I had to double-check all the titles and author names on Amazon. I am going to be getting kinky book recommendations in my email for years to come. Not even mad.

(Disclaimer: I have not read all of these books. This is a compilation of readers’ suggestions. I will add trigger warnings as needed. Some of these are regular books with just a couple sex scenes, and some are hardcore shit. Read Amazon reviews and purchase accordingly.)

Highly Recommended

These books got TONS of recommendations from readers.

·         The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty trilogy (“The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty,” “Beauty’s Release,” “Beauty’s Punishment”) by A.N. Roquelau (Anne Rice’s pseudonym) (trigger warning for sexual violence, nonconsensual sex)

·         The “Kushiel’s Legacy” 9-part series by Jacquelline Carey (the first book is called Kushiel’s Dart) (trigger warning for rape)

Classic

Some things do get better with age. Here are some classic erotic novels that have stood the test of time.

·         “The Story of O” by Pauline Regae

·         “Juliette,” “Justine,” and “120 Days of Sodom and Other Writings” by the Marquis de Sade (trigger warning for 120 Days - apparently there’s slaughter, coprophagia, masturbating onto underage people’s faces… this one’s not for the faint of heart, kids)

·         “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” by D. H. Lawrence (bonus: available for free on Kindle!) (trigger warning: racism and sexism)

General

These books feature a variety of characters, sexualities, and levels of BDSM. I’ve noted the books that aren’t just about straight white people (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

·         “The Principal’s Office” by Jasmine Hayes

·          “Graceful Submission” by Melinda Barron (features a plus-size leading lady)

·          “The Starlight Rite” by Cherise Sinclair

·         “Purgatory” by Jeff Man (gay)

·         “Put Away Wet” by Susan Smith (lesbian)

·          “Natural Order” by Moondander Drake (paranormal lesbian BDSM romance written by a two-spirit Cherokee woman)

·         “Ancestral Magic” by Moondancer Drake

·         “Seeking Light in Shadows” by Moondancer Drake

·         “Better Off Red” by Rebekah Weatherspoon (features queer WoC)

·         “The Fling” by Rebekah Weatherspoon (also has queer WoC)

·         “Hot Box: A Novel” by Zane (features straight Black characters)

·          “Meeting her Match” by Justine Elyot

·         “The Sevarian Way” by Justine Elyot

·         “On Demand” by Justine Elyot

·         “The Business of Pleasure” by Justine Elyot

·         “The Collectors” by Lesley Gowan (lesbian characters)

·          “Pleasure and Purpose” by Megan Hart

·         “In Conquest Born” by C.S. Freidman

·         “Laid Bare” by Lauren Dane

·         “Coming Undone” by Lauren Dane

·         “Inside Out” by Lauren Dane

·         “Master of the Mountain” by Cherise Sinclair

Anthologies & Series

Because one is never enough.

·         “Naughty Fairy Tales from A to Z” edited by Alison Tyler

·         “The Black Dagger Brotherhood” series by J. R. Ward (10 books)

·          “Enchanted: Erotic Bedtime Stories for Women” by Nancy Madore

·         “Deviations” series by Chris Owen (4 books, gay male characters)

·          “Masters of the the Shadowlands” series by Cherise Sinclair (4 books)

·         “Trans/Love” edited by Morty Diamond (features characters who are FTM, MTF, thirdgender, genderqueer, and other non-traditional identities beyond the gender binary of traditional male and female)

·         “Please, Sir: An Anthology of Female Submission” by Rachel Kramer Bussel

·         “Yes, Sir: Erotic Stories of Female Submission” by Rachel Kramer Bussel

·         “The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth”  by Zane (features Black characters)

·         “Getting’ Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles II” by Zane (also features Black characters)

·         “____ Flava” by Zane (These anthologies feature PoC. Titles include Honey Flava, Chocolate Flava, and Caramel Flava)

·         “The Night Huntress” series by Jeaniene Frost (7 books)

·          “Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter” series by Laurell K. Hamilton (21 books)

·         “Wolf Tales” by Kate Douglas (12 books, some featuring LGBT and PoC characters)

·          “The Mammoth Book of _______ Romance” (These anthologies feature stories from multiple authors about almost every romance novel theme out there. A sampling of their titles: Scottish Romance, Regency Romance, Paranormal Romance, Vampire Romance, Irish Romance, Hot Romance, Special Ops Romance, Ghost Romance, Time Travel Romance, Futuristic Romance, Steampunk Romance)

Other

Erotica outside of fictional books.

·         “Whip Smart: A Memoir” by Melissa Febos

·         “Venus in Fur” by David Ives (a play inspired by the classical erotic novella “Venus in Furs” by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch)