Return of the Bonkbuster! Why readers are so obsessed with smutty books

From the steamy Bridgerton series to Sarah Ferguson’s latest Mills & Boon “bodice-ripper,” sordid books have made a huge comeback in recent years.

And it looks like authors Julia Quinn and the Duchess of York may owe their bestsellers to TikTok.

Publishers say books categorized as romance and saga fiction in Britain are up 110 per cent in three years and are now worth £53 million.

The turnout — the largest since the release of EL James’s Fifty Shades of Gray in 2011 — is said to have come from millennials and Gen Z raving about their favorite novels on TikTok.

To date, the hashtag #romancebooks has had billions of views on the platform, making it the largest subgenre within the #BookTok community.

With Josephine Hart’s Damage being adapted into a lecherous Netflix series this month and Rutshire set Rivals coming to the screen on Disney+, sex and relationship expert Kate Mansfield told FEMAIL why smut is making its way into books, movies and tv sneak shows.

But the guru told FEMAIL that the trend is not so much a new phenomenon as just typical of a trend in history, which is a natural consequence of sexual liberation.

“Smut in literature is nothing new,” she said. “We can trace it back to the ‘Harlequin novels’ of 1949 that were published and aimed at women, and continued to grow in erotic content throughout the 1970s.”

In addition, she says that sexual habits in fiction have changed along with popular culture – especially since the birth control pill became popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

“Feminism and the ‘free love’ movement are the backbone of this mature erotic media for women,” Kate continued.

“And then we’re now seeing a desensitized media because of the massive increase in porn and women’s sexual liberation.”

Kate says titles like 50 Shades of Gray – and its proven commercial success – probably kicked off “the most recent series of erotic fiction for women and became the best-selling book ever in this genre.”

The guru told FEMAIL that the trend is not so much a new phenomenon as just typical of a trend in history. Pictured is a scene in Bridgerton

Kate says titles like 50 Shades of Gray – and its proven commercial success – probably kicked off “the most recent series of erotic fiction for women.” The photo is a shot from the film adaptation

Subsequently, those who followed the formula of the novel also became popular with the public, including such hits as Bridgerton.

However, she says changing interpersonal dynamics, especially since the coronavirus pandemic, also play a role.

Josephine Hart’s Damage is being edited into a lecherous Netflix series this month

“Smutty literature is definitely aimed at women because regardless of its sexual nature, it is usually used with a strong romantic slant, which often has a feminine appeal,” she continued.

Kate says the increasing “exploration of smut,” and it becoming more socially acceptable, can also be traced back to women experiencing greater financial success, and therefore freedom.

“I think the Covid pandemic and the isolation experienced have definitely contributed to the popularity of smut for women,” she added.

“Partly due to the increased fantasy element — a side effect of not being able to participate in person.”

Kate says sex and relationships are “changing profoundly as a result of the Covid pandemic,” as well as the “shifts we’re seeing in gender roles and economic shifts.”

However, she doesn’t think dirty literature is ultimately a cause, but rather an effect, emphasizing that it “doesn’t have a dramatic impact in general.”

“Smutty literature is generally harmless and just a nice help for a lot of women accessing their sexuality in a way they might not be able to in real life,” she added.

“However, it can become harmful if used as a way to avoid intimate relationships.”