Hot Holiday Reads

There's nothing better than getting immersed in a gripping book on your sun lounger. Strip off, oil up and open up a hot holiday read. After all, everyone needs the D. As in vitamin D. From the sun, of course. So while you're tanning up and chilling out, here are our top holiday reads – whether you're going away with the girls or with your partner, these badass books offer it all. From quick wit, fierce females, romantic fantasies, clit-lit to a touch of X-rated, erotic escapism. Now that's a holiday. Plus if you're away with your lover you can spend all day getting hot by the pool, and then tell them all about the juicy scenes you want to recreate, that night. Room service!

LACE

Shirley Conran

Lace is renowned as the book that shook up chick lit. First published in 1982, this is the story that got everybody talking and continues to be a hit with over 3 million copies sold.

"Set in Manhattan's most exclusive hotel, four friends come face to face with a young, mega-watt film star. She has a question for them that has brought her from the streets of Paris to the playgrounds of the rich and famous - and it has almost destroyed her. . .

Kate, Maxine, Judy and Pagan have soared to the top in fashion, PR and interior design. Now they are forced to look back at their lives: their wicked behaviour at school, the building of careers and the breaking of hearts. These women have never questioned their friendship, but now they must answer to Lili."

Full of sex and scandal, grippingly glamorous, the four female characters are inspirational, intelligent and relevant – don't let the date it was released put you off. As the pioneer of pleasurable, punchy reads, grab a copy of Lace and enjoy the book that made history.

'There was life before Lace and life after Lace, and nothing was ever the same again. I envy anyone who hasn't read it'India Knight

'As sexy and smart now as the first day it came out'Lauren Laverne

'Money and sex is what Lace is about - clothes, décor and haute cuisine'Sunday Times

ROOMHATE

PENELOPE WARD

Love a bit of sexual tension? Us too. Think of this book as the one that you are on the edge of your sun lounger with anticipation and sexual frustration. One hell of a hot read, set against the deliciously dark premise that two housemates hate-each-other-so-much-all-they-want-to-do-is-bang. That's one way to make peace. From New York Times Bestselling author Penelope Ward, this sexual rollercoaster is perfect for a bit of poolside perversion. Plus the cover looks like you might just be indulging in a badass thriller. Here's a taste of the action…

"Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right? Not when it's Justin...the only person I'd ever loved...who now hates me.
When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise.
The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I broke years ago.
The same teenager who's now a man with a hard body and a hardass personality to match.
I hadn't seen him in years, and now we're living together because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.
The worst part? He didn't come alone.
I'd soon realize there's a thin line between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all...the boy is still there. So is our connection.
The problem is...now that I can't have Justin, I've never wanted him more."

So sit back and reminisce about that hot guy you used to live with. Or that one you have crazy chemistry with at the office. Or if you needed any more persuading – 'Author's note - RoomHate is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.'

Which in our book, makes this a holiday MUST have. Pass the sun cream.

ONE WITH YOU

Sylvia Day

Who needs a box set when you've got the hottest book series of the moment? Sylvia Day continues to rock the book charts, selling millions of her juicy, dramatic and addictive titles on a global scale. Go girl. One with You is the hotly anticipated final chapter in the blockbuster Crossfire quintet, so if you're a fan grab your copy asap and if you're new to the series, well better late than never babe! Download or pick up all 5 – perfect for long haul holidays when life's a beach and you have the luxury of spending your days getting engrossed in this gripping chick lit drama. Here's a taster of what's to come from the final book, out now. We love, 5 stars!

"Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I've ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws . . . and all the beauty I couldn't see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free . . . or break us apart."

TRINITY

Nigel May

Trinity follows the lives of three rich, liberated and famous women who seemingly have it all. However their strong bond is destroyed when life events make them turn on each other. Set against a backdrop of Hollywood glamour to reality TV, this little page turner is an ideal holiday read that will have you engrossed from chapter one and leave you in hysterics.

"Gossip queen Anoushka Silvers must face up to the fact that she is the daughter her abusive father never wanted. Her relentless ambition to be top of her game and prove herself to her family means that she will stop at nothing to dish the dirt on the celebrity world to try and earn respect. But when her bitchy tongue gains her death threats and the unwanted attention of a stalker, it could be Anoushka who is making the headlines. Plus when the ultimate shocking glory-grabbing story means betraying one of her closest friends, will she choose her own professional gain over those she says she loves?

