Menage Romance Suggestions and Advice

Chasing the Horizon · Feb 15, 2015

I have the outline and opening chapters for a three-way erotic romance, but am realizing I haven't read very many menage romances that I really liked. So I was hoping that some people here who are better read in the genre than I am could give me some good recommendations. I want full length novels with good plots and very complex, believable relationships between the three people involved. I'm sure there are lots of these out there and I'm just looking in the wrong places.

I don't really care about the genders of the characters. My own project is M/F/M (though it also has M/M and M/F scenes before the trio decide they should try it together--and I haven't read enough of the genre to be sure whether this is unusual). Basically my two male characters are in an on-and-off relationship, then both fall for the same woman and decide to try a poly relationship.

Anyway, book recs and any other advice much appreciated. I'm trying to stretch myself into new genres and it's harder than it sounds.

Beachgirl · Feb 15, 2015

You may have a difficult time with readers if you introduce a female into a M/M relationship. Many readers get absolutely incensed if their M/M story gets corrupted with "girl cooties." I can't even begin to explain why this phenomenon exists. :Shrug:

Viridian · Feb 15, 2015

Chasing the Horizon said:
I don't really care about the genders of the characters. My own project is M/F/M (though it also has M/M and M/F scenes before the trio decide they should try it together--and I haven't read enough of the genre to be sure whether this is unusual). Basically my two male characters are in an on-and-off relationship, then both fall for the same woman and decide to try a poly relationship.

*peeks at your profile*

I write...
Weird fantasy

Why aren't you and I pals yet?

On a more serious note: I have zero recommendations for you. But I'll be watching this thread with interest.

Chasing the Horizon · Feb 15, 2015

Beachgirl said:
You may have a difficult time with readers if you introduce a female into a M/M relationship. Many readers get absolutely incensed if their M/M story gets corrupted with "girl cooties." I can't even begin to explain why this phenomenon exists.

That is very weird. I don't know if it would make a difference that I never intended to portray it as an M/M story (in the book or in any query I might come up with). The FMC is there right from the beginning and it's pretty obvious she'll be getting together with one or both of the guys.

But there's also no particular reason I couldn't change the pairing to M/M/M either if it was going to make a big difference in publishing possibilities. It wouldn't change the story.

ViridianChick said:
Why aren't you and I pals yet?

Heh, I haven't updated that profile in ages, but I do still write a lot of weird fantasy (I'm editing a book with an MC who transforms into a large insect and rides around on a flying carpet which has the soul of a whiny, bumbling sorcerer trapped inside). The story I'm talking about in this thread is in a fantasy setting too. Now that I think about it, it could use more weird...

Viridian · Feb 15, 2015

Chasing the Horizon said:
That is very weird. I don't know if it would make a difference that I never intended to portray it as an M/M story (in the book or in any query I might come up with). The FMC is there right from the beginning and it's pretty obvious she'll be getting together with one or both of the guys.

But there's also no particular reason I couldn't change the pairing to M/M/M either if it was going to make a big difference in publishing possibilities. It wouldn't change the story.

Weird but true!

As long as you don't present the book as m/m, I don't think it's a problem, though.

thethinker42 · Feb 16, 2015

I've written some M/M/F menages where an existing M/M couple adds a woman. Some M/M readers aren't into it, but there is definitely a readership for it. I have a hetero pen name and a gay pen name, so I just put the M/M/F ones under my hetero name, and those readers seem to be down with bisexual romances.

If you want to read mine, I'll happily send you a copy. Who's Your Daddy? is already out, and Kneel, Mr. President will be out later this year.

I haven't read a lot of M/M/F recently, so I'm struggling to remember the titles I enjoyed in the past, but I'll certainly post them when they come to me.

Maryn · Feb 16, 2015

My last novel Brick by Brick is a menage. You can get it from the publisher, Loose Id, or at Amazon.

It involves a married MF couple adding a man--and his problems.

Maryn

Chasing the Horizon · Feb 16, 2015

thethinker42 said:
I've written some M/M/F menages where an existing M/M couple adds a woman. Some M/M readers aren't into it, but there is definitely a readership for it. I have a hetero pen name and a gay pen name, so I just put the M/M/F ones under my hetero name, and those readers seem to be down with bisexual romances.

That's good to hear. I wasn't overly eager to write a book with no female leads again.

If you want to read mine, I'll happily send you a copy. Who's Your Daddy? is already out, and Kneel, Mr. President will be out later this year.

Oh, that would be awesome! Some of the only menage I've read that I really liked were M/M/M books you'd written under your L.A. Witt name. It never occurred to me to check out your other pen name, though. Derp, pretty obvious thing to do. Thanks!

Maryn said:
My last novel Brick by Brick is a menage. You can get it from the publisher, Loose Id, or at Amazon.

It involves a married MF couple adding a man--and his problems

Cool, I'll definitely check it out.

It's the lack of problems in a lot of the menage books I've read that bothered me. When I was first thinking of writing a book like this I lurked on forums for real-life poly relationships for research and they're usually anything but simple.

thethinker42 · Feb 16, 2015

Chasing the Horizon said:
Oh, that would be awesome! Some of the only menage I've read that I really liked were M/M/M books you'd written under your L.A. Witt name. It never occurred to me to check out your other pen name, though. Derp, pretty obvious thing to do. Thanks!

