Steamy romance novels — once purchased stealthily in supermarket checkout lanes — are having a renaissance of sorts. And women are reaping the benefits.
First, a bit of background: The genre has historically been regarded as a guilty pleasure, despite being one of the bestselling book categories, said Katie Shober, the woman behind the popular Beach Reads & Bubbly Instagram account.
Social media has helped remove some of the stigma around romance novels “by showing the world how many people are enthusiastically reading and loving these books,” Shober told HuffPost.
All of the buzz on TikTok’s BookTok and Instagram’s Bookstagram has broadened the popularity of romance and its many subgenres, like erotic-romance or smut and romantasy. These internet communities, big and small, have become places for female readers to unabashedly bond over their appreciation for the work of authors like Ana Huang, Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood, Helen Hoang, Talia Hibbert, Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros and many others.
But what makes these books so appealing, particularly among female readers?
For one, they are largely written by women and/or queer authors, “thus they usually center female pleasure,” therapist and sexologist Nicoletta Heidegger, host of the “Sluts and Scholars” podcast, told HuffPost. Mainstream porn, on the other hand, is generally made “by and for the male gaze,” she said.
“It makes me feel giddy, like a lovestruck kid, which makes me feel more loving and lighthearted within my relationship too.”
– Jen, 27
Recently, more of these stories feature protagonists who are people of color, LGBTQ+ and folks with disabilities. While these groups are still underrepresented in the genre, it’s a positive step forward that has attracted a more diverse readership.
What’s more, spicy romance authors are skillful in the way they gradually build up attraction and excitement, helping readers “get into a mindset that is conducive to engaging in sex, either solo or with a partner, through their imaginations,” sex and dating coach Myisha Battle wrote for Time.
This is important for the many people (including women in long-term relationships) who tend to have responsive desire — meaning their desire for sex emerges in response to an erotic situation or context — as opposed to seemingly striking out of the blue (known as spontaneous desire).
Read on to learn some of the ways women say spicy romance novels have changed their relationships and sex…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Women…