f/f/m, m/m/f, f/m/f/m/f/m... All Hail the Ever-Popular Menage!

Posted by Dawn Halliday, 11/15/08 04:00 PM

Ah, menages. It’s easy to see why they’re so popular. The best romance novels, after all, combine a woman’s deep, dark fantasies with darn good storytelling. In the past few years, romance authors, especially ebook authors, have brought this truth to the forefront, as seen in part by the amazing, enduring popularity of menage romances. I just checked My Bookstore and More, and four romance titles in the current top ten list are menage stories or contain menage scenes. I think it actually might be a slow week for menages, though!

I love reading menages, especially those in which two (or more) men are deeply, madly in love with one woman. I also love to write them—my first published romance, Honeymoon Castaways, is a m/f/m menage and my latest, Twice the Night, is as well. And my future books—well, let’s just say I’m playing around with different variations on the classic love triangle.

So here’s a quick little tutorial on what all those m’s and f’s and slashes mean:

m/f/m —> Two men and one woman…no boy parts touching!
m/m/f —> Two men and one woman…everyone’s sharing the love.
f/f/m —> Two women and one man, and, yep, the women are enjoying one another too!
m/m/m/f —-> three men and a woman, technically all of them sharing just about everything. But then again, maybe not, since there’s no way to separate the m/m in this combination. If you’re buying a foursome (or more) story, you’ll definitely need to read the blurb to find out whether you’re going to be enjoying a little manlove.

Also, there’s a wide variation in how the happily ever afters in menage a trois (or more) romances wind up. Some, as in mine, end with all the characters involved in the menage finding a way to be together forever. Others end up like traditional romances, with the two main characters together and the third (or fourth, etc.) riding into the sunset by him-or-herself. Basically, in these types of stories, this extra partner is a catalyst for conflict in the story and ultimately either helps or hinders the couple’s happily ever after.

So let’s talk about menages.
What are your favorite menage stories?
What is your idea of the “perfect” menage?
Do you think authors/publishers are glutting the romance market with too many menages?
Where do you think erotic romance will go next? Will readers start asking for more and more partners, or will there be a swing in subgenre?

Dawn Halliday

Category: | 11/15/08 04:00 PM
|

Comments: [6]

  1. 1 sami lee

    The tute is a great idea Dawn. When I first started seeing all those m’s f’s and slashes I wondered what was going on—although I’ve since worked it out :).

    It’s never a glut if people are buying it, but like anything there will probably be a turn around at some point toward more ‘traditional’ romances (hopefully not before mine comes out next month, ha ha). Any more partners at this point and I think we’d start getting confused wouldn’t we???

    Comment by sami lee · Nov 15, 05:16 PM
  2. 2 Jess Dee

    Cool blog, Dawn.

    Me? I’m a traditionalist. No matter how much I like reading the hot steamy parts of a menage (any combination), I’m all for a happy ever after for “the couple.”
    Yep, I know menage stories satisfy that fantasy world for us, but in the real world, we don’t see many HEA menages. (Okay, in my real world I’ve never seen any.)

    Keep it as real as possible is my thinking.

    Jess

    Comment by Jess Dee · Nov 15, 05:42 PM
  3. 3 Dana Marie Bell

    I actually do know a couple who’ve become a “happily ever after” m/f/m trio. They are very happy, so I know it’s possible! Not something I would want (dealing with one adult male is plenty enough for me, thanks!) but not outside the realm of the possible.

    I tend to prefer menage’s where there’s an HEA for all three members, whether the men are involved with each other or not. I always feel kind of bad for the guy who “gets left out” when the couple move on, so that might be why. But that’s a personal preference, and I have seen it done where the next book is the HEA of the person I felt sorry for. That’s always a “Whew! Good,” moment for me. =)

    Comment by Dana Marie Bell · Nov 15, 06:57 PM
  4. 4 Shelley Munro

    Great post, Dawn. I’ve written a few menage a trois stories now. I tend to like combinations with two men and one woman. I always feel sorry for the male who gets left out when the other two pair up, so I usually write m/m/f stories. Of course, I’ll read anything…

    I like to think it could happen in real life, although I don’t personally know anyone living in this sort of arrangement.

    Comment by Shelley Munro · Nov 16, 08:01 PM
  5. 5 Shelley Munro

    Great post, Dawn. I’ve written a few menage a trois stories now. I tend to like combinations with two men and one woman. I always feel sorry for the male who gets left out when the other two pair up, so I usually write m/m/f stories. Of course, I’ll read anything…

    I like to think it could happen in real life, although I don’t personally know anyone living in this sort of arrangement.

    Comment by Shelley Munro · Nov 16, 08:01 PM
  6. 6 Anne Rainey

    I admit, I’ve found I enjoy writing the menage scenes. I have a release with Samhain in January that contains a f/f/m scene and I’m mega nervous. It’s much more erotic than any of my other stories. I have no idea if readers will like it or not. But, I won’t know until I give it a shot, right?

    Still, I like a traditional ending. m/f lives happily ever after. :)

    Comment by Anne Rainey · Nov 18, 07:25 PM

Comments are closed for the article