Are you into spotty romance in book form? In this article, we want to take a literary trip with you into the world of erotica and show you which 60 books will get your imagination going. Although the substitutes on our list are, by their very nature, works with wicked content, the books in question have much more to offer than mere explicit depictions of sexual acts. Now we’ll tell you which novels succeed best in the stylish balancing act between pleasure and ambition. We hope you enjoy our selection!
1st place: E.L. James – Fifty Shades of Grey – Secret Desires
The “Shades of Grey” series by British author E.L. James is one of the modern classics of recent literary history in erotic books. The trilogy’s first volume, “Secret Desires,” is the prelude to an academic journey that takes us directly to the torrid liaison between the young student Anastasia and the wealthy entrepreneur Christian Grey. The two protagonists meet during an interview, and the two quickly feel their affection for each other flare up. As the story progresses, Grey finally introduces Ana to the wicked world of BDSM, which derives its appeal primarily from the use of sadism and dominance. While Christian gains more and more control over the emotional world of his younger playmate, the latter tries to see behind the facade of the successful businessman. The regular meetings with Ana lead Christian to develop romantic feelings for the literature student.
The fascination of “Fifty Shades of Grey” does not only consist of the erotic scenes described in detail. It is much more the psychological background of the sexual violence perpetrated and the resulting character developments of the protagonists that captivate us so much.
2nd place: Sylvia Day – Crossfire: Temptation
After Eva completes her studies, it is time to enter the professional world. The young woman has landed a job in the impressive Crossfire building in New York, where she wants to earn a living as an employee of an advertising agency. On her very first day, Eva meets the owner of the imposing building – the influential entrepreneur Gideon Cross, who has an impenetrable aura of dominance about him. Eva is immediately attracted to Gideon, although she knows that a relationship with the imposing personality would be like playing with fire. Despite this, the title heroine cannot escape the unique character of her supervisor; after that, an erotic adventure soon begins, which is shaped above all by his unequal power relations.
The “Crossfire” series takes you into a world of submission, secret fantasies, and devotion. The inner conflict of Eva, who abandons her own needs against her better judgment, gives the forbidden games a coherent touch of depth.
3rd place: Sophie Andresky – Birdfree
“Vögelfrei” by Sophie Andresky tells us the story of a first-person narrator who first has to deal with a severe private low blow. When the protagonist catches her husband in the act of infidelity, the love affair is on the brink of collapse. The unusual idea is to help the betrayed lady get over her partner’s cheating. The first-person narrator receives an erotic free ride, which allows her to let off steam over one year.
The experiences described in detail, which we then get to read, set our imagination ablaze with their honest portrayals. But also the dramaturgy of the story and the development of the personal soul life of the main character ensure that “Free of Birds” by Sophie Andresky advances to one of the best erotic books currently available on the market.
4th place: Charlotte Roche – Wetlands
“Wetlands” by Charlotte Roche caused quite a bit of controversy at the time. The book, characterized above all by its open treatment of alleged taboo areas of the female body, places 18-year-old Helen at the center of its story. After an intimate shave gone wrong, Helen ends up in the hospital and begins to take an in-depth look at all the orifices of her body.
“Wetlands” breaks many taboo areas and defends itself in a literary way against the public treatment of women’s bodies. A deliberately provocative work that you should not miss!
5th place: Benoîte Groult – Salt on our skin
When the French author Benoîte Groult published her later world-famous work “Salt on our Skin” in 1988, the book was labeled a pornographic scandal novel. However, it was precisely these hotly debated controversies that finally helped the novel to reach a broad international readership.
This autobiographical book centers on the passionate relationship between a highly educated Parisian woman and a simple fisherman. Although George and Gauvin seem to be socially worlds apart, they are uninhibitedly attracted to each other despite their opposing views of life. “Salt on Our Skin” shines through its erotic, sensual character and is considered a literary symbol of the emancipated woman of the late 20th Century.
