Writing extreme sex in romance novels is a tricky business. To push the boundaries almost beyond comfort, to stretch the limits of traditional convention, and not veer into straight erotica, requires acute skill and careful balance. But that combination of intense, hardcore sex and a gripping, equally powerful love story heightens the entire experience of reading romance, and for those who can handle it, it can be addicting to glimpse the darker side of love. Whether it's rape fantasy, polyamorous BDSM, or orgiastic dystopia, among endless possibilities, love that knows no bounds and has little restriction can ultimately be the most romantic of all.

Of course, extreme sex isn't without controversy. Cara McKenna gives her take on consensual rape play in Willing Victim, about two people who need it rough. Laurel is just discovering this about herself, longing for something more; Flynn freely embraces this part of himself, but never forces it on the women he's been with. She's drawn to him, he offers his preferences openly, and they circle each other, a tentative cat and mouse chase that escalates realistically until we're hooked. The raw Boston setting, Flynn's predilection for underground boxing, and Laurel's own assertiveness, never for a minute giving the impression of a helpless victim in any way that she doesn't want, all serve to entice even the wary. Certainly Laurel's and Flynn's experiences have shaped them to be who they are, and they have baggage the same as anyone, but there aren't any glaring skeletons or psychological fodder to be dealt with. The greatest thing is that this isn't an unhealthy addiction; it's a preference, and in that, Laurel and Flynn's romance is like any other: perfect just for them.

[Romantic and erotic...perfect combination!...]

J. Kenner
Claim Me
Bantam / April 23, 2013 / $10.99 print, $9.99 digital

For Damien, our obsession is a game. For me, it is fiercely, blindingly, real.

Damien Stark’s need is palpable—his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match.

I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both.

But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely.

Claim Me, the second novel in J. Kenner’s bestselling Release Me trilogy, wastes no time bringing the reader back into the erotic dance between Nikki Fairchild and billionaire Damian Stark. It opens with Nikki standing naked and bound at Stark’s magnificent Malibu home, her raw sensuality being transformed into a nude portrait commissioned by Stark.

[This sounds interesting...]

Kit Rocha
Beyond Control
Kit Rocha / March 19, 2013 / $4.99 digital, $16.00 print

She refuses to be owned.

Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude and survived danger on the streets to become one of the most trusted, influential people in Sector Four, where the O’Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. Lex has been at the top for years, and there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do for the gang…and for its leader. Lie, steal, kill—but she bows to no one, not even Dallas O’Kane.

He’ll settle for nothing less.

Dallas fought long and hard to carve a slice of order out of the chaos of the sectors. Dangers both large and small threaten his people, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. His liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire, something he wants almost as much as he wants her. And no one says no to the king of Sector Four.

Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.

The first in Kit Rocha’s dystopian erotic romance Beyond series Beyond Shame drew numerous comparisons to Sons of Anarchy, only with way more romance and sex.

So much sex.

[Well then let the sexcapades begin!...]

I can still remember the day I heard that men, in the old days—I mean, really old days, would bite the ear lobe of their lovers whilst de-flowering them. Sounds...barbaric.

But, if you think about it, men often do things that take us out of our normal, or push us into a different mindset. Like when he said he likes short dresses, so you go out and buy ten new mini dresses. At times, it’s not even what he said, it’s more what he made you feel while doing a thing, and the slightest insinuation can make you want to try something new. I don’t mean in a bad way, like encouraging a mate to do something dangerous, but in a way that is adventurous and outside of the traditional manner of doing things.

Since art imitates life, it’s no wonder that as readers we find outselves drawn to heroes that push the envelope on their heroines' ‘normal’, and thereby awaken something inside of these women that makes them feel more desirable, more confident, more open to new experiences. And if we put this in terms of, say, ice cream, these heroines go from vanilla to rocky road or wild cherry.

The book at the very top of my list of case-in-points would have to be the first novel I read in 2013 that made me pull an all-nighter: Vanilla on Top by C.J. Ellisson. In the book, nice girl Heather is encouraged by her friends to attend a speed-dating event, where she meets Tony. He’s hot, of course, and she is kind of hot, but she's not awakened just yet. Kind of like a lot of us, right?

