I have tried so hard to find a book like this but it seems hopeless. Anything which is relationship focused is written by women, for women and with women. And it's always some bullshit trope about some dude who is sOoOo dark and brooding but he's clearly just an abusive prick and apparently that turns some women on.
Welp, I am not one of those women, nor a woman at all, and I want something real and heart wrenching. I don't want teenage romance, nor do I want erotica, and absolutely not chick lit. Just… Two real, nuanced people, with flaws and a deep, intimate and interesting dynamic, and a good story.
Does this exist at all?
by manofredgables
6 Comments
There are plenty of romance books where the hero isn’t an abusive prick. Are you asking for one without sex scenes?
confused on what you’re asking tbf. with women? like a lesbian romance? and wdym for women if you’re not a woman anyways? and there’s plenty of romance without abusive men. are you asking for a romance without sex scenes?
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler is delightful. You get the familiar tropes like grumpy/sunshine and shared bed with some mild-moderate spice and intimacy. The banter is fresh and characters are well-developed.
I read enough romance to know what I like but rarely does a romance novel find its way into my list of faves. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes was one of my favorite books of 2024. It’s a warm, well-written escape and the audiobook is superbly narrated by Mara Wilson.
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall is incredibly real with a heavy focus on identity, wartime ptsd, disability and the leads are older than the norm for the genre
there is sex, but its more realistic than what i came to expect from other romance books and the intimacy feels more meaningful/emotional
I mean my safe go to if I’m in a romance mood is Abby Jimenez, but ususally when I am looking for something mood particular I go to my library and spend some time there
There’s plenty out there that fits your requirements. Your problem sounds like confirmation bias driven by your own sexist ideas about this type of literature. Get past that and you’ll even find that there are plenty of books written about relationships that are (gasp) *written by men*.