22 Hot Erotic Novels to Read Now That Aren't 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

The year is 1497, and Scottish Jennifer Merrick finds herself agreeing to marry a much older man to please her father. But that never happens, because Jennifer and her step-sister Brenna are taken by Englishman Lord Royce Westmoreland (known as the Black Wolf) as a hostage. They should be enemies, but something keeps drawing them closer.

Stella Lane, who's on the autism spectrum, wants to get better at all things physical so she can find the husband her parents expect her to have. Since it's the 21st century, she hires escort Michael Phan, a Vietnamese and Swedish sex god of sorts who agrees to help Stella out. We're not one for spoilers, but the steaminess of this book will definitely fog up some windows.

This new series from Helen Hardt is like if  Fifty Shades of Grey got a much-needed face-lift. Assistant to a social media influencer, Skye Manning, meets a billionaire, Braden Black, and sparks fly! Both become enamored with each other as they experience something they've never felt before, but not all good things last forever. 

Actress Caidence Harris has just landed a role in a new police drama and to say she's thrilled is an understatement, especially when she gets to work with mega A-lister Robyn Ward. Caidence wants to be more than just friends with her co-star, but Robyn doesn't seem to want the same...or Caidence thought.

Into "against all the odds" romance? Grab Set immediately. This hot novella tells the story of old classmates who meet again years later at their high school reunion. Both are not looking for anything serious. They agree on an arrangement of sorts (you know where this is going) that will leave you blushing page after page. 

We're talking three wealthy brothers (Gabe, Jace, and Ash) who can get anything and anyone with the snap of their fingers—except Mia Crestwell, their best friend's little sister. But, when they run into Crestwell and discover she's not the girl they used to know, all bets are off and it's game on. 

Get this: a psychologist goes on tour with one of the hottest bands in the world and has to keep it professional. As they travel across the country, she starts to fall for the lead singer, and one thing leads to another. Get ready to blush, like, a lot.  

Where would this list be without a historical romance book? Isolde Ophelia Goodnight (yes, that's her name) is a 26-year-old woman who has never been kissed. Deciding that there is no such thing as fairy tales, she decides to give up love, but life has a couple of surprises for her. Let's just say, it all starts with a Duke and an empty castle. 

This classic love story from Judy Blume (yes, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Superfudge Judy Blume) is a raw coming of age story about first love, complete with all of the awkward and beautiful sexual moments that come with it.

Sexual fantasies are unique and individual and this is a book that understands that. Per Night Shift's Amazon description: "Your mission: In a sketchy and sexy world filled with tissues, gallons of lube, sex toys, tiger print, and swinger parties, help Taryn choose her way as she learns what happens in this small, unexpectedly kinky town. From butt plugs to cross-dressing truckers to being held-up at gunpoint over dildos, experience this fun and sexy journey along with Taryn, as she goes from shy and sweet to skilled and empowered—but how she gets there is up to you!" So. In. 

If you like your erotic fantasy with an extra dose of fantasy, the vampire-heavy Black Dagger Brotherhood series is can't-miss. The series is regularly name-dropped in lists of books with the hottest sex scenes and this New York Times best-selling series has 19 entries and counting to keep your blood flowing primarily below the waist.

Anne Rice, woman who gifted us Interview with the Vampire, also wrote The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, a three-book series that's pretty much the same as the beloved fairy tale only with tons of sex. Read with a 2020 lens, some of the themes are a bit problematic—but in the words of Rice, "The books aren't about literal cruelty; they're about surrender, the fun of imagining you have no choice but to enjoy sex. Beauty's slavery is delicious, sensuous, abandoned, and ultimately liberating."

Best-selling author Sylvia Day's series takes you through a complicated web of 20-something Eva Tramell and billionaire Gideon Cross' love lives. Their relationship begins as an "office" romance—they work in the same building—and develops into an emotional roller coaster as both characters deal with past sexual abuse and secrets they've buried.

As you can tell from the quotes on the cover, this book is, um...a lot. Wetlands is about a young woman's stay in a hospital where she's being treated for an anal fissure, and its depiction of the human body, cleanliness, and sex, is something else completely.

A hot professor by the name of Gabriel Emerson falls in love with his graduate student Julia Mitchell, even though it's forbidden. (Does this troupe ever get old? The answer is no.) Hardcore fans deem it as the professor and student version of Fifty Shades of Grey, so you know we had to spread the word. 

Another four-part series, Melody Anne's story pits two opposite personalities against each other. Raffaello Palazzo is looking for a no-strings-attached sex buddy after his wife leaves him without explanation; in comes Arianna Lynn Harlow to melt his icy heart. Classic tale of good girl meets bad-boy-turned-decent-guy.

To quote Roxane Gay's blurb, this book truly is as charming as it is sexy. And not just because of the scorching bedroom scenes, but because of the nuance with which the love story—between a black woman and white man who meet in an elevator—is told.

This passion-filled book follows a man simply known as "M," who leaves a note—saying he wants one night of emotionless sex—on a napkin for a barista named Lily. Everything in Lily should be screaming, Throw out the napkin! but, spoiler alert: She doesn't.

Call Me by Your Name is so much more than an "erotic novel" (though there's plenty of eroticism). It's a coming of age story filled with beautiful prose and, more than that, it's a reflection on the all-consuming power of love and attraction. The movie is great, but the book is a masterpiece.

Alayna Withers is recovering from a "love disorder" that involves stalking charges (so many questions). She's finally getting her life together when she meets her new boss—a dashing man who could cause Alayna to revert to her old habits. Next book club read?

If you thought the show was sexy, you have no idea what's coming. The Outlander novels are about a time-traveling nurse who finds herself in 18th-century Scotland, where she falls for a Highlander. The catch? She's definitely married and her husband is living in the future.

Brad De Luca (what a name) is a privileged lawyer who's used to getting his way. Julia Campbell's engagement just ended, and she's loving her independent life...until she meets—dun, dun, dun—Brad. It's a well-strung tale of knowing what you want and following your heart. Cheesy, yes, but very gripping.