Sick of books promising fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi/adventure that devolve into a pathetic mash of makeouts, "tingles" and goo-goo-eyes? Do you immediately drop a book if the back reads something like "After [female protagonist] meets sexy mysterious bad boy..." This is the list for you!

The books on this list have plots that involve very little romance. Either the book is completely romance free, or the romantic relationships are a SUB-PLOT of the main storyline (and I mean -VERY- SUB-plot). YA, New Adult, and Adult lit welcome. Please no kids books.
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3.88 avg rating — 137,611 ratings
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4.24 avg rating — 110,399 ratings
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4.27 avg rating — 137,066 ratings
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4.37 avg rating — 132,367 ratings
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4.16 avg rating — 218,923 ratings
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9

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4.12 avg rating — 2,824,183 ratings
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10

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3.94 avg rating — 89,470 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 62,873 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 199,109 ratings
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13

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3.97 avg rating — 2,863,560 ratings
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14

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4.05 avg rating — 633,569 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,299,374 ratings
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16

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4.49 avg rating — 991,472 ratings
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17

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4.04 avg rating — 27,645 ratings
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18

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3.78 avg rating — 83,626 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,478,663 ratings
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20

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3.82 avg rating — 1,495 ratings
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21

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4.02 avg rating — 126 ratings
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22

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4.16 avg rating — 287,223 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 325,675 ratings
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24

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3.89 avg rating — 53,723 ratings
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24

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3.95 avg rating — 90,808 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 29,017 ratings
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27

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4.15 avg rating — 1,617,986 ratings
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28

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4.03 avg rating — 176,664 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 176,509 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,398,829 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 124,381 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 380,655 ratings
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32

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4.02 avg rating — 4,596,241 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 307,853 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,233 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 226,588 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,340,491 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 163,183 ratings
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39

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3.94 avg rating — 51 ratings
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39

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3.57 avg rating — 74 ratings
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39

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3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings
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39

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4.42 avg rating — 31 ratings
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39

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3.85 avg rating — 132 ratings
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44

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3.98 avg rating — 99,027 ratings
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45

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3.90 avg rating — 2,855,207 ratings
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45

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4.47 avg rating — 19 ratings
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45

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4.06 avg rating — 81 ratings
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48

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4.17 avg rating — 54 ratings
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49

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4.01 avg rating — 1,233,399 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 135,417 ratings
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49

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4.14 avg rating — 3,356 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 7,396 ratings
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52

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3.82 avg rating — 18,196 ratings
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54

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3.85 avg rating — 93,917 ratings
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55

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3.90 avg rating — 9,376 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 299,382 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 599,656 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,146 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,499 ratings
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59

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3.88 avg rating — 515 ratings
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59

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 27 ratings
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59

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4.14 avg rating — 34,390 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 261,382 ratings
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64

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3.77 avg rating — 16,017 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 142 ratings
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64

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4.20 avg rating — 782,801 ratings
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67

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4.16 avg rating — 70 ratings
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68

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3.61 avg rating — 13,245 ratings
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69

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4.26 avg rating — 59,035 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,863,560 ratings
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71

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4.08 avg rating — 160,291 ratings
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71

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3.80 avg rating — 5,462 ratings
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73

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4.30 avg rating — 48,901 ratings
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74

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3.67 avg rating — 4,554 ratings
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75

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3.95 avg rating — 61,706 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 2,026,051 ratings
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77

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3.60 avg rating — 5,986 ratings
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78

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3.84 avg rating — 16,935 ratings
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78

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4.11 avg rating — 271,935 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 2,026,051 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,631,587 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 277,906 ratings
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83

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4.41 avg rating — 3,171,815 ratings
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84

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4.02 avg rating — 42 ratings
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84

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3.77 avg rating — 2,681 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 164,023 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 45 ratings
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84

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4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
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84

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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84

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4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings
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84

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2.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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84

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3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
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84

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3.80 avg rating — 20 ratings
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84

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3.28 avg rating — 18 ratings
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84

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3.94 avg rating — 31,261 ratings
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84

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4.24 avg rating — 33 ratings
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84

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4.03 avg rating — 4,782 ratings
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84

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4.29 avg rating — 124,177 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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84

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3.73 avg rating — 445 ratings
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284 books · 100 voters · list created April 1st, 2013 by Jaylee (votes) .
63 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jaylee 4361 books
179 friends
Lauren 89 books
79 friends
Jensen 44 books
63 friends
Emily 323 books
1 friend
Zinnober 9 783 books
0 friends
K 59 books
0 friends
Sarah 13937 books
226 friends
Talyah 1865 books
75 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Sarah (new)

Sarah Should Divergent really be on here?


message 2: by Shelby (new)

Shelby Suderman Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . .


message 3: by Katsuyo (new)

Katsuyo Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . ."


It is, but the plot isn't. It's been a while since I read the first book, but as far as I can remember the romance is pretty separated from the main plot.


message 4: by Jaylee (new)

Jaylee Katsuyo wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focused . . ."

It is,..."


Oh wow this is an old topic. Haha. Divergent the book has a romantic sub-plot, but it's extremely understated. Lol I made this plot in 2013 because I was an angry child sick of reading blurbs about really cool fantasy plots that just devolved into romance, and for that, I say Divergent doesn't do that at all. It's 100% about the plot.

(but also I write romance novels now and am laughing at myself that i was so Mad about this six years ago)


message 5: by Sarah (last edited Jan 29, 2019 05:55AM) (new)

Sarah Jaylee wrote: "Katsuyo wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Coolcurry wrote: "Should Divergent really be on here?"

That's just what I was thinking. I haven't read it but I saw the movie, and that was definitely romance focuse..."


I think what I was looking for was books without much or any romance at all. Which is still something I would like to find! But now I have a lot better idea why than I did six years ago...


message 6: by Dana (new)

Dana Salman "Do you immediately drop a book if the back reads something like "After [female protagonist] meets sexy mysterious bad boy...""

Probably an old list by now but that description is exactly me XD. I just want a good fantasy story, not a shallow romance. Hope I'll find something to like in this list! (Also love that The Book Thief is in the top spot!)


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