If you read romance or romantasy, you have probably seen little chili peppers next to a book. That is a spice rating, and it is one of the most useful pieces of information a reader can have.
What a spice rating tells you
A spice rating describes how explicit the romance scenes in a book are. It lets you pick a book that matches your mood, whether that is a sweet slow burn or something much steamier, without being surprised in either direction.
There is no official scale, but most readers use a version of this, from one to five:
- 1: Sweet. Kissing, no on-page intimacy. Doors are closed.
- 2: Mild. Some sensuality and fade-to-black.
- 3: Medium. On-page intimacy that is not very detailed.
- 4: Hot. Explicit, descriptive scenes.
- 5: Scorching. Very explicit, frequent and detailed.
Because readers disagree, the best ratings are an average of many readers' votes rather than one opinion.
Why it matters
- Avoid the awkward surprise. Nobody wants an explicit scene on a commute, or a very tame book when they wanted steam.
- Find what you love. If you like a slow burn with just a door left ajar, you can filter your reading list by it.
- Recommend better. Telling a friend "it is a 4 for spice" is quicker than a paragraph of warnings.
Spice is not the same as a content warning
A spice rating covers the romance. It does not tell you about violence, grief, abuse or other heavy themes. Those belong in content warnings, which are a separate piece of information. A book can be a one for spice and still need warnings.
How Spinefolk handles spice
In Spinefolk, spice ratings only appear on romance and romantasy books, so they stay out of the way everywhere else. You can rate a book's spice on its page, and the book shows the average from readers. Editors can turn the spice option on or off for a book if it was marked wrongly. Your own ratings stay yours, and you can ignore the feature entirely.
Tips for using spice ratings
- Check the average, not one review. Preferences vary a lot.
- Pair it with your reading history. If you loved the spice level in three books, look for the same number next time.
- Rate it yourself. The more readers vote, the more useful the number becomes.
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