Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and what better way to get in the mood than by picking up a spicy romance novel?!
I’m a longtime romance novel fan. I arguably started way too young, picking up Nora Roberts trade books in high school. Romance has a reputation for being trashy and mindless, and while some of them certainly are, I’m here to tell you that the romance genre holds some of the most diverse, adventurous, and richly imagined stories I’ve read. Plus, they’re incredibly fun, and though they may not be realistic, it’s incredibly satisfying to read a Happily Ever After. Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite romance novels to get you in the Valentine’s Day mood. Bonus: several are currently available on Kindle Unlimited!
Note: While I do love a good closed door romance {meaning no sex on the page}, all of spicy romance reads below are doors wide open.
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
Let’s start out with a bang, shall we? Not only are the cover and title perfection, the story is witty, steamy, and just plain fun. Caroline is a 20 something interior designer, living in San Francisco. She moves into a fantastic new apartment, but that night, she meets her neighbor, Simon, in a most unconventional way. Through their shared wall, she can hear him, well, banging what seems like a different woman every night. When she reaches her limit of moans and rattling walls, she barges over to confront him. The two form, at first, a hilarious and flirty friendship, that slowly develops into more. And if you’re skeptical, as I was, about Simon’s shallow beginning, Clayton does a great job of developing his character from manslut to sweet and sexy hero. The banter is witty, the sexual tension is thick, and the references to Simon as “Wallbanger” are many. This book is a delightful read to get you in the mood for a fun and playful Valentine’s Day!
A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole
Old Portia Hobbs is a New York socialite who is no stranger to the 3am party scene. New Portia Hobbs, however, has her life {Elizabeth, can I say shit?} together. Or at least, she’s trying to. To demonstrate this commitment, Portia embarks on a new adventure to be an apprentice for a sword maker in Scotland. Upon arriving, she mistakes a sword demonstration for an attack, and maces her new boss in the face. Her extremely sexy boss with a deep Scottish burr. Tavish McKenzie doesn’t care for or need his new apprentice. Or so he tells himself, as he attempts to ignore his growing attraction to Portia. The bottom falls out of their tentative relationship, however, when Portia discovers that Tav is the secret son of a duke, and she decides that New Portia is going to help him go from rough Scottish sword maker, to posh and elegant duke. I loved everything about this book. Steamy tension, secret member of the aristocracy, sword making facts. I also appreciate how Cole doesn’t shy away from the employer/employee relationship; she handles the power dynamic so well. Definitely pick this one up!
Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai
Nicholas and Livvy are sworn enemies, or rather, their families, the Chandlers and Kanes are sworn enemies. The two of them have a deal though: once a year, they get together for a night of passion, no strings attached. Until one year, Livvy doesn’t show. Nicholas doesn’t know what to make of it, but he decides to double down, and focus on his work. That is, until his past and present collide when Livvy comes back to town. He hates that he can’t stop thinking about her, both in and out of his bed. While Livvy has her own reasons for returning, she can’t deny that her connection with Nicholas is still there. But can their relationship stand up to the hatred between their two families? Alisha Rai is a fantastic storyteller. Nicholas and Livvy are mature, fully adult characters, who own the mistakes they’ve made in the past, and work to handle their present situation with respect and generosity. Rai also handles delicate mental health issues with grace and sensitivity. This book is a bit heavier in content than my first two recommendations, but equally worth picking up. It’s also quite a bit steamier, if that’s your thing! And it’s the first in quite an excellent trilogy. Enjoy!
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean
Lady Pippa Marbury is not your typical lady. She wears glasses, adores science, and is fascinated by experiments. She doesn’t quite understand subjective concepts like love and feelings. But Lady Pippa is soon to be married to an earl, and she needs to understand the, well, mechanics of things before her wedding night. She decides to employ the services of a scoundrel. Cross, a partner in one of London’s most exclusive gaming hells, has carefully crafted a reputation as a notorious rake and scoundrel. When Pippa propositions him to be her tutor, he is tempted to give her exactly what she wants. However, Cross’ past is one of mystery and secrets, and giving in to Pippa could threaten the life he has so carefully built. If you’ve read some of my previous booklists, you know I’m a big fan of Sarah MacLean. Her female characters are smart, capable, and confident; her male characters, the perfect mix of alpha and beta. This was one of the first books of hers that I read, and it’s still one of my favorites! It has one of the steamiest scenes I’ve ever read, in which the couple does not touch at all. A slow burn for sure, but totally worth it!
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Piper Bellinger is a Los Angeles socialite, who loves to see and be seen. Her biological dad died when she was young, and soon after, her mom married a wealthy movie director, so the Hollywood life is all she’s known. But after one night of party shenanigans goes too far, Piper’s stepdad sends Piper and her sister, Hannah, to their father’s hometown of Westport to learn some responsibility. There, Piper meets gruff king crab fisherman, Brendan. At first, it’s clear that Piper is out of her depth away from the Beverly Hills life, and Brendan goes out of his way to tell her. As their attraction deepens, Piper begins to wonder if the bright lights of Hollywood are still calling her name, or if her heart is leading her home to Westport. This book is the perfect beach read: funny, sexy, very little plot, and a whole lot of steam. I absolutely ignored my kids to read this in one weekend, followed up by the second in a duology the next weekend!
Hold Me by Courtney Milan
Jay na Thalang is a workaholic physicist with no time, or inclination, for a social life. He does have an online friend, Em, with whom he chats daily, and for whom he has started to develop romantic feelings. Em runs a popular blog where she evaluates apocalyptic scenes, and using math and science, says how these scenarios can be changed. Meanwhile, in real life, Jay meets his lab partner’s gorgeous sister, Maria, who he immediately dismisses as being unintelligent, based on her looks {gross, I know}. Unsurprisingly, Maria turns out to be a math and science genius, and because Jay hates to be wrong, and also because he doesn’t like his growing attraction for her, he continues to be antagonistic to her every time he sees her. Then obviously, Em turns out to be Maria {not a spoiler, its on the book summary}, and Maria and Jay must grapple with the conjunction of their feelings IRL and with their online personas. If you’re new to Courtney Milan, I’ll warn you: this is no beach read. Milan, in my opinion, deftly handles story lines like past trauma, class discrepancies, and fraught familial relationships. She also writes a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. Maria is a Hispanic trans woman, Jay is a bisexual Chinese and Thai man, and many of the supporting characters are non white, different genders, and ethnicities. This may not seem like your typical Valentine’s read, but even with the heavier content, this is a wonderfully written and very sexy story. Highly recommend!
Whiteout by Adriana Anders
After a terrible betrayal and tragic accident, Angel Smith leaves her life behind to be the chef at the South Pole research station in Antarctica. There, she finds healing and a family among the crew. That is, with everyone but glaciologist Ford Cooper. For some reason, Coop seems to hate her, no matter how friendly she is. On her last day at the station before the summer crew departs, the research station is attacked. Naturally, she and Coop seem to be the only ones left behind, and they quickly realize they must leave the former safety of the station and make their way to the next nearest one- 300 miles away. And they must do it before whoever it is that attacked the station catches up with them. First of all, how many romances take place in Antarctica? This might be the only one. But I still loved it! It is an excellent combination of suspense/thriller and romance. Forced proximity, one sleeping bag, on the run for their lives. Plus, I’m sure you’re wondering how they navigate sexy times in subzero temperatures! Unlike our main characters, you’ll have no trouble thawing out after reading this one.
What spicy reads are on your current TBR?
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