History DistractedByTheSexy / Literature

** [[HotWitch Molly]] in pulls this off on purpose to get some information out of a young PI with integrity. It was a hot day. So she removed her bra and cooled her chest, taking over a beer bottle to talk to the guy. He never stood a chance.
** Tera West does a naked dance in the rain to decoy the cops who are watching Harry's apartment.

'''Cinnamon:''' Tomato, wait! I need your eyes! Papa's are useless! D:* Music/DoctorSteel's Toy Soldiers has a Distraction Division, presumably to [[GenreSavvy invoke]] this trope.

-->'''Kaitlyn:''' Oh, my God. I've seen him at parties. The things I would do to that boy. I mean, not now that I know you're interested in him. But, oh, sweet holy Lord, I would ride that one-legged pony all the way around the corral.
-->'''Hazel:''' Kaitlyn.
-->'''Kaitlyn:''' Sorry. Do you think you'd have to be on top?
-->'''Hazel:''' Kaitlyn.
-->'''Kaitlyn:''' What were we talking about?

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': When Hermione Granger enters the Yule Ball on the arm of Durmstrang pupil - and internationally famous Quidditch player - Viktor Krum, Harry’s jaw drops upon seeing her made up so much more beautifully than she normally dresses. Even Harry’s date, the lovely Parvati Patil, stares at Hermione in “unflattering disbelief” (though this may have been partly out of resentment at Hermione landing someone that half the female student body had been swooning over).

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': Galad Damodred tends to fuse the brains of any female within eye shot. Berelain Sur Paendrag Paeron has a similar effect on males. Put them together and they can't maintain a conversation, much less remember whether they want tea.

* ''Literature/DaughterOfTheSun'': Orsina has to carefully look only at Aelia's face after she's been bathing in the river while wearing only her underwear.

* ''Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys'': Creator/DaveBarry explores this phenomenon, referring to it as "Lust-Induced Brain Freeze," or LIBF for short.
** Not to mention, ''The Miniskirt Rapture'' of TheSixties.

* ''Literature/TalesOfTheCity'': Mary Ann nearly crashes her car ogling the cute butts of a bunch of gay dudes out cycling naked.

* ''Literature/AnOutcastInAnotherWorld'': Elves are hot. Rob is well-aware that he’s a hormone-riddled college student with no romantic prospects in Elatra. [[spoiler:At first.]]

* ''Literature/{{Ghoul}}'': Becomes a ChekhovsGun.

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': PlayedForLaughs. Whenever a [[TimeTravel Sario rip]] comes up, [[TokenNonHuman Ax]] awkwardly admits that he doesn't know much about them, because he wasn't paying attention that day in school. See, he was thinking about a sports game that was happening later...plus, there was this female Andalite in class with him...

* ''{{Literature/Xanth}}'': A woman showing her panties causes any observing man to space out. This is an actual magical phenomenon in that world. Only [[AuthorAppeal partial nudity]] has this effect: nymphs, centaurs, and other human or demi-human creatures who routinely go naked do not cause this. Its mentioned in the books that this is, at least in part, because such creatures consider nudity to be "a part of nature", and no different from ordinary animals not wearing clothing. Humans, on the other hand, always try to cover themselves up, and that modesty is the reason for the magic.

* ''{{Literature/Xanth}}'': A woman [[PantyShot showing her panties]] causes any observing man to space out. This is an actual magical phenomenon in that world. Only [[AuthorAppeal partial nudity]] has this effect: nymphs, centaurs, and other human or demi-human creatures who routinely go naked do not cause this. Its mentioned in the books that this is, at least in part, because such creatures consider nudity to be "a part of nature", and no different from ordinary animals not wearing clothing. Humans, on the other hand, always try to cover themselves up, and that modesty is the reason for the magic.

* ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey'': A gender inverted example courtesy of the POV character, Anastasia Steele. She spends a good chunk (if not the ''all'') of the book talking about what a handsome sex god [[BastardBoyfriend Christian]] is and every time he does something reprehensible, like putting a tracker on her phone (''before'' they started dating), selling her old, but cherished car without her permission and buying her a new one, and stalking her across the country when she went to visit her mother in Georgia, Ana fawns over his looks and forgets why she was ever upset with him.

* ''Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys'': Creator/DaveBarry explores this phenomenon, refering to it as "Lust-Induced Brain Freeze," or LIBF for short.

