Julia Quinn – or JQ – wrote the Bridgerton series about the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family, so we have eight books for each sibling. We also got one short story collection about the Bridgertons’ happily-ever-afters and thanks to the popularity of the Netflix show, we also got a Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte. The best Bridgerton book, however, depends on personal tastes and pet peeves, so my ranking will depend on how much I loved the story, the characters, and the writing.

Best Bridgerton Books Ranked

JQ’s steamy scenes are guaranteed to take your breath away, so keep an eye out for my spice meter! Your smut preferences might vary, but the meter will give you some idea of the level of smut in each book.

🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

Without further ado, let’s head off to Regency England in the 1800’s and meet the Bridgertons!

Bridgerton Books Reviews

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The Viscount Who Loved Me: Anthony's Story, The Inspiration for Bridgerton Season Two (Bridgertons, 2)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical fiction, historical, fiction, audiobook, regency, adult, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – PTSD, death from anaphylaxis recounted, death of a parent (off-page)
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 354
• First publication – June, 2006
• Goodreads rating – 4.03
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.80

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The second book of the Bridgerton series became my favorite the moment I read it, and has remained at the top over so many years now for three reasons: the enemies-to-lovers trope, the banter, and the pining. 

Trust me when I tell you that Julia Quinn cooked up a spicy, ridiculously cute, and laughter-inducing book with all the feels, because Viscount Who Loved Me is such a delicious treat for us enemies-to-lovers stans. 

The book starts off with our Viscount Anthony declaring he’s ready to marry which comes as a surprise to his family – but he’s quick to clarify that he’s marrying for obligation and not love (🙄). He soon gets down to the business of finding a bride, going for the most eligible woman of the season. 

The hitch in his plan is the fact that Kate, our FMC, hates how Anthony has set sights on her sister. Kate wants a love match for her sister and Anthony, by his own words, is definitely not that. As if his sketchy motives weren’t bad enough, there’s also his reputation of being a ‘rake’ (the regency equivalent of a womanizer😉) that Kate finds appalling.

The thing is though, the more they argue and observe each other, they both start to fall for the other, albeit reluctantly. The angst is top notch when Anthony wakes up from an erotic dream about Kate when he doesn’t even like her IRL. And my favorite moment of Kate falling for Anthony is the library scene where all her guards are down and she just starts to trust him with her whole heart. I was all tears, folks. 

So the competitive, no-nonsense, and arrogant duo fall for each other over dog chases, games of Pall Mall, and stolen glances across ballrooms. I have to mention the Netflix series at this point too, because the whole drama with Edwina notwithstanding, the creators did an awesome job bringing the angst and the banter between Anthony and Kate to life. I still love the book though, because it left out any unnecessary drama and the drama it did have was solely between the stubborn-as-hell MCs who spent half the book pining for and not kissing each other. 

So if you want a swoony, angsty enemies-to-lovers historical style, this is the book you should start with. JQ, with her witty liners and laugh-out-loud scenes, does not disappoint one bit.

2. Romancing Mister Bridgerton

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Romancing Mister Bridgerton: Penelope & Colin's Story, The Inspiration for Bridgerton Season Three (Bridgertons, 4)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical, historical fiction, fiction, regency, audiobook, adult, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – Body shaming, sexism, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, toxic relationships, physical abuse, pregnancy, child abuse, sexual assault, violence, injury detail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 384
• First publication – September, 2006
• Goodreads rating – 3.93
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.94

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Friends-to-lovers will always be the way to my heart because the confusion/ the soft feelings/ the giddiness that comes with realizing you’re falling for your closest friend is nothing short of incredible. Julia Quinn took all these feels to the stage in the fourth book of the Bridgerton series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, and I was a goner. 

We’ve seen both Colin and Penelope interacting with each other in the first three books, but after Colin’s public declaration in Benedict’s book that “I will never marry Penelope,” caused by an ill-timed conversation with his brothers and definitely overheard by Penelope, things between them are now slightly awkward. 

One book later, chance – and curiosity – leads Penelope to read a travel journal of Colin and she’s amazed; the man can write so well! He doesn’t take kindly to having his most private writing out in the open, but some back and forth later, Colin comes to a startling realization – he wants to talk to Penelope more, see her again, and hear her innermost thoughts as she listens to his. After a kiss that took both of them by surprise, Colin knows he wants her more than as a friend. 

She harbors a secret though, and the fans of the Netflix series know what it is (on that note, let me just say I don’t like that it was revealed in the first season). The secret causes a dramatic chase in a carriage, an even more dramatic proposal, and a blackmailer for Penelope, which Colin deals with swiftly – we love a charming MMC who turns commanding and assertive for his lady. 

So the Polin ship is sailing, and I can’t wait for season 3 of the show to come out because the smut is delicious in the book. And if the previous two book adaptations are an indication, S3 is gonna be SPICY. I’m definitely excited for that one mirror scene that got me red in the face while reading the book, or the carriage scene where Colin and Penelope get handsy🔥. JQ writes her spice the way she writes everything – with immersive wordplay and all-consuming feelings – so you’re definitely in for a smut-licious treat with Romancing Mister Bridgerton. 

Pick it up for the friends-to-lovers, swoonworthy dialogue, and lots of spice to burn your way through a weekend!

3. An Offer From a Gentleman

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Offer from a Gentleman, An: Bridgerton: Benedict's Story (Bridgertons, 3)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical, historical fiction, fiction, audiobook, regency, adult, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – Child abuse, sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, physical abuse, death, pregnancy, grief, infidelity
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 390
• First publication – July, 2001
• Goodreads rating – 3.94
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.22

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When I realized the story of the most adorable Bridgerton brother is a Cinderella retelling, I canceled all plans and settled in for an enchanting ride – and JQ didn’t disappoint. 

I’ve always loved Benedict when he made an appearance in the other books; he’s funny, whimsical, and has an artist’s soul. So even though I don’t like the insta-love trope of Cinderella retellings much, it fit Benedict’s personality so naturally that I actually forgot I was reading an insta-love story. 

While Benedict is looking for the masked beauty he met at their ball, the lady in question, Sophie, suffers so much abuse at her stepmother’s hand until one day, she is forced to leave the house. Sophie’s illegitimate birth does her no favors so she’s reduced to working as a servant until she no longer can. That’s because, unfortunately, her beauty and lower station often make her a victim to the young masters of the households she’s working for. 

It’s during one of these occasions, when some men are trying to harass her, that Benedict happens to see it and help her out. He offers her shelter without recognizing who she is, and Sophie is devastated to recognize the man she’s been dreaming of for so long. 

What follows is an oblivious Benedict falling for Sophie, all the while pining for the masked lady. JQ really spoiled us because we get chapters upon chapters of Benedict and Sophie falling for each other again with a lot of pining and sexual tension. He wants her so much he asks her to be his mistress (it wasn’t a good move, Benedict) which our leading lady refuses. I loved how she didn’t compromise on her conscience even though she wanted to be with him as much as he did. 

This Cinderella story set in the Bridgerton universe hits all the right beats, giving us the introspective Benedict’s love story in such an emotionally-rich, captivating way. Pick this book for a fairy-tale love story you’d want to read again and again!

4. When He Was Wicked – The Spiciest Bridgerton Book

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When He Was Wicked: Bridgerton: Francesca's Story (Bridgertons, 6)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical, historical fiction, fiction, regency, adult, audiobook, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – Miscarriage, grief, infertility, chronic illness, pregnancy, explicit language, infidelity, child death, sexual assault, violence, abortion, death of a parent, injury detail, death of a spouse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 368
• First publication – June, 2004
• Goodreads rating – 4.00
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.99

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Many fans tout this book as the spiciest Bridgerton book and I’m here to tell you that the allegations are, in fact, true. It took me by surprise because the quiet, withdrawn Francesca I’ve seen in other books is on scorching fire and Michael is THE hottest, sexiest leading man in the Bridgerton universe, period. 

As much as I love the Bridgerton habit of poking their noses into siblings’ businesses, I loved that it didn’t happen much in this book – Francesca and Michael’s story mostly took place far away in their earldom in Kilmartin, Scotland. I think I feel that way because the sixth Bridgerton sibling is as reserved as they come and also because both she and Michael had incredible grief to wade through as their relationship grew, and that’s better done without prying eyes. 

When Michael comes to Kilmartin looking for Francesca, he is furious at her for not replying to his letters, for wanting to marry, for any reason under the sun – because the poor man has been in unrequited love for ages that it’s pouring out as rage. The fury quickly turns into burning passion and Francesca is startled to discover that Michael is as devious and sexy as he always portrayed himself to be. Michael decides to ‘seduce’ Francesca into marrying him instead of telling her he loves her, and that’s where I lost it. Come on, Michael, just try being honest about your feelings for once!?

So we have this hunk of a man weak-kneed and yearning for the love of his life while Francesca, obviously attracted to him but guilt-ridden out of respect for John, tries to resist him. It all goes up in smoke, though – the smut between the pair is enough to set fire to the entirety of Scotland. I especially liked the parts where Francesca takes reins… Definitely an original take on historical romances. 

That said, I still don’t like how the seduction seemed rather forced. Don’t get me wrong, I love the smut, but it really could have kicked off better. 

My reservations don’t affect the impact of the book though – When He Was Wicked was an emotional roller-coaster from the first page to the epilogue, and I may have shed a few tears in between savoring the spice. Pick this book up for a wild ride because Francesca and Michael are the duo most likely to tug at your heartstrings and set you on fire at the same time.

5. It’s in His Kiss

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It's in His Kiss: Bridgerton: Hyancinth's Story (Bridgertons, 7)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical, historical fiction, fiction, regency, adult, audiobook, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – Emotional abuse, child abuse, infidelity, death of a parent, explicit language, domestic abuse, physical abuse, rape, violence, pregnancy, grief
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 384
• First publication – June, 2005
• Goodreads rating – 4.0
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$13.24

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It’s in His Kiss is this far down the ranking only because I can’t make all of them #1 or #2 – Hyacinth’s story is one of my faves because it’s got some treasure hunting, midnight gallivanting, and lots of spice (yes, Gareth!🔥) packed into the book.

First off, I have to admit that I did feel a bit weird reading Hyacinth’s love story because she’s the youngest Bridgerton and the most I’ve seen her is chucking peas at her siblings across the dinner table. But finding out she grew up and into her frenetic energy and outspokenness (making her a menace to nearly everyone) was truly a delight for me. 

I loved her hot-tempered relationship with Lady Danbury, whose grandson Gareth needs Hyacinth’s (more or less underdeveloped) Italian language skills. Gareth, surprisingly, is highly amused by the fiendish woman who can possibly help him claim his inheritance – or leave him with no penny to his name.

They start translating the diary together, bickering non-stop and discovering some family secrets along the way. The secrets clue them in on the location of a long-lost treasure and Hyacinth is too stubborn to be left behind on the quest. Some breaking in and burglary that’s not befitting a well-bred lady follows, leaving Gareth exasperated yet utterly in love with Hyacinth. 

As love takes the stage, Gareth’s charm becomes seductive and Hyacinth’s passion makes up for her inexperience, treating us readers with a lot of pulse-racing smut. We also find out that the only time Hycinth says “Yes, Gareth” is when they are tangled in the sheets 🥵.

I loved It’s in His Kiss because it was so different from the other stories. They were all great in their own right of course, but this one appealed to me because it was adventurous, eventful, cheerful, and devoid of society-fueled drama found in other Bridgerton books. So have a go at Hyacinth’s story when you need a steamy, banterful, heist-like love story and you won’t be disappointed in the least.

6. To Sir Philip, With Love

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To Sir Phillip, With Love: Bridgerton: Eloise's Story (Bridgertons, 5)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical, historical fiction, fiction, regency, adult, audiobook, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – Suicide, suicide attempt, child abuse, mental illness, death of parent, death, physical abuse, grief, rape, domestic abuse, sexual assault, violence, emotional abuse, self harm, pregnancy, child death, injury detail, chronic illness
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 372
• First publication – July, 2003
• Goodreads rating – 3.73/li>
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.72

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The blurb of the book was enough for me to pick up this book immediately after I finished Romancing Mister Bridgerton, because the premise was so… Eloise. 

When the story starts, Eloise has been exchanging letters with Sir Philip Crane, the widowed husband of one of her cousins. Though they know little of each other, they have a connection, but it stills comes as a surprise to her when he proposes. Then she surprises herself even more by crossing the country to his place, where she surprises him.

Quiet and awkward, Philip doesn’t know how to grapple with the vision of a woman (who doesn’t stop talking for two seconds) in front of him any more than he knows how to handle his rowdy twins.

The kids were one of the biggest highlights of the book for me, because they were smart, devious, and pranked the hell out of Eloise. She turned out to be the worthy rival they never had with her expertise at anticipating chaos and instigating chaos herself because she comes from a family of pranksters. So she wins their hearts and in doing so, Philip’s (he was already a goner when he saw her but the man took his sweet time to admit his feelings).

Their love story takes time to develop because not only is Eloise hellbent on winning the kids over, she’s determined to bring their withdrawn father back to them. Not to mention the slight (I mean huge) commotion her brothers make when they barge into the house and almost beat Philip to a pulp. 

When love does happen to both of them, Philip’s tenderness and sincerity shines through, complementing Eloise’s fiercely protective and passionate nature. And then we get to see those roles reversed when in the bedroom. Also, word to the wise: get you a man who’s a botanist by profession because he’d literally grow roses for you. 

One thing I couldn’t get behind though, was how Eloise quickly went from ‘I’ll be a spinster forever’ to ‘I want to marry a man I barely know’ and took the plunge to run away from home. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I just wanted that decision arc to be fleshed out more. 

But how she grew to love the Crane twins and Philip was so wholesome, and the way Philip returned her feelings with a fervor he never knew he had was even more so. This book is that ideal slow burn full of mischief and never-ending conversation, so pick this up for a heartwarming read!

7. The Duke and I – My First Bridgerton Book

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Bridgerton [TV Tie-in] (Bridgertons Book 1)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical fiction, historical, adult, regency, chick lit, regency romance
• Content warnings – Sexual abuse, child abuse, abandonment, pregnancy, miscarriage, gun violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 384
• First publication – January, 2000
• Goodreads rating – 3.81
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.50

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This was the first Bridgerton book I read a decade ago, making me fall in love with the band of rowdy, adorable Bridgerton siblings. Over time, I’ve realized after a few reads that there are some questionable elements in it, so that’s how The Duke and I made it to #7 of my ranking. 

Our MCs meet at a ball, and once they get to know who’s who, they become fast friends. Their mutually-benefitting fake courtship kicks off much to Anthony’s chagrin who’s furious at both his friend and his sister. Simon and Daphne have fun though – their banter is on point and the attraction between them grows by the second. 

Simon’s control finally snaps and he kisses Daphne, only to have Anthony charging at them and demanding Simon to marry Daphne. After an anxious refusal, some gun waving, and a horse ride to the park later, the duo are to be married – each thinking the other is making a sacrifice. 

They are, but they also are too-in-their-own-heads (and dumb) to realize why they made each of their compromises. It takes a lot of smut and even more tension for the pair to admit their love for one another, even after baring their heart and soul to the other. 

The last part of the book was such an emotional ride for me, even after some questionable actions by both our MCs. And as for the Netflix show, I didn’t feel like they captured the culmination of Daphne and Simon’s relationship that well – they did such an awesome job in the first few episodes and the leads had amazing chemistry, only for that to sizzle out. 

Overall, I do wish some parts of the book were better handled too, but that doesn’t take away the charm of fake-dating and the angst of denial in love – so I still love Daphne and Simon’s story for its sweetness. 

Pick this book up for an emotion-packed ride from the beginning to the end. I only ask you to check the content warnings before you jump in, and you should be golden.

8. On The Way to The Wedding

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On the Way to the Wedding: Bridgerton: Gregory's Story (Bridgertons, 8)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical, historical fiction, fiction, regency, adult, audiobook, regency romance, chick lit
• Content warnings – Gun violence, kidnapping, pregnancy, emotional abuse, violence, medical trauma, injury detail, death of parent, domestic abuse, physical abuse, death, infidelity, miscarriage
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 371
• First publication – June, 2006
• Goodreads rating – 3.84
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$11.66

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On The Way to The Wedding focuses on the love story of the youngest Bridgerton, Gregory. He was so young in the other books that I felt like I was learning about a completely new character, but it was charming in its own right. 

Gregory is possibly the most romantic Bridgerton boy and a strong believer in true love – which is not surprising considering all his siblings found love. He’s convinced that everything will fall into place once he finally meets the girl of his dreams – and then reality pops his bubble.

We watch him struggle as he falls in ‘love’ with a Hermione Watson (not to be mistaken with Granger), who happens to be in love with another man. The story is actually about Gregory falling in love with Lucy when he teams up with her to win Hermione over. Unfortunately, Lucy is betrothed to someone else, so to put it simply, Gregory’s love life is a tangled mess.

The friends-to-lovers trope between him and Lucy was so sweet, but we don’t get to see a lot of it. Most of what I read was internal dialogue, so nothing actually happens for the tension to build. The book flickers back and forth between them longing for each other and then realizing that they can’t do anything about their feelings. 

Gregory is a very sweet character, but he’s a hopeless romantic to the point where it’s actually a bit frustrating. It’s not at all like the slow burn we got with Penelope and Collin, or the steamy tension between Daphne and Simon. 

The whole star-crossed lovers trope and suspense might have worked a lot better had the buildup been stronger, plus he’s in love with Hermione through most of the book anyway, so the switch to Lucy doesn’t hold very well. It’s also not very spicy (compared to JQ’s usual standard) but I’m alright with that since it is one of the baby Bridgertons. 

What I did enjoy about the book was the appearance of the Bridgerton clan –  some tears were shed, friends. It felt like the perfect way to bring the series to an end, so regardless of its quick pace and the hopelessly romantic MCs, it’s definitely a must-read if you want to complete the series.

9. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After

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The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After: Includes Violet's Story (Bridgertons, 9)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical fiction, historical, adult, regency, chick lit, regency romance, short stories
• Content warnings – Infertility, blood, pregnancy, death, death of a parent, grief, miscarriage, child abuse, medical trauma
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 374
• First publication – April, 2013
• Goodreads rating – 3.99
• Spice meter – 🌶️

$12.49

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Happily Ever After is a collection of epilogues to the Bridgerton books – plus a special story about Violet! You can read each story separately of course, but reading them together after you’re done with the series is a great way to see what the Bridgerton siblings are up to, without any spoilers in between (trust me, there are a few).

Most of the stories follow married life as a theme, and while some were interesting, like the epilogue for The Duke and I that follows Daphne and Simon 21 years later (let’s just say parenthood does not put damper on the burn 🔥), the rest were a bit underwhelming. For one, the epilogue to the Viscount Who Loved Me doesn’t have the tension of pall-mall disputes and enemies to lovers banter anymore – making Anthony and Kate seem regular. I did NOT like that for them.

The theme did suit the epilogue for When He Was Wicked. Francesca’s story really broke my heart in the novel so it was great to see her heal from the pain and have a healthy marriage.

The siblings’ epilogues left a bit to desire, but I absolutely loved Violet in Bloom. It is everything I ever wanted to know about her and Edmund Bridgerton. While his death has been brought up before, I think this story really paints a picture of how it affected Violet. This short but incredibly powerful story captured how her world was ripped away from her so suddenly, and how she coped with it alone with seven children and a baby on the way. It really made me feel for her, and I think the story ties in well with the depth of her mourning that Anthony brings up in Season 2 of the show. 

I won’t say all the epilogues have that kind of emotional impact, but do they give us a peek into the Bridgerton siblings’ happily-ever-afters – which, all things considered, is the blissful closure all of us fans deserve. I will say though that they might not end the way you expect, so if you’d rather leave that up to your imagination, that’s fine too. Whatever you choose to do – just please read Violet in Bloom.

10. Queen Charlotte

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Queen Charlotte: Before Bridgerton Came a Love Story That Changed the Ton…

• Authors – Julia Quinn, Shonda Rhimes
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical fiction, historical, adult, regency, chick lit, regency romance
• Content warnings – Mental illness, torture, racism, physical abuse, pregnancy, emotional abuse, injury detail, death, domestic abuse, sexual violence, grief, abandonment
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 352
• First publication – May, 2023
• Goodreads rating – 4.17
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$23.15

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Unlike the rest of the Bridgerton books listed here, Queen Charlotte actually came out after the show. In fact, Queen Charlotte isn’t in the other books at all – so it makes sense that Quinn would want to partner with Shonda Rhimes, the creator of the Netflix series, to give Charlotte the spotlight she deserves. 

Funnily enough, I’ve heard that Rhimes referred to Charlotte as the “Beyonce of regency times,” and she’s right. Not only is Charlotte’s character intimidating, commanding, and confident, but she’s also cynical, sarcastic, and witty – she’s Queen C. What I really loved about this book was that it let me dig deeper into the complexities of her character. While the older Queen Charlotte that we know has a hard shell, the book dives into the vulnerabilities that made her who she is. 

I always appreciate a good enemies-to-lovers trope, so I was more than happy to read the book when it came out even though I had already seen the show. While the two are the same for the most part, there are a few small differences. 

For one, I got to read characters’ thoughts in a way I had never seen them – like those of Lady Danburry and even Brimsley, but especially King George. Somehow these little details made his descent into madness more heartbreaking than it already was. 

Apart from that, the romance was intense and steamy, and really made me feel the weight of what Charlotte was losing. She was all alone, married, and made Queen out of duty and then bound by secrecy to a man she did not really know, and once she had finally fallen in love with him, she had to watch him slip away. It gives that particular scene in season 2 of the main series (the one where King George makes an unexpected appearance) more weight. 

Now this book is definitely a bit of a diversion from the Bridgertons themselves, but if you’re a fan of the series and want to know Queen Charlotte better – then this is the perfect book. Sure, she comes off as controlling and manipulative, but suddenly, I’m rewatching Bridgerton with a soft spot for the Queen.

And that’s my list of the best Bridgerton books! The Bridgerton universe is vast because the main series follows eight siblings while the spin-off tells us the stories of some endearing secondary characters with potential to expand more (JQ, I’m waiting for Violet’s story!). Pick up a Bridgerton book if you want to experience the searing romance of the regency era made better with adorable antics of a close-knit family and gorgeous writing by Julia Quinn.

Bridgerton Books in Reading Order

I’ve ranked the best Bridgerton books according to my preference, but you are best served if you go with the reading order which is the same as the order of publication.

1. The Duke and I – Daphne’s story (January, 2000)
2. Viscount Who Loved Me – Anthony’s story (December, 2000)
3. An Offer From a Gentleman – Benedict’s story (July, 2001)
4. Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Colin’s story (July, 2002)
5. To Sir Philip, With Love – Eloise’s story (July, 2003)
6. When He Was Wicked – Francesca’s story (June, 2004)
7. It’s in His Kiss – Hyacinth’s story (June, 2005)
8. On The Way to The Wedding – Gregory’s story (June, 2006)

What to read next

If you don’t want to leave the Bridgerton universe yet, you should check out the story collections, The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown and Lady Whistledown Strikes Back. JQ also gave us a prequel series that features the Bridgerton family a couple generations ago, called the Rokesby series, starting with Because of Miss Bridgerton about a certain feisty Bridgerton lady called Poppy. 

You can also indulge in some more swoony historical romances with the Smythe-Smith series by Julia Quinn. You would have met a few characters from the Smythe-Smith family while reading Bridgerton, so settle in with the first book, Just Like Heaven to find out more. 

If you’re in the mood for spice, you can check out our list of best smut books. These are not  historical romances; you don’t have a lot of ‘don’t be alone with him if you don’t have a chaperone,’ so they definitely can fulfill your smutty cravings😉.

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The post Best Bridgerton Books: Ranking and Reading Order appeared first on Bookishnerd.

It’s sweet torture, that’s what it is.

I’ve made a list of brother’s best friend books that have the same fluttery feelings of a crush and the heady rush of having those feelings returned, despite obstacles. Let’s see if you’ll love them as much as I did.

Best Brother’s Best Friend Book List

What’s Brother’s Best Friend Book Trope?

Picture this: you have a brother, mostly annoying like all siblings are, and unnecessarily overprotective at times. Your brother has a cute/hot/genius/super cool best friend that you’ve been secretly crushing on. You go on pining for the longest time until one day, he starts looking at you that way. NOW, things get hot. And chaotic.

This is basically what happens in a brother’s best friend romance, give or take a few tropes. My list has a few small town romances, sports romances, and even a historical romance, all ranging from little bit of steam to full blown smutty scenes.

So I’ve added a spice meter to each book. This is my personal opinion, and your smut preferences might vary, but the meter gives you an idea of the level of smut in each book.

• 🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action
• 🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

Let’s dive into the list of best brother’s best friend books.

Best Brother’s Best Friend Book Reviews

1. Ugly Love – My favorite

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Ugly Love: A Novel

• Author – Colleen Hoover
• Genre/Sub-genre – Contemporary, new adult, contemporary romance, adult, romance, chick lit, young adult, love
• Content warnings – Death of a child, death of a parent, sexual harassment, violence, injury/injury detail
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 333
• Goodreads rating – 4.10
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.02

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This book absolutely ruined me. I was sobbing, ugly crying, and ready to throw hands by the time I finished Ugly Love, so of course it’s my favorite.

This story is about Tate, who moves in with her brother for a fresh start and about Miles, her brother’s friend who quite literally crashes at their place. They have immediate sparks for each other, but they don’t act on it. Then the attraction between them grows to the point that they agree to be friends with benefits, but Tate falls first, even knowing she shouldn’t.

She shouldn’t, because Miles refuses to fall in love. The truth is, he has been so hurt in the past that he doesn’t want to make himself vulnerable again, and doesn’t believe he’s capable of accepting Tate’s love. But the way they deal with the pain and come out of it is what makes this book beautiful.

This book also has a lot of steamy scenes compared to CoHo’s other books, so prepare for some heart-throbbing and pulse-racing encounters when Tate and Miles are together together.

I have to mention though, this book doesn’t have a lot of brother drama that we usually see in most brother’s best friend books. Personally, I think that’s a good thing because Ugly Love isn’t the easiest to read, but it’s worth remembering if that’s an important part of the formula to you.

I really recommend giving it a try though; the way Miles softens, learns to accept love, and returns that love because of Tate, after years of hurt and pain is so beautiful to see.

2. Twisted Love

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Twisted Love (Twisted, 1)

• Author – Ana Huang
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, new adult, adult, dark, love, college
• Content warning – Murder, death of a parent, violence, child abuse, gun violence, kidnapping, sexual violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 360
• Goodreads rating – 3.74
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.33

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Ana Huang has been recommended to me so many times and, boy, am I glad I listened to the recs. Twisted Love is the first book of the Twisted series, but they can all be read as standalones.

In this one, we have Alex, the brooding, alpha MMC and Ava, his best friend’s sister and neighbor. Ava is indifferent to Alex at the beginning and so is he, but his feelings start to change and this jealous streak (which is very hot) comes out.

This book has the grumpy sunshine trope which I absolutely love. The angry, brooding MMC who believes he can’t be loved falls for the sweetheart of an FMC and starts craving her love, her touch, the safety of her presence… Alex literally calls Ava ‘Sunshine’ at a point and when I tell you I melted into a puddle 🫠 Plus, the smut is heavy between these two so I was constantly switching between melting and blushing.

This one has the overprotective big brother (Josh is adorable though) and he asks Alex to take care of Ava while he’s away – which in my eyes pretty much gives permission for stuff other than protecting.

I was so hooked I finished this book in a day so if you need a burning hot romance with an alpha MMC and a sunshine FMC, here’s your sign to start reading Twisted Love.

3. The Duke and I – My first brother’s best friend romance!

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Bridgerton [TV Tie-in] (Bridgertons Book 1)

• Author – Julia Quinn
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, historical romance, historical fiction, historical, adult, regency, chick lit, regency romance
• Content warning – Sexual abuse, child abuse, abandonment, pregnancy, miscarriage, gun violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 384
• Goodreads rating – 3.81
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.50

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First off, I’m a huge fan of JQ—an I’ve-read-every-book-she’s-written kind of fan. So when I read Duke and I so long ago, I didn’t realize I was reading a brother’s best friend trope – I just simply picked up the first book of the Bridgerton series after completing the Bevelstoke series.

Duke and I is the first book in a series about eight siblings of the Bridgerton family living in Regency London. This book is about Daphne’s love story, the fourth sibling and the oldest sister. She’s 21 years old and nearly a spinster (this is Regency England, afterall) and her prospects aren’t great because instead of charming gentlemen like a well-bred lady, she’s friends with everyone.

