Snuggle up with one of these good, good sex books that span different decades of sexual exploration. No one needs to know what you do under those covers, but these sexy stories all know how to get your heart racing. Sometimes that’s by hammering down on tropes and taboos like merman sex or orgies that include over a hundred people. There’s even a book that spans the length of a single blow job (talk about going into detail).
This list includes a genderqueer retelling of Peter Pan and a gender-swapped update of Pretty Woman. There are pulpy novels that are straight-up smut and novels that take an intellectual look at sexuality. Some might actually get you off, some might not, but all of them will have you frantically turning the pages and fanning your face as the spice levels increase.
The fun of the list is that it covers all types and levels of steaminess. Your cup of sexy literature tea might not be someone else’s, but there is nothing sexier than sex positivity. So we’ve got it all. Start clicking through this slideshow ASAP if you’re on the hunt for the best erotic books to add to your bookshelf.
All of our book picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
A Court Of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
All of the TikTok-adored ACOTAR books are known for their spiciness, but the fifth book gets hotter than the final round on Hot Ones. Switching focus from Feyre to her strong, complex, horny, romance-novel-loving sister Nesta takes the series in a whole new, incredibly steamy direction. Nesta begins the book depressed, spending her nights getting drunk and sleeping with random men to keep her mind quiet. But when Feyre sequesters her to a palace 10,000 steps above town and its temptations and insists that Nesta train with the man she once loved, Nesta struggles to break free of her darkness and embrace herself — and her love.
How sexy is it?
It’s rife with sexual tension and anticipation, but still manages to deliver even more toe-curling sex scenes than its predecessors.
Thirstiest moment:
“Cassian pounded into her, a hand moving from her hip to her hair, tugging her head back, baring her throat. She gave herself over to it, to him, and the lack of control was so heady, so pleasurable that she could barely stand it. He thrust harder, so deep with this angle that she might have been screaming again, she might have been crying.”
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (2015)
A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first in the popular, TikTok-adored Court series (also called the ACOTAR series) by Sarah J. Maas. The adult fantasy novels follow the journey of Feyre, a huntress who is captured by a beast and taken into the mythical lands of Prythian after murdering a faerie.
How sexy is it?
Trust, it will sink its teeth in you. Things get progressively spicier and more graphic as the series progresses.
Thirstiest moment:
“We were a tangle of limbs and teeth, and I tore at his clothes until they were on the floor, then tore at his skin until I marked him down his back, his arms. His claws were out, but devastatingly gentle on my hips as he slid down between my thighs and feasted on me, stopping only after I shuddered and fractured. I was moaning his name when he sheathed himself inside me in a powerful, slow thrust that had me splintering around him.
We moved together, unending and wild and burning, and when I went over the edge the next time, he roared and went with me.”
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (2016)
The follow-up to A Court Of Thorns and Roses follows huntress Feyre Archeron as she faces a dilemma: Marry Tamlin, her love from the first novel whose darker traits are starting to show, or indulge her curiosity about Rhys, who she swears she hates.
How sexy is it? This one is all about tension and anticipation. But if you must, Chapter 55 is the cheat code for this adult fantasy novel.
Thirstiest moment:
“He let out a low laugh, and I watched, breathless, as he took that hand and traced a circle around my breast, then lower, until he painted a downward arrow beneath my belly button.
‘Lest you forget where this is going to end,’ he said.”
One Last Stop
by Casey McQuiston (2021)
With her second novel, the Red, White & Royal Blue author gives readers an enchanting queer rom-com with a Sliding Doors-esque twist about a New York City subway crush lost in time.
How sexy is it?
It might make you horny for public transportation.
Thirstiest moment:
“There’s no convenient darkness this time, no perfectly timed stall, but there’s an empty car and the Manhattan Bridge and Jane pressing into her, hips moving and short breaths and kiss-slick lips.”
You Had Me At Hola
by Alexis Daria (2020)
This sultry read about Jasmine and Ashton, two telenovela stars who love to hate each other is for anyone who wished Jane The Virgin spent a little more time in the bedroom.
How sexy is it?
All the fire emoji.
Thirstiest moment:
“‘Just touch me,’ she whined, arching impatiently against his hand. He couldn’t make either of them wait any longer. Slowly, he brought his middle finger down and slid it gently over her folds. Jasmine threw her head back. ‘God, yes. Keep going.’ He did it again, this time his fingertip slipping between and gathering her wetness. He parted her with two fingers and found her clit, rubbing it in small circles. She cried out against his lips, and was lost. The taste of her, the smell of her, the feel of her so close against him, skin to skin. Time and space had no meaning anymore. There was only her.”
Happy Endings
by Thien-Kim Lam (2021)
This second-chance sex-positive romance has Trixie Nguyen, a sex toy sales rep, teaming up with her restaurant-owning ex Andre Walker on a new business venture that gets spicy real quick.
How sexy is it?
You’ll earn a Ph.D in sex toy-ology by the end.
