Cancel Your Plans—These Spicy Romance Books Will Keep You Up All Night

Spice Level: 1/5

Justin and Emma have the same curse: Everyone they’ve ever dated has gone on to find their soulmate after they’ve broken up. In an attempt to break the cycle, they decide to date each other and then break up. But what was intended to be a quick summer fling turns into more. As their personal issues get intertwined, they catch feelings and wonder if their curse was actually disguised fate bringing them together after all. This book is sweet, funny, and emotional. It has one mildly spicy chapter, but the descriptions are light, so it’s the perfect read for anyone who wants a wholesome romance with a side of slow-burn spice.

Spice Level: 1/5

Iris Winnow’s only hope to save her family is landing the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. To soothe her worries, she writes letters to her missing brother, but they mysteriously land in the hands of her rival at the paper, Roman Kitt. When he anonymously writes her back, they forge a connection that follows Iris on the path to saving her family. If you’re looking for the trifecta that is slow-burn romance, historical fiction, and a smidge of fantasy, add this to your TBR list ASAP. With just one fade-to-black spicy scene, you’ll adore this enemies-to-lovers romance.

Spice Level: 2/5

Ada’s little sister is getting married in Ireland, and she just barely manages to get a ticket on a budget airline. When her connection is cancelled, she gets stuck in London with no way to make it to the wedding. As she spills her heart out to a handsome stranger at the bar, she realizes the stranger is headed to the same wedding. Oh, and he’s the best man. Jack and Ada must put their simmering attraction behind them to make it to Belfast before they miss the nuptials. But between flat tires, missed trains, and suspect hostels with only one bed, Jack and Ada start to question whether their feelings and steamy chemistry are worth going the distance. If you love forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers tropes, you’ll fly through this slightly spicy novel.

Spice Level: 2/5

Asher Donovan is a living footballer legend, but his reckless antics and recent team transfer have caused controversy. When his feud with his rival-turned-teammate costs the team a championship, they’re forced to “bond” during off-season cross-training. Surviving the summer shouldn’t be hard… until Asher meets their new trainer. She’s beautiful and talented, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t take his mind off her.
The only problem? She’s his rival’s sister, and she’s completely off limits. We know Ana Huang does steam and angst like nobody else, and her new sports romance is no exception.

Spice Level: 2/5

Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard in 13 years—not since the tragic accident. Now a bestselling author, she’s getting a fresh start in LA, where she’ll work in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of one of her books. Meanwhile, Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past and become a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn’t have taken the job on Helen’s show, but it will open doors that he just can’t pass up. While working together, their secrets come to light, and what unfolds is messy and intoxicating. This story has serious sexual tension and angst from start to finish.

Spice Level: 2/5

What’s worse than working for a grumpy single dad? Admitting that you once had a secret crush on him in high school. Thankfully, Rafael Lopez and Ellie Sinclair have changed since graduating from Wisteria High. He is a billionaire with a company to run and a child to take care of. She’s an unemployed songwriter he hired to watch his son and teach music. They coexist without any issues until a vacation changes everything. Lines blur, and old feelings for Rafael return with a vengeance, and things start heating up in more ways than one. Steamy chapters are throughout this book, but of course, the build-up to the end will make you hot.

Spice Level: 3/5

On the surface, Scarlett, a competitive diver, and all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas, have nothing in common. But when a well-guarded secret slips out about their shared BDSM kink, everything changes—so they start an arrangement in the form of a no-strings-attached relationship. As the NCAA Championships approach, the pressure builds in more ways than one. Eventually, it becomes impossible to stay away from each other. Read our full review of this book here! Spoiler: We think it’s Ali Hazelwood’s spiciest book yet.

Spice Level: 3/5

Set at the competitive, uptight Marymount school, Tryst Six Venom follows Clay and Liv: two sworn enemies. Clay is the perfect Catholic good girl, the queen bee of Marymount, who is hiding a secret that would cause her to tumble from grace. Liv is the Ivy-bound outsider, known around Marymount for her too-short skirts and her too-red lipstick. Liv has told Clay many times to never “cross the tracks” and bring her good-girl ways into Liv’s territory, but one day, Clay’s curiosity overcomes her. Anyone who loves a bully romance will be obsessed with Clay and Liv’s rivalry-turned-romance. This WLW story will get you just the right amount of hot and bothered.

