The 13 Best Steamy Romance Novels for Anyone Who Loves a Good Slow Burn

Arguably, some of the best steamy romance novels are the ones that take their time building slow-burn tension—and aren’t afraid to enter erotic territory along the way. Maybe you’re into those cliché, feel-good moments that lean into your escapist fantasies. Or you’re skimming this list to read something more explicit. No matter what you’re after, finding a book that strikes your preferred balance between spice and solid storytelling is a process—which is why we’re here to make that search a little easier.

But first, what makes a standout, slow burn? It’s all about preference. However, according to Rebecca Hartman, LMHC, AASECT-certified sex therapist at Hawaii Center for Sexual and Relationship Health, they usually “also have good stories between the intimate scenes”—meaning, sex isn’t the only thing that’ll keep you hooked. Complex, layered characters will keep you craving more, Hartman tells SELF, along with swoonworthy tropes that set the stage for a delicious slow burn: forbidden romances, grumpy skeptics who don’t believe in love, and, of course, the enemies-to-lovers pipeline.

Whether you’re in the mood for a tension-filled plot that culminates with a rush of pleasure, or a naughty NSFW page-turner, there’s an option out there for everyone. Below, sex and relationship therapists share the best steamy romance novels that’ll keep you reading.

1. The Duke and I

Long before it became a Netflix mainstay, Julia Quinn’s original Bridgerton series had all the elements of swoony fiction: high-society scandals, sultry tension spread across hundreds of pages, and forbidden hookups that make it impossible not to fall for aristocratic bachelors (especially when they’re brought to life by Jonathan Bailey and Regé-Jean Page).

2. Fourth Wing

There’s a reason the first book in Rebecca Yarrow’s Empyrian saga blew up on #BookTok, sold more than two million copies, and landed a TV deal with Amazon MGM Studios—it’s that good. The fantasy series follows a dystopian world where Violet Sorrengail trains to become an elite dragon rider at a competitive war college. There, she meets Xaden Riorson, a fellow student who’s authoritative, emotionally withdrawn, and hard to resist. According to Hartman, this series includes sex scenes “that are both realistic—except for the magic—and steamy, as well as a storyline that’s genuinely interesting on its own.”

3. Love, Theoretically

This Ali Hazelwood bestseller is ideal for anyone turned on by a little academic rivalry and intellectual foreplay. Elsie Hannaway is a physicist with a side gig as a professional fake girlfriend. But her plan is ruined when she discovers that one of the hiring managers for her dream job at MIT is…the broody, older brother of one of her “boyfriends.” (And he’s definitely got it out for her.) What follows is plenty of scholarly sabotage, workplace tension, flirty banter, and a satisfying “enemies-to-lovers” arc—all of which Nerina Garcia-Arcement, PhD, a clinical psychologist and owner of Williamsburg Therapy and Wellness in New York City, tells SELF makes for the perfect slow burn.

4. Call Me By Your Name

You’re probably familiar with Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer’s sensual (and award-winning) chemistry in the sizzling screen adaptation. But according to Jason Powell, LMFT, CST, AASECT-certified sex therapist at Attached Therapy based in Westport, Connecticut, the original novel is just as delicious. (And yes, reading that peach scene hits different.) “This beautiful story does a wonderful job of being more implicit than explicit, with a focus on ongoing romance over blatant sexuality,” Powell tells SELF. It captures everything you’d crave in a transformative summer affair, including the rush of an unforgettable first love, the tempting pull of desire, and the kind of longing that lingers long after the final summer days.

5. Reel

Reel is a story that stays with you, according to Michelle King Rayfield, LMFT, a psychotherapist at Ocean Recovery in Los Angeles. It follows Neevah Saint, a no-name understudy, and Canon Holt, a mega-famous director who casts her as the lead in a biopic about a fictional Black icon during the Harlem Renaissance. Falling for each other is totally high-stakes (a powerhouse director hooking up with an unknown actor???). But across all 400 pages, it’s easy to see why they’re willing to take career-altering risks. Plus, their undeniable chemistry (equal parts steamy and soulful) drives a story that doubles as a heartfelt tribute to Black creatives in theater, music, and film.

