Summer is the time for erotica. Bright, joy-filled days in the sun followed by sticky and sweltering evenings create the perfect backdrop for steamy romances. Erotica comes in many forms. From poems (like New Erotica for Feminists collection) to the classic, paperback novel with a shirtless man on the cover. The majority of the books I mention are found in the New Adult genre, sub-filed under Romance. To be certain, these books are all hot, but New Adult brings a high level of storytelling to the table. Some have more detailed world-building than others, but all have taken great pains to birth a story worth reading.
When it comes to books of any genre, the industry as a whole is dominated by white heteronormativity. Erotica is certainly no exception. Generally written by women for women, the majority of these books showcase straight characters falling in love with the opposite sex--both are usually heterosexual. For this list, I challenged this and attempted to add diversity of characters, situations, and even authors. I also varied subgenres, hoping to find a book that meets everyone’s interests (while still being spicy, of course). Here are my picks:
When you’re in the mood for a...
Feminist Fantasy Romance:
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
While this behemoth of a novel is technically the fifth book in a series, it can act as a standalone story. If you’re familiar with Maas’ fae world, then you know how advanced her worldbuilding skills are. Instead of following the steamy couple of Feyre and Rhysand, in A Court of Silver Flames we journey with Nesta, Feyre’s sister. She has recently been made or turned faerie from human. This was an incredibly traumatic experience for Nesta and the book tracks her mental health uphill battle. Her foil, Cassian, is a strong, hot-headed Illyrian warrior who’s been in love with Nesta since their first meeting.
Gay Star-Crossed Romance:
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
McQuiston’s novel is listed as an instant New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller and is a Goodreads winner of multiple accolades. The story follows First Son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, whose mother is the president of the US. Having to be in the same room as other influential people, such as Prince Henry from across the pond. Alex hates Henry and the feeling is mutual. But when a tabloid captures a confrontation and threatens American/British relations, Alex and Henry stage a fake friendship. Soon, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations.
Magical Master/slave Romance:
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
For all fans of Greek mythology, A Touch of Darkness follows Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, and her failing powers of spring. She holds this name in title only—for some reason, flowers have always shriveled from her touch. After a chance encounter with Hades, who heads a gambling empire in the mortal world, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever. This bet threatens to expose Persephone’s broken gifts and as she struggles for her freedom, her love for the God of the Dead grows.
Lesbian Bully Romance:
Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas
This book was just released a few months ago! It’s a bully f/f romance that follows two Marymount school girls, Clay and Olivia. Clay is the school’s Queen Bee, while Olivia is the outcast trying to escape. Because of Clay’s reputation as the good girl, because of her purity, she can’t express her true desire. What she wants, she must hide. Olivia lives on the other side of the tracks. She doesn’t care that Clay and her friends bully her, she doesn’t care that people dislike her, she’s just ready to get out. So when Clay turns to Olivia for release, Olivia believes Clay is using her to “scratch her itch.” She tells Clay to stay on her side of town, but Clay doesn’t listen. Now that it’s begun, it can’t stop and Olivia swears Clay will never be considered pure again.
Classic, Dopey Romance:
The Deal (Off-Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy
Yet another NYT Bestseller, The Deal is everything you could ask for in a New Adult book—it’s sexy, sweet, and emotionally satisfying. Hannah Wells has finally found someone she wants to be with, but she needs to get his attention first. To do that, Hannah turns to Garrett Graham, the annoying and childish captain for the school’s hockey team, for a pretend date. Garrett agrees, securing his position on the team. But then there’s an unexpected kiss that leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretending isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants is actually him.
Still craving more? Here’s three more to satisfy your needs:
Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight (heads up: extremely kinky and comes with trigger warnings for graphic content)
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
All He’ll Ever Be by W. Winters
By Shelby Lueders