This is request for our very own Shana, who is looking for closed door romances that don’t fall into the inspirational umbrella. I thought we did this before, but I couldn’t find anything so here we go!
Sneezy: Loathe at First Sight ( A | BN | K | AB ) has no sex at all.
Amanda: I know there are a few newer contemporaries that qualify? Guillory or maybe Christina Lauren? Can’t say for certain though!
Elyse: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy is closed door.
Sarah: Uzma Jalaluddin’s romances!
Kiki: Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron was closed door contemporary!
I think her first novel was as well, but I’m not certain
Sneezy: Hana Khan Carries On is a Halal romance, so that would fit
Sarah: Then definitely Hana Khan and Ayesha too, yes.
Sneezy: Did This is How You Lose the Time War have sex??? ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) I don’t remember there being sex.
Sarah: My own book, Lighting the Flames – I was aiming for a wider audience age-wise, so I didn’t write sexy times. A lot of kissing, though.
Sneezy: The one Catherine reviewed recently, Briarley, is closed door too, I think?
Lara: Most of Therese Beharrie’s books are closed door… or maybe only the early ones?
Elyse: To Sir With Love by Lauren Layne
Tara: I don’t think there was sex in This is How You Lose the Time War.
Catherine: Briarley is closed door and there is no sex in This Is How You Lose the Time War. I know I’ve read a heap that meet this brief recently, and can’t think of any of them right now! Apart from Ice Swan by J’Nell Ciesieslki, which I reviewed recently. All Stirred Up by Brianna Moore is another I’ve reviewed that I think is closed door.
Which romances would you recommend for Shana?
Pauline Baird Jones writes scifi, without sex.
Celia Lake’s The Seven Sisters is closed door. Mimi Matthew’s The Matrimonial Advertisement is, and I think the rest of that series, but I haven’t read them all.
In The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory, the sex is closed door every time — and there’s a lot of times! I hadn’t read a romance before where the characters were having so much sex but we saw so little of it. I don’t tend to seek out closed door, though, so maybe it’s more common than I know?
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren is pretty close to closed door as well. There is a sex scene but as I recall it’s maybe two paragraphs long and very vague.
I was also thinking of Mimi Matthews, although I seem to recall them having a Christian slant to them. It’s not overt/in your face, but I think many of her characters are practicing Christians.
A lot of older regencies came to mind immediately, Georgette Heyer of course, but really just about anything written before Mary Balogh really hit her stride 😉 is probably closed door. Gothics too, I love Mary Stewart. Of course, you have to wade into them knowing their may be terribly dated cringy stuff (racism, sexism, etc). Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels might be a good fit, although even those may be pretty dated by now. Also Harlequin Romance (the OG category, also called Tender) is generally closed door or very soft focus. I believe Harlequin Heartwarming are specifically marketed as this “closed door, non-inspirational” but I haven’t read any of the line, so I can’t swear to that.
Latter books in the Pink Carnation series, but the first few the door is definitely open. (It definitively switched around the Orchid Affair I believe, but they slowly and slowly got less and less explicit with each book)
I’m definitely following this b/c “closed door, no religion stuff” is one of my sweet spots.
Because I don’t read romance to have the bedroom door slammed in my face (or never opened at all), I don’t seek out “closed door” and am usually only aware of it once I finish the book and say to myself, “Huh—there were no sexy-times in that book.” Therefore, about the only book I can remember being at least “door almost fully closed” is Julie Hammerle’s KNOCKED UP CINDERELLA. I’m not sure if Shana would consider “slow-burn” romances where the first (and generally only) sex scene arrives very late in the book, but I thought Karla Sorensen’s FORBIDDEN was wonderful—there’s lots of sexual tension between the MCs but no sexy-times until the very end of the book.
The Art of the Three by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese is closed door- but there is a lot of sexual tension and I didn’t even realize it until the end of the book.
Rosalind Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall is also closed door (or maybe some not very explicit sex is on page).
And doesn’t Mariana Zapata tends to write closed door?
I’ll second what Jill Q. suggested above–older romances like Georgette Heyer’s do admittedly have some dated attitudes here and there, but the witty language is wonderful, and the characters are beautifully developed (not solely driven by a sense of religious duty). Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt have stood the test of time as well.
I’ve only read a couple of her books but I think Susanna Kearsley fits this?
I wouldn’t classify Mimi Matthews As inspirational. Her characters are all Christian, but they are all English and living in the Victorian era, so of course they are. I would say they’re Christian in the same way Austen’s characters are all Christian. It’s part of their lives and world view, but the books aren’t preaching to the reader, if that makes sense.
I guess it depends on how much you want to avoid religion. As a nonbeliever, I’m happy to read about people who have a religion, but I don’t want to feel like the author needs me to have it, too.
Just The Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James. This book is all about the banter and the building of their friendship. No sex on the page.
The original Magnolia Chronicles by Kate Canterbary had no sex but a revision was issued that included a new chapter that contains a sex scene and epilogue that’s explicitly states sexy intentions. I’m not sure if “original” version is an option to buy now.
If allowed a bit of self-promotion, my King of Paradise and Wedding Belle Blues are closed door/no sexy times.
Alexis Hall’s WAITING FOR THE FLOOD is am/m novels with no sex but lots of pining! It’s a reread for me,lots of aching sweetness.
I would say The Undateable by Sarah Title for the most part qualifies. There’s one sex scene and it’s vague. Only maybe 2 kissing scenes. But it’s really good!! Ultimate slow burn. I haven’t read the other 2 books in the series (Librarians in Love) but I would imagine they’re also tame.
I just finished Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey, which is a fun contemporary closed-door romance.
I think Eva Ibbotson’s books are closed door. They weren’t written as genre romance, but they are basically romance novels.