6. Lady Chatterley’s Lover

Sure, Emma Corrin delivered a moving performance as a bored mistress exploring her sexual awakening in the 2022 R-rated Netflix adaptation. But the original story, which follows a married woman embarking on a scandalous affair with the estate’s gamekeeper, was so explicit that it was actually banned as pornography until 1960. This D.H. Lawrence groundbreaker not only celebrates eroticism but continues to push societal boundaries about sexual discovery and desire, Powell says, making it the kind of rare (and naughty) read that deserves the title of “timeless classic.”

7. Burn for Me

This urban fantasy simmers with magic—and not just the romantic kind. In a world where spitting fire and summoning monsters is hereditary (and used as weapons of mass destruction), private investigator Nevada Baylor must hunt down a dangerous telekinetic she can’t help but be attracted to. This setup has all the makings of a filthy, forbidden bond between a no-nonsense heroine and a ruthless “villain.” While the first book in this series is definitely less “spicy,” rest assured their swoonworthy chemistry “builds over three books,” Dr. Garcia-Arcement says. So be sure to check out the sequels, White Hot and Wildfire, too.

8. The Kiss Quotient

Unexpected romances are some of the hottest, and The Kiss Quotient is definitely an arousing example that doesn’t hold back. Stella Lane is a 30-something math genius with Asperger’s who’s craving hands-on sex experience. Her solution? To enlist the help of a professional—more specifically, an escort who’s more than willing to show her everything, from foreplay to more-than-missionary bedroom positions. What Stella doesn’t expect? The emotional connection that sparks between them.

9. Bringing Down the Duke

Set in 19th-century England, the story follows the daughter of a poor vicar whose scholarship to the University of Oxford hinges on her support for the women’s suffrage movement. Things get complicated, however, when she unexpectedly falls for the Duke of Montgomery: a wealthy, powerful nobleman who’s against everything she stands for. It’s got a little bit of everything—class tension, political strife, and that electric, “I shouldn’t want you, but I really, really do” chemistry that makes it impossible to put down.

10. Outlander

Diana Gabaldon’s historical fantasy novel (which was adapted into a six-season series now on Netflix) isn’t your average love triangle. For one, it features a WWII combat nurse who time-travels to 1743 Scotland and is torn between two radically different worlds: the life she knows with her husband…and a more passionate, whirlwind romance with a rugged Scottish warrior. Keep in mind, “there are fewer sex scenes than in the show,” Hartman points out. “But the ones that exist in the book are bodice-rippers.”

11. Lord of Scoundrels

Originally published nearly 30 years ago, Lord of Scoundrels is still a standout historical read to this day. In a classic enemies-to-lovers tale, Jessica Trent is set on saving her brother from the influence of the scandalous Marquess of Dain…only to fall for him. “Although Loretta Chase’s books are historical, they also have very strong female characters that aren’t the ‘woe is me, come save me’ stereotype,” Dr. Garcia-Arcement says, which only makes it that much hotter when Jessica matches Dain’s bad boy energy with just enough seduction to drive him wild.

12. Noble Intentions

Noble Britton is a buttoned-up English earl looking for a quiet, obedient wife. Yet somehow, he ends up falling for a half-American hot mess with zero filter—the opposite of who he’s supposed to marry. This witty 300-page novel is packed with classic Regency charm while also featuring suggestive dirty talk, playful banter, and “tongue-in-cheek humor for a weekend beach vacation,” Hartman says.

13. Seven Days in June

What’s hotter than reigniting a passionate fling with the one that got away? In Tia Williams’ New York Times bestseller (and Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick), an erotica author reconnects with her first love (and longtime heartbreak) decades after their high school rendezvous. Now, both older, wiser, and definitely more daring, the duo finally reunite for a Brooklyn summer that might just be dirtier, flirtier, and more complicated than their first time together.

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