Enter the Duke of Hastings AKA Simon Bassett – Daphne’s brother’s friend. He’s all broody, unapproachable, and completely uninterested in marriage. They crash into each other (literally) and devise a plan to one, make Daphne desirable in the eyes of society men, and two, keep hordes of mothers from hounding Simon with proposals. Obviously, they fall for each other, much to the annoyance of Anthony, Daphne’s brother, who’s furious and challenges Simon to a duel – so drama ensues.

The best part though, is how the MCs fall for each other despite both of them not wanting to. I loved how Simon gives up his long-held (stupid) beliefs as he realizes his love for Daphne.

The nuances of the book are a bit different from the TV show. I love them both, but I’m biased toward the book, because it’s my first love. So if you’re in for a historical romance with some heat-inducing smut and an honorable brother going bonkers, here’s your book, read it.

4. The Chase

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The Chase: A Forced Proximity College Romance with Hockey Heat (Briar U, 1)

• Author – Elle Kennedy
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, sports romance, new adult, sports, college, contemporary, contemporary romance, hockey, adult
• Content warning – Sexual assault, violence, bullying, adult/minor relationship, child abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 368
• Goodreads rating – 3.88
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$11.30

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I already thought Elle Kennedy can do no wrong after I read her Off-Campus books, The Deal and The Mistake, but I’m fully convinced now after reading The Chase in one sitting

This book is the first of the Briar-U series, a spin-off of the Off-campus series. We are once again in a sports romance book, which is not my cup of tea unless Elle Kennedy made it. We have our FMC, Summer, who moves in with her brother and her room/team mates and Fitz, our MMC, a hockey player who’s in denial that he’s attracted to his friend’s sister.

Sparks fly and ignite as they rightly should, and because this is an opposites-attract, forced proximity story, the fire is even hotter. Despite Fitzy’s immature reactions at first, I fell for him because geekiness and hotness is exactly what you need in a perfect book boyfriend. Summer was a bit bratty but she grew on me as the story progressed. Seeing Garret and the others from the Off-Campus series was a nice bonus.

In addition to the romance and the smut, Kennedy handled some serious issues with grace – like dysfunctional families and girl-on-girl hate – kudos to her for that.

My forever favorite from this author will be The Deal, but dare I say The Chase gave a good chase (get it?) for first place and landed somewhere pretty close to the top. Read it if you like sports romance and college stories, and there’s almost no chance you’ll end up disappointed.

5. Fix Her Up – My first Tessa Bailey book!

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Fix Her Up: A Novel

• Author – Tessa Bailey
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, sports, sports romance, chick lit, new adult
• Content warning – Abandonment, substance abuse, bullying
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 400
• Goodreads rating – 3.63
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.93

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Tessa Bailey is another author who was recommended to me over and over. I picked this book already planning to dislike her (the title was a bit of a turnoff) but it turned out to be such a sweet read!

Georgie, our FMC, is the youngest in a big family so she’s not being taken very seriously – you know, baby of the family thing. She doesn’t join the family business, instead, she becomes a clown (I’m serious, stay with me). She loves kids, so she performs at kids’ parties and I thought that was super adorable.

Then we have Travis, our MMC, who is a major league baseball player now back home after injury. He also happens to be Georgie’s brother’s friend since childhood, and the man she’s been crushing on since forever.

This is a small town romance, and there’s a bit of fake dating too. Except, it appears that Travis can no longer see Georgie as his friend’s little sister, as she grows into herself and becomes more confident. Because it’s a small town story where everyone knows everyone’s business, there is some family drama, but nothing that can drown out the spark and the smut.

One cute, warm, and a sizzling small town romance later, I turned into a Tessa Bailey stan. So pick this book up if you need a story with all the fuzzy feelings of a crush, a first love, and some pulse-racing smut.

6. Beautiful Player

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Beautiful Player (5)

• Author – Christina Lauren
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, new adult, adult, humor, erotica, adult humor, erotic romance, chick lit
• Content warning – N/A
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 432
• Goodreads rating – 4.26
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.97

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I’ve read only the recent books that came from the Christina – Lauren author duo, so I thought of trying out one of their earlier books. Beautiful Player is the third in a series that can be read as standalones, and I picked it for its title. At the end of the day, I’m a simple girl; I see a casanova male lead and I fold.

This casanova, Will, is tasked with turning Hannah, a bookworm and his friend’s little sister, into a sultry siren (this is straight out of the book!). So basically, Hannah gets lessons on how to be sexy from the man she’s had a crush on since they were kids and obviously things turn dangerously flirty and hot.

I’m used to the smut level of the author duo’s other books like Unhoneymooners or The Soulmate Equation, so to see it taken several notches up was a welcome surprise.

I adored Hannah because she kept throwing book references at us throughout the book and I was so happy for her when she grew to be self-assured and confident. Will was such DREAM! I mean, I probably won’t go for that man IRL but man, he’s yum.

If you want a smutty romance that manages to hit all the emotional beats as well, then you won’t be disappointed with the Beautiful Player. Hell, I’d say pick up the entire Beautiful Bastards series because it’s so good.

7. To Love Jason Thorn

To Love Jason Thorn

• Author – Ella Maise
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, new adult, adult, chick lit, humor, erotica
• Content warning – Sexual assault, death of a parent, car accident, substance abuse, stalking
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 428
• Goodreads rating – 3.80
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$15.99

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Why are second-chance romances the way to my heart? I just can’t look away if I come across one. They just remind me that in life, people aren’t perfect and second chances are needed and almost always deserved. This trope, coupled with the fake marriage trope and the steamy sex scenes in the book, is really the cherry on top of the cake.

To Love Jason Thorn deals with lifelong love – Olive has been in love with Jason since she was 7 years old! When they have to work together as adults and are forced into a marriage together, they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Jason is possessive and I’d die for a possessive MC anyday. Olive is sweet and sexy and the smut between the two, as they deal with their fake marriage, is totally worth a read.

This is a slow read but it’s one of those books you need when you are looking for a breather from fast-paced, quick burns. It’s cute and sexy and truly worth your time.

8. Under Locke

Under Locke

• Author – Mariana Zapata
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, humor, erotica, chick lit
• Content warning – Death of a parent, violence, abandonment, gun violence, injury/injury detail
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 497
• Goodreads rating – 3.94
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$21.99

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Under Locke had a super interesting setup with a biker gang and a tattoo shop and opposites attract romance, so never having been a biker girl myself, I just wanted to find the appeal.

I’m happy to say that it appealed really well. Our MMC, Dex, is a player type with a bad temper, and Iris, his friend’s half-sister is innocent and sweet as they come. She moves to Dex’s town after personal tragedy and tries to find her footing, which she finds in Dex’s tattoo shop.

The two have the hots for each other but both are in denial because for Dex, it isn’t honorable to go for his friend’s sister and for Iris, Dex spells bad boy. A series of angst and acts of jealousy later, they get together and we find out exactly how bad Dex is 🔥

There’s some suspense as well when things escalate with a few dangerous people, and I found it a bit jarring because it took me out of the love story, but that might be just a me thing. Mariana Zapata executed the steam and the romance exceptionally well, so I’d say I’m pretty happy with how it turned out overall.

Read this if you need a bad boy-good girl romance in your life. Under Locke won’t disappoint you.

9. Mr. Wrong Number

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Mr. Wrong Number

• Author – Lynn Painter
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, adult fiction, chick lit, new adult
• Content warning – Fire/fire injury, blood, injury/injury detail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 350
• Goodreads rating – 3.72
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.73

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I discovered Lynn Painter through Better Than The Movies (like most of you, I think), and I was super excited to see how she went about an adult romance. Let me tell you, she did not disappoint.

We have Olivia, our chaotic disaster (I relate!) of an FMC and Colin, her brother’s best friend and new roommate. Roommate, because Olivia has to move somewhere after setting fire to her apartment (I did say she’s chaotic).

After receiving a random text from a stranger, Olivia and ‘Mr. Wrong Number’ keep up this hilarious back and forth which I absolutely loved. Things get flirty between them just as Olivia and Colin start to live together.

Colin has always teased and made fun of Olivia when they were kids, and Olivia dislikes Colin for his controlling, meticulous nature. Or… does she? I’d say you should pick up the book and read what happens, because anything beyond this point is a spoiler.

One thing I didn’t like much is how Colin’s character traits change across the book. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hero who grows and changes for the better, but these were more subtle changes that didn’t add up and left me confused.

At the end of the day though, this story is as cute and sexy as you need your standard romcom to be, so it should definitely be on your TBR if you love the brother’s best friend trope.

10. Rush

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Rush (Breathless)

• Author – Maya Banks
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, erotica, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotic romance, adult, new adult
• Content warning – Sexual assault, death of a parent, violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 396
• Goodreads rating – 3.89
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$14.00

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Rush is book 1 of the Breathless series and my god, does it serve the name of the series well. This book is not just your typical fuzzy romance, there’s BDSM and smut involved, so proceed with caution (or frenzy 🔥).

If you’re a fan of the Fifty Shades of Grey series, then this is the book for you. It comes with the BDSM, the brooding, the rich MMC, the contract, the whole works, except with slightly less erotica (I know, I was sad about that too). What I really liked about the pair, Gabe and Mia, was the fact that they both secretly pined for each other for years, before finally jumping into bed with each other. There’s a ton of affection and history involved, along with all the smut and sex, so this is the perfect trust-building BDSM romance for those of us who are a bit on the wild side.

Maya Banks does not disappoint in this book, and I’m waiting to give the rest of the series a try. Pick it up for a steamy quick burn!

11. 99 Percent Mine

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99 Percent Mine: A Novel

• Author – Sally Thorne
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, chick lit, adult, new adult, adult fiction, humor
• Content warning – Chronic illness, medical content, alcoholism, abandonment, sexual harassment
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 368
• Goodreads rating – 3.36
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$6.99

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Sally Thorne hasn’t let me down yet. The Hating Game was amazing and 99 Percent Mine followed through fantastically as well. This book is so freaking charming. It’s a soft read, and you find yourself just rooting for the FMC. Darcy is a total sweetheart and an accomplished baddie, and she’s not afraid to chase after her twin brother’s best friend, Tom, when he comes to renovate the cottage she’s inherited.

The heart wants what it wants and I loved Darcy because the woman has no fear going after what her heart wants. She’s the spark to Tom’s quiet nature and the pair are truly well-matched. I was laughing at the parts where she makes Tom all uncomfortable with her inappropriate comments while he’s trying to remain serious. We love a serious, kind MC over here and Tom did not disappoint. That said, we do also have some brother drama in this book. I think Jamie, Darcy’s twin, was a little bit too invested in his sister’s love life, but that didn’t take out any steam in the story for me.

If you’re looking for a fun, quirky, vibrant romance read for the weekend, then settle down with this Sally Thorne.

12. Play with Me

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Play With Me Special Edition

• Author – Becka Mack
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, sports romance, hockey, sports, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, new adult
• Content warning – Substance abuse, death of a parent, bullying, pregnancy
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 569
• Goodreads rating – 4.30
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$18.94

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I tend to avoid sports romances (unless they’re written by Elle Kennedy, of course). Sue me, I’m a nerd. But Garrett and Jennie really redeemed the trope for me – they’re so incredibly cute together, and it all starts with friendship! I’m a sucker as any for a good friends-to-lovers story and watching these two open up to and care about each other, while enjoying certain other benefits (hint hint), really did wonders for me. It’s not just steamy between them, there’s a lot of affection too; they bring the fluff and the smut perfectly together.

The sneaking around in this book is all sorts of hot and heavy, especially because Jennie’s older brother is so overprotective. Garrett is angelic though, and so sweet and patient. He’s a jock and not my type IRL, but he’s definitely a favorite MC of mine. He’s the good kind of simp though, and the connection between the two is so obvious from the get-up (except to them. They take their own sweet time figuring it out).

The conversations between the characters though can be a little off-putting – to me, they sounded like the author was trying too hard. I wasn’t really a fan of that because it made the book drag on a little bit. But, if you’re into slow relationship building and all those forbidden scenes, give this one a go.

13. Done and Dusted

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Done and Dusted: A Small Town Romance (Rebel Blue Ranch)

• Author – Lyla Sage
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, westerns, contemporary, contemporary romance, sports romance, adult, sports, new adult, chick lit
• Content warning – Injury/injury detail, death of a parent, violence, abandonment
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 348
• Goodreads rating – 4.02
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$2.19

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When I tell you I BINGED this book, I really mean it. A sexy cowboy for the MC, a girl who returns to her small hometown from college as the FMC? Done. Dusted. Sign me up.

Luke is Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, who’s been practically raised by Emmy’s well-off family because of his troubled childhood. They’ve known each other for decades and care for each other in a sibling-kinda way, which changes pretty fast once Emmy returns from college after a horse riding accident.

He may have been a bad boy in the past, but with her he’s the softest, sweetest Western cowboy. He becomes her safe space, and the way Sage builds the story to show how the trust between them develops gave me all the warm feels. I’m all for a sexy, grumpy MC but this MC who knows how to communicate, is patient with and proud of his girl is everything.

This book is that sweet, warm, small-town romance you’ve been looking for. Just read it today.

14. The Off Limits Rule

The Off Limits Rule: A Romantic Comedy

• Author – Sarah Adams
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, humor, clean romance, chick lit, new adult
• Content warning – Pregnancy, bullying, stalking, abandonment
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 282
• Goodreads rating – 3.69
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$29.95

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I devoured this book; it was so fun and swoon-worthy. I loved that the character arcs were so well-written, with Lucy who has hit rock bottom coming to live with her brother and trying to restart her life. She’s such a breath of fresh air because she’s so realistically written – she’s a fiercely independent single mother who’s doing it all.

Cooper, her brother’s best friend, is literally the perfect match for her. He’s also learning how to trust again, and together, the two of them really get a fresh start on love and life. You are left rooting for them because they’re big hearted and adorable and I just read the entire thing with a big-ass smile on my face.

The brother drama in this one is big though – it’s actually a big plot driver. Drew, Lucy’s brother, is completely against these two dating, and I could think of three times I got furious with him for his attitude. I kept yelling in my head saying, ‘Lucy and Cooper are adults, my dude!’

Despite getting mad at Drew, I truly enjoyed this book and won’t think twice about recommending it. If you need a romance that makes you feel all lovey-dovey (and a little mad), take this book and settle down with a hot drink on a cold, rainy day.

15. Where Good Girls Go To Die

Where Good Girls Go to Die

• Author – Holly Renee
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, dark, erotica, new adult romance
• Content warning – Miscarriage, car accident
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 340
• Goodreads rating – 3.69
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$12.00

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I LOVE second-chance romances and I LOVE good girls who develop a darker streak, so when I read the blurb of this book, I knew I had to read it. I’m so glad I did.

This book isn’t for the faint-hearted; it’s not your typical fuzzy love story. There’s heartbreak, lies, love and hate, all rolled into one perfect romance novel. More than anything, the writing in this book is phenomenal. Holly Renee really has a beautiful way with words and I couldn’t put the book down.

Livy is working at a strip club when she runs into Parker for the first time in years. He’s her brother’s best friend and the reason why she left home in the first place. The real problem? He’s getting married to someone else and now, they have to figure out how to be friends with each other.

Where Good Girls Go To Die deals with heavy themes like infidelity and forgiveness. I’d recommend this book any day for those looking for the most perfect slowburn with themes for the more adult crowd.

16. Bad Habit

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Bad Habit (Bad Love)

• Author – Charleigh Rose
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, high school, contemporary, contemporary romance, dark, adult, abuse
• Content warning – Substance abuse, death of a parent, violence, injury/injury detail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 348
• Goodreads rating – 3.79
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.97

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I like romance, but give me dark romance, and I’m yours forever. Forbidden love, scandal, betrayal, second chances – Bad Habit ticked all of these boxes for me. I couldn’t put the book down, not just because of the well-written characters, but also because of the plot. 10/10 to Charleigh Rose for perfectly crafting the plot and fleshing it out across the book.

I’m a total simp for bad boys and I swooned over Asher. He’s misunderstood, flawed, and an alphahole. He lives like he has nothing to lose, but completely loses it when anyone dares go near Briar! He’s total ‘I’d burn the world for you’ vibes and we are all here for it. Very simply put, Asher is Sexy with a capital S. Briar is the perfect match for him because she’s so different from him – she’s kind, committed, helpful, and very mature, even though she’s much younger than Asher.

I became a huge fan of Charleigh after this book – she gave me everything I look for from a dark romance, from heart stopping emotions to drool-worthy sexual tension. If you’re looking for a bad boy alphahole and an opposites-attract trope, this is the book for you.

17. Playing for Keeps

Playing for Keeps (Hot Jocks)

• Author – Kendall Ryan
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, sports, sports romance, hockey, contemporary, contemporary romance, new adult, adult
• Content warning – Sexual assault, injury/injury detail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 190
• Goodreads rating – 3.80
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$14.99

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This is a girl-next-door-meets-hot-jock romance and it’s a fresh spin on a classic trope. It starts with a drunken night and ends with an HEA and really, what more can you ask for?

I loved that both Elise and Justin harbored crushes for each other for years, stomping down on their true feelings because Justin’s best friend is Elise’s brother. Both of them are so endearing, both individually and together. Although Justin may come off as your typical manwhore jock, his soft spot for Elise trumps it all.

Personally, I’m not usually a fan of one-night stand love stories, but this one swayed me because it had the pining and the angst before they slept together.

One night is never enough with the love of your life, as Elise and Justin very rightly realize throughout the book. It’s a sexy, fun sports romance and I 100% recommend this for all of you who want to settle down with an uncomplicated, easy read.

18. A False Start

A False Start: A Small Town Brother's Best Friend Romance (Gold Rush Ranch)

• Author – Elsie Silver
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, westerns, sports romance, sports, adult, western romance, mental health, new adult
• Content warning – Substance abuse, domestic abuse, violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 404
• Goodreads rating – 4.17
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$17.00

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I found the Gold Rush Ranch series when I was looking for a warm and cuddly small town romance, and it really did the trope justice. Think Gilmore Girls but cuter and fuzzier and with more farmland. It’s a trope you could easily mess up but Silver doesn’t make it too formulaic – I think that’s where her charm lies. This is a series of interconnected standalones so you can just pick up A False Start without much worry.

I really, REALLY loved Nadia – what a well-written FMC! Girl really knew how to learn from her past, grow, and deal with her mental health, all the while falling in love with her brother’s grumpy best friend, Griffin. Total girl crush, for real. And the fact that she first kissed him in a bar, and only saw him again two years later, on her brother’s ranch? Ugh, so perfect, that pining and dreaming about that one interaction. The two really complement each other; he’s grumpy and she’s sassy so there’s a perfect push and pull between the pair.

Like Nadia, Griffin has amazing character development too. He’s like the definition of ‘if he wanted to, he would.’ He changes for her! I mean, what more can you ask for, right? The age gap of fourteen years was an added bonus for me!

Elsie never fails to make me cry, so yes, I was bawling by the end of this book. It’s so character-centered and you get so emotionally connected to all of them. The book can get a little slow towards the end, but I’d recommend not giving up on it.

19. The Secret to Dating Your Best Friend’s Sister

The Secret to Dating Your Best Friend's Sister (The Bromance Club Book 1)

• Author – Meghan Quinn
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, humor, college, chick lit
• Content warning – Sexual assault, alcoholism
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 344
• Goodreads rating – 4.09
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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I loved, loved, loved  The Secret to Dating Your Best Friend’s Brother (the title’s a little on the nose, true)! Why? Simple reason, the MMC, Bram. My hero. The myth. The legend. He’s everything a girl could ask for, seriously. The effort this man puts into making his girl happy, showing her how much he loves her. I ask you, why would anybody settle for any less?

Julia, Julia, Julia. The FMC. I’m torn about her, to be honest. She’s highly accomplished and a freaking dating expert, but can’t figure out what she has right in front of her. Thankfully for all of us, Bram is patient, kind, and not ready to give up on his forever-crush. Together, both of them give us a quirky and warm romance – a Meghan Quinn special. After all, I only pick up an MQ book when I want to feel good.

This one’s for all of you who want to laugh while wanting to throw a book at the FMC for being so stubborn. She’s a we-love-to-hate-but-will-root-for-her kinda girl. Read it for Bram, though. Stay for Bram. Dream of Bram.

20. The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating

The Bookworm's Guide to Dating

• Author – Emma Hart
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, humor
• Content warning – Violence, pregnancy
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 362
• Goodreads rating – 3.67
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$15.24

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I’m a sucker for a good romcom so when I came across this book, I had to give it a go and it DID NOT disappoint. It’s about a close-knit group of friends so it was instantly warm and fuzzy and funny. I found myself rooting for all the characters because of how close they are with each other.

The biggest plus for me? Kinsley, our FMC, is a bookworm, owns a bookstore, and spends her time dreaming about book boyfriends (hitting really close to home there!). I really related to her character and how she struggles in the modern dating world, plus I absolutely loved the ‘I’ll teach you about dating’ trope of the book. Kinsley and Josh are the perfect friends-to-lovers and they are both the right amount of quirky and goofy. These two are sweet, but don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes are steamy.

It’s a quick and easy read; it’s got realistic characters, it’s funny, it’s romantic, need I say more? This is your perfect weekend read.

And there you have it! Those are my top 20 brother’s best friend books, and I know you’ll believe me when I say I can’t get enough of this trope. I’ve been head-over-heels with it since I started reading because of all the sneaking around and the angst it brings to the relationship. Hope you enjoy the books as much as I did and happy reading.

What to read next

If you loved these recs I’m pretty sure you’ll be up for cozy and warm love stories that heat up at just the right places. Check out my list of best hockey romance books (which I read after convincing myself sports romances can be as adorable as any other romance.)

FAQs

The post 20 Brother’s Best Friend Romance Books to Swoon Over appeared first on Bookishnerd.

I decided to put together a list of the books on seduction that I felt really helps you understand how to appeal to someone you’re interested in (or get them to be interested in you!) while also building up your confidence, your understanding of the other person’s needs, and how to be your best, genuine self when appealing to someone. 

Now, seduction books can be either fiction with seduction as a major plotline or self-help books that help the readers learn the art of seduction. In this blog, I focus on the latter, so my list of the best seduction books contains work from the self-help genre that I found to be insightful and helpful. Let’s jump right in!

Best Seduction Books List

What’s a Seduction Book?

Seduction books I’ve reviewed in this article are mostly self-help and nonfiction books that can help you learn what seduction is about. 

Though there are a ton of books written on the topic recently and there’s new research being done, seduction is not a new concept at all – in fact, the idea of seduction has existed as long as human civilization has. For example, Kama Sutra, the centuries-old Indian Sanskrit text, discusses sexuality, eroticism, and emotional fulfillment and shares practical advice on all three topics. 

In the same way, beyond the physical connection segment, seduction is about attraction, intimacy, and long-term relationships, and even leadership and personal growth. So ideally, with good seductive skills, you’ll be able to make your presence matter in any place with anyone – not just in a romantic or sexual context. 

So whether you want to approach someone you’re interested in or you want to lead a team with charisma and empathy, seduction books can help you pick up some very valuable skills and perspectives. Let’s find out how.

Best Seduction Book Review

1. Models: Attract Women Through Honesty – My Favorite

Models: Attract Women Through Honesty

• Author – Mark Manson
• Genre/Sub-genre – Self help, non fiction, relationships, psychology, personal development, social, philosophy, sexuality
• No. of pages – 246
• First publication – January, 2011
• Goodreads rating – 4.30

$12.95

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I was super intrigued when I first came across this book, because the blurb said the book will be looking at seduction as an emotional process as opposed to a logical and technical process, the latter of which is how it’s usually discussed in most books about seduction. And long story short, here I am, writing a review for ‘Models: Attract Women Through Honesty’ because it became my favorite book on the topic as soon as I read it. 

I really enjoyed the approach Manson took in this book, with his focus on men’s personal development, sharing how men can learn to let go of their insecurities (which Manson describes as usually getting in a guy’s way). Manson doesn’t just teach you how to get a girl, he also teaches you how to be comfortable and confident with dating which I think is a really valuable lesson to not just men, but anyone who’s currently dating or looking to get into it. 

I wasn’t surprised that Manson wrote such a great self-help book with sound advice that you usually don’t find elsewhere because he is, after all, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***. Those of you who have read that book likely know what I’m talking about here – he’s a no-nonsense author with a pragmatic and no-fluff kinda writing style which keeps you engaged throughout. 

Ultimately, I loved that Manson truly wrote a book where men’s struggles with anxiety and insecurities are discussed at length with recommended approaches to the solution. If you’re a guy looking for a seduction book that actually discusses the challenges you face and how to become your best self, my top recommendation for you is this book.

2. The Art of Seduction

Art of Seduction

• Author – Robert Greene
• Genre/Sub-genre – Psychology, non fiction, self help, philosophy, relationships, personal development, business, history, sexuality
• No. of pages – 466
• First publication – January, 2001
• Goodreads rating – 3.98

$25.13

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Let’s move on to one of the most controversial seduction books of all time, The Art of Seduction. When I first became interested in the topic and started looking for recs, this book was mentioned many times both in a positive and negative light. The Art of Seduction made my TBR immediately thanks to the clashing reviews (I love me some tea) but I wasn’t ready for just how much it changed my views on desire. 

One reason why I enjoyed this book so much was the explanation of the relationship between the seducer and the ‘victim’ (Greene’s words, can’t say I’m too happy about the word choice though). He highlights that there are two steps to any type of seduction – understanding one’s self and understanding the victim (or target) – so there’s no beating about the bush around the nature of the power dynamics at play in Greene’s techniques of seduction. 

Speaking of types of seduction, this book provides a great explanation on how seduction is not merely a lead up to physical intimacy – it can also be used in a plethora of ways to make your voice heard in your professional or personal life. Put this way, The Art of Seduction was really the first book that opened my eyes into how people can use you (and how you can use people, if you’re feeling particularly evil) which I think is a necessary life lesson for all of us. By the way, this insight into manipulation and power is what landed the book in hot water and got it banned from a lot of prisons in the US, so… read responsibly!

Back to the book, I also liked reading about how Greene profiled nine types of seducers (Siren, Rake, etc.) by attributing qualities to some of history’s most famous seducers like Cleopatra and John F. Kennedy. This unique insight into history, and how the ‘game’, so to speak, had been successfully played by some of the world’s biggest names made for a really interesting read. 

Greene also explains the nine shades of anti-seducers, the 18 types of seduction victims, and the 24-step seduction process, all of which provided deep insight into human psychology. In fact, this deep dive into human psychology is the aspect I enjoyed the most about the book. 

The Art of Seduction is a masterful portrayal of the psychology that goes into seduction and the book holds nothing back, for better and for worse—Greene’s writing is super blunt, but there’s a lot to learn. From history buffs to psychology enthusiasts and those looking for a complete guide on seduction, this book has something for everyone. Pick it up to broaden your knowledge of seduction and for important lessons on how the world uses seduction in a multitude of ways.

3. No More Mr. Nice Guy

No more Mr. Nice Guy!: A proven plan for getting what you want in love, sex and life

• Author – Robert A. Glover
• Genre/Sub-genre – Self help, psychology, non fiction, relationships, personal development, philosophy, social, health, productivity
• No. of pages – 208
• First publication – November, 2000
• Goodreads rating – 4.04

$58.55

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A friend told me that No More Mr. Nice Guy is a must-read when it comes to seduction books, so I jumped into it one weekend to see what all the fuss was about. And there, I found another wonderful piece on male psychology which I enjoyed learning about and dissecting. 

Glover says that ‘nice guys’ are always looking for the approval of women because of their childhood, where they were primarily raised by mothers and their teachers were almost exclusively females. For me, this was a really interesting dive into male psychology (honestly I’d never thought about the effect that a lack of male figures have on young men), and I kept reading it because Glover managed to properly define between being a pushover and a jerk, and who lies in between. 

I was also moved by the stories of men that Glover referred to throughout the book – men who have been complacent and silent about things they were unhappy about because they were afraid of abandonment by the women in their lives. Glover documents how, once they stopped playing into the ‘nice guy’ narrative, they initially faced pushback from the women in their life, but then were respected. 

I didn’t buy into the idea that being ‘nice’ can cost you respect and that respect is something that you can get if you stop being a nice person, but ultimately, this book offers an insightful outlook into the male experience, dynamics of male empowerment, and their relationship roles. Go forth, and have a thought-provoking read, folks!

4. The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists by Neil Strauss (2006-12-23)

• Author – Neil Strauss
• Genre/Sub-genre – Non fiction, psychology, relationships, self help, biography, memoir, personal development, sociology, romance, love
• No. of pages – 452
• First publication – January, 2005
• Goodreads rating – 3.73

$17.50

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I love investigative reports of real people doing absolutely unreal things so when I came across The Game, I knew I had to read it. I’m not even kidding when I say I still have trouble believing the events in the book actually happened, but they did indeed and I got a fascinating eye-opener about the art of seduction. 