Thirstiest moment:
“‘This bad boy is designed for both inner and outer play. The rabbit ears tuck around your clit, while the other part—let me show you.’ Without taking her eyes off the women, she pressed a button and the beads inside the toy’s base began to rotate. Jack’s shaft twirled clockwise, then, with the press of another button, twirled counterclockwise. Everyone gasped in amazement. ‘Hell, Jack can load me up anytime!’ shouted out the tipsy bride-to-be.”
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
by Talia Hibbert (2019)
In this witty rom-com, Chloe Brown, a chronically ill computer nerd, is out to become a little less boring. She thinks Redford ‘Red’ Morgan, a tattooed handyman/artist, might be the one to help her check some things off her bucket list. That may include: “Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.”
How sexy is it?
You might just end up lusting after your handyman or woman—or really anyone who knows how to hold a hammer.
Thirstiest moment:
“He found the strip of condoms he’d packed, ripped one open, managed to roll it on with gritted teeth. Maybe she would’ve done it for him, and maybe that would’ve been hot as hell, but since he wanted to actually get inside her before he went off like a gunshot, he needed to keep touching to a minimum. Of course, as soon as he thought that, she grabbed his hair and dragged him down, pressing all her soft, lush curves against his body. Her skin was hot and damp from the exertion of her orgasm. Her pussy was wet and open, ready for him, begging for him as she spread her legs and reached down to grasp his erection. In his ear, she whispered, ‘Hard, please.’”
Night Shift: A Choose-Your-Own Erotic Fantasy
by Joanna Angel (2018)
While working the, you guessed it, night shift at a sex shop in a Texas shopping centre, Taryn finds herself exploring the inner kinkiness that seems to lurk around every corner of this quirky small town. With your help, of course. Yes, you get to choose Taryn’s sexual adventure and thanks to Angel, a porn actress/director and first-time novelist, there are no wrong choices.
How sexy is it?
You will choose to keep going until you’re finished—and we definitely don’t mean reading.
Thirstiest moment:
“‘Give me the cock,’ the tan girl said. She wasn’t asking, she was demanding. Then she wasn’t even demanding, she was doing. The cock instantly became hers. These kinds of girls always get what they want. She kept on twerking, but this time on all fours, backing up against Jimmy’s cock. Her face on the ground, her ass up in the air and Jimmy winced, moaned, and cried all at the same time as he thrust his entire body into her pussy. The other girls furiously masturbated in a merry-go-round surrounding him.”
Normal People by Sally Rooney (2019)
A novel set in Ireland about the life-changing power of young passion that if you haven’t read already, what are you doing?
How sexy is it?
Well, it’s got nothing on Hulu’s adaptation, but the intensely poignant sex scenes will get the juices flowing.
Thirstiest moment:
“Her body was all soft and white like flour dough. He seemed to fit perfectly inside her. Physically it just felt right, and he understood why people did insane things for sexual reasons then.”
The Pisces by Melissa Broder (2018)
A woman moves to California and starts a torrid affair with a merman, who, yes, has a dick (it starts below his tail, FYI) and really knows how to use it. Unfortunately, all the human men in this dark and sexy book really, really don’t.
How sexy is it?
Was Shape of Water too tame for you? Well, dive into this fantastical aquatic erotica that shows how good sex with a merman can be.
Thirstiest moment:
“I kissed his cock, rubbed it against my face and cheek, so soft. I looked up and he was smiling at me. I began to lick it, to make out with it. My mouth was very dry from the salt and I felt like I had a fur tongue. I put his whole cock in my mouth and aimed it toward the back of my throat, gagging, making some more saliva. He moaned and softly tousled my hair with his hands. He got a little firmer but not totally hard yet and so I had to hold it in my fist. I sucked and jerked gently, but he would not get fully hard. I began to lick his balls. I put them in my mouth. My chin rested on the place where his tail met his skin. The scales were slimy and hard at the same time. But his balls were delicious, like raw oysters.”
Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill (2009)
An explosive short story anthology that doesn’t hold back in his portrayals of desire and desperation in 1980s New York.
How sexy is it?
If voyeurism is your thing, Gaitskill gives you an unvarnished look into other people’s sex lives, which are often devoid of romance and filled with pain — literally, in the BDSM of “Secretary,” the inspiration for the 2002 Maggie Gyllenhaal film.
Thirstiest moment:
“He spanked me for about ten minutes, I think. I read the letter only about five times, partly because it rapidly became too wet to be legible. When he stopped he said, ‘Now straighten up and go type it again.’
I went to my desk. He closed the office door behind him. I sat down, blew my nose and wiped my face. I stared into space for several minutes, every now and then dwelling on the tingling sensation in my buttocks. I typed the letter again and took it into his office. He didn’t look up as I put it on his desk.”
The Roommate by Rosie Danan (2020)
After moving cross-country with her childhood crush, Clara ends up shacking up with Josh, a charming stranger who she has little in common with. Well, except that they both agree that women deserve better sex.
How sexy is it?
It’s the feminist porn that’s been promised.
