Best Erotic Literature

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Best Erotic Literature



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There's so much more than just '50 Shades.'
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If Fifty Shades of Grey proved anything, it's that flipping through several hundred pages of NSFW prose is fun and nothing to be embarrassed about. So, please come (no pun intended) with us into a whole new world of books with stunning sex. Erotica often gets labeled a "guilty pleasure," and while, I mean, yes—there are many campy books to read, some of which are on this list—there are plenty of erotic novels that overlaps with genre and literary fiction. Some of these books have inspired Golden Globe-nominated shows, after all (hi, Outlander (opens in new tab) !).
In other words, erotic novels are fun, they're sexy, and they can be prestigious. I mean, where else could you find hot billionaires, rugged war heroes, professors that don't mind giving you a "D" (jokes!), or actors who are just as hot on the screen as they are off? Nowhere but NSFW stories! If you're a newbie, welcome to one of the hottest genres on the planet, and if you're a returning reader: welcome back, we missed you! Here are some of the best erotic novels that will leave you seriously blushing and maybe, just maybe, needing a cold shower afterward.
The year is 1497, and Scottish Jennifer Merrick finds herself agreeing to marry a much older man to please her father. But that never happens, because Jennifer and her step-sister Brenna are taken by Englishman Lord Royce Westmoreland (known as the Black Wolf) as a hostage. They should be enemies, but something keeps drawing them closer.
Stella Lane, who's on the autism spectrum, wants to get better at all things physical so she can find the husband her parents expect her to have. Since it's the 21st century, she hires escort Michael Phan, a Vietnamese and Swedish sex god of sorts who agrees to help Stella out. We're not one for spoilers, but the steaminess of this book will definitely fog up some windows.
This new series from Helen Hardt is like if  Fifty Shades of Grey got a much-needed face-lift. Assistant to a social media influencer, Skye Manning, meets a billionaire, Braden Black, and sparks fly! Both become enamored with each other as they experience something they've never felt before, but not all good things last forever. 
Actress Caidence Harris has just landed a role in a new police drama and to say she's thrilled is an understatement, especially when she gets to work with mega A-lister Robyn Ward. Caidence wants to be more than just friends with her co-star, but Robyn doesn't seem to want the same...or Caidence thought.
Into "against all the odds" romance? Grab Set immediately. This hot novella tells the story of old classmates who meet again years later at their high school reunion. Both are not looking for anything serious. They agree on an arrangement of sorts (you know where this is going) that will leave you blushing page after page. 
We're talking three wealthy brothers (Gabe, Jace, and Ash) who can get anything and anyone with the snap of their fingers—except Mia Crestwell, their best friend's little sister. But, when they run into Crestwell and discover she's not the girl they used to know, all bets are off and it's game on. 
Get this: a psychologist goes on tour with one of the hottest bands in the world and has to keep it professional. As they travel across the country, she starts to fall for the lead singer, and one thing leads to another. Get ready to blush, like, a lot.  
Where would this list be without a historical romance book? Isolde Ophelia Goodnight (yes, that's her name) is a 26-year-old woman who has never been kissed. Deciding that there is no such thing as fairy tales, she decides to give up love, but life has a couple of surprises for her. Let's just say, it all starts with a Duke and an empty castle. 
This classic love story from Judy Blume (yes, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Superfudge Judy Blume) is a raw coming of age story about first love, complete with all of the awkward and beautiful sexual moments that come with it.
Sexual fantasies are unique and individual and this is a book that understands that. Per Night Shift 's Amazon description: "Your mission: In a sketchy and sexy world filled with tissues, gallons of lube, sex toys, tiger print, and swinger parties, help Taryn choose her way as she learns what happens in this small, unexpectedly kinky town. From butt plugs to cross-dressing truckers to being held-up at gunpoint over dildos, experience this fun and sexy journey along with Taryn, as she goes from shy and sweet to skilled and empowered—but how she gets there is up to you!" So. In. 
If you like your erotic fantasy with an extra dose of fantasy, the vampire-heavy Black Dagger Brotherhood series is can't-miss. The series is regularly name-dropped in lists of books with the hottest sex scenes and this New York Times best-selling series has 19 entries and counting to keep your blood flowing primarily below the waist.
