Sales of steamy books such as Jilly Cooper’s Riders and Fifty Shades of Grey are soaring among younger women, with an additional five million sales in the category last year
Erotic novels are making a comeback with bodice ripper books surging in sales amongst youngsters.
New findings have shown 42% of Gen Z and Millennial females are snapping up more steamy novels than five years ago.
Publishers said Romance and Sagas, as they are officially categorised, increased from £62m in 2023 to £69m in 2024.
The findings also showed women were twice as likely as men to curl up with a raunchy read, with 24% enjoying a bodice ripper compared to 9% of men.
And it’s not just younger generations enjoying some lusty literature – with 37% of women over 60 loving a provocative page-turner.
The study of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Perspectus Global, found a frisky 15% of couples read erotic novels together, while a further 19% of women tune in to erotic podcasts.
According to literary lovers, the sexiest read of all time was Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. It was followed by Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer and Story of O by Pauline Réage.
Jilly Cooper, who passed away this month aged 88, appears twice in the top ten, with Riders and Rivals both making the list. Bondage bonkbuster Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, dubbed ‘Mummy porn’ after its release in May 2011, came seventh.
Jon Horsley, head of insights at Perspectus Global, who commissioned the poll said: “It seems the bonkbuster is well and truly back, and Britons are happily turning up the heat on their bookshelves. Our research shows a clear rise in appetite for romantic and erotic fiction, especially among younger readers who are embracing these stories with the same enthusiasm their parents once had for Jilly Cooper’s champagne-fuelled scandals.
“It’s proof that a good romp on the page never goes out of style.”
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