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Find out moreIt could be said that we are in a Golden Age for Provocative fiction. With more and more authors releasing books that explore the various realms of sexuality while still offering social commentary and a concentrated examination of human feelings and attitudes throughout. Indulge your secretive sensual side, peek into the lives of others and explore a complex pleasure of human existence. Find out more in our adult fiction category.
Angela Makholwa’s The Blessed Girl is a wildly witty South Africa-set novel underpinned by smart and serious commentary on corruption, duplicity, drug abuse, sexual abuse, and what it’s like to be “blessed” (“a person, usually female, who lives a luxurious lifestyle funded by an older, often married partner, in return for sexual favours”). Hats off to the author for interweaving a rambunctious, read-in-one-sitting rollercoaster with shining a light on real-life struggles. Super-confident Bontle has been “charming the pants off people since the day I was born” when her parents “knew that I was destined to go far because of the way I looked, hence they named me Bontle – The Beautiful One… Watch out, world!” Bontle sure knows how to get what she wants from one of the many men she has falling over her, paying for her penthouse, flash cars, designer clothes, cosmetic surgery - luxuries her hair extension business would never give her. Bontle may not have excelled at school, but she does have a “PhD in MENcology, baby!” and manages to juggle several men at once, putting her troubled past behind her – for a time at least. Cracks begin to show when some of the men slip from her manicured grasp, when her past starts snapping at her heels, and Bontle must piece herself back together. Balancing outrageous entertainment with exposing ugly underbellies and a young woman’s realignment of a life swerved off-course, readers who enjoyed Sarong Party Girls will adore this. Head to our 'Black Lit Matters' list to find more must-read novels by black writers. Visit our 'Women's Words - 60+ works of feminist-minded fiction' to explore our collection of feminist-minded fiction from around the world, and across centuries.
Ten years ago, a seventeen-year-old Lily Dumont faked her own death to escape an uncle who wanted her inheritance, leaving her old life-and love, behind . . . but Lily never forgot Ty Benson. When Ty discovers Lily's uncle is about to have her declared legally dead in order to finally get his hands on the family money, Ty seeks out Lily and urges her to return home, face her past, and reclaim what rightfully belongs to her. Can Ty reclaim Lily as well? Or will she leave him again, this time for good? Contains mature themes.
My. Oh, My! When I first saw the cover and after reading the summary I had some preconceptions, I was expecting a supernatural romance and this is exactly what I got. This is a story that I think flows well and I was very quickly absorbed. I have to say I was a little thrown when I first started reading, the book ploughs in straight away with talks of packs and pups and it did take me a moment to figure out the nature of the characters. I have had a quick look at the reviews of this book since reading and noticed it was called a “shifter book”, I am familiar with supernatural romances but not this exact sub-genre so it may be that my initial confusion was caused by this. It didn’t deter from my overall enjoyment of the story. I was hooked throughout, I enjoy stories that make me ask questions about the more mundane workings of that world and the characters' interactions. I am very eager to find out more about Cathwulf and her world and I will be tracking down the rest of the series to find out more. Cathwulf is a strong, independent werewolf that wants to make her own way in the world. Earning her position though her strength and not being submissive to a male partner. But when her pack must travel to assist another all that may change. Combining the animalistic natures of the characters’ wolves and more human mysteries and politics, this is a brilliant book for fans of supernatural romances. All of the characters are interesting and well-developed, but I know that there's more to find out in future books. I was absorbed in the story, much to the detriment of everything else I did that day and the ending came far too fast. I was left dying to know what happened next and I can't wait to check out the other books in the series. Charlotte Walker, A LoveReadnig Ambassador
She wasn't meant to fall in love with me. And she certainly wasn't meant to see the monster I hide. My emotions were firmly locked away, never to be found, but as much as I control most things in life, I couldn't control my heart. She exposed my darkest desires, and begged for them and I unleashed hell on her body, while I shattered her heart. I made her kneel, but in that moment I broke the only jewel I ever owned. What will she do when she learns the truth I hide? Behind every shattered heart is a fractured soul. I was always broken. He believes he's responsible, but he wasn't the one to fragment my sanity. Even though he hid his depravity behind a suit and tie, I uncovered it. And I found more to the monster. In our darkness, I discovered emotion so profound I hungered for it. Begged for him to give me everything he could. The one thing I didn't count on was my heart getting in the way. I did kneel. I did care. And then I fell. What will he do when he sees my tormented pieces? Contains mature themes...
The pendulum has shifted in Catherine's life once again. Four years after peeling back the curtain on The Janus Chamber, we find her now ironically working as a political journalist, settled into a mundane routine and dating life because she chose to tell the truth about Inana Luna instead of embracing a life of decadence with The Juliette Society. Meeting a man who reignites her passion for cinema and guilt-free sex makes her realize what she's been missing, but an unwanted scandal douses the flame. Forced to lay low, she finds an opportunity to take back her career with a human interest story in Honduras, but there are people who see Catherine's article as a threat and will do everything they can to stop her from writing. The world she finds is unlike anything she's ever seen. Catherine is The Mismade Girl, and as her life is turned upside down, she must choose to either perish . . . or be remade anew.
