Comments on: The Sweat Smell of Success

By: Kate Diamond

Kate Diamond — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:40:01 +0000

Oh, this makes me think of “Welcome to Temptation.” Crusie’s heroine, Sophie, wants to be “beautifully moist” while she’s having sex. And then her sister accuses her of wanting to have sex in the movies, not real sex.

Then, when she actually tries the “Phallic Variation” with the hero, they are both absolutely drenched, the room is muggy, and–if I’m recalling this correctly–his pillow talk consists of promising to buy an air conditioner.

LOVED IT.

By: willaful

willaful — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:39:32 +0000

Oh, you’ve gone and done it now. I am finding sweat references in EVERY ROMANCE I READ – they now stand out like a bloomin’ beacon. Older books as well as more recent. Thank you so bloody much.

By: jillsorenson

jillsorenson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:56:12 +0000

Well, I like sexy sweat, too. As long as foul odors don’t come with it. Profuse, slippery sweat might be a bit too much.

But I agree with Carolyn–sweat, like many other often-used descriptors, can be used as a shortcut for fear, arousal, loss of control.

By: Sherry Thomas

Sherry Thomas — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:34:51 +0000

Aha. My characters don’t sweat. Or rather, maybe they do, but I don’t think it’s necessary to mention. I could not read past 50 pages of The Birth of Venus because every time the male protagonist made an appearance, the heroine noted his terrible odor.

I did want to pimp Meredith Duran’s Written On Your Skin, which had a passage with sweat mentioned that I liked. Not a love scene, btw.

This close, she could smell the scent of him, so much better than ash and soot. No bayberry soap to disguise him, now; nothing but musk and sweat, a man who had sweated in pursuit of a villain. He had tried, just as she had.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:30:33 +0000

11 sweat references! I suppose I should be embarrassed. Guilty again, hee.

But romantic suspense get a pass — so many of your references were to “cold sweat” — totally right for the subgenre — not the sexy kind Tumperkin’s post is about!

By: jillsorenson

jillsorenson — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:19:11 +0000

11 sweat references! I suppose I should be embarrassed. Guilty again, hee.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:47:32 +0000

I’ve just used my Kindle to search for “sweat” in a few books. I found Erin McCarthy is a major offender in Flat Out Sexy, with 5 mentions of sweat during sex, such as this one, “when he pulled otu of her, sweat rolling down his back…”

Victoria Dahl, in Talk Me Down, has 5 sweat references, but only three related to sex, like this one, “Make me scream”, A drop of sweat snaked down his temple. “I can’t” he managed to say.

Our very own Jill Sorenson has 11 references to sweat in Crash Into Me, although it must be said that some are to clothing and, it being rom suspense, most are genuine terror inspired. But, there is this: “Sweat broke out on his forehead as he imagined pushing her back against the seat…”

But how about one of yours truly’s favorite historical authors, Julie Ann Long? Oops, no fewer than 10 sweat references in Like No Other Lover, such as this one, “her nightdress fused to her shoulder blades with sweat”, or this one, “He glistened with sweat; he smelled male.”, or this: “It cost him everything he had not to obey it. Sweat beaded.”

How about paranormal? too easy, you say? You’d be right. Lairssa Ione wins with 13 references to sweat in Desire Unchained, like this one, “A sheen of sweat broke out on her skin” (in the middle of you know what.) Although, as with rom suspense, many of these are to “cold sweat”, not even sexy to demons.

By: Tumperkin

Tumperkin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:53:41 +0000

I wanted to find an example I could quote of my personally most hated sweat reference but couldn’t put my hands on one easily. But I know I’ve read it loads of times: it’s where the H/H’s bodies are sliding against one another with sweat. It’s just. not. that. appealing.

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:12:04 +0000

One of the things I find odd about much mainstream pornographer is the absence of sweat. There they are going at it like rabbits in the throes a biological imperative to continue the species and not only is nobody sweating but everyone’s hair is perfect. It’s weird. I mean they should at least be flushed by that point, right?

So I guess my point is I like it when romance novel characters sweat. I feel it makes them less like automatons and more like humans.

By: jillsorenson

jillsorenson — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:57:53 +0000

I’m not sure about “reeked.” A light sweat on clean skin can be very sexy, and shouldn’t have a strong smell?