,

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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4.26 avg rating — 6,804,830 ratings
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3.88 avg rating — 136,889 ratings
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4.24 avg rating — 108,584 ratings
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4.27 avg rating — 136,391 ratings
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4.07 avg rating — 110,996 ratings
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4.37 avg rating — 127,541 ratings
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4.16 avg rating — 217,654 ratings
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9

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4.12 avg rating — 2,778,035 ratings
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10

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3.94 avg rating — 89,193 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 62,746 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 198,270 ratings
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13

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3.97 avg rating — 2,790,713 ratings
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14

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4.05 avg rating — 628,379 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,269,681 ratings
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16

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4.49 avg rating — 946,185 ratings
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17

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4.03 avg rating — 27,565 ratings
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18

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3.78 avg rating — 83,504 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,465,517 ratings
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20

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3.82 avg rating — 1,488 ratings
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21

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4.03 avg rating — 125 ratings
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22

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4.16 avg rating — 283,748 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 316,149 ratings
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24

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3.89 avg rating — 53,652 ratings
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24

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3.95 avg rating — 90,081 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 28,852 ratings
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27

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4.14 avg rating — 1,576,575 ratings
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28

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4.03 avg rating — 176,205 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 175,401 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,343,458 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 123,804 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 375,808 ratings
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32

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4.01 avg rating — 4,475,035 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 295,734 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,146 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 222,835 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,332,024 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 162,118 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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3.54 avg rating — 72 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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3.83 avg rating — 132 ratings
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44

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3.98 avg rating — 98,663 ratings
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45

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3.89 avg rating — 2,801,910 ratings
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45

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4.47 avg rating — 17 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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4.19 avg rating — 53 ratings
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49

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4.01 avg rating — 1,207,026 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 134,276 ratings
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49

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4.14 avg rating — 3,290 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 7,385 ratings
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52

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3.82 avg rating — 18,137 ratings
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54

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3.85 avg rating — 93,005 ratings
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55

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3.89 avg rating — 9,267 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 289,554 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 590,967 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,078 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,377 ratings
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59

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3.89 avg rating — 514 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 — 33,968 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 259,699 ratings
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64

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3.77 avg rating — 16,010 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 — 775,956 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 — 13,234 ratings
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69

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4.26 avg rating — 58,662 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,790,713 ratings
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71

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4.07 avg rating — 157,228 ratings
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71

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3.80 avg rating — 5,437 ratings
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73

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4.30 avg rating — 48,622 ratings
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74

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3.67 avg rating — 4,528 ratings
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75

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3.95 avg rating — 60,632 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 1,999,179 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 — 16,909 ratings
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78

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4.11 avg rating — 269,788 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 1,999,179 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,588,916 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 274,602 ratings
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83

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4.40 avg rating — 3,112,626 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 41 ratings
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84

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3.77 avg rating — 2,676 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 162,849 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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3.24 avg rating — 17 ratings
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84

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3.93 avg rating — 29,782 ratings
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84

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4.34 avg rating — 32 ratings
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84

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4.03 avg rating — 4,724 ratings
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84

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4.29 avg rating — 123,595 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 — 446 ratings
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281 books · 98 voters · list created April 1st, 2013 by Jaylee (votes) .
62 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Jaylee 4361 books
180 friends
Lauren 89 books
79 friends
Jensen 44 books
64 friends
Emily 323 books
1 friend
Zinnober 9 821 books
0 friends
K 59 books
0 friends
Sarah 14900 books
227 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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