Sunday morning is perhaps early for intercourse speak. Nevertheless, the Self-Assist Smut Membership, gathered on the Black Cat Fables bookstore in Monrovia, doesn’t assume so. Earlier than midday, the group has already deliberated on all kinds of bed room actions that may make one blush.
“A person with a mattress on the bottom has an entire lot of nerve,” says Cherisse Yanit-Nadal, one of many guide membership members, whereas discussing the characters of “Late Bloomer” by Mazey Eddings.
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The guide membership repeatedly meets to debate romance novels in all their sticky, sweaty, throbbing passions. The energetic group discusses romantic — usually very horny — fiction to spark nuanced conversations about self-discovery. Caitlin Harrison, a wedding and household therapist, based the membership after noticing the rise of romantic fiction on BookTok– a big and boisterous nook of TikTok that shares opinions and suggestions of books — and contemplating its therapeutic worth.
“As a therapist who has a spotlight in intercourse remedy, I feel it’s actually distinctive and useful that we are able to see character arcs very well by intercourse,” says Harrison. “It permits for very wealthy, sincere conversations about what comes up for us.”
Caitlin Harrison smiles as Ella Rodriguez shares with the group.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Instances)
Romance novels on show at Black Cat Fables in Monrovia.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Instances)
It’s value noting that smut and romance novels have soared in recognition in recent times, changing into the highest-grossing fiction style in recent times. Stigmas round “chick-lit” have light as TikTok has collected over 1 million posts below the hashtag SmutTok. The wildy standard romance and fantasy collection “A Courtroom of Thorns and Roses” is a #1 New York Instances bestseller, promoting tens of millions of copies. On Goodreads, the romance novel “Onyx Storm” dominated studying lists in 2025.
At one level through the guide meetup, kids wandered by the bookstore, prompting the membership to undertake playfully coded, child-friendly language about pubic-hair grooming.
“She had let the weeds develop,” Yanit-Nadal stated of a personality in “Late Bloomer.” “You possibly can develop the backyard nonetheless you wish to develop the backyard.”
Open since October 2024, Black Cat Fables is a neighborhood bookstore and occasion area. Nicole Fabry opened it with two shut buddies. “All of us met working for a public library, so it was type of meant to be an extension of a public library,” Fabry stated. “We positively needed it to be community-focused and to turn out to be extra of a 3rd area for individuals.” Whereas libraries supply programming for youngsters and seniors, Fabry seen a spot in literary occasions for individuals ages 20 to 50 and sought to fill it.
Alexa Palomo, left, and Ashley Bagwell chat after the Self-Assist Smut Membership.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Instances)
The bookstore now hosts a wide range of community-minded occasions, together with Harrison’s membership.
“She leads a gaggle dialogue across the significance of delight, how self-care and neighborhood care are linked, and why it’s necessary to debate intercourse and pleasure and intimacy with others in a secure area,” Fabry stated. “There’s lots of laughing within the nook, which is at all times enjoyable. They’ve a extremely good time.”
Throughout the hour, dialog glided seamlessly between subjects just like the late-bloomer-to-kink pipeline, the virtues of being egocentric in mattress and a spate of different horny encounters. But the group additionally ventured into deeper territory — boundaries, psychological well being, physique picture and neighborhood.
“There are lots of oppressive programs proper now, and it truly is all of the extra purpose to interact with smut, pleasure, pleasure, in order that we are able to construct a self-discipline of hope,” Harrison stated.
Having begun her personal observe in April, Harrison facilities pleasure and want in her work. She has noticed that a lot of her sufferers — overachieving, bold ladies — wrestle to embrace pleasure. “I work with lots of high-power, girl-boss varieties, eldest daughters who’re working themselves into the bottom, scuffling with perfectionism. So my focus is on serving to of us get better from perfectionism,” she stated.
Instead of productiveness hacks and self-help podcasts, she affords completely different recommendation. “Decide up some smut and interact with a unique a part of your self so to get again into your physique and get out of your head,” she stated.
After discovering her native bookstore, Harrison approached the proprietor about internet hosting a Self-Assist Smut Membership that might put the rules of her work into observe.
“Studying is an remoted exercise,” she stated. “Having the ability to meet in actual life, join in a neighborhood area, makes this much more juicy and necessary.”
Ella Rodriguez covers her mouth and laughs as she participates in a gaggle dialogue. She says, “I don’t need simply to yearn. I additionally need the reward of delight, intercourse or romance.”
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Instances)
One membership member, Ella Rodriguez, was touring by Europe when she noticed Black Cat Fables’ Instagram submit in regards to the group. “As quickly as I get again residence, I’m going straight there. I actually landed after which got here right here per week later,” she stated.
Rodriguez stated she admires Harrison’s strategy, which results in open-ended discussions. “I cherished how Caitlin asks individuals about our experiences and the way that displays in our personal inside world, and the way we consider our sexuality and our vanity.”
Discussing the intercourse lives of fictional characters invitations deeper reflection on readers’ personal needs. Rodriguez elaborated on the stress between craving and payoff. “I don’t need simply to yearn. I additionally need the reward of delight, intercourse or romance,” she stated.
Ashley Bagwell — one other licensed therapist who attends the membership — commented on the novelty of a smut-focused group.
“I had additionally been stepping into smutty books, and it simply felt like divine timing,” Bagwell stated. “There aren’t smutty guide golf equipment actually wherever. You could find a guide membership wherever, however a smutty one, particularly? Probably not. I used to be actually enthusiastic about that, and tying within the psychological well being piece was additionally one thing I’m concerned about.”
Licensed marriage and household therapist Caitlin Harrison leads the Self-Assist Smut Membership.
(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Instances)
Harrison hopes ongoing conversations about romantic fiction will make it simpler for girls to really feel empowered of their intercourse lives.“I really like the BookTok of all of it,” says Harrison. “I feel that there’s regularly increasingly breaking down of taboo round having the ability to discuss what’s thrilling and pleasurable.”
On the finish of the assembly, Harrison closed with a brand new motto: “2026? Extra like 2020-sex!” The ladies started excitedly pitching guide titles to match the theme.
Connors is a author residing in Los Angeles. She hosts the literary studying “Unreliable Narrators” at Nico’s Wine each month.
