This post was originally published on Audible.com.
E L James's Fifty Shades of Grey has been a prominent title in erotica for nearly a decade. Considering that it's a wildly romantic story in which character development and sexual dynamics play equally strong roles, it’s quite a standout in its genre. Ask any fan and they’ll tell you that it’s not always easy to find something that has the same kind of tension and payoff as the Fifty Shades trilogy. Here are some books and series that fans of Fifty Shades are sure to love, as they evoke similar themes, scenes, and emotions.
The natural place to start is with James's own Grey, which is told from Christian’s perspective. Dig into the familiar story of love, sex, and power from a different viewpoint and learn more about Christian’s life and youth, as well as his interpretations of every conversation with Ana Steele. Zachary Webber’s narration offers a sexy and very deliberate Christian Grey, while capturing the character’s torment and dominating attitude. This is a two-book series, which culminates with Darker.
When Poe Markham takes over the private library at Thornchapel, her goal is to find out what happened to her mother years before. But she soon gets sucked into the world of this secluded manor and its intriguing owner, as well as some other interesting characters. Sara Ormenyi’s performance in A Lesson in Thorns (later paired with Zachary Webber in Feast of Sparks) brings a darker, deeper experience to Sierra Simone’s growing series.
This first installment in the Forbidden Hearts trilogy introduces listeners to the Chandler and Kane families, who have been at odds for years. Nicholas and Livvy were youthful sweethearts, but were separated by their families. Now, they only see each other once a year, an anniversary filled with sex and the avoidance of feelings. The alternating narration of Jeremy York and Summer Morton bring even more nuance to Alisha Rai’s angsty, sexy three-audiobook series.
The Crossfire Series is often recommended to fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, as it follows a controlling millionaire and the woman he falls passionately in love with. Narrated by Jill Redfield (with the late series addition of Jeremy York), the audiobook does an exquisite job of sucking listeners into the glittering, sexy, traumatized lives of Gideon and Eva, which become more and more entangled the course of Sylvia Day's five novels.
Beautiful Bastard is the first in a series by Christina Lauren, the pen name of an author duo who met writing Twilight fanfiction. It follows an office romance featuring Bennett and Chloe, who have been working together for a while but are only just meeting in person now that Bennett has moved back Stateside from France. Bennett is exacting and obnoxious, but Chloe somehow can’t resist him. The sexy narration by Grace Grant is a great start to a complete series, which includes five full-length novels and five novellas.
The first book in Maya Bank's Enforcers trilogy, Mastered introduces us to wealthy businessman Drake and ingenue Evangeline, who meet in Drake’s nightclub when she wanders in like a fish out of water. Drake is immediately taken with her, and takes her under his wing to have her under his complete control. Jeremy York was an easy selection to portray the icy Drake, and continues to narrate the other two Enforcers novels.
When billionaire workaholic Roxanne approaches Mateo, the leader of a small and financially struggling European principality, with a sweet marriage-of-convenience proposal, she isn’t about to take no for an answer. She wants a child and he needs money—to Roxanne’s mind, it’s a fair deal. Mateo refuses to be bought. But the combination of their chemistry and the potential to save his homeland leads him to reconsider. Scarlette Hayes narrates Lush Money and its companion novel Hate Crush with care and intensity, and will hopefully continue to narrate Angelina M. Lopez’s future novels.
Summer is returning to the school of his youth to student-teach, and he’s both anticipating and dreading working with Fox Iseya—his former teacher and new boss. When a challenge to help Summer with his anxiety turns into a deal for exchanging kisses, their relationship develops into something neither man expected.
Madison desperately needs an assistant to help her run her erotic bookstore—and winds up hiring two. Andy is aggressive and pushes her buttons, while uptight Gabriel continually defies her training techniques. In Control, author Charlotte Stein draws listeners into a workplace threesome with startling power plays. Narrator Janice Enright strikes the perfect chord. To quote one satisfied listener: Her voice and accent is stellar. She sounds so prim and proper, but it just adds an extra layer of naughty to the story.
Three months before her wedding to her post-college sweetheart, reality show producer Annie has a one-night stand with her fitness trainer, Oksana. What’s meant to be an end to the single life becomes a steamy month-long affair between the two women, forcing both to examine their wants and needs. The Fling plunges listeners into a white-hot relationship that just might be real love. Rebekah Weatherspoon’s sexy standalone novel features engaging, alluring narration by Keira Grace.
After being left at the altar, Jade seeks solace at the Colorado ranch of her best friend, Jonah. She isn’t prepared to be blown away by his brother. Talon, a quiet, tortured man, initiates an intimacy with her that she can’t help but continue. But there are secrets on both sides, and Talon is afraid that his addiction to Jade will become an obsession. In Craving, Helen Hardt introduces listeners to the Steel brothers and many tangled passions to come. The series is ongoing, with 15 books currently available. Each installment features dual narrators, starting with the perfect pairing of Sebastian York and Neva Navarre.
In the Wicked Villains series, author Katee Robert takes familiar characters from fables and fairy tales—and turns them on their heads in scenarios meant only for adults. Lessa Lamb and Jack Calihan masterfully narrate the first in the series, Desperate Measures, a dark reimagining featuring characters from Aladdin. The series is growing, with future installments forthcoming.
The stodgy Duke of Westmead doesn’t want a wife or a child, but both are unfortunately required of his station. He’d rather be at his favored sex club, where he can have someone dominate him. When he enters a marriage of convenience with botanist Poppy, he doesn’t intend to share his kink with her, even as he also fights not to fall in love with her. The first volume in Scarlett Peckham’s Regency romance series, The Secrets of Charlotte Street, The Duke I Tempted is narrated with the right mix of naughtiness and heart by Holly Chandler.
