Popular Erotic Books

Featuring new releases and enduring favorites

Every month we feature erotic anthologies and novels, sensual romances, erotic chick lit, hot guy lit, gay and lesbian erotica, and more. Titles are recommended by the Erotica Readers & Writers Association and our website visitors.

Anthologies: For a more extensive list of popular erotic short story collections, browse our Erotic Anthology pages.

Irresistible: Erotic Romance for Couples by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Editor)
Cleis Press, February 2012; ISBN-10: 1573447625

Review by Ashley Lister: I have to admit I almost shrieked with delight when a copy of this book landed on my desk. It ticks so many boxes for my personal preferences that I’m surprised my name wasn’t in the dedication.

Primarily, the book is a collection of erotic short stories concerning couples in established relationships. As innovations go, this is something seldom approached by erotica publishers who tend to focus on the dynamics of new relationships rather than existing ones. And yet, for those of us who are already in relationships, this approach to fiction is a reminder that sex continues after the initial thrill of first meeting.

In addition, the book is edited by the wonderful Rachel Kramer Bussel – a name synonymous with quality collections of erotica.

And, finally, the book genuinely contains fiction from some of my favourite erotic storytellers in the whole world. 

This is from the opening story, ‘Twice Shy’, by Heidi Champa.

     There is nothing like a good fuck first thing in the morning. I stretched my arms up over my head, enjoying the tired and sore feeling in the muscles of my back and legs. The deep rush of satisfaction that filled my body made me want to stay in bed, but work was calling. I knew as soon as that shower turned off, it would be time for me to get out of bed and start my day. The door to the bathroom was wide open, and I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the pounding water, knowing it was covering his naked body.
     God, we had just finished, but the thought of him soapy and wet got me going again. It was like my body had already reset, already forgotten how hard he had just made me come. I rubbed my hands over my naked skin as I listened to the water falling onto the tile of the shower floor.

Trust me, even though the start is strong, it just carries on getting better. And this is from the anthology’s final story, ‘Pink Satin Purse’, written by Donna George Storey.

     I’m finally going to do it. Tonight.
     Natalie actually said the words out loud to the empty room. Although her voice was brave, her tongue suddenly felt shamefully heavy in her mouth, even tingling, provocatively, at the tip.
     Nervous as she was, she couldn’t pass up this perfect opportunity to translate her guilty fantasy into action. She and Keenan had a rare evening alone—their daughter off to the movies with friends, their son invited to a sleepover birthday party. Her husband would already be expecting special date-night sex, something a bit edgy with plenty of loud moaning. However, he probably wouldn’t be expecting what she would propose they try tonight. Or rather what she would command him to do.

It’s fair to say that those two stories are wonderful and everything between is equally good. It’s equally fair to say that this whole collection is genuinely Irresistible. 
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

One Night Only: Erotic Encounters by Violet Blue (Editor)
Cleis Press, January 2012; ISBN-10: 1573447560

Have you ever had one chance - or one night - to have hot, reckless sex? One Night Only is a compendium of the most refined zipless fuck fantasies imaginable. Chance encounters, secret oral sex, frenzied public sex... The expertly crafted characters in these riveting stories gotta have it, and they need it now.

In "Subway Subterfuge" by May Deva a young woman is attracted to a hot guy on the subway; next time she spots him, they move to the back of the crowded car where we find out she's the one driving the anonymous public frisson.

"Maid Service" by Jan Darby centers on a downwardly mobile young lady who's currently working as a maid when a guest, an attractive man, catches her in the room, they flirt over the chocolate rose on the pillow, and he coaxes her into some slightly kinky sex, which she very much wants.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Luscious: Stories of Anal Eroticism by Alison Tyler (Editor)
Cleis Press, Revised edition February 2012; ISBN-10: 1573447609

"When I pick up a book of erotica," says Alison Tyler, "I don’t want to read about 'beautiful' and 'loving.' I want to read about sweaty and heart-stopping." Tyler indeed found these latter qualities, in a wealth of variations, when she collected the 27 stories for this smart, raunchy anthology celebrating anal sex. Seasoned erotica authors explore the pleasures of every imaginable strategy for indulging in this popular but still taboo sexual activity. With feather-light foreplay, tickling, teasing, and more, Luscious is a reminder that dirty is not only not a bad word, it can also make what happens bent over a Harley, on the Appalachian trail, or in an anal sex classroom — some of the kinky locales in this collection — irresistibly arousing.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Red Velvet & Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance by Mitzi Szereto (Editor)
Cleis Press, September 2011; ISBN-10: 1573447161

