I spent a week reading spicy TikTok books and I was shocked

You know a new genre of literature is capturing the imagination of readers when it inspires completely new ranges of sex toys.

I spent a week reading the hot new trend in ‘spicy’ romance literature.

And after this baptism, I can confidently say these are books - where dragons, werewolves and winged warriors are the new sex gods - make 50 Shades of Grey look like Barbara Cartland.

Think more ‘Lord of the Rings’ meets P**nhub, or Harry, Hermione, and Ron as a fetish three-way, only with Hermione calling the shots.

Sex toy companies are even cashing in by launching spin-off ranges of products in the shape of dragon and monster 'appendages' and also from the Omegaverse - a dystopian world where the males have different shaped members. 

This new generation of novels have become wildly popular thanks to hashtags on TikTok, like ‘SpiceTok’ and ‘SmutTok’ - which have racked up millions of views.

Here flushed reviewers rate them with rows of chilli-pepper emojis to give them ‘spice’ ratings.

And it looks like 'New Adult' books - aimed at 18 to 25 year olds - and their subdivisions like ‘Romantasy’ and 'Dark Romance’, have found a very excited new audience.

Many are women who grew up with fantasy and dystopian novels like The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter, but now want something A LOT more grown up. 

Publishers say the trend took off when readers had more time during lock-down and it hasn’t stopped since.

And as Gen Z women aged 18-24 are the most popular creators on TikTok, their recommendations spread.

According to The Times, sales of fiction classed as both fantasy and romance reached £27 million in the UK last year, a significant increase from £15 million in 2022. Of course, there’s always been a tradition of romance in the fiction women love from Jane Eyre all the way through to Jilly Cooper.

But from the books I read this week, The Love Hypothesis, Hook Line and Sinker, Bared to You, Heat Clinic, Corrupt, and A Court of Silver Flames, there’s a whole new emphasis.

These books are not just written for women readers who want escapist romance. They are written for readers who want escapist sex.

The books are mainly told from the point of view of a strong female character, with their favourite ‘kinks’ in mind, no shame attached.

One popular trope is to have multiple males, or ‘reverse harems', lusting after them.

But as some of the male characters in the more fantastical ‘romantasies’, come with different appendages, it can get confusing.

In one graphic scene from fantasy book ‘A Court of Silver Flames’, winged warrior Cassian tells his fairy lover: ‘Put your hands on the headboard' then 'Hold on tight.’

However, as a reader, I found it hard not to be distracted by the multiple mentions of where he was putting his.... wings.

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Rise of the young #BookTokers: Fans of smutty books share their favourite 'spicy' scenes 

Whatever form these new love gods come in, the euphemisms are long gone. Fairies or otherwise, there are no more vague references to male ‘manhoods’ or female ‘rosebuds’ here.

The descriptions for male and female genitalia here are invariably four letters and begin with a C.

If the male lovers are mortals, they are troubled billionaires in the Christian Grey mould, sexy sportsmen or, more disturbingly, criminals gangs using the female main character are their playthings, which they seem to enjoy.

And as some of the things I read were ‘eye-opening’, one of my questions is whether there should be more age guidance.

Technically New Adult books are aimed at readers aged between 18 and 29.

Some of the books come with covers with cutesy cartoon couples on the front, which give little clue to the Triple X-rated scenes within.

Even more confusingly, some editions are deliberately sold with‘discreet’ covers so no one can tell why you’re getting hot and bothered on the bus.

I certainly got a shock when I started reading one book, Heat Clinic, which arrived with the anodyne image of a half an orange on the front.

I was in for a shock when I stepped into a dystopian ‘Omegaverse’ world in which the main character was a new breed of female who goes ‘on heat’.

To deal with it, 37-year old heroine Emily checks herself into a free clinic to help her get her through it.

There she has sex with multiple anonymous ‘alphas’ – with canine-like traits and anatomy - where there are ‘no faces, no names and heavenly relief.’

Readers, I was shocked.

Though to be fair, the content guide in the first few pages did give a hint of what was to come with an alphabetical list of topics which were to come, including ‘ degradation play (mild) , dogging, domestic discipline’.

And that was just the D’s.

Sean Sable is an author and editor from York specializing in young adult, mystery, and horror.

She welcomes the rise in these books where women ‘can explore complex ideas, themes, and fantasies safely, without real-world repercussions.’

‘Historically, romance novels have always faced a bit of unfair scrutiny (think Victorian concerns over women and “too much” reading!).

‘So, I believe it’s important that we are careful when considering any actions that might be considered "gatekeeping" what women read.’

But Sean also points out the blurring of the lines between Young Adult books for young people age 12-18 - and "spicier" content for older women readers is where things get ‘muddy’

‘New Adult books often sit on the Young Adult shelves in shops like Waterstones,’ says Sean.

‘Yet they may include graphic scenes with explicit language (including terms for body parts and actions that might be described as "pornographic") that may not be appropriate for younger teens.

‘This lack of clear categorisation can make it challenging for readers and parents to make informed choices about content.’‘It’s darker and more explicit narratives marketed towards young readers that really make me uncomfortable.

‘For instance, when my teenage niece mentioned reading Haunting Adeline—a dark romance where the main character is sexually attracted to her stalker and features penetration with a gun—I felt deeply concerned.

‘Not all material suits every stage of emotional development.

‘While I don’t support censorship, I do advocate for clearer content guidelines.’

Indeed, some of the books contain scenes which I wouldn’t have wanted my daughters, now 19 and 22, to have read alone in their bedroom at a more impressionable age.

‘Den of Vipers’ for example features Roxy, a young woman who is given by her father to a criminal gang to repay a debt, repeatedly has sex with all of them - and in one scene, is anally penetrated with the handle of a knife over a dead body.

Author Daisy White, from Susssex, is also an author and mum of two boys, who thinks it’s important to see a distinction between thoughtful sex scenes - and ones written for shock value.

‘I’ve read one book where I felt the author was trying to go for a weird shock value, when the guy kept hitting the girl, and that turned her on.

‘Not one I would have wanted my sons reading, mainly because I wouldn’t want them to think this was okay or normal behaviour.

‘I’m totally all for men and women in charge of their own kinks, and asking for and getting what they want.’

‘But the book I mentioned wasn’t the only one that advocated violence as being sexy.

‘That’s a worry, and a massive red flag for this culture whether Young Adult or adult fiction.’

Amid all the extreme sex, not all characters are asked for consent, adds Daisy.

‘Some of these books are great and make a well-written point of the characters checking for consent.

‘But others seem to be taking it to the other end of the spectrum and when it’s a firm no, the character cracks on anyway.

So overall, after a week of it, what's my verdict on the new "Spicetok' trend?

Go ahead and enjoy, if you’re a grown-up woman and you find them a safe place to enjoy your wildest sexual fantasies.

But check in with yourself that you don’t feel manipulated for shock value afterwards.

And one more thing - if you spot one of these books on your teen daughter's bedside table check in with her about what messages she's getting from them about what 'romance' really means.