when they think you can’t write romance without ️️️

But the confession was generic and un-unique. So? I have seen that same line in tons of other works

Depends. I'm developing a YA fantasy trilogy with a developing romantic thread. So far it's all about the mutual respect and admiration. Later volumes will have true love and devotion, but no sex yet. The relationship itself is the story.
The practice romance I wrote is forbidden love, and the sex is the defining characteristic, so I couldn't avoid it. But it's only mentioned without being shown. More R-rated than X.

Indeed. There are far too many who've never known love in any sense, and now mistake affirmation and sex with love. So then they demand both. And if someone doesn't give in to their demands immediately, they snap, and form insane political movements that go from lying to children, to suing bakers into oblivion for not embracing absurdities, to throwing Scottish children in prison if they slip and fall on a dangerously-painted crosswalk that even horses are terrified of. And then they demonically brand the horse a "bigot" for refusing to walk there!

Materialistic sensuality is truly a destructive fallacy.

The only men who speak to women like women expect in romance novels are insincere, self-centered pricks who care nothing for the women they use.

Sex is an important part of life, as it is love. They sometimes come together, others don't. My main problem with "smut" is that it's always the same kind of smut, instead of sometimes being wild unhealthy smut, other times, passionate emotional smut, I don't know, I've been in relationships with very different ways of sex... my other main problem is that "romance" is usually smut centered. Like... wtf, it's just kind of... immature. It's ok, I read Berserk and stuff like that, we don't need to read about what we want in life or viceversa, but the thing is the lack of variety in novels or even in the entire genre.

It is interesting how female authors focus on a man changing and improving himself to be with her. He appeals to her spiritual and emotional inclination to win her love. As one marriage advice I heard "sexual arousal for woman begins 24 hours before you get to bed."" A whole lot of warm-up time for woman.

The pride and prejudice music in the background is so real

Love me some smutty books, romance, fluffy or dark... It's all good with me.

WOOO! I was going to add this to my Christmas list but I wasn't sure whether it had spice, and now I'm sure. Thank you for valuing decency and not hypershrexuality.

Exactly! Thank you Abbie. I wrote this kind of stuff and when I showed it to my friend she asked if I’ve been holding out on her. And when I told her I’ve never so much have been in a relationship childish or not she didn’t believe me for a long time. 😅 but with some of the stuff I write I wonder if I’ve been holding out on myself lol😂

I got no issue with spice and it can show a lot of the dynamic in a relationship in a romance, but whenever I’m recommended erotica I’m just… bored? Clearly (for me) the swoonability isn’t hinged on spice. My only issue with non-spice books is when I encounter authors really making a point about it and going to immersion-breaking lengths to make sure they don’t hook up (I will never forget the book with TWO there-was-only-one-bed moments with will-they-won’t-they-bang energy and they’re already legally married like, you can fade to black, the cops can’t stop you, why did you make it weird?)

.... Orca??

If anything id argue that if you NEED 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 to showcase love, you didnt write love. You wrote lust

Yeah sure characters romantically involved get intimate, i know mine do, but i dont need to write smut to showcase their romance. They remember little things about each other, have inside jokes, etc. Etc.

"Something in truth lay dead between them—the love she had killed in him and could no longer call to life. But something lived between them also, and leaped up in her like an imperishable flame: it was the love his love had kindled, the passion of her soul for his."

Holy God. No spice to be found in this book either. ❤

I scent Mr Darcy in the room...

Oh of course you’re going to use my favorite movie soundtrack against meeeeeeeeee - ugh how perfect for a scene like this😭😭✨✨

J. Jonah. Abbieson?
Also, WHY ARE YOU WRITING IN THAT BOOK, I... I CAN'T LOOK. IT'S TORTURE!

You know, stories in wich the characters have never done "it" before marriage really have something pure to them. It shows that they are ready for a shared life while really caring about the other one as a person.

Is that last bit referencing P&P..? Where Darcy says "you have bewitched me, body and soul"

Han...Pride and Prejudice. Basically the best romance ever written and they barely touch.

One of the hottest ones I read was A Bride in the Bargain. 0 🌶️. Even the wedding night scene skips the 🌶️.

I enjoy smut. I also enjoy romance without it. Both have to have emotional connection!! Smut without emotional connection is like pure capsaicin- burning without pleasure. It's gross imo.

And come on, Pride and Prejudice and Beauty and the Beast are some of the most romantic stories of all time. You don't need smut. Having it can work well depending but it's certainly not necessary.

Every romance I like usually has one, very not detailed spice scene, and focuses on interactions. I think that this is the best way to do romance imo

Is that a GOOD example?

The movie Stardust is a good one! Not a book as far as I know, but still a good romance story without all the crappy TV tropes that usually go with romance!

I'M LOOKING AT YOU, 50 SHADES OF GRAY.


But yeah honestly in my opinion, I don't have any issues with two characters gettin a lil silly and flirty just as long as the author doesn't completely orbit only that part of their relationship. I want the author to also include what they actually love about eachother, their ups and downs, forgiving and accepting eachother's flaws, and building trust.

I like to read spicy books every now and then, but honestly it feels like the non-spice books are the most swoon-worthy. They focus so much more on the chemistry and the charm instead of, you know, how big his… wingspan is

Tbh I take it as a challenge. Watch me write swoon-worthy, faint-inducing, screech-impending romance without even a kiss until the final chapters 😂

I wrote my first romance without 🌶🌶🌶🌶 and it turned out great. 11,000 views on Wattpad.

Do people actually say this? In my opinion one of the best romances ever put to screen is Maria and the Captain from The Sound of Music and it’s a family movie. This also goes for most Disney movies too.

You know what, the smut isn't swoon worthy either. The characters are just lusting after each other, being toxic, and it's called love. Now there is nothing wrong with people who want to read it, but, let's not say that clean books are not swoon worthy.

It's true for some of us without spice you might as well not even bother. I don't read books without spice.

Girl staaaaahp 😂😂😂😂😂😂

….but you’re exactly right 😏👏🏽

I died of cringe

Also closed door fade to black romance exists

Gosh yes! Thank you :)

You lost me when you started to highlight sry

Dating to survive webtoons: laughing in the corner in godly bear noises

Yeah, it's all sex & drama these days. It's bland & boring! Where's the heart? Where's the connection? Where's the partnership? I see lovers as friends with an extra layer of depth & intimacy. Without that, a couple won't endure.

😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤kiss for u oh girl

I mean that's basically what separates romance from p@rn, no?

I personally prefer romance that's more subtle tho.

This shor made me buy the audiobook

Listen I'm a Christian writer and I will not be adding spicy scenes. That's not the genre. But I WILL be adding passionate love declarations! Words not actions. Clean and safe! But good all the same! I need to read your book by the way! It looks good!

I like a little bit of spice in my books, especially if they're romance, but you're 100 percent correct. I don't write any of that in my own writing, and plus some authors get way too heavy handed in it. You don't need to describe every detail. Keep it vague.

It’s what I love Sanderson‘s way of writing romances for. It’s crumbs but it’s the most delicious crumbs I’ve ever gotten. The way I would’ve died for more Vin and Elend in Mistborn haha.

I’m still very proud of myself for writing the moment where my MMC vocalizes that he has deeper feelings for the FMC and he learns that she doesn’t think she’s worthy of him.

“To Hell with who you think I deserve, Carrie. I still can’t believe you think so little of yourself.”

THIS! Booktok always recommends books that sound good...but they're always smut or hidden smut and it's uncomfortable! I want more clean romances!

That was so beautifully poetic ❤😍

But you should have some anyway because it’s fun