I was shocked – SHOCKED – when Reader Jessica left a comment about virgin hero recommendations and my deep dive through the SBTB archives turned up nothing.
Of course, there are some obvious choices and probably a handful of lists on Goodreads, but personal recommendations of books you’ve loved and why go much further, don’t you think?
Redheadedgirl: There’s a virgin hero in one of the stories in the Rogue Desire anthology ( A | BN | K | G ).
Amanda: Also…the anthology is currently 99c. Just thought you all wanted to know.
Elyse: When the Duke Returns by Eloisa James ( A | BN | K | G | AB )
Amanda: I don’t think I know of any virgin heroes, but I’ve read a few sexually inexperience heroes that I really loved. The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) has a man-bunned, NFL hero who has never had penetrative vaginal sex. His first sexual experience was traumatic for him, so trigger warning for that.
There’s also Ripped by Edie Harris ( A | K | G | AB ). The hero (if I recall) has only had sex once. He’s a grumpy lawyer and the heroine is a British assassin.
I know you have virgin hero recommendations! Let us have ’em!
The only two I know are Jamie from Outlander and the duke from The Duchess War and clever readers have already beaten me to it. I do, however, really like the recs and I’ll be checking them out!
Untouched by Anna Campbell.
Definitely chiming in to second Courtney Milan’s Unclaimed – Mark Turner is one of my favorite heroes ever. A Victorian moralist with a surprisingly goofy sense of humor, and the heroine is, unbeknownst to him, a courtesan.
Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare. It’s a modern take on Beauty and the Beast.
Also, Sarina Bowen always writes really great characters, so I can really recommend both The Shameless Hour, and Keepsake.
The Countess Takes a Lover – Bonnie Dee (mentioned this in the botanists rec league a while back!)
To Love a Dark Lord – Anne Stuart (secondary hero)
My Fair Captain by JL Langley – m/m SFR crazy sauce. It’s mostly set on a planet with a culture that was modeled after Regency England, except gay – young noblemen are kept innocent until their wedding night. This is the first (and best, although I use that term loosely) in a series about 5 handsome and innocent royal princes.
Family Man by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton – mm contemporary. I’m not sure if this is currently available.
And I heartily second the rec for Games of Command.
Shana Galen’s Love and Let Spy has a virgin hero, but he was also a victim of sexual abuse as a child, so fair warning.
Miranda Neville’s The Dangerous Viscount
Mary Balogh’s Gentle Conquest
I could also swear that Mary Balogh’s Lord Carew’s Bride featured a virgin hero, but I can’t say with certainty.
This is a spoiler as it’s not revealed until afterwards, but Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove novella Lord Dashwood Missed Out has one.
Riveted by Meljean Brook. The hero has had two very negative experiences in the past because he is considered a pariah in two cultures for entirely opposite reasons due to a very complicated steampunk alternative history. The heroine is also a virgin but comes from a sex-positive background.
I love the whole Iron Seas series, but I think this is my favorite book. The heroine is spunky but not TSTL, and the hero is a smart, low-key beta male who looks forward in life despite a lot of tragedy in his childhood.
Virgin/sexually inexperienced hero is my FAVORITE trope! I really wish there were more of these, and not just in paranormals (where I think, a la Nalini Singh or Kresley Cole, the hero’s V card can easily be incorporated as a part of the lore or biology).
I second many of the recs above, esp for “The Duchess War” and “Beauty and the Billionaire,” but I’ll add “Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter.” It has a virgin werebear hero… need I say more?
His Second Hand Wife by Cheryl St. John has a virgin hero-all because of a childhood accident and scarring. It’s an old Harlequin Historical but is an absolute favorite of mine.
The Wood Nymph by Mary Balogh, Enchanting the Earl by Lily Maxton, I Thee Wed by Celeste Bradley, and Enslaved by the Viking by Harper St. George all have virgin heroes. Trigger warning on Enslaved by the Viking though, he was raped when he was younger.
Alexa Riley has a lot of virgin heroes, and if they’re not virgins, they’re typically not super experienced. Shielding Lily, Lassoing the Virgin Mail Order Bride, Virgin Duet, The Virgin Cowboy, and the entire Fairy Tale shifter series definitely have virgin heroes.
My favorite virgin hero is in The Importance of Being Wicked by Miranda Neville (the heroine nicknames him “Lord Stuffy”). Also, I’ll 2nd or 3rd or whatever Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt – love me some Winter Makepeace.
I have one! I hope it’s okay to add.
The Rainbow Clause is a m/m football romance with a virgin hero (and psst its on sale for 99 cents for the next three days)
https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Clause-Beth-Bolden-ebook/dp/B06XBS26YF/
M. O’Keefe’s new series, The Debt, features a virgin hero. Trigger warning, though, for attempted rape and a backstory of child abuse.
I love, love Bec McMaster’s Hexbound and especially Heart of Iron (one of my all time favorite romances, this is the best comfort read!)
Another favorite is Entwined by Kristen Callihan, a novella from her Darkest London series. I really heart the couple in this story! Extra points for the sparkling and clever written correspondence between the two main characters at the beginning of the story and how it progresses from realistically awkward to super hot.
Also on my TBR for paranormal are Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch and Nalini Singh’s Heart of Obsidian.
Lisa Kleypas has at least 1 book where the hero is not a virgin, but has only had sex with one woman prior to meeting the heroine. “Worth Any Price” is one of them and I’m pretty sure “Lady Sophia’s Lover” is the same situation.
Another shout out for Unclaimed, which is excellent. Also for any gamers, Alistair in Dragon Age: Origins.
All I Am by Nicole Helm has a virgin veteran hero who rescues dogs and makes organic dog treats. Such a good book! And Unclaimed is amazing as so many others have mentioned.
