The 10 best romance audiobooks, ranked by in-ear spice
Sexy books are everywhere. You just don’t always see them…
The rapid rise of romantasy, smut and spicy books has come at the perfect time, just when audiobooks are the most accessible they’ve ever been. This means you don’t need to bring your crusty and deeply adored edition of Mills & Boon on the bus, but can instead plug into a well-produced, incredibly erotic audiobook and zone out while you’re riding to work.
…I will flag here that fellow bus buddies can still see you, so try your best to conceal your face looking too overtly horny on your morning commute.
If you’re wondering which of the spicy books fellow Australians are sinking their… ears… into each and every day then look no further, you dirty dogs. I asked Spotify what the top listened-to audiobooks are in the saucy department and the results are in!
10. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Yes, this is technically an ‘ice hockey romance’ but don’t let that fool you into it not being red hot. Many sex scenes and a lot of emotional edging to be found right here.
9. In At The Deep End by Kate Davies
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
A kinky sapphic twenty-something story that follows Julia on her realisation that she’s been looking for love (and pleasure) in the wrong place – aka with men. Duh.
8. Sinner by Sierra Simone
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Meet the famous sexy priest series you’ve seen floating around on TikTok. Mixing love, lust and religion this is a gasp-worthy listen!
7. Neon Gods by Katee Roberts
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This is actually a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone – a famously unsexy story about a dude dragging a chick he fancied down to the underworld to bang. But this is a genuinely hot version of this. Promise!
6. The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Another retelling, but this one is a story that everyone is across: Peter and Wendy. Except all the characters have been aged up for this gritty take. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll froth The Never King as it’s stuffed to the brim with hate kissing, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll end you’ vibes. Plus the book ends on a massive cliffhanger. Sexy.
5. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
An heiress down on her luck meets a saucy sea captain. That’s all I’m going to tell you other than that you will be raising your eyebrows and saying AHOY from three chapters in.
4. Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶
The fourth book in this iconic billionaire romance series, Twisted Lies follows rich arsehole Christian as he tackles his demons and finds himself unwillingly drawn to the woman living downstairs. She has her own secrets, but can’t help herself getting sucked into Christian’s dangerous orbit. Their affair is built on so many twisted lies, adding to SO much hot tension between the two.
3. Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This queer age-gap forbidden romance audiobook is the ultimate twisty rom-com! What I mean by twisty is that the whole story kicks off with the lead gal accidentally shaggy her best friends mum, and the drama (and sex scenes) that follow is gripping as fuck.
2. A Court This Cruel And Lovely by Stacia Stark
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This romantascy is the definition of slow burn, so if your fave series of Bridgerton was season two with Anthony and Kate then THIS is the spicy audiobook for you. Just be warned, the chilli pepper rating with this series increases with each book.
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
If you don’t know of this series already, then you are a lost cause, doll. It’s gone absolutely global and there are entire channels, podcasts and platforms dedicated to the world of ACOTAR, so if you want in on the chat, get this in your ears immediately.
Written by Katie Stow, who you shouldn’t look in the eye on the bus, and in tandem with Spotify’s audiobook experts. Thanks, cuties! You can sign up for Spotify right here to get audibly horny.
Image credit: Goodreads, Spotify + Punkee