Welcome to the first of our series of articles looking at sex in literature. Good or bad, sex scenes are being put under our microscope (not in a gross way). We begin with a look at an author featured on this site once before, Leta Blake, and her figure-skating themed romance, Training Season.
Training Season pulls no punches when it comes to sex. Matty and Rob experiment in BDSM, depicted without reservation in the narrative. But this isn't a gay 50 Shades of Grey. Blake has clearly done her research (get your mind out of the gutter) and crucially, the Dom/sub dynamic of their relationship serves the narrative arc of the two men. Matty allows himself to be submissive to Rob to prevent him from punishing himself for his skating failures. Also, consent is always made explicit, and the love between Matty and Rob is always reinforced. No matter what they do, our how extreme the emotions Matty goes through, nothing ever happens between them unless it's something Matty wants.
However, Training Season has met with some controversy (particularly from Goodreads reviewers) regarding one infamous scene, a disappointment, as this is potentially the most honest and intimate scene in the book. Without going into too much detail, the scene involves an enema. This could have been incredibly fetishised and included purely for the controversy it would cause, as some Goodreads commenters would argue, but that's not the case. Blake has, again, done her research, as she has highlighted in blog posts regarding the scene. She takes pains to show Matty's discomfort with the situation, and Rob's reassurance, and this eventually melts away the last vestiges of distrust between them.
Training Season is certainly not for everyone. It is adult, it is honest, and at times, it can be a little extreme. It's understandable if some readers are not comfortable, especially if their only experience if erotica is the 50 Shades series. But for readers not put off from reading adult romance, the relationship between Matty and Rob is one of the best, and most unique in this rapidly-growing genre. Blake is dedicated to honesty and intimacy in her writing, and self-publishing Training Season allows her to do this. Ultimately, the sex scenes in Training Season are refreshing: romantic without being romanticized, graphic without being needlessly so. In m/m erotica, Leta Blake is certainly a name to look out for.
[*Editors Note: To view our interview with author, Leta Blake, Click Here].