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 — 138,135 ratings
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4.37 avg rating — 135,114 ratings
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4.16 avg rating — 219,706 ratings
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4.12 avg rating — 2,845,645 ratings
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10

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3.94 avg rating — 89,650 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 62,965 ratings
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12

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4.10 avg rating — 199,668 ratings
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3.97 avg rating — 2,898,793 ratings
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14

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4.05 avg rating — 636,397 ratings
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15

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4.42 avg rating — 1,322,072 ratings
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16

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4.49 avg rating — 1,018,047 ratings
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17

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4.04 avg rating — 27,714 ratings
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18

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3.78 avg rating — 83,794 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,485,845 ratings
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20

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3.82 avg rating — 1,496 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 — 288,994 ratings
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23

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4.18 avg rating — 331,160 ratings
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24

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3.89 avg rating — 53,782 ratings
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24

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3.95 avg rating — 91,261 ratings
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26

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3.91 avg rating — 29,126 ratings
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27

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4.15 avg rating — 1,638,273 ratings
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28

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4.02 avg rating — 177,034 ratings
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29

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4.08 avg rating — 177,348 ratings
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30

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4.13 avg rating — 4,422,866 ratings
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31

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 124,753 ratings
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32

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3.97 avg rating — 384,273 ratings
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32

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4.02 avg rating — 4,653,679 ratings
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34

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3.80 avg rating — 314,879 ratings
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35

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 30,274 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 228,482 ratings
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37

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3.83 avg rating — 1,345,001 ratings
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38

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3.92 avg rating — 163,864 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 — 99,269 ratings
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45

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3.90 avg rating — 2,880,598 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 — 1,246,883 ratings
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49

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4.05 avg rating — 136,248 ratings
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49

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4.15 avg rating — 3,374 ratings
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52

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4.01 avg rating — 7,409 ratings
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52

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3.82 avg rating — 18,234 ratings
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54

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3.85 avg rating — 94,431 ratings
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55

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3.90 avg rating — 9,438 ratings
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56

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3.91 avg rating — 304,603 ratings
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56

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4.17 avg rating — 604,085 ratings
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58

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4.33 avg rating — 14,188 ratings
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59

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3.65 avg rating — 62,596 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 — 27 ratings
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59

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4.14 avg rating — 34,671 ratings
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63

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4.01 avg rating — 262,362 ratings
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64

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3.77 avg rating — 16,030 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 — 786,585 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 — 13,253 ratings
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69

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4.26 avg rating — 59,310 ratings
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70

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3.97 avg rating — 2,898,793 ratings
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71

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4.08 avg rating — 161,670 ratings
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71

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3.80 avg rating — 5,473 ratings
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73

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4.31 avg rating — 49,101 ratings
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74

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3.67 avg rating — 4,571 ratings
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75

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3.95 avg rating — 62,286 ratings
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76

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4.22 avg rating — 2,039,917 ratings
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77

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3.60 avg rating — 5,997 ratings
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78

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3.85 avg rating — 16,962 ratings
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78

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4.11 avg rating — 274,535 ratings
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80

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4.22 avg rating — 2,039,917 ratings
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81

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4.27 avg rating — 1,653,312 ratings
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82

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3.89 avg rating — 279,994 ratings
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83

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4.41 avg rating — 3,190,781 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 — 2,683 ratings
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84

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3.96 avg rating — 164,909 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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3.80 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 — 32,867 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 — 4,812 ratings
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84

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4.29 avg rating — 124,559 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
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
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Sarah 13809 books
226 friends
Talyah 1865 books
75 friends

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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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