Thirstiest moment:
“He brushed his hands gently up her sides to rest on her shoulders, ignoring her breasts so obviously that she let out a frustrated groan and pounded her fists against his chest in protest. ‘I’m savored, I promise,’ she told him tartly, reaching for his zipper. ‘Jesus.’ He hissed as he felt her hot little hands through his jeans. ‘You’re perfect. Did you know that?’ He molded his hands to her breasts, giving them each exactly what they wanted. Josh sucked in a deep, ragged breath. ‘Fuck.’”
Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson (1994)
In this meditation on sensuality, the novel’s narrator, whose gender is never revealed, details their obsession with a married woman.
How sexy is it?
A seductive read about uninhibited passion.
Thirstiest moment:
“She arches her body like a cat on a stretch. She nuzzles her cunt into my face like a filly at the gate. She smells of the sea. She smells of rockpools when I was a child. She keeps a starfish in there. I crouch down to taste the salt, to run my fingers around the rim. She opens and shuts like a sea anemone. She’s refilled each day with fresh tides of longing.”
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (1991)
The historical sci-fi book series tracks the horny time-traveling love story of Claire Randall, a World War II English nurse, and the 18th century Scottish highlander she ends up bedding.
How sexy is it?
#draughtlander will be a thing of the past once you start reading this wet dream of a novel.
Thirstiest moment:
“‘You’re mine, mo duinne,’ he said softly, pressing himself into my depths. ‘Mine alone, now and forever. Mine, whether ye will it or no.’ I pulled against his grip, and sucked in my breath with a faint ‘ah’ as he pressed even deeper. ‘Aye, I mean to use ye hard, my Sassenach,’ he whispered. ‘I want to own you, to possess you, body and soul.'”
Rapture by Susan Minot (2003)
While performing oral sex, two lovers perform an autopsy of their relationship.
How sexy is it?
A hypnotic 116-page read that spans the duration of a single blow job.
Thirstiest moment:
“He lay back like the ambushed dead, arms flung down at his sides, legs splayed out and feet sticking up, naked. He lay in the familiar bed against the familiar pillows he’d not seen in over a year. Eyes closed, face slack, he might indeed have been dead save for the figure also naked embracing his lower body and swiveling her head in a sensual way.”
Bared To You by Sylvia Day (2012)
The first book in the Crossfire series introduces us to Gideon Cross and Eva Tramell, two childhood abuse survivors who are trying to heal one another. Their tactics include a lot of sexual healing.
How sexy is it?
Throbbingly.
Thirstiest moment:
“My head thudded against the glass, heat pulsing through my blood from the point where his tongue was driving me mad. My leg flexed against his back, urging him closer, my hands cupping his head to hold him still as I rocked into him. Feeling the rough satin strands of his hair against my sensitive inner thighs was its own provocation, heightening my awareness of everything around me…”
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (2001)
The first book in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series, the inspiration for HBO’s bloody sexy True Blood, begins with waitress Sookie Stackhouse falling in love with a vampire named Bill Compton.
How sexy is it?
This vampiric rom-com will leave you champing at the bit.
Thirstiest moment:
“‘Now,’ I said, and I bit him hard on the shoulder. He gasped, and jerked, and he began moving in earnest. At first I was dazed, but I began to catch on and keep up. He found my response very exciting, and I began to feel that something was just around the corner, so to speak — something very big and good. I said, ‘Oh, please, Bill, please!’ and dug my nails in his hips, almost there, almost there, and then a small shift in our alignment allowed him to press even more directly against me and almost before I could gather myself I was flying, flying, seeing white with gold streaks. I felt Bill’s teeth against my neck, and I said, ‘Yes!’ I felt his fangs penetrate, but it was a small pain, an exciting pain, and as he came inside me I felt him draw on the little wound.”
Receiver of Many by Rachel Alexander (2015)
A titillating and often lecherous retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone.
How sexy is it?
Depending on your tolerance for incest, it’s some of the sexiest fanfic you’ll ever read.
Thirstiest moment:
“The man and woman lay beside each other amidst blankets and cushions and strewn flowers, his hand trailing down her neck to her breast. When his fingers reached its apex, he gave her nipple a little pinch. As she cried out, Kore looked at her face. She was smiling, and curled her body against the man. He took the stiffening peak in his mouth and kissed her breast, his hand now sliding downward, fingers gently moving through the thatch of hair between her thighs.”
The Claiming Of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (1983)
The childhood fairytale gets an adult update in this spicy retelling, which Playboy declared was “articulate, baroque, and fashionably pornographic”.
How sexy is it?
This book, the first in a trilogy, is considered the precursor of erotic lit, so think of this as a very sexy history lesson.
Thirstiest moment:
“Her face was perfect to him, and her embroidered gown had fallen deep into the crease between her legs so that he could see the shape of her sex beneath it. He drew out his sword, with which he had cut back all the vines outside, and gently slipping the blade between her breasts, let it rip easily through the old fabric. Her dress was laid open to the hem, and he folded it back and looked at her. Her nipples were a rosy pink as were her lips, and the hair between her legs was darkly yellow and curlier than the long straight hair of her head which covered her arms almost down to her hips on either side of her.”
