Disclosure: Some of the links in this list of romance novels are affiliate links. If you click them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. The decision of whether or not to buy something is completely up to you.
Readers who don’t like romance novels often cite the kitschy tropes that make them roll their eyes as the reason for hating them. Others simply aren’t looking for bodice-ripping books that delve into the characters’ sex lives. But that doesn’t mean they don’t like love stories. They just need to find the right ones. Here are six romance novels for people who hate romance novels.
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
The story of Damen the warrior hero who gets captured and sent to Prince Laurent, the royalty of his country’s enemy nation, will keep non-romance readers turning the page. It features LGBTQ+ romance, political intrigue and family betrayal.
Loud is How I Love You by Mercy Brown
The first in the Hub City series follows Emmylou as she pursues her dreams of rock stardom. But when she falls for the band’s guitarist Travis she puts her career on the line for a burning hot love. For people who think they don’t like romance, this book will keep them yearning for more.
The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
This story is a retelling of the Aladdin fairytale, but with a twist. Zahra is the jinni in the lamp that must grant Aladdin’s three wishes. But the King of the Jinn offers her a chance at freedom. The cost? Betray Aladdin, whom she’s falling for. This young adult romance will appeal to the Disney lovers out there.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Jones combines literary prowess with an analysis of racial injustice in America through this bittersweet love story. Celestial and Roy are newlyweds in the South, both with burgeoning careers, when the unthinkable happens: Roy is sent to prison. This is the story of how a marriage works when one spouse is imprisoned and the other must carry on.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Evelyn Hugo is a reclusive movie star of the past, but when she finally decides to tell her story, she chooses an unknown magazine reporter, Monique Grant. The protagonist Evelyn is a Cuban-American woman who details her adventures from moving to L.A. in the 50s to the several spouses she procured along the way.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro’s novel follows butler Stevens as he leaves Darlington Hall to explore his past through his time in England. The book follows the protagonist as he interacts with the history of fascism and the two world wars. All the while, he never realizes the unspoken love between him and his housekeeper.
Find the books in this list at my Bookshop page.