I recently joined an erotic book club. And TBH? And yet, I tackled the book club assignment— Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren—in a couple of days, and I could barely keep my hands off my boyfriend or my vibrator as I flipped through each chapter. At the club meeting, I was, um, caught off guard.

Erotica is any story that places sex at the center of the story. They tend to use more frank language and usually include more sex scenes, often focusing more on the sex act rather than being a more traditional love scene, and may include more unusual positions or acts. Unlike romance or erotic romance, erotica may or may not deal with love or relationships and may or may not provide a happy ending for its protagonists.

Skip navigation! A few years ago, people around the world were completely incapacitated by a literary phenomenon. I saw rows of mothers reading the book in chaise lounges while their kids splashed in swimming pools. I saw people hiding the book's cover behind other books on the subway. I myself took the book out from the library and read it during college orientation.