It's no secret that Brits love a romance read, but which books stand out from the crowd? Do people get embarrassed reading a 'spicy' book in public? And does being a regular romance reader affect your own relationships? It's safe to say that Brits aren't shy about their love of a good romance novel, so here at Buzz Bingo, we've conducted a survey to find out their true attitudes towards romantic reads.

The key findings are:

- Fifty Shades of Grey is the nation's favourite spicy series, with half of respondents choosing it as a fave.

- Enemies-to-lovers is the favourite trope (55%), but Boomers prefer friends-to-lovers.

- Half of Brits have felt embarrassed or tried to hide the cover of a spicy book in public.

- The average Brit spends the equivalent of a week a year reading spicy books.

- 56% have tried a new position, scenario or dynamic inspired by a romance novel.

- Two-thirds of Brits say spicy books have had a positive impact on their sex lives or self-discovery.

Brits' favourite raunchy reads and tropes revealed

We asked Brits for their favourite romance books and series, ranging from 80s classic bonkbusters like the ever-popular Rivals and Riders to more recent additions such as Heated Rivalry. One series was the standout winner across every age group.

Fifty Shades of Grey came out on top with 50% of the vote, ahead of Bridgerton (32%) and A Court of Thorns and Roses (23%). It was the number one pick for all age groups, largely thanks to Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson's film adaptations, with the trilogy bringing in $1.32 billion at the box office worldwide. Beyond the top spot, though, there were striking differences between age groups.

Rivals and Riders is a favourite with over-45s. Jilly Cooper's series has surged in popularity with the TV adaptation, making headlines for its 80s 'bonkbuster' aesthetic and a stellar cast. Its core audience is women over 45: 35% of them name Rivals and Riders as a favourite series, the most of all age groups. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is the BookTok favourite. The 'romantasy' series is hugely popular on BookTok, and it shows. More than a third of those aged 25-29 picked ACOTAR as one of their favourite reads, compared to one in 33 aged over 45, quite a striking difference. LGBTQ+ respondents also picked ACOTAR as their favourite.

Boomers love Bridgerton. The Regency romance is the number two pick for Boomers, with a third of Boomers picking Bridgerton as a favourite, ahead of other age groups.

Enemies-to-lovers is the trope Britain can't resist

A Court of Thorns and Roses might be drawing a crowd for another reason, featuring lots of the enemies-to-lovers trope, which was the favourite romance trope across nearly every age group. Overall, 55% of Brits pick enemies-to-lovers as their favourite, well ahead of friends-to-lovers (43%) and dark romance or anti-hero (31%).

Boomers were the only generation not convinced. Just 31% picked enemies-to-lovers as a favourite, and they preferred the friends-to-lovers dynamic (45%) and second chance romances (34%).

Half of Brits have to hide their reads in public 

When diving into a romantic read, what environment do Brits feel most comfortable in? Our survey found reading ‘spicy’ romance books is not a public activity for many, and some wouldn’t dare to take their reading outside of the home. Half of us have been caught red-faced; 49% said they have felt embarrassed or tried to hide the cover of a spicy book in public. 

However, commuters really don't care who sees. Only 38% of people comfortable reading on the commute have ever hidden a cover, compared with 54% of everyone else. The survey also found that 32% of Brits read romance novels on their commute to work. 

Readers under 45 are the most self-conscious, with more than half of those aged 25-45 hiding their book covers in private, compared to 40% of those over 45. Reading on holiday is the only place spicy books feel truly safe for the nation.

Technology has an added benefit for many readers. 40% of Brits use an e-reader partly to read spicy books more discreetly, and for 9% it's the main reason they use one. A further 14% only read digitally or listen to audiobooks, so they never face the cover problem at all. 

How long do Brits spend reading spicy books?

The average romance-reading Brit spends the equivalent of a week a year reading spicy books, or the length of time equivalent to 73 two-hour-long films! A dedicated 7% read for 7+ hours a week, which adds up to over 2 full weeks of non-stop reading a year.

Do romance novels translate into real life? Britain says yes  

Surprisingly, the survey also discovered that romance novels aren't only providing entertaining reads, but they're also influencing real-life encounters.

The survey revealed that over half of Brits (55%) have pictured fictional book characters while being intimate with a partner, and a third have read raunchy books with a partner (34%), so romance novels are clearly making their impact off the page.

The more you read, the bigger the impact. Among people who read for 7+ hours a week, 87% say spicy books have had a positive impact on their sex life or self-discovery, compared with 42% of those who read for less than an hour.

Married Brits are also the most adventurous. 58% of married people have tried something inspired by a romance novel, compared with 47% of singles. However, singles are looking for their book boyfriend. 58% of single Brits say spicy books have shaped the green flags they look for in a partner, compared with 44% of married people.

Further, LGBTQ+ respondents were more likely to say books have influenced their real lives. 59% of LGBTQ+ respondents say books introduced them to new kinks (vs 47% of heterosexual readers), and 73% say books have made it easier to talk about desires with a partner.

Spicy reads are more than a guilty pleasure

Whether it's 80s bonkbusters or the newest sensations, Brits are reading spicy, and for many the pages are spilling over into real life. Romance novels clearly do more than pass the time on a sun lounger! 

Methodology: Buzz Bingo surveyed 1,000 British adults aged 25 and over in November 2026 using Prolific to discover Britain's romance novel preferences. 

Fair use: Please credit Buzz Bingo with a backlink to this page should you use this research.