Review by Kristina Wright:  Keeping the tradition of Gothic literature alive, perennial editor Mitzi Szereto gives us Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance. As Szereto states in the introduction, her goal was to not only offer readers an anthology that was reminiscent of the Gothic classics, “but take things further by adding to the brew a generous portion of eroticism that’s far less restrained than what transpired between Cathy and Heathcliff.” And so she does! This scrumptious collection will thrill the fans of Gothic literature with a titillating collection of stories that inspire shivers of both desire and dread.

The best word to describe Red Velvet and Absinthe is atmospheric.  These stories are written to draw you into a world unlike any you’ve ever known and make you believe in the things that lurk in the shadows. The authors have done an admirable job of paying tribute to the Gothic masters and mistresses of old, putting a new spin on familiar Gothic tropes. In most of the tales, things are not always as they seem and the reader is left breathless with anticipation right up until thFe end. All of the stories are sensual treats and the level of eroticism varies from what you might find in a more traditional Gothic story to contemporary literary erotic explorations.

As is befitting the subtitle, Paranormal Erotic Romance, there are number of paranormal elements to be found in the stories. Shape-shifters, werewolves, vampires and otherworldly creatures are well-represented with interesting interpretations and twists.  My favorite stories in this collection include Janine Ashbless’s poignant “Cover Him With Darkness,” Charlotte Stein’s creepy “Dolly” and Zander Vyne’s shocking “La Belle Mort.” Each story is so well-written and so delicious that it’s enough to make you put the book down and contemplate what you’ve just read—and then reread it all over again.

Despite the short format, each author in Red Velvet and Absinthe delivers a complete and complex erotic tale. Mitzi Szereto is known for choosing the very best of literary erotica for her anthologies, and this book is representative of the very best of the genre. With fifteen unique stories (as well as an introduction by Szereto and a foreword by paranormal author Kelley Armstrong), gans of paranormal and Gothic stories will find a few favorites among this collection—and be eager to share their opinions (and maybe copies of the book) with friends.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Women in Lust: Erotic Stories by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Editor)
Cleis Press, November 2011; ISBN-10: 1573447242

Review by Kristina Wright:  “The characters in Women in Lust may vary in the objects of their lust, and how they go about acting on their urge, but what connects them is that pure impulse for a lover,” says editor Rachel Kramer Bussel in her introduction to her latest lust-fueled anthology. Impulsivity is a driving force for many of the characters in these stories—the need for a physical, and often emotional, connection that transcends their day-to-day existence. Women in Lust is about primal urges, the desires that drive women to choose sexual partners who might not always been “good” or “right” for them, but yet still fulfill something in them that no one has before.

In Women in Lust Bussel presents twenty stories from some of the most brilliant erotica writers around. Portia da Costa, Charlotte Stein, Justine Elyot, K.D. Gracce, Shanna Germain and Donna Storey, among others, deftly explore the idea of feminine lust from a variety of perspectives. Here are the stories of familiar lovers, new lovers, lovers who know more about us than we know ourselves.

Bussel is brilliant at choosing stories that ring with authenticity, from the Japanese happy ending massage story “Cherry Blossom” by Kayar Silkenvoice to Bussel’s own academic offering, “Hot for Teacher.” Donna George Storey’s “Comfort Food” is a particular favorite, with a fortyish divorcee discovering the many talents of a hot young chef. Some stories are laced with a kind of psychological tormrent that makes them all the more erotic, such as Justine Elyot’s “The Hard Way,” a delicious role playing story complete with handcuffs, Charlotte Stein’s blindfold story “Guess,” a sensuous treat for the reader who waits in anticipation for the story to unfold, and Shanna Germain’s “Beneath My Skin,” an edgy and unique story of knife play.

