Were you even a teenager in the 80s and 90s if you didn't have a copy of a Jilly Cooper or Jackie Collins tucked under your mattress, with the corners turned down on your favourite bits? There was a particular scene featuring a mirrored ceiling that my copy of Jackie Collins' The Stud always seemed to fall open to...
For a long time in the 2000s, the bonkbuster was as out of favour as the shoulder pad. Then came the proclaimed renaissance, brought in by EL James' Fifty Shades Of Grey. Millions of us gorged on the BDSM relationship between Christian and Anastasia, flicking through the pages on our e-readers to get to the good bits. They were midly entertaining but I can't have been alone though in feeling a bit flat that Anastasia was more sexual object than instigator.
Now, thanks to the recent Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper's Rivals back on TV, we've all remembered the pleasure of a juicy old bonkbuster. And the good news is that the modern versions are full of horny women, taking control and leading the action, rather than lying back and thinking of England.
For me personally, a bonkbuster needs to have a good story (honestly!), a dash of romance and characters I believe in and care about. If you're looking for some lusty literature to spice up your reading list, here are some recommendations...
The Man Of Her Dreams by Sarra Manning
If you like your sauce with a proper storyline and great characters, this one is for you. When Esme bangs her head after a night out, she get talking to Theo while waiting at the hospital - a man who turns out to be suspiciously like her dream imaginary boyfriend brought to life. Cue, some very enjoyable flirting, followed by some steamy action in the bedroom. There's a particular raunchy scene where the sex is drawn out slowly over pages...
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
People-pleaser extraordinaire and theoretical physicist Elsie complements her poor academia salary by being a fake girlfriend for hire. Her plans get derailed when her favourite client’s brother turns out to be Jack, the experimental physicist who happens to be on the hiring committee for her dream job. Ali Hazelwood always knows how to write dream book boyfriends, and she delivers again with Love, Theoretically. The debate over theoretical and experimental physics has never been so hot!
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
This is a classic enemies-to-lovers trope, with extra fantasy spice thrown in. 20-year-old Violet is supposed to live a quiet life of among her books, until her family push her to train to become one of the elite dragon riders. At Basgiath War College she meets Xaden Riorson a powerful wingleader who seems determined to constantly challenge her. When the two of them get together, there's sparks and tension galore.
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Court Of Mist And Fury by Sarah J Maas
Fans of Maas' A Court Of Thorns And Roses (aka ACOTAR) series love it for the world-building (sure, we believe you...) but if you get your kicks from strong men with swords who are secret softies, we highly recommend these books. And make sure to check out chapter 55 - we'll say no more...
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Insatiable by Daisy Buchanan
Buchanan is the queen of the modern bonkbuster: her heroines are funny, feisty and filthy. Reading this story of down-on-her-luck Violet who has a sexual awakening when she meets wealthy couple Lottie and Simon is pure pleasure. Not one to read on the tube!
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
A Love Song For Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
This is a romance scented with heady jasmine and a soundtrack of 1920s Harlem jazz. Ricki and Ezra, a budding florist and successful musician, are no ordinary couple. They are separated by a century, a voodoo curse and the mystic of leap years. Theirs might be a fated, magnetic pull, but they’ll need to fight to hang on to it. At what cost?
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
In At The Deep End by Kate Davies
26-year-old Julia thinks she's just not that into sex, until she comes to the joyful realisation that what she's actually into is women. There are some quite full-on sex scenes in this book but at its core it's an effortlessly readable rom-com.
Spice-ometer:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
The Idea Of You by Robinne Lee
Get ready to swoon! This entertaining story about a 20-something pop star (think Harry Styles) who falls in love with a 40-something mum has some very juicy bits, and lots of romance too.
Spice-ometer: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