6th place: Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita
The first edition of “Lolita” saw the light of day as early as 1955, and to this day, Vladimir Nabokov’s best-known book is considered one of the most discussed works in the history of literature. This is mainly due to the initial explosive situation described within “Lolita.” The adult Humbert begins to develop feelings for his underage step-daughter Lolita, who finally succeeds in seducing her foster father.
“Lolita” impresses above all with its multi-layered character and, with its delicate subject matter, gives us an insight into an area of life that normally remains hidden from us.
7th place: Anaïs Nin – The Delta of Venus
The Delta of Venus” is not a continuous novel but an anthology of 15 short stories written by Anaïs Nin during the 1930s. Despite this, the work was not published until 35 years after it was written, where it was quickly regarded in many countries as a literary disgrace that should be banned as soon as possible due to its obscene content. Today, several decades later, we enjoy the sensual and honest insight into the world of the eroticism of a bygone era.
Originally, the writer wrote her stories for a private collector and was forced to accept the commission because of her lack of money. The stories about love, lust, and passion are still impressively topical and have lost none of their captivating character over the years.
8th place: Giacomo Casanova – From My Life
When we call someone a Casanova, we mean a charming ladies’ man who takes the ladies’ hearts by storm. The eponym of this name, which is still current today, was a confident Giacomo Casanova in 18th-century Venice. Century its erotic mischief drove. Within his work “From my life,” the Italian looks back on his countless love adventures. An equally compelling and fascinating testimony of time, which should not be missing in any tingling book collection.
9th place: Mallanaga Vatsyayana – The Complete Kamasutra
In a collection of the most erotic books in history, the legendary Kama Sutra of the Vatsyayana must, of course, not be missing. While the previous representatives of our best list were sometimes fictional or autobiographical stories, the Kama Sutra has always been considered a timeless guide for practice. The Kama Sutra does not present you with a random assortment of sex positions but instead elevates the sexual act to an art form of its own and celebrates it with respect. Even today, the approximately 2.000-year-old work is a universal guide in the relationship between man and woman, from which we can draw many lessons, inspirations, and insights.
10th place: Marquis de Sade – The Story of Justine or The Disadvantages of Virtue
Like many other works, “Justine” was written by Marquis de Sade while he was serving a prison sentence. The aristocratic Frenchman, who lived between 1740 and 1814, is still considered one of the most controversial authors ever to have graced our globe. Especially the unsparing depictions of sexual and violent acts sometimes caused Marquis de Sade to be labeled a lunatic by many of his fellow men during his lifetime.
“Justine” centers on the story of the titular protagonist, who faces a devastating fate after the death of her mother. Although Justine takes the path of virtue, unlike her sister, who hires herself out as a prostitute, she seems to have bad luck on her soles. An impressive insight into the abysses of the human soul.
11th place: Albert Cohen – The Beauty of the Lord
“The Lord’s Beauty” by Swiss writer Albert Cohen shows us how thin the line between lust and despair can be. The attractive Ariane gets involved in a torrid affair with a good friend of her husband’s. While a carefree character of passion initially carries the secret relationship with the well-to-do Solal, the wicked love adventure soon develops into a real ordeal.
“The Beauty of the Lord” is an impressive novel, which brings us the consequences of lust, betrayal, and jealousy in an incomparable way.
12th place: Raine Miller – Naked: The Blackstone Affair
Brynne Bennett is shrouded in mystery. After a scandal forces the young woman to leave her U.S. home behind and move to England, she devotes herself to studying in London. To earn some extra money, Brynne works as a nude model. It’s not long before the protagonist meets entrepreneur Ethan, who wants more from Brynne than she initially realizes.
The intro of the “Blackstone” series knows how to please with its comparatively complex character and offers the involved actors a broad stage to develop comprehensibly for the reader.
13th place: Lana Stone – Bought by the billionaire: BDSM
It is said that every man has his price. As Sam’s debts continue to pile up, the titular heroine is forced to accept an immoral offer: Wealthy businessman Josh hires Sam as his wife for one month. During this phase, the young wife has to submit to her temporary husband’s wishes fully.
The story, written by Lana Stone, offers a tingling insight into the world of BDSM practices and captivates with its authentically described play of dominance and submission.
