After last week’s “up-against-a-wall sex” category, this week’s Sapphic Book Bingo square turns up the heat even more: It features steamy or spicy sapphic romance novels.
We recently discussed the difference between steamy and spicy reads in my Facebook reader group, and the consensus was that spicy books usually have several explicit sex scenes with vivid details, especially if they are more intense, edgy, or non-vanilla.
In comparison, steamy books are all about the buildup of smoldering anticipation and sexual tension throughout the story.
A book can be both steamy and spicy, balancing emotional tension with plenty of explicit, passionate scenes.
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15 recommended steamy or spicy sapphic romance novels
Below, you’ll find a list of 15 recommended steamy or spicy sapphic romance novels, but, of course, you can read any other steamy or spicy book for this category too.
Flogging Faith by Ali Williams
Faith has no clue how to be a submissive.
She thought she did. She’s dedicated years of her life to studying the people and relationships around her, to learning everything she can about the lifestyle she craves.
And yet, over and over again, she is told she’s doing it wrong. That she’s too forward, too bold, too…everything.
Until her.
Gorgeous, curvy Bex not only tolerates Faith’s straightforward ways, she celebrates them, and everything else about her. When Faith surrenders to the sting of Bex’s flogger, for the first time she finds the freedom and joy she’s always craved from her submission.
But old wounds run deep. Even if Faith can accept Bex’s sweet dominance, there’s still one last lesson for her to learn:
That there is no wrong way to love…or to be loved.
Available at:
Tangled Vows by Anna Stone
Escort Ruby Scott is used to waking up in the bed of a wealthy woman. What she isn’t expecting is to wake up with a ring on her finger and married to Yvonne Maxwell, one of the executives behind the Mistress Media empire, a woman as alluring as she is cold.
For ten years, Yvonne has been sitting on an inheritance she can’t touch until she’s married. An encounter with an escort in Las Vegas presents the perfect solution—a marriage of convenience. In exchange for playing the role of her wife for a year, Yvonne will grant Ruby a life of luxury, glamour, and more money than she ever dreamed of.
Yvonne is adamant that they keep their relationship strictly business. But as Ruby’s submissive side awakens, Yvonne can’t resist temptation. And Ruby is intoxicated by the commanding woman and the release she grants.
As she falls deeper into Yvonne’s decadent world of seduction and power games, both women try to keep their hearts from getting caught up in their arrangement. But with threats to their fake marriage plot looming, Ruby and Yvonne find they have far more to lose than the inheritance.
Available at:
To Italy with Love by Fiona Zedde
Getting away from it all doesn’t necessarily mean escape. In these three erotic stories, women leave their familiar spaces – countries, landscapes, states of mind – to discover uncharted, but not always idyllic, territories with lovers old and new.
To Italy with Love introduces Iris, a newly dumped serial monogamist who travels to her friend’s destination wedding. On the Amalfi Coast, she meets a much younger and casually provocative woman who challenges all the boundaries she’s created for herself. Iris, queer and complicated, has a not-quite-secret she’s unsure she’s ready to share. But will her young lover pull all the way back when she discovers it?
In That Girl, She’s a Killer, mildly sociopathic Louisa has had her share of dangerous lovers, both male and female. But when a deadly former flame, someone who burns hotter than any fire she’s ever dared touch, visits New York, Louisa tosses aside her careful and methodical life just to feel that delicious burn just one more time. Too soon, “once more” turns out to be not enough and the flame threatens to consume Louisa’s legendary control.
Vicissitudes tells Ro’s story. The first time she remembers being herself, she was thirteen and female. When she next wakes, she is nearly thirty and rolls over in bed, naked, next to a beautiful woman, Alma, wearing an engagement ring. Ro knows exactly what happened in the years in between, and she knows when Alma opens her eyes, she will ask why her fiancé has disappeared and left a woman with remarkably similar features in his place. It’s going to be an interesting next few days.
Available at:
Royally Sarah by Hadiya Hayes
It takes being tackled in the park to get Sarah out of her rut.
Although, Sarah wouldn’t call it a rut. At 22 years old she’s comfortable where she is in life – living with her dad, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the same job since she was 14 years old. Life has so much more to offer, but she’s not taking any hand-outs. Not even from her best friend Nina who is desperate to get her back on the dating horse. When Riak Royal attacks her in the park, Sarah finds herself more attracted to the tall, dark, and animalistic werewolf than she is afraid. With her dark purple eyes and disarming grin, Riak shakes up her life by claiming Sarah as her mate right then and there. Now instead of maybe rekindling something casual with her ex, Sarah has to figure out how Riak fits in her life no matter how commitment-phobic she is, because the alternative would be insanity.