Told in a narrative biographical style, this book is more a cautionary tale than a guide to seduction, but I included it in my list because this was an enlightening read. 

First, we are introduced to how Strauss discovered the society of Pickup Artists (PUAs) – men who are obsessed with “hacking” human social constructs to pick up women. PUAs use the internet to form a community and share knowledge with each other, and that’s how our author/narrator, Strauss, comes across them while working on an article. He joins these online discussion forums and goes from being an “Average Frustrated Chump” to the best PUA in a few years. 

This book reads as a lived experience of Strauss so I didn’t doubt the book’s credibility at all even though there were a lot of unbelievable stories inside it. The techniques and experiences he detailed were on the side of unhinged, but they rang true and seemed to work, which made for a really intriguing reading experience. 

This meant that I was hooked into the book, right from the beginning and through to the climax of the story, which is about ‘Project Hollywood’ – a house for PUA gurus (you need to brace yourself to read this particular bit). 

For me though, the most important takeaway from the book happened when Strauss realized he had to revert to his true self when he found his “one-itis” – an obsession with a particular person as opposed to picking up many women. It went on to show that even the best techniques could go so far as to get a partner to willingly sleep with you, but not for them to fall in love as they can see through the deception. 

That’s what made this book such a great insight into the society we live in, and why it made my list of best seduction books. I’d totally recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced biographical account on seduction and a society obsessed with sex.

5. The Way of the Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire

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The Way of the Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire (20th Anniversary Edition)

• Author – David Deida
• Genre/Sub-genre – Self help, non fiction, psychology, philosophy, relationships, personal development, spirituality, sexuality, health
• No. of pages – 207
• First publication – January, 1997
• Goodreads rating – 4.06

$12.00

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I was reluctant to get off the male psychology train I jumped on, so I went on to read The Way of the Superior Man too. I’m super glad I did, because it provided me with a unique outlook into gender, masculinity, femininity, and constructs that define our gender roles. 

One of the best things about this book for me was the description of feminine and masculine energies. Deida describes feminine energy as everything that flows while masculine energy is stillness and how they hold space for each other, similar to how the riverbanks (stillness) hold space for the river (life) to flow. This was such a beautiful interpretation of the masculine and feminine selves we embody that I had to stop reading for a bit and truly absorb what it meant.

Deida writes this book as a guide for men, and it is organized in a way which makes it very easy to follow and understand. He instructs men that to be a superior man, one must understand these masculine and feminine energies, and deal with them accordingly. 

The one issue I have about this book though is Deida’s use of some problematic language such as “your woman” and “p*ssywhipped” (come on, this is the 21st century). Despite this, the book is definitely worth your time because it provides a unique insight into how male mindset works. This, combined with his short chapters (some only two pages long), gives an easily digestible guide on male assertiveness. 

I found the lessons of male psychology really valuable in this book and if you’re interested in learning the same or if you’re looking for a quick guide on embracing your masculine/feminine energy, this book is an educational choice.

6. The Female Brain

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The Female Brain

• Author – Louann Brizendine
• Genre/Sub-genre – Non fiction, psychology, science, neuroscience, health, women’s health, self help, feminism, brain, biology
• No. of pages – 304
• First publication – January, 2006
• Goodreads rating – 3.84

$10.55

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I got multiple recommendations for this book from many girl friends. That and the glowing reviews made me immediately pick up this book which I found to be one of the most insightful writings about female psychology. Honestly, I really felt like this book helps you understand where women come from and their thinking in order to better engage with them, so that’s why this went on my list of best seduction books. 

Right off the bat, I have to say that I really enjoyed Brizendine’s accessible writing style, despite the heavily-researched content. I love authors who write about complex topics in simple terms because it means one, they have a comprehensive understanding of the subject and two, they’re truly intentional about providing that information to their readers. Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Brizendine does exactly that by converting her clinical research into an easy-to-follow book about women. 

Brizendine is thorough with the research and she uses it to take us through the emotional development and brain processes of a woman from childhood to adulthood. The goal of this is to show the world how women make decisions in everyday life, how they function in society, and the biological and evolutionary traits which define a woman’s perspective on life. This intimate look into women’s minds from a reliable source – a female researcher – would be super helpful when interacting with a woman you’re interested in, as the insights from the book allows you to be more respectful and understanding of how women think and work.  

Regardless of gender, it is one of the best (and very relatable for us girls) books you will find into the female psyche. Pick it up for yourself, your significant other, your friend, or colleague because everyone stands to gain something from this book.

7. The Desire Map – My First Seduction Book

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The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul

• Author – Danielle LaPorte
• Genre/Sub-genre – Self help, non fiction, personal development, spirituality, productivity, psychology, business, philosophy, inspirational, journaling
• No. of pages – 288
• First publication – December, 2012
• Goodreads rating – 3.91

$10.50

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Before I started down the seduction book rabbit hole, I had one burning question: how do you know what you want? Appearing desirable is about the other person’s perspective of you, so how do you determine what you desire? A friend recommended The Desire Map saying it might give me some insight, and LaPorte did a fabulous job answering the question that a lot of books in the genre left unanswered. 

Feelings are really complicated things and on some days they can feel overwhelming, which I’m sure everyone can relate to. That’s where LaPorte was really helpful – she helped me understand how to narrow down desires and feelings, and how to separate those emotional drives from goals. She doesn’t shame feelings though, in fact she advocates for us to go after our feelings because it is our feelings that determine our goals. This perspective really changed the way I work with emotion, be it mine or other people’s, allowing me to own up to what I want with clarity and confidence. 

Now, you might be thinking how this all fits in with seduction. Well, being confident about what you want is an attractive trait and because people are naturally drawn toward confident energy, they are highly likely to engage with you. I’ve always heard people say that confidence is an aphrodisiac, and after reading LaPorte’s book, I’m convinced of the fact that confidence can truly attract what you desire.  

‘What do I want?’ is a universal question, and The Desire Map sets out to answer that effectively, with nuanced depth and understanding. If you’re struggling with who you are, I totally recommend this read to you, for a better insight into yourself and consequently, into your relationship with others. Happy exploring!

8. The Rational Male

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The Rational Male

• Author – Rollo Tomassi
• Genre/Sub-genre – Psychology, self help, non fiction, relationships, philosophy, personal development, social, sexuality
• No. of pages – 300
• First publication – September, 2013
• Goodreads rating – 4.17

$16.55

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I had heard of Rollo Tomassi’s blog – therationalmale.com – because it garnered so much popularity over the years, so when I learnt that he had written a book based on this blog, I decided to give it a read. It was a compelling read into the power dynamics between men and women and the social conventions that exist in male-female relationships. 

I liked The Rational Male because it provided a unique perspective into dating in the 21st century, especially by elaborating on the PUA movement that is described in The Game (see my review above on it). Written as a set of easy-to-digest essays, Tomassi explains to men the cultural and political forces which surround the sexual marketplace. His writing is very energetic, so I was hooked on his explanations of relational equity and the changing power dynamics between men and women. I think this is especially helpful for men who want to better understand the social conventions between men and women, so they can put their best self forward when reaching out to someone they are interested in. 

One thing I wish Tomassi had included though is about how men can find fulfillment and empowerment without relationships, because The Rational Male doesn’t necessarily talk about how to combat insecurities and discover one’s true self. 

However, as a guide to seduction and dating, it definitely fulfills the purpose so I still recommend this book to those of you who are interested in the psychology behind romantic relationships, and how the modern man would typically approach dating. Whether you’re looking for a quick guide or a dive into relationship dynamics, this book is a good place to begin learning about men and women, and power dynamics between them.

9. How to Be a 3% Man, Winning the Heart of the Woman of Your Dreams

How To Be A 3% Man, Winning The Heart Of The Woman Of Your Dreams

• Author – Corey Wayne
• Genre/Sub-genre – Relationships, self help, non fiction, psychology, personal development, women, love, marriage, social
• No. of pages – 240
• First publication – February, 2006
• Goodreads rating – 4.24

$29.99

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A friend told me that How to Be a 3% Man is a statistical approach to relationships. My first response was, “Why involve math in something so complicated already?” but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to check it out. There were numbers in the book but they were the easily understandable kind that gave me a distinctive insight into relationships. 

Let’s start with why this book made it to my best seduction books list. To start off, Wayne gives you specific percentages into gauging a woman’s interest in you. This meant the book came off a little too technical for my taste, but I have to admit it really takes away that gray area of determining interest in relationships. If you feel like you’re always doubting your partner’s interest in you, Wayne’s statistic-based approach might help you gauge their interest in you and your relationship. 

I liked that Wayne continuously focused on the partner throughout the book – it’s all about trying to figure out their interest in you so you can better understand how to approach them, and if they are interested, you can put effort in becoming a better prospect for them. Wayne also points out the need to routinely romance your current relationship and to not take love – and your partner – for granted. 

The one issue I had though was with the stereotypes that Wayne went by in the book. I felt like those archetypes were limiting and if he had provided a more expansive approach to the different personalities of women, I’m sure his advice would have been all the more valuable. 

However, if you’re looking to really understand someone’s interest in you or your partner’s commitment to your relationship, this book can help you with its statistical approach to figuring out the level of interest. Go for this book if what you’re looking for is answers and reassurance about your partner’s interest.

10. The Manual: What Women Want and How to Give It to Them

The Manual: What Women Want and How to Give It to Them

• Author – W. Anton
• Genre/Sub-genre – Relationships, self help, psychology, non fiction, love, sexuality, women, philosophy, personal development, evolution
• No. of pages – 346
• First publication – December, 2010
• Goodreads rating – 4.22

$29.95

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The title of this book made me laugh because it comes from the age-old dilemma of what women want (is it that complicated?) so I decided to go for it. I’m glad I gave it a chance because I found a refreshing take on a guide to dating that deviates from the conventional norms that are usually outlined in self-help books. 

The Manual stays true to its title and provides a manual for readers on how to approach women, understand their needs, and be a better partner to them overall. It was this last aspect that I really appreciated in this book – Anton attempts to properly dissect what your female partner would want from you and how to provide her with her needs while maintaining your confidence and integrity. Anton doesn’t leave out any details in the book about the how-to – he gets into the nitty gritty of interpersonal relationships and how to approach them. 

He provides a philosophical and biological perspective into understanding the needs of your partner, which I loved. The book opens by setting out how the biological differences between men and women lead them to embrace certain behavioral biases. The biases result in a mismatch of expectations because we struggle to understand what we think we want and what we actually need, and that’s what Anton suggests we figure out so we could become a better partner. 

The only downside for me was that the book is slightly tedious because of Anton’s many repetitions throughout the book. I think he could’ve gotten to the point faster if he cut down maybe a quarter of that repetitive content. 

That said, this still doesn’t take away from the fact that this book provides a valuable guide to dating and being in a relationship with advice that you can’t usually source from other places. If you’re looking for a unique perspective on how to really understand what your partner wants, then I definitely recommend picking up this book.

11. Conversation Casanova: How to Effortlessly Start Conversations and Flirt Like a Pro

Conversation Casanova: How to Effortlessly Start Conversations and Flirt Like a Pro (How to Talk to Women)

• Authors – Dave Perrotta, David Perrotta
• Genre/Sub-genre – Relationships, self help, non fiction, psychology, personal development, women, communication, social, sexuality
• No. of pages – 190
• First publication – October, 2016
• Goodreads rating – 3.87

$14.99

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I used to have some trouble starting conversations on a wide variety of topics because after all, I spend most of my time talking about books 😅. That’s why I decided to read Conversation Casanova, because its premise promised me tips and tricks to becoming a better conversationalist. 

This book made it to this list here because I believe that it truly did what it set out to do – teach you how to start conversations, how to maintain them, and to develop an interesting, engaging personality in general. The authors’ advice is simple: approach with the right intentions and confidence, strike a deep conversation, speak with intention, and be an engaging storyteller without giving away too much information. So I’d say this book is super helpful to those who find starting conversations a daunting task, or even for those who want to converse more effectively. 

The authors didn’t rely on heavily misogynistic or stereotypical language to drive their points across (an unfortunate feature in many self-help books on seduction) and that made for an easier, more comfortable read for me overall. 

That being said though, the book doesn’t really delve deep into the women’s psyche, which meant that the advice it provided seemed a bit basic. There’s no exploration of nuances or gray areas, and I wish the authors had done that for a better understanding of being an exceptional conversationalist. 

However, if you’re struggling with taking that first step of starting a conversation with the person you are interested in or even starting conversations in general, then this book is a great place to start off with. So go on and charm them with your conversation skills! 😉

So there you have it, my list of the best books on seduction. Whether you’re looking for a partner or you’re interested in developing your personal skills, these books are a treasure trove of research, teachings from several disciplines, and practical advice bundled together. In fact, I’d say that the sum of what you learn from combining all the ideas across several of these books can give you valuable insight on the most well-rounded ways to grow your seduction skills in a healthy and positive way. These books are bound to give you a thought-provoking reading experience, so pick what interests you best and take a deep dive into the art, science, and the psychology of seduction.

What to read next

If you’ve enjoyed my list of best seduction books, then you’re bound to enjoy How to Win Friends and Influence People, a book that’ll help you climb the ladder of success in both your professional and personal life. I particularly liked this book because the author, Dale Carnegie, writes without being too pushy with his advice and also without making the book overwhelming with research.

I liked The Law of Attraction, a book that deals with the science of attracting more of what you want and less of what you don’t. I honestly thought the ‘law of attraction’ was a bit flaky at first, but reading this gave me a new perspective about how the nature of my thoughts can turn a situation positive or negative. You might want to try this one out too!

If you need more insights on self-help and inspiration, you can check out my other self-help book recommendations and reviews. Whether you’re seeking guidance, motivation, or a new perspective, you’ll find plenty of valuable resources in my curated collection of self-help books.

FAQs

The post 11 Best Seduction Books To Teach You the Art appeared first on Bookishnerd.

From these sub-genres, contemporary romance is my comfort choice, because with those stories, I get real world-adjacent settings and characters I can easily immerse myself in. One of my go-to authors for contemporary romance is Tessa Bailey.

What I love the most about her stories are her relatable characters. Most of the time, she writes about blue collar heroes and loyal heroines, making her reads super relatable. She has a knack for letting these everyday characters find love in enchanting ways, giving the rest of us a sense of hope as well. For this talent alone, I think she’s well-deserving of the contemporary romance genius accolade she’s been bestowed over the years by the romance fandom. 

She’s written everything from novellas to standalones to full series, and this list has a bit of it all. I might not have read all her books (she has a ton), but I’ve definitely read enough to compile a list for you. If you’ve been looking for a chance to make you forget your own real world problems, a Tessa Bailey book from this list might just do the trick.

Having debuted with the Line of Duty series (featuring some uniformed hotties and badass, sweet FMCs) in 2013, Tessa Bailey has since written about 70 romances to suit our every mood. From holiday romances to rom-coms and mystery-thriller romances, she has it all. 

Many of us have watched her grow over the years as a writer to become a New York Times bestselling author and then TikTok’s darling, thanks to her Gen-Z fans who find her and hype her up on BookTok. 

Entertainment Weekly has dubbed her the “Michelangelo of dirty talk” for good reason – she knows how to leave us breathless with all those steamy scenes. If you’re longing for a smutty romance, then my spice meter will definitely help. Bailey doesn’t shy away from the spice at all so the meter will give you some idea of the level of smut in each book. Hot tip: Keep your eyes peeled for 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and up!

🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

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It Happened One Summer: A Novel (Bellinger Sisters, 1)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, new adult, humor
• Content warnings – Medical emergency, recounts of a death of a spouse/parent, drowning
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 385
• First publication – July, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 3.99
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.60

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We simply cannot start this list without my (and many others’) favorite Tessa Bailey – It Happened One Summer. When this was released in 2021, the hype was so BIG that I ended up buying the book immediately and devouring it. 

The first in the Bellinger Sisters series, this has the most perfect opposites attract trope between our MCs, Piper and Brendan. I’ve gushed over Piper before and I’ll do it again because she’s one of my favorite FMCs in contemporary romance. Many expect the worst from Piper thanks to her ‘party girl’ reputation, but she’s capable of growth and not one bit hesitant to show it. I was super stoked to find out that Piper was inspired by Schitt’s Creek’s Alexis – another spoiled yet sweetheart of a character. 

And then we have the sexy, bearded sea captain Brendan, one of those people who underestimate her (🙄) but he cannot seem to stay away from her. It clearly doesn’t help that the town is so small they keep running into each other at every turn. They might not like each other but when things happen, they happen. The chemistry between these two are unmatched – it’s like they’ve been waiting all their lives to jump into bed with each other. 

I get why this is the favorite Tessa Bailey for a lot of people; it’s a delicious mix of fan-favorite tropes from grumpy/sunshine to small town romance, with endearing characters and that perfect level of spice. This book cemented her reputation in the contemporary romance hall of fame, so if you’re picking up this read, you’re doing yourself a favor.

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Hook, Line, and Sinker: A Heartfelt, Spicy Romantic Comedy about Friendship, Flirtation, and Finding True Love (Bellinger Sisters, 2)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, new adult
• Content warning – Recount of death of a parent
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 400
• First publication – March, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 3.96
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$25.99

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Since the first book in the Bellinger Sisters series was so good, I was waiting to get my hands on the second one – Hook, Line, and Sinker. I’m happy I didn’t waste any time without reading it because it was just as awesome as the first. 

This book is a perfect example of why I admire Tessa Bailey. Instead of following the same formula from book 1 for this one as well, Bailey delivered originality with refreshing characters and new tropes. 

Let’s take Hannah. She is Piper’s younger sister, but the two couldn’t be more different from each other. She’s sweet and understanding, and you can see that she has been a support system all her life. She’s the one encouraging Fox, our MMC, to grow and change. 

Fox, oh man, Fox. I love a broken man who is ready to change for the better. Their friendship is beyond beautiful and when it goes beyond a platonic connection? He worships the ground Hannah walks on, and while showing her how much he cares about her. We love that wholesomeness that comes from a good friends-to-lovers trope. 

It’s a funny, wholesome read where we are invested in both the character development of the MCs and their romantic relationship. I enjoyed it so much and I cannot recommend it enough for all my romance lovers – especially those with a soft spot for friends-to-lovers trope.

Fix Her Up: A Novel

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, chick lit, sports, sports romance, new adult
• Content warning – Abandonment, emotional parent abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 400
• First publication – June, 2019
• Goodreads rating – 3.63
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$1.99

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Here comes my first Tessa Bailey! I picked this up, book 1 of the Hot and Hammered series, after it was recommended to me so many times. I was being a bit of a snob because the title was a turnoff for me, but it turned out to be a sweet, small town romance with a touch of family drama. 

Fix Her Up follows Georgie, who is a birthday clown by profession. I absolutely loved that our FMC had such an unconventional job, more so because she was so hellbent on following her passion. We stan a queen who follows her dreams, despite her family not believing in her. 

When Georgie runs into Travis, her brother’s friend and former hotshot baseball player, she is all for helping him reform his ‘womanizer’ image. Travis needs to score a job as a family-friendly sports commentator, so some adorable fake dating takes to the floor to make sure he looks the part of a committed family man. 

Georgie, who has harbored a crush on Travis for the longest time, is pretty convinced he would never like her back, but on the other side of the aisle, my man Travis is battling his own confusing attraction toward her. It’s equal parts frustrating and endearing to watch. The steam between the pair is amazing as they tentatively explore their big feelings toward each other. 

Since Travis is Georgie’s brother’s friend, we are also served some family drama which Bailey skillfully deals with in the plot. It doesn’t take away from the romance in the plot, which is one of the things I love about Bailey – she always focuses on the love story. 

Honestly, it’s a perfect slowburn for those long weekends where you want to just stay in bed with a warm romance. It has the added benefits of an unconventional heroine, a reformed playboy, and those adorable fake dating and brother’s best friend tropes.

My Killer Vacation: A Spicy Romantic Suspense Thriller in Cape Cod

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, mystery, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, mystery thriller, thriller, romantic suspense, chick lit
• Content warning – Parental abandonment, gun violence, murder, kidnapping
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 295
• First publication – June, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 3.67
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.99

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After romance, mystery thrillers are quite possibly my favorite genre. Bring those two together, and I’m your girl, any day. When I saw that Tessa Bailey had done just that, I didn’t hesitate to indulge myself. 

I am super into older, grumpy men who are determined not to fall for the charming girl with a sunny personality, so naturally I fell for Myles immediately. He’s smart mouthed, sexy, and rides on a freaking motorcycle. Need I say more?

And when I discovered that he has a domineering streak which especially comes out in the bedroom, I was swooning. This might be a cutesy, small town romance at first glance but the smut isn’t vanilla at all, folks. 

Taylor is all sunshine and rainbows, determined not to back down in the face of Myles. Her personality might be the complete opposite of Myles’, but they fit in with each other’s quirks like peas in a pod. 

My one issue with the book is that the murder mystery aspect of it wasn’t as fleshed out as I wish it could’ve been. But at the end of the day, it’s a low stakes, high romance contemporary romance/mystery novel and I’d recommend it just for those reasons.

Window Shopping: the TikTok sensation! The perfect sexy winter romance

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, christmas, holiday, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, new adult, novella
• Content warning – N/A
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 258
• First publication – October, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 3.59
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.89

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A friend recommended Window Shopping to me while I was on the hunt for a good holiday romance last Christmas. Since Tessa Bailey almost never misses, I settled in with this book one cold night to discover it to be the coziest of reads. 

One of the most heartwarming parts of the book is Stella’s backstory – she’s an ex-convict desperately looking for a new job and a chance to prove herself. We are instantly taken to her from the first turn of the book because she’s no nonsense, hardworking, and determined to prove herself for the better. Tessa Bailey has written Stella with conviction and wit, giving us a refreshing, gray character with a growth arc.

It was heartwarming to see Aiden, our MMC, rooting for her. He’s patient, empathetic, cheerful, and 100% believes in her. He’s also a major HOTTIE. Add to that this has the forbidden romance trope because he’s her boss? This combination makes the chemistry between the pair flare up in the yummiest of ways.

They started off slow, so the sexual tension had me on the edge of my seat, but once they got going, I was left with no doubts as to why Bailey is known as the queen of dirty talk. I’d just say my eyebrows went super high up during the spicy scenes that left nothing to the imagination. 

With the scorching steam added in, this is one of the best holiday romances to read when the days start getting colder. Pick it up for all things sweet and spice, and make sure you do so during the festive season for maximum effect!

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Love Her or Lose Her: A Small-Town, Grumpy-Sunshine Rom-Com Featuring Family Secrets and Marriage Boot Camp (Hot and Hammered, 2)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, new adult, marriage
• Content warning – PTSD, death of a parent
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 336
• First publication – January, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 3.64
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.11

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I picked up Love Her or Lose Her, book 2 of the Hot and Hammered series, because it was about mending a marriage – and you know this by now, second chance romances are the way to my heart. 

Tessa Bailey did true justice to the not-so-easy affair that marriage sometimes happens to be. She captured all the complexities of marriage extremely well in Love Her or Lose Her, leaving us quite literally sobbing at how Dom and Rosie laid their hearts bare to mend their love. 

This book is very different from the usual contemporary romances we get these days as it doesn’t feature the beginning of a relationship. This book explores the messiness that comes after the happily ever after, giving us an honest outlook into married life. 

Although Dom and Rosie were high school sweethearts and love each other very much, their marriage needed work. My heart broke for both of them because Rosie is afraid to ask for more and Dom’s best efforts go unseen by Rosie. But we could see how Dom and Rosie are both not willing to give up on each other, and honestly, that kind of faith and commitment are major relationship goals. I was smiling so much at all the parts where their marriage was being rekindled. 

One thing I wasn’t a fan of was the hypermasculinity behind Dom’s character – I certainly could have done without his OTT possessive nature. Other than that, if you’re looking for a fluffy yet emotional rollercoaster of a story about marriage, then this is the book for you.

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Tools of Engagement: A Small-Town Romance Featuring Home Renovation and Sibling Rivalry (Hot and Hammered, 3)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, chick lit, new adult, humor
• Content warning – Child abandonment, self harm, substance abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 368
• First publication – September, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 3.76
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.94

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Since the first two books in the Hot and Hammered series were awesome reads, I obviously had to give the last one a shot. Bailey really hammered the last nail perfectly with this installment including an enemies to lovers trope in tow. 

Bethany is desperate to prove herself capable of flipping houses, not just handling the design aspects of home renovations. Her brother doesn’t believe in her though, so they do what siblings do the best – compete with each other to do the best flip. Bethany needs help if she’s to beat her brother for good, so she hires the unwilling (or is he?) Wes onto her team. 

I loved that sparks flew instantly between Bethany and Wes, right from their first meeting (even though the two apparently hated each other 🙄). Their forced proximity, the constant banter, and the way they get on each other’s nerves made for a juicy mix of angst and excitement. 

I really enjoyed reading about these two. Bethany is quirky, really organized, and a little insecure, while Wes is much more grounded. I do wish he wasn’t younger than Bethany; that and the fact that we got their intimacy only toward the end of the book were the things I didn’t enjoy. 

The smut we eventually got was top-notch as Tessa Bailey has done an amazing job as usual with the steamy moments. I especially liked the spicy scenes about female pleasure which Bailey had written from Wes’ POV, making for an interesting (and super hot) read. 

This book is well worth the read thanks to the instant sparks, the family drama, the smut, and the enemies-to-lovers trope. This is truly a fantastic end to one of Bailey’s best series, so don’t miss out in the slightest!

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Secretly Yours: Opposites Attract in this Spicy Rom-Com Set in a Small-Town Winery (Vine Mess, 1)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, new adult, mental health
• Content warning – Parental abandonment
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 346
• First publication – February, 2023
• Goodreads rating – 3.33
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.44

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There are some tried and tested tropes I almost never say no to, and grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorites among them. Another of my favorites happens to be when the MCs meet as kids, grow apart, and then meet again as adults only to fall in love. When I heard that one of Bailey’s newest releases, the first in A Vine Mess series, had both tropes, I spent exactly zero seconds deciding to get it. 

Julian was the MVP of this book – his character has so many layers, showing us his rigid exterior and the mellow heart. I admired how he was willing to work on his anxiety in order to show Hallie how much he liked her. 

Hallie, our FMC, is fun and quirky. She’s also very hopeful about love – she hasn’t given up on her first love despite distance, time, and him being oblivious to her. These nuances of both our MCs are beautifully brought out by Bailey’s witty writing style. 

Just as I enjoyed reading about our MCs as individuals, I enjoyed their romance too; their story was incredibly indulging to read about. I loved that they got to know each other up close and personal and I really wanted to see more of that, but not through Hallie’s anonymous letters telling Julian about how she feels. It felt a little unrealistic – I mean, why couldn’t a professor figure out that the letters in his garden could be from, well, his gardener?

All in all though, if you’re looking for a light and fun slow burn, this is the one for you. If you love the grumpy/sunshine trope and childhood crushes meeting again as adults, here’s a book that expertly weaves both into a fantastic read.

Unfortunately Yours: A Sizzling Romantic Comedy with a Vineyard Setting, Unbearable Attraction, and Hilarious Banter (Vine Mess Book 2)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, humor, new adult
• Content warning – Substance abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 384
• First publication – June, 2023
• Goodreads rating – 3.90
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.99

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BookTok told me that book 2 of the ‘A Vine Mess’ series is out in all its glory with a marriage of convenience trope, but I wasn’t fully convinced because book 1 wasn’t the greatest kick off for the series. I’m so glad I indulged though, because it turned out to be a fabulous contemporary romance.  

Right off the bat, I loved the FMC, Natalie. She’s determined to fulfill her dreams and she’s even more determined not to let heartbreak take the better of her. And when she finds August, our attentive, sweet, and loyal MMC, I’m so so happy for her. So happy and not at all jealous (I promise🫣). 

Their feelings for each other are hot and wild, and I enjoyed the chemistry so much more than that in the first installment of the series – especially the banter between the MMCs. It might be a marriage of convenience but the steam between the pair throws the contractual obligations out of the window. The smut scenes are particularly scorching, folks. 

Even if you don’t like book 1 of the series, I’d totally recommend this one. It brings everything to the table from playful banter to angsty tropes of marriage of convenience and forced proximity. Pick it up for a fun dose of classic Tessa Bailey.

Protecting What's His (A Line of Duty Book 1)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotica, adult, romantic suspense, erotic romance, new adult, suspense, BDSM
• Content warning – Violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 252
• First publication – February, 2013
• Goodreads rating – 3.82
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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This is OG Tessa Bailey, her first published book that kicks off the Line of Duty series. After I discovered Tessa Bailey through Fix Her Up, I was ready for another book, and the first ever published book of hers sounded like a good place to start – especially for some well-written smut.  