This book is a collection of five short stories, each very different but with central theme of all of them desire and how it manifests itself in different ways. Each story is set in a different location and range in time from pre-second World War to the present day. Although I enjoyed all of the stories, there were a couple that stood out to me and I would have liked these to continue, so I could find out more about the characters and what they did next. Overall, this is a really enjoyable book and is nice and easy to dip in and out of, by reading a story at a time. I would really recommend this book. Nicola Coen, A LoveReading Ambassador
A Wall Street Journal bestseller. There’s nothing richer than a second chance in the steamy second book of New York Times bestselling author J.S. Scott’s Accidental Billionaires series. Aiden Sinclair was a commercial fisherman before he suddenly came into his billionaire inheritance—not that he’s complaining. Being a Sinclair does have its perks. But things were simpler before the money. He may have been dirt poor, but he loved his job and fully intended to always come back from the sea to his girlfriend, Skye Weston, so they could move toward something more permanent. Or at least that had been the plan…until he returned from a two-month fishing trip to discover she had moved away and was marrying somebody else. It tore his world apart. Now Skye’s back in town after nearly a decade. She’s a single mother and just as beautiful as ever. However, for some odd reason, she appears to hate him, when it should be Aiden who wants nothing to do with the woman who dumped him. Unfortunately, more than nine years of separation have done nothing to put a damper on their white-hot chemistry. But even if those feelings are real, Skye has been keeping secrets. The truth of the past is about to come to light, and there is so much more at stake than just Aiden’s heart...
This book is a collection of five short stories, each very different but with central theme of all of them desire and how it manifests itself in different ways. Each story is set in a different location and range in time from pre-second World War to the present day. Although I enjoyed all of the stories, there were a couple that stood out to me and I would have liked these to continue, so I could find out more about the characters and what they did next. Overall, this is a really enjoyable book and is nice and easy to dip in and out of, by reading a story at a time. I would really recommend this book. Nicola Coen, A LoveReading Ambassador
Experience the internet's most talked-about book, now a major motion picture, from Anna Todd, the writer Cosmopolitan called “the biggest literary phenomenon of her generation.” There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER... Life will never be the same. #Hessa Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way. But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, and tattoos, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to. But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before. He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her? Unless...could this be love?
Until recently, Julia hadn't had sex in three years. But now: a one-night stand is accusing her of breaking his penis; a sexually confident lesbian is making eyes at her over confrontational modern art; and she's wondering whether trimming her pubes makes her a bad feminist. Julia's about to learn that she's been looking for love - and satisfaction - in all the wrong places.... Frank, filthy and very, very funny, In at the Deep End is a brilliant debut from a major new talent. #ImInAtTheDeepEnd
Oh my word! How to describe this wonderfully clever, deeply dark and immensely satisfying read… every now and then a book comes along that surprises you, in the best possible way, and this is one of them. Five people, connected, somehow, with three murders, how on earth does everything link together? The first paragraphs slipped straight from the page and into my consciousness before awareness hit and I sat bolt upright. Will Carver creates an almost conversational tone which sits at odds with the content, creating a greater intimacy with the words and they land with hammer hard precision. The short intense chapters highlight one of the characters at a time, there is no explanation as to who is the focus, none is needed. A slight jolt of awareness as understanding settled after the first few sentences of each chapter kept me on constant alert. I can genuinely say that I had absolutely no idea where this was going, I stayed in each moment, sucked in the words, and feel as the story has tattooed itself on my mind. Good Samaritans is a provocative, heady, unique, challenging read and it is absolutely blimmin wonderful! Do I recommend it? With my heart and soul, yes I most certainly do!
Aged 30, Jenny is determined not to be 'left on the shelf'and her best friend Sarah, and even Jenny's mother, are keen to help her find the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, a series of blind dates turn out to have disastrous consequences which are not aided by the antics of Jenny's beloved but needy cat, Bing Clawsby. Jenny's heart is set on her work colleague Zach but will he ever notice her, especially as she becomes embarrassingly self-conscious in his presence? Easy to read, amusing and lighthearted, 'Blind Date' would make a perfect summer holiday read. It is what it is.....and could not be described as a work of great literature......but I loved it! Many of us could imagine ourselves in Jenny's shoes as she attempts to find ways of escaping from cringe-worthy experiences on blind dates, has embarrassing bedroom encounters, discovers the sometimes offensive and inappropriate world of dating apps and suffers teenage angst each time she is anywhere near Zach. This is a fun read, each chapter reminding me of the sort of article a newspaper columnist might write, urging me to discover what might befall Jenny next. I am pleased to report that the ending did not disappoint! Val Rowe, A LoveReading Ambassador
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Literature has addressed sex throughout history. The joys and complexities are shown in 'The Song of Solomon' in the Bible. Byron, Chacer and Donne are famous for their compemplations on sex and desire.
Provocative prose is not simply pornographic, and product created simply to excite and arouse. Provocative prose stands apart as it is able to offer excitement while also deliviering social commentary and an examination of human feelings and behaviour. This genre can help you to think more deeply about sex, desire and how are attitudes to this topic are formed and what impact they have.
One of the most famous literary erotica would be Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence, which manages to combine titilation and provocation while also offering character development, and an examination of the theme.
While some will still find these books shocking and a step too far. However there are marvelous modern authors such as Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and Annie Rice with her 'Sleeping Beauty' series which was published under the name Anne Roquelaure. With the development and exploration of this genre, there is a wide and varied selection of books for those interested in indulging.