But before Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor titillated Netflix viewers, Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton series, has been writing smart and sexy romance reads since the ‘90s. How a simple brushing of hands can make someone burn with lust. If you somehow escaped watching the first two seasons of the popular Bridgerton series on Netflix, then all you’ve truly accomplished is missing out on some fabulous sex scenes. Get ready to expand your spank bank-I mean, library-with these 34 romance titles, below. “The LGBTQIA+ romance space has changed completely, with a dramatically-expanded author base, much broader and more exciting storytelling, authors of all stripes writing with authentic representation, and a progressive readership that, yes, includes more men.”įrom rom-coms to sexy monster romances, there’s plenty to titillate you. “There is zero question that the romance industry is growing in inclusivity,” he says. Todd Stocke, senior vice president and editorial director of Sourcebooks (whose authors include bestsellers E L James, Ana Huang, and more), weighed in on the growing market. The majority of romance readers are still women, yes, but with more publishers focusing on LGBTQ+ experiences and expanding past the traditional heteronormative girl-meets-guy plot, publishers predict male readership will only increase. A 2017 study from the Romance Writers of America found that 18 percent of romance readers are men, and one-third of erotic audiobook downloaders are also guys. Some guys are already catching on to the joys of the romance genre. That’s what we all want in this mixed up world.” “Reading romance is about the delicious hope of finding someone. That’s just science,” says Drew Davies, author of The Shape of Us. Shavon Gaddy-Dalrymple, a licensed psychotherapist who works with couples and polycules to improve sexual and sensual intimacy, believes romance novels “are great at tantalizing the reader with long, drawn out scenes of foreplay which can improve one’s ideas around sensuality, temptation, and longing.” She also adds, “In most cases, romance novels are basically better-written porn scenes complete with a fully-formed plot and well-developed characters.” Romance authors agree. Speaking of, experts say that reading romance books could even improve your sex life.

With over 19 million romance paperback books sold in 2022 alone, the genre is booming-and with this growth comes new voices, new plots, new love interests (alien ice barbarian, anyone?), and some pretty sexy prose. Gone are the days when romance books are solely created by and for women.

GUYS, IT'S TIME to get in on the romance book hype.

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