There is something a little bit naughty about a student/teacher romance. Maybe it’s the age gap, maybe it’s the power dynamics, maybe it’s the fact that in the real world, these relationships are completely forbidden most of the time. Whatever it may be, the student/teacher dynamic makes for a deliciously fun trope, and these are eight books that absolutely nail the student/teacher vibes.
Kiss the Villain by Rina Kent
Kiss the Villain is a dark MM romance featuring Gareth Carson, the golden boy in his family, and an accomplished law student at The King’s University. Underneath all that, though, he’s hiding a vicious darkness. He has everything completely under control, always steps ahead of any situation, until a case of mistaken identity on one of his secret nights out brings him into the clutches of Kayden Lockwood, a criminal law professor whose tastes just might run even darker than Gareth’s.
Despite the 512-page length, I read this book in approximately 24 hours. I simply could not put it down. It’s dysfunctional, with deeply flawed characters and intense spice. I loved every page.
Spice: 5
Kindle: $4.99
Paperback: $13.52
The Wicked by Rosie Alice
The Wicked is a contemporary reverse age-gap student/teacher romance. Both of the main characters are a complete train wreck, and it just makes you love them more and root for them even harder. Hayden is a high school senior, lost in addiction and pain, who falls insanely hard for his new teacher, Penelope, who can’t help but get trapped in his charm.
Hayden and Penelope’s story is one of those love stories that stayed with me for weeks after I turned the last page. It will break your heart into tiny little pieces before putting them back together again. Hayden and Penelope walk over broken glass barefoot for their happily ever after, but it makes for an incredibly satisfying read.
Spice: 4
Kindle: $4.99
Paperback: $19.99
Nocticadia by Keri Lake
Nocticadia follows Lilia Vespertine, a young woman struggling to make ends meet after the tragic and traumatizing death of her mother. In a stroke of luck, her research paper for one of her college classes on the parasitic disease that killed her mother gains Lilia admission into Dracadia University, a renowned school known for its medical research.
At Dracadia, she meets the cold and enigmatic Professor Blackwell, the leading expert on Noctisoma, the disease that may have infected Lilia’s mother. He holds the key to the truth, but cracking that stony facade may be more trouble than Lilia bargained for.
I have never read a book quite like Nocticadia. Romances that have such a splendid mix of genres wrapped up in a love story are always among my favorites. Nocticadia has elements of science fiction, horror, and mystery, all with a spicy intensity that makes it an entirely engrossing read. I had to force myself to put this book down to sleep.
Spice: 3.75
Kindle: $5.99
Hardback: $20.99
The Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
The Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep is a four book, high school/new adult romance with enemies-to-lovers themes and lots of action, and one of the members of this relationship happens to be a teacher to the rest of them.
This series was one of the most interesting why choose novels I’ve ever read simply because it was such a creative use of a pandemic storyline. I put off reading these for so long because I just couldn’t deal with putting a pandemic into my escapist land while an actual pandemic was raging outside, but I regret it because these books are so much fun.
I loved all the characters, and the tension between them was absolutely off the charts. Sometimes, with why choose, you get a very formulaic cast of characters, and sometimes that works really well. These books, however, took some of that, featuring the jock, the wild card, and the moody professor, classic why choose archetypes, but added in Saint Memphis. Saint is such a unique and eccentric character that he really just makes the whole series worth reading.
Spice: 3
Kindle: $6.99
Dark Notes by Pam Godwin
This book is far and away the darkest, most taboo romance on this list. Which, for Pam Godwin, I wouldn’t expect any less. Dark Notes is about a deeply troubled high school senior who is also an incredibly gifted pianist. Her new piano teacher takes a special interest, and the bond between them quickly spirals into a mutual obsession that could destroy them both.
Dark Notes is emotionally raw, a little twisted, and kinky. I read this book in 2022, and I still remember every piece of it like it was yesterday. The plot is engaging, and these characters, while wildly fucked up, are still easy to connect with. Their happily ever after is hard won, and it will stick with you for long after you turn the final page.
Spice: 5
Kindle: $7.99
Paperback: $20.99
Gothikana by RuNyx
For her entire life, Corvina Clemm was an outcast. She is almost completely isolated, until a mysterious letter arrives offering her admission to the University of Verenmore. As soon as Corvina arrives, she discovers an undercurrent of darkness that runs through the Verenmore campus. Every five years, on the same night, someone disappears. And then there is a mysterious suicide of a girl who was secretly dating a professor at the time of her demise.
This professor, Vad Deverell, is as captivating as he is dangerous. As much as Corvina tries to stay away, she can’t help the chemistry and fiery attraction building between them. But as events at the castle get darker, and the voices in her head become more present, Corvina quickly begins to wonder if she’s descending into madness. She must figure out who to trust as she tries to solve the mystery of what’s happening on campus.
The biggest draw of Gothikana is the dark academia vibes of the story. The castle makes for a wonderful setting, equal parts creepy and gorgeous. Corvina is named as a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, my favorite of the classic old white men authors that literature classes venerate. Everything from the character descriptions to the events of the plot screams dark academia.
Spice: 3
Kindle: $12.99
Paperback: $11.77
Twisted Play by Poppy Jacobson
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