Steamy romance books can be empowering, too

Fans of spicy books are flipping the conversation about romance being a guilty read to unapologetically pleasurable. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 

Read in browser Books Thu Feb 20 2025 Clare Mulroy |  Books Reporter Good morning booklovers! USA TODAY books reporter Clare Mulroy here to give you another look at this week's news in books.  Have you ever heard someone mention they love spicy romance books? Ever seen a social media post rate a book using a scale of chili pepper emojis? These steamy novels are hot right now (literally) and continue to dominate bestseller lists. But they're often dismissed as guilty pleasure books or fluff. This Valentine's Day, I wanted to find out why.  So I headed over to an event hosted by Spotify to celebrate spicy audiobook listening and asked Kennedy Ryan, the bestselling romance author of "Before I Let Go." I called "Twisted Love" author Ana Huang and paranormal romance author Kimberly Lemming. I chatted with readers and romance publishers and found that attitudes toward steamy novels are shifting away from guilty reading to empowering as they demystify conversations about sex and center female pleasure. "What is so guilty about reading stories about love and connection and happy endings?" Huang asked me. "Why is it only that the 'substantive' books are the ones that are sad and challenging?" Kennedy Ryan joins Spotify for a spicy, Valentine's-inspired evening, reading from her upcoming release "Can't Get Enough." Photos Courtesy of Spotify Audiobooks In other book news, "The Let Them Theory" by Mel Robbins has overtaken Ali Hazelwood's new "Deep End" for the No. 1 spot on the USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist. Robbins' self-help guide promises to help readers relinquish "the power you give to other people" to find happiness and success. Plus, there's still time to enter our Winter Book Challenge . If you fill out our bingo card and write into us by March 21, you'll be entered in a sweepstakes to win a $100 Bookshop.org gift card! Julianne Moore calls ban of her children's book 'a great shock' The actress's 2007 children's book "Freckleface Strawberry" is part of a group of titles under review by the Department of Defense Education Activity. READ MORE Cowboy romances are huge. What makes a good contemporary Western? Cowboy romances have evolved from the bodice ripper books of the past. What authors Lyla Sage and Danica Nava say makes a good Western romance. READ MORE Colleen Hoover's Instagram is back – without 'It Ends With Us' content Best-selling author Colleen Hoover returned to Instagram this week, scrubbing her account of "It Ends With Us" content amid the Lively-Baldoni feud. READ MORE Calling all booklovers: Try USA TODAY's Winter Book Challenge Participate in USA TODAY's Winter Book Challenge by submitting your completed bingo card for a chance to win a $100 Bookshop.org gift card. READ MORE USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist The top-selling titles each week provides book lovers with the most accurate snapshot of what people are reading. READ MORE Sign up for the news you want Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔ Newsletters   |    eNewspaper   |   Crosswords Follow Us Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe  •   Manage Newsletters  •  Terms of Service  •   Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights  •   Privacy Notice  •  Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy  •  Feedback