Spice Level: 3/5

After years of working her tail off at her event-planning business, Maggie Mitchell is ready for a vacation. While enjoying the warm weather of Bora Bora, in saunters Brody McFadden, her brother’s best friend and also her sworn enemy. That is, until she finds out he’s in Bora Bora for a wedding. She realizes offering her services as a bridesmaid and planner could bring her business to the next level. The only catch? She needs to pose as Brody’s girlfriend to get the job. Tensions rise, and despite years’ worth of bickering behind closed doors, Maggie can’t quite squash the sparks building between her and her new fake boyfriend. Expect a slow burn here, but once it heats up, you’ll be sweating.

Spice Level: 3/5

After a brutal breakup, Theo and Kit exited each other’s lives once and for all. All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour they never went on. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip, separately. Of course, they both had the exact same idea, and now they’re trapped with each other for three weeks in the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. When Theo suggests a full-on European hookup competition, Kit is totally game. But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have. If you loved Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue (the movie or the book), you’ll love this steamy read.

Spice Level: 4/5

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… Sometimes, it follows you right back home. Kennedy is the athletic trainer for the Windy City Warriors, desperate to land her dream job with a new team next year. But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop, Isaiah, threatens it all when she wakes up with a fuzzy memory and a ring on her left hand. Thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save her job, they must pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake. But Isaiah’s had a crush on Kennedy for years, and this might just be his chance to finally win her over. If you’ve been looking for a sexy open-door sports romance, you just found your next favorite.

Spice Level: 4/5

The first book in the Salacious Players’ Club series, Praise, is not for the faint of heart. Charlie Underwood is a notorious good girl, broken down by her neglectful ex. When Charlie stumbles into a job at the Salacious Players’ Club, she is entranced by the club’s owner, Emerson Grant. Emerson knows what he wants, and he isn’t afraid to ask for it… But when he realizes that Charlie is his son’s ex-girlfriend, he offers her a job as his secretary and nothing more. Soon, Charlie is the one who isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants, and what she wants is Emerson. Full of sexcapades, their hot age-gap relationship is perfectly sweet, sexy, and kinky.

Spice Level: 4/5

Despite being named World’s Hottest Billionaire, all Ford Grant cares about is escaping the press and opening a recording studio in small town Rose Hill. He spends his days balancing business with parenting and trying desperately to keep his hands off his best friend’s sister, Rosie Belmont. But when Rosie begs for a job, Ford can’t help but hire her. He shouldn’t cross this line, but he can’t resist her. The spicy dialogue in this book is unmatched—you will definitely be thinking about this one long after you finish it.

Spice Level: 4/5

A steamy chance encounter between Sig, a professional hockey player, and Chloe, the dream girl he just can’t seem to forget, takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more… We all know Tessa Bailey can do no wrong when it comes to dirty talk, so this extra spicy story will not disappoint you. If you loved the heat in It Happened One Summer, you’ll be looking for a way to cool off after this read too.

Spice Level: 4/5

Alright, I think we can admit that we all love a bad boy love story. Conceited, unattainable, and downright delicious, renowned chef Ambrose Casablancas has one passion in life: food. Women are only a distraction, especially Cal Litvin, his sister’s best friend. Her entire existence is a complication. There’s just one problem: Cal shows up at his doorstep, looking for both a job and salvation after their messy goodbye. His resolve, like his patience, is ebbing each day she works at his restaurant. Because Cal is no longer a doe-eyed girl. Now? She’s the woman he’ll do anything to conquer. This read is addictive and explicitly open door.

Spice Level: 5/5

Fleabag once said, “I want to *ahem* a priest,” and after seeing all the hype about this book, I can understand why. When Tyler Bell breaks his vow of celibacy—on the altar of his own church—he embarks on a very, very spicy journey. There’s just something about Poppy Danforth that makes him want to break all the rules, no matter the cost. Even just 100 pages in, you’re sure to be satisfied with the spicy scenes Sierra Simone has blessed us with. While the book does have a plot, you can easily skip a few pages here and there and get what you came for in the first place. We all know why we’ve gathered here, and it’s to hear all about Father Bell’s sins.

Spice Level: 5/5

In this reverse harem tale, Braxton Fawn, self-proclaimed “luckiest girl alive,” becomes the lead guitarist in a hot new band full of hot young guys. When bandmates Houston, Loren, and Jericho let her know they’ve been watching her and liking what they see (professionally and in, ahem, other ways), the musicians take their rock star lives to the next level, whether in their van or even in the woods. Or outside the van. Or in hotel rooms. The point is, if having a great time with hunky guys who will fight over you—or work together to please you—has been your fantasy, settle in for a long night of reading. Let’s just say that while there is a plot, this is basically just a book of sex scenes.