With the help of Nina, and a whole lot of introspection, Sarah will find herself on a journey of self-discovery she never would have expected, while maybe falling in love with the werewolf she never asked for.
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I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You by Harper Bliss
Tired of disappointing dates with men, Dakota is convinced true love has passed her by. But when her lesbian friends convince her to include women in her dating app options, she instantly hits it off with NYPD detective Jack
Although Jack makes it clear relationships aren’t her thing, Dakota’s warmth and charm prove irresistible. Soon, what was meant to be just a one-night stand turns into an intoxicating affair neither saw coming.
When deeper feelings emerge, Jack’s emotional walls go up. Can she and Dakota turn their undeniable connection into something more, or will their different backgrounds and painful past experiences get in the way?
Available at:
Pit Stop: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance by L.M. Bennett
Sage Chiasson is the golden girl of motorsports, a driver fueled by ambition and haunted by a crash that nearly ended her career. Her return to the top is within reach—until her biggest rival becomes her newest teammate.
Jagger Banks, a fearless street racer turned pro, has demons of her own to outrun—including the wreck that shattered Sage’s career and the fierce connection they both tried to forget. Teaming up with Sage wasn’t part of Jagger’s plan, but proving she belongs on the track—and to herself—is non-negotiable.
As a high-stakes season unfolds, Sage and Jagger are pushed to their limits. Old rivalries flare, undeniable chemistry simmers, and secrets from the past threaten to derail everything. In the world of motorsports, where milliseconds separate victory from defeat, they’ll have to decide if trust—and love—are worth the risk.
Available at:
Something in the Water by MJ Duncan
Professor Kate Walker is a tenured, world-renowned engineer. She has a job she loves, a daughter she adores, and friends who’ve been with her through thick and thin. It’s a fulfilling life that doesn’t really need anything—or anyone—else. Especially not a charming, downright amazing woman who happens to be twenty years her junior.
Carter Burke has lived a storied life and has the Olympic medals to prove it. She’s got her dream job coaching a collegiate women’s lightweight rowing team in her beloved Boston, and is happily married to the sport she’s dedicated her life to. She’s happy with her life and not really looking for more, but all that changes when a blonde professor with hypnotizing sea glass green eyes waltzes into her boathouse.
The Charles River has played host to countless scenes of overwhelming joy and crushing heartbreak over the years—but never quite on a scale like this. Because when hearts are involved, the stakes are infinitely higher. Carter is hooked from the moment she first lays eyes on Kate, and their chemistry is undeniable, but is that chemistry enough to help Kate push past her reservations and into Carter’s arms?
Available at:
Above All Things by Roslyn Sinclair
The Carlisle saga continues…
Aspiring writer Jules Moretti and iconic fashion editor Vivian Carlisle have been through the wringer.
As Vivian’s personal assistant, Jules was there for her ice queen boss’s whims, commands, and the shocking discovery of her pregnancy. Just as shocking was Jules’s realization that she was falling hard for Vivian…and that the feeling was mutual.
Now Jules is forging her own path. At the same time, how can she and her workaholic lover balance romance in the midst of backstabbing bosses, meddling families, and the impending arrival of a baby? Will their explosive chemistry fizzle, or can they take their relationship to a new level of passion—and commitment?
Available at:
A Christmas Chance by A. L. Brooks
Timid Californian, Cara, has rented a remote cottage in Scotland for a vacation before starting her new job. But her peace is shattered when an attractive stranger arrives unexpectedly. For the quiet Cara, Steph, whose buzzcut is as sharp as her chainsaw, is possibly the last person she wants to share her retreat with.
After her girlfriend cleared out their flat and disappeared, Steph needs a reset, and her gran’s peaceful cottage is just the place. She’ll chill over Christmas and work on her chainsaw sculptures. However, she hadn’t planned on having to share the cottage with a stranger who also wants to be alone.
But when a snowstorm blasts through the country, Steph and Cara have to make the best of it. At least they have food, shelter, and a bed.
One bed.
Is their forced proximity and sizzling chemistry the chance for each of them to hit the reset button in their lives? Or is it the chance of something much more?
Available at:
Becoming A Bi-con by Sarah Zane
Savannah Hollywood’s life is crumbling. Her marriage is over and her soon-to-be ex-husband has been spreading nasty rumors questioning her fidelity. It’s only a matter of time before the gossip starts to affect her career. She’s been in the business long enough to know the only way to stop a rumor is with a bigger story.
