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THANK YOU for avoiding clean/dirty terminology in this video. I appreciate the conversation without the judgemental overtones 😄

omg when you mentioned asexual people I understood why I was here. like I was just watching booktok and thought "why are all these people so obsessed with reading spicy books? I don't want to have to read a spicy scene! if I read, I definitely don't want to see that!"... oh how naive

Georgette Heyer is also a good author to try for really sweet non-spicy regency / historical romances. I read several as a teenager and still enjoy them. And the bonus is they are often available at libraries!

Thank you for thinking about asexual people! As someone on the spectrum it means so much to me as it's difficult to find romance books without explicit scenes 💜💚 SUBSCRIBED!

A friend of mine has recently gotten me into Mary Stewart who wrote romantic suspense and I've really been enjoying her books so far! they vary as far as how much romance vs. suspense but the romance aspects are definitely fun. The heroes can sometimes be a little pushier than I usually read (she mainly wrote in the 50's) but her female leads always seem to be super competent and can hold their own so it doesn't feel too icky in my opinion. Nine Coaches Waiting is a great one from her! Also - I know some people in the comments were taking issue with the "proper romance" label as being judgmental towards steamier romance and I just wanted to throw my two cents in - when we read historical books, behavior is often described as being "improper" in the context of the time period for things we know are not actually being viewed as bad by the author, like the way love interests will often banter with each other; or a female character will be more assertive than is considered polite by her peers, but the reader is meant to appreciate. So I think "proper romance" just means the romance isn't considered too forward in the context of the book's setting, not that the author is saying "this is good romance, other kinds are bad romance." (I mean obviously readers can determine what terms they feel comfortable using, but I just wanted to mention why I think proper romance is a useful description!)

If you like some more clean authors recs.... [ ] Carina Taylor [ ] Rachel John [ ] Summer Dowell [ ] Liwen Y. Ho [ ] K.Leah [ ] Melanie Jacobson [ ] Emma St. Clair [ ] Jennifer Peel [ ] Gracie Ruth Mitchell Historical Romance [ ] Sarah M Eden

One of my favourite series of all time is River of Time (by Lisa T. Bergren). A story of two sisters who time travel to medieval Italy and are caught up in the battle between two warring lords. It does have plenty of romance in it, but any *romantic scenes* are never explicit or graphic. Sort of those scenes that fade off at the end of the chapter before they become 'too steamy' :) Would definitely recommend as it is literally my comfort series

Things You Save in a Fire ... is a lovely deep story with a cute romance and no spice

One of my favorite authors, Patricia Briggs, does a fade to black love scene. I remember loaning my books to my sister, and she called me after reading the first book and said... "Theres no hot steamy detailed scenes! She just faded to..."🤷‍♀️ I said, "I'm... sorry?" She then said she didn't mind, and the series was great, she was just suprised that there was no descriptive steamy scenes, since that is usually my go to in that genre. I explained that that was an intimate private moment between the couple from our protagonist's POV. I'm glad she is still enjoying the series. IMO, I feel it's a good example of how a suburban fantasy couple can be written as having a healthy strong intimacy without being explicit.

Gonna throw in another plug here for Sharon Shinn for fantasy/scifi romance without detailed intimacy (mostly fantasy, but she does have some scifi, including a scifi retelling of Jane Eyre - Jenna Starborn - which my sister loves but I've never read). Pretty much every novel of hers centers a love story, but I also love the world building in her books. I don't necessarily love ALL of the couples/stories, but in general, everything she writes just makes me happy. Summers at Castle Auburn is, imo, a total gem of a standalone if you just want a sweet fairytale/fantasy for a quick read. My favorite series are the Samaria/Archangel books, The Twelve Houses (Mystic and Ryder), and her more recent Echos series which were originally Audible originals but are in paperback now.

I appreciate this so much!! I'll read any level steamy, but I'm ace and I like to be warned. Witchmark by CL Polk! the whole Kingston Cycle always has a sweet, low-stakes but addictive romance for each MC. It's such a good decopunk fantasy too! Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a hilarious romance that doesn't have explicit sex scenes. (the first person POV tells us sex did happen but we don't need to know details, which I appreciated because vague fade-to-black cues get lost on me.)

