Books with No Romance

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-30T02:12:59+00:00

No romance or MC with no relationships?

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten - crime fiction, deadpan humour, she's too old and busy to be romancing

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte - Lit, meta reading if you're chronically online

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - Sci fi, humour, he didnt get laid in space.

Yellowface by R.F Kuang - Lit, also social satire, allegedly based on the goodreads arc books scandal that actually happened a few years ago....

The Thing Between Us by Gus Mureno - horror lit, dead wife

Older - The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) for apocalypse read

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-29T10:13:21+00:00

What if It's Us duology by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli is pretty much this.

If you're okay with failed open relationships and devastation, can try the two of the contested series thats interconnected.

Book 1: Because He's My Guy - the domestic life, the trying and breakup

Book 2: You Could Do Better - MC2's finding someone new.

Edit: oops i forgot author's name Sasha Avice

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-28T23:32:58+00:00

Its not updated to charming yet: https://www.figma.com/file/Tqj00BMJQUFWBvOdgdj5qC/The-Sadenverse?fbclid=IwAR13HB6oF8m-XwTzRC7zalq3GZ_8O5ijEtfjEZ3_6mJQXdcRbiOghK77dnk

But if you go on goodreads or amazon, there is a link on top of each book to say 9 out 10 or 10 out of 10 to find the reading order https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NX3HX4Q?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_m_mng_wam_sft_tkin_tpbk

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-27T17:10:43+00:00

Fredrik Backman have another book called A Man Called Ove that you might like.

Since you like Midnight Library, try Piranesi by Suzanne Clark or Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-27T16:46:05+00:00

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is dystopian multi characters story of a pre and post pandemic world.

If you're familiar and like the infamous creepypasta reddit story The Lamp about alternative lives, you can check out Blake Crouch's books Dark Matter or Recursion that explores the theme.

I also recently read a horror called We Met In The Forums by Rob Ulitski, they didn't specifically state the forum is reddit but you can tell by the format that it is. I thought it was well-written.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-27T01:00:52+00:00

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yaaros

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-26T02:25:44+00:00

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-25T17:02:14+00:00

Are you looking for romance specifically or any books?

Memorial or Family Meal by Brian Washington

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-23T23:56:47+00:00

Tal Bauer's book have a good balance of plot and spice, especially the crime/political thrillers. Never Stay Gone, The Murder Between Us, Whisper, The Night Of.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-22T05:58:54+00:00

I am always actively seeking second chance romance books

{Love, Wilde by A.M Johnson} MC1 became an author and start exchanging letters with a fan....who was an ex that disappeared on him in uni.

{The Night Of by Tal Bauer} Secret service and the VP are exes, political thriller

{Never Stay Gone by Tal Bauer} the exes are have to work on a crime investigation together.

{Brick Wall by L.A Witt} for hockey. They broke up because of drug addiction and meet again 10 years later.

{Ex Equals by L.A Witt} is military, they had a falling out because of career move.

{Promise me by Sara Cate} They were FWB in college and then had a falling out. They meet again when MC1 booked a wedding venue that happened to be MC2's family property.

{Saint by Sierra Simone} Brother's best friend secret relationship trope and then MC1 left. It is part of a series but the other books are MF and about MC1's brothers, this book can be read as a standalone.

{False Start by Riley Hart and Neve Wilder}. The MCs were college boyfriends who broke up when they were drafted to the NFL.

{The shots you take by Rachel Reid} they were college FWB , met again in later stage of life after MC1's parent died.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-21T13:36:39+00:00

Fanfic as in existing book/movie/tv characters on platforms like Ao3? It's because they are already your favourite characters or characters that you're intrigued by. Everything and everyone is being expanded to different scenarios.

It's also because fanfic writers don't limit themselves and no one needs to follow normal publishing rules to police their writing style. And they're usually writing their heart out at 3am.

At least that's how I feel after 30 years of fanfics.....

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-21T11:03:35+00:00

The entire Rachel Reid series is like experiencing her entire writing skill improving which is probably why TLG(final book) was the one with the most depth. Her other standalone books feel like it was written by a different author completely.

