Books on BookTok: yearning or spice, who wants more?
‘Yearning’ and ‘spice’, both euphemisms for desire and sexual content, are two sides of the same coin for romance and romantasy novels. This week, creators considered which one readers are looking for more of in their books.
“I have definitely spotted an increase in demand for yearning on socials with ‘men that yearn’ popping up more often in content,” said Heather (@_reading_is_my_cardio; 2,881 followers). Silvia (@ashleejn; 18,100 followers) agreed: “Yearning 100%! Spice without yearning is fun and has its space, but yearning makes the spice 1,000 times better. The tension, the longing, the build-up to that first brush of hands is worth a thousand spicy scenes for me.” For Megan (@megschapters; 2,272 followers) “readers are craving more yearning...People are chasing that tension and excitement that comes with a really good slow-burn romance: the anticipation, the almost-confessions and the tiny moments that build chemistry before anything actually happens.”
Suraka (@surakajanebooks; 18,100 followers) added: “Spice has always been, and will continue to be, popular, but I do think that it became a dominant marketing tool for a while. It felt like a lot of books were being reduced to how explicit and spicy they were, but readers are craving emotional build-up again. We all want more tension and longing.”
Yearning, however, does not mean the book cannot contain spice, in fact, it can make the spice payoff even greater. “We all want more tension and longing, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be spicy,” added Suraka. “I think readers want to feel emotionally invested in the relationship first because the payoff tends to hit harder than instant attraction or spice straight away,” continued Megan. Spice fatigue – boredom associated with an oversaturation of sexual content – is becoming common. “This is definitely something I experience,” said Heather. “Not so much the spice itself but...sex multiple times in a book. After the first time I notice my interest in the characters’ sex life plummets. The writing can still be great but after two, three times, I feel like I’m standing in the corner watching.”
Brittany (@whatbritreads; 58,900 followers) spoke to a similar feeling. “It almost dulls the excitement of the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ for characters. If they’re already in a physical relationship from the get-go, there’s no real tension or build-up of emotion. I think the waiting is what makes the reading experience more exciting.”
According to Suraka, BookTok has always been a heartland for yearning. “Back when BookTok first started gaining traction, it was books like Normal People, The Cruel Prince or The Song of Achilles that felt popular and I think that’s because stories like these had relationships that emotionally consumed readers.” Meg cited similar books: “Some of the biggest books from the early days of BookTok – a lot of them were actually YA series with little to no spice at all, series like The Cruel Prince, Once Upon a Broken Heart and Shatter Me. Those books were built almost entirely on tension, angst, emotional intensity and yearning.”
“Thinking about big BookTok titles in 2020,” reflected Berta (@bertaonbooks; 2,402 followers), “I definitely remember an emphasis on yearning. Titles like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Song of Achilles and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo prioritised yearning over spice. I sometimes wonder if it was because these were ‘socially acceptable’ books to enjoy. Did the general commotion and ‘shame’ surrounding the publication of Fifty Shades of Grey and its mature tones have an impact on people’s public support for spicy books?”
Nate (@nateblackbooks; 2,794 followers) echoed this point: “Yearning, slow-burn books absolutely dominated when BookTok was in its early years. In fact, spice had quite a negative reputation. After the historic buzz around EL James’ Fifty Shades of Grey series, spice got quite an unfair reputation.” For Nate, this reputation was grounded in “sexism and ageism”, but “the rise of romantasy, and the unabashed, unashamed expression of sexuality within these books, [meant] spice took off once again for a completely new generation”.
“I love that people are becoming more open and relaxed about discussing ‘spice’ in books,” said Hannah (@hannah.s.books; 12,100 followers). “I don’t just see it as a passing trend.” For Berta, “the rise of spice in mainstream fiction is closely linked with the rise of stories written by women and queer authors…In the past 15 years, we’ve seen a huge shift in narrative voices, with women and queer people taking centre stage.” Nate added: “I don’t think readers are getting tired of spice. In fact, I think spice fans are seeking even more. In the past few months, I’ve seen more videos on BookTok about spicy books than I have over my entire time on BookTok.” The “perfect formula” for Brittany “would be an immense level of yearning topped off with some sensational spice”. Spice, for Silvia, is “the cherry on the cake”.
