5 recs: Hot Reads For Valentine’s Day

Full disclaimer: These are not necessarily “romance” novels—these are HOT reads. These are novels you have to put down in public because if you keep reading, you are going to soak that seat cushion you’re sitting on. Having said that, they are sweet hot reads. They are comfort food: quick, tropey, loving, and steamy AF. If you want something more “elevated”—less tropes, more literary—go check out my erotic literary novella recommendations.

The Frat Boy
by Nikki Sloane

Polyamory is not my thing, but trust: this enemies-to-lovers story is as sweet and it is hella spicy. After an eventful Greek Week tournament, two college students from rival houses get kicked out of their organizations, leaving them homeless and somewhat aimless. When they both answer the same ad for an adult film company looking for new talent (room-and-board included), both characters find themselves too stubborn and too desperate to back out. What follows is ::singing:: “haaaawwwwt”. I’ve read other books in this series, but something about this one felt special—an interesting twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope that treats sex work as legitimate work (love that) and showcases open relationships as healthy, loving, and monogamous at heart.

The Boys Next Door
by Miranda Silver

Honestly, any Miranda Silver book will meet your Valentine’s Day needs just fine, but this one holds a special place in my heart. Growing up, there were two concepts I found insanely hot: the “boy next door sneaking into your window at night” scenario and identical twins. Those were my go-to, if you know what I mean. You can imagine my delight when I stumbled across this novel years ago, which contains BOTH. Silver has an enormous talent for writing smokin’ hot scenes, but it’s her “smut with a heart” approach that keeps readers coming back. Her female MCs are always strong and well-written, her world-building is well-developed, and her leading men always come “equipped” with filthy words and naughty agendas. Seriously, Miranda Silver books are a master class in dirty talk.

Beautiful Player
by Christina Lauren

When it comes to hot reads, the whole “possessive alpha corrupts the wide-eyed virgin” trope doesn’t do it for me. Like AT ALL. If a character is a slut, I want them to be sweet and benevolent, too. If a character is naive and/or sexually inexperienced, I want them to be curious and take initiative. This book does a good job of that—playing with complexity in a way that keeps a reader emotionally invested. If you like “teach the virgin” tropes, this one is solid. Side note: When it comes to series, I often find the later novels are more tender than their predecessors. This series is no exception, and this novel can absolutely be read as a standalone.

HIM
by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

If you haven’t yet been exposed to hockey romance, you haven’t been hanging out in the romance section of Barnes & Noble, let alone scouring Amazon for New Adult novels for the last ten years. People sometimes hate on Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series because it’s popular and was arguably the first hockey romance series of its kind, but I devoured those books—they’re light, fun, and (honestly) relatable if you partied in college in the 2000s. Loved em! Him was the first steamy MM romance novel I ever read; it holds a special place in my heart. The premise is simple: It’s been four years since Jamie and Ryan “connected” in a drunken tryst while attending a high school hockey camp—an incident that splintered their best friendship. Now, returning to camp as coaches, they reunite and reengage as friends . . . and maybe more? Definitely not the steamiest book on this list, but hot enough to be one that sticks out in my memory. No pun intended?

Teacher
by Fiona Cole

I live for a “delicate” sexual empowerment story—fragile main characters who feel broken in some way, requiring special therapy and/or a softer approach in order to heal from sexual trauma. After years of healing from a horrific traumatic experience, Hanna is ready to reclaim her body and exercise desire. To do this, she seeks out the help of her friend’s friend who owns a club that specializes in voyeurism. Acting as a safe space, he generously chaperones her during her visits—a sort of “buffer” between Hanna and the club’s salacious activities—until eventually their friendship blooms into something more. If it sounds far-fetched and ludicrous, it is. But it’s also sweet, well-paced, and surprisingly tender. It’s an age-gap story, but Hanna is like 26—she’s an adult. Honestly, the age-gap aspect helps the believability of the story considering that Hanna requires a special, more experienced, more patient kind of touch. This is the last book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Trigger warning: Though Hanna’s journey is empowering, if you're a victim of sexual trauma or human trafficking, her flashbacks might be triggering.