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!
There have been some great recs. Lets see what I can add! These are all books I really liked.
Contemporary
Carry the Ocean (The Roosevelt, #1) Cullinan, Heidi (MM)
Empty Net (Scoring Chances #4) Gale, Avon (MM)
How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Granby Knitting, #2) Lane, Amy (MM)
Love Lessons (Love Lessons, #1) Cullinan, Heidi (MM)
Imperfect Chemistry (Imperfect, #1) Frame, Mary (NA)
SFR
Venomous (Alien Warrior, #1) Fletcher, Penelope
Historical
A Chance at Love Jenkins, Beverly
Laurel (Seven Brides, #4) Greenwood, Leigh
Always to Remember Heath, Lorraine
A Man And A Woman (The Lady’s Tutor. #1.5) Schone, Robin
Seduction Quick, Amanda
Wild Oats (Wild Oats, #1) Morsi, Pamela
Paranormal
Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #3; Demonica, #8) Ione, Larissa
A Hint of Frost by Hailey Edwards is a fantasy romance with a virgin hero who wears a kilt. Make Me Yours by Kendall Ryan, Control and Restraint by Charlotte Stein also feature virgin heroes.
If I remember correctly, Beauty and the Bilionaire by Jessica Clare has a virgin hero. I enjoyed it for sure.
If I remember correctly, Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare has a virgin hero. I enjoyed it for sure.
Haven’t read all comments so sorry if these are repeats:
LaVyrle Spenser probably has more than one virgin Hero, but the one I remember is The Endearment. Lovely story about early settlers too.
Also: Not sure if he was a virgin or just inexperienced, but the hero in The Devi’s Delilah by Loretta James seems to fit the bill.
Loving Lord Ash by Sally Mackenzie–the hero and heroine are both virgins. They’re married but have yet consummate their marriage due to a misunderstanding.
To Love a Lord by Christi Caldwell.
Love Hacked by Penny Reid. It’s the third in her Knitting in the city series.
M/M Fantasy Regency series with protected younger Debutantes paired with older Suitors. jL Langley writing for Samhain. I think it is the Regelence series. Book 1 is My Fair Captain.
Thank you for the reminder, time for a re-read. Sorry to say these haven’t been republished yet.
I’m not sure if anyone else has already recommended this but Katie Ruggle’s Gone Too Deep has a virgin hero. It’s the third book in the Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue series. It’s also contemporary.
I believe Aiden from Mariana Zapata’s Wall of Winnipeg is a vergin.
Not technically a virgin, but For My Lady’s Heart (Kinsale) has a hero who is decades into a vow of chastity when he meets the heroine.
Shadow and the Star is so romantic. My absolute favourite romance ever. So angsty and so satisfying and really sensual (which I think is rare). I sincerely love both characters.
@Zyva, while we’re in Discworld, don’t forget Captain Carrot, the virgin-est of them all. Until he falls for a werewolf, that is.
@JoS: Nice one. Adds to my knowledge. Following the Watch novels properly was outside my and my school’s library (replacement) budget
I second the recommendation of Rogue Spy by Joanna Bourne. The hero is a virgin by choice, for good reasons that are discussed in the text.
Some books with virgin heroes I liked that I don’t *think* have been mentioned yet are:
Born in Sin by Kinley MacGregor (historical)
Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (paranormal)
The Texan’s Wager by Jodi Thomas (historical)
Wild at Heart by Patricia Gaffney (historical)
Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James (historical)
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson (contemporary-M/M)
Body Rocks by A.M. Arthur (contemporary-M/M)
The Adorned by John Tristan (fantasy-M/M)
I also second, third, whatever those who mentioned: Outlander, Thief of Shadows, Nalini Singh’s Psy heroes, Games of Command, Untouched, Simple Jess, The Shadow and the Star, His Secondhand Wife, Unclaimed, The Duchess War, Heart of Iron, and The Shameless Hour.
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Emma Scott. (Free on Kindle unlimited) Slight paranormal with second chance story. Hero meets experienced girl in high school. Trigger warning for some abuse in her past. Hero is mildly psychic and struggles with fitting in from “knowing things”. They are split apart for years and then he finds her when she breaks from another abusive situation.
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Emma Scott. (free on Kindle Unlimited) A touch of paranormal combined with second chance theme. Trigger warnings for past and present abuse to Heroine. Hero has some psychic ability that allows him to “know” things in a non-specific, “I-know-I’m-supposed-to-be-here-now” sort of way.
“Crazy for Her” by Sandra Owens. “Beauty and the Billionaire” by Jessica Clare. I read another one recently … will post back when I remember.
“Sacked” by Jen Fredrick.
How about both “The Thorn Birds” and “Tim” by Colleen McCullough? There must be more “fallen priest” heroes out there!
Here is a whole list of them: https://allaboutromance.com/virginal-heroes/
Dang, this is an expensive thread.
I just had a surprise virgin in Tessa Bailey’s novella, Off Base: Kenna and Beck (in the anthology “Off Base” with Sophie Jordan) – good-boy vet, experienced captain’s daughter shows him what he wants is a-ok, even if it is a little dirty. Really, really good.
Jude Devereaux has a short story with a virginal hero, where he was in love with the heroine since he was a kid. She was a pilot, is older than him, and I think it takes place in the 1920’s?
The Flame (sfr) by Jean Johnson has a Virgin hero, since he accidentally burned the first woman he tried anything with.
The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale.
I’d pick L.A. Witt’s m/m THE CLOSER YOU GET (part of a series, but worked fine for me as a standalone)…virgin hero Alex is so luscious that my heart’s aflutter thinking of him right now. (His love interest is described as a “manwhore” for those who like that trope.) It suffers a bit from some manufactured angst near the end (a common Witt issue, I notice), but till then it’s quite mesmerizing.
I love virgin heroes. Finding them is a hobby, and this list gives me new ones to search for. Thank you! I have to back up those that recommended Archer’s Voice, Games of Command, and Transcendence–only romance I’ve ever read about a caveman. Love all 3!
I’ve read hundreds of virgin hero books, but I doubt anyone wants me to list them all HaHa! Here are some of my favorites that I don’t think we’re mentioned:
Claimed by a Demon King – Felicity Heaton
Jude – Lane Hart
Interference – Dakota Madison
Imperfect Chemistry – Mary Frame
Root – Danica Avet
Whatever you Need – Barbara Longley
Touching Down – Nicole Williams (not a virgin in book, but they were each other’s only lovers ever)
Black Heart – R.L. Matthewson (hints he’s not a V in beginning, but he really is)
The Blue Amaryllis – Sonia De Leon (no sex in book, amazing story)
Brutal – K.S. Adkins (h-rape history trigger warning)
All the chimeras in Karin Shah’s The Chimera Chronicles are virgins because chimeras mate for life.
Girls Like You- Heather Crews
Love in Touch – Lucy May Lennox (highest recommendation for this book. Hero is blind and deaf)
The Only Exception – Megan Vernon (h-rape history trigger warning)
Puddle Jumping – amber johnson (autism)
Raze – Tillie Cole (H-rape history trigger warning)
Souls Unfractured – Tillie Cole (H-rape history trigger warning)
Reaper – Ashliegh Zavarelli (abuse history warning, mafia warning)
The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion (aspergers, no sex in book)
Sacred Waters – Lydia Michaels