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018)
Stella Lane, an economist with Asperger’s, believes an algorithm will help her find love. But when that logic stops working, she enlists a male escort to help bring real passion into her life. Think of this one as a gender-swapped update of Pretty Woman.
How sexy is it?
“Sexy and sensitive,” according to Roxane Gay.
Thirstiest moment:
“Two fingers worked into her, and her eyes rolled back into her head. He began a steady rhythm as his tongue flickered over her, and she couldn’t prevent her hips from rising to meet his thrusts. Oh God, she was riding his hand, smothering his face with her sex. That had to be bad. She told herself to stop. She couldn’t. Somehow, she found her hands tangled in his short hair. Her body was coiled tighter, grasping at his fingers, so wet now she could hear the slippery sounds every time he drove back into her.”
Lost Boi by Sassafras Lowrey (2015)
A sweet and subversive genderqueer retelling of Peter Pan complete with lost bois, riot grrrls, sex worker mermaids, and leather pirates who are looking for their place in Neverland.
How sexy is it?
It’s kinky AF.
Thirstiest moment:
“She was beautiful as she surrendered to him, but it was Pan I couldn’t look away from. He was fucking her hard, the muscles in his right arm flexing under tattoos and track-mark scars. I loved his arms with the ropes of muscles that held me.”
Open Me by Lisa Locascio (2018)
In this erotically-charged coming of age story, 18-year-old Roxana’s unscheduled trip to Copenhagen kicks off a sexual awakening.
How sexy is it?
A haunting look at a woman coming into her sexual own that will make you hot and bothered — unfortunately, emphasis on the latter.
Thirstiest moment:
“His way of taking my body fit a fantasy. Mine. Ours. A young, unsure girl led astray by unsavoury older man. The fantasy drew us together, made the words he whispered in my ear real, gave his hands an edge as they moved outside and inside my body.”
Taking The Lead by Cecilia Tan (2016)
If you’re looking for a good time, look no further: L.A.’s most exclusive BDSM club being run out of a dungeon in a mansion owned by two billionaire heiress sisters. That is until an enigmatic rock star inspires one of the sisters to leave the family business.
How sexy is it?
No fantasy is forbidden here, pack accordingly.
Thirstiest moment:
“As the kiss went on, the tingle between my legs grew to a warm centre of pleasure and then to an outright ache of need. When was the last time I’d actually wanted like this? When was the last time I had let myself want anything like this? Then I was gasping for breath and trying to understand the words that were pouring hotly into my ear. ‘Should I stop?’ No, no, don’t you dare stop, I thought, but I couldn’t let myself say that. ‘You . . . You should . . . but . . .’ I said weakly, regretfully.”
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (2018)
A chance meeting in an elevator leads to a wedding invite that you will hope leads to so much more before you’re done with this flirty rom-com.
How sexy is it?
A modern update of an age old premise that will surely satisfy your needs.
Thirstiest moment:
“Drew didn’t look away from Alexa. He looked at her like he wanted to throw her over his shoulder, take her into a dark closet, and screw her senseless.”
Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin (1977)
A poetic collection of short erotic stories that were intended for a private collector, but have now been seen by many eyes.
How sexy is it?
The fact that they were written with a specific reader in mind somehow makes these stories more salacious.
Thirstiest moment:
“Marianne grew desperate. She pushed his hand away, took his sex into her mouth again, and with her two hands she encircled his sexual parts, caressed him and absorbed him until he came. He leaned over with gratitude, tenderness, and murmured, ‘You are the first woman, the first woman, the first woman…'”
The Sexual Life of Catherine M. by Catherine Millet (2001)
A memoir of the art critic’s sex life, which includes orgies attended by 150 people.
How sexy is it?
If threesomes just don’t cut the muster, wait til you hear about orgies that roll 150 deep.
Thirstiest moment:
“Claude had a beautiful dick, it was straight and well proportioned, and the memory I have of those very first couplings is a feeling of fullness, heaviness, as if all of me had been stiffened and filled. When André opened his fly in front of my face, I was amazed to find something smaller and more malleable, because, unlike Claude, he was not circumcised. A dick that is constantly exposed demands to be looked at, it provokes sexual excitement with its smooth monolithic contours, whereas the foreskin that you can play back and forth, uncovering the glans like a great bubble forming on the surface of soapy water, elicits a more subtle sensuality, its suppleness spreading in waves to your own orifice.”
Addicted by Zane (2012)
Just like pizza bagels, Zoe Reynard believes you can have sex anytime. She’s straight-up addicted to it, which is why she found a therapist she could speak to about her how exploits and how they might be the death of her.
How sexy is it?
After reading, you’ll understand why Zane is considered the Queen of Erotica. Bow down.
Thirstiest moment:
“Sex is like the cherry on the top of a sundae, but you need to make the sundae first, if you get my drift.”
