ACOTAR isn't kinky, but here's some books that are!

We're a little tired of the ongoing love of "spicy" romance books trying to hint at kink & BDSM. We completely accept that it's up to the author's comfort and experience level, but there's a lot of chatter about some books being really kinky, and they just aren't. Fetish After Dark really cares about your late-night reading, and here are some that kept us up at night. We also aren't going to include any of the Shades of Grey and similar books, which are written by people who seem to really want to do BDSM, but haven't dared to try it.

• Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey - a political intrigue book set in a fantasy world. It's based on the French Renaissance, but uses a political system based on eroticism and sexual power dynamics, with the main character being a spy-mistress with magical masochism. Honestly, this is one of our favorite fantasy series as well as kink books.

• The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham- historical erotic romance. Think Bridgerton with BDSM. It's also one of the few books we like with a healthy relationship between a male submissive and a female dominant.

• Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts - a modern dark romance with heavy themes of non-consent. Is it realistic? No, and it contains some extremely disturbing content. But the kink is well-written and accurate as a form of BDSM practice.

• The Riding School by C.P. Mandara - A contemporary romance book about a spoiled brat accidentally signing up for a riding school for human ponies instead of actual horses. We found the premise to be a bit silly, but for people who are into pony-play, it's very hot.

• Owned by Fate by Tessa Bailey - Contemporary dark romance about a journalist who falls into the New York BDSM scene. It has some problematic depictions of subcultures within the community and isn't as intense as some folks would like, but it's a fun read, especially for those exploring BDSM for the first time.

• Priceless by Miranda Silver - College BDSM romance about a failed cheerleader and a dominant man. It's filled with dirty talk and extremely graphic. We're not sure how we feel about the book overall because it doesn't really seem to go anywhere, but the BDSM is graphic. Also, one of the only books we've ever read that had phone sex.

• American Queen by Sierra Simone - A contemporary political romance set in American politics. This one is strange. The president sends his friend to seduce the main character and they have a MFM BDSM romance. The men in this book are deeply problematic, the political intrigue is nonexistent, and the overall plot is weak. However, if you're seeking a lot of kink within a different relationship structure, this might be for you.

• The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) - A high fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice. It has heavy themes of non-consent, violence, and kidnapping. The relationships are also unrealistic, even for a fantasy novel. However, the actual BDSM is extremely accurately described.

• Sunstone by Stjepan Sejic is a contemporary graphic novel beautifully drawn and written within BDSM realism. Honestly, with the exception of the dominatrix and BDSM club having seemingly unlimited money, this is one of the more accurate portrayals of BDSM culture. If you like graphic novels (and even if you don't), then this is absolutely the book for you.

This list is by no means comprehensive. There's a LOT out there. However, much of it is problematic, and we don't mean just the non-consensual themes. Much of what gets written promotes "alpha-men" or a view of inherent gender-specific norms with BDSM culture that we find offensive. Books like "The Story of O" and John Norman's "Gor" series promote a male-dominant\female-slave dynamic that we find extremely toxic. They might be erotic, but we just can't get past the internalized misogyny that authored them.