Cool

Shoot me a PM with your e-mail addy and preferred file format.

It's the lack of problems in a lot of the menage books I've read that bothered me. When I was first thinking of writing a book like this I lurked on forums for real-life poly relationships for research and they're usually anything but simple.

That's definitely a good point. Poly relationships can be remarkably drama-free, but there's also tons and tons and TONS of room for things to get complicated.

Eva Lefoy · Feb 16, 2015

Coming Clean by Inez Kelley is an existing MF relationship that adds a M

http://inezkelley.com/coming-clean/

the MM book I was going to recommend by Cristal Ryder has been unpubbed by her from EC

Sorry!

I see that Bianca Sommerland writes almost exclusively MMF or is it MFM

http://www.im-no-angel.com/books.html

veinglory · Feb 17, 2015

You might want to develop an appreciation of the ménage types. Girl cooties is one issue, gay cooties is the other. Many readers want mfm where the men have no attraction to each other. The pan sexual type of ménage is, surprisingly, a relative rarity.

Morgan Hunter · Feb 17, 2015

I agree with many of the previous posts. I write menage relationships as well. Life is full of drama whether you wish to shy away from it or not. It's inevitable and when you sugar-coat a relationship that any normal person would agree has its obstacles, you're only insulting your readers' intelligence. A good menage has the steamy triangle of sex with a few good monkey-wrenches thrown in.

I would say that if you can't find any believable stories out there, but you're wanting to write one, then just write one. Trust me, your imagination can stir up all kinds of interesting dramatic plot elements to get your characters fired up on both ends of the spectrum. Don't wait for a "good" suggestion from someone, make it happen!

Cheers,

~MH~

Chasing the Horizon · Feb 17, 2015

veinglory said:
You might want to develop an appreciation of the ménage types. Girl cooties is one issue, gay cooties is the other. Many readers want mfm where the men have no attraction to each other. The pan sexual type of ménage is, surprisingly, a relative rarity.

Well, that would explain why I had trouble finding books with the same pairing type.

It's imperative to my story that the relationship be a true triangle, not a 'V' (as I heard it called on the poly forums). Since several people have brought this up, I'm starting to lean towards changing the story to M/M/M. With only four chapters written, it would be a relatively easy change, but I don't think I could face making such a tedious, time-consuming change to an entire 80k novel. So I kind of need to decide now.

Morgan Hunter said:
I would say that if you can't find any believable stories out there, but you're wanting to write one, then just write one. Trust me, your imagination can stir up all kinds of interesting dramatic plot elements to get your characters fired up on both ends of the spectrum. Don't wait for a "good" suggestion from someone, make it happen!

Oh, I have lots of drama going on, lol. I just like to read the genres I write, both for inspiration and to help me understand the conventions of the genre. Clearly I haven't read enough menage to have an intuitive understanding of what's expected.

Helen_Rouge · Feb 19, 2015

M/Trans/M Can't go wrong if you have the best of both worlds.

I wrote an F/M2F add M for F/M2F/M and it was rather interesting.

I also did a military based M/M adding a trans M2F for M/M2F/M and that got pretty good reviews opening itself up for more action than just the sex. Those guys were pretty rough and tumble, contrasting with the trans-woman.

C.CWriter · Feb 24, 2015

http://www.amazon.com/dp/098491627X/?tag=absowrit-20 I've read more but I can't think of them right this instant. My book is about a f/f/M/M/ poly relationship.

CAMueller · Feb 24, 2015

There are readers for M/M/F, but it typically needs to be marketed to those who like hetero romance. Others have covered this, so I'll jump to recomendations.

Elle Kennedy does this well. Her book HOTTER THAN EVER is a great example. It's in the middle of her Out of Uniform series, but works on its own.

You might also look at Lauren Dane's Brown Family novels. The menage relationship is in LAID BARE.

HannahJensen · Feb 25, 2015

Well, this is an interesting thread for me to find. I'm fairly new here so please feel free to tell me to shut up and on top of that I have not yet published anything.

That said, the book I am working on is autobiographical and covers our experiences as a couple who have involved other men in our sex life. For the record, we did actually try meeting other couples once or twice but, since most women hate me and I tend to hate them because they hate me, it just didn't work.

Anyway, I'm surprised that this mmf genre is regarded as something quite cumbersome amongst writers. For us it's the norm but I suppose that's because we are in amongst it. I'd be happy to help out if I can but I should add that we aren't really in my opinion normal swingers and our situations is fairly unique.

I'd probably be more comfortable discussing certain things in PM but feel free to give me a bash.

Menage Romance Suggestions and Advice

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

Beachgirl

Not easily managed

Viridian

local good boy

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

Viridian

local good boy

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

Maryn

At Sea

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

Eva Lefoy

practical experience, FTW

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Morgan Hunter

Creativity...feel it; live it

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

Helen_Rouge

C.CWriter

CAMueller

Part-time ninja

HannahJensen