List of Steamy Christian Romance Novels
Admittedly, this title is kind of clickbait. Not because I wanted to drag you over to my blog, but because steamy Christian romance doesn’t really exist. If you’ve been following my blog then you already know all the complaints I have about Christian romance, so I won’t go into detail. I’m going to keep things short and sweet and say read my last few articles to see what led us down this path, haha.
Christian Romance: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Christian Romance: How Far is Too Far?
Here is a list of the steamiest Christian romance novels I could find.
Please note, there are no detailed scenes of sex in these books but there are other sensual elements, suggestive language, and sex between characters is implied.
I have personally read every book on this list and would recommend them to mature Christian readers 16+ Click the titles or cover photos to grab your copy today!
A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman
FREE on Kindle Unlimited, 5.99 on Kindle App, 8.52 Print, 33.50 Hardcover
Lessman is often referred to as the ‘Black Sheep’ of Christian romance. I couldn’t agree with that nickname more. She goes there in her writing, and from the looks of things, this story isn’t a mere outlier amongst many chaste tales, this heart-pounding, passionate book is her style, and it is here to stay.
A Passion Most Pure is a story about sisters caught in a love triangle. This is book one in a trilogy. The story takes place during the Great War, so politics and patriotism are just as much involved as romance and faith. We see Faith, the protagonist, trying to find herself as she discovers her love for a longtime friend—only to realize he’s set his eyes on her own little sister. Charity is everything Faith is not. Fiery, confident, beautiful… and she’s caught the attention of the one boy Faith has ever truly loved.
The passion in this story is intense at times. Even I found myself blushing while reading through the novel, but I never felt the author went beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable for a Christian novel. It’s an older book, written in 2008, but considering it takes place around 1915, the story feels timeless. The only complaint I have about the book in terms of it being distasteful is that I hated the love triangle between sisters. I really wish Lessman hadn’t pitted siblings against each other. It made the whole situation feel … trashy.
I hate saying that! But it was so unattractive to see two beautiful young women of God—sisters in blood as much as in Christ—viciously fighting each other over the same man.
Other than that, I thought the book was quite emotional and truly tugged on the heartstrings. Not because of the level of intimacy and passion, but because I felt connected to the characters and their emotions—and the emotions they had for each other. I thought maybe Faith held on to her feelings for Collin, her love interest, for far too long (literally like 10 years). BUT despite her desperation for this boy, I tip my hat to Lessman for being bold enough to go there in her writing. I look forward to reading more by her.
Darius – A Vampire Story by R. Shannon
FREE on Kindle Unlimited, 4.99 on Kindle App, 9.99 Print
I will admit I only read this book because I thought the guy on the cover was quite, ahem, hot. BUT it turned out to be a decent story! I was also pretty interested in seeing how a Christian wrote about vampirism. Most secular vampire novels involve a teenage girl falling for some hunk of a guy who whisks her away into the whirlwind world of the amazing and sexy supernatural.
Darius was nothing like that.
In fact, the main character is a guy who wants to join a monastery. John-Luke isn’t quite sure if he wants to go ahead and become a priest or not, so he’s spending a few months doing a period of discernment. During this time, he senses a dark presence which he traces to a man named Darius. Darius Lazarescu also happens to be tied to a few mysterious missing-person cases, each one involving a beautiful young woman. John-Luke is about to dismiss his suspicions when Darius sets his eye on the girl who’s secretly caught John-Luke’s eye.
There are no explicit sex scenes in this book, but sex is implied and the encounters between Darius and his victims are somewhat racy. I mean, he is a sexy vampire so you should already have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into before you pick up the book. Sexiness aside, the story is pretty PG, and I would recommend it to teen and young adult readers. My only complaint is that I believe the writing could be stronger. It felt very much like this author’s first book, but this is the first installment in a trilogy, hopefully Shannon’s writing gets better over time.
Privileged: American Prince by JM Downey
FREE on Kindle App or 14.00 Print
Once again, I was drawn in by the sexy cover. You can’t even see his entire face—I should be ashamed! But whatever. Let’s not pretend you don’t see the sexiness.
Privileged also drew me in because it was advertised as a Christian billionaire romance. As someone who has read billionaire romance before (don’t judge me) I was genuinely interested in seeing how a Christian tackled this subject. While I believe the writing could have been stronger, I think Downey did a fair job.
