A Romance Reader's Guide to Spicy Books: A Breakdown of the Romance Genre by Category and Spice Level
I love reading! Specifically, I love reading romance novels. However, when I got back into reading as an adult, I was a bit blindsided as to where to start because of the range of books that exist in this genre. What I learned throughout my reading journey is that the intention behind the desire to read is the most important thing to focus on when you are picking a book to read. For me, one thing I particularly look for in books is the level of smut (or spice). Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a spicy book. However, it can be daunting getting into the genre and trying to figure out what spice levels suit you best if you have never participated in smutty books before. So, here is a breakdown of the genre and some book and author recommendations in each category!
Level Breakdown and Recommendations
As expected, the genre can be broken down into a few categories, increasing in level of smut.
Wholesome Romances
Wholesome, or often referred to as clean, romance novels are books that have no mention or alluding to sex or sex scenes at all. The characters may kiss or makeout, but there are no fade-to-black or directly implied instances of sex between them. This could be a good place to start in the genre if you are not an avid reader of romance or if you are a bit intimidated by smut. Good examples of these books are anything in the Young Adult genre. Even though you are reading about younger kids (often in high school), the romance is still very sweet and enjoyable.These are books with a level 0 spice rating, meaning no spice at all.
Top Recommendations from Leela: The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther, Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter
Closed-Door Romances
Closed-Door romances are romance novels, usually adult, that allude to the idea of sex or have a fade-to-black scene where you know the characters are about to have sex but it is not explicitly written on the page. These books often evenly distribute the plot and the romance 50/50 because they are able to develop the plot of the book, while simultaneously developing the romance emotionally and not focusing solely on the sex. Closed-door is great if you prefer emotional connection to physical connection! These are some of my personal favorites because I feel like the smut does not take away from the emotional aspects of the romance. These are books with a level 1 spice rating.
Top Recommendations from Leela: When In Rome by Sarah Adams, Check And Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Open-Door Romances
Now on the other hand, open-door romances are novels that do describe and discuss sex openly on the page, but not very much. In an average 350 page romance book, there are probably 1-5 sex or spice scenes explicitly discussed on the page. These are great if you are looking for a way to dip your toe into smut and see what kinds of smut you like to and do not like to read because the smut does not overtake the plot or romance story, but simply acts as an addition to the romance plot to help fuel and strengthen their desire and connection to one another. These are usually books with a level 2 spice rating.
Top Recommendations from Leela: The Windy City Series by Liz Tomforde, The Chestnut Springs Series by Elsie Silver, The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
Steamy/Spicy Books
This is one level up from open-door romances. In steamy or spicy books, the characters have a sustained physical and sexual connection throughout the entire story, oftentimes starting as a friends with benefits situation or a way to release and ease the tension created between the two main characters. These books usually have a less intensive plot to focus more energy on the romance equally through the physical and emotional lens. The sex scenes are also usually more explicitly described and are featured more often throughout the book ranging from 25-45% of the book is smut. However, unlike the next category, these books do still have a plot aside from the romance that carries on throughout the book. These are books with a level 3 spice rating.
Top Recommendations from Leela: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, The Deal by Elle Kennedy
Smutty Books
Smutty books are another level up. These books usually forgo the plot at some point throughout the book to focus on the romance, specifically the smut. These books are similar to spicy books in that they have a somewhat equal level of physical and emotional connection between the two characters. However, smutty books usually do not have a real plot aside from the romance, because a majority of the book has been dedicated to smut. These books usually are about 50-60% smut and have a level 4 spice rating.
Top Recommendations from Leela: The Twisted Series by Ana Huang, Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood, Ruinous Love Trilogy by Brynne Weaver
Erotica
Finally, we have reached the pinnacle of spicy books, erotica. Erotica is defined by books where there is usually no plot, and the characters explore their connection primarily through sex and their physical connection. These books are often much more explicit and explore more kinky and BDSM levels of sex. Similarly, these books often fall into the dark romance category and can include anything from mafia to demons to reverse haram, etc. Similarly, these books often have a content warning at the beginning of the book or recommend you to look up trigger warnings prior to reading, which I would advise as well. It is incredibly important to take care of yourself while enjoying reading, so trigger and content warnings are key. However, if you are looking for something very spicy, erotica may be for you because these books have a level 5 spice rating.
Top Recommendations from Leela: Her Soul To Take by Harley Laroux, Priest by Sierra Simone, Hooked by Emily McIntire
If any of these recommendations or categories seem interesting to you, give any of these books a try. As you begin to read smutty romances you will learn what kind and what level of smut is most appealing to you! Happy reading!
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