Derek, our MMC, is everything you’d imagine a hot cop to be – protective, alpha, and bossy. He’s the perfect complement to Ginger, our FMC, who has struggled all her life to protect herself and her sister. She’s practically raised herself, so when she learns to trust Derek to help her out, it’s heart-meltingly beautiful. 

As for the spicy stuff, Derek doesn’t mess around when it comes to intimacy. He makes it known right from the get go that he wants Ginger in very specific ways. The sexual energy between the pair was undeniable and the kinky, erotica side of things really did live up to my expectations – Bailey really knows how to write a good BDSM scene. 

In addition to Derek and Ginger, we’re also given a small window to Willa’s relationship. Although it usually throws me off when side characters get their storylines in romances, I loved how Will’s story was done. It didn’t take focus away from Derek and Ginger – instead, it added some extra sweetness to Derek and Ginger’s story. 

If you’re a Tessa Bailey fan and haven’t read this, you’re in for a treat. If you’re not a Tessa Bailey fan, I recommend giving this one a go if you’d like to give her a chance – you might just like her.

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Getaway Girl

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, new adult, chick lits, politics, humor
• Content warning – Abandonment
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 284
• First publication – March, 2018
• Goodreads rating – 3.88
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$6.41

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Getaway Girl was another recommendation by #BookTok when I was looking for a good contemporary romance with all the right clichés. Once I started reading it, I was surprised by how much this book served – it was the cutest, fluffiest ride. 

Ever since I watched Notting Hill, I’ve been a sucker for a good meet-cute. You know what I’m talking about – the most unexpected of meetings, the instant sparks that fly, the consequences that follow, the love that inevitably stays. Getaway Girl has a meet-cute of exactly that variety as Addison helps Elijah escape from his wedding when his bride stands him up at the altar. 

Now, I love a well-fleshed out FMC, and Addison’s character truly is one of my favorite parts of this book. Her backstory is A+ as the story starts with her having just moved back to her hometown after being estranged from her family (to whom she was born out of wedlock) for nearly six years. She’s determined not to let the haters get her down, which I found so impressive. 

Elijah, our MMC, has his own struggles as a politician who has to maintain the perfect, diplomatic persona; this is a bit difficult for him as he literally wears his heart on his sleeve. Although our two MCs seem to have little in common, the story follows them as they find a home in each other. 

They start off as friends and we see them teasing and being their true selves the more they get comfortable around each other, so when the sparks fly, they fly like it’s the fourth of July. Special mention to Addison, who doesn’t shy away from the dirty talk! 🥵 I love when the characters stay true to their personalities both inside and outside the bedroom. 

I wouldn’t say no to this Tessa Bailey any day as it truly fulfilled my desire for a heartwarming romance with a good plot. It’s got all the things you’d need from a contemporary romance: endearing MCs, a wholesome (and dramatic!) meet-cute, a storyline that shows us how they fall in love, and lots of fluffy smut.

Chase Me: A Spicy Rom-Com of Love, Humor, and Chasing Dreams in New York City (Broke and Beautiful Book 1)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary romance, contemporary, chick lit, humor, adult, erotica
• Content warning – Sexual harassment
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 272
• First publication – March, 2015
• Goodreads rating – 3.52
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$14.99

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I had heard mixed reviews about Chase Me from the book community and since I wanted the tea first hand, I decided to have a go at it myself. Was it Tessa Bailey’s best work? No. Was it funny, light hearted, and cute? Absolutely. Settle in for a contemporary romance set in the Big Apple about a struggling actress and a charming lawyer.  

Our MCs, Roxy and Louis, meet in the most hilarious of ways when she is hired to sing an ode to his penis (New York, am I right?). Louis is smitten from the first sight and as their relationship grows, we see him being sexy, charming, and always willing to help Roxy. We also get to know that he doesn’t particularly like his job and wants to do more pro bono work instead. He’s the sweetest man that it’s absolutely impossible not to like him so when I say he’s a freaking 10/10, I mean it. 

Roxy is just a girl trying to make it in the big city while staying true to her dreams – her perseverance was really admirable. I think both Louis and Roxy’s go-getter attitudes complemented each other perfectly, plus their banter was hilarious and the sexual tension was yummy. 

The story was a little predictable at times and the drama seemed slightly repetitive, which did throw me off a bit. It also ends very abruptly with some unanswered questions about the MCs’ careers, which played a big role in the plotline in the first half of the book. 

I felt like I’d been robbed of a resolution because of that, but I’d still recommend this book as a read-worthy Tessa Bailey because it packs her classic, light-hearted and sexy storylines and the witty and fun writing style.

Too Hot to Handle (Romancing the Clarksons Book 1)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, adult, chick lit, erotica, road trip
• Content warnings – Anxiety attacks, death of a parent, arson, physical assault
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 336
• First publication – May, 2017
• Goodreads rating – 3.36
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.99

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I’m a fan of Tessa Bailey’s signature dirty talk so when I saw the title of this book, my imagination ran wild. So here we are, after I read the book so fast you’d think the rent was due.

My imagination did not do justice to the dirty talking and the smutty scenes. They had the perfect balance of sexual tension, angst, and spice. This romance is steamy, folks! And why shouldn’t it be when it involves a hot, small town, reformed playboy who rides up on his motorcycle? While I love a man who changes for his love interest, I adored Jasper, our MMC, because he’s tried to reform himself before Rita, our FMC, comes into the picture. 

Kudos to Tessa Bailey for dealing very sensitively with the issue of male insecurities – in this case, with Jasper’s insecurity about being used for his good looks. His character is definitely an insightful look into men’s vulnerabilities in society. 

Jasper is head over heels for Rita from the get-go, so he’s determined to make her a permanent part of his life. Rita, however, comes with her own baggage as someone who’s struggling with the death of a parent and a failing career. I love that Bailey brought out these nuances very effectively while showing how the love between the pair developed in the span of three days. I’d figure the insta-love was a bit unrealistic, but the story flowed so well that I didn’t feel it was too rushed.

The family trope in the book was so beautiful. I really enjoyed following the dynamics between Rita and her siblings and how they re-evaluate their strained relationships. The other two books in the series are about her siblings, and I’d surely be getting to them sooner than later. 

Too Hot to Handle is an insta-love romance with that right mix of family drama, perfect for a cozy read. The fact that it’s set during a road trip? All the more fun. Be sure not to miss this Tessa Bailey!

Officer Off Limits (A Line of Duty Book 3)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, erotica, erotic romance, romantic suspense, suspense, humor, chick lit
• Content warnings – Gun violence, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 250
• First publication – June, 2013
• Goodreads rating – 3.99
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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I loved the first book in the Line of Duty installment so I went looking for the second and third too. This third one – Officer off Limits – remains my favorite from this series. 

Okay, I’ll admit I’m biased towards this book because of Daniel Chase, the expert hostage negotiator with a troubled past. He might be laidback and always up for a good time, but he knows where his responsibilities lie, making him one of the most caring characters I’ve encountered. And his skills in bed? Unmatched. He’s all about showing his partner a good time😉.

This romance is made all the better because it’s a forbidden one. Story, our FMC, is the daughter of Daniel’s mentor. The longing for each other is evident from their first meeting, even though they couldn’t be more different from each other. 

On the note of Story, let’s start with her name. I adore that Bailey picked such a simple but endearing name here – might not be to everyone’s taste, but I for one am 100% on board. Next, as a character, I really enjoyed Story. Fresh off of a breakup, Story doesn’t shy away from her vulnerabilities, instead choosing to face them headstrong. We stan. 

The sparks between the pair are smoking and blazing hot! The story takes place over a week or so, and the characters instantly get down to the deed while falling in love with each other.The emotional and sexual connection between the pair may have been quick but Bailey relays it really well to us, quickly taking us on board this rollercoaster ride too. So as far as quick burns go, this one is perfectly nuanced. 

You can’t go wrong with Line of Duty because, come on, hot cops! If you’re in the mood for a quick burn featuring some steamy smut and two adorable MCs, this is the perfect Tessa Bailey for you.

Asking for Trouble (A Line of Duty Book 4)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, erotica, adult, erotic romance, humor, romantic suspense, chick lit
• Content warning – Substance abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 250
• First publication – November, 2013
• Goodreads rating – 4.06
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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And we are back with another from the Line of Duty series! Tessa Bailey has truly opened a new aspect of my personality where I’m into really really hot law enforcement officers. 

Look, I cannot say no to a delicious enemies-to-lovers trope. I love the hate-at-first-sight, the frustrations, the dismissals, the earth-ending arguments, which all ultimately culminate into mind blowing sex and then, gently, falling in love. Asking for Trouble features exactly that between Brent and Hayden who can’t stand each other but are unfortunately forced to spend a lot of time together thanks to their respective best friends being in love. 

Brent is the epitome of a classic Tessa Bailey MMC – hardworking, loyal, and a family man. He’s goofy but not afraid to bring the steam to sheets (with some signature Bailey dirty talk, of course). He has no time for Hayden, the rich family heiress (or so he says 💁🏻‍♀️). 

I really loved the duality of Hayden’s character. She’s sassy, outgoing, and fiercely loyal but she also can be snobbish and rude. It was as expected from a character from a rich background and I have zero complaints about that – in fact, I’m pretty impressed by how Bailey portrayed Hayden. Hayden comes off as stuck up at first glance, but we see the enormous pressure she is under to maintain the status quo of her family, along with a complicated relationship with her mother. 

I did feel like there was a lot of unnecessary time spent in the book hashing out the misunderstandings between the pair. This didn’t take away from the chemistry between our two MCs though, both of whom have truly won my heart. It really is a wholesome addition to the Line of Duty, featuring some kinky smut and the cutest enemies-to-lovers trope.

Staking His Claim (A Line of Duty Book 5)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, erotica, adult, erotic romance, humor, romantic suspense, chick lit
• Content warning – Sexual violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 176
• First publication – February, 2014
• Goodreads rating – 3.98
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

Buy on Amazon

Look, I won’t say no to Line of Duty, okay? That’s why I read this book and I’m so glad I did because each cop just keeps getting hotter. 

This time, Tessa Bailey is treating us to a sniper, Matt, tasked with transporting his best friend’s sister home from college. Oh yes, the brother’s best friend/forbidden romance trope, except our FMC, Lucy, isn’t going to waste time waiting for anyone’s approval. She straight up lies to Matt about her identity and tries to seduce him. I was actually laughing out loud – Lucy is hilarious, knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to try every trick in the book to get it. I love an FMC who veers from the conventional track. 

And now onto Matt. He’s dark, he’s emo, and he’s broody. I love the strong and silent type and my heart just melted for Matt, especially when he learns of Lucy’s deception and has to deal with memories of betrayal from his past. After the initial misunderstanding though, we see Lucy try incredibly hard to give Matt everything he wants. Her lively spirit is the perfect match to his seriousness. 

Now, can we also take a moment to appreciate the smut in this book? Matt is dominant and this really comes out during the steamy scenes. I haven’t given this the highest spice rating for no reason, folks. 

This book is great for that perfect quick weekend read when you want to forget the rest of the world, so if you’d like a quick burn Tessa Bailey book with opposites-attract romance, then this is the one for you.

Unfixable

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, new adult, sports, erotica, sports romance, adult, Ireland
• Content warning – Abandonment, dementia, death of a parent
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 260
• First publication – April, 2014
• Goodreads rating – 3.94
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

Buy on Amazon

This is a spin-off from the Line of Duty series so if you’ve read Protecting What’s His, you’ve already met our FMC, Willa. I really liked her character as Ginger’s sister, so I decided to give this one a go. 

First off, my love for Willa grew tenfold in this one. She appears to be tough and uncaring, but she opens her heart wide to those who are closest to her. She’s put a lot of guards up as she heads off to Ireland to heal her broken heart, but it was endearing how her heart softened for Shane, his mom, and his sister. 

Speaking of Shane, he was truly a fresh face for me because this was the first time I read about a Formula One racer MMC. The guy has had to step away from racing for a while though; he has to care for his sick mom and the headstrong sister.

The forced (is it forced if she reserved a room?) proximity and I-don’t-want-love-trouble attitude of both MCs made for a simmering setup ripe for a lot of steam. In true Tessa Bailey style, Shane and Willa give into no-strings-attached lust, treating us readers with a lot of smut. They soon fall in love as expected, but the predictability of it doesn’t take away from the enjoyability of the book. 

This is a wildly sexy and witty book with the Ireland setting giving us some major holiday vibes. So if you’re looking for an easy (and smutty) romance to escape from reality for a little while, Unfixable might be just the fix.

His Risk to Take (A Line of Duty Book 2)

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, erotica, romantic suspense, adult, erotic romance, novella, suspense, new adult
• Content warning – Gun violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 184
• First publication – May, 2013
• Goodreads rating – 3.80
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$0.99

Buy on Amazon

This is the second book of the Line of Duty series so as you’d expect, we have a uniformed hero, and a rebellious girl who may or may not have a criminal past. 

For starters, I thought Troy was a replica of Derek from Protecting What’s His. Still super hot and attractive (we like a man in uniform, don’t we?), but a bit recycled nonetheless. The FMC, however, took the cake this time. Ruby is strong willed, stubborn, sassy, and she’s everything you want in a rebellious FMC. Her shadowy past and her desire to change things for the better added flavor to her character too, so I definitely enjoyed reading about her. 

They are both stubborn as hell and took their sweet time falling in love, but we don’t have to wait too long for the smut. As expected from a Tessa Bailey MMC, Troy is great at dirty talk, and Ruby matches that with her passion in the bedroom. 

I loved seeing how Troy let go of his demons little by little, but I wish the criminal side-plot was more fleshed out. We get to see his protective, possessive side as Ruby turns out to be in danger, but that’s where the side-plot ends. 

The other issue for me is the dirty talk. When I first read this book, I didn’t mind it so much, but now, reviewing it after a few years of reading Bailey books, I feel like maybe it should be toned down a bit. 

My complaints notwithstanding, this book is a trip down the Bailey lane if you haven’t read her early work. You’ll have a chance to see how her sass and smut came out in the first books in a delicious cop romance, so give this one a try!

Happenstance

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, reverse harem, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, fiction, erotica, new adult, polygamy, menage
• Content warning – Kidnapping, gun violence
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 321
• First publication – November, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 3.36
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

Buy on Amazon

This book had such an innocent cover that I actually gasped when I read the blurb. A reverse harem romance? From Tessa Bailey? Yes, please. 

So we have Elise getting stuck in a cable car with the three guys, Tobias (British porn star), Gabe (cinnamon roll of a construction worker), and Banks (the quiet and intense former rugby star). And then we have all of them becoming obsessed with her within the span of the time they spend waiting for rescue. It’s a bit insta-love but hey, it’s called ‘Happenstance’ for a reason. 

The love story kicks off immediately, and as opposed to the super intense romance that’s common in the reverse harem genre, Elise’s story is cute, full of witty banter and laugh-out-loud humor. This is not to say spice is lacking – it’s actually the complete opposite🔥. There are one-to-one steamy scenes as well, but for the most part, we have the four of them together with smut so hot it could set the pages on fire. 

I loved the growth of their relationship as well as their character arcs too. Tobias learns to let his guard down, Gabe learns to be more confident and forthcoming, Banks learns to let go of his uptightness, and Elise starts longing for a future with all of them. 

Happenstance is a sweet, funny book with adorable characters with Bailey’s signature dirty talk cranking up the heat, so if you’re a Tessa Bailey fan and you like reverse harem romances, definitely give this one a go.

Follow

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary romance, contemporary, erotica, adult, erotic romance, new adult, crime
• Content warnings – Animal death, confinement
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 262
• First publication – October, 2017
• Goodreads rating – 3.95
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$3.99

Buy on Amazon

The blurb said road trip and a dog so I bought the book without so much as a blink (don’t worry, South Paw doesn’t die). The book definitely delivered on the road trip, dog, and even more, because our MCs had chemistry sizzling enough to set them on fire. 

Will Caruso, our leading man, won my heart before I even opened the book, because running away from home and taking his dying dog on a road trip? Adorable. He was also super hot and an excellent dirty talker, so I see how our FMC, Teresa couldn’t resist him. 

When she shows up at Will’s motel to con (seduce) him and take him home back home, she doesn’t expect him to be so charming and bold, and neither does she expect to fall for him. But her brother’s life depends on whether or not she cons Will, so for her, the stakes are high. 

That doesn’t stop the romance from heating up though – my man Will is a goner from the moment he meets Teresa. The insta-love is a bit of a stretch for me, but it kinda made sense in the road trip setting. 

The book had the trademark sass and steam from Tessa Bailey, who delivered a whole lot of romance and delicious smut. I was also super impressed to learn this was her first self-published book. You go girl!

Pick this up if you want a cute and hot love story set in the backdrop of a road trip with mob-level stakes and a sweetheart of a dog.

And there you have it – that’s my list of best Tessa Bailey books. Whenever I’m feeling down, in a reading slump, or looking to satisfy my craving for a rollercoaster of emotions and smut, she’s my go-to author. If you haven’t checked out her work yet, my list won’t fail you!

It Happened One Summer is arguably Bailey’s most famous book, featuring the most heart-warming opposites attract trope. This is the first book of the Bellinger Sisters series, one of the most popular series by Tessa Bailey. 

My Killer Vacation also makes the list because it’s a unique mystery thriller-romance combo. Ever since we fangirled over Nancy Drew and Ned Nickerson solving mysteries together and falling in love, couples who catch murderers together have been a very popular trope.

Window Shopping is another big one. Many holiday romance fans rave about it and for good reason – it’s a standalone spicy romance set in Christmas that makes for a good ol’ festive read.

If you’ve enjoyed my favorite Tessa Bailey reads, check out my list of brother’s best friend books for similar fluffy and cutesy romances with a dash of angst thrown in!

The post 20 Best Tessa Bailey Books to Find Your Happily Ever After appeared first on Bookishnerd.

I now read not only smut-heavy books, but also different types of smut – I mean, why deny myself some sexy reading with different flavors, right?

So here’s the list of best smut books that I’ve read recently and set me on (metaphorical) fire in the process.

Basically, ‘smut’ in booklore refers to explicit sexual content, whether it’s making out, making love, and you know, further. 

So any book that contains explicit sex scenes and sexual language can be called a smut book, but the level of smut and the type of smut you like to read depends entirely on your preferences.

If you’re into reading smut as much as I am, you’re in luck because authors come up with so many flavors of smut: fantasy, paranormal, mafia, kinks, taboo, and so much more. They come in so many swoon-worthy tropes like alphahole, grumpy sunshine, biker romance, and forced proximity (I could go on) that there really is something for everyone. For example, if you want a fae enemies-to-lovers smut book, there’s probably one out there (Try the ACOTAR series starting from ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’!😉).

So without further ado, let’s get your cheeks blushing and your pulse racing. Heads up before we start: your smut preferences might vary, but my spicy meter will give you some idea of the level of smut in each book.

🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

These books are best for mature audiences of 18+ years, especially the ones above 🌶️🌶️🌶️. I’ve added content warnings for each book as well, so I hope it will be easy for you to decide whether to read it or not.

The Love Hypothesis

• Author – Ali Hazelwood
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, fiction, contemporary romance, adult, audiobook, chick lit, new adult, love, adult fiction
• Content warnings – Cancer, loss of a parent, fear of needles, sexual harassment, abuse of power, bullying
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 383
• First publication – September, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 4.18
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$12.99

Buy on Amazon

Oh my stars, can I just gush about The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood for a moment? 

So we have Olive, a grad student determined to prove her scientific theories right, and Adam, a hotshot professor with a hidden soft side. Olive’s clumsiness and social awkwardness made her so endearing that I couldn’t help but root for her from the very beginning. And Adam – what a heartthrob! He’s not just a looker and a brainiac; he’s got a heart of gold buried beneath that professorial facade.

The dynamic between Olive and Adam is electric, and their banter is on point! I swear, their witty exchanges had me grinning throughout the book. The slow burn romance is a masterclass in tension-building, and Ali Hazelwood certainly knows how to keep you turning those pages. Chapters 16-18 will especially have you fanning yourself by how hot and heavy it gets on the smut side of things. 

What sets The Love Hypothesis apart is how it seamlessly blends humor, heart, and science into a love story that’s as sweet as a perfectly baked batch of chocolate chip cookies (or a precise scientific experiment, take your pick). Ali Hazelwood’s writing is witty, clever, and so darn addictive that you won’t be able to put the book down.

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Fifty Shades Of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey Series, 1)

• Author – E.L. James
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fiction, erotica, adult, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotic romance, chick lit, adult fiction
• Content warning – Statutory rape recounted, workplace sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, coercive control
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 356
• First publication – May, 2011
• Goodreads rating – 3.66
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$12.06

Buy on Amazon

It’s time for the phenomenon that made all of us closet-smut readers erupt in joy! With a whole lot of tension, intimacy, and sensitive topics, the Fifty Shades series brought smut into the mainstream, and I have to thank E. L. James for that. Let’s see how she did so, starting with the first book, Fifty Shades of Grey.  

Meet Anastasia Steele. She’s the quintessential heroine – a bit clumsy, a whole lot of witty, and she’s never met a self-help book she didn’t like. I sometimes felt like she was too innocent for our MMC, but I think her fierce curiosity made her a good match for him. 

Now, onto the man of the hour, Mr. Christian Grey. He’s not your typical Prince Charming; he’s a billionaire with a penchant for control and a hidden, mysterious past. He was a complex character that I loved to hate and hated to love. 

And oh boy – the smut. Fifty Shades of Grey has more sizzle than a summer barbecue! E. L. James knows how to crank up the heat, and these moments had me blushing like a teenager caught with a forbidden love letter. The book is known for its steamy and BDSM elements, so be prepared. But it’s not all about the smut! Intrigue, drama, and a dash of humor kept the pages turning for me faster than Christian says, “Laters, baby”.

So, grab your favorite guilty pleasure snack, a cozy blanket, and get ready to be swept away into a world of passion, desire, and a whole lot of gray.

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Fifty Shades Darker

• Author – E.L. James
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fiction, erotica, adult, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotic romance, chick lit, adult fiction
• Content warning – Statutory rape recounted, workplace sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, coercive control
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 532
• First publication – September, 2011
• Goodreads rating – 3.83
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.59

Buy on Amazon

Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering, “Is this book as steamy as the first one?” Well, let’s just say Fifty Shades Darker is ‘darker’ for a reason! Ana and Christian’s chemistry is off the charts, and their intimate moments are enough to make you reach for a cold drink! Trust me, Ana and Christian left no surface, position, or place unexplored. 

But there’s more to this story than just steamy scenes. We delve deeper into Christian Grey’s character, uncovering his dark past and vulnerabilities as his relationship with Ana evolves. Speaking of Ana, she’s no longer just the wide-eyed girl we meet in Book 1. In Fifty Shades Darker, she’s a force to be reckoned with, and her character growth is captivating. 

And the drama? Oh boy, this book is an emotional rollercoaster! You’ll laugh, swoon, gasp, and maybe even shed a tear or two. In a nutshell, Fifty Shades Darker is a tantalizing sequel that elevates the romance; there are surprises, twists, and bouts of suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat. So don’t miss out on this stunning sequel!

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Fifty Shades Freed (Movie Tie-In Edition): Book Three of the Fifty Shades Trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey Series, 3)

• Author – E.L. James
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fiction, erotica, adult, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotic romance, chick lit, adult fiction
• Content warning – Statutory rape recounted, workplace sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, coercive control
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 579
• First publication – April, 2012
• Goodreads rating – 3.84
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$11.29

Buy on Amazon

Hold onto your blankets, fellow book lovers, because we’ve reached the grand finale of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” series, and let me tell you, it’s a ride you won’t want to miss.

So, we meet our leading lady, Anastasia Steele, now Mrs. Anastasia Grey, and can I just say, she’s owning it – her charm, wit, and charisma shine brighter than ever. And Christian Grey? Well, he’s as irresistibly enigmatic as ever, but there’s a pleasant (and sometimes tumultuous) twist – he’s actually making strides to come to terms with his traumatic past.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff – those steamy scenes we all secretly (or not-so-secretly) adore. The heat factor? Off the charts, as expected from the mastermind E.L. James. In this final installment, she turns up the heat with a finesse that’ll leave you breathless. But it’s not just about the physical; it’s about the emotional intimacy that blooms as Ana and Christian navigate the maze of married life.

If you’ve been on this mesmerizing journey with Ana and Christian from the start, Fifty Shades Freed is the satisfying conclusion you’ve been waiting for. So grab the book, a cold beverage, and sizzle your way through the grand finale of the Fifty Shades world.

Bared to You (Crossfire)

• Author – Sylvia Day
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fiction, erotica, adult, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotic romance, chick lit, new adult
• Content warning – Rape, sexual assault, toxic relationship, alcohol, and drug use
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 337
• First publication – April, 2012
• Goodreads rating – 4.15
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$53.33

Buy on Amazon

This is the first book in the Crossfire series, where we get to know Gideon, the billionaire business mogul with a jealous streak and hots for Eva, who just started her first job at an ad agency. These two meet because of work, sparks fly, and bam, their story begins. 

Their sexual attraction is mutual and palpable from the start, so expect a LOT of explicitly smutty scenes. Gideon and Eva connect physically at first, but boy, when they get to know each other and realize they want more, they lay down all their vulnerabilities and demons of the past to be in each others’ lives. Honestly, when Sylvia Day said ‘Bared to You,’ she really meant it. 

We get to see a lot of Eva’s struggles in the first book, and let me tell you, my heart broke for her. The physical connection between the two is all the more significant, because we see the intensity of their emotions come out in heady, passionate ways. 

They make mistakes too, and I loved how they were open and honest about them, and worked through them because their love for each other was stronger than their problems. The book is very smutty and full of feelings, so if that’s your jam, give the Crossfire series a try. The series gets steamier as we go, so I promise you a lot of sexy times ahead!

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The Fine Print Special Edition (Dreamland Billionaires, 1)

• Author – Lauren Asher
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, fiction, adult, new adult, audiobook, chick lit
• Content warning – Suicidal ideation, death of a parent, domestic abuse, alcoholism, cancer
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 448
• First publication – July, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 3.90
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.41

Buy on Amazon

If you ever catch me saying no to a billionaire bad boy trope, be alarmed, because something is wrong with me. But right now, no alarm is necessary because when I heard The Dreamland Billionaires series follows three billionaire brothers, I grabbed the first book, The Fine Print, and read it in one sitting.

I was a bit skeptical in the first chapter because a smut book which centers around a theme park? Uhm, doesn’t really go, does it? I had to eat my words soon after though, because the romance between Rowan and Zahra took off with an awesome meet-cute. 

Rowan’s the dreamy, rich boss – harsh and used to getting his own way. Enter Zahra, smiling, cheerful, and full of new ideas to change the theme park she works for, Dreamland. Instead of getting fired when Zahra drunkenly submits a proposal criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride, she gets offered a dream promotion and inadvertently ends up finding the love of her life too. Talk about getting lucky, right?

Rowan is the perfect example of a man who knows what he wants. He might be a heartless boss, but when he falls hard, he clearly goes all out. From taking care of Zahra when she’s sick to FLYING her all the way to New York to meet her favorite author, he’s the poster boy for, ‘if he wants to, he will’. 

Honestly, why wouldn’t he go the length for Zahra? She’s smart, she teaches him about life and business, and she’s the sweetest. Girl deserves this doting affection from Rowan. And my god, the smut between these two is full of longing and angst. I couldn’t tear myself away from those pages. I am 100% going to read the next two books in the series about Rowan’s brothers and am 100% recommending this smutty and quirky romance to you!

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Punk 57

• Author – Penelope Douglas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, young adult, high school, fiction, adult, dark, music
• Content warning – Cheating, depression, drug abuse, death of a sibling, bullying, rape
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 343
• First publication – October, 2016
• Goodreads rating – 3.79
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.99

Buy on Amazon

Booktok pointed me in Punk 57’s direction, and I followed it to the letter. Honestly though, while I did pick up this book because of the premise, I definitely stayed for the angst and the smut. 

Misha, our MMC, and Ryen, our FMC, become pen pals thanks to some confusion with their names, and they become each other’s support system over the years. They agree not to share pictures or to meet up until a chance encounter leads Misha to figure out who Ryen is – and in a turn I didn’t expect, he hates her. 

I don’t like her a lot either, but what truly shined through for Ryen was how a stereotypically ‘bitchy’ character was given a lot of depth and a growth arc. What had me mad was actually Misha, who ended up hiding his identity for the longest time. Halfway into the book, I was practically screaming at him saying ‘You two are made for each other, just open up!’ Needless to say, there was a lot of angst.