Story of O by Pauline Reage (2013)
French photographer O will do anything for love, even that of which requires her to submit to René.
How sexy is it?
Considered one of the most influential works of erotica, it gets into some real serious Eyes Wide Shut territory.
Thirstiest moment:
“They turned her around, and the heat of the fire was against her back. A hand seized one of her breasts, a mouth fastened on the tip of the other. But suddenly she lost her balance and fell backward (supported by whose arms?), while they opened her legs and gently spread her lips. Hair grazed the insides of her thighs. She heard them saying that they would have to make her kneel down. This they did. She was extremely uncomfortable in this position, especially because they forbade her to bring her knees together and because her arms pinioned behind her forced her to lean forward. Then they let her rock back a bit, so that she was half-sitting on her heels, as nuns are wont to do.”
Hate To Want You by Alisha Rai (2017)
Every year, Livvy Kane and Nicholas Chandler share one night of passion until the year she didn’t show up.
How sexy is it?
Everything bad in this second chance romance, feels so good.
Thirstiest moment:
“He kissed her back as if he would die if he didn’t get her mouth, licking and sucking and memorising the very taste of her. He slid his hands over her ass, gripped her luscious cheeks tight, and spun her around, pushing her up against the door. He ripped his lips away, holding her from him when she might have forced her way back. ‘How do you want it?’ he growled. He had an inkling, from the signals she was broadcasting, but it had been a while since he’d had to read those signals. ‘Hard . . .’ She scraped her nails over the back of his neck. “Use me. Make me feel it tomorrow.’”
Forever… by Judy Blume (1975)
The seminal teen novel deals with adolescent sexuality and complications that go with it.
How sexy is it?
Often banned in schools for being too explicit, it still has some sexy tricks up its sleeve.
Thirstiest moment:
“I slipped my nightgown over my head and dropped it to the floor. Then there were just my bikini pants and Michael’s pajama bottoms between us. We kissed again. Feeling him against me that way made me so excited I couldn’t lie still. He rolled over on top of me anhttps://go.skimresources.com?id=30283X1542341&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fforever%2Fjudy-blume%2F9781447281047d we moved together again and again and it felt so good I didn’t ever want to stop — until I came.”
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (2013)
Forbidden love will keep you tangled up in the second installment of this dystopian YA novel that shares some similarities with The Hunger Games.
How sexy is it?
It’s tame, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t do the trick.
Thirstiest moment:
“His fingers hook around the elastic waist of my underwear and I gasp. His lips touch my bare stomach. It’s just a whisper of a kiss but something collapses in my skull. It’s a feather-light brush of his mouth against my skin in a place I can’t quite see. It’s my mind speaking in a thousand different languages I don’t understand. And I realise he’s working his way up my body. He’s leaving a trail of fire along my torso, one kiss after another, and I really don’t think I can take much more of this; I really don’t think I’ll be able to survive this. There’s a whimper building in my throat, begging to break free and I’m locking my fingers in his hair and I’m pulling him up, onto me, on top of me.”
Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner (2016)
The love story of Rachel Blum and Andy Landis starts when they’re just eight years old and spans three decades.
How sexy is it?
An intimate tale with a lot of heart. Oh, and some good sex, too.
Thirstiest moment:
“She unfastened his pants, eased his briefs over his hips, and brushed the length of his cock with her palm before taking him in her mouth. He sighed, eyes shut, thinking about how unbelievably good it felt, when Rachel gave a throaty moan, then rolled her mouth from base to tip and whispered, ‘Look at me.’”
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren (2013)
Originally written as Twilight fanfiction, the novel looks at the antagonist relationship between an ambitious intern and her persnickety boss.
How sexy is it?
If hate sex is your kink, do we have a book for you.
Thirstiest moment:
“With one hand splayed on my chest, she began loosening my tie and groaned into my mouth when she felt my dick grow hard against her. Her nimble fingers had my tie yanked from my collar and on the floor at my feet before I remembered we had a flight to catch.”
The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997)
The Indian author’s debut novel looks at fraternal twins who were destroyed by India’s “Love Laws,” which state “who should be loved, and how. And how much.”
How sexy is it?
The novel is full of sensuality, but also heartbreaking moments. Be warned.
Thirstiest moment:
“Ammu, naked now, crouched over Velutha, her mouth on his. He drew her hair around them like a tent. Like her children did when they wanted to exclude the outside world. She slid further down, introducing herself to the rest of him. His neck. His nipples. His chocolate brown stomach. She sipped the last of the river from the hollow of his navel. She pressed the heat of his erection against her eyelids. She tasted him, salty, in her mouth. He sat up and drew her back to him. She felt his belly tighten under her, hard as a board. She felt her wetness slipping on his skin. He took her nipple in his mouth and cradled her other breast in his calloused palm. Velvet gloved in sandpaper.”
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (2015)
A mythical exploration of a 20-year marriage that is filled with ups, downs, and sex — both the good and bad kind.
How sexy is it?
Rage sex is definitely an overarching theme.