It’s lovely to see stories with female characters of a variety of ages and body sizes, as well as at different places in their lives. Women in Lust includes stories about twenty very different women who all say yes to their secret desires. Lust is the driving force here and it’s the thread that ties all these stories together into a beautifully edited collection.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Erotic Chick Lit: Do you like sexy, no-holds-barred erotic fiction? You're going to love these titles and more at our Hot Chick Lit pages.

Brawn by Laurann Dohner
Book 5 in the New Species series
Ellora's Cave, December 2011; ISBN: 9781419938269

New York Times and USA Today best selling book!

One look at Brawn, and Becca is wondering how he’d look without his clothes. He’s also instantly attracted to her, but has sworn never to touch a human female. They just aren’t sturdy enough for the type of rough sex Brawn enjoys most. When he learns he’ll be living under the same roof with Becca, Brawn simply sees it as a chance to broaden his knowledge of humans. Hopefully he can do so while keeping his hands off her…

His good intentions go astray when they’re both kidnapped and locked together in a cage. Brawn finds himself reliving a nightmare when he’s once again subjected to breeding experiments at the hands of New Species’ enemies—who will use Becca to get what they want. Brawn and Becca will have to depend on each other if they hope to survive.

Reader Advisory: While each New Species book is a standalone, the greatest enjoyment will come from reading them in series order.
Available at:  Ellora's Cave | Amazon (Kindle Edition)

Cara and the Draca by Louisa Kelley
Loose Id, January 2012; ISBN: 978-1-61118-695-6

Cara is haunted by the recent memories of a warehouse explosion that took the life of her best friend and caught her in the blast. Urged by friends to experiment with tattoo to cover the burns scars on her shoulder, Cara heads for the mysterious tattoo shop in Portland everyone is talking about.

Aedhan, the gorgeous tattoo master, leaves her senses reeling and her knees weak. Just the touch of his talented hands brings relief and a sense of release from her pain. His charming, eccentric ways, combined with his tangerine hair and odd accent, create an intoxicating mix. To her delight, the incredible tattoo he expertly lays over her scar hides everything--and makes her long for more of his healing touch. Soon she is pulled into an erotic journey of unimagined delight, terror and transformation. Dragons? In Portland? Really? Oozing sex and magic? Yet, something isn’t quite adding up. Is Aedhan really telling her the truth about what he’s doing in that shop? But she's so crazy in lust and wonder, it's hard to care.

Shape-shifter Aedhan fully intends to follow the rules of his secret mission, number one being no sex with the human women in Portland. Then Cara shows up at his shop and her sweetness and delightful freckles almost stops his heart. When he perceives the sorrow in her life, he is consumed with the need to know more. Who has hurt her? After he gets a taste of her blood on his tattoo needles and discovers the extra special something in her fluids, he decides he must see Cara again, even if it means breaking the rules. And that's when things start to go terribly wrong...or perfectly right for Cara and the Draca.
Available at  Loose Id

Erotic Novels: The novels listed here will appeal to men and women who enjoy erotic fiction. For more, browse through our Noteworthy Novels pages.

Silk by Rupert James
Cleis Press, February 2012; ISBN-10: 1573447617

Money. Sex. Power. Some things are always in fashion. Christine Fairbrother is a high-powered barrister, the scourge of the divorce courts. Christine has ambitions to become a QC—to "take silk"—after her next big case.

Her talented daughter, Isabelle Cisse, is a design graduate launching herself on the London fashion scene, full of dreams and ambitions—and with a fatal weakness for unsuitable men...

Victoria Crabtree's position as Massimo Rivelli's mistress is precarious. Massimo is the multi-millionaire owner of the House of Rivelli, one of the world's leading manufacturers of couture fashion. However, he shows no sign of wanting to divorce his wife and Victoria's always in danger of being replaced with a younger model. But he's about to discover just what lengths Victoria will go to in order to survive.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Gay Fiction: Like hot gay stories? We have an excellent selection of the very best at our Gay Fiction pages.

Riding the Rails: Locomotive Lust and Carnal Cabooses by Jerry L. Wheeler
Bold Strokes Books, December 2011; ISBN-10: 1602825866

Trains are so romantic. The clock fades from your mind as the country spreads out before you. Forget catching up on your reading—you have scenery to inspire you and time for an innocent flirtation or two. Or ten. Maybe not so innocent and more than a flirtation.

