10 Seductive, Sexy Stories to Get Your Pulse Racing
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 that got everyone hot and bothered. But, of course, everyone has a different idea of what’s sexy, and therefore, which romance books might appeal to them. This list of ten 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! And if you’re looking for even more steamy reads, check out our Seductive Erotica Books for Mature Audiences Only.
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1
Add to BookshelfThe Kiss Quotient
by 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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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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2
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Prince’s Gambit
by 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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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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3
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Asking for It
by 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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$22.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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4
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Slave to Sensation
by 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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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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5
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The Roommate
by Rosie Danan
A sheltered art historian finds herself living with the adult performer Cosmopolitan calls “the Michael Jordan of cunnilingus.” Launching a sex-ed start-up focused on equal opportunity orgasms provides plenty of opportunities for these accidental roommates to engage in foreplay that blurs the lines between business and pleasure in this high heat raunch-com. This forced proximity romance balances sweet and spicy and includes fresh spins on genre tropes that will leave readers smirking knowingly the next time there’s only one shower.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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6
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Never Sweeter
by 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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7
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A Heart of Blood and Ashes
by Milla Vane
This fantasy romance, the first in a series, is perfect for anyone left wanting more after watching Game of Thrones. The last heir to a line of warrior queens and a recently orphaned barbarian prince from a rival realm agree to an arranged marriage for heir-making purposes as part of their mutual quest for revenge. Blood-lust of every variety drives the steam as our main characters forge their fragile alliance and learn to value one another’s hearts, bods, and brains (not necessarily in that order).
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$9.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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8
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The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy Box Set
by A. N. Roquelaure
Retellings are, once again, all the rage thanks to #BookTok, so it’s the perfect time to pick up one of the OG series that asks the question: “What happens when you make a fairy tale as spicy as humanly possible?” Less romantic than titillating, this kink-tacular collection is a veritable buffet of BDSM including floggings, spankings, pony races, and much more. Let’s just say, you’ll never watch the Disney movie the same way again.
Add to BookshelfBoxed Set
$54.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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9
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Loving You Easy
by Roni Loren
When one alpha hero just won’t cut it, add a second. After discovering a hack in the online pleasure world of Hayven, IT specialist Cora works with the founders—best friends and lovers Ren and Hayes—to prevent further breaches of private information. The trio quickly discovers how compatible they are both in and out of the bedroom as their complex and compelling menage makes their virtual fantasies real.
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$22.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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10
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The Intimacy Experiment
by Rosie Danan
When a rabbi and a porn star walk into a bar in this novel it’s the set-up for love rather than a joke. Two community leaders who are passionate about building a more inclusive world team up to write the syllabus for a modern intimacy seminar with no expectation that they’ll be the ones putting their theories to the test. Surprisingly saucy considering the premise, the heroine has a trademarked sex move called The Life Ruiner and the hero makes a strong case that Nice Jewish Boys can have very dirty mouths.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