Thirstiest moment:
“There should have been nothing left. And yet, some kind of Lotto remained. A separate him, a new one, below his wife, who was sliding her face up his stomach, pushing the string of her thong to one side, enveloping him. His hands were opening her robe to show her breasts like nestlings, her chin tipped up toward their vaguely reflected bodies. She was saying, ‘Oh god,’ her fists coming down hard on his chest, saying, ‘Now you’re Lancelot. No more Lotto. Lotto’s a child’s name, and you’re no child. You’re a genius fucking playwright, Lancelot Satterwhite. We will make this happen.’”
Spending by Mary Gordon (1999)
Middle-aged painter Monica finds a muse in B, a wealth manager whose services include sex.
How sexy is it?
Stella isn’t the one who got her groove back.
Thirstiest moment:
“He put his head between my legs, nuzzling at first. His beard was a little rough on the insides of my thighs. Then with his lips, then his tongue, he struck fire. I had to cry out in astonishment, in gratitude at being touched in that right place.”
Slow Dancing by Elizabeth Benedict (1989)
The ur text for Sex and The City, Slow Dancing tells the story of two New York City friends and how they grew apart.
How sexy is it?
Well, Benedict did write the book on sex in fiction — not basically, literally. She is the author behind The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers.
Thirstiest moment:
“With his hips he pulled her along to the edge of sensation and then let her pull back ever so gently, and back and forth and back and forth. She felt as if she were getting ready for a dive, jumping up and down on the end of the diving board to get a feel for the springs. Tighter than she had expected. Though she offered no resistance and came right before he did.”
In The Cut by Susanna Moore (1995)
An erotic thriller in which an English professor finds herself obsessed with a murder and the detective assigned to solve it.
How sexy is it?
A cult classic that puts female sexuality in the forefront, often in a scary way.
Thirstiest moment:
“I pushed aside my pillows and turned onto my stomach. My feet hung off the end of the bed, my toes hooked over the edge. The way I do. And through my cotton nightgown, I put two fingers of my right hand on my clitoris and thought of him. Standing in a room, coming toward me, watching me undress.”
Tampa by Alissa Nutting (2013)
Inspired by the 2013 case of Debra Lafave, a Tampa teacher who was charged with having sex with her middle school students, Nutting’s seriocomic debut novel is focused on female predators. Specifically, the one that she went to high school with.
How sexy is it?
The sex is explicit, which made many critics and readers uncomfortable — that was the point. It’s a commentary on Lolita being considered an erotic classic. After reading this sex-filled book, you might find yourself questioning that.
Thirstiest moment:
“Nodding, he scooted closer and stuck his tongue as far out from his lips as he could manage, as though he’d just been dared to lick a metal pole in the winter. His eyes were open wide, visually taking in the target—he seemed to be worried that he wouldn’t be able to find my breast if he closed them. I lowered my head and watched the pink-on- pink contact, my nipple beginning to glisten with Jack’s saliva.”
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson (2016)
A genre-bending memoir that tackles the many selves of its authors. That includes the sexual one.
How sexy is it?
Often an unsettling look at sexy, which might not always make you hot, but will make you think.
Thirstiest moment:
“Instead the words I love you come tumbling out of my mouth in an incantation the first time you fuck me in the ass, my face smashed against the cement floor of your dank and charming bachelor pad.”
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (2014)
An explosive coming-of-age novel about a girl named Reno who comes to New York in the ’70s looking to set the art world on fire.
How sexy is it?
A novel with a strong libido, but it doesn’t get in the way of the story.
Thirstiest moment:
“As we continued to watch the movie he began to unbutton my skirt. One button at a time, slowly, methodically, with no hesitation. He knew how to unbutton buttons. There was no fumbling, which was part of why I couldn’t find the courage to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ The other reason I couldn’t find the courage to stop him was that I didn’t want him to. No one was in our row, or behind us. My skirt unbuttoned, he took off his coat and placed it over my lap, chivalrous and careful. His hand slipped under the coat that covered me, and found its way through the unbuttoned skirt. He pressed his warm palm firmly against my underwear. I looked at him. He looked straight ahead… When my body began to tense, his hand understood and slowed itself down, its rhythm matching mine.”
Sula by Toni Morrison (1973)
A queer tragic comedy about two friends, Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who turn frenemies after a betrayal.
How sexy is it?
Morrison uses sex as a powerful tool that can free women and also confine them.
Thirstiest moment:
“He liked for her to mount him so he could see her towering above him and call soft obscenities up into her face. As she rocked there, swayed there, like a Georgia pine on its knees, high above the slipping, falling smile, high above the golden eyes and the velvet helmet of hair, rocking, swaying, she focused her thoughts to bar the creeping disorder that was flooding her hips. She looked down, down from what seemed an awful height at the head of the man whose lemon-yellow gabardines had been the first sexual excitement she’d known. Letting her thoughts dwell on his face in order to confine, for just a while longer, the drift of her flesh toward the high silence of orgasm.”