@jennderqueer

3 жыл бұрын

Oh I just got Witchmark from the library!

@TinyNDangerous

3 жыл бұрын

@@jennderqueer yay! I hope you enjoy it! I read it in March but I keep having to hold myself back from a reread already because I miss my boy Miles

Thank you so much! I am always looking for non-steamy recommendations and added a lot of these to my TBR

@happyreadingwatching1597

2 жыл бұрын

If you like some more clean authors recs.... [ ] Carina Taylor [ ] Rachel John [ ] Summer Dowell [ ] Liwen Y. Ho [ ] K.Leah [ ] Melanie Jacobson [ ] Emma St. Clair [ ] Jennifer Peel [ ] Gracie Ruth Mitchell Historical Romance [ ] Sarah M Eden

@najeongmosajimi

2 жыл бұрын

​@@happyreadingwatching1597 thanks

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews is a Christmas novella I read last year and absolutely loved. Sarah E. Ladd also writes clean historical romances that are pretty good! Her Cornwall series is one I'm in the middle of now.

@xdiaz755

7 ай бұрын

Noted!!! Will read😊

Nice picks! I’ll check them, I have no preference, I’ll read it all from ‘proper’ soft core barely anything happens beyond a kiss romance to explicit make you sweat while reading the pages romance. The only issue I have with explicit is when it feels undeserved and forced. Such as when characters who have zero chemistry but because the dictation of ‘plot’ are not only paired together but every waking moment they’re alone turns into a porn script.

Empire of Sand was SOOOOO good. I read it last year, I think, and really enjoyed it. Isobel and Alexander looks like one I might enjoy! I've gotten more comfortable with more explicit scenes in the last year or so, but I still prefer my fiction without them sometimes!.

OIH MY GOSH. Thank you thank you thaaaaank you for this!

heyyy! thank you sooo much. i've been looking for such recommendations all over...and finalllyy💕💕💕

I love these recommendations videos. Found some real treasures from your recs. Thanks Bethany 🤗👌🌺 do you have other gothic romance recs please??

really appreciate knowing what I'm getting in to (especially when sharing books with my kids!) thank you thank you!

Great topic haha thanks for the vid!

I've heard Isabelle and Alexander be compared to North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (which I haven't read but I loved the mini series). Very excited to read it!

just read Lakeshire Park and i thought it was pretty cute. Loved the enemies to lovers trope in it. I read it in one sitting :)

@tcsr28

2 жыл бұрын

Would you like recommend proper romantic books that you readed? Please. P. S No Christian

@mgiag99

Жыл бұрын

@@tcsr28 I went on a proper romance books kick and some I read are: Otherwise Engaged, A Proper Charade, A Proper Scoundrel, A Kiss of a Stranger, Blackmoore, and Edenbrooke.

THANK YOU for these!!! I want to read more romance, especially fluffy stuff, but I feel like it's always full of sex scenes that turn me right off.

I love Written in Red, the whole series really! I don't think it gets nearly enough love on the book social places. As for a non-steamy romance, I would recommend the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It is super slow burn and the romance isn't really the point of the books. Also by Patricia Briggs I would recommend the Alpha and Omega series. This one is set in the same world but the romance is a lot faster and a bigger part of the plot, think fated mates.

@lauracorsi3309

3 жыл бұрын

agreed! Love all of these!

@surpriseitsus9622

Жыл бұрын

I agree 100% Wish I knew more series like these

Just on the ones I've read recently, I'd definitely recommend Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant, Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, and Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas! I'm a bit late to the game on those ones, so people may already know of them, but I recently read all three (all YA, and Cemetery Boys is a realistic fantasy). They have good representation in them too!

ThAnks for these book reccomendations.

As a demisexual… thank you so much. I need so many recommendations like these! I’m not against spice but I can’t understand or relate to it!

