Romance Novels Without Sex

Famous publishing house, Shadow Mountain Publishing, recently started its series of romantic novels involving virtually no sex at all, with a debut title named Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson.

Although for many people this might seem a bit surprising since the trend in the recent romantic novels tend to involve a lot of steamy stuff, this particular book is already receiving good reviews from the critics.

The genre of romantic novels has flourished in the recent years, with a sales volume of $1.4 billion last year according to the Romance Writers of America.

An important factor in this popularity is that the main consumer group for these novels, women aged 30-54 is also becoming financially strong.

According to Heather Moore of Sourcebooks, “There are two new trends we’re seeing. The first is small town/Main Street romance and the other is ‘steampunk.’

Steampunk Romances are set in Victorian era Britain or in the Wild West era of the U.S. when steam power was widely used. These incorporate elements of science fiction or fantasy.” While no-sex romance books have dominated the history of romantic genre, recent trends have sharply changed. This can be seen from the immense popularity of erotic novels like Fifty Shades of Grey.

According to Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, host of Shalom at Home, lust is a universal phenomenon and a very important part in any long term relationship. Lust, he says, causes intense desire and obsession.

The central character of the novel written by Julianne Donaldson happens to be Philip, a handsome, smart, thoughtful and caring person who not only falls in deep love with the female lead of the novel but also encounters a few bad guys in order to save her honor.

This might seem a very conventional plot but would certainly be intriguing for people who like romantic novels without sex. While the book has been receiving positive response from the critics at the initial stages, its actual worth would be known only after it is released and is read on a wide scale.