This Rec League comes from Katie!
Hi, I am requesting this for a coworker who was lamenting that there are no adult closed door queer romances, as everything closed door is either YA or adult but not actually a romance because it is full of pain and struggles (no HEA). I brainstormed for a while and could only come up with YA titles. Help!
Tara: Heather Rose Jones writes queer historical fantasy that fit the bill and are gorgeously written. Daughter of Mystery is a great place to start.
Ann McMan also closes the door or writes very short, not-at-all-detailed sex scenes. Beowulf for Cretins ( A | BN ) would be a good place to start with her.
I haven’t read anything by Amanda Radley, but she has a huge, loyal following in the sapphic reading community and she’s known for writing closed door romances.
Shana: I second Amanda Radley, Humbug ( A | BN ) is one of my favorite Christmas romances.
A Tale of Two Florists by Brenna Bailey is an adorable closed romance between older heroines.
I feel like the sex in Legends & Lattes is very limited, and possibly closed door but I can’t quite remember.
Fall Into You by Georgina Kiersten is a closed door f/f novella that I enjoyed. And I’m pretty sure the m/m fantasy novel Witchmark by C.L .Polk is closed door.
Sarah: I’m hesitant because my memory is really not great at the moment, but wasn’t Helena Greer’s series starting with Season of Love a closed door?
Death in the Spires I believe is closed door but it’s a mystery more than other genres.
Lara, is The Shabti closed door as well?
Lara: Oh man, now we need to rely on pregnancy brain! As far as I can recall, it was closed door, or the sexy parts were really minimal/vague/implied. I remember that they went to bed, but I don’t think we find out much of what happens there.
Sarah: Between my post-COVID brain and your gestating brain, maybe we’ll remember all the things!
Maya: Yayyyyyy your pregnancy brain!
Which romances would you recommend? Let us know in the comments!
Alexis Hall isn’t for everyone, but Boyfriend Material and Husband Material are written closed door to evoke the feeling of 90s British RomComs. Paris Daillicourt is About to Crumble has no sex scenes closed door or otherwise, but it’s part two of a series where book one did have one on page sex scene late in the book. I can’t remember if 10 Things that Never Happened had an on page sex scene or not, but I’m leaning to not because it takes place in the same world as BM and HM.
Alison Cochran’s books are low heat since I think there’s usually only one not graphic sex scene, but that still maybe too much for your coworker.
@Rebecca F, yeah some of Alexis Hall’s other series are definitely not closed door (might be worth mentioning to coworker so they don’t end up disappointed), but Boyfriend Material definitely is and the first thing I thought of.
I’m following this with interest! I don’t mind closed door as long as there’s lots of pining/yearning type feelings.
@Rebecca F: I came here to make the same recommendations. Iirc, there’s some kissing in TEN THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED, but anything beyond that is strictly closed door.
Maria Soto’s Quiet Agents books, both MCs are ace, and they navigate their relationship with such care and pining. The first, HIS QUIET AGENT, has some off-page work-related trauma that leaves one MC in desperate need of help and comfort, which the second MC gloriously provides. It ends with a HFN, and the sequel, AGENTS OF WINTER, delivers a delightful HEA. CW for the aftereffects of physical and mental trauma.
IIRC “Hither, Page” by Cat Sebastian doesn’t have explicit sex scenes.
I’m pretty sure thatAllie Therin’s MAGIC IN MANHATTAN paranormal queer romance trilogy is closed door (although the ROARING TWENTIES MAGICspinoff series is not).
The Art of Three by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese (about a poly romance) is essentially closed door. There is one scene late in the book with on page sex, but it is not explicit. It’s a really well done book that I highly recommend.
Everina Maxwell’s WINTER’S ORBIT is closed door (mostly – gets into the foreplay a bit but fades to black before it gets too far). I don’t think I’d consider it YA? The characters are adults and the themes and tone feel reasonably mature. Definitely a lot of pining and tension, and CW for past abuse of one character.
(Still haven’t read the second in that series so not sure about that one.)
My self-published Edwardian frolic SEXTETTE is fade-to-black. Contains three love stories: F/F, F/M, and M/M, all in a very queer friend group. This one is AMZ only at the moment.
My new contemporary M/M novelette REINVENTED from JMS Books (available everywhere) is closed door. Co-workers to lovers, both 50+, both single dads. 🙂 Author Alexandra Caluen.
Season of Love was indeed closed door.
