After 10 years of marriage and two kids, Joseph Heath says he and wife Laura are still in the “honeymoon phase”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“And part of that is thanks to romance novels,” says the 31-year-old, based in the US.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph says romance novels are “one of the best things to happen” to his marriage, specifically when it comes to intimacy.<\/p>\n
“I don’t necessarily read romance books fully, but I do read scenes my wife shows me or listen to clips from audiobooks.”<\/p>\n
While spicy literature can help women with a “mental warm-up” when it comes to sex, their male partners can benefit too, explains Armin Ariana, a sexologist and president of the Society of Australian Sexologists Queensland branch.<\/p>\n
“There’s a trend in [heterosexual] couples where most go into what we can call a three-act play: kiss, touch, penetrate,” Dr Ariana says.<\/p>\n
“Romance novels show you hundreds of other ways it could look different; and bring that connection and intimacy into reality.”<\/p>\n
Enjoying romantic fiction as a couple<\/p>\n
Laura Heath, aged 30, began sharing her love of romance books on social media in 2020 and has attracted almost 300,000 followers on TikTok.<\/p>\n
Laura also says the genre has made a “very positive” impact on her sex life with Joseph.<\/p>\n
“We have discovered new things from romance books and let me just say, thank goodness for authors writing such creative spicy situations, it has been life changing, truly.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Laura and Joseph Heath have been married for 10 years. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Dr Ariana says sexual desire thrives on novelty, imagination and emotional connection, and romance is “just one doorway” into that.<\/p>\n
He says erotic literature acts as an “imagination gym”.<\/p>\n
“Women are good at appreciating when reading romance, they get that sense of desire \u2026 ‘I see how it feels to be desired or wanted’.<\/p>\n
“It helps them warm up [for sex].”<\/p>\n
He says men reading women-centred spice can help rewrite the sexual script in their relationship.<\/p>\n
“In a heterosexual setting, regardless of culture or society, most of us fall into the macho nature of men \u2014 that women give, men take.<\/p>\n
“Stories centred around women is teaching men pleasure, emotional connection and equality.<\/p>\n