How hot do you like your books?
Are you looking for a new sexy romance novel to read? Well look no further. These are BLOT’s top five books to read when you’re feeling spicy that are sure to satisfy your needs - and you’ll be pleased to hear none of them are 50 Shades of Grey.
What is #SpicyTok?
SpicyTok is a subdivision of #BookTok especially for ‘spicy’ books. These are romance novels which include some form of sexually explicit content.
From rom coms with a couple of pages where things get steamy, to books where you can’t turn the page without reading about sex, everyone has slightly different opinions about what passes as ‘spicy.’
Each book below has been given a spice level depending on how many occurrences of sex scenes there are, as well as their intensity and the amount of detail included.
Down at spice level one, we have books which contain a couple of pages worth of sex scenes. At medium spice level three, we have books which contain a greater number of sex scenes, as well as more detail. And all the way at level five, we have the hottest of the hot where you can’t turn the page without the mention of sex.
WARNING: It’s about to get hot!!
1. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Spice level: 🌶️
In this best friends to lovers rom com Poppy and Alex, who have been friends since college, reunite for one of their legendary trips. Told through alternating chapters, the book explores their current vacation, as well as those from years before in order to explore why the two have such a deep friendship - and all the reasons why they’re scared to let it turn into more.
This one is a slowburner with some beloved tropes; friends to lovers, opposites attract and the classic ‘one bed’ scenario - and you can guess that that’s where the spice rating comes in.
2. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Catalina Martin doesn’t want to show up to her sister's wedding without a plus one, when she knows her ex will be in attendance with his new partner. Left without a choice, she takes up her co-workers offer to fly out to Spain and pretend to be her fake boyfriend. And the pair end up getting on a lot better than expected.
The book contains a number of romance tropes; office romance, enemies to lovers and fake relationships. The sex scenes don’t happen until three quarters of the way through the book but some would say they’re worth the wait because those that are included are very detailed and graphic.
3. Priest by Sierra Simone
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The blurb does all the talking for this one: "I've always been good at following rules. Until she came. My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again.
I am a priest and this is my confession."
And once his celibacy has been broken, Father Bell embarks on a very spicy journey indeed.
4. Credence by Penelope Douglas
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
If you’re feeling extra spicy then you’ll be pleased to hear that Credence is definitely not short of sex scenes. When Tiernan de Haas’ parents die, she’s sent to live with her father’s stepbrother, Jake and his two sons. Set in the misty mountains of Colorado, Tiernan slowly begins to feel more comfortable around Jake and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb.
But as she realises both Noah and Kaleb want her, Tiernan she realises she can only choose one man.
Two of them, one of her, and a remote cabin in the woods.
5. Lilac by BB Reid
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Braxton Fawn is lucky enough to become the new lead guitarist for the world’s hottest band. In this reverse harem novel, Braxton must try and resist the temptation of her new bandmates Jericho, Houston and Loren as they make it clear that they all like her in ways that are more than strictly professional.
The boys fight over, and work together to please her - whether it’s in the woods, their van or a hotel room.
What’s your favourite spicy book? Are there any we missed off that you think should have been on the list? Let us know in the comments or over on Instagram.
If you liked this post then read What is Dark Romance? And five books to get you started or Why crime fiction is fixated on women as victims of violent crime next.
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Yasmin Wakefield
yasmin.blotmag@gmail.com
Yasmin is a third year journalism student at The University of Sheffield, specialising in feature writing. She has previously written for the Sheffield Tribune and women’s magazine Pick Me Up! She is particularly interested in how mental health issues are portrayed in fiction.
Favourite genres: Romance, Crime and Thrillers.