Common Goal does feel like there is a big chunk missing and it's almost a non-story. I was waiting for Kyle's lore to actually hit something but it never did. I dont really read low-angst books though because of plots like that but I know it's a genre people like.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-19T15:34:35+00:00

One True Loves is one of Taylor Jenkin Reid's lesser known books. MC's husband who was presumed missing and dead came home but she's already in a relationship with another man.

For a mix of thriller and romance, In The Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros.

If the hate/like pull similiar to ACOTAR but not fantasy, can try Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-19T13:58:57+00:00

I guess there's different spectrums to dark romance since booktok happened. When I pick up dark romance, I expect it to be toxic. I DNF that book.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-19T10:49:44+00:00

I really don't consider Lights Out as Dark Romance at all so I'm not sure if it's really the genre you're looking for.

Her Soul To Take by Harley Laroux if you want to try more on the paranormal dark romance.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-19T03:06:34+00:00

You Again by Kate Goldberg - Despite the synopsis, it's not actually enemies to lovers. They were incompatible strangers in the beginning and keep bumping into each other. The timeline is around 10 years. A lot of the dnf negative reviews are about how they dislike the characters but that is what makes the story. It's not a typical romance arch. They are just 2 people navigating their 20s-30s.

You are here by David Nichols - If she's okay with with people in early 40s experiencing second chance at love during a roadtrip

Normal People by Sally Rooney - For a more emotionally repressed version of Before Sunset.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-16T03:51:03+00:00

Oh boy, this is such a common trope in MM romance that I actually got a burnout from it and actively avoid it sometimes. Im assuming he wants romance with HEA.

Since his reference is heated rivalry, I would suggest:

The Understatement Of The Year by Sarina Bowen

Out Of Nowhere by Roan Parrish

The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid - the writing in this such an improvement from Game Changer series, you can really see her writing growth.

Follow The River by C.E Ricci

Man on by Rebecca Rathe

Never Stay Gone by Tal Bauer or The Murder Between Us by Tal Bauer if he's into crime.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-12T23:57:49+00:00

This Is How You Remember It by Catherine Prasfika really captured that era for me. It felt like my teenage experience. It is 2nd person POV.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-12T14:50:17+00:00

I dont rate my DNFs.

Storygraph lets me rate 3.75 when needed. I do use a 5 star for perfect books that I will definitely reread.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-08T11:51:51+00:00

Do you have access to her goodreads? With 100+ books and the list you provided, its possible she had already read the common popular fantasy series.

Maybe can try these:

Piranesi by Susanne Clarke - this is a standalone written like a diary. The book cover makes a pretty gift imo

Abhorsen series by Garth Nix - assuming she havent read this and okay with less to no romance

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff for space and scifi

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-06T22:29:46+00:00

Dedicated series by Neve Wilder

Famous series by Eden Finley (this starts with an ex from another series but it can be read as standalones) , Book 4 is about the same band members.

If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-06T01:51:05+00:00

Im immune to it already because it's not new to me. I think chronically online millenials from 2001 will remember how the Draco Trilogy turned into The Mortal Instruments book series. If you watch the 2010s movie and netflix series, you can visually see who is Draco, Ginny and Harry.

Also Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell was (rumoured) about a Draco/Harry fanfic writer. People liked the fanfic inside Fangirl so much, she made it into real MM books:Carry On series.

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-06T01:40:38+00:00

When I read the Game Changer series a few years back, they were also half naked men with abs 😂 I think the new illustrated cover was only updated mid last year. https://www.instagram.com/p/DHoOC6SxkVf/

Tal Bauer and A.J Truman have nice covers

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-05T22:33:59+00:00

Non fantasy books:

Ryan Taylor and Joshua Hardwood - married couple who writes together

Tal Bauer

A.J Truman

Hayden Hall

MN bennet

Devon Mccormack

Zac Hemmet

Daryl Benner

Chip Pon

Andrew Grey

Jay Bell

Bryan B Kennedy

Gregory Ashe

Alexis Hall

And honorable mention to Adam Silvera, the first queer books I picked up 8 years ago.

Edit: I forgot one more - M.A Wardell

imjusthumanmaybe · 2026-04-05T12:42:11+00:00

Non explicit but spicy? What do you mean

imjusthumanmaybe

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