TLWR:
- Sci-Fi/Fantasy straight romances
- No queerness 🙁
- No sex scenes, not even spicy, kissing is okay
- No religious stuff (for me, so I don’t go insane)
- No sexual assault even in the history of a character unless it's only mentioned in brief passing. Absolutely nothing shown on page, please!
I am in a Christmas pickle!
My Extremely Christian mom wants to bond with me more and she demands I share my romantacy life with her to do so. She wouldn’t suspect that I’m queer or read stuff with sex scenes. Actually I don’t even like the sex or need it in my novels so that’s fine. I’d much rather read something where they just kiss at the end, actually, or it’s implied they are sleeping together later but never shown (I’m an ace queer).
I know my mom is a biggot…The problem is, I LOVE my mom, and I’d love to share with her! But I don’t know ANY books without queerness in it, and this woman stopped watching Downtown Abbey bc of the gay guy like right away. I could find some not queer books, but they might still have sex scenes and that I REALLY don’t want to read, and it might take me some time to find some stuff that suits the entire list. I’m glad those exist for other people who are not me.
My mom would LOVE some Christian books, but I don’t want to read THAT. So in the interest of my sanity while we are reading the same book, none that are religious, please. It’s fine if it’s in passing, but for example my friend’s mom loves Amish romances, nothing like that please. I’m glad it exists for other people! It’s not for me!
I’m especially interested if you know any booktok or YouTubers that do recommendations like this! I got a feeling this won’t be the last of my mom’s insistence I “share with her more.” If you have channel recs please let me know (in a private message since this sub doesn't allow a lot of links).
Please, please, please no recs that don't fit every criteria! Like “Oh, this one…. But it has queer characters” or “This one only has one sex scene!” These recs won’t be useful for this particular post. Thank you~
by rickandrobin
12 Comments
You should post this at r/romancebooks those people know their books! They’re a super welcoming community and usually very helpful with recommendations.
If you haven’t yet visited romance.io, I think you should check it out. I did a basic filter to have the lowest steam level, m-f romance only, and fantasy: https://www.romance.io/topics/best/glimpses-kisses,fantasy,m-f/1
Sorry I can’t think of any suggestions off the top of my head!
Glad it has helped some! Also, for a specific author, maybe check out T. Kingfisher.
Robin McKinley did a series of fairy tale retellings that would probably work: *Spindle’s End*, *Rose Daughter*, *Beauty*. If she likes those, you guys can continue reading through the rest of her catalog. *Sunshine* is probably too sexy, and *Deerskin* might be too heavy (though tell your mom about the premise and see what she thinks), but the others should be fine, just a bit less romantic.
The Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo fits your criteria
Would suggest checking out YA romantasies from the 2010s, way less smutty and less queerness just by virtue of the time period they came out.
I have an acquaintance who has made a living off of her “clean” romance novels (romance, but no sex- she’s Mormon lol), her name is Rebecca Connolly. Historical fiction, not fantasy, but guaranteed to be low spice.
If you’re still looking for romantasy-esque books-
* Books by Juliet Marillier
* Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
* Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
* All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
* Sorcery of Thorns or Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
* Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
In general, you can find romance books without spice using this website: https://www.romance.io/
I’m glad you love your mom, but this internet mom finds it sad you need to hide a part of yourself from her. I hope you know you don’t need to make yourself small for anyone ❤️
What about YA romantasy?? That might be a win since anything geared toward a young adult audience won’t have explicit sex scenes.
I enjoyed Divine Rivals, but it doesn’t fit your criteria exactly (one very tame sex scene that’s mostly fade-to-black and there’s a lesbian couple of side characters)
But there’s probably something like that.
Brandon Sanderson books might fit what you are looking for. He is Mormon and while his books didn’t reflect that, they are very wholesome
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson fits what you’re looking for! Olivia Atwater is a good author, as she’s also religious (though her books aren’t Christian romances) but not a bigot. Some of her books center lesbian couples so check the blurbs, but Half a Soul, Ten Thousand Stitches and The Witchwood Knot should all be fine
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher may work. There is some vague discussion about “loss of virginity” but that’s as far as it gets. There is pining and an adventure and she gets the guy she wants.
[Nettle and Bone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56179377)
Edited to add: The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar also no sex. Although the fey love interest is ambiguous at best… otherworldly. Not gendered, but not in an overt way.
[The River Has Roots](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211004176)
Colleen Coble is a Christian author, and I read one of her books (accidentally), but it wasn’t too bad. It was romance but no smut or anything.
It’s not fantasy though but I thought I would share anyway.
[Collen Coble’s website.](https://colleencoble.com/)
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal. Pride and Prejudice with magic.
Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermere.