Picture this: it’s a quiet, earl fall evening, the couch looks delightful, and staying in with a riveting novel sounds like the perfect way to spend the night. Sure, a night out with your gals or other half is a great way to spend the night, but whether you’re in your single era or simply crave a night to yourself, there’s no reason romance can’t be on the table for you tonight. That’s why a spicy book is just what the doctor ordered. And if you’re looking for a vetted rec, you’ve come to the right place. I’m a huge fan of spicy books. There, I said it. Whether I’m on my couch, my bed, or even at my local coffee shop, I love a few sweat-inducing scenes—or even chapters full of devious things sure to keep my heart rate up.
Though BookTok is great for finding recommendations on everything from cute rom-coms to the dirtiest smut, everyone has different opinions on what defines “spicy.” One sex scene? A whole anatomically correct description of the act? A hot makeout scene? Well, I’ve gone through some of the most memorable spicy books I’ve had the pleasure of reading and compared each of them to see which were the spiciest and what’s basically a cute story with just a couple of pages of bliss.
To determine what exactly a spicy book is, I ranked each choice according to how many steamy scenes each book has and how intense they are. For example, most of the level one books may only have one or two sex scenes while a level three book will have more spicy scenes in more graphic detail. As for the level five books, those are the books I’d turn to if I was pretty much only looking for spice. So, the next time you’ve got a night to yourself or with a special battery-operated friend, you’re certain to find the material you’re looking for below.
Spice Level: 🌶️
A cute rom-com meets sci-fi in this WLW story of a time-traveling train passenger and a 23-year-old searching for a purpose. When April moves to New York City, she soon falls into the hustle and bustle lifestyle, taking the subway to her job at a pancake house and trudging back home exhausted from a hard day and a college course load. Never one to believe in remarkable movie-level romances, she’s caught off guard when she meets Jane, a mysterious and rather attractive passenger on the Q train. The only problem? Jane has been stuck on the Q train since the 1970s in some sort of otherworldly time loop. Teaming up with her roommates and even a few drag queens, April makes it her mission to get Jane off that train and free from the loop… but not without having a little fun first. I never would’ve considered the subway to be very sexy but, well, let’s just say I chuckled on the Q train when I visited New York this past summer.
Spice Level: 🌶️
If you’re looking for a little bit of spice but not necessarily a rom-com, well, the search is over my friends. As one of the best thrillers I’ve read last year, this book contains quite a few moments that’ll leave just about anyone questioning if they locked all their doors. When struggling writer Lowen Ashley accepts a job offer to take over bestselling writer Verity Crawford’s work from none other than the esteemed wordsmith’s husband, Jeremy, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. But after she arrives at the Crawford’s massive estate, she soon begins to feel uneasy. Did Verity get up and close the curtains? Run across the hallway? Lowen isn’t one to run from a bone-chilling situation and soon Jeremy taking a liking to her.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Alex Volkov is devilish, driven by a tragedy in his past that has haunted him for most of his life. Ava Chen is a free spirit, with nightmarish memories of her childhood lurking beneath the surface. When Alex is suddenly forced to look after Ava, his best friend's sister, he finds his cold heart melting for the first time. At the same time, Ava refuses to stop seeing the beauty in the world, including the warmth hidden in her brother's best friend's heart. As Alex and Ava fall in love, their relationship unleashes secrets that could destroy them both.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Set at the competitive, uptight Marymount school, Tryst Six Venom follows Clay and Olivia: two sworn enemies. Clay is the perfect Catholic good girl, the queen bee of Marymount who is hiding a secret that would cause her to tumble from grace. Olivia is the Ivy-bound outsider, known around Marymount for her too-short skirts and her too-red lipstick. Olivia has told Clay many times to never "cross the tracks" and bring her good-girl ways into Olivia's territory, but one day, Clay's curiosity overcomes her. Anyone who loves a bully romance will be obsessed with Clay and Olivia's rivalry-turned-romance.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Eva Tramell struggles to overcome her traumatic personal history of sexual abuse. She meets Gideon Cross, also a sexual abuse survivor. The two have a chemistry that is white-hot, and a caring for each other that could never be replicated. Both are transformed by their love, but will their dark pasts tear them apart? This first book in Sylvia Day's Crossfire series is perfect for anyone who wanted the steaminess of Fifty Shades with a healthier dynamic between the two main characters.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