[And that's where Tony comes in...]

Olivia Cunning
Hot Ticket
Sourcebooks Casablanca / February 5, 2013 / $13.99 print, $7.39 digital

There are things in bassist Jace Seymour’s past that he is unwilling to share with anyone. To cover his guilt and anguish, he seeks dominatrix Mistress V (Aggie) to temporarily placate his inner turmoil.

Aggie doesn’t have much use for men–besides the power rush she gets when they’re begging for mercy at her feet–but Jace isn’t like her usual clients. His cool defiance and unexpected dominance in the bedroom drives her to distraction and quickly steals her heart.

When circumstances threaten Jace’s position in Sinners, Aggie must help him regain his rightful place in the band while showing him that time and love can heal all wounds.

We first met Olivia Cunning’s dark and sexy Sinners in Backstage Pass. The Sinners are a rock band whose secrets and lifestyle choices have made for some very interesting and very erotic reading. Each book gives us insight into one band member while advancing the overall arc. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll all led us on a long, hot, and erotic journey into the world of a band whose lives are balancing on a precipice and the fall could either destroy them or save them.

[What lies in store for us in Hot Ticket?...]

Minutes ago on her Facebook page, Sylvia Day revealed the cover for Entwined with You, the third book in her Crossfire series, which began with Bared to You, followed by Reflected in You.

Entwined with You continues the story of Gideon Cross and Eva Trammell, and will be out May 7, 2013.

From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn't resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside—so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.

No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I'd been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.

Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession...

I love erotica. I think I have made that pretty clear to everyone. I enjoy reading about it in all forms. M/M, M/F, and sometimes M/F/M. Erotica is nothing more than extremely sexually visual romance. Or, as an author friend of mine noted, “Erotica is determined by the number of times the P and C word is mentioned.” No fade to black scenes or anything left to the imagination. We are given the full monty, so to speak, and I, for one, enjoy reading every single word.

What I enjoy reading in erotica—or really any genre—is the equality between the protagonists. One may be more sexually experienced than the other, but neither are pushovers. Emotional angst notwithstanding, I enjoy seeing two people having safe, fun, consensual sex.

But lately I've found a problem with erotica. It started with E.L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey and has continued to snowball. My problem? The characters of the broody damaged controlling alpha male and the sexually inexperienced and overly emotionally heroine. Like the audience at a magician’s show, we are given the illusion that we are reading something new and intriguing. But it’s really the same story, only told with different names and locations.

[Time to mix it up?...]

In need of some sexy reading material to fill your e-reader? I’m here for you. Each month I will bring you an assortment of erotic pleasure reads to tempt your palate—and your credit card....

With the temptations of the holidays behind us, it’s now time to tempt our minds and bodies with sex, lies, and obsession.

Escorted by Claire Kent

This self pubbed story has been dubbed “cracktacular” by readers and reviewers alike. Escorted is an erotic love story centering around a prostitute and the romance writer whose hires him to take her virginity. What was suppose to be a simple business transaction turns into much more when love enters the equation.

[Mixing business with pleasure never felt so good...]

We talked about what we loved in 2012, but now the new year is here and we're looking forward to some new trends. Are you happy with what's out there in your bookstore's romance shelves or are you wanting a few changes in the genre? Let us know what you're looking for in the new year!

Hat tip to Tori Benson for her 2013 wish list post. 

This year was an interesting one for romance novel readers. With the astronomical success of E.L. James's Fifty Shades trilogy, we suddenly found ourselves accused of reading “mommy porn” and advocating the “abuse of woman.” Romance had taken a drastic turn; BDSM and erotic romance became the “it” genres to read and the market was instantly flooded with clueless ingenue heroines and broody billionaires with dubious sexual histories. Covers became monochrome with a single object as the focal point rather than the customary hero and heroine portrayed in dishabille. I’m not dismissing the “revolution” but I’m ready for a change.

I’ve read phenomenal books, good books, average books, and some books I’d rather just forget about this year. I left no genre untouched, but found myself rather rather dismayed with romances overall. Again, Fifty Shades set the bar, a rather low bar, and we found ourselves at the mercy of angst-driven, emotionally draining trilogies. I’m not a fan of romantic trilogies. I see no reason to drag out a romance over three books unless there is a viable plot line that is completely separate from the romance.

