What is Closed Door Romance? – A Comprehensive Guide
Is the topic of closed door or no spice romance new to you? Maybe you’re tired of reading books with on page sex, or perhaps you’re feeling convicted that you should not be reading these types of books. Maybe you also think that closed door books will be boring and dull without the spice.
Just because a book does not get specific about a couple’s physical relationship, it doesn’t mean that the writing is poorly done. If you’re worried that the books are going to have the same simple plotline as a Hallmark movie, that may be a valid concern. Rest assured that while some closed door romances may be that “clean,” there are lots that have more twists and turns, suspense, and even elements of fantasy if that’s what you choose.
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Understanding the Basics of Closed Door Romance
So what makes a closed door romance closed door? What does that mean?
Closed door romance can be described by other terms like fade to black, sweet, clean, no spice, etc.
What this essentially means is that there are no sex scenes in the book.
There is a range of physical “involvement” in each book. One of the most common ways of illustrating this is by using the chart created by The Writing Gals. I will use this as a standard for books reviewed here.
Some books may imply that sex will be happening at the end of a scene, and some may not. There will be closed door romance books that contain mild-moderate cursing and/or sexual innuendo. This will depend on the author’s writing style. Just because there is no on-page sex, that does not mean that they will be “clean” as far as language or things it implies.
Why Would Someone Want to Read Closed Door Romance Books
While some would be perfectly ok with a book containing “spice” (on-page sex), many would not be. Many books with open door scenes also include violence or a level of suspense or disturbing situations that would be triggering to many who are dealing with trauma or PTSD.
Others may avoid books with open door scenes because of religious reasons. Even though this website is not a “Christian website,” I will share Christian books from time to time, and I am a Christian who believes certain things should be reserved for our personal lives. I feel this way about book content also.
No matter the reason, there are closed door books out there in every genre. There is something for everyone.
What Closed Door Romance is Not
You may wonder if closed door romance books are not as well written as the typical books that you’ve seen on the shelves at Barnes & Noble or on Amazon. I assure you this is not the case! There are many award winning authors who write closed door books. Just because many closed door romance books are indie published books, this does not mean they are poorly written.
It also does not mean that they are lacking romance. Just because the characters are not involved in open door scenes in front of the reader, this does not mean that the book lack romance. I find the opposite to be true. Closed door romances tend to focus on the emotional connection between characters. There can be plenty of swoon and sizzle without the spice.
How to Find the Best Closed Door Romance Books
Through my own experience, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to find clean romance books. Here are my best tips.
Check the Amazon Best Sellers Lists
One of my favorite places to look for closed door romance books is the Amazon best seller list. There are a few reasons for this. If books are best sellers, they are frequently purchased and highly rated. This tells me that they will mostly likely be well written, quality books. I’ve found lots of new authors this way.
I have added the links below to my bookmark bar so that I can easily reference them.
Best Religious and Inspirational Fiction
Best Clean & Wholesome Romance
Follow Your Favorite Bookstagrammers
Bookstagrammers make it their job to publish content about books they’ve read and their opinions. From book reviews to best books by trope, we share lots of new and previously published books.
Many of us are on ARC (advance reader copy) teams and are able to read books and promote them before they are published. I am on the ARC team for one of my favorite authors, and I love reading and talking about her books.
Click here to follow me on Instagram so you can find new books too!
You can also find a few of my favorite bookstagrammers here:
Amy from Bayou Readings (a real-life childhood friend)
Rachel from Closed Door Romance (the G.O.A.T of bookstagram)
Abby from Abby’s Always Reading (beautiful graphics and reviews)
Follow Your Favorite Authors on Instagram
Your favorite authors may have an active presence on social media. This is the place they will be sharing more insights about their books and announcing their works in progress.
You can find a few of my favorite authors here:
Follow Your Favorite Authors on Amazon
Amazon has a follow feature. You can access it on your favorite author’s Amazon page, or you can also follow them in the popup at the end of the book in the Kindle app.
Amazon will email you when a new book is coming soon. They’ll also email you again on the day it comes out. This is a great way to stay in the loop.
Join Closed Door Romance Facebook Groups
Many of your favorite authors probably have their own Facebook groups. This can be a great place to start.
You can also join some general groups. If you’re looking for books of a favorite trope or books in a particular setting, use the search feature or make a post. You’ll be surprised at how many suggestions you’ll get!
Here are a few of my favorite groups:
Avid Readers of Christian Fiction
Hold the Spice. This Group is Nice!
Follow Bookstagrammers and Friends on Goodreads
If you’re not familiar with Goodreads, it’s a website Amazon offers that can track the books you want to read and the books you have read. It will connect with your Amazon account so that you can mark Kindle books as read when you get to the end. Not only can you track books, you can also leave reviews and participate in their annual reading challenge.
You can follow friends and favorite bookstagrammers on Goodreads. Click here to follow me there.
Follow Mom Devours Books on Kit.co
You’ll find that a lot of bookstagrammars have Amazon influencer stores. Many of us also use Kit.co to do the same thing. You’ll find my favorite authors and books, there along with new releases and give ideas.
Best Places to Get Closed Door Romance Books
There are lots of great places to find closed door romance books. Many of them are published by indie authors on Amazon, but many are traditionally published as well.
Your Local Library
This is the best place to start! All Christian or Inspirational fiction falls under the category of closed door. Often libraries have a special section for these books.
If you’re looking for books that are not religious, check your library’s online catalog for your favorite authors. Request books that your library does not already carry and/or use their interlibrary loan program.
You can also use the Chrome extension called Library Extension, and when you look at a book on Amazon or Goodreads, you will see a box that will tell you if it’s at your local library. You can also add Everand (more details below), and it will tell you if that book is available there as well.
If you prefer audiobooks, you library may also partner with the Libby or Hoopla app. These are free benefits available to many.
Kindle Unlimited
This is one of my favorite Amazon services. Kindle Unlimited (KU) is a monthly membership that gives you access to more than four million books for the cost of about one book per month. You can “check out” twenty books and keep them for as long as you want.
I read an average of 250 books per year. I could never afford to read that many if I had to purchase them all. I also rarely ever read fiction books more than once. So many books are available on KU, not just closed door romance. I definitely get my money’s worth every month.
Thriftbooks
If you want to find a deal, Thriftbooks is the place to do it. Thriftbooks has tons of used books, but they have new books too. I use it all the time for my own books, and for books for our homeschool too.
I have found that new books on Thriftbooks can also be more than Amazon, so make sure you compare prices.
Thriftbooks also has a rewards program, and you can redeem points for free books. Shop through Rakuten and get cash back as well.
Click here to get a free book with purchase!
Book Outlet
Book Outlet is another favorite here! They sell overstocked or discontinued books. It’s the Ollie’s or Big Lots of books. Not only can you find adult books, but you can find children’s books, activity books and more!
It takes a little digging, but the discounts are worth it.
Click here to save $5 off your first order. Shop through Rakuten and also earn cash back.
Amazon
This one is a given at this point. Amazon has pretty much every book you can think of. Follow your favorite authors to be notified of their newest releases.
Everand
Everand, formerly with Scribd, is a membership site that hosts ebooks and audiobooks. We use this for both our homeschool and for our own reading pleasure. There are many closed door romances on this website.
You can “save” as many books as you’d like, but at some point it will put a cap on how much you can look at or listen to each month.
Author’s Personal Websites
Most authors have their own websites, and many sell ebooks there. Some are moving toward an ecommerce model that does not totally depend on Amazon.
You may find better pricing and even signed paperback books, stickers and other merch. This is a great way to support authors. They are a small business too!