Anne Rice, woman who gifted us Interview with the Vampire, also wrote The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty , a three-book series that's pretty much the same as the beloved fairy tale only with tons of sex. Read with a 2020 lens, some of the themes are a bit problematic—but in the words (opens in new tab) of Rice, "The books aren't about literal cruelty; they're about surrender, the fun of imagining you have no choice but to enjoy sex. Beauty's slavery is delicious, sensuous, abandoned, and ultimately liberating."
Best-selling author Sylvia Day's series takes you through a complicated web of 20-something Eva Tramell and billionaire Gideon Cross' love lives. Their relationship begins as an "office" romance—they work in the same building—and develops into an emotional roller coaster as both characters deal with past sexual abuse and secrets they've buried.
As you can tell from the quotes on the cover, this book is, um...a lot. Wetlands is about a young woman's stay in a hospital where she's being treated for an anal fissure, and its depiction of the human body, cleanliness, and sex, is something else completely.
A hot professor by the name of Gabriel Emerson falls in love with his graduate student Julia Mitchell, even though it's forbidden. (Does this troupe ever get old? The answer is no.) Hardcore fans deem it as the professor and student version of Fifty Shades of Grey , so you know we had to spread the word. 
Another four-part series, Melody Anne's story pits two opposite personalities against each other. Raffaello Palazzo is looking for a no-strings-attached sex buddy after his wife leaves him without explanation; in comes Arianna Lynn Harlow to melt his icy heart. Classic tale of good girl meets bad-boy-turned-decent-guy.
To quote Roxane Gay's blurb, this book truly is as charming as it is sexy. And not just because of the scorching bedroom scenes, but because of the nuance with which the love story—between a black woman and white man who meet in an elevator—is told.
This passion-filled book follows a man simply known as "M," who leaves a note—saying he wants one night of emotionless sex—on a napkin for a barista named Lily. Everything in Lily should be screaming, Throw out the napkin! but, spoiler alert: She doesn't.
Call Me by Your Name is so much more than an "erotic novel" (though there's plenty of eroticism). It's a coming of age story filled with beautiful prose and, more than that, it's a reflection on the all-consuming power of love and attraction. The movie is great, but the book is a masterpiece.
Alayna Withers is recovering from a "love disorder" that involves stalking charges (so many questions). She's finally getting her life together when she meets her new boss—a dashing man who could cause Alayna to revert to her old habits. Next book club read?
If you thought the show was sexy, you have no idea what's coming. The Outlander novels are about a time-traveling nurse who finds herself in 18th-century Scotland, where she falls for a Highlander. The catch? She's definitely married and her husband is living in the future.
Brad De Luca (what a name) is a privileged lawyer who's used to getting his way. Julia Campbell's engagement just ended, and she's loving her independent life...until she meets—dun, dun, dun—Brad. It's a well-strung tale of knowing what you want and following your heart. Cheesy, yes, but very gripping.
This story, published in 1967, is still just as sexy and gorgeous today as it was then. It follows a young Yale dropout on a trip around Europe in a beat-up car as he meets, sleeps with, and falls a little in love with a beautiful Frenchwoman in a quiet town. Almost as much a travel novel as an erotic one, this book will satisfy both your wanderlust and your, uh, regular lust. 
Arguably the best thing about the Netflix series Bridgerton was how it started out like a lush, innocent romp through estates and high society and marriageable men and women and then, out of now, BAM! Some of the steamiest sex scenes we've ever seen on TV. So why not read the series of novels that inspired those scenes, and start here: The Duke and I is about naive young woman who gets married off to a tempestuous Duke who loves her and, in return, teaches her the ways of love.
Another first of a series, The Court of Thorns and Roses follows a woman who slays a wolf and, as revenge, is kidnapped by a horrible fairy who takes her to his realm as a captive. But when she finds out that sometimes he's actually a hot guy, she starts to have some complicated feelings. Feelings that she cannot help...explore. You get it. File this one under fantasy erotica and get ready to be transported.
What is it about stories that revolve around sex and Paris? Two great tastes that go great together. Here, a moody Russian artist in 1920s Paris is in pursuit of inspiration and finds it in a gorgeous young American visiting the city. The two women have a hot and heavy romance, and the resulting art from her new muse pushes the artist to creative heights. But a looming world war and a stock market crash threaten to cut the party short. 
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm. She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade. 

