Smut is having a moment. These romance lovers suggest their top 5 reads for 2025
There's a flame rising for romance literature, fueled by lust for escapism
Saskatchewan musician Farideh had a revelatory moment in 2023 when she picked up a fantasy romance novel called Fourth Wing. At that time, she was searching for books that were light and breezy.
"I want a book I read Tuesday that I forget by Thursday. I don't want to be changed, I don't want to be moved," she laughingly told CBC host Sam Maciag for an edition of This is Saskatchewan, exploring the popularity of the smut and romance genre.
Reading Fourth Wing led Farideh to recommendations for other books in the romance genre that gave her the thrill she was seeking — books that light up the brain and rev the reader's pulse.
Farideh ended up devouring 380 romance books last year, more than a book a day. She's the kind of voracious romance reader driving the sales at brick and mortar boutiques dedicated to racy books. That includes Slow Burn Books in Calgary, The Book Boudoir in Edmonton and Saskatoon's own Pages of Passion.
Victoria Koops released her debut novel Who We Are in Real Life last year after a lifetime of consuming romance fiction.
As a high school counsellor in Weyburn, Sask., she knows how heavy life can be, and said romance can provide people a much-needed emotional lift.
"Our brains are constantly working, constantly processing, taking in new information, and our bodies feel bad and the impacts of it," she said. "And so we need places to play, places to escape to so that our brains can actually rest."
In this week's episode, Maciag, Koop, Farideh and best-selling romance writer Jennifer L Armentrout break down the joys of romance fiction and share some of their favourite reads.
Sam Maciag's picks
- Abby Jimenez - Just For The Summer.
- Penny Reid - Truth or Beard.
- Taylor Jenkins Reid - Forever Interrupted.
- Brynne Weaver - Leather and Lark.
- Emily Henry - Beach Read.
Farideh's picks
- Demi Winters - Road of Bones.
- Thea Guanzon - The Hurricane Wars.
- Sara Hashem - The Jasad Heir.
- Elisha Kemp - Drowned by the Sea.
- CM Nascosta - Morning Glory at the Milking Farm (for the truly open-minded).
Koops' picks
- Jane Austen - Persuasion (or any adaptation of this classic).
- Olivia Dade - Spoiler Alert.
- Emiko Jean - Tokyo Ever After.
- Lex Croucher - Gwen and Art Are Not in Love.
- Kristen Ciccarelli - Heartless Hunter.
This story is from the This is Saskatchewan podcast — your connection to the stories Saskatchewan is talking about. Every week, we cover local issues that matter. Hear the voices that are creating change, shaping policy and fuelling creativity in Saskatchewan.
Tune into This is Saskatchewan every Wednesday on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.
With files from This is Saskatchewan and CBC's Blue Sky