4 Steamy Reads

Sexy romance is hot — and it has been for more than two centuries. Here, four books to enjoy, from the first English-language erotic novel to this season's toe-curlers.

For a Romantic Historical Yarn

A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James

An academic by day and a romance writer by night, James is expert at weaving historical fiction with delicious bedroom tales. Pick this if you enjoy more plot, less porn-worthy scenes.

For a Carnal Classic 

Fanny Hill by John Cleland

First published in 1748, but banned in the U.S. and England until the 1960s, this sexually explicit tale about a prostitute's rise through society is considered the novel that started the genre in English.

For Fans of Fifty Shades of Gray

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

Like Shades, Day's novel was self-published. A few weeks later, word of mouth catapulted the tale of two troubled souls in glitzy New York City to a publisher and best seller-dom.

For Those Who Missed It In College

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

This exploration of the passionate relationship between an upper-class woman and a gamekeeper has kept many coeds — and older readers — turning pages through the night.

Source: GoodHouseKeeping