Analía Barbieri cultivates community through hat making.


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Spice up your TBR pile with these erotic novels and erotica gems
Okay, erotic novels might seem like a somewhat retro concept, we get you. You're no doubt currently getting visions of Mills & Boon paperbacks or the peak Fifty Shade s hysteria all of a decade ago but hear us out: erotic fiction , erotica and erotic novels can be seriously hot and we've got the lowdown on the best erotic novels, like, ever.
TBH, it's the perfect time to experiment with kinking up your TBR pile. With summer upon us, we're feeling...kind of hot and, no, that's not because of this heatwave, but because we're ready to get out there, get flirting and make up for all the lost time of two (!) summers spent indoors. So when we're not on the spiciest dating apps and sites or heading to sex parties , we're enjoying gathering some sex inspo: whether from feminist porn , audio porn or the most NSFW titles that Netflix has to offer ... Call it field research, but erotic novels, steamy romance and kinky short stories could be the next step towards having the summer of sex you've always dreamed on and if not, we're sure you'll have fun anyway...
So, yes, this is a romance novel about a human and a merman but Dolly Alderton says it blew her away - so give it a chance. Following a 40-something after the end of a listless, long-term romance, our heroine embarks on a seriously X-rated (and understandably complicated) dalliance with her fishy lover. You will never look at a pier in the same way again, trust us.
The Amazon description for this literally reads "TikTok made me but it!" so if you spend much time on BookTok, you'll have seen this pop up on your FYP. If social media isn't your thing, here's the DL: Chloe Brown wants to start living life to the full, so she moves out of her family's mansion and quickly meets a tattooed, motorbike-riding boy who can help her do just that...
This gem, from lesbian writer Jeanette Winterson, is written from the perspective of an unnamed bisexual narrator whose gender (hero? shero? non-binary icon?) is never revealed as they grapple with their love for a married woman. One thing's for sure though, those sex scenes are hooooot and the novel is filled with hopelessly romantic lines like: "This hole in my heart is in the shape of you and no-one else can fit it. Why would I want them to?” Swoon!
Having sold over a million copies worldwide, Laura Esquivel's Like Water For Chocolate is a modern classic combining sexuality, surrealism and traditional Mexican recipes for a multisensory experience. And did we mention the story revolves around the simmering sexual tension between two star-crossed lovers?
This isn't technically a novel (sorry!) but Mary Gaitskill's short story collection features a titillating array of tales of affairs and S&M. For fans of love, obsession and, of course, SEX.
Yes, Armie Hammer ruined the movie but André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name is still an enchanting novel of summer love, queer coming of age and, yeah, peaches.
I mean what is left to say about this one! Everyone seems to have either already picked up the paperback or watched the seriously steamy BBC adaptation during lockdown but, there's no denying it, those sex scenes really do jump off the page.
Written for a private collector (you can't make this up) throughout the 1940s, the scandalous short stories in Anaïs Nin's Delta of Venus were published after her death three decades later, serving as a vibrant depiction of sexuality through the perspective of female language, pleasure and experience. Oh, and now we've made our school English teacher proud, let us *also* tell you that these stories are H-O-T.
Subject to an obscenity trial in the 1960s for its explicit depictions of sex, Lady Chatterley's Lover is (ofc!) a classic. Naturally, it's a bit dated by today's standards, but it's a good bet for any horny literary buffs.
This anthology of sex stories are written by 27 different well-respected authors, giving a more ~high brow~ approach to the genre. But there's an interesting twist: no names are attached to any of the stories, leaving you to wonder who wrote what...



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