Heart of Stone by Johannes Evans (historical fantasy)
Tomes & Tea Cozy Mysteries series by Rebecca Thorne (fantasy)
Artemis by Jessica Cale (historical)
Viscount Debacle by Winter Blackthorne (historical)
The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter by KJ Charles (historical)
Seven Devils series by LR Lam (scifi – although the romance is a side plot rather than the main focus. However, several members of the group are queer)
Survival Kit by AH Haga (horror/apocalypse)
Walk Between World by Samara Breger (fantasy)
Lavender Inn by Olivia Lark (historical)
Sailor’s Delight by Rose Lerner (historical – note that her others usually are not closed door)
Patience and Sarah by Isabel Miller (historical)
Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff (fantasy). Her Fire’s Stone book is listed on romance.io as closed door but I marked it as open–I think it was open just non-graphic?
Lord Helidor’s Retirement by Amy Rae Durreson (fantasy)
Briarley by Aster Glenn Gray (historical fantasy)
Merry Happy Valkyrie by Tansy Rayner Roberts (paranormal – she’s another one that’s not always closed door)
If you haven’t used it (and just since I already mentioned it), the website romance.io has a bookfinder, where you can filter their books by various tropes, steam level, relationship pairing, genre, etc. They have both a kisses only or a closed door level for steam.
Looks like my tbr list is expanding again with so many recs! I’ve enjoyed:
‘Nathan Burgoine’s Handmade Holidays
Season of Love by Helena Greer (a favorite read from last year)
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall
The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman (historical, a favorite comfort read)
Briarley by Aster Glenn Gray is a m/m Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I believe it’s no heat.
Thank you so much for recommending my book Fall Into You! I just wanted to correct you. Fall into You is a slow burn romance with a sex scene near the end. It’s not closed door at all but I am so happy that you enjoyed book. I just wanted to make sure that your readers were clear on what they were getting into.
I may be misremembering because I read this last year and my brain is like a sentient colander but I believe Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni is closed door.
Seconding SAILOR’S DELIGHT by Rose Lerner. Historical with fascinating info about Jewish naval history. (The half naked dude on the cover is misleading—I kept thinking it was going to get steamy but it does not.)
Closed door:
For Never & Always – Helena Greer
Heart of Stone – Johannes T. Evans
Hoosier Daddy – Ann McMan and Salem West
Vincent’s Thanksgiving Date – R. Cooper
Waiting for the Flood – Alexis Hall
The Romantic Agenda – Claire Kann
Chaste:
Letters to Half Moon Street – Sarah Wallace
I Didn’t Sign Up for This – Anita Kelly
A Garter as a Lesser Gift – Aster Glenn Gray
Ashlin & Olivia – Aster Glenn Gray
The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter – KJ Charles
A Duet for Invisible Strings – Llinos Cathryn Thomas
Hearts Alight – Elliot Cooper
Would The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune count? I have a poor memory, but I feel it was fairly tame.
I seem to recall that both “We Could Be So Good” and “You Should Be So Lucky” by Cat Sebastian were pretty closed-door. I mean, without any doubt stuff did happen, the lead up was there, but I don’t remember the scenes being particularly detailed or drawn out. She also just writes the best romances, imo. I don’t have the best memory for books, generally speaking, so I guess I’ll have to take one for the team and go back and reread both of them, just to make sure. 😛
I’ll second the rec of Winter’s Orbit. Lots of mutual pining! One of my favs. I agree it’s not YA.
Alexis Hall is pretty forthcoming on his website about heat levels in his books, including an FAQ, and I think a couple blog posts too, talking about why his heat levels vary. Worth perusing since, as others have noted, his books cover the entire range and *then some* 🙂 I usually go for on-page sex but absolutely adore his lower steam books, especially Boyfriend Material.
I seem to recall that Red White & Royal Blue is *almost* closed door, despite being a pretty horny book. The details aren’t explicit or the sex scenes sort of skip over the penultimate moment or are very euphemistic and vague. More description of feelings, less of body parts etc. But I could be remembering wrong? A quick check of reviews on GR run the gamut from “why is all the sex fade to black” to “wow this book has way too much explicit sex.” ??? Anyway, I think they talk about sex lot but the actual sex scenes are fade to black.
Thank you everybody! My coworker said that we have saved their TBR and that they are very excited! Whoohoo! Go Team!
I’m sorry to come in late on this post (The last few days I’ve been without power, thanks to the weather) but I’d like to let Katie know that Whistling in the Dark is entirely closed door, apart from a couple of kisses.
(I apologize, too, for self-promoting, but since losing my publisher, I’ve been trying to speak up when there’s an opportunity. Thanks.)