Spicy Audiobooks: These Scottish cities listen to the most 'spicy audiobooks' on Spotify

Spotify have shared which Scottish cities listen to the most spicy audiobooks. | KsPhoto / Adobe Stock

Aberdeen listens to more “spicy” audiobooks than any other city in Scotland, according to Spotify.

Popularised through social media such as TikTok, the term spicy refers to books which include X-rated scenes. Often ranked on their level of “hotness” - much like a restaurant menu - Spotify have revealed the three Scottish cities which listen to the most spicy audiobooks.

Based on listening data of books included in Spotify’s Spicy Audiobooks collection, in Scotland Aberdeen listens to more steamy audiobooks than any other city in the country, closely followed by Glasgow with Dundee rounding out the top three.

As for who exactly is listening to sultry audiobooks - even, potentially, on public transport - Spotify’s global data shows that millennials are among the most passionate audiences with 35-44 year olds making up 43% of listeners, which is then followed by 25-34 year olds who account for 27% of spicy audiobook listeners.

The genre is largely dominated by women who make up 80% of the audience, however, Spotify also found that one in five listeners of erotic storytelling were men.

Romance books have always been widely read in the UK, whether it’s Jane Austen or Jilly Cooper, but in recent years online communities such as BookTok have seen the genre explode in popularity.

And Edinburgh may not be among the top listeners of spicy audiobooks in Scotland, but the capital is home to the UK’s first brick and mortar romance bookshop, Book Lovers.

Giving their top recommendations for those looking to turn up the spice, Spotify suggests these audiobooks:

• I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue — 1/5 spice rating
• Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune —2/5 spice rating
• Worth a Shot by Amy Ewing — 3/5 spice rating
• The Pairing by Casey McQuiston — 4/5 spice rating
• The Savage and the Swan by Ella Fields — 5/5 spice rating

Ranked from least to most spice, all of the recommendations are included in Spotify’s Spicy Audiobooks collection. and Premium subscribers have up to 15 hours of audiobooks included in their subscription.