Carrie’s Story by Molly Weatherfield (2002)
An intellectual erotic novel that plunges readers into the depths of an S&M world, full of slave auctions, anal sex and human “ponies”.
How sexy is it?
Hello, did you see that cover art? An image is worth a thousand words indeed.
Thirstiest moment:
“I was very carefully licking his balls, concentrating on doing it the way he liked, wondering when it would be time to snake my tongue into his asshole, waiting for the little tug on the chain clipped to my nipples, which would be the signal. I got it right, I think — or at least close enough. His cock got very big, and he rammed it deep into my throat, coming hugely, while he continued to tug on the chain. I swallowed hard, letting myself sigh and shudder. He held my head down tightly with one of his hands, only very slowly releasing it, allowing me to relax between his thighs.”
Fear Of Flying by Erica Jong (1973)
The iconic feminist novel about a passion-seeking poet named Isadora Wing en route to a psychoanalysts’ conference with her second husband.
How sexy is it?
Safe to say, the mile high club might not exist without it.
Thirstiest moment:
“My response to all this was not (not yet) to have an affair and not (not yet) to hit the open road, but to evolve my fantasy of the Zipless Fuck. The zipless fuck was more than a fuck. It was a platonic ideal. Zipless because when you came together zippers fell away like rose petals, underwear blew off in one breath like dandelion fluff. Tongues intertwined and turned liquid. Your whole soul flowed out through your tongue and into the mouth of your lover.”
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious (1956)
The sexual awakening of three women in a conservative New England town where people definitely like to talk.
How sexy is it?
A blockbuster novel that was ahead of its time in terms of its explicit sex scenes. Something to keep in mind when reading it now.
Thirstiest moment:
The opening lines: “Indian summer is like a woman. Ripe, hotly passionate, but fickle, she comes and goes as she pleases so that one is never sure whether she will come at all, nor for how long she will stay … One year, early in October, Indian summer came to a town called Peyton Place. Like a laughing woman Indian summer came and spread herself over the country-side and made everything hurtfully beautiful to the eye.”
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton (2013)
The book’s title is a reference to Caroline’s noisy neighbour with a healthy sexual appetite. When she decides to walk next door and air her grievances, she soon realises that her self-imposed abstinence might be a thing of the past.
How sexy is it?
A steamy fantasy come-to-life for anyone who has ever lived next door to someone with thin walls and a hot bod.
Thirstiest moment:
“Moving instinctively, I snapped open his jeans, dropped to my knees before him, and brought him forth. My pulse raced, and I think my blood actually boiled within me as I saw him. My breath drew in with a hiss as I regarded him, faded jeans pushed down just enough to frame this luminous sight. Simon goes commando. God bless America.”
Tempted By You by Stephanie Nicole Norris (2018)
In love with her brother’s best friend, soap opera star Jasmine Alexandria Rose is struggling to move on. But don’t worry, her crush, mayoral candidate Luke Steele, is suffering from the same affliction.
How sexy is it? A duo that will leave you aroused whether you’ve read Norris’ previous eight books in her Falling For a Rose or not. They’re that hot.
Thirstiest moment:
“Often, Jasmine found herself daydreaming about what it must feel like to be wrapped in Luke’s arms, hidden beneath the comfort of his embrace. Too many times, she pictured their lovemaking, rocking against a headboard while her nails sank into his flesh with her head thrown back and her mouth wide open. Jasmine bit down on her teeth and attempted to sever their link, but Luke’s comprehensive gaze held her captive.”
Off The Clock By Roni Loren (2016)
The first book in the Pleasure Principle series looks at how Marin Rush stops studying sex and just starts doing it with help from a colleague who isn’t looking to get attached. Good luck.
How sexy is it?
Marin works at an experimental sex therapy institute, which basically sounds like the premise of a porno. We mean that as a compliment.
Thirstiest moment:
“‘I’m going to wrap my fingers in your hair and slide my other hand up your thigh. You have to be quiet for me. We can’t let anyone know.’ Marin Rush paused in the dark hallway of Harker Hall, her tennis shoes going silent on the shiny linoleum and the green Exit signs humming softly in the background. She didn’t dare move. She’d been on the way to grab a soda and a snack out of the vending machine. Her caffeine supply had run low and watching participants snore in the sleep lab wasn’t exactly stimulating stuff. But that silk-smooth male voice had hit her like a thunderclap, waking up every sense that had gone dull with exhaustion.”
And Playing the Role of Herself by K.E. Lane (2007)
K.E. Lane’s debut novel is set in Hollywood where two leading ladies vie for roles and one another’s heart.
How sexy is it?
A lesbian love story filled with intimate sex scenes that will have you rooting for these two women.
Thirstiest moment:
“The thought of pushing Robyn up against a wall sent shivers up my spine. A very very good kind of shiver. I closed my eyes and steadied my suddenly ragged breathing. Whoa. That was new. Apparently in the last few hours I’d moved from adolescent crush to full-on adult lust, complete with NC-17 rated video.”
