11 Fashion Journal readers share their favourite erotic book

“Sexy and succinct, magnifique!”

If Fifty Shades of Grey taught us anything, it’s that reading smutty books is a particular kind of fun. For a lot of people (maybe the same people who patiently waited four books for the Edward/Bella sex scene in Breaking Dawn), Fifty Shades was an introduction to the world of literotica, unveiling a whole library of page-turners that can get you off.

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Modern smut spans so far beyond Christian Grey – some prefer ‘faerie porn’ (A Court of Thorns and Roses fans, we’re looking at you), while others lean towards erotic classics. There’s truly something for every taste. Below, 11 Fashion Journal readers share their all-time favourite erotic book.

Christina* 31, she/her

Haunting Adeline. The gun scene!

Leia*, 33, she/her

I have been a keen devotee of the ‘French girl’ shtick long before… the aesthetics took over (Vive le France!). So me being the cultural bitch that I am, I love me some Anais Nin – particularly her classics Little Birds and Delta of Venus. The collective of short stories also caters to my ever-devolving attention span. Sexy and succinct, magnifique!

Mina*, 30, she/they

My all-time favourite is Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. It’s the perfect second-chance love (or lust) storyline. After 15 years apart, writers Eva and Shane are reunited at a literary event in Brooklyn. In high school, Shane and Eva had shared one passionate, Rome and Juliet-esque week and now, a chance encounter has allowed them to reignite the ultimate flame. Note: Trigger warnings for addiction, self-harm abuse and intergenerational trauma.

Prishanti*, 35 she/her

That Sik Luv by Jescie Hall. I love it because it’s a dark romance with a morally grey main male character who empowers her to find her voice and break down societal standards of women and purity culture. She, in turn, empowers him to come to terms with his trauma in a safe space. The MMC is also poetic in how he declares his love for her.

Mia*, 24, she/her

The Goal by Elle Kennedy. So hot and so sweet. It’s the Hannah Montana of college hockey romances.

Selma*, 27, she/they

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hubert. The main character is a curvy, Black, bisexual woman, and her love interest is literally a dream man – like, dreamt up by a staunch feminist. It’s so hot. And I love that I can see myself in so much of the main character and her interests, experiences of identity, and desires. This book is one in a three-part series about three sisters and each of their love stories. They’re all great!

Jordan*, 26, she/her

Priest by Sierra Simone. It’s so taboo and bloody hot and there’s sex on an altar. Giving Fleabag’s fantasy vibes.

Adele*, 27, she/her

The A Court of Thorns and Roses series! Book two is the best.

Sam*, 22, he/him

Call me cliché but as a gay man, I think André Acimen’s Call Me By Your Name is truly unmatched. The mental anguish a teenage Elio experiences is palpable, and anyone who has had a forbidden crush will be able to relate. It’s a little soul-crushing at times, yes, but it’s also steamy, beautiful and just the right amount of dirty. And that infamous peach scene? Impeccable.

Cleo*, 25, she/her

Schmutz. It’s an insight into the orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn with a whole lot of porn! My perfect book.

Marie*, 34 she/her

Little Birds by Anais Nin. It’s dark, sexual, runs at a good pace and is intellectually erotic. It’s 13 stories of naughty entanglements and is artfully composed. It’s a book you’d be comfortable to be caught reading in public.

*Names have been changed.

For more of the best smutty books on the market right now, head here.