4 romance novels that are spicy AND super well-written —per a Columbia English lit major + romance author

4 romance novels that are spicy AND super well-written —per a Columbia English lit major + romance author I studied English literature at Columbia I worked at Goldman Sachs in Uber, and I write romance novels So when I tell you these four books are spicy and genuinely beautifully written, I need you to trust me Look, I love a 7-foot-2 billionaire mafia boss hockey player who also fights crime on the side as much as the next girl But sometimes, I want an incredible story with my spice Okay, first up, the Arcane Arts This is Dark Academia meets Forbidden Magic A grad student and her professor fall into a taboo branch of the arcane, and it is obsessive, dangerous, and very hot Bonus, it's secretly written by two best-selling authors under a pen name Into the Blue, two actors with an almost telepathic bond are torn apart and thrown back together years later on the same set It is a Reese's pick It's a sweeping, aching, slow-burn second chance Seven Days in June, the gold standard A romance novelist and the literary star who were teenage lovers are reunited over one Brooklyn summer It is witty, literary, and genuinely sassy Anything by Kennedy Ryan She writes the most emotionally devastating, beautifully crafted romance in the game, and the spice always earns its place Start with This Could Be Us or Before I Let Go And a bonus, mine I will be honest, it's actually not that spicy It's a glam escapist beach read with a slow-burn romance running through it A founder's ousted from her company, and she flees to Europe for a champagne soaked car rally Yes, there is a magnetic love interest who complicates everything It is out September 29th The next book I wrote is also like way spicier