,

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 — 6,804,304 ratings
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3

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3.88 avg rating — 136,886 ratings
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4.24 avg rating — 108,572 ratings
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4.27 avg rating — 136,386 ratings
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4.07 avg rating — 110,979 ratings
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4.37 avg rating — 127,522 ratings
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4.16 avg rating — 217,647 ratings
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9

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4.12 avg rating — 2,777,771 ratings
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10

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3.94 avg rating — 89,191 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 62,743 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 198,270 ratings
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3.97 avg rating — 2,790,419 ratings
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14

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4.05 avg rating — 628,355 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,269,526 ratings
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16

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4.49 avg rating — 945,988 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 — 83,501 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,465,458 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 — 283,726 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 316,110 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 — 90,077 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 28,853 ratings
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27

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4.14 avg rating — 1,576,350 ratings
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28

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4.03 avg rating — 176,204 ratings
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29

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4.09 avg rating — 175,396 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,343,193 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 123,801 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 375,785 ratings
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32

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4.01 avg rating — 4,474,569 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 295,684 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,144 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 222,820 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,331,980 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 162,111 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 — 2,801,695 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 — 1,206,932 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 134,274 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 — 7,384 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 — 92,996 ratings
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55

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3.89 avg rating — 9,268 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 289,491 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 590,933 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,077 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,374 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 — 33,967 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 259,693 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 — 775,925 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 — 58,659 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,790,419 ratings
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71

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4.07 avg rating — 157,204 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 — 48,618 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 — 60,626 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 1,999,059 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 — 269,771 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 1,999,059 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,588,749 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 274,588 ratings
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83

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4.40 avg rating — 3,112,356 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 — 162,846 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 — 29,781 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 — 123,592 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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