Some of The Best Sex Scenes in Romance Books [Quoted]

I’ve been reading romance since I was 12-years-old. Over 20 years later, you might think I’ve seen it all, but you’d be very wrong. Several new romance books end up on my favorites shelf every year, making me fall in love with their impeccable character work and convincing me that these two (or three or more) people belong together. Still, precisely because I’ve read such good romances throughout my life, the bar is set quite high. Especially with sex scenes.

As far as I’m concerned, sex scenes in romance books should check a couple of boxes in order to be unforgettable. I’m not saying they need to follow a pattern by any means. But when I read one, there are two questions at the back of my mind: is this telling me anything about the characters and is it in any way indicative of the characters’ dynamics? If the answer to either or both is yes, I sit back and admire. If not, I might be inclined to skim.

Today, I gathered what I think are some of the best sex scenes in romance books. Mind: this is based only on my reading history. There are many big romances by iconic authors I have yet to read (Lisa Kleypas and Loretta Chase come to mind), so please don’t be upset if your favorites aren’t here! It probably only means that it’s a gap in my romance curriculum–something still possible this many years on, as romance is such a huge genre. Note, too, some of the scenes here lead up to the sex scene, rather than depict the sex scene itself.

Should we start?

Minnie and Robert in The Duchess War, by Courtney Milan

Virgin heroes are such a rarity in romance that I’m always delighted to stumble upon one. Robert and Minnie’s first time is… not disastrous, exactly, but it’s not good, either. Instead of each retreating to soothe their wounded pride, Minnie explains what she likes, and Robert is quick to follow her instructions.

Their second time is a vast improvement, and one of the best shows of communication during sex I’ve ever found in a romance.

“I need a little more.” Her eyelashes fluttered. “Would you like to help?”

His throat was dry. “I’d love to. How?”

“Touch me.” She curved her hand around one breast. “Here.”

Gracewood and Viola in A Lady for a Duke, by Alexis Hall

When the Duke of Gracewood met Viola, he was grieving the loss of his best friend in Waterloo. Little did he know that Viola was his best friend, and she had faked her death in order to finally be herself. When the two fall in love, Viola is full of doubts. The first time they’re together, she’s hesitant and wary. She soon finds confidence in his obvious love and desire, leading to this beautiful show of unrepentant self-acceptance.

“I’m not going to apologise.” She pulled her loosened dress from her shoulders and pushed it to the floor, followed by the silk under-dress. “Or treat any part of me as though it is some kind of mistake.” Now she yanked at her stays, undoing the cunningly designed corset that gave her the suggestion of curves. “Or feel any shame at all.” Off came the corset, leaving her in just her chemise, the thin material clinging to her, concealing nothing. “This body can fight. And ride. And sew. And play the pianoforte badly. It is mine. It deserves any carnal acts I want to indulge with it. And if you want to find it beautiful, Gracewood, I will let you. Because I don’t see why it can’t be.”

“Come here.” His voice was so low she almost felt it vibrate in her bones.

Michael and Stella in The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang

This entire book is a masterclass in handling sex scenes, but here, I want to talk about the sex scene that wasn’t. Stella is an autistic woman with sensory issues, but before Michael, nobody–not even her–thought that was just a part of her, not something that needed to be fixed. And for the first time, when her body said stop, the man she was with stopped, too.

It was like flipping a switch; the change was that dramatic. One moment, her body was loose and languorous. The next, she was tense as a stretched rubber band. The color bled from her face. Her expression went from sensual to downright scared. She dropped her hands to her sides and balled them into fists.

“Stella?”

She gulped down a ragged breath and started unbuttoning her shirt. “I’m sorry. Let me get them.” With uncoordinated fingers, she loosed one button, then another.

He covered her hands with his to halt her progress. “What are you doing?”

“Undressing.”

“I’m not going to have sex with you when you’re like this.” It was wrong. He’d never had sex with a woman who wasn’t one hundred percent into it, and he wasn’t going to start now.

Lucy and Catherine in The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

Catherine’s late husband and subsequent lover never bothered to make her feel desire or desired. But when Lucy breaks into her life, she takes her time and then some, letting her set the pace, and adjust to her comfort levels. A delightful romance altogether, but it was this tenderness that made my heart skip a beat when I first read it.

The next night, in between kisses, Lucy removed Catherine’s dress and then her own, as well as the stays beneath, but left their chemises and stockings in place. The night after that, she peeled off a single one of Catherine’s stockings, and the second the following evening. And so it went, night by night, one delicate piece of fabric at a time fluttering to the floor like seeds from a dandelion clock, until finally Lucy was able to press herself against Catherine, skin to skin.

Jacob and Eve in Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

I love the sex scenes in this book for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s wonderful to read about two autistic people finding their rhythm and boundaries together, but also, it amuses me greatly that Eve’s only response to a gentlemanly “we should stop” is the politest of refusals… followed by a few less polite moves.

“We should stop,” he said. Only, he sounded a little hypnotized and he was still watching her with burning blue eyes. “We should really, probably stop. For the sake of professionalism, if nothing else.”

“No, thank you,” Eve said. “Here, let me get rid of my bra.”

He released an agonized sound and fell back against the cushions.

Harry and Julius in A Fashionable Indulgence by K.J. Charles

An age gap romance where the older person is the less experienced one? Yes, please, and thank you. But also: this book gives Julius the time and space to process his trauma, making his sex scenes with Harry extremely touching.

“Julius. You’ve a fine ramrod here.”

Julius took a very deep breath. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Well, yes.” There was a laugh in Harry’s whisper. “You don’t need to teach me this.”

Do you agree with this list? What scenes would you add?