I'm curious. What is it about your favorite author's love scenes that make them unforgettable? Think Lisa Marie Rice, Linda Howard, JR Ward (Bella and Zsadist, or Rhage and Mary), Gennita Low. What makes their love scene sizzle? For me, it's all about the eye contact and the emotional connection between the characters. The first two books of my romantic suspense series are spicy, but in the third I turn up the heat significantly. Books four and five are downright hot, about as hot as you can go without calling it erotic romance. It's not just the level of detail or graphic language used that makes the scenes hot though. It's the revved up pull between the characters and the ultimate release of all the tension created up until that point in the book. Eye contact says so much. Eyes and gazes can smolder, glitter, devour...then and add in a little delayed gratification...yum. So when a sexy hero focuses all that sexual heat on an equally attracted heroine? Fireworks, baby. And maybe a little toe curling as well :)
So who are some of your favorite love scene authors, and what makes them so good?
8 comments:
Yes, yes and more yes to the Rhage and Mary. Totally feeling that vibe just remembering the book.
I also love Shannon McKenna's McCloud brothers books, totally smoking hot, mostly because she puts the reader right there, in the scene. I never thought of myself as a voyeur, but something about experiencing every moment with the characters is beyond scorching into nuclear hot.
I loved Zadist and Bella. All of Kresley Coles characters sizzle in their love scenes. To me it's the bond created during the sex, the sensuality - a caress, longing look, and also a need to please the other person.
Okay, now I have to go back to all the love scenes I wrote last night and make sure they're good. lol
As someone just introduced to J.R. Ward I absolutely love Zadist and Bella! Love, love, love. My all time favorite love scene however is still John and Niema from Linda Howard's All the Queens Men. The scene gave so much insight into both characters, especially his. It started out as a way to cover what they were doing in that office then turned into something real.
Love the post and good for you for turning up the heat! Angela Knight writes an awesome love scene. I also love Kimberly Dean, Lora Leigh and Maureen Child.
I forgot - what makes them hot - definitely the level of tension, the push-pull.
Jennifer, I love Shannon McKenna too! Loved Connor's and Davy's books.
Paranormal Queen (awesome name, by the way) I agree the bond and need to please the other person is paramount in a love scene. It's what makes it a romance.
Katie, you just found out about JR Ward? After all the times I've posted about her? OMG girl, get thee to a bookstore and buy all her other books (except Phury's, which I was so disappointed in I almost cried).
Thanks for the tip, Wynter. I'll have to check out some of Kimberly Dean and Maureen Child. I've read some of Lora Leigh's books and she really does get the chemistry right, doesn't she?
For me, it's emotion and lots of it. If that is there, the rest of the heat happens naturally. Love scenes are grueling for me to write, but when they just won't come out right, it's usually because I've failed to build the relationship to the point the heat is ready to happen!
I think you're bang on, Liane. And what do you mean they're grueling for you to write? You'd never know it by reading them, lady!
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