* Elves in ''Literature/AnOutcastInAnotherWorld'' are hot. Rob is well-aware that he’s a hormone-riddled college student with no romantic prospects in Elatra. [[spoiler:At first.]]
* Recognized and used in ''Literature/TheAnnalsOfTheChosen'' by Creator/LawrenceWattEvans -- one of the eight [[TheChosenOne Chosen Ones]] is the Beauty, whose primary abilities are this and the HoneyTrap.
* In Creator/JohnCWright's ''Literature/ChroniclesOfChaos'', [[spoiler: Hermes]] pauses in mid-rampage to monologue to Vanity. Lampshaded by Amelia:

* In ''{{Literature/Xanth}}'', a woman [[PantyShot showing her panties]] causes any observing man to space out. This is an actual magical phenomenon in that world. Only [[AuthorAppeal partial nudity]] has this effect: nymphs, centaurs, and other human or demi-human creatures who routinely go naked do not cause this. Its mentioned in the books that this is, at least in part, because such creatures consider nudity to be "a part of nature", and no different from ordinary animals not wearing clothing. Humans, on the other hand, always try to cover themselves up, and that modesty is the reason for the magic.
* Creator/DaveBarry explores this phenomenon in ''Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys''. He refers to it as "Lust-Induced Brain Freeze," or LIBF for short.

* Arthur C. Clarke's ''Literature/RendezvousWithRama'' contains a passage detailing a space captain's frustration with the distractions of [[JigglePhysics jiggle physics]] in zero-G, concluding that he's "quite sure that at least one serious space accident had been caused by acute crew distraction, after the transit of an unholstered lady officer through the control cabin." One woman, upon reading this, [[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943028-3,00.html wrote that she agreed]] that such distractions would make male astronauts unable to do their jobs, and thus the space program, as a precaution, would have to exclude men.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** Non-human variation in ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'': Ser Loras Tyrell knowingly rides a mare in heat in the tourney, causing the stallion of his opponent, Ser Gregor Clegane, to be skittish and difficult to control. Also shown in the [[Series/GameOfThrones TV series]].
** In ''Literature/AClashOfKings'', Edmure completely missed the fact that his most important prisoner was escaping from his cell because he was too busy heading off to a brothel.
** In ''Literature/AStormOfSwords'', [[ButtMonkey Edmure Tully]] is so distracted by the prospect of, uh, getting to know his new bride better that he completely fails to notice [[spoiler: his family, friends, and king being massacred down the hall]]. Their first child was conceived that night.
** Then we have ''Literature/AFeastForCrows'', when Arys Oakheart, a knight of the [[CelibateHero Kingsguard]] tries to tell Arianne Martell that they can't see each other anymore. She steps into the room, completely naked, and all the words go right out of his head.
* [[Literature/ClockpunkAndTheVitalizer Clockpunk]] is easily distracted by The Vitalizer during their fights and conversations. Made funnier by the fact that he's fully and pretty normally dressed, no skin to be seen.
* Any male in ''Literature/ThePaleKing'' who is in the vicinity of Meredith Rand, with the exception of Shane Drinion.
* Margo Smith of ''Literature/TimeScout'' can cause minor traffic jams with her skirts. Malcolm Moore has a lot of trouble focusing around her. Well, focusing on anything ''but'' her.

* In ''[[Literature/CarrerasLegions A Desert Called Peace]]'', the sight of Carrera's first wife, Linda, passing by causes a car accident and a man walking with his wife to accidentally walk into a lamp post.
* After disguising herself as a woman who doesn't know "...how to spell FBI." in ''Literature/{{Blackout}}'' Agent Bronsky discovers she has this effect on men, causing a passerby to fall over someone else as she walks by him.
* OlderThanFeudalism: In ''The Literature/{{Ramayana}}'', one aside during Rama's wedding procession describes how a man marching in the parade sees a girl in a chariot in danger of having a WardrobeMalfunction. He's so distracted he ends up walking into the rear end of an elephant in front of him.
* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'':
** In ''The Titan's Curse'', Percy meets [[LoveGoddess Aphrodite]] and is reduced to speaking gibberish.
** In ''Literature/TheDemigodDiaries'', Percy is supposed to come up with a clever plan. Instead, he starts thinking about how Annabeth looks...
--> The way her Camp Half-Blood beads rested against her throat - okay, sorry. Got a little distracted.
* In the Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct novel ''Ten Plus One'' (about the race to find who's murdering people around the city with no apparent connection), the officers on duty have this reaction when one of the potential victims, a stunning blonde actress, arrives seeking protection. [[spoiler: In case you're wondering, they catch the sniper before he can cross her off his list.]]
* ''In No Good Deed...'', Literature/ElsabethSoesten intends to seduce Lord Cuncz in order to gain access to his castle and search for information incriminating him in a plot against the local Prince-Bishop. Upon actually ''seeing'' him, however, she very nearly forgets what she was there for in the first place and has to concentrate on the task at hand.
* In ''Literature/TheFaultInOurStars'', [[GoodBadGirl Kaitlyn]] loses track of the conversation just from the ''thought'' of Augustus.