It could be the guy in the cargo shorts across the aisle, sleeping with his legs just far enough apart. It could be the blond in the tight muscle shirt and baggy sweatpants heading for the bathroom. It could even be the handsome stranger sitting opposite you who chats you up and invites you to the dining car with yet another invitation in his eyes. This train will take you places you never dreamed of going.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

History's Passions: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall by Richard Labonte (Editor)
Bold Strokes Books, November 2011; ISBN-10: 1602825769

Four acclaimed erotic authors re-imagine the past...welcome to the hidden queer history of men loving men not so very long—and centuries—ago. In "Heaven on Earth," Lambda Literary Award-winner editor and author Simon Sheppard evokes a noirish Depression-era setting for Wichita rich kid Eli who, with an innocent young gas station attendant as his sidekick, embarks on a bloody, lust-fueled crime spree: Bonnie and Clyde meet Leopold and Loeb.

In "Camp Allegheny," Lambda finalist Jeff Mann recounts a clandestine Civil War romance between two Rebel soldiers whose passionate lovemaking survives bitter winters, life-threatening sickness, and bloody fighting during the real-life Battle of Allegheny in 1861 and the Battle of McDowell in 1862.

In "Tender Mercies," Dale Chase imagines the world of young Luke Farrow, a failure at prospecting during the California Gold Rush who succeeds in the more lucrative role of camp boy, where physical violence is as much a part of a rough, raw world as is selling sex for nuggets of gold—until a surprisingly tender man comes into Luke's life.

In "The Valley of Salt," David Holly blends legend with lust in the beautiful city of Gomorrah more than 3,000 years ago, where the Priests of Ball summon a beautiful young man as a temple sacrifice—which means he's now the indoor sport of the legendary city's sexually potent warriors, until taken captive during the Battle of the Vale of Siddom.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Nice Butt: Gay Anal Eroticism by Shane Allison (Editor)
Bold Strokes Books, February 2012; ISBN-10: 1602826358

Nice Butt: Gay Anal Eroticism features some of the hottest butt erotica stories around from today's hottest erotica authors. From toys to teasing, spanking to sporting, some of the best gay erotica scribes celebrate the hottest and most creative in new erotica.
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Lesbian Fiction: Interested in lesbian erotica? Check out the extensive list of titles on our Lesbian Fiction pages.

SteamPowered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories by JoSelle Vanderhooft (Editor)
Torquere Press, January 2011; ISBN-10: 1610401506

The fifteen tantalizing, thrilling, and ingenious tales in Steam-Powered put a new spin on steampunk by putting women where they belong -- in the captain’s chair, the laboratory, and one another’s arms. Here you’ll meet inventors, diamond thieves, lonely pawn brokers, clockwork empresses, brilliant asylum inmates, and privateers in the service of San Francisco’s eccentric empire. Though they hail from across the globe and universes far away, each character is driven to follow her own path to independence and to romance. The women of Steam-Powered push steampunk to its limits and beyond.

“From colonial India to New Orleans in slavery times, from a rogue San Francisco to the Lower East Side of old New York, these stories are thoughtful, wide-ranging, exciting, and often very, very sexy. Anybody who thinks that “steampunk” and “lesbian” are niche interests should read Steam-Powered and get their horizons seriously expanded.” —Delia Sherman, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner and author of Through a Brazen Mirror.
Available at:  Torquere Books | Amazon

Nonfiction: Books that explore the senual nature of humanity, from the frivolous to the profound. For more titles, browse through our Nonfiction pages.