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but The Game Plan by Kristen Callahan is another one. Wasn’t Archer in Archer’s Voice my Mia Asher a virgin? I may be remembering wrong.
Vivian Arend’s One Sexy Ride as well, Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare (also her Jessica Sims book Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter I think?), and Tessa Bailey’s novella Off Base.
If self-recommendations are allowed, my book “Discovered” features a virgin hero. 🙂 Set in the early 1790s in England.
Bold Seduction, book one of the Hornsby Brothers by Karyn Gerrard has a virgin hero and a courtesan.
Also, I believe all heroines in the Castles Ever After series by Tessa Dare are virgins, and I actually liked every single one of them, particularly When A Scot Ties the Knot.
Tiger Magic by Jennifer Ashley has a shifter that although has been sexually active has no idea what romance means or what it means to be in love.
Both the hero and heroine of The Pages of the Mind by Jeffe Kennedy are virgins. The hero clearly has some experience, but it’s a plot point that he has “waited” for the heroine, knowing she was his chosen mate.
Veronica, nope, Lord Carew isn’t a virgin. He had a mistress to whom he refers rather early in the book (though she’s dead, I think, by the time he meets the heroine).
I second (or third!) The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen. Contemporary NA with an Hispanic, soccer-playing virgin and a much more experienced heroine (but v sex positive and not slut-shaming). All of those books (her hockey NAs) are good!
For historicals, I recommend The Texas Ranger’s Daughter by Jenna Kernan. If you like paranormals, there’s Beauty’s Beast by Jenna Kernan.
I also recommend Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh, but if I remember correctly, the author never explicitly said the hero was a virgin, but I must assumed he is because of the circumstances in the story.
Wasn’t The Shadow and the Star by Kinsale a virgin hero (after abused in childhood)? And Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh? Also, JR Ward had a novella about a vampire named Son who was kept chained in the basement and I think he was also a virgin. I do love this trope.
I love lots of the ones previously mentioned: “Unclaimedl by Courtney Milan, Winter Makepeace’s story in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, both of the Bec McMaster books, and “Temptations of a Wallflower” by Eva Leigh.
“Soulbound” by Kristen Callihan has a virgin hero, though it’s a smaller part of the plot and a wee wee wee bit of a spoiler.
Many moons ago I loved Susan Napier’s Harlequin Mills & Boons. She always flipped things around and wrote at least two virgin hero stories, The Secret Admirrer was the best and I can’t remember the other (maybe Passionate Proposition or Lessons in Seduction?). Ah, those were the days.
Adding another recommendation in for The Danger of Desire, Games of Command, All I Am, Entwined, and Riveted.
Yes, all of the Psy heroes in the Psy-Changeling series would qualify, but I highly recommend Caressed by Ice and Heart of Obsidian. You can probably add Shield of Winter to the list, but I’m not quite done with it.
I think Ashwin by Kit Rocha would qualify as well?
There is a book by Lucinda Brant called Marriage at Midnight. The Hero was a virgin. He states this at the end. It’s a very light read and it’s based on a true story.
Simple Jess, from the Marrying Stone series by Pamela Morsi. A widow with a young son and some valuable property is forced to choose a husband. She picks Jesse, who suffered an injury and is now slow with some intellectual tasks, but has many useful skills (book takes place in the Ozarks) and a wonderful, kind heart. Lovely book.
Thank you for this category! I realized after Outlander and Thief of Shadows that this is certainly a trope I enjoy. I can’t wait to read all these great recommendations!
@Judy W: yes, L. Kinsale’s Samuel in The Shadow and The star is a virgin… I love that book!!
I have a few contemporary recs! A number of these were listed above, but I think I have a few new ones.
Seconded recs from above:
– Love Hacked, Penny Reid
– The Shameless Hour, Sabrina Bowen
New recs:
– The Game Plan, Kristen Callihan (This book was a SBTB rec from a previous post)
– Groupie, M.E. Carter (Similar to Shameless Hour – heroine has a reputation of being a groupie for a soccer team and a history of being slut-shamed. A lot of the book has to do with her/them coming to terms with her past. This book was a difficult read at times for me since it has some explicit scenes that were a bit painful to read due to the context.)
– Dropping Gloves, Catherine Gayle (This is part of a long running hockey series. The hero/heroine have a long history that has run throughout the series, but this book can be read as a stand alone about their relationship. Note: There may or may not have been tears involved when I read this.)
…maybe I should fully read the original post. Looks like Amanda rec’d The Game Plan. Consider this a second!
the dangerous viscount by miranda neville is the only one I can think of though i know i’ve read more since (think it was a 1st for me so sticks in my mind more)
If you want to venture into SFR territory, I can think of two other series.
Cheryl Brooks’s The Cat Star Chronicles has at least one that fits the bill and it’s aptly named Virgin. The whole series is crazy as all get out, but I enjoyed it. (Don’t judge!)
Also, all the books in Janet Miller’s Gaian series. It’s biologically impossible for Gaian men to have sex until they’ve found their life partner. This series isn’t as off-the-wall crazy as Brooks’s, but it is SFR. (I also enjoyed it.)
Seems as if I read oodles of SFRs with virgin heroes back in the day, but I’m struggling to remember them. I was wondering about Kaitlyn O’Connor’s Below so I did an Amazon search. . . and ran into a message saying that my search contained adult items which had been hidden and did I want to continue. 0_o Really, Amazon? I continued, of course, read the description, but still couldn’t remember if the hero was a virgin. He was an aquaman, tho, so maybe that’s a bit too far-fetched for this Rec League anyway.
Seriously, it really seems as if there should be more books/heroes that fit this trope since so many people seem to like it. Writers take note!