Erotic books for women: these 10 you want to read
There are books you read on the couch and books you prefer to read under the duvet, with a cup of tea and the door locked. This list is about the second kind. Erotic literature is no longer a secret genre for the bottom drawer, because thanks to BookTok, the hottest titles are right at the front of the bookstore. From literary novels about midlife desire to romantic fantasy with dragons and more than one heated scene: these are the ten best erotic books for women, from sultry to scorching hot.
What does spicy mean in books?
Anyone browsing BookTok will stumble upon the word spicy. It is the term for novels with explicit or intense intimate scenes, and they are often rated with a number of chili peppers. One chili pepper means a little tension and a door that closes in time, five chili peppers means you better not read this book on the train. Handy, because this way you know exactly what you're getting into.
1. All Fours by Miranda July
If you read only one book from this list, let it be this one. An artist in her mid-forties sets off on a road trip from Los Angeles to New York, but stops just half an hour in at a motel, where she turns her whole life upside down. The book is about desire, transition, and the question of what you actually want when you already have everything. Funny, raw, and a revelation for many women our age.
2. Fear of Flying by Erica Jong
The classic from 1973 that liberated a whole generation of women. The protagonist, Isadora Wing, dreams of a fleeting, carefree encounter with a stranger, without obligations and without guilt, and Jong coined a term for it that went down in history. More than fifty years later, it still reads surprisingly modern.
3. My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday
Not a novel, but a collection of sexual fantasies from real women, which Nancy Friday compiled in 1973 based on letters and interviews. At a time when people thought women hardly had fantasies, it was a bombshell. Read it if you want to discover how diverse and surprising female desire really is.
4. Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
Journalist Lisa Taddeo followed three American women for years and wrote down what they desired, who they longed for, and what that did to their lives. The result reads like a novel, but everything really happened. A book that doesn't so much excite you as it does move you, and that stays with you for a long time.
5. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
You can think what you want about it, but without Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, the whole spicy genre would look different now. The book became a worldwide phenomenon and permanently removed erotica from the taboo sphere. Ideal as a starting point, or to look back with a glass of wine on how it all began. By the way, we once interviewed Jamie Dornan, Mr. Fifty Shades himself
6. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Who Fourth Wing has been read, knows Violet and Xaden already. In Onyx Storm, the third part of the Empyrean series, there is reportedly even more romance and more spice than in Fourth Wing. Dragons, war, and a love that puts everything at stake: romantic fantasy at its best, so definitely start with part one.
7. King of Wrath by Ana Huang
A forced engagement binds CEO Dante Russo, who never intended to marry, to jewel heiress Vivian Lau, whose family needs his name. Ana Huang is one of the queens of BookTok, and her Twisted series is among the most discussed spicy titles in the Netherlands. Glamour, power, and a tension that builds for a long time.
8. Wild Love by Elsie Silver
For those who find cowboys and small towns just as attractive as big cities. Elsie Silver is the author of the friendly, warm romance with a hefty dose of heat, and Wild Love is one of those books that readers keep reaching for when they want something hot but also narrative. Perfect for a rainy weekend.
9. Priest by Sierra Simone
A priest who falls in love with the woman who comes to confess to him. The premise is just as forbidden as it sounds, and Sierra Simone writes it with a surprising mix of heat and emotion. Not for those who are easily shocked, but for those who love forbidden love with a literary edge.
10. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
The daredevil of the list. Readers count this book among the hottest titles of the moment, good for five chili peppers. Two serial killers who only take out other murderers fall in love with each other. That sounds absurd, and it is, but it is also funny, thrilling, and surprisingly romantic. Read the warnings at the front first, because this is dark romance.
11. Bedtime Stories
And of course, the book by our own Adeline Mans cannot be missed. She wrote, together with Jip de Jongh, a collection of erotic stories for bedtime. They are curated with one, two, or three chili peppers indicating the level of spiciness. Take your pick.
Which erotic book is best to start with?
Never read an erotic book? Then start with All Fours or Fear of Flying, which primarily stimulate by what they say about desire. If you just want a lovely story with some heat, then choose Wild Love or King of Wrath. Only when you're really into it, dare you to tackle Priest or Butcher & Blackbird. Prefer something with a French twist? Then read our article on sex tips from French women, where we also list the most beautiful French erotic classics.