* Becomes a ChekhovsGun in ''Literature/{{Ghoul}}''.
* ''Literature/DreamPark'': Even hyperwary Al the Barbarian can't keep his eyes off the ladies during the rooftop pool ceremony, for which they're expected to go topless.
* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Shallan takes time away from her studies to sketch young men working without their shirts on. Later on, Shallan is talking with Adolin and thinking on something important, and then he ''smiles'', and... what was she thinking about, again?
* Exploited in ''Literature/TheMachineriesOfEmpire''. The drones' favourite meeting place on Cheris' ship is the spot where every couple aboard goes to make out, as they're too distracted by each other to notice a conspicuous meeting of the supposedly-non-sentient [=AIs=] taking place just a few metres away.
* PlayedForLaughs in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''--whenever a [[TimeTravel Sario rip]] comes up, [[TokenNonHuman Ax]] awkwardly admits that he doesn't know much about them, because he wasn't paying attention that day in school. See, he was thinking about a sports game that was happening later...plus, there was this female Andalite in class with him...
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime,'' Galad Damodred tends to fuse the brains of any female within eye shot. Berelain Sur Paendrag Paeron has a similar effect on males. Put them together and they can't maintain a conversation, much less remember whether they want tea.
* In ''Literature/SkippyDies'', Howard is in the middle of a heart-to-heart with Skippy, trying to find out why he's been acting out of it, when HotTeacher Aurelie walks by. Howard immediately ends the conversation to stare at/talk to her, and consequently never finds out about any of Skippy's many problems. This is one of the many times in the book when adults fail to help Skippy in his time of need.
* In ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' this is a very common problem when interacting with native-raised Tuerasians, as they're [[OurNudityIsDifferent borderline nudists]] by everyone else's standards. Cueseg opts to invoke this trope by becoming a WalkingShirtlessScene, telling the women around him that he's just helping them learn to take control of their lusts.
* ''Literature/TellMeHowYouReallyFeel'': Rachel is annoyed by how attractive she finds Sana in her cheerleader outfit, finding it quite distracting.

* In ''The Apprentice'' (the second Literature/RizzoliAndIsles book), Detective Jane Rizzoli spends the entire book lusting after the gorgeous FBI Agent Gabriel Dean the moment she meets him. This is someone who relentlessly [[{{Hypocrite}} blasts men for doing the same thing]] in regards to beautiful women.

* ''Literature/{{Fifty Shades of Grey}}'': A gender inverted example courtesy of the POV character, Anastasia Steele. She spends a good chunk (if not the ''all'') of the book talking about what a handsome sex god [[BastardBoyfriend Christian]] is and every time he does something reprehensible, like putting a tracker on her phone (''before'' they started dating), selling her old, but cherished car without her permission and buying her a new one, and stalking her across the country when she went to visit her mother in Georgia, Ana fawns over his looks and forgets why she was ever upset with him.

* ''Literature/WheelOfTime'' character Galad Damodred tends to fuse the brains of any female within eye shot. Berelain Sur Paendrag Paeron has a similar effect on males. Put them together and they can't maintain a conversation, much less remember whether they want tea.

* In ''Literature/ShadowOfTheConqueror,'' this is a very common problem when interacting with native-raised Tuerasians, as they're [[OurNudityIsDifferent borderline nudists]] by everyone else's standards. Cueseg opts to invoke this trope by becoming a WalkingShirtlessScene.

* ''Literature/{{Fifty Shades of Grey}}'': A gender inverted example courtesy of the POV character, Anastasia Steele. She spends a good chunk (if not the ''all'') of the book talking about what a handsome sex god Christian is and [[Bastard Boyfriend every time he does something reprehensible]], like putting a tracker on her phone (''before'' they started dating), selling her old, but cherished car without her permission and buying her a new one, and stalking her across the country when she went to visit her mother in Georgia, Ana fawns over his looks and forgets why she was ever upset with him.

* ''Literature/{{Fifty Shades of Grey}}'': A gender inverted example courtesy of the POV character, Anastasia Steele. She spends a good chunk (if not the ''all'') of the book talking about what a handsome sex god Christian is and {{Bastard Boyfriend every time he does something reprehensible}}, like putting a tracker on her phone (''before'' they started dating), selling her old, but cherished car without her permission and buying her a new one, and stalking her across the country when she went to visit her mother in Georgia, Ana fawns over his looks and forgets why she was ever upset with him.

* ''Literature/Fifty Shades of Grey'': A gender inverted example courtesy of the POV character, Anastasia Steele. She spends a good chunk (if not the ''all'') of the book talking about what a handsome sex god Christian is and [[Bastard Boyfriend every time he does something reprehensible]], like putting a tracker on her phone (''before'' they started dating), selling her old, but cherished car without her permission and buying her a new one, and following her across the country when she went to visit her mother in Georgia.