know your heat

Not all romance burns at the same temperature. Some books are all yearning glances and almost-touches. Some open the door. Some remove the door entirely and throw it into the fire.

Our chilli ratings help you work out how much on-page spice to expect before you commit to the chaos. They refer to sexual content only — not how dark, emotional, violent, romantic, or morally questionable the book may be.

the rating system

🌶️ No Chilli — No sexual scenes / affection only

🌶️ One Chilli — One mild scene, likely brief or fade-to-black-ish

🌶️🌶️ Two Chillies — A few lightly described scenes

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Three Chillies — Open-door explicit romance

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Four Chillies — Frequent/vivid explicit romance, possible kink/BDSM

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Five Chillies — Highly graphic, frequent, kink/taboo/dark/boundary-pushing content

affection only

Romance with hand-holding, soft kisses, longing looks, and fade-to-black intimacy.

No Chilli books focus on emotional connection, sweet moments, romantic tension, and gentle affection. Think hand-holding, light kisses, almost-touches, longing glances, and all the feelings.

Any intimacy is implied rather than described, with scenes fading to black before anything explicit happens. Perfect for readers who enjoy love stories without on-page spice.

one mild scene

Romance with one mild "vanilla" sexual scene.

One Chilli books include a single, mild on-page sexual scene that is usually brief, gentle, and not heavily detailed. The focus remains mostly on the romance, emotional connection, and relationship development.

This is just one small step beyond fade-to-black — the door opens a crack, behaves itself, and closes again. Ideal for readers who want a hint of heat without intensity.

a few light scenes

Romance with a few lightly to moderately described sexual scenes.

Two Chilli books include a small number of sexual scenes, usually fewer than three. These scenes are typically straightforward, lightly to moderately described, and not especially graphic.

This is a good middle ground for readers who want some heat, but still want the romance, plot, and emotional connection to stay firmly in charge. A balanced choice for readers easing into spicier reads.

open door

Romance with open-door, clearly described sex scenes.

Three Chilli books include open-door intimate scenes that are more frequent, more detailed, and more present on the page. The physical relationship plays a noticeable role alongside the emotional journey, offering a clearly spicier reading experience.

The door is open. Things are happening. Everyone knows it. Best suited for readers who are comfortable with explicit romance.

properly steamy

Romance with plentiful open-door, vivid sex scenes, and possible BDSM.

Four Chilli books are properly steamy. They include frequent, vividly written open-door scenes, and may include BDSM, kink, power dynamics, or more adventurous sexual content.

The intimacy is a major part of the story, not a shy little subplot hiding in the corner. Recommended for readers seeking bold and steamy romance.

top shelf

Romance with highly graphic sex scenes, BDSM, kinks, and taboo themes.

Five Chilli books are the top shelf of the chilli scale. Expect highly explicit, frequent sexual content, often including BDSM, kink, taboo themes, dark romance elements, or boundary-pushing dynamics.

These stories place explicit intimacy at the forefront and are intended for readers who enjoy intense, no-holds-barred romance. These are for readers who know what they came for and are not here to fill out a permission slip.

a note before you choose your flame

Chilli ratings are about spice, not content warnings. They tell you how explicit the romantic or sexual content is, but they do not cover everything else a book may contain.

A book can have no chilli and still deal with grief, violence, trauma, or emotional devastation. A book can have five chillies and still be romantic, tender, ridiculous, or weirdly wholesome between the chaos.

Where possible, check content warnings for darker themes, including sexual violence, coercion, abuse, violence, grief, mental health, taboo relationships, BDSM, kink, or power dynamics.

Our chilli ratings are a guide, not a law. Every reader's heat tolerance is different. Choose your flame accordingly.