I’ve opted to include smutty times in my book reviews!

thank you for making this

For sweet romance I would recommend three YA ones and that would be You Should See Me in a Crown, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating and Felix Ever After.

I love the Anne Bishop series it has a violent nature the relationship takes the entire series to start. The relationship is through out but it’s more of a discovery of relationships in general. I really enjoyed the series and as much as I like books more on the clean side I wished it went a little further in exploring the love interest element.

@surpriseitsus9622

Жыл бұрын

The Others series is my favorite. Great recommendation 👍

Anything by Mimi Matthews!!!!!

Ahh so interested to hear your thoughts when you get around to Isabelle and Alexander!! and agreed, give me ALL the marriage of convenience romances lol So many of these books are ones you've put on my radar!! This video is definitely bumping Vanessa Riley up my TBR. And yes the romance in Empire of Sand is SO GOOD and I feel like it's such a good book for fantasy readers who don't think they like romance plotlines - like no trust me, Tasha Suri knows what she's doing lol Also I think it's so great that you specifically mention ace people in your intro! I feel like you are always so thoughtful and intentional with your language and platform, Bethany!

Just finished Alone with Mr.Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Abigail Reynolds as well as Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen, really liked both.

Thank you!

I’m still watching, sorry in advance if you’ve already answered this but are these available in audiobook form?

Elise Kova writes quite good clean romance that is old YA/new adult aimed, and has a substantial backlist so there's lots to dive into! Also all available on KindleUnlimited, woot woot

@Plasmagal

2 жыл бұрын

Which are your favorites of hers?

@lucillerenard9019

2 жыл бұрын

I liked her air awakens (5 books) series and her married to magic (2 out 1 upcoming) series!

@Plasmagal

2 жыл бұрын

@@lucillerenard9019 tysm:))

I really enjoyed empire of sand I haven't read the sequel yet 😉🙂😊

Recommend Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson.

i wish there were more books set in a university/college that are not steamy. smth like take a hint dani brown but without all the sex.

THABK YOU !!!!!

I like romance but it's hard to find an actually appropriate book thats romance for someone who is a young teen. I recently read Grown and it scarred me.. not what I was hoping for. I did read the warnings page but I didn't expect it to be that bad...

Thank you for this👍, I’m a romance reader that is over the steam, and not just bec I’m religious I was more so tired of the same love scene formula: foreplay+Oral+vaginal and like 20 organisms for the chick that’s a virgin. Like please 😏 very unrealistic I also feel like so many sex scenes in a HR are unrealistic for the time period unless u were a hooker Lastly the lack of sex scenes gives the author the challenge of filling the story with more creative material.

Ur the best

I have the second book in the Vanessa Riley series… but I have no idea if I can read it without reading A Duke, the Lady and a Baby so I’m waiting for it in my library 😩

I read romance across the entire steam spectrum, including no sex at all and even though I appreciate that some readers prefer low or no sexual content, I find the labels 'proper' and 'clean' quite offensive. Sex is neither improper or 'dirty' (apart from when it's used in a sexy way of course!) and I think some people use those words with a sense of judgement. Personally, when I see those words used to describe a romance, it tends to put me off even though I do enjoy plenty of romances with little to no steam. I also think that many people equate romance with even just a minutiae of sex with erotica and consider that there are no real connections other than the physical between the love interests when that couldn't be further from the truth for the majority of genre romance. There is erotic romance which is a blend of both, but even then it's not based on just the physical. Two of my most recent no sex romances that were both easily 5 stars for me are *The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel *The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon which is BEAUTIFUL. This was _almost_ Kennedy Ryan level writing and storytelling (without the steam!) IMO and you know how high that praise is! Anyway, TFS :)

@madison7645

3 жыл бұрын

The Trouble With Hating You was so good! The companion novel is coming out this fall which I'm amped for.

@vamps_rock

3 жыл бұрын

@@madison7645 and me!

@aqsah14

2 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure the clean here is used as opposed to Explicitc the same way Clean vers are used in music to describe vers without explicit language - this does not insinuate that Sex is dirty

Jesus saves ❤