Eleven sexy, smutty and sweet books to read right now
words by daisy henry
A match made in heaven.
One of my favourite things about books is how they can transport you anywhere. You can, for example, be sitting on a train during peak hour reading the most graphic and drawn-out sex scene while your fellow commuters are none the wiser. Or you can just as easily be tucked up in bed, immersed in the most wholesome love story to exist. The literary world really is your oyster.
Looking for more thought-provoking reads? Try our Life section.
From steamy, fantasy novels about dragons (IYKYK), to light-hearted romcoms and non-fiction deep-dives into female desire, there’s always a book for every mood. Whatever your feelings towards Valentine’s Day, these books offer up the perfect dose of sweet, sexy and smutty.
Evenings and Weekends by Osin McKenna
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If you want: A hot and chaotic read set in the peak of London summer
On the longest and hottest day of the year, Maggie, Ed, and Phil’s lives collide at a wild party, forcing them to face the messy realities of adulthood. With Maggie pregnant and leaving the city, Ed hiding a secret from his past and Phil navigating a new relationship, they’re forced to confront everything they’ve been avoiding. It’s a sharp, sexy, and hilarious exploration of life, love and longing.
Get it here.
Chestnut Springs by Elsie Silver
If you want: Hot cowboys and strong female leads
Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs is a series of five books set in a small-town, tight-knit rodeo world. While each book features a recurring cast of brooding cowboys, self-assured heroines and steamy tension, each story follows a different couple with their own set of challenges. Flawless, the first novel, begins as Summer Hamilton is tasked with following around a professional bull rider (need I say more?).
Get it here.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
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If you want: A second-chance love story
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams is a romance about bestselling author, Eva Mercy and reclusive writer, Shane Hall. The pair reconnect at a literary event in New York after years apart and over seven days, they rekindle their passionate and complicated relationship. It’s an emotional, insightful and sexy novel that unpacks love, forgiveness and mental health.
Get it here.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
If you want: A heart-warming read
The Kiss Quotient follows Stella, a brilliant mathematician with Asperger’s who hires an escort to help her navigate the world of intimacy. Michael Phan agrees to help her with everything from making out to missionary and soon, the boundaries of their professional arrangement start to blur. Hoang navigates consent and exploration expertly while keeping things steamy and pacy.
Get it here.
The Work by Bri Lee
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If you want: High-brow sex in the art world
The Work follows Lally, a successful American gallery owner, and Pat, an Australian from a regional town trying to make a name for himself. From the moment they meet at an Armory Show in New York, their relationship is full of chemistry. Their foreplay involves intellectual conversations about art and politics in all the best ways.
Get it here.
The Empyrean series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm) by Rebecca Yarros
If you want: A high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers fantasy
The Empyrean series almost goes without saying. It has single-handedly converted dozens of readers to the fantasy genre and for good reason. The first novel in the series, Fourth Wing, follows twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail as she enters Basgiath War College, a training college for the Navarre military. It’s there she meets, Xaden Riorson. The stakes get higher and the sex gets hotter with each book in the series.
Get it here.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
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If you want: A feel-good, small-town, cathartic read
Funny Story by Emily Henry is a wholesome and feel-good small-town romance. It begins right as Daphne’s fiancé, Peter, realises that he’s in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Stranded in Peter’s small town, Daphne moves in with Petra’s ex, Miles (who is the opposite of her ex in every way). The two soon hatch a plan to make their exes jealous and wind up spending more and more time together.
Get it here.
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
If you want: A queer romance set in Italy
I’m confident Call Me By Your Name will go down as one of the most beautifully written books to ever exist. It follows a whirlwind romance between 17-year-old Elio and 24-year-old Oliver, a guest at Elio’s family’s summer house in Italy. Told from Elio’s perspective, the novel lets you in on his innermost thoughts and what starts as curiosity soon grows into an all-consuming passion. Read it and then watch it come to life in the movie afterwards.
Get it here.
All Fours by Miranda July
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If you want: A weird and sexy book about a woman upending her life
Miranda July’s novel, All Fours, is a change of pace in every way. It follows a semi-famous artist as she embarks on a cross-country road trip, only to veer off course and spend two weeks in a motel less than an hour’s drive from her family. The main character pushes the boundaries of her sexual, romantic and domestic life in search of freedom and something more. It’s a unique, unexpected and thought-provoking read.
Get it here.
Just Friends by Gyan Yankovich
If you want: A book about friendship
If Valentine’s Day has you feeling particularly tender, then try Just Friends by Gyan Yankovich. It explores modern friendships in every form – from making friends to nurturing existing relationships and even grieving the loss of those no longer in your life. This book creates a space for deeper conversations about the importance of our friends and it feels like a warm hug.
Get it here.
Want: Sexual Fantasies collected by Gillian Anderson
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If you want: A non-fiction exploration of women’s desire
In Want, actress Gillian Anderson (of Sex Education and The Crown) collects anonymous sexual fantasies of women from around the world. It delves into themes of desire, intimacy, infidelity and shame, asking the question: what would women want if they were free to ask for it? It reveals how women really feel about sex while letting them remain totally anonymous.
Get it here.
For the best love stories of all time, head here.
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