So what am I looking for in 2013?

[Tell us!...]

Want something extra naughty for the holidays? Erotic romance author Opal Carew, whose His to Command #1 releases on January 8, wrote her own version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” for the holidays (first featured at the site She Loves Hot Reads). It's written from the point of view of a reader living the events of Opal’s books—with each day of Christmas representing one of her books.

Look for more Opal Carew at H&H in the new year, including a special His to Command sneak peek you won't want to miss!

“Opal’s 'Twelve Days of Christmas'”

On the first day of Christmas,
Opal gave to me
A ménage with identical twins.

On the second day of Christmas,
Opal gave to me
Fun at a swinger’s club,
And a ménage with identical twins!

[Keeps gettin' better...]

Click here to log in or register to enter for a chance to win a fully stocked holiday stocking from Heroes and Heartbreakers!

Have we got a stuffed stocking for you! Heroes and Heartbreakers has found plenty of Christmas cheer (and heroes, and heroines, and rockin' sexytimes!) to fill a stocking so it will be hung by the chimney with plenty of care (if you know what we mean)...

We've got books for a fabulous holiday giveaway, that is. What did you think we meant?

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins December 19, 2012, at 10 am ET, and ends December 26, 2012, 11:59 am ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Click here for details and official rules.

~Snowflakes image courtesy of aussiegall via Flickr~

[About the prize...]

At the end of last year, we ran our fabulous bloggers’ lists of top reads of the year. Those posts were so fun that we've decided to continue, asking our bloggers to share the best thing they’ve read each month (or things, plural, if our bloggers declare a tie ’cause they just can’t choose). It doesn’t have to be a new book, as evidenced below; just something that made the month sparkle just a bit more. So here’s this month’s installment for November 2012 (and if you’ve missed any, be sure to check out past recs for May, June, July, August, September, October 2012, November 2012):

Wendy the Super Librarian

Restraint by Charlotte Stein was a knock-my-socks-off novella that found me just in the nick of time. Having become disenchanted with the proliferation of BDSM in erotic romance and heroines looking for Daddy-figures, Stein's story was a welcome role reversal that had me happily sighing with relief, and satisfaction. A sexually aware heroine with a potty mouth finds herself spending her vacation with a hero that she mistakenly thinks loathes her very existence.  When she learns the truth behind his attitude, it rocks both of their worlds.

[Hidden desire FTW!...]

Have you been naughty, or nice?

If the answer is nice, then it’s time to remedy that with something dirtier than a lump of coal in your stocking this Christmas: my essential erotic novel gift list. These books all have two things in common: they will make St. Nick blush redder than his suit, and they are as timeless as tinsel on your tree.

Mistral’s Daughter by Judith Krantz

An epic novel of art, fashion, super-hot sex, that begins with an erotic romp through sumptuous 1920s Paris and follows three generations of super-fab redheads.

Why it makes the list: The anti-hero, Julian Mistral, who seduces and betrays the heroine, Maggie, only to fall in love with her daughter twenty years later.

[That sounds...complicated...]

For many of us, great romance is a combination of a strong hero and a loving heroine, perfect chemistry, and beautiful writing. But almost as essential, or certainly enhancing, are truly romantic and  powerful love scenes. Love scenes are almost as prolific as romance novels themselves, but through thousands of reads, these love scenes cross decades and all genres of romance, as some of the best.

One of the earlier romance novels, and arguably one of the most controversial, is Christine Monson's Stormfire. From my earliest days as a romance reader, I knew about Sean and Catherine and how extreme their story was, absolutely the very definition of “bodice ripper.” In fact, the buzz was so loud, it kept me from reading the book for some time. Once I did, I was struck by how utterly romantic it actually was. Don't be mistaken, there are some very difficult scenes, brutal in both action and honesty. And while I was eager to get past the beginning, filled with hatred and misunderstanding, when I got to the heart of the story, I realized that in coming so far, the payoff was greater than almost any other love I'd read in romance. I came to be convinced of and believe in Sean and Catherine's love, and along with the gorgeous writing, their love scenes transcended any I'd read before.

