My First Smut: Read What Brings You Joy

My First Smut is a recurring feature where we talk about our formative smut experiences. These short confessionals may include such details as: What book did you read? How old were you? Were there other people involved? What made the experience special? What role does smut play in your life?

This week, we hear from romance author Hallie Alexander, who was hooked when she read her first book by Lorraine Heath.

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First romance novel you read:

Falling Into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath

What stage of life were you in?

Very much an adult. I grew up in a “literature only” house so there wasn’t any smut lying around for preteen-Hallie to happen upon.

How’d you get your hands on the book?

I picked it up on a whim at the library where I worked. I must have liked the cover. I knew absolutely nothing about romance except that it was a forbidden genre growing up.

What was the reading experience like?

I couldn’t believe books with happy endings existed! I plowed through all the Lorraine Heath’s my library carried. Then I tried my first Kristan Higgins (it was probably the next shelf down) and read everything of hers. For the first time in my life, I enjoyed reading!

What made the experience special?

We had recently moved 600 miles from family and everyone we knew. Escaping into those books gave me comfort.

What role does smut play in your life?

I know when I open up a book of smut I will get an empowering story full of hope, even if the H/H have to struggle to get there. They will get there. That’s the point. Where else can you find that kind of emotional journey with a guarantee that it will all work out in the end?

TL;DR: Life is messy. Read what brings you joy.

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Bio:

Hallie Alexander’s debut historical romance, A Widow’s Guide to Scandal, was published in 2020 by Soul Mate Publishing. It was a finalist in the 2019 Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest. She writes steamy, feminist historical romances that take place in America with feisty heroines who become the heroes of their own story as their swoon-worthy partners work to deserve their love. She is a Northerner living in the South with her husband, three children, and Doodles of Mayhem™, Bruno and Willow.

Connect with Hallie: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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Thanks, Hallie, for sharing! We are always happy to connect with smut enthusiasts, and are super excited to read A Widow’s Guide to Scandal. Watch this space for a review coming soon!

Have an early smut experience you’d like to share with us? If you’d like to see your story featured, send us an email or fill out our questionnaire and we’ll post it in an upcoming week.