Smut or Not? Separating Steam from Mist

What really makes a book “smutty”? Is it about explicitness, frequency, or something else entirely? And how does that definition shift when we talk about monster romance? In this episode, we’re tackling the age-old question: What defines smut? We’ll explore everything from spice levels to the line between romance and erotica, plus what non-explicit factors make a book sexy.

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Check out Stacy's other podcast project, TropesG.O.A.Ts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tropesg-o-a-ts/id1793022885)

Check out EJ’s monster romance blogging directly on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/monster_romance/) and Substack (https://monsterromancereviews.substack.com/).

Authors, Books, and Other Media We Mention:

• Vulture Article: https://www.vulture.com/article/rebecca-yarro-fourth-wing-empyrean-guide.html
• Rebecca Yarros
• Sarah J. Maas
• Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon
• A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon
• The Company of Fiends by Kathryn Moon
• Sanctuary with Kings by Kathryn Moon
• Honey Phillips
• Susan Trombley
• Nosferatu (2024) ****
• Doves & Demons by Clio Evans
• How to Train Your Goblin King by Erin Vere
• Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
• Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
• Good Faeries/Bad Faeries by Brian Froud
• Grindhouse Double Feature (2018)
• Deal with the Devil by Lizzie Strong
• Doctor D'Arco, Sorcerer of London: A Victorian Gothic Romance by Kathryn Colvin
• Amelia Peabody series
• Morning Glory Milking Farm by C. M. Nascosta
• Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic by C. M. Nascosta
• Scrubs (2001-2010)
• Escaping the Friendzone by Emily Antoinette
• Mahdfel from the Warlord Brides Universe by Nancey Cummings
• Orc Sworn Series by Finley Fenn
• Berries and Greed by Lily Mayne
• Milana Jacks
• Loki Renard
• I Married a Lizardman by Regine Abel
• I Married a Naga by Regine Abel
• Mate for the Alien P*rn Star by by Alexis B. Osborne
• Romantically Inclined Reviews
• Love Hina
• Upon a Moon-Dark Moor by Rebecca Brandewyne