Punk 57 is not my first Penelope Douglas, but it’s my first time reading a new adult from her. I was pretty stoked to find out how she wrote her steamy scenes in a new adult book, and I’ll just say it had all the tension of hate-to-lust and the abundant excitement of exploring each other. 

So if you want a smutty and angsty read full of the sexual novelty of the new adult genre, Punk 57 is an awesome pick. You’ll see how Douglas does her thing, creating tension out of thin air and making lovers out of friends-turned-strangers.

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Twisted Hate (Twisted, 3)

• Author – Ana Huang
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, fiction, adult, audiobook, dark, love, doctors
• Content warning – Abusive parents, blackmail, death of a parent, death of a minor (small scene), mildly dubious consent (one scene), sexual harassment, stalking
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 522
• First publication – January, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 4.05
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.89

Buy on Amazon

Ana Huang is known for dark erotica – I can confirm this because she did a fantastic job with the first two books in the Twisted series. Naturally, I was hella excited to start Twisted Hate, and I loved it from the get go because it was a spicy, banterful, and rollercoaster romance.  

When it comes to our MCs, Josh is the perfect douchebag. I was excited to read a bad boy/good girl pairing, but Jules? She turned out to be the baddest of ladies out there. So what we got instead was a bad boy/bad girl combos that was somehow even hotter. 

Jules is an outgoing, spicy FMC. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it; Josh doesn’t know what to do with her sometimes, which was truly delightful to watch.  

And I know doctors are usually associated with the ‘good boy’ image so when I realized Dr. Josh Chen was a certified bad boy, I was ready to get a consultation with the man himself. He’s that man you want to knock some good sense into while simultaneously jumping into bed with. 

This is smut with a capital S. They start off as enemies with benefits so we get a lot of hate-sex scenes – meaning I couldn’t put the book down. They perfectly take care of each other’s needs even though they can’t stand to be in the same room with each other. There’s no nonsense between the pair; they’re just ready to get down to the dirty business. 

Whether you’re a Twisted series lover or not, Twisted Hate is that dirty, smutty romance you are looking for. Expect a lot of searing burns because our hate-to-lust trope is in full swing!

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Birthday Girl

• Author – Penelope Douglas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, fiction, adult, audiobook, erotica, college, young adult
• Content warning – Abandonment, physical abuse, underage drinking, death of a friend, cheating
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 349
• First publication – April, 2018
• Goodreads rating – 3.96
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.03

Buy on Amazon

Age-gap romances are not my thing, so the only reason I picked up Birthday Girl is because I was so incredulous at the blurb that I wanted to find out how Penelope Douglas made it work. I’m happy to report back that she did, in fact, make it work. 

The book finds us, and our FMC Jordan, a little resigned at her deadbeat boyfriend Cole. He manages to trash their place while she’s away, and the pair has to move to Cole’s dad’s place. And so Jordan meets Pike for the second time, the first being a run-in at a movie where they had a momentary connection. 

Pike, Jordan, and Cole fall into domestic habits (Cole by not being there🤷🏻‍♀️) and I was surprised by how much I loved seeing Jordan making a home for herself, and Pike giving her the space she needs. Only, they can’t keep skirting around each other too much, because they both have this magnetic attraction toward each other and neither of them can resist the pull. 

Once they threw caution to the wind though, the smut took to the floor and my jaw dropped. It was, in all senses of the word, sexy. There was a lot of dirty talk, dirty thoughts, and sexy times but I was all for it because the way the dynamics changed between the MCs was realistic and sensual. 

I may not be an age-gap romance convert yet, but I’m fully onboard with Birthday Girl because Penelope Douglas handled this story with such grace and respect (also with a lot of smut, don’t forget that). So pick it up for a steamy, yet endearing read with a cutesy epilogue to end with a flourish.

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Corrupt (Devil's Night)

• Author – Penelope Douglas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, contemporary, contemporary romance, fiction, adult, erotica, college, suspense
• Content warning – Abduction, rape, attempted rape, dubious consent, violence, child abuse, murder, drug use, drug addiction, animal cruelty, death
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 516
• First publication – November, 2015
• Goodreads rating – 3.81
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$12.74

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With Corrupt, I didn’t know what I would be getting myself into. Well, the title itself should have been a warning, but hey, this is Penelope Douglas; I expected a lot of smut, angst, and possibly a forbidden romance. What I got was all of that plus suspense, kink, and a really dark romance.

Rika, our FMC, wants a fresh start away from everything and everyone she knows. She settles in a new city, and who does she run into? Michael, our MMC. He happens to be the epitome of a bad boy/her ex’s brother/the guy she has been fervently crushing on while she was dating her ex. Yikes. 

Unbeknownst to her, Michael is delighted (and I mean that in the most wicked way possible) she’s in his city because he and his friends have some scores to settle with her. Like exacting revenge for putting his friends in jail. 

While the revenge plan is in motion, Michael can’t deny the white-hot attraction he feels for Rika, and though Rika doesn’t quite know what these men are up to, she’s not giving in without a fight. What ensues is a lot of tension and desire and angst culminating in many steamy scenes (heads up, there’s a threesome too!), and I confirm, none of them are sweet and endearing. Instead, they are all burning hot, degrading, and intensely physical. 

So if you are up for a dark romance that follows a tumultuous relationship between two morally gray MCs with mystery and suspense driving the plot, Corrupt is your book. Remember to check all the content warnings before you dive in, because this story is not for the faint of heart.

Neon Gods: A Scorchingly Hot Modern Retelling of Hades and Persephone (Dark Olympus Book 1)

• Author – Katee Robert
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, mythology, retelling, Greek mythology, fantasy romance, audiobook, contemporary, fiction, adult
• Content warning – Abuse, parental death (historical, off-page), assault/attempted assault, guns, blood
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 380
• First publication – June, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 3.72
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.27

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I’m a sucker for Greek retellings and when I came across a Greek retelling with dark romance vibes? Sold. I immediately got the book and dedicated my weekend to reading it. 

Neon Gods was a sexy, modern, and refreshing take on the Hades/Persephone story, with Zeus as the bad guy (he kinda always was, though). We start off with Persopone’s mother setting her up to marry Zeus AKA Bluebird, but Persephone runs away and crosses the forbidden river into the underworld (not literally!). She meets the mysterious Hades, a man so elusive that the entire Olympus AKA upper city thought he was dead or a myth. 

Our girl doesn’t want to go back, and Hades has some revenge business to take care of, so they strike a deal; Persephone will live with Hades for three months and sleep with him so Zeus wouldn’t want to touch ‘damaged goods,’ and Hades gets to exact revenge from the man who killed his parents. 

The plot might be a bit dark, but that doesn’t take away their magnetic chemistry at all. There’s a little bit of insta-love, which I’m not a fan of, but it adds a lot of fuel to the steamy scenes. Hades reminded me of Christian from the Fifty Shades fame in all the good ways, and trust me, you’re in for a kinky, hot-as-hell ride with Neon Gods. 

Try this book for a fascinating read set in ultra-urban Olympus with Hades and Persophone setting the underworld on fire. Metaphorically, of course.

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Praise (Salacious Players' Club, 1)

• Author – Sara Cate
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotica, adult, fiction, new adult, erotic romance, audiobook
• Content warning – Transmisia, cheating recounted, alcohol consumption, blackmail, abandonment, transphobia
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 341
• First publication – March, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 4.11
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.47

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I stumbled on this book on a list of erotica on Goodreads and decided on a whim to give it a try. I read a few pages without commitment and then raced through the book because man, this book is HOT. 

The plot has Birthday Girl vibes – like age-gap, ex boyfriend’s dad, and broken FMC – so I was kind of expecting a repeat. But that’s where the similarities ended, because Praise went on a steamy tangent that had dom/sub dynamics, boss/employee relationship, and of course, the praise kink.

When Charlie, our FMC, meets Emerson Grant, the leading man, he mistakes her for his new hire for his sex club. Once he comes to know who she is, he offers her a job as his secretary and she accepts, even knowing she shouldn’t. 

Charlie can’t forget the hot, commanding way he held himself when they first met and she can’t stop thinking about the sex club job she almost got hired for. Wanting more, Charlie asks (which was super hot – I love a girl who goes after what she wants) Emerson to help explore her sexuality, and explore they do. 

Their dom/sub relationship becomes even hotter as Emerson falls hard for Charlie – and there’s nothing more attractive than a man dying to please his girl. Period. And the fact that Charlie had a safe place to experiment new kinks – incredibly hot and satisfying. 

Sara Cate is a good writer, I give you that. She makes us want more of the intimacy just by showing us how pleasurable it is, so if you like dom/sub dynamics and praise kink, here’s a book you don’t want to miss.

Give Me More (Salacious Players' Club)

• Author – Sara Cate
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, M M F, BDSM, contemporary, contemporary romance, lgbt, reverse harem, erotica, menage, M M romance
• Content warning – Homophobia, child abuse (mentioned), cheating
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 358
• First publication – June, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 4.24
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$29.94

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I picked up Give Me More immediately after I finished Praise because of two reasons. One, Sara Cate, and two, this book promised a polyamorous relationship which I was intrigued to read about. 

The story has the same sex club setting as Praise, with Hunter – (one of) our MMCs and (one of) the owners of the club. He’s married to Isabel, our FMC, and he gets his best friend Drake (the other MMC) on board for some renovations in the club. 

The absolute kicker is that Hunter wants to see his wife with another man/Isabel has the hots for Drake/Drake has been in love with Isabel and Hunter/Hunter is afraid to explore his bisexuality. I was like, DAMN, that’s a lot. 

So color me impressed by how delicately Cate handled the desires and hesitations of the characters, and how beautifully the story progressed. There’s a lot of space to explore in their relationship, and a lot of space to be vulnerable as well. My heart warmed for Drake, who’s hesitant to become a part of Hunter and Isabel’s relationship because he doesn’t want to risk losing the two people he loves.  

There’s a lot of emotion packed into the book so all the smut scenes are as intense as they are steamy. I think Sara Cate did even better in this book, capturing the relationship development of a throuple with all the accompanying spice. So if you want to dip your toes into a poly-read, Give Me More is a fantastic place to start.

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American Queen (New Camelot, 1)

• Author – Sierra Simone
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, BDSM, M M F, erotica, contemporary, menage, contemporary romance, adult, reverse harem, audiobook
• Content warning – Intimate partner abuse, cheating, alcohol consumption, death of a parent, cancer, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 393
• First publication – October, 2016
• Goodreads rating – 3.88
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.49

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Sierra Simone is no stranger as I’ve read her scandalously sexy book, Priest. So when American Queen came up on my Goodreads feed, I added it to my TBR without so much as a glance at the blurb. And that’s how I found myself slack-jawed and wide-eyed at a book about best friends – the President and the Vice President of the US – falling for the same woman, who loves both of them. 

Yep, I was as astounded as you are. Not just at the complicated premise, but also at how masterfully Simone built the narrative. The story captures how Greer, our FMC, first meets Ash and falls for him, and then meets Embry four years later and falls for him too. Years later, the three of them meet in DC – Ash is the President of the US, Embry is the Vice President, and Greer, a lecturer in Georgetown. 

Ash loves Greer, Greer loves Ash, Embry loves Greer, Greer loves Embry and could Embry be loving Ash too? The entanglements were a mess, but were they also beautiful and had my heart breaking at the 3-way pining? Also yes. 

Their intimate scenes had this touch of longing at all times, which perfectly captured what they felt for each other. And for that reason (also because the spice is top notch), I kept reading them over and over again. This is a book that has to be in your TBR because you get a light political thriller tinged with love, longing, and jealousy from characters who just win your heart. The book has an angsty cliffhanger though, so be prepared to dedicate an entire weekend to the next two books when you start reading book 1 – American Queen.

Your Dad Will Do (A Touch of Taboo)

• Author – Katee Robert
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, erotica, contemporary, novella, contemporary romance, adult, audiobook, fiction, erotic romance, BDSM
• Content warning – Infidelity, cursing, sexual violence, toxic relationship, grief, panic attacks/disorders
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 150
• First publication – April, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 3.64
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.24

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I love a woman who likes revenge, and that’s why I picked up this novella by Katee Robert about Lily, who, after her fiancé cheats on her, seduces his father to get back at her fiancé. 

This book is smutty as smutty can be. There’s a lot of dirty talk and daddy kink happening, and Lily, our FMC, who has been secretly fantasizing about Shane, the MMC, for a long time learns how far off her fantasies have been from reality. In fact, the reality is even hotter and dirtier than she imagined. 

Shane is the daddiest of daddies out there, taking care of his girl both physically and emotionally. With him, Lily starts to let go of the hurt caused by her fiancé’s betrayal. I’m telling you, the scene where her ex confronted her about sleeping with his father and how she responded will forever be iconic.

I didn’t expect to get attached to Lily and Shane because the book was pretty short, but they quickly grew on me and I found myself wishing for an HEA for the both of them. A sexy, smutty, and kinky one, but an HEA nonetheless. 

So if you want a quick read to get you breathless and blushing, I recommend giving this novella a try. Robert doesn’t disappoint at all.

Here you are, at the end of my smut book list! A good smut book is a fantastic place to get lost in, whether you like your smut mild or cranked up all the way. There are choices for many smut levels and different kinds of smut, so pick up your favorite rec and sizzle your way through!

If you want more smut to add to your TBR, take a look at my top 20 books from spicy booktok! These recs went straight from #spicytok to my finished-reading shelf within a span of a month, so I guarantee you some steamy, burning reads to keep you busy. Sexy reading, folks!

The post 15 Best Smut Books to Get Your Pulse Racing appeared first on Bookishnerd.

Turns out, the (well-deserved) fuss was about how wild the smut was, how various genres did smut differently, and also about how heat-inducing the smutty scenes are. I put together a list of books from spicy booktok I loved and blushed over, so go on and find the read that’ll make you hot and bothered in all the good ways!

Spicy booktok, or #Spicytok has a bunch of readers and reviewers who recommend books on TikTok based on steamy content in them. There are some seriously good plots and interesting characters in these books so it’s not only about the smut (even though we are all here for it!).

These books could be in any genre – they don’t have to solely be erotica and that’s the beauty of it. The list I’ve narrowed down has it all, from YA to thrillers to reverse harems.

Spice, or smut, is diverse and the list I’ve narrowed down is pretty good proof of that. Every reader is different when it comes to the level or the type of spice they want, so there’s really no hard and fast rule on how a book gets on #spicy booktok. For example, I could be reading the most graphic spicy scene but if I have to wonder why they’re interested in each other, then it does not do it for me.

But I’ve noticed a few common features in most of the books that make their way to #spicytok. They often:

• Are smut-heavy
• Explore various kinks
• Use sex for plot/character development
• Make you blush

The books in my list check all those boxes, so my trusty spice meter comes in handy this time too. This is my personal opinion, and your smut preferences might vary, but the meter will give you some idea of the level of smut in each book.

🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

Expect a lot of 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and above in the list!

It Happened One Summer: A Spicy Rom-Com Featuring a Wild Child Socialite, a Small-Town Grumpy Fisherman, and the Undeniable Attraction Between Them (Bellinger Sisters Book 1)

• Author – Tessa Bailey
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, new adult, adult fiction, humor
• Content warnings – Injury/injury detail, death of a parent/spouse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 385
• Goodreads rating – 4.0
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$13.49

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After reading ‘Fix Her Up,’ I became a Tessa Bailey girl through and through and I was very excited when spicy booktok recommended ‘It Happened One Summer.’

For all the grumpy/sunshine lovers, this here is the ultimate one. We have Piper, Hollywood’s “It Girl” bringing laughter and excitement in her wake, and Brendan, a skeptical small town fisherman – total opposites brought together by circumstance. They bicker and tease their way to love, and when they get together, their chemistry goes off the charts.

I also really liked the characters individually. Piper is a flawed and spoiled rich girl but the arc of her growing out of her bratty nature was so endearing. If you’ve watched Schitt’s Creek and fell in love with Alexis, you know what I’m talking about; Tessa Bailey has actually said it’s inspired by the show.

Brendan was an absolute dream – my man did not slow down, with the romance or the spice. He had my toes curling in all those steamy scenes. The smut isn’t too graphic, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I have recs for you further down the list. But if it’s a lot of fluff combined with pulse-racing moments you are looking for, Piper and Brendan’s story is just the thing.

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Twisted Love (Twisted, 1)

• Author – Ana Huang
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, new adult, adult, dark, love, college
• Content warning – Death of a parent, murder, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 360
• Goodreads rating – 3.74
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.33

Buy on Amazon

I’m a sucker for Ana Huang romances. Why? Because she serves romance with a whole load of spice, and in Twisted Love, she’s done it with a morally gray alphahole who’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister.

Not that he hates it – Alex increasingly becomes invested in Ava and develops a jealous streak whenever another man goes near her. Ava doesn’t just sit pretty either; she and her gang of girlfriends launch “Operation Emotion” and successfully manage to draw feelings out of the grumpy Alex.

Fair warning people, this MC isn’t for the faint-hearted. He’s possessive, rude, thinks a whole darn lot of himself, and is the definition of a Casanova. I can completely see why Ava was a goner once Alex turned on his charms.

They both bare themselves to each other, and in Alex’s case, it’s so heartwarming to see because his walls crumble down as his connection with Ava deepens. The brother’s best friend trope makes the romance forbidden, turning up the angst and the drama. Plus, this love story is the definition of ‘I’ll burn the world for her’ romance and I’m all here for it.

I just wish there’d been more steam, because that would’ve let us see how the connection between these two grew with each moment of intimacy. I also think the characters deserved more space to explore their relationship in the second half of the book. But if you’re looking for a quick burn with a steamy romance, Twisted Love won’t lead you astray.

The Deal (Off-Campus Book 1)

• Author – Elle Kennedy
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, sports romance, contemporary, sports, college, contemporary romance, hockey, adult
• Content warning – Death of a parent, rape, domestic violence, child abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 360
• Goodreads rating – 4.25
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$2.99

Buy on Amazon

If you follow #booktok like a religion, you know who Elle Kennedy is. She’s huge on the platform, especially known for her sports and college romance novels. Booktokers love to review her books, and for good reason – the woman blends romcom and erotica flawlessly.

I’m not gonna lie, I picked up The Deal because I liked the sexy cover of the book. Sports romances are always a hard sell for me but this cover had a sort of ‘smut but in a charming kinda way’ design. That’s exactly what this book is. It has an incredibly moving plot and endearing characters as a foundation, add the steamy chemistry between the MCs to the mix and that was enough reason for me to become an Elle Kennedy stan for life.

The Deal starts off with fake dating so the buildup of chemistry between Hannah and Garrett is all hot and intense. They become friends while helping each other out, and you really see this friendship sustaining when they realize they have feelings for each other too.

Garrett shows Hannah how to truly let go during sex and enjoy it to the fullest. She’s vulnerable in all the right ways during the smut scenes which made the intimacy realistic and made me an emotional mess because of what Hannah went through in the past (spoiler, not telling!).

The smut is fluffy with a sound emotional impact exactly because of this reason. I really recommend this if you’re looking for a warm, fuzzy romance with spicy fluff.

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Icebreaker: A Novel (The Maple Hills Series)

• Author – Hannah Grace
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, sports romance, sports, contemporary, hockey, contemporary romance, new adult, college, adult
• Content warning – Death of a parent, sexual assault
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 435
• Goodreads rating – 4.02
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.48

Buy on Amazon

My instant selling point about this book was the FMC. Anastasia is absolute royalty for the way as she navigates personal challenges like anxiety and an eating disorder with admirable grace. If I’m even half as badass as this girl, I’d die happy.

She isn’t afraid to get down and let loose either – she had me breathless during the steamy scenes. She might be a baddie in the streets but she’s Nathan’s “good girl” in the sheets. And yes, you guessed it right, the smut is Juicy with a capital J.

Speaking of Nathan, he’s a delicious combo of a jock and the perfect book boyfriend. The best part about Nathan though? He’s not your typical jock; he’s kind, he’s caring, and he’s always willing to go the extra mile for Anastasia. He has my whole heart.

The found family trope in the book is everything. I’m down for besties who have each other’s back through thick and thin – they made the read even better for me because they are wholesome, funny, and creates the perfect backdrop for our love story.

The author takes her own sweet time developing the plot and characters so this isn’t your typical weekend quick burn. Settle down with the arm mug of choice because the romance and the smut are absolutely worth the wait.

Twisted Games - Special Edition

• Author – Ana Huang
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, dark, contemporary romance, new adult, love, adult
• Content warning – Death of a parent, child abuse, substance abuse, gun violence, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 456
• Goodreads rating – 4.13
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$29.84

Buy on Amazon

I’ve already gushed about how big of a fan I am of Ana Huang’s smut-filled books, and she stayed true to her brand as a smutty romance writer in Twisted Games, too. After I read Twisted Love, I knew I had to read the next in the series, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

This book took the tension a few notches higher with the steamy chemistry between a royal princess and her new bodyguard. Rhys’ and Princess Bridget’s love is forbidden and could potentially destroy her entire kingdom, so to say this plot had me on the edge of my seat would be an understatement.

Other than the plot, the smut had me hooked. He might be her employee, but in bed he really shows her who’s the boss. Rhys is for all the girls who want a scarred knight instead of your everyday prince charming. The sexual tension between them is so good from the onset because of Rhys’ possessive streak – it’s not my cup of tea IRL, but on a fictional man, possessive looks incredibly hot.

Outside of their physical bond (which had me quite literally blushing), the way their love develops had me swooning for the pair. All in all, this is a great weekend quick burn with the right amount of royalty, spice, and romance, perfectly blended together so pick this up if you’re ready for some royal smut!

Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet Book 1)

• Author – H.D. Carlton
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, dark, contemporary, thriller, mystery, adult
• Content warning – Child sex trafficking, murder, rape, sexual assault, torture, kidnapping, stalking
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 551
• Goodreads rating – 4.03
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

Buy on Amazon

Okay, right off the bat, yes I did have the same question you’re probably having right now: what on earth is a thriller doing on #spicytok? The answer is, as I found after a jaw-dropping read, that this book is kinky as hell. It explored so many unspeakable kinks between the couple, Zade and Adeline, that I could say I learned a lot from the book.

I do have to give you a sound warning though; this book has trigger warnings for a reason. It is dark and very graphic, so please tread carefully.

The kinks in Haunting Adeline range from the punishment kink to the praise kink so there’s really something for all the daring girls out there. Kinks do make sense, because the premise is kinkier: the man fell in lust at first sight and started stalking the FMC. The smut was truly on brand for such a wild story that I literally had goosebumps while reading these steamy scenes.

There’s also a vigilante trope alongside a murder mystery explored in the plot. I’ll be honest, was I there for the plot? No, it was the kinky smut that did it for me and this book has a well-earned place on #spicytok for it.

Credence

• Author – Penelope Douglas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, reverse harem, new adult, contemporary romance, dark, adult, menage, erotica
• Content warning – Incest, rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse, suicide
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 470
• Goodreads rating – 3.70
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$23.72

Buy on Amazon

Now, I’ll never say no to a good reverse harem; they’re always bound to bring the steam and the spice to the table. This book, though, was on another level. I have to say that from the get go, this novel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not just reverse harem, it’s also about sexual and romantic relationships between step family members and those can be pretty hard limits for a lot of people.

I personally enjoyed the book because Penelope Douglas is so good at developing the relationships between the characters and showing us how those dynamics change. Douglas’ penmanship really comes into show during the sex scenes as well – the sexual tension is just at the steamy level and the smut is explicit and no rules barred. I love me some spicy debauchery and Credence went all the way in that aspect.

All of this smut paired with the complex story that Douglas has woven together deserves rightful praise. Yes, it’s taboo and problematic, but there’s just something beyond sex in a story about human relationships and complexities. All in all, if you aren’t afraid of toeing the line, then this is the perfect lust-filled read for you.

King of Wrath (Kings of Sin Book 1)

• Author – Ana Huang
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, new adult, fantasy, dark, erotica, marriage
• Content warning – Violence, injury/injury detail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 398
• Goodreads rating – 4.08
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.99

Buy on Amazon

Why is the arranged marriage-to-lovers trope always the key to my heart? King of Wrath is basically Romeo & Juliet but in a modern, steamy context. Vivian’s family blackmails Dante into marrying her and neither are too thrilled at the prospect. So, naturally, Ana Huang takes these two MCs who blister at the sight of each other and spins us a love story of epic proportions.

Right from the beginning, I fell in love with our Vivian and I can see why Dante couldn’t resist her either. She’s rich but independent and hardworking while balancing all the impossible expectations her parents have of her. Dante is as aloof and intimidating as they come, but he sways when he sees Vivian for who she truly is. The man won’t admit he’s in love with her but also can’t stand the idea of losing her, and the sex scene where he gets jealous is so so good – they were HOT but also managed to melt my heart. He’s ultimately willing to put in the work and become a better man for her which is truly the best type of MMC.

With Ana Huang, you know she’ll always deliver. I did feel that some of the writing was a bit recycled from her previous works but that’s no reason to not pick up this book. It has all the stellar tropes, two sexy MCs, and a steamy romance between the pair. Need I say more?

Hooked (Never After Series)

• Author – Emily McIntire
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, dark, contemporary, retellings, contemporary romance, adult, new adult
• Content warning – Child abuse, death of a parent/relative, pregnancy, torture, murder, violence, kidnapping
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 312
• Goodreads rating – 3.84
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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I adore retellings of fairy tales, especially dark retellings. As a kid, I’ve always wondered where the villain came from and what happened to them after the HEA, so the Never After series is a treat to my kid-self (and to the adult-self, of course 😉). I fell in love because it’s a collection of fairy tales about villains getting their own HEA. There’s something just so appealing about the trope and Hooked, with its Peter Pan retelling, is everything.

The touch-her-and-you-die trope in this book is just such a chef’s kiss. James (AKA Mr. Villain/Mr. British Accent Villain/Mr. Mafia) can kidnap me any day because he’s a supreme combo of hot and villainous. I was there for the dark romance, and the dark romance only. The writing is so sultry and intense, perfectly complementing the desire, violence, and depravity between the characters. This makes all the smut-filled scenes even hotter. Heads-up to my girls who like the praise kink: you will not be disappointed reading this one.

Be warned, this is not a healthy’ sunshines and roses’ romance novel. It’s a bad boy meets innocent girl story and the way their relationship develops is dark, to say the least. But if you’re the one who always dreamt of the villain instead of prince charming as a kid, you’ll definitely get hooked on this one.

My Killer Vacation: A Spicy Romantic Suspense Thriller in Cape Cod

• Author – Tessa Bailey
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, mystery, mystery thriller, contemporary, thriller, contemporary romance, adult, new adult, romantic suspense, chick lit
• Content warning – Murder, violence, kidnapping
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 295
• Goodreads rating – 3.67
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.99

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Tessa Bailey does it again with one of my absolute favorite tropes – grumpy/sunshine. Bounty hunter meets elementary school teacher? Be still, my beating heart. I’m one of those girls who’ll binge watch a good mystery thriller in one sitting, and when it’s in book form? Even better. Combine it with romance and smut? Sign me up right now.

The cuteness between these two reminded me of Jess and Nick in New Girl. The 15-year-old-me who fell for grumpy Nick walked so that adult-me can run to the smart-mouthed and sexy Myles.

Taylor, the FMC, is the cutest with her sunshine personality and her you-can’t-sit-me-down attitude towards Myles. Together, they bring us heat-inducing smut scenes set in the backdrop of a small town. Nick might be aloof to her at first but he soon develops a domineering streak, so the smut isn’t your average vanilla – that’s all I’ll say.

The romance and smut and mystery in this book make for a delicious combo, so you’re definitely in for a one-of-a-kind treat. If that sounds like your jam, jump right in and blush your way through this small town grumpy-sunshine romantic suspense story.

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The Roommate (The Shameless Series)

• Author – Rosie Danan
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, new adult, chick lit, humor
• Content warning – Accident, blackmail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 325
• Goodreads rating – 3.59
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$10.83

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Let me tell you, I did not expect the level of smut in this book. I thought Rosie Danan had written your standard fluffy rom com so when I came across this book on #spicytok, I was wondering what business The Roommate had there. Then I read it and realized my smut radar was way off when it came to this book.

The attraction between Clara and Josh was the centerpiece from the start, with both of them unable to keep their hands off of each other. Their intimacy was so steamy and graphic that I almost felt like I had to look away (I didn’t though 😉).

I also loved the social commentary in this book, from its sex-positive themes to its commentary on sex work and consent. It was really impressive how serious themes were explored in the middle of the romance and steamy moments.

