The world of smut is vast and varied, ranging from mainstream porn to erotic novels to audio erotica to fan fiction to that one sports-team mascot that just does it for you, for some reason.
You know how things go on a mainstream porn website: Want to get choked by your imaginary stepdad? Want to watch the most horrifying sex imaginable take place in an old warehouse? Want to constantly lose track of the narrative because you’re wondering if the actors are being paid competitive and fair wages? Of course there is ethical, enthusiastic, consensual female-gaze porn out there, but it’s not always easy to find.
On the other hand…welcome to Spicy BookTok, the TikTok community focused on erotic novels and stories where a woman in flattering glasses will talk in a calming voice about genres called fae porn and praise kink. They got jokes. They got feelings. They got ultra-specific scenarios. What if you teamed up with your enemy to overthrow an evil regime and then you had to take shelter from passing guards in a cave and in the darkness he stumbled and cut his thigh on a sharp rock and you had to dress his wound but your only spare scrap of fabric was your corset? What then??? Spicy BookTok is the sister kingdom to the smut queens of Bookstagram. Both realms are woman-dominated. And both tend to celebrate queerness, fatness, and people of color with less tokenization than other erotic communities.
Smutty books roll their eyes at the cult of sanctity around literature. In the world of erotic books and romance novels, there’s room for every fantasy on the page. Commas and ellipses contort on the page, and ink serves as lingerie.
So, Glamour asked some of our favorite and most devoted smut readers on TikTok and Instagram to recommend their favorite erotic novels, romance novels, and written smut. Happy reading!
A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn
“A Not So Meet Cute” by Meghan Quinn
Amazon
If you have not read A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn—what are you doing with your life? This is a Pretty Woman-inspired book with fake dating, hilarious banter that brings tears to your eyes, and sexual tension like no other. One of the best rom-coms I have ever read! Highly recommend! —Tess of Bookedupchick
Bloodshed by Molly Doyle
Bloodshed by Molly Doyle
Bourbon & Secrets by Victoria Wilder
Bourbon and Secrets by Victoria Wilder
Amazon
From the very first page, Bourbon & Secrets had me hooked with its fast pace and captivating story. I’ll never get over how they played with bourbon in their intimacy—it added such a sexy, unique vibe. Lincoln’s daughters being so involved brought real warmth, while the spice, plot, and everything else was just perfect. —Ariana of Ari the Dark Romantic
Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
“Brutal Prince: An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance” by Sophie Lark
Amazon
The queen of the mafia romance subgenre is easily Sophie Lark. Each of her books features a different romance trope and a different kink, so there is a little something for everyone. Trust me, her books are not only utterly addictive and super spicy, but they feature badass women who bring strong men to their knees! Start with Brutal Prince, which is an enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage romance. —Madison of PrincessofPaperback
Braving the Storm by Elliott Rose
Braving The Storm by Elliott Rose
Amazon
I was completely hooked by the forbidden tension in Braving the Storm—the age gap, the forced proximity, and that slow-burn build-up between Briar and Storm were so good. The spice was perfectly steamy, and I loved watching Briar find her voice and fight for the future she wanted, even if it meant being with her step-uncle and dealing with the judgment. —Ariana
Cash by Jessica Peterson
Cash by Jessica Peterson
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma
“Dating Dr. Dil” by Nisha Sharma
Amazon
Romance books allow me to vicariously live through characters that have way more interesting lives than I do. I’m currently reading Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma, and this book has single-handedly proven why I like fictional men better than real-life men. —Ayman of AymansBooks
Fall From India Place by Samantha Young
“Fall From India Place” by Samantha Young
Amazon
If there’s one book a hopeless romantic has to read before they die, it’s this book—Fall From India Place by Samantha Young. It has the best romantic scenes I have ever read in a book as well as the best spicy scenes. It will tug on your heartstrings and occasionally make you want to rip your heart out to give to Marco (the lead male). —Anita of AnitasLibrary
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
“It Happened One Summer” by Tessa Bailey
Amazon
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey is the first book I read by her, and oh, my gosh, it was amazing. It’s a cute yet very hot romantic story about an L.A. wild child named Piper who is sent to a fisherman’s town called Westport to run her late father’s dive bar and learn how to be independent. She is greeted with not the warmest of welcomes by none other than a grumpy young fisherman named Brendan.
This book gave me butterflies. I was this close to moving to a small town myself to try and find a young fisherman after reading this book. Plus, the spicy scenes that happened between them? Oof, I was definitely blushing when reading them. This book is an easy read, swoon-worthy, and super hot and steamy. —Jayde of JaydeClément
Lilac by B.B. Reid
Lilac by B.B. Reid
Praise by Sara Cate
The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
Amazon
If you have ever binged Grey’s Anatomy and had a poster of Jacob Black in your room at some point, this is a must-read. Mackenzie and Noah are both doctors—oh, and they also happen to be wolf shifters. When they agree to fake date for mutual benefit, neither of them expects things to get a little too real, too fast. You will ‘knot’ regret reading this book. (Let me know when you get this joke.) —Madison
Wanting Mr. Cane by Shanora Williams
Wanting Mr. Cane by Shanora Williams
Amazon
He’s forbidden. He’s off-limits. He’s…her father’s best friend! This book follows Kandy (18 years old), who has had a crush on Mr. Cane (35 years old) since she was a kid. It’s the summer before she leaves for college, and she finally decides to make a move. And another move. And another. This is a delicious slow burn that will have you flipping pages at lightning speed. —Madison
Wolf.e by Paisley Hope
Wolf.e by Paisley Hope
Amazon
I was obsessed with the tension between the characters in Wolf.e—watching the female main character tap into her darker side and totally own it while Gabriel had her back was everything. He was so protective and territorial in the best way, and the blood and knife play made it all even more addictive to read. —Ariana
The post The Smuttiest, Spiciest Erotic Novels, According to BookTok appeared first on Glamour.
