THE RATING GUIDE
Steam, spice, fade-to-black, TW... what does it all mean?
Here's everything you need to know about the spice ratings and terms used on our blog.
The Is It Spicy Rating Guidelines and Definitions
A QUICK NOTE
As with any kind of rating system, the spice ratings on our website are subjective.
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This rating guide explains the system we use to rate the books and what the definitions mean, but please use your personal judgement on whether a book is a good fit for you.
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These guidelines are also subject to change and be updated as we see fit and based on feedback, but we will always be transparent about changes made.
If you're asking "How many sex scenes are in this romance novel," you're looking for the steam level.
Steam Level
Steaminess is determined by how many sex scenes are in the book
How steamy a romance novel is depends on how much of the book is sex-related content.
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For this blog, sex scenes are any scenes that include implied or explicit sexual activity. This does not mean specifically PIV sex. A sex scene can be entirely foreplay, verbal, etc.
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So yes, this means that a "fade to black" book can still be considered "steamy."
How We Rate Steam Levels
No sex scenes or implied sex scenes
4-5 sex scenes OR book is mostly plot, but there is a fair amount of smut
1-2 sex scenes OR book is mostly plot
5+ sex scenes OR a significant amount of smut, but still a lot of plot
2-4 sex scenes OR book is mainly plot with some breaks for sex
This is like watching porn for the story. There's a plot, but we all know why we're here.
If you're asking "How explicit are the sex scenes in this romance novel," you're looking for the spice level.
The spiciness of a book is how explicit it gets. This is where things like FTB (fade-to-black), Closed Door, Open Door, etc. are rated.
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A book that is spicy but not steamy would have explicit sex scenes, but only a few of them.
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A book that is steamy but not spicy will have plenty of adult shenanigans, but you won't be told much about those shenanigans.
Spice Level
Spice is determined by how explicit the sex scenes are
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How We Rate Spice Levels
Sweet romance: kisses only and no implication of sex
Open door romance with significant descriptions
Fade to black/closed door sex scenes (sex is implied)
In the room: There are explicit descriptions, details, and interactions
Open door romance with minimal description or discussion
Extremely explicit, NSFW, be warned before reading this in public
If you're asking "How creative do the characters get with their sex in this romance novel," you're looking for the kink level.
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Kink Level
Kinkiness is determined by how "creative" the sex scenes are
The kink level of a book is one of the most subject-to-interpretation ratings, so we have detailed additional specifics in this section.
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This section will be updated and adjusted as necessary to include new and different kinks. Kinks themselves do not make a book spicy. The kink level solely refers to how unique/creative the kink is
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Kink shaming is not welcome on this blog.
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Please note: non-consent and rape are not rated as kinks. This falls under triggers. Consensual non-consent (CNC) is rated as a kink based on the consensual aspect.
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Attention monster fuckers: monsters and aliens are not rated as a kink specifically. Things like non-human body parts (multiple peens, tentacles, etc.) and how they are used may be rated as a kink, but a story is not given a higher kink level just because of the monster or alien (or ghost or poltergeist or vampire or werewolf or whatever) dynamic.
How We Rate Kink Levels
There are no sex scenes in this book
Middle of the road kinky. There is the potential for unusual/public sexual locales. Use of toys, restraints, and other items one might find in an adult toy store. Minor or mild exploration of sexual actions such as choking, spanking, hair pulling, and blindfolding may occur.
This would be fairly vanilla. Scenes would include things like missionary position, doggy style, cowgirl/boy, oral sex, handjobs. There is very little or no dirty talk, no use of toys or restraints, and scenes take place is typical locations for sex - bedrooms or other private locations.
A fair amount of kink. More BDSM focused stories, D/s dynamics, heavy restraining include blindfolds and gags, spanking with items such as whips/paddles, and explorations of kinks and fetishes such as breeding, primal play, CNC, etc. For non-human stories, use of non-human body parts would usually fall here. Spitting as a kink and not an action would fall here.
This is vanilla elevated. French vanilla, if you will. There may be a little bit of dirty talk, some unique/non-standard positions, and minor exploration outside level 1. This might include things like gentle hair pulling, gentle spanking, etc. There are no toys or restraints. Scenes likely occur in typical locations for sex but may include some unusual-but-private places.
This is for the stuff you don't come across very often or is considered more extreme. Things like sounding, knife play, and bloodplay could be included here.
If you're asking "Does this romance novel have triggers" you're looking for the trigger level.
IMPORTANT: You know yourself best. If you have triggers or content you don't wish to see, please check the book's trigger warnings. While we attempt to address all triggers with this rating, it is very subject and personal to each person.
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Trigger level is our personal rating for how likely the contents of the book are to potentially cause upset. There is no level zero for this option because triggers can occur in any book, but we have tried to rate the likelihood/commonality of the content in the book.
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Again, always check trigger warnings yourself. Your triggers and desire to read/not read about certain topics is valid. We do our best, but everyone's triggers are different.
Trigger Level
Trigger level is determined by how potentially triggering the book may be
How We Rate Trigger Levels
Unlikely to trigger most people. Any potential triggers are very mild or mentioned in passing, not a main theme of the book.
Higher potential for triggers. There may be non-explicit descriptions or situations including sexual assault, abuse of any type, cheating, death of supporting characters, medical emergencies.
Potential for triggers occurring in mild ways or in off-screen scenarios. For example, mentions of sexual harassment or toxic relationships. May include language or exploration of "everyday" triggers like slut shaming, fat shaming, eating disorders, addiction, sexism, homophobia, etc., but as a minimal part of the plot. Pregnancy generally falls under this level.
On-screen or explicit situations are discussed in this book. This can include any of the above triggers, as well as extreme language, severe abuse, non-consent or rape, and death of major characters (including main characters).
There is stuff in this book that may wreck you even if you think you're fine with everything or that may be an unusual/uncommon trigger. Please check trigger warnings.
Not sure what all these acronyms mean? Check out The Spice Glossary!