Review: My Top List of Non-Smutty Romance Books for 2026.

As most of you know, I am not a fan of the way romance is treated in literature today. I like a story about a cute couple as much as anyone, but when things like rape and unhealthy obsession are portrayed as totally normal and romantic, and the book is full of so many graphic scenes that it needs an entire page dedicated to trigger warnings, something’s not right. If you feel the same way about this issue as I do and you’re tired of being bombarded with written porn anytime you look up book recommendations on YouTube, here’s a list of my favorite romance books that don’t have any of that and actually have literary merit.

#1: Pride and Prejudice

Written by Jane Austen and published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice is perhaps the most famous love story ever written and has had multiple TV and movie adaptations over the years. The story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is beautifully written and developed, has a timeless quality to it, and, like all of Austen’s books, provides a look into life as woman living in Regency era England. I highly recommend getting an annotated edition if you’re new to Jane Austen to help understand the Regency Era’s customs and colloquialisms.

#2: Sense and Sensibility

If you’re a fan of love triangles, but don’t like when they’re just there to do fan service or all of the characters are unlikeable, then Sense and Sensibility is for you. Published two years before Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility (originally titled Elinor and Marianne) follows sisters Elinor and Marianne as they, their mother, and their little sister navigate life after the death of their father. Marianne, a hopeless romantic swept up in the Romance movement of the early 1800s, falls desperately in love with the mysterious Mr. Willoughby shortly after the family moves into their little cottage in Devonshire. Meanwhile, Marianne’s wiser older sister also struggles with her feelings for Mr. Edward Ferrars, the brother of her sister-in-law, Fanny. I won’t explain anymore of the plot since it would give away too much and would ruin the plot twists. You’ll just have to read it to find out where it goes. Just like with Pride and Prejudice, I recommend getting an annotated edition.

#3: Beren and Luthien

Beren and Luthien was one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works, originally written in 1917 as The Tale of Tinuviel, and inspired by Tolkien’s love for his wife, Edith. It underwent numerous revisions, and in the 1920s, Tolkien decided to turn it into an epic poem called The Lay of Leithian, a work that was never finished, with three of the seventeen planned cantos being left unwritten. Because of these changes, there are three different versions of the story, with the prose edition being found in The Silmarillion. However, in 2017, Christopher Tolkien compiled the three versions of the tale into one book, Beren and Luthien, and so you can now read the story from its original conception to how it was when Tolkien died. It’s perhaps the most moving story in Tolkien’s entire legendarium and I highly recommend The Lay of Leithian version for the fullest look at the romance.

[Author’s Note: If you want to hear some of the songs or cantos from The Lay of Leithian sung, a channel I would highly recommend is Clamavi de Profundis. They do great work adapting the poems and songs from Tolkien’s books into music, so if you want a more immersive experience, I suggest checking them out.]

#4: Wuthering Heights

I’m on the edge when it comes to saying this is a romance because it technically doesn’t fit perfectly into that genre, but I’ll put it here because it centers around several relationships. As I’ve said many times on this blog, I was pleasantly surprised when I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, as I had heard about the terrible main relationship in it and thought it would be some 19th century brain rot. However, after reading it, it soon became one of my favorite “romances” (?) of all time. It’s highly dysfunctional, even in the healthiest relationships. However, unlike her sister, Charlotte Bronte, who justified the dysfunction in her book Jane Eyre, Emily Bronte happily condemned it. We see the “romance” play out from the eyes of the wiser, older nurse, Ellen, who points out how obsession does not equal love, and how one must be wise in who they choose to love. I recommend this book to anyone who’s tired of the obsessed-lover trope in romance being glorified and wants to see it roasted with logic and common sense.

#5: Romeo and Juliet

A classic piece of literature, and while I wouldn’t encourage anyone to imitate Romeo and Juliet’s relationship, it’s an obligation to put this in a post about romance book recommendations.

#6: A Severe Mercy

This autobiographical story follows the deep love of Sheldon Vanauken and his wife, Jean, as they marry, leave atheism, and become Christians. It reflects on themes of faith, love, and loss, and explores how love and suffering intersect. It’s a realistic look at what real love is like, making it a breath of fresh air amongst the unrealistic expectations of today.

#7: Emma

If I do anymore romance book recommendations, you will be seeing a lot more Jane Austen popping up. She was the queen of romance, and we all bow down to her in our bonnets and Regency Era dresses. Emma follows a rich girl who is admired by everyone, but is an awful, self-centered person, something that Jane Austen wastes no time in establishing. She takes great pride in the fact that she managed to successfully play matchmaker in the life of one of her friends, and thus, tries again, making her new friend, Harriet, her new project with disastrous results. It’s one of the OG rom-coms that’s a tale of love, mistakes, and personal growth.

#8: The Importance of Being Earnest

This play by Oscar Wilde is a satire of Victorian social hypocrisy, highlighting the themes of identity, deception, and the pursuit of love. Its romance is largely satirical, showing how reality doesn’t always match our expectations, as characters don’t meet the romantic ideals of their partners. I think this play, while being written in the 1800s, is especially relevant in today’s dating culture of unrealistic standards (i.e. “6’9″, trust fund, blue eyes”) because of it’s scathing critique of similar standards.

#9: The Song of Solomon

I’m including this because this is the quintessential love poem. Found in the Bible and written by King Solomon of Israel, it has withstood the test of time offering practical advice about love and romantic relationships amidst the beautiful poetry.

#10: The Princess Bride

Unfortunately, I have yet to read the book that the movie, The Princess Bride, was adapted from. However, if it’s anything like the movie, then I will recommend it.

Until next time,

M.J.