So props to Rosie Danan for creating the perfect contemporary romance. It’s got all your favorite tropes from opposites attract to forced proximity along with some good, healthy smut. This is for all the ladies who like some fluff in their smut – give this one a go, it won’t disappoint you.

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Priest (Priest, 1)

• Author – Sierra Simone
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, erotica, adult, dark, BDSM, erotic romance
• Content warning – Sexual assault, revenge porn, suicide, stalking
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 354
• Goodreads rating – 3.67
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.01

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Taboo sex takes a sinful turn in this book and this time, it’s a forbidden love with a capital F because priesthood and celibacy don’t mix with sex and romance, but mix it does in this book, Priest.

Let’s dive into the juicy stuff first. The sex? Hot. There’s no other word for it and the fact that it’s forbidden? Hott-er. I can see why this book is so popular on #spicytok – it brings erotica to another level, showing us a religious man who struggles with sin. Dare I say that Father Bell’s lust-filled relationship with Poppy is worth every sin because their chemistry is unmatched. Despite their best efforts, they can’t keep their hands off of each other and the yearning, regret, and conflict blending together is pure perfection.

It’s not just about the steamy sex scenes though. It’s also about how both Father Bell and Poppy confront the fine line between devotion to religion and devotion to love. It’s a complex story of interwoven themes and I could not put it down. This is a good weekend quick burn with not just smut, but also a thought provoking plot – all set for an intense read in one sitting.

There Are No Saints (Sinners Duet Book 1)

• Author – Sophie Lark
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, thriller, adult, dark, new adult, crime, suspense
• Content warning – Child abuse, self harm, murder, stalking, kidnapping, torture
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 378
• Goodreads rating – 3.84
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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I know I said I love thrillers and would binge watch a thriller any day, but I was not ready for this – there are truly no saints in this book.

I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit apprehensive about the plot because we had a serial killer for an MMC. So it’s safe to say that this book is absolutely not for the faint-hearted, but does it bring a complex plot and some good smut to the table? Yes, yes it certainly does.

Cole may have started as someone who’s manipulating Mara’s life because of his psychopathic tendencies but oh boy, when he falls for her, she has him at her beck and call. What I love about Mara is that she doesn’t try to ‘fix him’ and instead, she brings complete chaos to his life. Absolute queen.

I wasn’t sure a serial killer could genuinely fall in love (all those murder documentaries I watched didn’t cover that part😅), but it definitely seems to work. There’s so much sexual tension and chemistry between the pair that my face was constantly on fire during the whole read. While I do think that there were one too many red flags, we’re already reading a serial killer’s love story, what’s a couple more?

So, if you feel like popping into the mind of a psychopath in love and lust, give this smutty, steamy book a try. It’s meant for those who dare.

Her Soul to Take (Souls Trilogy)

• Author – Harley Laroux
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, paranormal romance, horror, demons, dark, adult, fantasy romance, BDSM
• Content warning – Violence, death, murder, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, sexual assault
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 493
• Goodreads rating – 4.04
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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I don’t usually mess with horror – I hit my limits with thrillers. However, I was curious about ‘Her Soul to Take’ because #spicytok convinced me the BDSM sex scenes were definitely worth a read, and they were absolutely right.

Harley Laroux writes about kinky fetishes with no room for judgment in this sex-positive book that is as raunchy as it is respectful. The characters are comfortable with the kinky sex so they enjoy exploring each other, which is what I loved reading about the most. It is on the edgeplay side of BDSM and some scenes do raise eyebrows, but I loved that Leon and Rae didn’t force their pleasure. And that one scene about piercing during sexual play… it might not be for me, but I totally get the thrill of it. Laroux creates a masterpiece with imagery, weaving us through the story like it’s a movie with sex scenes so graphic that this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

I wish the ending had been a little less anti-climatic – Laroux started with such a great plot about demonic romance but the ending didn’t do it justice. That said, this is still a great read for those looking for some great BDSM smut between intriguing characters in a paranormal setting.

Desperate Measures (Wicked Villains Book 1)

• Author – Katee Robert
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, retellings, erotica, adult, dark, BDSM, contemporary
• Content warning – Sexual assault, death of a parent, child abuse, murder, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 230
• Goodreads rating – 3.55
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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After reading ‘Her Soul to Take,’ I got really hooked onto BDSM smut and immediately picked up ‘Desperate Measures.’ This is a steamy fairytale reimagining of Aladdin and it was OTT in exactly the way I enjoy it.

Jafar owns Jasmine after taking over her father’s empire and the story follows Jasmine as she tries to come to terms with her new circumstances, both terrifying and enticing. Jafar is kinky and villainous and Jasmine wants him. The best part is the daddy/baby girl kink, so if you want to check it out, get down to business with this book.

The plot itself was very good with Jasmine throwing Jafar for a loop, even though she enjoys the chemistry between them. Despite her sheltered upbringing, she learns to survive with her captor and eventually hatches a plan to betray him. I loved how Jasmine does not let the good sex cloud her judgment and how she isn’t willing to give up complete control to Jafar at any point.

As far as retellings go, this is a one-of-kind take on a fairytale and a truly sexy one at that. Go ahead and pick it up because the villain-to-lover trope here is absolutely worth a read.

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Court of the Vampire Queen

• Author – Katee Robert
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, reverse harem, paranormal, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, adult, erotica
• Content warning – Pregnancy, violence, death, murder, death of a parent
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 496
• Goodreads rating – 3.42
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.45

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I was so impressed with Katee Robert’s ‘Desperate Measures’ that I decided to pick up this book next. This is such a great fear-to-lust-to-love book that I couldn’t put it down from the get go.

There are detailed sex scenes in this book (especially as it’s a reverse harem) where Mina’s owner, Malachi, and his two friends make her the center of their lusty fantasies. It’s not just about the quality of the smut in this book, it’s how much there is. The amount of steamy scenes in this book left me breathless and blushing, so I’d say it’s some brilliantly written smut.

I was also moved by the development of love between these four. Mina, who is a half vampire and half human and doesn’t belong in either world, finds her home among these dangerous men. In turn, they grow to love her fiercely and are ultimately ready to go to war for her – I simply melted.

I was caught off guard by how emotionally invested I was in the story because I didn’t expect an erotica to tear my heart out. It’s a masterpiece of smut and romance set in a fantasy world and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good reverse harem smut that hits all the emotional beats.

Flames of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 1)

• Author – Amelia Hutchins
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fantasy, fantasy romance, paranormal, witches, dark, magic, adult, fae, paranormal romance
• Content warning – Sexual assault, violence, death, murder
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 563
• Goodreads rating – 3.76
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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I was really in the mood for some fantasy spice so when the algorithm recommended ‘Flames of Chaos’ to me, I jumped right in. It seemed like a complicated plot but since #spicytok is usually right about these things, I gave it a try and boy, am I glad I did.

The first half of the story was pure smut. The two MCs, Knox and Aria, might be enemies but they love their physical connection, and so do we; the graphic sex scenes when they get together flawlessly showed their spitfire chemistry. Spicy booktok told me there’d be smut but it was an understatement – there’s a whole LOAD of it.

Despite their obvious sexual chemistry, don’t expect a cute, cuddly romance – Knox means business with Aria. Their personal motives put them at odds with each other to start with: Knox out for revenge, setting the scene for a war 500 years coming and Aria is at the opposite end of the plan for revenge. Set apart, it takes so much angst and pain and yearning to reach for each other, and their journey is made even more dynamic by the heavy doses of smut.

So if you’re in for a fantasy of epic scales with kingdoms, witches, revenge, and magic complemented with some pulse-racing smut, then this is the one for you.

7th Circle (Hades Book 1)

• Author – Tate James
• Genre/Sub-genre – Reverse harem, romance, dark, contemporary, new adult, contemporary romance, fantasy, crime, adult
• Content warning – Sexual assault, violence, death, murder
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 380
• Goodreads rating – 4.41
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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I’ve reviewed this fantastic author on my best reverse harem book list too and since Tate James does not disappoint with this genre, I didn’t hesitate when I came across this book on #spicytok. It’s dark, sexy, has a badass heroine, and the spice levels were off the charts!

Hades is a young gang leader, already masterminding massacres despite her young age. She has one older male lover (Cass), one younger (Lucas), and her second in command (Zed) is in on it too, so this book is rightfully filled with drama. She might be getting it on with three guys, but she’s not losing herself in the process which is why this FMC is one of my favorites.

I also loved how all the three relationships developed at different paces. All MMCs have different personalities which keeps the FMC on her toes and the story intriguing. With Lucas, the smut was so steamy and burning that I really needed to take a minute to simmer down after reading his scenes, and the gentle moments of intimacy with Cass was a nice change of pace.

Half the book was filled with smut, so count your guilty pleasures served! If you’re on the hunt for a quick burn, smut-filled reverse harem, make sure you go for this one.

Lords of Pain (Dark College Bully Romance): Royals of Forsyth University

• Author – Angel Lawson
• Genre/Sub-genre – Reverse harem, romance, dark, college, new adult, contemporary romance, contemporary, erotica, adult, BDSM
• Content warning – Sexual assault, bullying, stalking, kidnapping, violence, incest
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 356
• Goodreads rating – 4.05
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.99

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I’ll admit this book is one of the most scandalous books I’ve read so far, and looking at my list from up top, that’s saying a lot. Lords of Pain is a reverse harem, BDSM novel where Story, our FMC, becomes the sex slave of three men, Killian, Rath, and Tristan, in exchange for protection.

The setting is Forsyth University and the men, the titular Lords, are at the highest positions of power. And whom do they need now? A Lady. So Story becomes their sex slave contractually, and the author explores the changing dynamics among the four with gusto. As you could imagine, there’s heavy smut – the kind that’s just packed with depravity, degradation, teasing and playing. The Lords, our MMCs, also have morally gray personalities, so what you end up with is a super steamy bully romance.

From the first sex scene itself, the smut has you hooked. It explores a lot of kinks, from dubcon (dubious consent) and BDSM to voyeurism. The romance is dark and obsessive as expected from a novel like this so if you’re up for it, this book packs in heavy smut. #Spicytok hit gold with it.

Dipped In Holly (Nick and Holly)

• Author – Dana Isaly
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, novella, Christmas, holiday, contemporary, erotica, contemporary romance, adult, BDSM, short stories
• Content warning – Infidelity
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 66
• Goodreads rating – 3.67
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$419.73

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I’m a sucker for holiday romances so when spicy tiktok said this was a Christmas novella with the right amount of smut, I immediately went for it. I read it in one sitting and it had me swooning because, man, #spicytok was right again.

Holly is a beautifully written character and although the story is short, we see how she handles heartbreak, gives into her desires, and lets go of control. The MMC, Nick, is older (so a lot more experienced!) and awesome at dirty talk to the point where he manages to seduce Holly with his sexy voice and sultry innuendo. My pulse was racing while reading the steamy scenes and the way he takes control of Holly? Yes, sir.

I don’t usually have a lot of faith in one-night-stands that turn into love, but I decided to give into the holiday spirit of it and I’ve come away with it with a few new ways to use festive lights😉

It’s a quick and steamy read, so if you want a holiday romance that fuels your holiday spirit and smut cravings in one go, here’s your choice. Remember to pick up the next few novellas about Holly and Nick too!

And that’s the whole list! I got these recs from spicy booktok to find out for myself what the appeal is, and find out I certainly did. They are well-written books with intriguing premises, interesting characters, and heavy doses of (diverse) smut. Would I recommend reading them at work? Absolutely not. Will they help you dive into your deepest fantasies? Hell yeah. Sexy reading, folks!

If you loved these recs I’m pretty sure you’ll like my list of best smut books. My reverse harem book list also has some pretty hot and heavy books, so be sure to check that one out too. If you need a small break from the kinks and dirty, dirty sex, I’d recommend my brother’s best friend list to get you feeling all warm and fuzzy.

The post 20 Best Books on Spicy Booktok To Put You in a Frenzy! appeared first on Bookishnerd.

Reverse harem books are made for the daring among us, because not everyone can deal with not one, not two, but four or five insanely hot and attractive men even in our imagination. So for those who want to test out the trope or read more of it, here’s the list of best reverse harem books I’ve read.

Best Reverse Harem Books List

What’s reverse harem?

Reverse harem is the opposite of harem (a shocker, I know) where a girl gets it on with three or more guys, definition mine.

I’d say even two is plenty, but a harem is a lot of people, yeah? In fact, some of my best reverse harem book recs have multiple partners in one scene, so buckle up, you’re in for a treat.

I’ve added a spice meter to all my reviews so you know what you’re getting into.

• 🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action
• 🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently
• 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

These books are best for mature audiences of 18+ years, especially the ones above 🌶️🌶️🌶️. I’ve added content warnings for each book as well, so I hope it will be easy for you to decide whether to read it or not.

Best Reverse Harem Books – Reviews

1. Broken Bonds – My Favorite

Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie Book 1)

• Author – J. Bree
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, paranormal, magic, dark romance, urban fantasy
• Content warnings – Trauma, violence, bullying, sexual assault, death of a loved one
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 425
• Goodreads rating – 4.22
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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When I tell you this book was insanely good, I’m not giving it enough credit. I was hooked from the start, read it in one sitting, and managed to fall for not one, not two, but three new characters – including Oli, our extremely sassy, hot-tempered but kind-hearted FMC. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Broken Bonds is a good book to soft launch yourself into reverse harem so if you’re new to the trope, this is a great place to start.

Broken Bonds is a paranormal romance – PNR, to you fans of the genre – and a kind of urban fantasy. It’s about this girl called Oleander who gets involved in a tragic car crash, learns something terrible about her hidden powers, and runs away from her ‘Bonds’ to protect them from herself. The Bonds are five insanely attractive men who are hurt and and pissed at her – rightfully, IMHO – for running away and being tight-lipped about the reason for fleeing once they find her.

I LOVED Gabe and Gryphon the best out of the five men. Atlas was fine, but his vibes are a bit… off. I didn’t like North and Nox because controlling and arrogant aren’t really my type. BUT the angst was pretty good – made up for the lack of spice. I mean, it does have some smut like dirty talk and some off-page action, but nothing explicit happens.

This was probably my fifth reverse harem book and it ended up being my favorite of them all because of how their relationship grew and all the paranormal vibes. Normally, I am not a fan of cliffhangers but this one turned out to be the perfect set up for the second book, so I didn’t really mind it.

2. Savage Bonds

Savage Bonds (The Bonds that Tie)

• Author – J. Bree
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, paranormal, paranormal romance, new adult, fantasy romance, magic, urban fantasy, shapeshifters
• Content warnings – Violence, death, murder, mass/school shootings, kidnapping, fire/fire injury
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 350
• Goodreads rating – 4.31
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$19.99

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So remember that cliffhanger I told you about? I HAD to pick up the next book in The Bonds That Tie series because I would have expired if I had to wait after how the first book ended.

Savage Bonds picked up where Broken Bonds ended, so that was a relief. Rightfully, as the second book of the series, we have more drama, more angst, more steam etc. in this one. It had this agonizing slow burn which was so, so satisfying when it finally exploded. 

Oli is bratty, doesn’t want to bond but I still like her because she’s just so thoughtful and smart-mouthed. She does have this savior complex going on for her which is a bit much sometimes, but she doesn’t come off overbearing because we know she has the best interests at heart. The boys are still moody – moodier, if that’s possible – and I’m warming up to North too.

We see Oli and boys getting closer despite her STILL not telling them why she had to run away from them. We also see some action (finally!) and the slow burn is totally worth it.

The book has some tropes that were not really my thing. I really don’t like the miscommunication trope and halfway through Savage Bonds, I was screaming at them to just talk to each other. The book also has that ‘I’m not like other girls’ thing which I’m not a fan of, but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

The writing is as beautiful as usual. That, the slow burn, and the cliffhanger (I mean, how does J. Bree write cliffhangers like that!?) were everything, so Savage Bonds is easy 5 stars for me.

3. Hate

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HATE: A dark reverse harem romance (Madison Kate)

• Author – Tate James
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, dark romance, contemporary romance, new adult, college, contemporary, adult, mystery
• Content warning – Violence, stalking, death of a parent, murder, bullying
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 418
• Goodreads rating – 4.25
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$12.67

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True to its title, this book has an FMC who absolutely hates the MMCs. I’m not talking about the lukewarm “Bob from accounting was mean to me this one time” hate but the “I’m hell bent on revenge and I’m going to burn your life down” hate. This is what I mean when I say I want enemies-to-lovers romance.

I also really like FMC, Madison, who was angry and vengeful. We are here for the angry girls because in most reverse harem books, the FMC is usually a pushover damsel in distress. In that aspect, I would say Madison is such a breath of fresh air because she wasn’t scared of raising hell if the situation demanded it. So this book and the next one in the series, Liar, are among my top choices for reverse harem book recommendations.

When the book starts, our FMC, Madison Kate, is shipped off to live with her aunt for rehabilitation after being framed for some violent stuff that broke out at a party. But then a year later, Madison is back and ready to get revenge on the three boys who framed her. Plot twist; one of them happens to be her future step-brother and all three of the boys happen to be living at her house. It is a bit of a stretch, plot-wise, but hey, I don’t read these for the plot 😆

What I loved most about this book were the characters; I really loved that Madison was fierce, tough and a prankster, and I love-hated Archer, Kody, and Steele because they are all annoying and overbearing while being super hot.

Unlike Broken Bonds, Hate gets deep into spice right from the beginning of the series, so if you’re in the mood to get your pulse racing in a reverse harem setting, this is the book to get started with.

4. Liar

Liar (Madison Kate)

• Author – Tate James
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, new adult, dark, contemporary, college, contemporary romance, mystery, adult
• Content warning – Violence, stalking, murder, bullying
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 388
• Goodreads rating – 4.17
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$15.83

Buy on Amazon

For a person who dislikes cliffhangers, I seem to be doing pretty good with them lately because – did I mention Hate ended in one? As did Liar, the second book? And I’m happily giving them 5-stars?

I’ll tell you why. The story turns out to be gripping and mysterious and even darker as we come to the second book. Now we have a stalker (who first made an appearance in Hate) and we get to see the boys’ overprotective side a lot as they try to take care of Madison. She remains a force to be reckoned with, and I loved how her relationship with the boys grew even with all the stalker drama and gangs and danger going on around here.

The steamy scenes contribute a lot to how her connection with the boys grows. Madison connects to each of them in different ways, and it’s great to see how it manifests physically. She finds safety and joy with Kody, Steele keeps her anchored and emotionally open, and Archer keeps her on her toes.

Yes, the sex scenes are raunchy, heat-inducing and yummy, but they are also soulful and add depth to character development and relationship arcs. Guaranteed, they are very, very hot.

The ending took me out just like with Hate and I will be starting Fake, the third book, soon because, man, that cliffhanger might be the one to end me. This is an awesome book to see how reverse harem relationships grow, giving space to all partners. So if dark romance is your thing and you want to try out reverse harem, this book’s a great choice. Just be sure to pick up Hate first and work your way here to Liar – the journey’s what makes it so good.

5. Den of Vipers

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Den of Vipers

• Author – K.A. Knight
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, dark, contemporary, fantasy, adult, erotica, BDSM, new adult
• Content warning – Blood, violence, torture, murder, kidnapping, death of a parent, sexual assault/abuse
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 654
• Goodreads rating – 3.60
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$14.65

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I know you’ve been waiting for this one, the book that took over booktok and probably threw many of you down your reverse harem rabbit holes. Since I’ve been a bit obsessed with the mafia ever since I binged Vincenzo, I decided to check out the Den of Vipers. They were all right from the start; this one was an absolute treat. I feel like the Den of Vipers is more gang-like than mafia-like, but the boss roles are there among the ‘Vipers.’ They have the leader, the assassin, the casino guy, and the enforcer – the whole nine yards.

So here’s the setup; Roxxanne, our FMC, is sold – yes, sold – to clear her father’s debts but she doesn’t go in without a fight. So the Vipers, our MMCs, have to step in to take her captive. She gives hell of a time to the Vipers and then falls for them, and so do they. There’s a bit of Stockholm syndrome going on so if you’re sensitive to that, read with care.

The book does NOT hold back in terms of spice and dark romance vibes, so you’re in for a LOT of steamy scenes including multiple partners at once. Roxxy is obsessed with the Vipers (who wouldn’t be – those men are hot as sin) and vice versa.

This story is a bit gory as well; there’s some fights, murders, interrogations, power shifts and amidst it all, Roxxy and the Vipers have some sexy-as-hell good times. I knocked off a star because sometimes there’s lack of consent when it comes sex, but I’m coming to understand that it’s pretty common in the reverse harem genre.

Den of Vipers is a standalone so if you don’t want to commit to a reverse harem series right away, or if you want to see a lot of action as soon as you get into it, this is the book for you.

6. Faking with Benefits – My first reverse harem book

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Faking with Benefits: A Friends to Lovers Reverse Harem Romance

• Author – Lily Gold
• Genre/Sub-genre – Contemporary, romance, contemporary romance, new adult, polyamory, chick lit, erotica
• Content warning – Sexual harassment, death of parent
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 552
• Goodreads rating – 3.93
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$15.18

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I absolutely judged this book by its cover. I have a thing for cartoon/illustrated covers and when I saw Faking with Benefits, I went “awww” and immediately clicked the Kindle Unlimited button on Goodreads.

So, it’s true when I say I fell into the reverse harem genre a little accidentally because I went in for the cover and the fake dating (one of my fave tropes) and realized the FMC is fake dating not one, but three MMCs.

Layla is 28 years old and has never dated, so her friends/neighbors give her dating advice. It goes like this: she wants to learn how to date and the three men give her advice, and in exchange, she has to appear in their podcast. They teach her a little too well because Layla ends up falling for them. I’m a sucker for friends to lovers and fake dating so I just went on swooning and melting through the entire book.

As for the guys, we have Zack, the rugby player, who seems to be getting a lot of hate from readers because of his ‘pining-after-dead-lover’ thing, but hey, I liked him. We then have Josh, the perfect boy-next-door and then Luke, a divorcee who also happens to be Layla’s ex-professor. Do with that knowledge what you will. I might sound judgy, but trust me when I say I liked them all. They genuinely looked out for Layla and then started wanting her, which is super hot when it happens in that order.

It was so cute and steamy in the right places. There’s that dead lover drama which I felt dragged on a bit, but other than that, this book was all soft feels. If you want to kick off reverse harem with a cute romcom, this is definitely it.

7. Four Psychos

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Four Psychos (The Dark Side Series)

• Author – Kristy Cunning
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, paranormal, demons, dark, urban fantasy
• Content warnings – Violence, murder, suicidal thoughts
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 173
• Goodreads rating – 4.17
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$27.29

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This is PNR with a hilarious premise – I immediately added it to my TBR as soon as I saw the blurb. Our FMC is Keyla (for now), a ghost/spirit girl plus the invisible protector of four hot guardians of hell. Our MMCs, like I said, are working in hell trying to stop damned souls from escaping over and they are also roommates where Keyla is kind of haunting. Keyla is initially invisible to the guys, but due to a freak accident, the men become aware of her, and hilarity ensues. They are immediately suspicious of her but they grow closer.

Keyla is the funniest, most ridiculous heroine I’ve read about in a while. It’s absolutely hilarious to see warriors of hell being made fun of by a girl ghost. She’s also trying to figure out who she is because she can’t remember being alive, dying, or anything about herself – all we know is that she has some powers that bind her to the hell boys.

I was expecting to see a LOT of smut but this is the first book of the series so there wasn’t as much. Still, Four Psychos was steamy, and funny with a fall vibe to it. There’s some world building as well, considering this is a PNR and a series at that, but the story flows without being overloaded by detail and makes you really just want to know what happens next. Which is what I did the minute after I finished the book. Five stars.

8. Three Trials

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Three Trials (The Dark Side Series)

• Author – Kristy Cunning
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, paranormal, demons, dark, urban fantasy
• Content warnings – Violence, death, confinement, murder, sexual assault, cannibalism
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 210
• Goodreads rating – 4.22
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$27.29

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We are at the second book of The Dark Side series because I couldn’t not pick this up after how Four Psychos ended.

Keyla is still trying to figure out who she is and figure out she does – spoiler alert, it’s delicious. She’s still bickering with and protecting her boys which was adorable to see considering she’s a snarky, sassy and no-nonsense kind of heroine.

We also get some insight into how the men are connected to Keyla and who they actually are. They are as moody as they were in the first book, but Keyla is growing on them so they are also less of jerks and more endearing in the Three Trials.

There are some trials which give us paranormal thriller vibes, and here’s where we find out the identities of the four men and how they are connected to Keyla. If Four Psychos left us with a lot of questions, Three Trials gives us a lot of answers. Not all of them, but just enough so we have the satisfaction of knowing what the hell is going on.

There’s a lot more smut as well because the boys can touch her and stuff, so the reverse harem kicks off with steam. But that’s not the only reason I’m sticking with this series. The FMC is truly badass – you’ll see why – and seeing four grumpy, murderous men soften to her in a world of ghosts, damned souls, and hell is extremely satisfying.

9. Trickery

Trickery (Curse of the Gods)

• Author – Jaymin Eve, Jane Washington
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, new adult, paranormal, young adult, magic gods, paranormal romance, mythology, urban fantasy
• Content warnings – Death, violence, murder, bullying
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 388
• Goodreads rating – 4.17
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$20.99

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Come to think of it, I’ve read a lot of paranormal romance since I took up reverse harem. Trickery is the first book of another PNR series called Curse of the Gods, and I fell for it because I related to the FMC so hard. She’s an absolute klutz and walking disaster, and I loved her for it because I was like, girl, I get you. 

The story is set in a mythical world where there are gods-in-training (I know, I know, I was a bit dubious at first too but stay with me). These trainee gods are called sols, and our FMC, Willa, who is a ‘dweller’ – the lowest of ranks – is brought to serve five sol brothers at their school, Blesswood. They are notorious for bullying and trickery and they start a bet to see who can get Willa a death sentence first. Willa joins in on the bet and wins hearts along the way.

She is attracted to all five brothers and there’s so much angst and sexually charged conversations all over the book. The smut isn’t as strong, probably because it’s the first book, but we get all the steamy feels from the pining and the tension.

One thing I didn’t like was how the book couldn’t settle on a context. It started off as a mythical world with god and servants but there’s some urban fantasy and even academia vibes coming off. It doesn’t really get in the way, I can live with a mesh of genres, but I feel like it could have been executed better.

But if you’re in for a smartass yet clumsy heroine and five god-like heroes tricking each other, you’ve found the right book.

10. Persuasion

Persuasion (Curse of the Gods)

• Author – Jaymin Eve, Jane Washington
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, new adult, paranormal, magic, young adult, paranormal romance,gods, mythology
• Content warning – Death, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 386
• Goodreads rating – 4.30
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$15.00

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I picked up Persuasion, the second book of the Curse of the Gods series, a few books after I finished Trickery. It didn’t matter the time it took me to get to this because it sucked me right into this mythical world with prankster gods and sassy servants in college.

Willa is still chaos personified; she keeps setting fire to things, tripping over nothing (and ending up losing her clothes somehow) and the boys are so into her. Their relationship has grown from the first book, so we get a lot of fun banter and sexual tension. There are some over-the-top situations as well but they are hilarious and provide a fun distraction from all the side plots that are developing.

This book goes into politics of gods and the Sols (gods-in-training) and some gods’ interest in Willa and the Sol brothers’ relationship. Even the steam is taken up a notch and the power dynamics among them are shifting, so things start getting really good.

I was more acclimated to the setting of the book, so I didn’t feel it was jarring like in Trickery. In fact, I realized I’m becoming interested in learning how the Sols grow and how they contribute to the world outside Blesswood – which I will hopefully find out in the next book.

If you’re a fan of fantasy and college romance, you should definitely take up this series. Read Trickery first and then jump over to Persuasion more steam and more drama. 

11. Lilac

Lilac: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

• Author – B.B. Reid
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, music, new adult, M M romance, adult, erotica,
• Content warning – Substance abuse, violence, pregnancy, bullying, religious bigotry
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 556
• Goodreads rating – 3.80
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$14.67

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I picked up this book because it was a rockstar + music band + touring kind of a story and sounded angsty. It delivered, big time.

Lilac starts with Braxton, our FMC, auditioning for the rock band ‘Bound’ after their guitarist dies under mysterious circumstances. The other band mates don’t like her, but they have no choice but to take her in because they are supposed to go on tour in three months.

At first there’s a lot of tension; there’s door-slammings, angry outbursts and a super tense atmosphere which then turn flirtatious. They go on tour in this decked-out tour bus (which was a plus for me because I love road trips in books) and they connect over past baggage, insecurities, and care they have toward each other.