If you’re looking for some spicy historical fiction, consider your search over. Reunited after World War II, Claire and Frank go on a second honeymoon. While staying in Inverness, Claire becomes a victim of the supernatural and travels back in time. Thrust into 1743, she finds herself in a Scotland torn apart by war and populated by clans she’s never heard of. Soon, she meets Jamie, a young Scottish warrior, and she’s basically swept off her feet. If you’re a big fan of slow-building tension and a will they or won’t they type of plot, this will be right up your alley. And if you’re looking for the perfect man, let me tell you right now, no one holds a candle to good ‘ol James Fraser.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Up for something a little dark and maybe a little, just a little, toxic? I never thought I’d be one to swoon over a bully romance but here we are and let me tell you, it is H-O-T. When Karma crashes her car into Calix’s Ashton Martin, she feels no remorse. To her, Calix had it coming. But unfortunately, Calix and his friends Barron and Raz are out for revenge and will stop at nothing to humiliate Karma and make her life harder. But when Devil’s Day comes up, a day dedicated to tricks and partying, Karma and the boys have a moment in which they realize the other might not be so bad after all. In fact, if the boys can make up for their hateful attitudes, Karma might even reward them. Though I might not agree with everything our main character does in this book, her bullies work to make up for their wrongdoings and win her over. And even better, she has to choose who she’ll end up with at the end of the novel. With a mildly unpredictable ending, you’re sure to be on the edge of your seat for more than just one reason.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The first book in the Salacious Players' Club series, Praise is not for the faint of heart. Charlie Underwood is a notorious good girl, broken down by her neglectful ex. When Charlie stumbles into a job at the Salacious Players' Club, she is entranced by the club's owner, Emerson Grant. Emerson knows what he wants, and he isn't afraid to ask for it...but when he realizes that Charlie is his son's ex-girlfriend, he offers her a job as his secretary and nothing more. Soon, Charlie is the one who isn't afraid to ask for what she wants, and what she wants is Emerson.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Don't let the sweet cover fool you — this romance novel by TikTok favorite Tessa Bailey is certifiably spicy and beloved by our CEO. Bailey's main character, Piper Bellinger, is based on Alexis Rose of Schitt's Creek. She's a fashionable wild child, but when one out-of-control party lands Piper in hot water, her step father ships her and her sister off to Washington to learn some decency. When Piper meets the hot, grumpy local sea captain, Brendan, she is suddenly determined to prove that she's capable of roughing it in Westport. Though the two are complete opposites, as she keeps running into Brendan, Piper wonders if the glamorous life she knew was one she really wants.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
If you've heard of Penelope Douglas, then you know that TikTok's favorite spicy author constantly delivers in her hot and heavy Fall Away series, and her stand-alone novels are no different. In Birthday Girl, Jordan jumps at the opportunity to move in with her boyfriend and his father: she has no other option. Then, the unexpected happens, as Jordan suddenly finds herself falling for her boyfriend's father, Pike. Likewise, Pike can't stop thinking about his son's girlfriend. Jordan and Pike's love should be forbidden...or so they tell themselves.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Barrington University is the home of the secret society of the Lords, where young men sacrifice their blood and dedicate their lives to violence in order to join the ranks. At the end of their senior year, the Lords are offered a chosen one. Ryat Alexander Archer gives Blakeley an opportunity for a new life when she becomes his chosen one, and gradually finds himself becoming obsessed with her. As the two become increasingly entangled, Ryat will do anything it takes to keep Blakeley away from her possessive ex.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Fleabag once said, “I want to *ahem* a priest,” and after seeing all the hype about this book, I can understand why. When Tyler breaks his vow of celibacy—on the altar of his own church—he embarks on a very, very spicy journey that comes with lots of oil. Even just 100 pages in, you’re sure to be satisfied with the spicy scenes Sierra Simone has blessed us with. While the book does have a plot, you can easily skip a few pages here and there and get what you came for in the first place. We all know why we’ve gathered here, and it’s to hear all about Father Bell’s sins.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Honestly, I wish I could’ve told you what this book was about without having to read a synopsis. To be transparent, the plot has been the last thing on my mind each time I’ve opened this book—and to be frank, there really isn’t much of one outside of the sex. In this reverse harem tale, Braxton Fawn, self-proclaimed “luckiest girl alive,” becomes the lead guitarist in a hot new band full of hot young guys. When bandmates Houston, Loren, and Jericho let her know they’ve been watching her and liking what they see (professionally and in, ahem, other ways), the musicians take their rock star lives to the next level, whether in their van or even in the woods. Or outside the van. Or in hotel rooms. The point is, if having a great time with hunky guys who will fight over you—or work together to please you—has been your fantasy, settle in for a long night of reading.
