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Romance books are on everyone’s minds these days. Hello, even Shonda Rhimes was inspired by romance author Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series to create the pulse-racing Netflix show everyone’s talking about. But, of course, everyone has a different idea of what’s sexy, and therefore, which romance books might appeal to them. This list of five ultra steamy books spans a spectrum of styles and settings so, hopefully, you’ll find something that works for you.
What makes these selections stand out among the rest?
Tension: Sometimes, the most delicious part of a steamy book is the characters’ longing for one another. These books deftly build fire from sparks to a blaze.
Chemistry: Characters that bring out the best (or worst) in each other. Whether they’re bantering or banging, the sum of these pairs is greater than their parts.
Distinctiveness: Sex scenes that could only come from these characters, this author, in this story. There’s nothing staid or expected here, nothing that blends together with other books.
Enjoy these sexy stories! 😉
Featured Image: Netflix
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The Kiss Quotient
Helen Hoang
This book has one of my favorite tropes—lessons in seduction. The heroine hires the hero, an escort, to help her learn about intimacy. Stakes (and temperatures) rise as they work their way from “intro” to more “advanced” interactions. The sexy, tattooed hero shows compassion and patience as they navigate the heroine’s preferences—some of which stem from her autism. Steamy scenes propel the characters to grow in love and life. A great introduction for romance genre newcomers.
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Prince’s Gambit
C. S. Pacat
Someone is going to yell at me for including the second book in a trilogy but I HAD TO. The relationship arc across this series between two princes from warring nations is unmatched—in steaminess but also overall artistry. These are true enemies to lovers—like oops, I killed your beloved brother enemies yet I describe the sex in these books, and only these books, as ‘love scenes’ because they’re the most tender, open-hearted, romantic interactions I have ever read.
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Asking for It
Lilah Pace
A masterclass in consent and kink, Pace gives us the ultimate exercise in trust when grad student Vivienne meets a man who answers her most shame-shadowed fantasies and helps her bring them—blistering and brilliant—into the light. The book, the first in a duology, focuses on fantasies of control. The story indulges in dirty talk, semi-public sex, and roleplay, but with equal emphasis on clear communication to ensure safety, respected boundaries, and aftercare. Please refer to the content warnings.
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Slave to Sensation
Nalini Singh
Looking for truly escapist steam? Slave to Sensation, the first in Singh’s epic paranormal Psy-Changeling series gets a little wild in the literal sense. We’ve got Panther shifters! Mutually enjoyable dream sex! Biting that walks the line between playful and possessive! There’s something so lovely and reassuring about starting a series with a huge backlist. You can go in knowing that, if you want, there’s so much story waiting for you to sink into like a hot bubble bath.
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Never Sweeter
Charlotte Stein
Never Sweeter follows a bookish woman who reunites with her childhood bully. There is the physical act of sex and then there is the wild tangle of emotions involved. Many writers pen choreography without ever really letting us into the heads—and dare I say hearts—of characters during steamy scenes. Stein, however, presents a close-focus, intimate POV with outstanding talent. From front to back cover this story is incredibly, viscerally horny in a way that is delicious, squirm-inducing, and scalding hot.
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Featured Book
The Roommate
Rosie Danan
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