Sure, porn is great, but what if there was a way to get mentally and sexually stimulated at once? Erotic novels allow you to get wrapped up in a great story while getting some pretty intense details about the build-up, climax, and aftermath of steamy sex scenes.
But if you’re worried about too much cringe, fear not. There are plenty of *actually* good erotic novels and romance novels out there—and some of them are so good that they’ve also made their way to your screens. Hello, Bridgerton!
A(nother) nice perk to keep in mind? Erotic novels often look like “regular” books, so you can dive into one wherever you want without worrying about getting the side eye from someone in public.
So whether you’re someone who’s looking to give erotic romance novels a shot, or you’ve already got a collection of paperbacks proudly displayed and are looking for some new recommendations, we’re here to help. These erotic novels are seriously steamy-from bodice rippers to supernatural stories to horny, heartwarming tales.
Our pick of the best erotic novels
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Rush by Maya Banks
Gabe Hamilton is one of the richest and most powerful men in the country who can get anything he wants, and now he’s set his sights on his best friend’s little sister who, once he sees her walk into his hotel’s grand opening, he realises isn’t so little anymore.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
When a best-selling erotica writer and a reclusive award-winning novelist cross paths at a New York City literary event, their chemistry is instantaneous…and only partially because the two had a steamy, week-long affair 15 years earlier. Their reunion? Even hotter.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
In this sexy, Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com, glitzy socialite Piper Bellinger is shipped out to a rural small town to man her late father’s dive bar. She couldn’t have less in common with the locals—especially rugged fisherman Brendan. But even as they clash, they can’t seem to fight their attraction…
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
If steamy, heartfelt reads are what you’re after, look no further than Talia Hibbert. Although you can’t go wrong with any of Hibbert’s books, the Brown Sisters trilogy is the perfect entry to her work. In Get a Life, a hyper-organised, careful computer geek enlists her building’s sexy, mysterious handyman to help her learn to let loose, with extremely hot results.
The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Alisha Rai’s new series will mess with your heart. The Right Swipe is only the beginning but it’s a very good beginning: the voice, the setting, the circumstances, the characters-it all fills a very perfect spot in this story. The profound story follows a powerful woman of colour that will have you smiling and weeping to the very end.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The Kiss Quotient is the perfect blend of sweet and steamy. There’s a lot of graphic sex scenes, which Hoang builds up to really well; she knows how to tease us. It’s a book where sex is actually sexy. We’re here for that.
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Kushiel’s Dart is an intoxicating fantasy of intrigue, betrayal and desire – perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout. It is a tougher read (it’s over 900 pages long) so you really have to stick through it, but if you are a fan of epic fantasy novels and can handle this type of sexual content (whips, punches, blades, humiliation), we would 100% recommend this book to you.
Dark Lover by J. R. Ward
We will just leave this description here…”Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of the Brotherhood and blood frighten her. Yet his touch ignites a dawning new hunger, one that threatens to consume them both…”
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence
Lawrence’s frank portrayal of an extramarital affair and the explicit sexual explorations of its central characters caused this controversial book, now considered a masterpiece, to be banned as pornography until 1960.
Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith
In this modern-day reinterpretation, Ali Smith, with humour and typical linguistic versatility, explores issues of homophobia, corporate and social responsibility and the sheer vertiginous feeling of falling in love.
The Pisces by Melissa Broder
Funny and dark, vicious and tender, The Pisces is a sexy and moving portrait of a woman longing for connection and pleasure in our strange and alienating world. They might be some of the most real, relatable merman sex scenes you’ll read in any book.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas is a global #1 bestselling author and for good reason. The first instalment in a series, A Court of Thorns and Roses revolves around 19-year-old huntress Feyre who finds herself captured by a beast…except, he’s not actually a beast, but instead an immortal faerie for whom she starts to develop feelings.
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Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
Best known as the book that inspired The Shape of Water, this 1982 classic recounts the love story between a lonely housewife and the monster that’s just escaped the Institute for Oceanographic Research—and yep, it’s as wild and unexpectedly sexy as it sounds.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
In this time travel romance, a former amateur detective named August who recently moved to New York City finds love with a rather interesting person: punk-rock lesbian Jane who’s from the 1970s and trapped on the subway, having been misplaced by time. Expect the unexpected with this one.
Story of O by Pauline Réage
A beautiful young French woman, known only as ‘O’, is taken by her lover René to a splendid mansion near Paris. Here, she is initiated into an elite secret society, where she must learn to serve the sexual fantasies of René and his fellow members.
Seducing Cinderella by Gina L. Maxwell
When champion mixed martial artist Reid Andrews gets badly injured, he goes to see Lucie, a physical therapist who’s desperate to get a certain doctor to notice her. So in exchange for helping him get back in fighting shape, Reid teaches Lucie the art of seduction.
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