Out of the bandmates, I liked Lauren the best because he’s light-hearted and fun, and the book needed some light-heartedness at times. Houston, the band leader and Rich, the drummer, weren’t too bad either but I found the former a bit too grumpy and the latter a bit too sensitive. Braxton was okay for me as an FMC. She’s great – she takes care of the boys and doesn’t give up on them, but I couldn’t relate to her character much.

Even so, this is a good book to explore the reverse harem genre with, especially if you’re into the music scene.

12. Triple-Duty Bodyguards

Triple-Duty Bodyguards : A Reverse Harem Romance

• Author – Lily Gold
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, contemporary romance, adult, polyamory, new adult, military fiction, erotica
• Content warnings – Stalking, kidnapping, sexual harassment/assualt, violence, gun violence
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 425
• Goodreads rating – 3.94
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$3.99

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Another Lily Gold book on my list because I simply swooned over Faking with Benefits. This book is about a Hollywood star, Briar, supposedly a diva but definitely a hated actress, and her ex-military bodyguards.

Briar has a stalker who is getting closer and closer to her, so she needs to have her bodyguards around her 24/7. The problem is that the guys – Glen, Kenta, and Matt – are incredibly hot and Briar finds herself attracted to them. The three men though, are dutiful and responsible and only look at her as their charge. Until they don’t!

There’s so many blush-inducing glances and heated moments and of course, a LOT of steamy scenes – Lily Gold doesn’t hold back with the smut. There’s something super hot about three overprotective men with baggage of their own falling head-over-heels for a sweetheart of an FMC whom they thought first was a diva.

Unlike Faking with Benefits which was all fluff and smut, Triple-Duty Bodyguards has some suspense and angst – given the whole stalker scenario and past trauma – but that doesn’t stop it from being cute as hell.

The ending is sweet (this is a romcom, afterall) if not a bit too unrealistic, but hey, you don’t see me complaining. If you want to try out a reverse harem a little closer to home than PNR or fantasy, this Hollywood diva’s story might do the trick.

13. Find Me

Find Me (WITSEC)

• Author – Ashley N. Rostek
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, dark, high school, new adult, contemporary romance, mystery, crime, romance suspense
• Content warnings – Violence, graphic killing, foul language, death of family
• Type – Standalone
• No. of pages – 274
• Goodreads rating – 4.40
• Spice meter – 🌶️

$14.99

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This book was an immediately-add-to-TBR because of its interesting premise. Find Me is a lot of suspense and tension, but the tragic start to the story is captivating. When the FMC Shiloh’s entire family is murdered by her stalker, she is in Witness Protection with a new identity scrambling to put her life together. The present day story starts with Shiloh settling in a new home with four hot brothers next door.

Shiloh is starting her senior year and she gets a lot of support from her neighbors; one thing I like about how they become friends is that there’s a lot of found-family vibes, which I’m a sucker for. I mean, it’s reverse harem alright, but can’t it be sweet and soulful at the same time?

I loved our MMCs because they are thoughtful and they respect Shiloh’s boundaries. They realize she’s dealing with some past horrors when she wakes up screaming from a nightmare, but they don’t probe and just support her, especially when kids at school start to bully her, until she is ready to be open with them.

The romance is slow, which I didn’t mind because it gave Shiloh time and space to get to know the boys individually. I love that they become friends first, instead of diving into smut right away.

Actually, nothing steamy happens until the second book, but beware of the content warnings because there’s some graphic, on-page violence and language that may be sensitive to some readers.

14. Gypsy Blood

Gypsy Blood (All The Pretty Monsters)

• Author – Kristy Cunning
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, paranormal, romance, vampires, paranormal romance, shapeshifters, urban fantasy, magic, werewolves
• Content warnings – Violence, death of a parent, kidnapping, injury/Injury detail
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 278
• Goodreads rating – 4.27
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$15.00

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Another PNR! This time, we have our Violet, a half-gypsy girl who can see ghosts – except she hasn’t known her entire life that ghosts, vampires, werewolves and all those monsters exist in her world. She moves into a small town, and bam, there’s myths, urban legends and gruesome tales all coming true.

I honestly thought she was a bit too naive about the whole thing given that she knows she isn’t an ordinary kid, but I’m not judging. Sort of. What redeemed Violet in my eyes is Anna, the friend, sidekick, and sassy ghost. She kept the banter going with a smutty remark or two that had me smiling and rolling my eyes at times.

As for the guys, we’ve got a monster killer (Vance), a werewolf (Emit), an incubus (Damien), and a vampire (Arion). As you can see, there’s a lot of variety and I liked them because they have distinctive personalities, motives, and a lot of issues between the four of them. Each interaction they had with Violet was interesting and made me long for more, but we don’t get much swoon time in the first book.

It’s mostly about worldbuilding and setting up characters so there’s hardly any plot development, but I liked the mesh of urban fantasy, the paranormal, and the gypsy world so I’m going to continue with the next book. Keep an eye out for a review on the next entry!

15. Groupie

Groupie (Rock-Hard Beautiful Trilogy)

• Author – C.M. Stunich
• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, music, new adult, erotica, menage, contemporary romance, adult, musicians
• Content warnings – Death of a parent, violence, cancer, miscarriage, sexual assault
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 396
• Goodreads rating – 4.11
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$12.99

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A book with rockstar + music + pining heroes, Groupie – not to be confused with Lilac – is an extremely smutty romance thankfully doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. All good stuff in one book.

Lilith, our FMC, is left broke after her father passes away. Hoping to sell her ticket for some cash, she goes to this concert by the band ‘Beauty in Lies’. But once she’s there, she meets the 5 band members and one thing leads to another and she ends up going on tour with them. The meet is a bit unrealistic truth be told, but let’s be honest, I’m not exactly reading reverse harem romances for realism.

There is a lot of smut – and I mean a LOT. To the world, Lilith just looks like a groupie (hence the title) but her connection with the boys grows as they start confiding in her and protecting her. The smut is not just searingly hot, but also painstakingly emotional and heartfelt. With her presence, Lilith manages to bring the boys closer together while dealing with some painful issues herself and it’s just beautiful to see how the angst and hurt turns into mutual respect and well, hots for each other.

If you are in the mood for some jaw-dropping smut and plenty of steamy scenes with two and more partners, you’ve come to the right book.

Some Final Thoughts on Reverse Harem Books

I’m hoping you’ve found your next read (or two!). And if you’re new to the trope, I hope you’re convinced to try out one: I recommend either Broken Bonds or Faking with Benefits.

If what you need is a break from day-to-day or a smutty read to get your pulse racing, you’re sorted on both accounts with a reverse harem book.

What to read next

I came out of these reverse harem books with a spice-induced blush on my face and I still wasn’t ready to move on. So I picked up some super smutty books to satisfy my spice cravings, and I think you’d like them too. Check out my list of best smut books.

FAQs

The post 15 Best Reverse Harem Books to Spice Up Your TBR! appeared first on Bookishnerd.

Fantasy smut – or romantasy – perfectly blends the imaginary world with the sensual scenes found in erotica novels. So if you’re looking for that fantasy smut kick, then check this list out – it’s got some fantastic fantasy smut that combines the thrilling worlds of fantasy with passion and steam.

The fantasy smut genre gives us a necessary escape from reality, letting us indulge in those not-so-secretly-kept desires in the safety of another world. That’s why it has really risen up the ranks in pop culture literature, especially among the most popular genres over at #BookTok and #Bookstagram. 

If you’re longing for a good fantasy smut, my spice meter will definitely help. Your smut preferences might vary, but the meter will give you some idea of the level of smut in each book. Lookout for 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and up for that extra spiciness!

🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

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Fourth Wing (Standard Edition) (The Empyrean, 1)

• Author – Rebecca Yarros
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, dragons, fantasy romance, new adult, magic, adult, high fantasy
• Content warnings – Bullying, death of an animal/a parent/friend, murder
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 528
• First publication – May, 2023
• Goodreads rating – 4.65
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$16.98

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Fourth Wing is the latest romantasy #booktok sensation and when my friend told me it had a war college with dragons and plenty of sexytimes, I hit ‘buy’ pretty much immediately. What can I say, the rest is history – Fourth Wing became my favorite fantasy smut book of all time because it managed to blend a fast-paced plot with incredible characters and accessible worldbuilding.    

Violet is one of the coolest FMCs I’ve come across in the genre; she battles with a chronic illness (inspired by Yarros’s struggle with the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) and handles her overbearing mother while proving everyone who underestimated her wrong. Her struggles become a matter of life and death as she trains to become a dragon rider before one of the dragons (or a fellow student) takes her life.  

I also really loved the romance! Xaden is such a menace to Violet but I understand why Violet couldn’t say no to him. He’s brooding, calm, freaking obsessed with Violet, and protects her with his life. The smut is to die for because the stakes are a lot higher when Violet and Xaden get together; the enemies-to-lovers trope always delivers the hottest spice, folks. 

I absolutely loved Violet’s found family. My heart melted for her when she realized that her ragtag bunch of friends truly got her back, after being misunderstood by her birth family all her life. But the issue with having such great secondary characters is that you get too attached to them, and then the author goes and kills certain ones off. I won’t say anything more here because *spoilers*, but Ms. Yarros, you may as well have ripped my heart out and fed it to a dragon. That would’ve hurt less than your plot twist. 

Fourth Wing is a great easy-to-read fantasy novel with beautiful characters and a wonderful plot. You get to read about high-stakes action, romance, and friendships (and dragons!) all in one book. If that sounds like an awesome combo for you, this is the book you should pick up next.

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A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 1)

• Author – Sarah J. Maas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, young adult, fae, retellings, new adult, magic, fantasy romance
• Content warning – Sexual abuse, murder, kidnapping, torture, death of an animal
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 419
• First publication – May, 2015
• Goodreads rating – 4.20
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.98

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A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) is hands down one of the best series in the fantasy smut genre. I started this book because of the raving reviews, especially about Sarah J. Maas’ writing style, and I finished it thanking the universe for its existence. 

That might have sounded a bit dramatic, but this is the greatest retelling of Beauty and the Beast I’ve read because it made me feel both nostalgic for the original version and excited about the new story. Maas truly did justice to the classic story with her unique style of writing by building an epic world where Feyre, our FMC, is being held captive by Tamlin, the beast. 

The enemies-to-lovers trope between Feyre and Tamlin is hot. There’s nothing like a good hate-fueled makeout scene, which Maas delivers with perfect execution. When Tamlin pinned Feyre to the wall in one scene, I really had to put the book down and take a breath. That said, Tamlin does come off as a little toxic sometimes, which I didn’t particularly like.

On the other hand, Rhysand, another High Lord who makes a few appearances, has a special place in my heart. He’s a morally gray character who kept me guessing his every move at every turn of the book. When I initially read this book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the series mostly because I wanted to see more of Rhysand. 

If you’re a fantasy smut pro or just dipping into the genre, this is one you should not miss out on in the slightest. It’s so well praised by fans for a reason – pick it up to explore a new world through Feyre’s eyes.

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A Court of Mist and Fury

• Author – Sarah J. Maas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, young adult, new adult, fae, fantasy romance, magic, high fantasy
• Content warning – Sexual abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, torture, murder
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 624
• First publication – May, 2016
• Goodreads rating – 4.64
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.98

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I immediately read A Court of Mist and Fury after ACOTAR because I couldn’t wait to see how the plot developed, and holy moly, A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) is probably my favorite in the whole series. Now, if you don’t want spoilers for the first book, I suggest skipping this review and reading ACOTAR first.

What I loved the most about ACOMAF was Feyre’s arc. Feyre learns to love herself and heal from all the trauma from the first book and after escaping Tamlin’s iron grip, she really comes into herself. Rhysand is such a great love interest; he is thoughtful, caring and always thinks of Feyre first. 

When Feyre finally escapes Tamlin, she trains with Rhysand, where they develop such a great dynamic, sweet and spicy at the same time. One of my favorite scenes is when Rhysand interrupts her wedding to Tamlin and takes her to his Night Court, she throws a freaking shoe at him – such a Feyre thing to do😄. They start from a rocky place caught in fae politics, and I love how their relationship transforms to one of deep commitment and love. 

Oh and they end up having so much fun together (if you know what I mean😉). A ton of graphic smut goes down between the pair, and I particularly enjoyed how the fast-paced nature of their sexual relationship balanced against the slow-burn of their romance. 

The story might be set in a whole other world but it’s ultimately one about difficult choices. The characters we meet in the story aren’t wholly good or bad so the choices they make are heart wrenching at times. The cliffhanger at the end had me screaming and I simply had to get the next book, which I did next. 

If you’ve read ACOTAR, don’t waste a single moment – jump on ACOMAF! A story of love, life, and the thin lines that lie in between awaits you.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 3)

• Author – Sarah J. Maas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, young adult, new adult, fae, fantasy romance, magic, high fantasy
• Content warnings – Sexual abuse, substance abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 703
• First publication – May, 2017
• Goodreads rating – 4.46
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$29.00

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The thing about fantasy is that you can’t get out of those worlds once you enter. So that’s why I picked up A Court of Wings and Ruins (ACOWAR) immediately after I finished ACOMAF. 

We need to begin this review by talking about our OTP, Rhysand and Feyre, because Maas gives us a healthy dose of insight into what comes after the HEA. I loved watching them fight together on the same team and overcome problems as a couple. Their bickering is hella cute too, and the smut doesn’t disappoint either. It has a TON of juicy sex scenes so get ready to settle in with some erotica. 

Now I have to say that ACOTAR was good, ACOMAF was great, but A Court of Wings and Ruin kinda fell flat for me. It could have been a bit of series exhaustion, but I found the writing to be a little on the tedious side. I’ve heard many of my reviewer friends complain that it requires another round of serious copyediting, which I completely agree with.

I did love the secondary characters though, especially Feyre’s sisters Nesta and Elain. They honestly couldn’t be more different from each other (Nesta is cold and calculating while Elain is gentle and sunny). Feyre’s personality is somewhere in the middle of her two sisters, so the Archeron family has a lot of family dynamics, drama, and love for us to indulge in. 

ACOWAR deals with some beautiful character development which you shouldn’t miss out on. If you fell in love (and developed an unhealthy attachment like me) with everyone in the Courts while reading the first two books in the series, then you’ll definitely enjoy reading this third installment. Go for it!

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 4)

• Author – Sarah J. Maas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, young adult, new adult, fae, fantasy romance, magic
• Content warnings – Substance abuse, torture
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 272
• First publication – May, 2018
• Goodreads rating – 3.78
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.06

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So this is the fourth in the fantastic ACOTAR series. Yes, I was a bit disappointed with the third entry, ACOWAR, but I’m such a big fan of this fantasy world that I couldn’t say no to this book. 

My first thought reading A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS) was “finally, a breather!” ACOFAS is sort of a Christmas novella where we get to see the day-to-day lives of the inner circle. It was honestly a welcome change from the fast-paced action and tension of the main series.

The smut in this book is yummy because it’s classic Maas-style erotica, especially in the pretty explicit Rhys-Feyre sex scenes. I love that Maas doesn’t compromise on the smut, even this late in the series. 

I love that we get to see the complexities of Nesta’s character. She’s cold and distant but she may be my most favorite Archeron sister (Feyre fans, don’t come for my head). Her battle with depression and substance abuse was really heartbreaking to read about. And oh my god, I ship Nesta and Cassian so much! Cassian goes all out for her; he’s completely and hopelessly smitten by her even though she refuses to let anyone in. 

Although it’s not a part of the main storyline, ACOFAS is a great bridge between the first three books and the fifth book. It’s a refreshing read about some of our favorite characters as they take on normal lives, with some delicious smut in the mix. Don’t miss out!

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A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 5)

• Author – Sarah J. Maas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fae, fantasy romance, new adult, adult, young adult, magic
• Content warnings – Sexual abuse, PTSD, miscarriage
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 757
• First publication – February, 2017
• Goodreads rating – 4.45
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$14.31

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I’ll admit it, I picked up this book because I wanted to see more of Nesta and Cassian (aka my loves) and I wasn’t disappointed because we got a whole romance about the pair here. After ACOMAF, A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF) remains my favorite from the ACOTAR series. 

To begin with, Nesta. Look, I know okay? I know that the fandom finds her difficult. But me, personally? I really like the complexity of her character. The depiction of her mental health, her struggles with alcoholism, and her difficulties in adjusting to a new world that she had been forced into felt very real to me. I feel like those experiences are universal when going through a particularly shitty time in life and that really moved me. In this book, we are able to see Nesta try and overcome these problems and put family (and herself) first. I love that for her!

And Cassian? Man, after Rhys, he’s my favorite MMC in this series. He’s so sweet and just genuinely funny. I shipped him and Nesta dearly so THANK THE STARS that these two finally decided to put aside their differences at the end of the book. I was thinking they’d do something stupid and not end up together (which I couldn’t have been able to handle – I’m fragile, yes). 

Also, ACOSF has the most amount of smut in the entire series (if that’s even possible after the shenanigans of Rhys and Feyre). Nesta and Cassian might take their sweet time getting to it, but when they do, they engage in some kinky sex. The scene where they have sex for the first time was simply *chef’s kiss*. Their smut is the perfect blend of rough and loving, and I have zero complaints about it. 

ACOSF is a heartwarming dark fantasy smut about two very complex characters. So if you’re into the opposites-attract trope in a complex fantasy world with some heavy smut, this is the book for you.

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Outlander

• Author – Diana Gabaldon
• Genre/Sub-genre – Historical fiction, romance, fantasy, time travel, historical, historical romance, adult, Scotland
• Content warnings – Child abuse, sexual abuse, self harm, murder, violence, torture
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 850
• First publication – June, 1991
• Goodreads rating – 4.26
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.25

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Outlander has a special place in my heart because it was my first book from the fantasy smut genre. I picked it up thinking it was a historical romance (I’m a bit of a history buff), and quickly learnt that it’s a brilliant historical romantasy. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the time travel in the book, when Claire is transported to 1700s Scotland while she is on her second honeymoon with her husband. There is so much vivid imagery about the Scottish highlands, including how they lived, cared for the sick and the struggles they faced – it felt like I myself was being transported back to 1743 with Claire. 

Now, historical details can be exhausting to some, but I swear in this book, it’s not. Gabaldon expertly brings in the context of the times while capturing the thrill of a fantasy novel and the dreaminess of a romance. I was so engrossed with the book that I barely felt the pages turning – it was that good!

And honestly, I could’ve read another 800 pages about Jamie, the Scots warrior that Claire meets when she lands in Scotland. He was so mysterious and thrilling, I felt like I had to know everything I could about him. It was fascinating to learn his story while understanding the reasons behind his actions.

Jamie and Claire’s relationship is just absolute goals. I love that their relationship progressed so realistically; they are from different eras and they took some time to adjust to each other. Claire, being a very thoughtful woman, doesn’t rush into anything. She gives off such confidence and self-assurance, and is quite possibly one of my favorite fictional women of all time.

The chemistry between the pair is off the charts. The wedding night scene between them was especially hot, as it was Claire taking charge of the night and starting things when she was ready. There is tons of sexual tension between the pair, giving us some pretty smutty scenes to read. 

I’m so glad this was my first historical fantasy smut, because Gabaldon delivers an epic of fantasy, time travel, and romance so flawlessly with this book. It’s got all our favorite storylines from history to thriller and romance with lots of smut in between, so pick it up for a slow burn and immersive reading experience.

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House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, 1)

• Author – Sarah J. Maas
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, fae, adult, new adult, fantasy romance, magic, paranormal
• Content warnings – Slavery, self harm, murder
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 803
• First publication – March, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 4.48
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$17.67

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I love a good urban fantasy any day. Sarah J. Maas’ fae fantasies really did it for me, so I decided to read House of Earth and Blood (an urban fantasy combined with some yummy smut, of course) and it was just perfect on all counts. 

I have a special spot for FMCs who are not destined to be heroines as it gives me all the feels that characters like Katniss gave me when I first read them as a teenager. Bryce is one such FMC, who’d honestly be anywhere else other than with a notorious fallen angel, at the heart of a criminal investigation. Even though she doesn’t want to be a hero, I admire her determination in the face of all odds against her. 

And can we take a moment to talk about Hunt? He’s a fallen angel, forced into servitude for rebelling – so when I say he’s the perfect archetype for the rebellious MMC, I really mean that.

I loved the hate/love relationship between Hunt and Bryce. They had so much angst and sexual tension between each other that at one point I wanted to put the book down and yell at the two of them to get on with it already. You have to be a little patient with the book – the angst will drive you crazy but once you get to the good stuff, there’s no turning back. 

It’s a fantasy combined with urban mystery, including a lot of different mythical creatures from merpeople to werewolves, and I swallowed it whole. If you’re into a slow burn, mystery-thriller urban fantasy with that classic hate/love trope, then this is the book for you. Sarah J. Maas fans, you won’t be disappointed!

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From Blood and Ash

• Author – Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, new adult, vampires, fiction, paranormal, young adult, adult, high fantasy
• Content warnings – Slavery, sexual assault, child abuse, adult-teenager relationship, death of a parent/friend/child, murder, torture, violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 622
• First publication – March, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 4.25
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$18.31

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From Blood and Ash has raving reviews literally everywhere – from Goodreads to #BookTok to BookTube. I knew I had to read it to see what all the hype was about, and oh my god, it turned out to be an angsty bodyguard/maiden love story. I absolutely love it when the plot is driven by the choice between duty and desire as it makes everything forbidden and more tense. 

Book 1 of the Blood and Ash series follows Poppy, a Maiden who was chosen by birth to usher in a new era to her kingdom. She spends her days with her guards, waiting for the day of the Ascension – a mysterious ceremony for the anointing of new royals. Hawke is one such guard, who particularly gets on her very last nerve. 

Poppy is one of my favorite FMCs in the fantasy genre as she’s a quietly rebellious girl who takes things into her hands (like by sneaking out of the castle) and faces problems. Even though she’s a fantasy character, it’s so easy to keep up with how she faces numerous challenges, thanks to her hilarious one liners and incredible sass. Her bravery made her all the more inspiring for me. 

Hawke is literally her knight in shining armor. He’s fiercely protective of Poppy AND he knows how to treat her like a princess everywhere it matters! 😉

I love a good forbidden romance – we can feel the tension between Poppy and Hawke from the beginning of theirs. Their chemistry is sizzling, what with all that sneaking around, the angst, the longing, the stolen glances. All of this also makes the smut absolutely delicious.  

In addition to the relationship development between our two MCs, I really admired the suspense levels in the plot. I was on the edge of my seat as Armentrout threw plot twist upon plot twist at us, making the book impossible to put down once I started reading it. 

The suspense, the drama, the immersive new world, and the complex characters make this book the perfect fantasy, so give it a go and find out how the forbidden romance takes flight in this one!

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash Book 2)

• Author – Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, new adult, vampires, paranormal, adult, magic, high fantasy
• Content warnings – Sexual abuse, self harm, murder
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 637
• First publication – September, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 4.38
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$8.99

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Heads up! I mentioned the plot twists in book 1 of Blood and Ash – From Blood and Ash – and the review about book 2 will contain a major spoiler so if you haven’t read Book 1 yet, skipping this review is a good idea.

That being said, once I read that plot twist from the first book, I knew I had to read A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire too to find out what on earth was going on. Strap in, because it’s a wild ride. 

First, Hawke. Or is it Cas now? His character development is literally out of this world. From the caring knight we were introduced to in book 1 to the Dark One we get to know in this book, he had me flipping the pages just on his own. He’s OTT protective of Poppy but has to work hard to rebuild her trust after his betrayal from book 1, which gives us a good look at the dynamics of an imperfect relationship between Hawke and Poppy. 

Poppy remains one of my favorite FMCs in the fantasy smut genre for good reason. She really comes into her character in this book, where we see her becoming independent and strong. She doesn’t wait for Cas or anybody else to save her as she battles her own demons and enemies, and Cas is incredibly supportive of the way she learns to look after herself. I was sobbing my eyes out at some of the tender, vulnerable moments between these two. 

And the smut? The tenderness just makes the smut between Cas and Poppy all the better. They learn about their vulnerabilities while giving us kinky, toe-curling smut to swoon over.

The story is a little slow-paced though, when compared to book 1. There’s some repetitive monologue which kind of bored me, but the world building and plot lines are as amazing as in the first book. 

It’s got that perfect mix of action and romance because it follows a superb female lead and a complicated MMC as they navigate a world full of betrayal and enemies – give it a chance if you loved From Blood and Ash!

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The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash)

• Author – Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, fantasy romance, romance, new adult, vampires, paranormal, adult, magic, high fantasy
• Content warnings – Death of a parent/sibling/child, torture, murder, kidnapping
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 645
• First publication – April, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 4.20
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$17.60

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After I fell in love with the Poppy-Cas ship in the first two books of the Blood and Ash series, I had to read the third one to see how that ship would sail. And oh boy, this book has a devil’s mix of romance, smut, action, and fantasy to keep you hooked. 

Let’s start this review with my OTP – Poppy and Cas. All hail to the King and Queen, because these two do not just rule their world, they rule mine too. When they said “I love you” to each other, it ruined me completely (in the best way possible). 

Also, the smut between these two is amazing! Hats off to Cas because he gets around to doing all the kinky things he promised Poppy he’d do on their wedding night. There’s also some interesting voyeurism with Kieran (Cas’ best friend) which doesn’t venture as far as a threesome, but is still pretty eyebrow-raising. Speaking of, I love Kieran almost as much as I love Cas and I certainly hope we get more of him. 

There are some truly heart wrenching moments in this book too. I love it when one MC is injured and the other MC would move the world to make them alright, and that happens in this book. It tore my heart out, but I thank Armentrout for giving us that scene. 

I’ve been a massive fan of the Blood and Ash series from book 1, and this third book really cemented my praise for it. It’s got to be my favorite book from the series because of the romantasy and the action made an unbeatable combo for a fantasy smut. I recommend this for you if you’re looking for a steamy romance set in a world of exciting action!

The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia Book 1)

• Author – Carissa Broadbent
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, vampires, paranormal, adult, new adult, magic, high fantasy
• Content warnings – Sexual assault, violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 532
• First publication – August, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 4.38
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$6.99

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Let me tell you this – I was not ready for what The Serpent and the Wings of Night did to me, because it destroyed me on a whole other level. After coming across the book during a fantasy smut binge, I never knew it would change my life like it has. 

Oraya, our FMC, has all the odds working against her because those around her will literally eat her the first chance they get, but she doesn’t let that stop her from achieving her goals. She’s the picture of fierceness when she takes on the competition to death, to prove to the world that she does not need to be guarded every second of her life. 

And that’s where she meets the deadly (but also big softie on the inside) vampire, Raihn. Think Hunger Games meets Twilight meets Vampire Mates. In fantasy smut, I absolutely love a dangerous yet conflicted male love interest and Raihn is exactly that, mourning for his lost mortality while trying to tame the monster inside of him. 

The romance between the pair is an agonizing yet ever-so-satisfying slow burn. It was the perfect pacing for me because they go from being enemies to allies and then cautious friends to lovers who are head-over-heels for each other. Their hilarious banter combined with pretty explosive smut ticked all my boxes for a great fantasy smut. After reading this book, I’m definitely on the lookout for more Carissa Broadbent novels (I’ve heard that Mother of Death and Dawn is particularly good too). Don’t miss out on this heart wrenching, pulse-racing novel!

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A Touch of Darkness (Hades x Persephone Saga, 1)

• Author – Scarlett St. Clair
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, mythology, retellings, greek mythology, fantasy romance, new adult, adult
• Content warnings – Sexual assault, death of a parent/child, substance abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 379
• First publication – May, 2019
• Goodreads rating – 3.84
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$6.68

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The beauty of fantasy is the sheer variety of retellings that exist. From classic fairy tales to Greek mythology and Norse mythology, you’ll find a bit of it all in this genre. One of my favorites is storylines which involve our Greek Gods, and that’s why I read A Touch of Darkness – an urban fantasy about Persephone and Hades. 

I’m a huge Greek history fan and Hades has always been my favorite God (yes, I like my men dark and ready to burn the world for me). St. Clair did true justice to the OG Hades in her retelling, making him such a lovable character. We get to understand his motives, and the insta-attraction he feels towards Persephone is beautifully portrayed. 

It had such a Neon Gods (which I reviewed in my list of best smut books!) vibe to it as we get to see gods living among mortals in the modern times. That’s how Persephone and Hades meet in this retelling, because Hades owns a chain of nightclubs in the human world. 

The smut is sinfully hot. Honestly, most of the latter half of this book is just smut without plot. Do I have any complaints about that? Of course not, because the chemistry between Hades and Persephone is sizzling🔥. 

If you’re looking for a quick burn, extremely smutty urban fantasy about two of the most famous Greek Gods, then this is the book for you. Block out a weekend and get to it.

