Cheating In Books?

Posted by Michelle Miles, 07/10/09 09:00 AM

One of my works-in-progress is a contemporary (one of what I call the Coffee House Books). It’s the first time I’ve written in first person and it really seems to work for me. My heroine has a real mind of her own and she wants the story to go the way SHE wants it to. I’m sure most writers experience this.

As I was writing the story, she tells me she’s interested in two men. One is the actual love interest, the hero, and the other is the one who keeps distracting her. There is a vast difference between the two of them and she has to choose who she wants to end up with. Naturally, she’s going to pick the man she’s been in love with forever, the one she’s fallen in love with early on in her youth.

But I’m wondering…are there rules about that sort of thing? The heroine fraternizing with more than one man in the story, that is. My girl has somewhat of a reputation for liking sex and liking to get it from more than one place. She has a closet full of “toys” but she’s not a whore. She won’t just screw anything. She has standards after all.

(Well, except for the hero, because you know she’d follow him anywhere even though she’s too stubborn to admit that.)

Anyway, she’s single but she’s not monogamous with the hero. She’s interested in both and no, this isn’t a ménage a troi, either. It’s just her having sex with two different men. Is that considered “cheating” by Romance Rules? And what do you think about that, dear readers? Would you be completely turned off by a book that offers up a single gal in her mid-thirties who enjoys sex with more than one guy? (But ultimately picks one of them.) I’m really interested to hear your responses!

Category: , | 07/10/09 09:00 AM
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Comments: [6]

  1. 1 NInaP

    Hi Michelle —

    Good blog and excellent question. These days, I’m not sure there are too many “romance rules” left, except for The Romance Central and having a satisfactory HEA (even that is up for interpretation)

    Personally, I need a character to “dislike/hate” to make it a page turner. Being caught between two heroes can lead me down the dangerous path of standing at cross-purposes with the heroine.

    But, on the flip side, I know what it’s like to have a heroine say “I want that one” when That One was suppose to be the ‘bad guy.’ I wrote 80,000 words trying to convince her My Pick was better. She went along, until that crucial moment, then just said No. She is the most bull-headed heroine I’ve ever encountered, and my favorite. I will finish her story and get her That One, it’s just going to take a bit of doing.

    Nina, hoping Michelle has a blast at RWA.

    Comment by NInaP · Jul 10, 09:28 AM
  2. 2 Michelle Miles

    Hi, Nina!

    LOL our heroines can be stubborn like that. This one is VERY stubborn. She may convince me otherwise of who she picks. :)

    And thanks! I’m looking forward to RWA!

    Comment by Michelle Miles · Jul 10, 09:34 AM
  3. 3 Kelly Jamieson

    That’s a good question MIchelle. I once wrote a story about a married heroine who falls in love with another man (of course her marriage wasn’t a real one and the husband was a real jerk) but it got rejected and kicked around all over the place because of that.

    On the other hand, I personally enjoy stories that deal with real life issues and I like the fact that your heroine is honest about liking sex and being attracted to more than one guy – I also like a story where it’s not clear right from the first page what the ending will be.

    Comment by Kelly Jamieson · Jul 10, 12:27 PM
  4. 4 Denise McDonald

    Good post and question… I guess it depends on who you ask. I have heard where it won’t get touched like Kelly said. (And the book I have “under the bed” is similar to hers, I was told years ago it wouldn’t sell and I haven’t tried since to even look at it—but that’s just me being lazy … VBG)

    However, I think if it lends to the story then it should be in there. It shows growth and all that :-) It’s part of her “journey”. Not to mention if that’s how she came off, to change her might not work as well, y’know…

    Comment by Denise McDonald · Jul 10, 01:22 PM
  5. 5 Michelle Miles

    Thanks for stopping by Kelly & Denise!

    It will be interesting to see where this story ends up. :)

    Comment by Michelle Miles · Jul 10, 03:09 PM
  6. 6 sami lee

    Doesn’t bother me at all because I think that’s the kind of ‘shopping around’ most single girls with a healthy sexual appetite would do. Ergo, realistic. But I suppose part of the fantasy of romance is the premise that the h & hne only have eyes for each other, that their love is somehow unique and all powerful. Hmm… it’s a tough one.

    Good luck :)

    Comment by sami lee · Jul 15, 07:10 AM

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