[Those don't come around very often!...]

Audiobooks make it easy for readers to devour their books even if their eyes are otherwise occupied; they can take their books with them while they’re driving, or at the gym, or going for a walk. Audiobooks help people with disabilities as well, making it possible for everyone to read books. But have you ever thought about what goes into making an audiobook? After the book itself, the most crucial element is the narrator. And narrating audiobooks, particularly ones with more explicit content, is an art form. We asked Anything He Wants audiobook narrator Clarissa Knightly to talk about some of the more…prickly parts of her job. Thanks, Clarissa!

I’ve been narrating racy romance novels for some years now, but in the beginning there were some very particular challenges for me. It was a revelation when I figured out how to tackle the challenge of reading those words, from books that I was now reading not only out loud, but to another person, the engineer, who was recording those words. Yes, those words. Imagine the following scenario:

Engineer – “Sorry, could you do that sentence again. The ‘p’ in penis popped.”

Or:

Engineer – “Take it from ‘His tongue caressed my weeping opening.’

[Yeah, I can see that being awkward...]

There's something so well-matched about romance and Christmas—a season all about love and a genre that celebrates it. I like my Christmas romances especially hot, and in a year that seems to be somewhat underpublished in Christmas romances, here are my very favorite erotic contemporary Christmas collections.

For the past three years, Carina Press has been offering Christmas collections of stories grouped by genres. I've enjoyed all of those that I've read, but the one erotic contemporary Christmas anthology I love best is Naughty and Nice. This collection features an all-star line up of authors Shannon Stacey, Jaci Burton, Megan Hart, and Lauren Dane, with Stacey and Burton offering the “Nice” stories and Hart and Dane bringing the “Naughty” ones. Whatever you prefer, sweet or heat, it's here. Burton's story, “All She Wants for Christmas” begins her Kent series with the story of a female country singer who returns to her hometown to rekindle the flame with her first love.

When it comes to Christmas stories, I want nothing left to the imagination, and Hart's and Dane's stories follow up with fan favorite couples from previous works of theirs, so it was perfect for me. Dane's story “Believe” gives a glimpse of Jude and Rory from Second Chances, whose intense BDSM relationship, full of ups and downs, is one of the best, most realistic romances I have ever read. And Hart's return to Brandon and Leah from Taking Care of Business and No Reservations (also a spicy Christmas read) is another delightful look at beyond the happily ever after. Their romance has a slight twist in that Leah is a bit of a female dom, but Brandon is all man.

[Someone's met her match...]

Sarah Frantz, Ed.; Joey W. Hill, Ava March, Kim Dare, et al.
O Come All Ye Kinky Anthology
Riptide / December 3, 2012 / $16.99 print, $8.99 digital

20% of all proceeds from O Come All Ye Kinky will be donated to the Domestic Violence Project of the National Leather Association–International.

Christmas is a time of love and joy, and the New Year is a time of renewal. But they are also times of stress and strife, family drama, pressure and heartache—a potent mix of high expectations and conflicted emotions. Add in power exchange relationships, kinky gift swaps, and unconventional love in a sometimes unforgiving world, and you have a formula for a sizzling anthology of stories that tug at your heart.

From Ava March’s forbidden Regency love among men, to Katie Porter’s scorching hot contemporary tale of two women discovering holiday happiness, everyone will find a favorite here. Pervertible toys abound: Lambda Literary Award finalist L.A. Witt’s candy cane, Jane Davitt’s wrapping paper and tape, and Alexa Snow’s Christmas candles all please and delight. Newcomer Elyan Smith and fan favorite Kim Dare both celebrate New Year’s Eve with romantic flair and kinky fireworks, while bestselling author Joey W. Hill’s poignant story of love lost and regained will lead you home.

Whatever your desires, we invite you to explore new fantasies and old with these eight kinky tales of holiday happy endings.

This anthology is sure to put some extra naughty in your nice this holiday season. Eight erotic authors showcase their talents in stories that feature M/M, M/M/F, and F/F romances during the Christmas season. Sadomasochism features predominantly throughout the anthology, ranging from the lightest BDSM to explicit details.

[Something for everyone?...]