This book left me between a rock and a hard place. At its core, Privileged is a story about a young Christian woman who gets caught up with a boy she has no business dating. William is not Christian at all and doesn’t even believe in God. He’s a sleazy man who has multiple women in his life and in his bed without ever committing to one. Somehow, our protagonist is not turned off by this. Katie gets involved with William and then watches her life spiral out of control.
The message of the book is a demonstration of what happens when Christians are unequally yoked. There is a story of salvation here, as this is only book one in what looks like a 4-part series. But I think Downey skirted the lines a little too closely for my taste.
There are no explicit sex scenes, but everything else that happens is … questionable. I almost didn’t finish the book because I felt the author went a little too far with what was included in the story. I wasn’t even sure it was a Christian book at times. The events that unfolded did teach a lesson, but it begged the question; how far are you willing to go to prove your point?
I actually debated including this book on my list, but I figured it wouldn’t be steamy if it didn’t push some buttons. Read at your own discretion.
The Lincoln Manifesto by Dayo Benson
FREE on Kindle Unlimited or 1.99 on Kindle App
This is the beginning of a very long journey. In fact, The Lincoln Manifesto is book one of thirteen romance novels! And it’s just a spin-off series! I am convinced Benson is tied to her chair and chained to her desk typing away at all hours, haha!
I loved The Lincoln Manifesto. It was so different and unique, but I think it might be a little creepy to some readers because it’s a series about 13 brothers in the occult finding love. They also find salvation as they find love, but if you’re sensitive to dark elements this series may not be for you. It deeply involves occultic elements like chanting, meditation, issuing curses, etc… but it is definitely a Christian book. The content offers insight on how Hollywood works today, and the way demonic messages are tied into our media. The main characters do find salvation in Christ and escape the occult so if you’re willing to try something daring and different, I certainly recommend this series.
Of course, there are no explicit sex scenes, but sex is implied between characters—between multiple characters, actually. And there is plenty of drama. What I liked most about Benson’s writing was that her characters seemed very real to me. Benson is the first Christian author I’ve ever come across to allow her characters to say things like, She looks hot in those jeans. I don’t think I have ever seen hot, sexy, or fine used in a Christian romance so I was taken aback by the language, haha, but don’t let the descriptive words fool you. This is one of my favorites of the bunch. It has an incredible balance of drama, steam, and a strong message of the power of God. I highly recommend this series and its parent series, Searchlight.
Choosing Mr. Right by Shade Rachea
FREE on Kindle App
I entered this book with absolutely no assumptions or expectations. I’ll admit it’s another title I was attracted to just by the cover. I thought the woman on the front was very pretty and since the book was listed under ‘Christian Multicultural Romance’ I was intrigued to see who her love interest would be.
I immediately knew I would love this book before I’d even finished the first ten pages. Choosing Mr. Right was my very first Christian romcom and I must say, it was quite an introduction to the genre! I was laughing throughout the entire novel and despite the witty humor and upbeat mood of the story, I found myself genuinely attached to both protagonists and was very invested in their development. The female lead, Reese, was an adorable woman who describes herself as a lady who is looking for her ‘King David.’ Yes, that’s David from the Bible. She is smart and talented and almost too sarcastic for her own good, but she meets her match in a hilarious encounter at the airport. From there, the story tumbles into a series of flirtatious, funny, and even embarrassing encounters between Reese and her crush, Alex.
This book was just too cute. A very humorous story of two unlikely souls brought together by God. There are no sex scenes in the story, but there are a few kissing scenes and a great conversation about the importance of remaining pure until marriage. It was nice to see a more serious side to the story as our lovebirds had a real heart to heart about setting boundaries in their relationship and dedicating themselves to God.
I love when authors break down the barriers and invite readers into these sorts of conversations. It wasn’t fun to watch Reese and Alex struggle with their purity, but it was eye-opening and even encouraging to see how they handled things and brought their struggles before God.
If you want a lighthearted, funny, and adorable Christian romance, this is my first recommendation.
I can’t write a list on steamy Christian romance without plugging in my own work! Withered Rose is a Christian romantic suspense novel that I like to describe as tastefully steamy—haha! It is a book about a Christian woman who finds herself forced into a marriage she wants no part of when her past comes back to haunt her. Click here to start reading now!
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Thanks for reading. God bless.