The only thing bigger than the lies her ex has been peddling is coming out of the closet and living her truth as a bisexual woman, but with her false reputation as a man eater, she’s not sure the public will believe the truth. Hiring a fake girlfriend seemed like the best option at the time.
The plan? Orchestrate a whirlwind romance, go viral, and solidify Savannah’s status as a bisexual icon, or a bi-con as their PR team insists on calling her. It sounds simple enough.
Unfortunately for Savannah, the fake girlfriend isn’t some stranger, as planned, but her ex-best friend and former costar. Things may have ended badly between them, but seeing Maya for the first time in years fuels a desire in Savannah, a desire that she’s determined to ignore.
Hard as she tries, she can’t avoid the truth; the relationship might be fake, but her desire isn’t.
Available at:
Whimsical Haven by Tiffany E. Taylor
When Rowan Holland of Woodbridge, Virginia lands squarely in the crosshairs of a psychotic stalker, fleeing to Whimsy, Florida might be her only chance of escape.
There, she’ll meet the head of lesbian-owned Armstrong Protection Services. Possessive. Protective. Deadly.
Bryn Armstrong, one of the owners of APS, is immediately captivated by an equally-mesmerized Rowan, and vows she will do everything in her power to protect Rowan from this psychopath.
When the stalker follows Rowan to Whimsy, staying hidden in the shadows, it’s up to Bryn—along with her twin, Riley, and “the Seven,” the butch management team of APS—to cut him down and put an end to Rowan’s nightmare.
But, as the stalker draws closer to Rowan and the increased danger to Bryn’s woman becomes more real, Bryn and her team know they must find and stop the psychopath, who just may be a killer in disguise.
Available at:
Anita Bloom by Tessa La Vella
“You are not wrong. I am not to be bought.”
“But you are tempted by glory, aren’t you?” Anita said quietly, “You could be a famous photographer. Everyone would know your name and magazines would compete to hire you. You could leave that stupid cleaning job behind. That sounds better, right?”
Ruby Fairfax has given up the hope that she would ever make a living from her art. She pays the bills by taking on a cleaning job, but feels thoroughly out of place among her colleagues. When one night during her shift she meets famous pop singer Anita Bloom, Ruby is suddenly presented with the opportunity of her life time. Will she take that chance or will she be able to resist temptation?
A tale of love and loyalty, lust and betrayal.
Available at:
Give Me Thorns, A Lesbian BDSM Romance by Elizabeth Andre
Megan, a long-haired femme lesbian with beautiful pale skin and chestnut brown hair, is having a very loud and public fight with her soon to be ex-girlfriend when a woman on a motorcycle comes to her rescue. Against her better judgement, Megan hops on, and they ride off into the setting sun.
Stevie, a handsome African American butch lesbian with a lock of blonde hair curling out of the front of her helmet, loves rescuing damsels in distress. Sometimes, she just gives them a ride home when they need it. Sometimes, she ties them up in her playroom when they are both ready to have some fun. At first, Megan is terrified of Stevie’s playroom, but soon admits that BDSM is something she’s always wanted to try. Stevie is initially willing to give Megan a chance, but isn’t sure about playing as hard as she really wants to with a total newbie.
Together they explore Megan’s limits as well as Stevie’s and discover that true love requires knowing yourself most of all.
Available at:
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
When college senior, Cassie, spends her Friday evening at an off-campus bar, she isn’t looking for a hook-up – it just happens. Buying a drink for a stranger turns into what should be an uncomplicated, amazing one-night stand. But then the next morning rolls around and her friend drags her along to meet her mum . . . who turns out to be the hot, older woman Cassie just slept with.
Erin was meant to spend the weekend getting closer to her daughter, not having a one-night stand. But despite her better judgement, Erin and Cassie get along in the day just as well as they did last night.
What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they might really have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?
Available at:
Hard Pressed by Aurora Rey
For Mira Lavigne, cider is about tradition, elegance, and class. She has little respect and even less patience for self-anointed mavericks who think their ticket to fame and fortune is throwing the rulebook out the window. Dylan Miller is one of those people. The only thing she loves more than pushing the envelope is finding ways to make cider, perry, and a few things she hasn’t even named yet more delicious and more accessible to everyone.
When Mira and Dylan are tapped to co-chair Finger Lakes Cider Week, neither can pass up the publicity and prestige of the role. But professional compromises raise personal stakes, and Dylan and Mira are hard-pressed to keep their businesses—and their hearts—out of harm’s way.
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What sapphic book will you read for the “steamy or spicy sapphic romance” category? Let us know in the comments!