Tracy Brogan’s books are fun and closed door.
My first thought was Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, two of my go-tos. Is Carol Goodman closed-door? Kate Morton? Marisa de los Santos? Rosamunde Pilcher?
Mhairi McFarlane writes mostly closed door – but can be a bit heavy themesso read CWs!
Adding on to Carol and Quinn’s suggestions of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, I would also recommend Phyllis Whitney. I’m quite fond of Quicksilver Pool even if the romance is a bit understated. I’ve only read one Patricia Veryan so far but I think her books, in general, are similar to Heyer’s.
I’m so delighted by this post and these comments; I’m always looking for a good closed-door romance.
I’d like to add a rec for Miracles and Menorahs by Stacey Agdern, which is a delightful, cozy, Hannukah-themed (a cute NY town that has a Hannukah festival, no less!) m/f romance that is closed door. It’s the first in a series of three, and I don’t know if other two books will be closed door but I’m hoping so!
I also highly recommend Heather Rose Jones’ Alpennia series (f/f fantasy Europe setting). The first one is Daughter of Mystery. I believe that they’re technically historical fantasy with a romance being a strong part of the storyline, but all of them have HEAs (except maybe Mother of Souls, it’s been a while – I remember the ending was satisfying but I can’t remember if it’s an HEA). They should be read in order, though Floodtide also stands alone.
Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis is a light fun read, Regency England but make it magic and have women be in charge. I haven’t read all the books/novellas in the series but the first 2 were closed door.
I’ve not read any of her new titles but Lynn Kurland was closed door if I remember correctly and you get a dose of historical/ time travel goodness in some.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is one of my new(ish) favourite books – it has a very sweet and subtle romance plot without Sexytimes. I feel like Robin McKinley’s later novels are rather undeservedly obscure: Chalice, Dragonhaven and Shadows have strong romantic elements; Sunshine is the only one with a “soft focus” scene I believe. On the sci-fi (rather than fantasy) side of things, I’d recommend Sharon Lee&Steve Miller, especially the early Liaden novels (Local Custom, Scout’s Progress, Agent of Change). Finally, I’ve lately read most of the back catalogue by RJ Blain – lots of attraction, consistenly closed doors. Also hilarious and quite bonkers, so YMMV.
It’s been a while since I read them, but if I remember correctly, the following were closed door romances :
Madeleine Robins: The Heiress Companion (quite Heyer-like)
Sherwood Smith : Danse de la Folie
Susanna Kearsley’s books are closed door (The Rose Garden is my personal favorite) and so is Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes.
I also would suggest Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall as maybe not strictly “closed door” but on the less explicit end of the spectrum for sexy times.
Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen is a closed door romance. It’s steampunk fantasy. I found it surprisingly sensual for closed door.
PS – It’s also got a bit of hurt/comfort going on if you like that.
I’m enjoying Lyn Messina’s Beatrice Hyde-Clare historical mysteries. Light hearted and funny with a sweet closed door romance!
I seem to recall that Meryl Wilsner’s “Something To Talk About” was a slooooooow burn closed door romance (the sex happens off the page, but there’s definitely a lot of chemistry throughout the story!), which is why I usually recommend it to anyone looking to start with F/F romance.
@TamB: I remember mentioning in my WAYR post that THE MAGNOLIA CHRONICLES was closed door—which I found somewhat baffling at the time because Canterbary is most definitely not a closed-door writer. I wondered if it had something to do with the fact that Magnolia is trying to decide between two men during the course of the book. I also wonder if I were to open my ebook of THE MAGNOLIA CHRONICLES now if the new/added material would be included.
Kristin Higgins’ Blue Heron and other earlier books. Also no swearing.
Carla Kelly, mainly her earlier books. I think the later ones set in North America have more of a Christian tilt. It’s been a long time since I read “Again” by Kathleen Gilles Siedel, but I’m pretty sure it was closed door.
Once you go back a couple decades into the Signet Regency era, there are lots of great authors to choose from; Edith Layton, Elisabeth Fairchild, Dinah Dean, Joan Wolf, Diane Farr, April Kihlstrom, Carola Dunn(some Jewish MCs, but religion is not a theme), Barbara Metzger, Marjorie Farrell and Charlotte Louise Dolan.
Donna Thorland wrote a fabulous series of spy historicals set during the American Revolution, which I believe were closed door, although there are non-explicit mentions of sex, also CW for rape in at least one of them.
Elizabeth Camden is published by a Christian publisher, but the “inspirational” parts are very minimal.
There’s a British author called Katie Fforde who has written around twenty romance books with no sex.
Vanessa Riley’s Rogues and Remarkable Women series is closed door and not inspirational.
Michelle Diener’s Verdant String sci-fi series seems to be closed door (which surprised me, b/c I don’t think her other series are? But maybe they are?)–i’m re-reading them right now, and at least the pre-quels and the first book are closed door (with kissing).
Burning Bright, by Melissa McShane, is a historical fantasy (?) novel (Regency plus magic) that I’m mostly through and seems to be completely closed door. Shockingly so, to my mind.
I feel like I’ve read another recently. It’s been a little refreshing, even if I’d like a *little* more kissing in the second one! there was a lot of plot though.
I just read “The Move” by Whitney Dineen. I was actually surprised by the lack of sex since it was reading much more like a typical Rom-Com. Definitely doesn’t fall under the inspirational category.
If you like Paranormal and UF, all of RJ Blain’s books are closed door romance.
Hi, @SusanH, regarding Christians in England during the Victorian era, I know just what you meant (and I am a fan of Matthews). However, I do want to share that there’s a page on The Victorian Web: Judaism in Victorian Britain. I mean no criticism at all just wanted to share my Jewish perspective. 🙂 There were definitely people of various faiths living in England during that timeframe.