soon?

DeleyanLee · Mar 5, 2009

For a standard Romance novel? I expect it somewhen after the middle of the book, say the 1/2 to 3/4 mark. But as long as the story's good, I don't really care if they have sex or not. Honestly, though, many sex scenes are just so standard and boring, without really go emotional conflict going into them, that I just skip reading them, so it doesn't truly matter if they're there or not after the first couple of paragraphs.

For Erotic Romance, it could be the first chapter, maybe the first scene. Never know, which is one of the fun surprises of that sub-genre. But, then again, if there's no good emotional conflict in the sex scene, it's just lots of plumbing and that's a wallbanger.

sunandshadow · Mar 5, 2009

For a steamy romance, there really needs to be some kind of sexually tense moment in the first third or first quarter of the book. Doesn't have to be actual sex. For an erotic romance, there needs to be sexual tension by chapter 2 at the latest; again, it doesn't have to be actual sex.

Samantha's_Song · Mar 5, 2009

Doing the nasty? I thought people had sex because they thought it was beautiful, at least, that's why I like it, no, love it!

My characters don't get down to it until the 7th chapter, as I think there's much more to my story than just the act of sex.

DarkDesireX said:
I was wondering for all you romance readers: how long will you wait for a couple to start doing the nasty before you're bored with the book?

Sex: how soon?

ChaosTitan · Mar 5, 2009

As a reader, I want the sex to occur when and where it's most appropriate to both the plot and characters. I read quite a bit of paranormal romance, and some of my very favorites are those in which the sex happens late in the book (around 3/4 of the way through). Part of the adventure is the anticipation of the hero and heroine finally getting together, and quite often, the sparks fly brighter for the waiting. But I also adore a book in which the sex/seduction occurs around page 120, because the act/consequences carry the rest of the story.

A reader's opinion - it depends.

willfulone · Mar 5, 2009

I don't care if there is little more than innuendo or the idea that sex can be had or has been had. Even without the specifics. I WILL read a sex scene in a book. But, I don't care if they are there or not.

Christine

DarkDesireX · Mar 5, 2009

Samantha's_Song said:
Doing the nasty? I thought people had sex because they thought it was beautiful, at least, that's why I like it, no, love it!

My characters don't get down to it until the 7th chapter, as I think there's much more to my story than just the act of sex.

I didn't mean to make any implication that sex was anything but beautiful but at the same time it's not always about love and romance. At least not in the novels I typically read and enjoy. Sometimes it's just raw passion or even terrible grief that sends two people tumbling into the sheets.

Samantha's_Song · Mar 5, 2009

Yep, you're right on all counts

DarkDesireX said:
I didn't mean to make any implication that sex was anything but beautiful but at the same time it's not always about love and romance. At least not in the novels I typically read and enjoy. Sometimes it's just raw passion or even terrible grief that sends two people tumbling into the sheets.

Susan Gable · Mar 6, 2009

DarkDesireX said:
I didn't mean to make any implication that sex was anything but beautiful but at the same time it's not always about love and romance. At least not in the novels I typically read and enjoy. Sometimes it's just raw passion or even terrible grief that sends two people tumbling into the sheets.

Which means...it will happen when it happens. <G> The story and the characters dictate when, where, what, and how often. <G>

If a book is holding my attention, I'm not worrying about when they're finally going to "do it."

As long as there's sexual tension, and as long as the characters' relationship is developing, then...I'm a happy reader, waiting for them to have sex when they're ready. <G>

Sometimes that's in the beginning, sometimes the middle, sometimes closer to the end.

Susan G.

shameless · Mar 6, 2009

Susan Gable said:
Which means...it will happen when it happens. <G> The story and the characters dictate when, where, what, and how often. <G>

Susan G.

Bravo.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

At the risk of stepping on erotica writers' toes (and don't they have their own thread?) :poke:

, those stories get boring quickly because the focus is usually the sex not the relationship. I want the tension to build so the payoff is worth more. I will always believe that sex is one thing and making love is an entirely different animal.

As always, JMHO. Salt to taste.

Samantha's_Song · Mar 6, 2009

I agree with you; I've read some wips and after the second sex scene, it just gets boring, like I've been reading the same story for 50 yrs or more.

shameless said:
At the risk of stepping on erotica writers' toes (and don't they have their own thread?), those stories get boring quickly because the focus is usually the sex not the relationship. I want the tension to build so the payoff is worth more. I will always believe that sex is one thing and making love is an entirely different animal.

As always, JMHO. Salt to taste.

Brindle Chase · Mar 6, 2009

The best books I've read, build the sexual tension up slowly and ever increasingly... and the sex scene(s) come in the last 1/4 of the book. I love those best, rather than the sex coming right away... it translates as anti-climatic to me... in some cases anyhow.

This is just a generalized observation... obviously, a well written romance and lovemaking scene is good, no matter where it appears chronologically... but, in general, thats my preference.

shameless · Mar 6, 2009

Brindle Chase said:
The best books I've read, build the sexual tension up slowly and ever increasingly... and the sex scene(s) come in the last 1/4 of the book. I love those best, rather than the sex coming right away... it translates as anti-climatic to me... in some cases anyhow.

This is just a generalized observation... obviously, a well written romance and lovemaking scene is good, no matter where it appears chronologically... but, in general, thats my preference.

I agree! The story I'm editing right now for release in May (Free Falling) has the poor H/H constantly being interrupted before they can get together. They finally elope to Vegas. It's so much fun using that frustration and the comedy of errors to help build the sexual tension.

kimb68 · Mar 6, 2009

I'm in the 3/4 camp. I like the buildup. I love good sex scenes, but some of my favorite romances have almost no sex at all. I agree with those who said the timing of sex has to follow from the characters.

What I really dislike is when the H/H resolve the relationship before the end of the book and the last 50 pages is some half-assed, quickly resolved plot where the bad guy you pegged in chapter 3 suddenly reveals himself and holds a gun to her head. <cough>Stephanie Laurens<cough>

To answer the original question, I'm more likely to get bored with a book if the sex happens too early than late.

The Bump and Grind

DarkDesireX

I like tentacles!

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

ChaosTitan

Around

willfulone

I am a zebra...

DarkDesireX

I like tentacles!

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

shameless

Superlative Type A

Samantha's_Song

At least I don't need backing-up

Brindle Chase

Dancing on the edge

shameless

Superlative Type A

kimb68