The Bridge Kingdom

• Author – Danielle L. Jensen
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, new adult, adult, high fantasy, young adult, young adult fantasy
• Content warnings – Child abuse, self harm, non consensual drugging
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 356
• First publication – October, 2018
• Goodreads rating – 4.06
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.99

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I was convinced by #BookTok to read The Bridge Kingdom because the reviewers said the book had the enemies to lovers trope combined with a marriage of convenience. I couldn’t say no to that combination, so here we are now, about to review it as one of my favorite fantasy smut books. 

There were so many things I enjoyed about this book from the plot to the captivating writing and the extremely likable characters. Let’s start with the plot. Yes, the whole ‘marriage of convenience to your enemy whom you end up falling for’ has been done before, but there was something captivating about the way Jensen brought political plot twists into the quasi-magical world she had built with remarkable ease. It was so interesting to read about the different nations surrounding Ithicana, and the mystery revolving around Ithicana itself. 

Now let’s get to Lara, the woman of the hour. She’s absolutely amazing! I loved that she’s ruthless but also self-sacrificing, incredibly committed to duty, and willing to change her views on a subject when presented with new information. There’s no beating around the bush with her. She makes decisions fast and knows how to step up to the occasion. She’s honestly the best companion for King Aren, who’s loyal and committed to his subjects. 

The chemistry between these two sizzles slowly but once they realize their attraction to each other, they cannot keep their hands off of each other. I love that we get to see all those angsty moments of longing turning into insatiable smutty desire.

If you’re looking for an intriguing fantasy smut with the right amount of political mystery, combined with angsty tropes such as enemies to lovers, then this is the book for you.

Gild

• Author – Raven Kennedy
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, fae, retellings, adult, new adult, mythology, magic
• Content warning – Sexual assault, child abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 402
• First publication – October, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 3.61
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$5.99

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Oh my god, this book was complicated but also such a compelling read. A friend recommended this to me when I said I was into fantasy smut, and I couldn’t put down the book until I finished it. 

This is a retelling of the story of Greek King Midas, who has the ability to turn anything into gold with his touch, and Auren, his favorite captive who has been blessed with his golden touch. The story follows the war between six kingdoms and how Auren is being used as a political pawn by the men around her. 

Auren is such a well-developed character. Her Stockholm syndrome is perfectly portrayed in the book while we also get to see her bravery and empathy. She’s always ready to stand up for others and help those in need, making it very easy for us to root for her. 

King Midas is a very complex MMC – some find his actions questionable and I can see why. While I could see how he truly cared for Auren, he was also extremely possessive of her. There was also Commander Rip whom I kept being drawn to. All I know is that my Sammy-senses are tingling and since this was just book 1 of the series, I’m super excited to see where book 2 takes me.  

There is so much graphic smut in this book – think about the level of smut in Game of Thrones, and you have an indication of how graphic it is. Be warned though, this is not your typical hero meets the heroine archetype, so it’s not for the faint of heart. There were a lot of dubcon scenes which I really wasn’t a fan of. 

However, if you’re on the lookout for complex worldbuilding, morally gray characters, and lots of graphic smut, Gild is a great choice. It’s got a captivating storyline, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Rhapsodic (The Bargainer Book 1)

• Author – Laura Thalassa
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, paranormal, new adult, fae, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, magic, adult
• Content warning – Sexual assault, child abuse
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 423
• First publication – November, 2016
• Goodreads rating – 3.95
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.27

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Rhapsodic was another recommendation by a fellow fantasy smut nerd, and it truly lives up to the hype. The extremely steamy romance between Callie and Des (our MCs) and the fast-paced plot were just incredible when it came to creating a captivating world of fantasy.

Getting straight to it, the romance is the best thing about this book because Callie and Des are goals, period. They’ve gone from being best friends to enemies to cautious allies to friends again, and then eventually and finally, to lovers. Their chemistry keeps you enthralled from the beginning and it keeps you entertained because the banter between the pair is the cutest thing ever. 

I loved that we get to see their past relationship in parallel to the current one, as we get to learn how they lost their previous friendship and the work that is ongoing to rebuild their current one. There are so many truly heartwarming instances between these two, from when Des agrees to finish watching the Harry Potter series with her to Des beating the stuffing out of the teacher who assaults Callie. 

Des is one of those morally gray characters you can’t help but love. Kind of a villain, but the most endearing, puppy dog kind. Callie’s no-nonsense attitude is the perfect match for him, keeping him on his toes. She too is a morally gray character because of her magical ‘siren’ abilities, which represent her wicked side alongside her sexual desires. 

And the smut between these two is off the charts. Right from the get go, I was just waiting for Des and Callie to get together. The spicy moments strike the perfect balance between heartwarmingly tender and excitingly wicked. 

If you’re looking for an easy-to-read fantasy with lots of fluffy smut and sizzling chemistry between the two MCs with a second chance romance/friendship, then this is the book for you!

A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows

• Author – Holly Renee
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, fae, vampires, paranormal, magic, adult, new adult
• Content warnings – Sexual assault, violence
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 259
• First publication – July, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 3.84
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.99

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A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows (AKOSAS) is new to the fantasy smut genre, but has fantastic reviews so I had to check it out. I may have come for the fantasy, but I stayed for Everyn, our MMC, and the man of my dreams. 

So we have fae, vampires, an arranged marriage, and forbidden romance: all the perfect ingredients for a really good fantasy book. Adara, a star-blessed human, is arranged to marry the crowned prince but it’s the Prince’s half-breed bastard brother, Everyn, that has her craving for something more than a political alliance. 

Everything from Everyn’s dirty mouth to his talent on the battlefield and his seductive skills to his hilarious one liners has got me daydreaming. The hold this man has on me is real (and slightly concerning, if I say so myself). And the fact that he is forbidden? That just makes him all the more tempting. 

Honestly, I don’t know how Adara managed to say no to the temptation for so long. She’s also such a free spirit, determined not to let fate make the final call on her life. 

The forbidden sexual attraction between Adara and Everyn also just kept adding to how hot the smut was. Most of the plot was a lot of smut and angst, and I was on the edge of my seat, fanning myself as I read it. The spice starts very early on in the book, and it’s extremely descriptive. I loved seeing how these two sneaked around to get handsy with each other.

But I do wish we had more of the fantasy element in the plot. Renee spends a lot of time on the smut, which is awesome, but I also wanted to see more worldbuilding and action. This also meant we didn’t get to see Adara’s character development as well as I would’ve liked. 

Overall, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, quick burn fantasy smut which is an easy page turner, AKOSAS is the one for you. It’s that easy weekend fantasy read for your guilty pleasure.

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Trial of the Sun Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos)

• Author – Nisha J. Tuli
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, fae, new adult, adult, magic, high fantasy, paranormal
• Content warnings – Sexual assault, violence, death
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 400
• First publication – November, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 3.93
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$13.50

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I absolutely love fantasies that feature a compelling challenge or trial. There’s just something about the tension of the heroine having to get through numerous perilous trials to get to what she wants that has me fully at attention. When I heard that Trial of the Sun Queen has a similar trope, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. 

The trials in this book are EXCELLENT. I loved the female dynamics and the fierce competition between the nine women for the title of Sun Queen, which comes with a bond to Atlas, the Sun King. Lor, our FMC, faces all of these trials with admirable resilience. We really get to see her survival instincts and attitude come out as she utilizes the skills she gathered as a prisoner.

Atlas is possessive (as is expected from a Sun King) and soon falls in love with Lor. I can definitely see why Lor fell for him – I mean, who doesn’t want to marry a king, right? He’s a bit of a charmer and the enemies-to-lovers dynamics between the pair was enjoyable to read about. But since this is high fantasy, I have a sneaking suspicion that Atlas is not all he seems to be (waiting to read the rest of the series to see if I’m right!). 

The plot was a little predictable at times, but Tuli’s writing kept me involved in the story. It’s a lot of worldbuilding but she doesn’t overload us with information, making this a light, enjoyable read. 

If you’re looking for an easy-to-read high fantasy fae novel with fluffy smut and a badass heroine, this is the book for you. Give it a try and thank me later!

The Awakening (Dover Thrift Editions: Classic Novels)

• Author(s) – Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, paranormal, fae, fantasy romance, new adult, vampires, magic, paranormal romance
• Content warnings – Sexual harassment, bullying
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 436
• First publication – July, 2019
• Goodreads rating – 3.90
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

$4.00

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First off, I admit I have a soft spot for fantasy books set in academic settings – there’s just something about them that’s so irresistible! But fair warning: The Awakening, the first of the Zodiac Academy series, might not be everyone’s cup of tea due to its heavy bullying storyline and some elements of dubious consent.

However, once you dive in, you can go on a thrilling journey into a magical academy where students are connected to their zodiac signs and wield incredible powers. There’s not just one FMC but two: the twins Tory and Darcy Vega, and when they are thrust into this world of fae, magic, and intrigue, there is an epic adventure waiting for them. 

Now, while there are no explicit scenes, I am happy to report that the teasing, banter, and the foreplay are so electric that I kept blushing over every interaction. 

So if you’re like me and adore academies of magic and intrigue, and you’re up for a read that’s as enchanting as it is steamy, The Awakening is a wild, enchanting ride that’ll leave you craving more!

Flames of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms Book 1)

• Author – Amelia Hutchins
• Genre/Sub-genre – Fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, paranormal, witches, dark, magic, adult, fae, paranormal romance
• Content warnings – Sexual assault
• Type – Series
• No. of pages – 563
• First publication – January, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 3.76
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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Flames of Chaos is one sizzling fantasy read that’ll set your world on fire! The algorithm whispered its name one day, and I couldn’t resist the temptation. Let me tell you, it’s like walking into a steamy, fantastical, fever dream.

The first half of the story? Pure, unadulterated smut – and boy was I there for it! Knox and Aria, our fiery MCs, have this insane sexual chemistry that ignites the pages. And when they got down to business, my mind just went whoa. Hutchins said she liked her books spicy, and she wasn’t kidding – there’s enough heat in the book to melt a glacier.

But this isn’t your cute, cuddly, fairy tale romance. Knox and Aria have their own agendas that pit them against each other – Knox is out for revenge, and Aria is on the other side of that plan. The tension, the longing, the power struggle – I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle all of it. But I did, and it was pure perfection.

So, if you’re craving a fantasy with a heavy dose of smut, this one will leave you hot and bothered in the best possible way!

So that rounds up my top fantasy smut picks! From urban and mythical to magical and mystical, fantasy smut books are a real treat when you need to travel into an epic world right from your reading chair. My list has a pretty wide variety of fantasy settings, but the common factor? You guessed it. The spice is swoonworthy in every book in the midst of warring nations or fae courts, so take your pick for some fantasy smut indulgence.

Fourth Wing is a must-read because Rebecca Yarros gives us a fascinating combo of enemies-to-lovers trope, a badass FMC, a brooding heartthrob of an MMC, and dragons. I absolutely loved reading it and cannot wait for the second book, Iron Flame. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first from its series, is definitely in my fantasy smut hall of fame. Sarah J. Maas is such a popular novelist because many people love this series of hers. From her complex world building to her steamy smut, Maas does a fantastic job with this book, making it a must read in the genre. 

Outlander is a favorite of mine (and not just because it introduced me to this genre). Diana Gabaldon develops this beautiful love story set in 1743 Scotland, while exploring themes of femininity, violence, and duty. It’s such a fantastic historical romance of a woman caught between two men from different worlds, with some delicious smut scenes to satisfy our cravings.

If fantasy smut books hit the sweet spot for you, my list of best smut books is definitely up your alley. Check it out and indulge, folks!

The post 20 Best Fantasy Smut Books to Transport You to Another World appeared first on Bookishnerd.

I love that I can pick up an Emily Henry book and transport myself to a place so far away yet incredibly real because her writing is so powerful. She has this style of writing that’s both witty and atmospheric – I simply can’t get enough. Honestly, I’d read anything she writes, even a grocery list (which, incidentally, is the name of her newsletter – check it out!). 

Her contemporary romances made her an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, but before she got to the romance genre, she wrote a few YA fantasy books. Overall, she’s published four adult contemporary romance books (with one upcoming book!) and four YA books – all of which I’ve covered in my list!

The adult contemporary romance novels have some spice in them, so my spice meter can come in handy! Your smut preferences might vary, but the meter will give you some idea of the level of smut in each book.

🌶️– sexual language and a little on-page action

🌶️🌶️– a lot of sexual language and some on-page action, may be occurring couple times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– some explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring very frequently

Let’s get to the reviews!

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Book Lovers

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance , fiction, contemporary, contemporary romance, audiobook, adult, chick lit, books about books, adult fiction, new adult
• Content warnings – Panic attacks, death of a parent (off-page), grief, pregnancy
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 377
• First publication – May, 2022
• Goodreads rating – 4.16
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$9.69

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I’d been waiting for this book for a year since it was announced, and I made sure it hit my Kindle Library as soon as it was out. 

I’ll start by saying that this book left a bigass smile on my face. It was the most heartwarming and ‘breaking-into-giggles’ kinda book for a life-long reader, and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. 

Nora, our FMC, is tough as nails and didn’t appeal to me in the first pages, but the love she had for her little sister, Libby, won me over. Charlie, our MMC, didn’t appeal to me at all in the first few chapters, but that’s because he’s written from Nora’s POV – and she hates him😅.

We meet our MCs in the big city first and then (after Libby nags Nora to no end) in Sunshine Falls, a charming little town. Nora is first annoyed, and then intrigued to run into Charlie, the rude and uptight (or so she thought) editor, but it turns out Sunshine Falls is his hometown. 

What ensues is some conversations where they hash out past misunderstandings (the banter is to die for), some professional flirting (via emails! So cute!), fluffy feelings, and a dash of spice. Along the way, we see Nora coming to terms with past grief and present life changes, Charlie looking after his family, both of them teaming up to solve a client’s crisis, and making friends with the entirety of Sunshine Falls. It’s like Emily Henry took all the small town tropes and turned them around to create perfection. 

I related to this book so hard. Not to the story or the plot, but to the little bits that make the characters real and lovable, and to random sentences that warmed my reader’s heart. The rickety old bookshops, book scented perfume, references to my favorite books and authors, growing up with books, growing old with them, writing, editing, publishing… Little slices of my life were embedded in a story so charming, that it was the most wonderfully surreal experience to read this book. 

If you’re a passionate reader, you might’ve already read this book, but if you haven’t, this is the sign to read it. I promise you it would be an absolute treat, especially if you’re in a reading slump – pick it up for a pick-me-up!

Happy place

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fiction, contemporary, audiobook, adult, contemporary romance, chick lit, adult fiction, realistic fiction, book club
• Content warning – Death of a parent, grief, depression, recreational alcohol and drug use, pregnancy
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 400
• First publication – April, 2023
• Goodreads rating – 4.09
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

$7.95

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You know how I feel about second chance romances, so when Emily Henry announced Happy Place, I squealed and set myself up for a long wait. Once it came out – you guessed it – I read it in one sitting, skipping two meals and one sleep.

It was absolutely worth the wait! Happy Place had all the wholesome feels of a holiday home, summery vibes, found-family trope, and amid these, we also had the deliciously soul-crushing angst from Harriet and Wyn’s second-chance romance. 

Their break up was a mess – they’ve been together for so long when Wyn broke up with Harriet over a four-minute phone call, leaving Harriet (and us) with a lot of questions. Why was it just a phone call? What led to the break up? Why doesn’t Wyn respond to her at all when she reaches out? Henry answers them, but not as directly as we want her to. 

The book alternates between the present, where the friend group is having a last hurrah before the Maine cottage is sold, and flashbacks to the past, when they all met each other during college days and our two MCs fell for each other. It was heart-wrenching to read about Harriet and Wyn meeting and falling in love, as opposed to now, how they still yearn for each other while guarding their hearts against more pain. 

Happy Place is a lot more introspective than any other book by Emily Henry because second chance romance always needs a lot of ground to establish the first love story, clear the air, and show us how the leads fall in love the second time around, which in this book gave me hair-pulling frustration. Harriet has people pleasing tendencies so she avoids conflict and change and Wyn has always been quiet and insecure, so they spend most of the book not really communicating.

Miscommunication is a part of their break up as well, so if you dislike the trope, here’s my heads up. I don’t like that trope either, but the way Emily Henry handled the narrative was pure perfection, so I can live with that. 

So if you want a summer romance with holiday vibes and some angst thrown in, Happy Place is an awesome choice. The title is deceiving, by the way – there will be tears.

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Beach Read

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, contemporary, fiction, contemporary romance, adult, chick lit, audiobook, adult fiction, books about books, new adult
• Content warning – Loss of a parent, anxiety/panic attacks, stroke (parent, not on page), grief, loss depiction
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 400
• First publication – May, 2020
• Goodreads rating – 4.02
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$9.33

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Beach Read will always have a special place in my heart because it’s the first Emily Henry book I’ve read (and also because the plot is based on writer’s block, which I entirely empathize with 😅).

January and Gus have been college rivals, and after some ‘she said – he said’ shenanigans back at college, January is convinced Gus has no respect for the romance genre she writes in. She doesn’t care much for the books he writes either because, in her words, ‘he kills off his entire cast.’ 

Both are annoyed to find out they are neighbors for the summer, both nursing writer’s block on their separate projects. Enter the genre swap (which I thought was the cutest thing a pair of bickering writers could do). They agree to swap genres for the summer, with January showing Gus how she finds romance in everyday moments, and him showing her how he conducts research for his literary fiction project. 

Along with a lot of trips downtown, a hike into the wild, some tanning together, and a few feedback sessions, we see Gus and January falling in love. They are both smart, funny, and witty people so the banter is on point. Gus’s ‘I’ve been in love with you whole time’ complements January’s insecurities, and her genuinity cures him of his broody ‘I don’t believe in happily-ever-afters.’ 

I loved the banterful, bickering, and cutesy ride of the two of them falling in love, but in this book, my biggest highlight was how they wrote together. As a writer myself, it was truly a chef’s kiss to see how two different kinds of writers worked together and fell in love along the way.If college rivals-turned-work buddies falling in love is your jam, Beach Read is a fabulous pick for you. January and Gus are a perfect Emily Henry special served with banter and a side of sweetness – you have to indulge.

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People We Meet on Vacation

• Genre/Sub-genre – Romance, fiction, contemporary, contemporary romance, audiobook, adult, chick lit, adult fiction, travel, new adult
• Content warning – Physical injury and illness, death of a parent, childbirth complications, death of a pet
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 364
• First publication – May, 2021
• Goodreads rating – 3.90
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$8.80

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This is the book that made me fall for Emily Henry and for that reason, People We Meet on Vacation and its adorable MCs, Poppy and Alex, will always be special to me. 

They are the unlikeliest of friends – Poppy is outgoing and boisterous, Alex is introverted and funny, but they find ways to make it work. Ever since they left college, they’ve been taking a week-long trip to any place they can think of but two summers ago, everything went wrong and they split apart – I’m not sharing why because it’s a spoiler!

Poppy desperately wants to try and be friends with Alex again, and miraculously, he agrees to go on one trip. I first thought Alex was too aloof and brusque but I changed my mind when I realized where his demeanor comes from. The guy is in love with Poppy and he’s afraid she doesn’t want him the same way he wants her. 

Poppy is a bit oblivious, yes, but she’s adorable and puts in so much effort to make their trip work – because she’s in love with him too. So these two very cute dumbasses go on a life-defining trip, and after a delicious one bed trope and a confession-in-rain later, they finally get together. 

I’m still in awe of how Emily Henry managed to write this book so beautifully because it was utterly fairy-tale-like and heartbreakingly real at the same time. I gotta say, taking the much popular friends-to-lovers trope to write an original story that’s not at all formulaic is nothing short of magic. 

Check this book out if you want all the feels of falling in love slowly and inevitably, accompanied with a lot of nostalgia for your own friendships and summer trips.

The Love That Split the World

• Genre/Sub-genre – Young adult, romance, fantasy, contemporary, time travel, magical realism, fiction, science fiction, paranormal, mystery
• Content warnings – Teen drinking, alcoholic tendencies, blood, injuries, recurring nightmare
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 396
• First publication – January, 2016
• Goodreads rating – 3.60
• Spice meter – No spice!

$10.99

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At first, I wasn’t super tempted to read Emily Henry’s YAs; I’ve been spoiled by her amazing contemporary romances and couldn’t figure how her early work could live up to her current authorship. But one day I decided to pick up her debut, The Love That Split the World, and immediately regretted not reading it sooner. 

This story is so different from what I’ve known as Henry’s work. The genre is YA with romance as a big part of the plot, but in The Love That Split the World, we have supernatural, magic realism, and even thriller elements which worked so well together that I was awestruck by how they all blended without a hiccup. But blend they did, because Natalie and Beau’s story is just as beautiful as any other work by Emily Henry. 

Natalie, our FMC, has a native American heritage that shines through the stories she hears and shares across the book. Adopted into a small town Kentucky family, she struggles with her identity and Grandmother’s stories help her understand her true self. 

Mostly though, the stories and Natalie’s deep-buried memories are the key to discovering who needs to be saved and how. While she’s frantically grasping at anything to figure out who’s in danger, she runs into Beau, our MMC, who seems real and unreal at the same time and lives in a replica of her town with subtle differences. This adds to the mystery because they both have to figure out if they are time traveling, crossing a parallel world, or merely seeing things.

If that throws you in for a loop, don’t worry, because Henry writes so elegantly that everything is cohesive and easy to follow. It was slow to start but once the book picked up pace, steady friendships, loving family relationships, and cute banter took the stage and worked their magic.

If you are in the mood for a slow, magical read, this YA book can do wonders. You only need to pick up the book and give it time to build up the pace – it will snatch you right into the imaginative world that Emily Henry built.

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A Million Junes

• Genre/Sub-genre – Young adult, fantasy, romance, magical realism, fiction, contemporary, audiobook, paranormal, young adult fantasy, magic
• Content warning – Alcohol consumption, grief and loss depiction, death of a parent recounted, death of a sibling recounted, death of an animal, Alzheimer’s disease
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 400
• First publication – May, 2017
• Goodreads rating – 3.86
• Spice meter – No spice!

$10.99

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I loved Emily Henry’s first young adult book, and it seemed natural to pick up the second because it was yet another YA that looked like it fits on all young adult, fantasy, and thriller shelves in the bookstore. 

A Million Junes is best described as a modern Romeo and Juliet-esque story with a paranormal setting, but thankfully, June and Saul (our FMC and MMC) are a few years older and actually communicate. Side note: this book has some cutesy and angsty email flirting that reminded me of Nora and Charlie’s banter in Book Lovers – makes sense, considering it’s the same author 😅.

There’s always been myth and magic surrounding the O’Donnells and Angerts, not limited to their century-old rift. June, for example, has been able to see ghosts since she was a child and now she can visit memories of other people through ‘Whites’ – the snowflake/dandelion-like things that float around her house.

Watching past memories with Saul, she finds out that some things may not be what she believed them to be, not even her father who passed away a decade ago. Shaken by what they see, June and Saul try to get to the root of the animosity between their families and discover a painful truth. They have to figure out how to break the generational curse or let each other go, so the story moves with gun-clenching anticipation for what happens next.

So when Emily Henry said young adult, she didn’t mean the lighthearted kind. This book is heavy with grief, moving on from grief, unlearning the past, and navigating the trials of growing up amid it all. That said, Henry doesn’t make it difficult for us to read it. Her writing is as witty, intriguing, and atmospheric as ever, and the purity of June and Saul’s story make up for the emotionally rough bits in the book. 

Pick up this book for a slow, immersive read when you want to sink into a world full of magic and ghosts where memories float in the air.

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When the Sky Fell on Splendor

• Genre/Sub-genre – Young Adult, science fiction, fiction, fantasy, mystery, paranormal, contemporary, audiobook, magical realism, aliens
• Content warning – Kidnapping, death, murder, grief, trauma, abandonment
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 384
• First publication – March, 2019
• Goodreads rating – 3.34
• Spice meter – No spice!

$7.50

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Let me preface this by saying I’m not a sci-fi girl and the only reason I picked up this book was the fact that it was written by Emily Henry – and I did tell you I’d even read a grocery list by the woman. Emily Henry has gone on record saying this is her favorite book she’s written and I simply had to know why. 

Right off the bat, I found that this novel is a heavy hitter; it’s a breathtaking narrative about grief, community, family you are born into, and the family you find. As I learned from Beach Read, Emily Henry excels in writing books about grief and how it affects you. This is a really touching story and Franny was a very relatable protagonist to follow. Her writing is also so elegant and moving that I was constantly stopping in the middle of reading to highlight and tab a page or paragraph. 

All that said though, the pacing was atrocious. I picked this up for a quick read but it took me almost a whole week to work through it, mostly because nothing really happens until you cross the halfway point. I’m also not a big science/math fan so my eyes glazed over the sections on black holes, Fibonacci sequence, and space/time conundrums. 

That said, if you are someone who enjoys genre mashups and intelligent books about found family, you’d love When the Sky Fell on Splendor. It is a truly unique YA novel and I can really understand why this is the author’s favorite book.

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Hello Girls

• Authors – Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry
• Genre/Sub-genre – Young adult, contemporary, fiction, audiobook, realistic fiction, young adult contemporary, coming of age, feminism, teen, road trip
• Content warning – Drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse, parental abuse, gambling, murder, violence, mentions of prostitution
• Type – Stand-alone
• No. of pages – 325
• First publication – August, 2019
• Goodreads rating – 3.45
• Spice meter – 🌶️🌶️

$10.99

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This book was unlike anything Emily Henry had written, so I didn’t know what to expect when I went into the book. So when a road trip of two best friends hit me with mature themes tackling misogyny, feminism, substance abuse, physical abuse in a story packed with dark humor and poignant friendship, I was surprised, to say the least.

We find out from the onset that this is a heavy book: Winona’s father is abusive and Lucille’s family is a (criminal) dead weight on her shoulders, so when we meet the two girls, they are tired, disillusioned, and eager to escape. 

They escape in a stolen vehicle, driving to Las Vegas to find Winona’s mom, and true to the road trip trope, the action happens along their way. The two girls get into hijinks and disasters, all the while getting ever closer and helping each other get through their trauma. 

It’s not an easy book to read but we have some signature Emily Henry dialogues that take us along the rough edges. In fact, I wish the dark humor was more frequent because it would have been an awesome plot device to tackle what Winona and Lucille were going through in an easy-to-read but not overly sensational way. 

This is a book about growing up and friendship, and although there’s some hints of Lucille crushing on Winona, it’s not fully fleshed out. This book might not be for everyone, but if friendship, a lightly illegal roadtrip, and coming-of-age sounds like your thing, I definitely recommend Hello Girls.

You made it to the end! Now you know which author I’d be lining up to read whenever she publishes (soon!🤞), and if you choose to give her a try, I’m sure you’ll end up falling for her writing as well. If you want an immersive, comforting read to sink into with laugh-out-loud dialogues and lovable characters, you can’t go wrong with an Emily Henry book. Pick one from my list today!

There isn’t a particular reading order for her book because all of them are standalones, but here’s the list of Emily Henry books by the order of publication.

1. The Love That Split the World (January, 2016) – YA fantasy
2. A Million Junes (May, 2017) – YA fantasy
3. When the Sky Fell on Splendor (March, 2019) – YA fantasy sci-fi thriller
4. Hello Girls co-written with Brittany Cavallaro (August, 2019) – YA contemporary
5. Beach Read (May, 2020) – Adult contemporary romance
6. People We Meet on Vacation (May, 2021)  – Adult contemporary romance
7. Book Lovers (May, 2022)  – Adult contemporary romance
8. Happy Place (May, 2022) (April, 2023) – Adult contemporary romance
9. Funny Story (Expected – April, 2024) – Adult contemporary romance

While her romances are almost always set in a bookish context like publishing, writing, libraries and the like with relatable characters, her YA thrillers have paranormal and supernatural elements. Interestingly enough though, the YAs have a running motif about sharing stories. I think that’s probably why a lot of readers (including myself) find her books comforting to read and easy to relate to. 

Whether it’s a YA you’re in the mood for or a contemporary romance, Emily Henry delivers. She builds characters with such expertise you’d think you know them IRL, and the stories she weaves together are so real that they sit close to your heart long after you’ve read them.

If you’ve read Emily Henry’s contemporary romances, you have to read the Layover. It’s an extended epilogue about January and Gus from Beach Read and to my utter delight, they keep running into our favorite couples from People We Meet on Vacation and Book Lovers. 

If you’d like to read more contemporary romances, you might want to check out Tessa Bailey. She’s another witty writer who makes cute (and hot) couples out of everyday characters and treats us to a lot of spice. Check out my list of best Tessa Bailey books!