Why are Gen Z so obsessed with steamy reads? A Gen Z BookToker explains

Twenty-one-year-old UK TikTok influencer Amelia (@ameliiareadss) is a certified romantasy addict. With 324 books in her collection and counting, Amelia is part of the ever-growing BookTok community.

Gaining millions of views on TikTok sharing her favourite fantasy reads, reviews and recommendations, now Amelia’s teaming up with Lovehoney (www.lovehoney.co.uk) - the UK's leading sexual wellness brand - to celebrate the launch of their brand-new smut book club, ‘Between the Sheets’.

As the new and free to join forum opens for discussions and romantasy recommendations, Amelia commented: - "Turning pages - and turning up the heat. Lovehoney’s ‘Between the Sheets’ book club isn't for the faint of heart. Spice, sass, and seriously swoon-worthy reads – your new guilty pleasure starts here."

"With over 324 books in my romantasy collection, it’s great to have a new source of recommendations for new reads, whilst providing an inclusive place to share favourites and connect with other readers in the Smut community.”

On TikTok, the hashtag #Smutbook has had 68,000 posts, whilst #Spicybooks has had over 1.1 million posts. Tapping into this cultural phenomenon, Between the Sheets promises to satisfy fans’ cravings for both plot twists and spicy thrills.

According to Amelia - “With the huge trend of Book Tok there’s been a massive rise in people picking up books whether that’s books with spicy content or not, but specifically for those with spicy content. Along with this, Book Tok has helped reinforce the idea that reading spicy content within books isn’t frowned upon, and it’s completely ok – who doesn’t enjoy a bit of spice within books?!”

Amelia’s top 3 favourite romantasy reads

• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Heavenly bodies by Imani Erriu
• The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

Amelia’s top tips for anyone new to the genre

“Romantasy can be a fairly heavy genre, depending on what book you read first. There’s a lot of world building and character building that some people might not be used to, so picking up a lighter romantasy read is my top tip. I started my romantasy journey with Powerless by Lauren Roberts and found it such a light read, obviously everybody is different but at times it might be difficult to wrap your head around certain aspects of a romantasy book!”

What do you love most about being part of the Booktok community?

“Everybody is so beyond welcoming, and you make so many great friends from being a part of the community. Whilst everybody has different opinions whether that’s regarding books, tropes etc., you won’t be shut down if you don’t share the same opinion! Along with this, you can find and discover a variety of books recommendations to add to your TBR list.”

What are smut books and why do we love them?

Smut books are stories with a steamy side. But they’re not just guilty pleasures; these books are wildly popular, boldly erotic escapes that readers can’t get enough of.

Often set in different time periods, realities, or realms, smutty reads offer a safe, stigma-free space to explore your fantasies.

Join the club

To find out more and sign up to 'Between the Sheets' online book club, visit www.lovehoney.co.uk/trends-insights/between-the-sheets.html.

Follow Amelia on TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ameliiareadss