Shelf & SpiceFor romance readers & their book clubs
Your shelf, your tropes, your spice level — shared with the people who get it.
Shelf & Spice is the reading tracker built for romance. Tag the tropes, rate the heat, start a book club, vote on the next read and buddy-read without spoilers.
Works on iPhone, Android and any computer. 12 trope themes to match your vibe, plus an All Genres mode. For readers 18+.
What it does
Everything a romance reader (and her book club) actually wants.
General book apps treat romance like any other genre. Shelf & Spice is built around what you actually talk about: tropes, heat level, who recommended what, and what your club is reading next.
Book clubs New
Start a club, text an invite link, set the monthly pick and meeting, and let members vote on what's next.
Spoiler-free buddy reads New
Log how far you are. Comments from people further ahead stay hidden until you catch up.
Trope Bingo New
A new bingo card every season that fills in from the books you finish. Post your card when you hit bingo.
Year in Spice New
Your top tropes, spiciest read and reader era, ready to share to your story.
Content warnings New
Tag books with warnings and hide anything you'd rather avoid from your feed.
Trope Matchmaker New
Pick up to three tropes and a spice limit. Get matches your club loved plus popular picks.
Tropes, spice & stars
30 built-in tropes plus your own tags, with separate ratings for quality and heat.
Goals, badges & leaderboards
Set a yearly goal, earn badges and see who's leading your club.
Bring your Goodreads history
Import your Goodreads export in one step and export to CSV anytime.
Not into romance?
Switch to All Genres mode
Shelf & Spice works for every kind of reader. Flip one switch and the spice ratings and romance picks disappear. You get genre tags like Fantasy, Mystery, Memoir and Sci-Fi, plus all-genre bingo cards and a Year in Books recap.
Mixed book club? No problem. Each person picks their own mode, and everyone still shares the same club, picks and votes.
Make it yours
Pick your vibe
Romance readers can dress up their shelf in a theme inspired by their favorite trope. Tap one to try it on this page right now. Your pick follows you into the app.
Take a look
See it in action
Real screens from the app (with made-up books and readers).
iPhone · Android · Desktop
Put it on your home screen — no app store needed.
Shelf & Spice is a web app. Add it to your home screen and it opens full-screen with its own icon, just like an app from the store.
iPhone & iPad
- Open this site in Safari.
- Tap the Share button □↑.
- Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
- Tap Add. Look for the heart icon.
Android
- Open this site in Chrome.
- Tap the menu ⋮ in the top corner.
- Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
- Confirm, and it lands in your app drawer.
Computer
- Just open the app in any browser.
- In Chrome or Edge, click the install icon in the address bar to give it its own window.
Pricing
Free to start. Upgrade when your circle grows.
Reader
For tracking your own reads.
- Unlimited books on your shelf
- Trope tags, spice and star ratings
- Join book clubs and share with up to 2 friends
- Reading goal and core badges
- Goodreads import and CSV export
Spice+
For the reader who wants the full picture.
- Everything in Reader
- Share with up to 10 people
- Year-in-review and trope stats
- All badges and custom shelves
- Early access to new features
Book Club
For a family or club reading together.
- Spice+ for up to 8 readers
- A private group shelf with invite link
- Club leaderboard, monthly picks and meetings
- Book-of-the-month voting
- One bill for the whole group
Prices in USD. Planned pricing; features marked for paid plans are on the roadmap and may change before paid plans launch.
Stay in the loop
Get each new Trope Bingo card first
Occasional emails with new seasonal bingo cards, features and the founding-reader offer. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Questions
Good to know
Is there an app in the App Store or Google Play?
Not yet. Shelf & Spice works in your phone's browser and can be added to your home screen so it behaves like an app (see the steps above). Store versions are on the roadmap.
How do book clubs work?
Tap Clubs, then “Start a club.” You'll get an invite link to text to members. Everyone signs in with Google and joins in one tap. The organizer (and up to 10 admins they choose) sets the current pick and next meeting, members nominate and vote on the next read, and you can see how far everyone is in the book. Clubs can have up to 150 members.
Can I change how it looks?
Yes! In Romance mode, pick from 12 themes inspired by BookTok's favorite tropes, from Enemies to Lovers and Dark Romance to Fae Court, Hockey Romance and Small Town Cozy. Change it anytime in Account › Theme.
I don't read romance. Is this for me?
Yes! Turn on All Genres mode (it's asked when you sign up, and you can switch anytime from Account). Spice ratings and romance picks are hidden, and tags switch to genres like Fantasy, Mystery, Memoir and Sci-Fi.
Can I pick my own username?
Yes. When you first sign in you choose a display name and a unique @username. That's what club members see instead of your Google name. You can change it anytime, and you can hide your Google profile photo too.
What's Trope Bingo?
Every season there's a new 5×5 card of tropes (or genres, in All Genres mode) and challenges like “5-star read” or “Listened on audio.” Squares fill in automatically as you finish books. Get five in a row and share your card.
Who can see my books?
Your books are private unless you share them with a book club or specific people, and you can change that anytime. Other members of your clubs see your display name, @username and (if you choose) your profile photo, never your email. See our Privacy Policy for the details.
Can I bring my Goodreads history?
Yes. Export your library from Goodreads as a CSV, then use “Import from Goodreads” on your shelf.
Do you sell my data or show ads?
No. We don't sell personal information and there are no ads in the app.
How do I delete my account?
In the app, tap your name at the top, then choose “Delete my account and data.” It removes your books, goals and profile right away.
Is it for all ages?
No. Shelf & Spice covers adult romance, including spice ratings, so it's for readers 18 and older.
Your next favorite trope is waiting.
Start a shelf in under a minute, then invite the people you swap books with.