My Top Romance-Free Books

Now before we get into the article, I must say that I love romance in books. Romance as a side plot to an adventure story is my cup of tea. In my experience, it’s been somewhat difficult to find stories that are romance-free.

Over the years, I have accumulated a few great books that do not have romantic subplots, so they are great for people who prefer that in the books they read. Here are my favorite books that I consider romance-free.

1. Loveless by Alice Oseman

Alice Oseman is a British author who is known for having aromantic and asexual representations in her books. This book is no exception. Loveless is about a teenage girl named Georgia who has always wanted to fall in love.

She’s never had a crush on anyone, boy or girl. Her experience with romance is non-existent, but she adores romantic fanfiction. She dreams of a fairytale romance and is determined to find it when she starts university.

Georgia eventually learns that her lack of romantic feelings is still there, and her plan to find romance created problems with her new friend group. These friends introduce her to new terms that will change her life: aromantic and asexual. Georgia now has to accept that there is more to life and happiness than romance and that she is worthy of affection and kindness from others.

2. Sin Eater by Megan Campisi

In this dark and brutal world, there are Sin-Eaters. These women are tasked with hearing deathbed confessions and eating certain foods that symbolize those confessions. This way, the person can die without any sins holding them back.

The Sin-Eater has an important job, but she is alienated and otherwise ignored by the community. An awful physical marking adorns the Sin-Eater, and no one is to touch her. May is a fourteen-year-old girl who became the next Sin-Eater after stealing a piece of bread. She became an apprentice to the current Sin-Eater, who cannot speak to her directly.

Trouble arrives when a dear heart is placed on the coffin of someone who did not commit the crime it symbolized. The current Sin-Eater refused to eat the heart and was tortured and killed for it. May set out to find who placed the heart there and why.

3. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

Another novel by Alice Oseman, Radio Silence, is about the friendship between two people. Frances is a studious teenager who never lets anyone get in the way of her academic goals. But Frances has a secret: she draws fanfiction art for her favorite podcast. Soon she meets a boy named Aled, who makes her feel more like a person.

They bond throughout the book, and Frances is starting to figure out her identity and who she wants to be. A bump in the road causes them to drift apart, and Frances is determined to right her wrongs and preserve the friendship that makes her feel so alive.

4. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This creepy and fascinating story is one of my all-time favorites. Neil Gaiman creates a chilling story about a girl who takes what she has for granted and has to figure out how to fix it.

Coraline Jones is an eleven-year-old girl who just moved with her family to Oregon from Pontiac, Michigan. The house, known as the Pink Palace, is a century-old structure with many secrets.

Bored and neglected by her working parents, Coraline explores the house and finds that one of the doors is locked and won’t open. After unlocking the door and finding only bricks, Coraline is disappointed. She tries again in the middle of the night and discovers a passageway that leads to another apartment almost identical to her own.

In this world, her parents are perfect. They make her delicious meals, buy her gifts, and give her the attention she’s always craved. One peculiar thing about these other parents is that they have button eyes.

Traveling back and forth from the real world to the other world, Coraline soon figures out that the Other Mother has ulterior motives for treating Coraline so well. Coraline is trapped. She has to use her head and figure out a way to get back to her world.

I recommend all these books, they’re wonderful! If you want a change of pace that features no romance, these books are great options.