Next in Line for Love by Harper Bliss (2019)
When Alexandra ‘Ali’ Lennox moves back home to head up the family brewery, the company’s COO, Jill Gold, becomes a mentor, much to her chagrin.
How sexy is it?
Bliss certainly knows how to make a reader blush.
Thirstiest moment:
“I can’t help but reach for her. I cup her breast in my hand and I marvel at its arm softness. It feels so good in my hand, so perfect, so final, in a way. As though I’ll never need to feel any other woman’s breast again. This is it. I’ve come home in more ways than one. I push her gently onto her back and lower myself to her. I suck her nipple between my lips and then, the biggest marvel of all, she lets out a very gentle but extremely arousing little groan. Then she says my name.”
Bliss by Fiona Zedde (2016)
Bliss Sinclair has never been truly satisfied until she meets Regina, who, it turns out, might be more demon than angel. A realisation that sends Bliss on a pilgrimage back to Jamaica.
How sexy is it?
Satisfaction guaranteed.
Thirstiest moment:
“The first time someone else touched me with the intent to pleasure, I fell in love. Not with that person, but with the act itself. Such intimacy and accord. Even with the awkwardness of first time lovers there was a grace and purity, carnal and beautiful that I knew from that moment on I could never live without.”
Intercepted by Alexa Martin (2018)
Are you ready for some football (American football, that is)? Good because this novel tells the story of Marlee Harper, the longtime girlfriend of an NFL player whose teammate has his eyes on her.
How sexy is it?
You’ll be yelling, “Touchdown!” loud and proud throughout.
Thirstiest moment:
“Like a tsunami, each memory of that night hits me like another wave. His eyes as he watched me undress. Crash. My tongue dancing against his. Crash. The way he took me to the edge of euphoria over and over and over again. Crash. Crash. Crash. I’m drowning with the sinking realisation that all of my hard work to bury every panty-dropping, toe-curling memory of that night was for nothing.”
Dirty by Megan Hart (2006)
Elle Kavanagh, a corporate accountant, who prefers one night stands and casual hookups, she walks into a fancy candy shop and meets the delicious Dan Stewart. That’s it, that’s the summary.
How sexy is it?
You won’t look at pizza the same way again.
Thirstiest moment:
“He tasted the invisible trail his hands had left, mapping the path of his touch with his tongue. He paused to lick the back of my knee, then moved to bite the back of the other. If the table had not been so stubbornly slick my fingernails would surely have gouged out runners in the surface, so fiercely did I clutch it. I opened my mouth but immediately bit back the cry as his mouth shifted higher. His tongue flicked the underside of my buttocks, a place nobody had ever kissed, much less licked. It was a good thing the table was in front of me, because his caress had buckled my knees. His tongue slid higher, along the seam of my ass. When it reached the bottom of my spine, that magic, secret spot that made me writhe, I couldn’t have held back the cry if I’d tried.”
Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy (2015)
“Can one night of sex ruin a friendship?” It’s the question Jamie Canning has been asking himself in the years since things turned romantic with his bestie Ryan Welsey at ice hockey camp. Now the two are back at the scene of their tryst and looking for answers.
How sexy is it?
You might find yourself fantasising about ice hockey like a lot.
Thirstiest moment:
“Why hasn’t anyone ever told me the prostate was some kind of magical pleasure zone? Are there unicorns and orgasm fairies dancing around in there?”
Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren (2013)
Christian Grey has nothing on British playboy Max Stella who is a love ‘em and leave ‘em type. That is until he meets Sara Dillon, an exhibitionist who isn’t sure she wants anything too serious.
How sexy is it?
Max and Sara get off on doing it in public places where someone might catch them. You might find yourself happy to be the one who does.
Thirstiest moment:
“I took his hand, brought it to my hip. ‘I’ve been the only person to give myself an orgasm for the past year.’ Moving his fingers to the edge of my dress, I whispered, ‘Can you change that?’”
The Gravity Between Us by Kristen Zimmer (2013)
Teen starlet Kendall Bettencourt finds refuge in her best friend Payton Taylor, who has become more than a best friend. When will she let the rest of the world know that?
How sexy is it?
The themes are mature in this queer teen novel that deals with friendship and identity.
Thirstiest moment:
“She cups my breasts in her palms. Her tongue slides down my stomach. Then lower and lower still. She halts again, looks up at me from between my spread legs. ‘Are you sure?’”
Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters (2000)
Oyster girl Nan King falls for Kitty Butler, a genderqueer performer, in this novel of historical fiction in which the passion is so illicit it all happens behind closed doors.
How sexy is it?
Grab a needle and thread, this is a straight-up bodice ripper.
Thirstiest moment:
“With her hands close-pressed about my head and her legs straddling mine, she gently lowered herself upon me; then proceeded to rise and sink, rise and sink, with an ever-speedier motion. At first I held her hips, to guide them; then I returned a hand to her drawers, and let the fingers of the other creep round her thigh to her buttocks. My mouth I fastened now on one nipple, now on the other, sometimes finding the salt of her flesh, sometimes the dampening cotton of her chemise.”
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