For actress Evie Merchant, her childhood dreams of becoming the world's hottest movie star are just about to come true. But a string of loveless, hurtful liaisons with lovers solely out to use her fame has made Evie uncertain about her future. And with Oscar day looming, Evie's biggest prize of all could be torn from her by the revelation of a terrible secret from her past. Can she keep the fact that she sacrificed her own baby to follow her dreams hidden from the outside world?

Wild child Regan Phoenix has never felt loved. She's had to cope with her soap star mother's disinterest all her life and has never known who her father is. A loveless childhood has made Regan search for quick-fix highs from drink, drugs and meaningless sex. But when the opportunity of starring in her own reality show comes along, Regan grabs it with both hands, hoping to put her trashy past behind her. But will worldwide fame in her own right finally make her mother notice her and help Regan get to the bottom of her real parentage? Or will she succumb to the temptations that life puts in front of her and blow her chances for good?"

A sex and scandal filled thrill-ride through the hidden lives of the mega-rich. Trinity sizzles with bitchery, bling and betrayal, and is the perfect accompaniment to your sun lounger this summer.

STORY OF O

Pauline Reague

Miss the kinky bondage and power play of Fifty Shades? Then this one is for you. Hailed as the original whip cracker, Story of O is an addictively dark read all about dominance, x rated exploration and is regarded as one of the most erotic novels of all time.

"A beautiful young French woman, known only as 'O', is taken by her lover René to a splendid mansion near Paris. Here, she is initiated into an elite secret society, where she must learn to serve the sexual fantasies of René and his fellow members. But she must also explore the nature of her own darkest desires – and confront just how far she is willing to go for love…"

So if you really want to do your erotica homework, this bad boy needs to be at the top of your list.

BEAUTIFUL YOU

Chuck Palahniuk

Now, we like a sex toy. Obviously. So a book all about a billionaire by the name of Climax Well who designs sex toys so good they change the world is just a stroke of literary genius. And a story we can relate to – we did bring y'all the Rampant Rabbit…

"From the author of Fight Club, the classic portrait of the damaged contemporary male psyche, now comes this novel about the apocalyptic marketing possibilities of female pleasure. Sisters will be doing it for themselves. And doing it. And doing it. And doing it some more...Penny Harrigan is a low level associate in a big Manhattan law firm with an apartment in Queens and no love life at all. So it comes as a great shock when she finds herself invited to dinner by one C. Linus Maxwell, aka 'Climax-Well', a software mega-billionaire and lover of the most gorgeous and accomplished women on earth. After dining at Manhattan's most exclusive restaurant, he whisks Penny off to a hotel suite in Paris, where he proceeds, notebook in hand, to bring her to previously undreamed of heights of orgasmic pleasure for days on end. What's not to like? This: Penny discovers that she is a test subject for the final development of a line of sex toys to be marketed in a nationwide chain of boutiques called 'Beautiful You'. So potent and effective are these devices that women line up in their millions outside the stores on opening day then lock themselves in their room and stop coming out. Except for batteries. Maxwell's plan for erotically enabled world domination must be stopped. But how?"

OMG where do we grab a copy?! Check out our guide to Holiday Vibes: Top 10 toys to pack if all the talk of toys gets you in the mood…

THE JULIETTE SOCIETY

Sasha Grey

Curious about the secret world of elite sex parties? The Juliette Society will plunge you head first into a world of BDSM, sexual exploration and well written, realistic sex scenes – probably due to the fact the author was a porn star! Deliciously dark, just the blurb has us tapping download on our Kindles.

"Before we go any further, let's get this out of the way first. I want you to do three things for me. One. Do not be offended by anything you read beyond this point. Two. Leave your inhibitions at the door. Three, and most importantly. Everything you see and hear from now on must remain between us...

Catherine, a blossoming film student whose sexuality has been recently stirred, finds herself drawn into a secret club where the world's most powerful people meet to explore their deepest, often darkest sexual fantasies.

But even as these new experiences open intense new pleasures for Catherine, they also threaten to destroy everything she holds dear."

Oo now we're talking. Order a cocktail, get comfy and prepare for one hot read. The best bit? The innocent looking book cover doesn't suggest for a second that you're indulging in some serious erotica. Perfect for the pool and a real eye opener.

Love Team AS.x