Sexy or Story

I recently got edits back on a story and they had a shocking note from my editor. Horrifying really.

My story wasn't sexy enough.

It's a complaint I never hear. Ever. Well, okay, I've heard it once now, but before this... never.

I understand why my editor feels it needs some heat infused. This story wanted to be a sweet. There were a few times I wasn't even sure it was a romance. I struggled with it for a very long time, and finally reached the level of a moderate to steamy mainstream romance. But the rest of the series is not mainstream, and this book needs to fit with those. So now I have to make a story that I already steamed up even steamier, and keep the story balanced.

The whole mess made me wonder where readers stood on the idea of sexy vs. story. Have you ever read a book where the sex felt like it just didn't fit? If you had to choose between a very sexy book that was light on story or a book with little to no sex and an action filled plot, which book would you pick up?

I like sexy books, but for me, story wins nine times out of ten.

~Voirey