To Whisper a Sweet Nothing — the Good, the Bad, and the Romantic
Feb 8th 2010Nicole JordanGoddess Classics & Nicole Jordan
Hello, My Sweetings!
Forgive the blanket endearment, but I’m positively giddy over our 3rd anniversary celebration taking place this Valentine’s week at The Goddess Blogs. So let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a delightful, romantic, love-filled Valentine’s Day. (Hint: If you want love, you’ll get lots of it right here all week!)
You might find my “sweeting” greeting a bit odd for a blog, but it’s one of my favorite terms of endearment in Regency-set stories. I’m a sucker for a great romance—historical, contemporary, paranormal, any kind!—especially when I get a thrill from the chemistry igniting between the hero and heroine. And part of that delicious chemistry can be sparked by what they call each other when their hearts (and their libidos) spring into action. Brings back fond memories, you know?
Of course, endearments uttered by my 19th century lovers (whether strolling in a garden or sparring behind closed bedchamber doors) differ greatly from those used in stories by my contemporary writer colleagues. Imagine if my latest dashing nobleman voiced his compliments to his new bride for her seductive prowess by proclaiming, “Wow, babe! You rock my world!” On the other hand, I wince at having my heroes and heroines running around calling each other “Miss Surname” and “my lord” every time they speak to each other. That’s too stilted for my tastes, not to mention that it could come off sounding like a “Saturday Night Live” skit.
So during this month of sweethearts, I’d like us to share our favorite terms of endearment, as well as our not-so-favorites. Here are my faves:
From a Lord’s Lips to a Lady’s Ears:
When the Misses Speak, the Gents Shall Listen:
Some of my favorite contemporary endearments:
Feel free to weigh in on the examples from my list, but what I really want to know is: What are your favorite endearments for historical, contemporary, and paranormal lovers? Which endearments do you hate to see in romance novels? (Even if you don’t like “sweeting” I want to know!) And if you’re feeling adventurous, what creative endearments would you suggest we romance authors use to spice up our novels? We’ll choose three lucky posters at random to win a fabulous pair of vintage-style earrings or a Victorian-inspired locket!



So get creative, My Sweet Goddesses! For romance novel heroes and heroines, list your:
1. FAVORITE Endearment(s)
2. LEAST Favorite Endearment(s)
3. FUN/CREATIVE Endearment Suggestion(s)
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6. A fan in the middle of a hot flash

















