,

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.
1

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3.88 avg rating — 138,208 ratings
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4.24 avg rating — 111,697 ratings
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4.16 avg rating — 219,884 ratings
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4.12 avg rating — 2,850,477 ratings
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10

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3.94 avg rating — 89,679 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 62,978 ratings
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4.10 avg rating — 199,836 ratings
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13

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3.97 avg rating — 2,906,451 ratings
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4.05 avg rating — 637,015 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,327,990 ratings
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16

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4.49 avg rating — 1,023,632 ratings
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17

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4.04 avg rating — 27,728 ratings
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18

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3.78 avg rating — 83,811 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,487,466 ratings
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20

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3.82 avg rating — 1,497 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 — 289,429 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 332,293 ratings
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24

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3.89 avg rating — 53,817 ratings
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24

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3.95 avg rating — 91,360 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 29,150 ratings
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27

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4.15 avg rating — 1,642,895 ratings
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28

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4.02 avg rating — 177,114 ratings
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29

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4.08 avg rating — 177,465 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,428,852 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 124,838 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 384,939 ratings
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32

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4.02 avg rating — 4,666,691 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 316,618 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,280 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 228,875 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,345,994 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 164,018 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 — 99,313 ratings
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45

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3.90 avg rating — 2,886,372 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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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,249,977 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 136,504 ratings
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49

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4.15 avg rating — 3,377 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 7,413 ratings
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52

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3.82 avg rating — 18,246 ratings
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54

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3.85 avg rating — 94,547 ratings
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55

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3.90 avg rating — 9,445 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 305,776 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 605,058 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,200 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,609 ratings
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59

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3.89 avg rating — 517 ratings
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59

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 26 ratings
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59

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4.14 avg rating — 34,727 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 262,611 ratings
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64

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3.77 avg rating — 16,029 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 — 787,501 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 — 13,257 ratings
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69

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4.26 avg rating — 59,351 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,906,451 ratings
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71

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4.08 avg rating — 161,969 ratings
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71

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3.80 avg rating — 5,480 ratings
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73

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4.31 avg rating — 49,122 ratings
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74

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3.67 avg rating — 4,575 ratings
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75

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3.95 avg rating — 62,392 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 2,043,127 ratings
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77

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3.60 avg rating — 5,998 ratings
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78

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3.85 avg rating — 16,972 ratings
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78

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4.11 avg rating — 274,855 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 2,043,127 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,658,300 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 280,390 ratings
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83

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4.41 avg rating — 3,195,086 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 — 2,682 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 165,168 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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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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3.80 avg rating — 5 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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3.95 avg rating — 33,043 ratings
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84

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4.17 avg rating — 35 ratings
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84

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4.03 avg rating — 4,821 ratings
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84

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4.29 avg rating — 124,635 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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3.74 avg rating — 446 ratings
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284 books · 100 voters · list created April 1st, 2013 by Jaylee (votes) .
64 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jaylee 4361 books
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Lauren 89 books
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Jensen 44 books
63 friends
Emily 323 books
1 friend
Zinnober 9 785 books
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K 59 books
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Sarah 13715 books
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Talyah 1865 books
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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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