RRRJes/Read React Review did a review on Veil of Shadows *and holy crap, she liked it, yay!*
But one thing she mentioned was that she didn’t much care for the sex that comes at the end of the book…once the HEA has been achieved. Tongue in cheek, I replied,
you don’t like HEA sex? You’re a sick puppy, Jess.
Although I will admit, I was curious as to why…I mean, I’ve read a lot of books where there wasn’t any HEA sex, and I felt cheated. Not with all books, but with a number of romances, particularly the hotter ones.
Rosario added in:
Sex scenes where there’s nothing at stake (and I would assume if we’re after the HEA, there isn’t) bore me.
And I guess, on a some level, that makes sense… but the way I’m viewing it, and this is probably because when I’m writing, even though I don’t write beyond the HEA for most books… I’m still seeing more. Not story more-nothing I could write, I just see that more happens in their lives. Which means, for me, there’s certainly more at stake. More of their stories, more of their lives… their romance. And I also know that a HEA for two committed people generally does involve sex. At least mine does.
I kind of view sex at the end of a hotter romance the same way I view a kiss, so to speak… it’s a wrap up. It’s like when the DH is leaving to run to the store…I tell him, I love you, although he knows, and I give him a kiss.
With these scenes is there anything at stake? Well, they did find their happy ever after…but anybody who is married or involved in a committed relationship knows that HEA doesn’t stop with making that commitment. It’s an every day thing-part of that every day thing does involve a happy sex life, at least in my opinion. Which is kind of why I enjoy hotter romances, why I like the HEA sex…it’s an ending to one phase, a beginning to another phase…a wrap-up for me.
Plus, freely, I admit… I just like well written love scenes.
I’m curious though… how do you all feel about them????
I love post HEA anything. That’s why I love series that include the couple from the previous book and let us catch up on what’s happening with them. It’s great to read romances that are HEA but what happens after with mortgages & babies etc. Why not show that life can still be hot?
Wow, I love HEA sex! Seriously, I’m disappointed when a series, for instance, mates a couple and then we never get to read of them together intimately again. Now, on the other hand, I don’t like stranger/anonymous sex in a book at all. That’s just me though.
I love HEA sex; Series where you see recurring characters and you can tell they are still “into” each other is wonderful. Life does go on after marriage and kids and sex is a part of that commitment.
This isn’t do much ‘series’ stuff…it’s more like sex at the end of a book after the h/h have resolved all conflicts and ‘declared’ themselves, thus achieving their HEA, making the sex at the end of a book post-HEA sex, so to speak….
No way that’s the best kind LOL. At least you know that one will “stick”.
BTW I forgot to say: The books that end without the H & H in bed are ususally the ones people say ended too abruptly
LOL.
I like the books that have the HEA at the end it makes u feel satisfied in away.lol if that makes sence to any1.Plus i jst like the books that have good sex in them lol.
I often feel like author’s don’t give the post HEA sex enough focus. It feels like, to me, that they just figured they would throw it in without much thought or detail. I think if you have a hot book the last encounter after the HEA should be at least as hot as the rest, not just a cursory interlude light on details. As a married person it is nice to see that it doesn’t end after the HEA is achieved.
I love HEA sex scenes!
Oh yes – HEA sex is my favourite! It has to be written well though. It still has to tell the continuing story of the relationship. After all that they have been through – and some authors put their peeps through lots (cough cough Shiloh Walker cough cough) – this is the pay off. But I am a series addict so I adore finding out what happens after the end of the book. I think that influences my view.
I’m all for post-HEA scenes, even sex, it can so a continued connection with the h/H that satisfies my “yes I can picture this lasting” button…
ugh… I meant SHOW a continued connection…
I read that post on RRR, and was scratching my head, going “huh?” I love HEA sex, I love epilogues, I love seeing the characters six months or two years later in a different book. If it’s done well, it leaves you with a happy and satisfied glow at the end of the book, and after all, isn’t that why we read romance?
For me, I enjoy HEA sex the same way I enjoy any fiction sex: I love it if it’s well written, and it bores me (or makes me laugh) if it’s poorly written. I don’t want post-HEA sex to be just a conclusion to the book; if that’s all it’s going to be, it might as well be left out. But well written sex at any point in the story… gimme gimme!