The Last of the Live Nude Girls: A Memoir by Sheila McClear
Soft Skull Press, August 2011; ISBN-10: 1593764006

Review by Rob Hardy:   Times Square in New York City is not what it used to be just a few years ago. Even under the strictness of Mayor Giuliani's anti-porn drive starting in 1999, though, there were still peep shows, places where a guy could pay some money and watch a naked woman behind a window. Peeps shows are still there. To them in 2006 came Sheila McClear, a college graduate who fled a punk collective in Detroit and just wanted to see New York. Her experiences in the booths, the guys on the other side of the window, the women she worked with, and the men she worked for are all subjects in The Last of the Live Nude Girls: A Memoir (Soft Skull Press). McClear thus joins the memoirists of the sex trade like Lily Burana and Diablo Cody, but her experiences in New York are unique, and she recalls them with clarity and even sweetness, a becoming objectivity (perhaps borne of that glass shield between herself and the outside world), and good humor, and also without a shred of judgmentality. This is hardly an uplifting account, but is superb as readable memories of a time, place, and shared activity that are worth preserving. . . . Read Rob Hardy's entire review at Provocative Nonfiction
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

Sensual Romance: If you like reading about bone-melting, toe-curling passions you'll enjoy these titles. For more recommendations browse our Sensual Romance pages.

The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
Avon, December 2011; ISBN-10: 0062021281

For Olivia Lytton, betrothal to the Duke of Canterwick—hardly a Prince Charming—feels more like a curse than a happily-ever-after. At least his noble status will help her sister, Georgiana, secure an engagement with the brooding, handsome Tarquin, Duke of Sconce, a perfect match for her in every way . . . every way but one. Tarquin has fallen in love with Olivia.

Quin never puts passion before reason. And reason says that Georgiana is his ideal bride. But the sensual, fiery, strong-willed Olivia ignites an unknown longing in him—a desire they are both powerless to resist. When a scandalous affair begins, they risk losing everything—Olivia's engagement, her sister's friendship, and their own fragile love. Only one thing can save them—and it awaits in the bedroom, where a magnificent mattress holds life-changing answers to the greatest romantic riddle of all. Destiny will be decided between the sheets in this all-new tale of "The Princess and the Pea."
Available at:  Amazon | Amazon UK

An Unsettled Range by Andrew Grey
M/M Romance from Dreamspinner Press, January 2012; ISBN: 1613723296

The last thing Liam Southard expects when he flees his abusive father is to be taken in by a couple of gay ranchers. Soon he has a new job and a new perspective on his sexuality, and his life starts to turn around. Then someone pulls a gun on him.

In Troy Gardener’s defense, the gun thing was a mistake. Between his marriage falling apart and living in his uncle's isolated hunting cabin, he's been a little edgy. He wants to make it up to Liam, and once he discovers how much they have in common, he wants even more. But with Liam's father popping in unexpectedly and a mining company threatening the ranch’s water supply, the only guarantee is that life is never going to be boring.
Available at:  DreamSpinner | Amazon

Adult Movies: Hey, what's this Adult Movie stuff doing on a book page? Treat your visual beast within by browsing through our Best In Adult Movies section.

Romeo & Juliet XXX
Cast: Chanel Preston, Andy San Dimas, India Summer, Ann Marie Rios, Rocco Reed
Director: Lee Roy Myers
Studio: DreamZone Entertainment

DreamZone Entertainment proudly presents a sensual reimagining of Shakespeare's classic tale of star-crossed love, Romeo and Juliet. This modern-day adaptation appropriately positions hardcore eroticism while remaining true to the original vision. Director Lee Roy Myers' adaptation of the Shakespeare classic stars Rocco Reed and reigning XBIZ New Starlet of the Year Chanel Preston, as the star-crossed lovers. In a real-life romantic twist, the two performers fell in love on the set and have since become a couple.

"Rocco and I knew each other, and we'd even appeared in some of the same movies, but we never worked together directly until this movie," explains Chanel. "From our first conversation on the set, we both felt a connection, and when we finally did our sex scene together, it was amazing! It was more than just a performance."

Lee Roy Myers is known for his adult parodies of popular movies and television series, but he stayed true to the spirit of the Bard, only modernizing the classic tale. "Some people might have expected me to come out with something like A Midsummer Night's Gang-Bang or Hepatitus Andronicus, but DreamZone's Romeo and Juliet is not a parody at all," Myers says. "It's a contemporary take on Shakespeare that includes all of the passion and sex too steamy for conventional adaptations of the play. I was thrilled to shoot this erotic romance for DreamZone. Romeo and Juliet is by far the most passionate and exciting movie I have ever made."

Romeo & Juliet XXX is available at:

• Adult DVD Empire (10% off all purchases with coupon code ERWA11)

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