Shar Blaauw, 27, is one of many from Generation Z reading romance books. Photo: Serena Solomon/RNZ
The time a romance book club in Auckland spent talking about the smut or sex scenes in this month's chosen read was one minute and 12 seconds.
"What did you think about the heat level in the book and how the love scenes were written?" asked Frances Loo, the owner of Chapter, an Auckland tea and romance book shop that hosts the 90 minute event each month.
I readied my pen for some copious note taking. After all, this is what I was here for.
"The daisies tricked us," said Erica, 44, of Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score, with the floral book cover that gives little indication to its erotic content (There will be spoilers in this article if you haven't read the book).
"It was a really good mix between the story line and the spice," said Sarah Goforth, 42, a customer researcher.
"When I read the blurb, I was like a big, tattooed, bearded, barber named Knox - it would be a waste if we didn't go there," said Connie, 33, of the book's bad-boy love interest. The group of 15 women plus one baby responded with knowing laughs and giggles.
And that was it for chatter about the sex scenes.
This month's read at the Auckland Romance Readers Book Club. Photo: Serena Solomon/RNZ
The limited focus on sex scenes at the book club is a keyhole into why smut or steamy romance novels have exploded in popularity in recent years, especially with Gen Z, who are now teenagers or in their 20s. Many come for the smut, but stay for the sweet banter between couples falling in love, the characters, and the almost guaranteed happy ending.
"The world can be a bit unpredictable... but with romance at least good triumphs over evil," said Erica, on why she reads romance.
"There is definitely a formula to romance. I guess it is more of a security," she added.
Things We Never Got Over delivers on that. The book is set in the small American town of Knockemout (it's one of the many weird names used in the book that some club members found almost distracting).
Naomi arrives on the scene as a runaway bride hoping to find solace with her twin sister Tina. However, Tina up and leaves town, abandoning her 11-year-old daughter Waylay (another weird name) in the process. Naomi ends up working for bad-boy Knox at his bar while caring for her niece.
Quite a few random things happen like a kidnapping and a shooting, possibly adding to the book's length, another complaint from many club members. But in the end, the bad boy is tamed by good girl Naomi in this enemies to lovers storyline.
Erica found the banter was great in Things We Never Got Over as was Knox winning millions of dollars in a lottery. It touches on the popular "billionaire trope" (a trope is a common plot line or character type) that is having a moment in romance books. It's where you can use the money power of your new, wealthy lover to endlessly travel or "rescue people at the drop of a hat," said Erica.
Frances Loo is the owner of Chapter, a tea and romance book shop in Auckland. Photo: Serena Solomon/RNZ
The group discussed a common criticism of romance novels that many storylines veer into and what Kiwi sex therapist Jo Robertson called "extreme forgiveness." Some reviewers online described the relationship between Naomi and Knox as abusive and toxic.
"That is why we needed a multi point of view because if it was just her seeing him behave that way I could never have redeemed him," said Goforth, of the literary technique where readers get a look at the inner monologue of numerous characters.
"I had to go back to Outlander for a bit," said Shar Blaauw, 27, who did not rate Things We Never Got Over. Outlander is a best selling book, which is now a popular TV show. It is known for its sex scenes that focus on female pleasure.
"A bit of a palette cleanser?" suggested another member.
Throughout the afternoon, those walking by peered through the window. If only they knew what we were (not) discussing.
It seemed like I had just missed my opportunity for end-to-end chats about smutty scenes. A few months back, the group read Angels' Blood where a vampire hunter and an archangel are literally intertwined throughout much of the book (in between gory killing scenes).
15 women and one baby turned up to the romance book club in August. Photo: Serena Solomon/RNZ
"It was too much," said Stellar, 33, who works in mental health.
For Stellar, the book club is more about making new friends than reading romance. "It's hard to meet people in your 30s and meet people with common interests," she said.
Rebecca Thompson, 35, a baker from a few shopfronts down, comes to the book club so she can freely discuss her love of romance books.
"Even in my own family, I'm looked down on for my reading material," she said.