14th place: Sadie Matthews – Fire after Dark – Dark Desire
Elizabeth is faced with the shards of her love life. After the protagonist’s heart is broken, she flees to the metropolis of London, where they want to make a carefree new start in a new environment. Dominic, whom the title character meets shortly after her arrival, sees behind Elizabeth’s facade. Although he considers that the young woman’s emotional world ruins, his sexual desire for Elizabeth grows unchecked. Together, the two enter a fiery world of passion, which holds unforgettable hours of pleasure and real dangers. In the end, Elizabeth is faced with how far she can go down the chosen path of desire without losing herself in the process.
“Fire after Dark – Dunkle Sehnsucht” is intense, emotional and provocative and thus advances to a safe tip for all readers who feel at home in the erotic genre.
15th place: Sandra Henke – With a strong hand
When it comes to their sexual preferences, sisters Muriel and Alica couldn’t be more different. The older Muriel prefers to live through tender hours of passion, while Alica is devoted to the harder side of lust. When Alica meets the mysterious Tate, her wildest erotic desires seem authentic. Although the passionate woman initially enjoys her time with her mysterious new lover, fundamental questions soon germinate inside her: What goal is Tate pursuing in truth? Could he possibly plunge them into emotional ruin? Muriel also faces a significant encounter that will change her life forever.
“With a Strong Hand” captivates from the first to the last page and shines through its numerous, diverse, believably fleshed-out characters.
16th place: D.C. Odesza – Sehnsüchtig Verfallen: Not a Romance Novel
Maron Noir has the world of men at her feet. As an attractive, self-confident escort lady, she is used to wrapping the gentlemen of creation around her finger at will. When the services of the beautiful sex worker are called upon one day by the mysterious Gideon Chevalier, the erotic tide is about to turn for the first time in the life of the pretty title character.
The authentically described power games arouse our desire to read, but Maron’s emotional chaos also keeps us spellbound the whole time.
17th place: Lucy Palmer – Make me hot!
When a book already has the provocative title “Make me horny!” we can expect a portion of tingling eroticism in terms of content. Lucy’s work is characterized primarily by its incredible diversity. Similar to the already presented “The Delta of Venus,” we have it with “Make me hot”!” with a collection of a total of 10 different short stories, which sometimes even stray into the dark fantasy genre. Thus the book of the German-speaking author, who regularly brings her novels under various pseudonyms on the market, advances to the perfect hot pastime for in between.
18th place: Rachel van Dyken – Kiss and keep: Happy only with you
Since the death of her parents, Kiersten seems to be abandoned by the luck of life. This only changes when she meets college football star Weston, who finally manages to break down the young woman’s emotional wall and take her on an adventure of passion. The happiness of the two lovebirds seems perfect before a heavy blow of fate puts the tingling relationship to the acid test.
A modern, fluently written novel, which can also inspire with its coherent storyline in addition to its hot scenes. Thanks to the author’s moving writing style, and we readers go through the same roller coaster of emotions as the actors involved.
19th place: Anna Todd – The Brightest Stars: attracted
Karina has put a hook behind love despite her young age. The 20-year-old, who earns her living as an employee of a massage studio, has been hurt too many times in her past. The emotional wall Karina has built around herself only begins to crumble when the charming Kael walks through the doors of the salon. The new customer has a sensual aura, which the protagonist can not resist. The passionate relationship between the two characters quickly picks up speed after that. Before Karina knows it, she finds herself in a lustful world of light and shadow. The prelude to “The Brightest Stars” series is a sure bet for fans of the genre who are looking for new reading material.
20th place: Zara Cox – Mister Q
The story centers on Lucky, who, as a result of some unfortunate events, finds herself stranded almost penniless in the urban jungle of New York City. While the title character is looking for a way out of her financial misery, she comes across an enticing ad: The mysterious Mister Q offers a million dollars to the woman who spends ten nights with him. When Lucky accepts the job, she quickly discovers that a dark side of passion lies dormant in the enigmatic client, who always hides his true colors behind a mask. An entertaining work with many hot scenes.
Places 21-60 in the best erotic novels of all time:
