Spicy romance features explicit, on-page sexual content as a significant part of the narrative. The term gained popularity on BookTok as a way to signal heat level without clinical language. The 'spice' isn't just about sex; it's about intimacy, vulnerability, and the physical expression of emotional connection. In well-written spicy romance, the intimate scenes advance character development and the relationship arc.
Understanding heat levels is essential for romance writers. Readers have specific expectations about how much intimacy they'll encounter, and the 'spice' conversation shapes marketing, cover design, and reader recommendations. If you're writing romance, you need to decide your heat level early and execute it consistently.
Every intimate scene should reveal something about the characters or shift the relationship dynamic. If you can remove it without losing story, it's not doing its job.
Spicy refers to heat level. Dark refers to moral complexity. A lighthearted rom-com can be extremely spicy, and a dark romance can fade to black.
Write an intimate scene (it doesn't need to be sexual) between two characters where a physical moment, holding hands, a first kiss, removing armor after battle, reveals an emotional truth that changes the dynamic. Focus on what the physical act means to each character, not just what it looks like.