If you’re an avid romance reader, you may have heard the term “low spice” (also sometimes referred to as “no spice”). But what does the word spice actually mean in this context, and what’s a low-spice romance novel?
In this blog post, I’m going to clear up some confusion and tell you all the things a low-spice romance is not, and what’s actually true about this kind of book.
Let’s discuss!
The Cliff Notes
In reader language, the word “spice” is all about how much physical intimacy you can expect to find in a book.
In low-spice novels, the physical stuff is limited to kissing and nothing more (can be sweet or intense kisses). No-spice novels feature little to no physical contact. You might find brief kisses without any description or some hand-holding.
Three myths about no- and low-spice romance novels are: they’re boring, spice equals swoon, and it doesn’t matter if Christian women read spicy books. (Hint: the opposite of each of these is true.)
What Is “Spice”?
In the romance world, the word “spice” refers to how graphic the love scenes are in a novel. It’s all about how much physical intimacy you can expect to find while you’re reading.
Low Spice
If a book is labeled as low-spice, that simply means the more — ahem — intimate parts of the book aren’t as obvious. In these novels, the physical stuff is limited to kissing and nothing more, meaning the characters only kiss, but the heat of these kisses can vary from short and sweet to more intense.
If the characters go beyond kissing, the actions aren’t explicitly described in the book but, rather, assumed. For example, an author may write about characters starting to remove clothes or heading to a bedroom, etc., but then the scene ends.
In this case, though, the book’s usually referred to as closed-door romance instead of low spice because the actions are done “behind closed doors.”
But sometimes the terms closed-door romance and low-spice romance are used interchangeably. You could even argue that closed-door romances are a subset of the low-spice category.
The thing to remember here is that there are no definitive rating systems for books like there are for TV shows and movies. Every author defines their books however they think is best to let readers know what to expect.
No Spice
The terms “no-spice romance” and “low-spice romance” are occasionally used interchangeably as well, but most authors and readers agree that no-spice novels feature very little to no physical intimacy, whereas low-spice can possibly include some P3-13 level makeout sessions.
If characters do kiss in a no-spice book, it’s super sweet and not at all intense (no making out here!). Otherwise, there may be hand-holding or arms around shoulders, but that’s about it.
Myths about Low-Spice Romance Novels
Now that we’ve defined the terms, let’s debunk some common myths about no- and low-spice romance novels.
Myth #1: Books with Little or No Spice Are Boring
In our society, we’ve come to believe that something has to be spicy to be exciting. We’ve all heard the expression “sex sells.” People, in general, think a romance can’t be complete without the characters sealing the deal.
Nothing could be further from the truth! As a voracious romance reader, I can tell you from experience that clean novels (low or no spice) can be just as unputdownable and enjoyable as more explicit ones.
In fact, I pretty much stick to low-spice books these days. I’ll occasionally read mainstream novels to keep up with what’s going on in the publishing world (and because there are so many great stories!), but I try to read clean or Christian fiction as much as possible, and I’m never disappointed.
For me, it’s all about the plot, emotional buildup, and character growth. I especially love low-spice, nongraphic suspense novels (yes, that’s a thing!).
Myth #2: Spice Equals Swoon
We all love to swoon as two characters fall in love, right? We enjoy the banter, the initial denying of feelings, the butterflies. That’s why we read romance novels in the first place!
Just because a book doesn’t feature physical intimacy scenes doesn’t mean it can’t be swoony. I’ve read so many novels that have me all in the feels without a single ounce of smut.
And I say “smut” because, let’s be honest with ourselves here, that’s what it really is. There are some scenes in certain books that we’d get mad at our husbands for watching if they were in a movie, yet we’re fine with reading them.
That’s a double-standard, y’all.
But back to my point: a low-spice romance novel can be just as swoony as the ones with more spice!
Myth #3: It Doesn’t Matter if Christian Women Read Spicy Books
Whoo boy, y’all! This is a touchy subject. Us Christian gals get pretty defensive when it comes to our reading habits.
Now, before you angrily jump off this page, let me just start by saying I’m not judging anyone. I’ve read my fair share of novels that I wouldn’t dare pick up in front of my mama (Fifty Shades of Grey, anyone?). But for the past few years, the Holy Spirit has been convicting me about it.
After all, I write Christian Fiction, so it doesn’t feel OK for me to then turn around and read smut.
The harsh truth is, though, that even if you’re not a writer like me but you are a believer, what you put in your mind matters. That goes for movies, TV shows, music, and, yes, books.
Philippians 4:8 instructs us: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Spice in books certainly isn’t pure or admirable.
And let’s not forget all the other places in the Bible where it tells us to keep our eyes on Christ. We can’t do that if we’re participating in something we’d be ashamed for Him to see.
That said, the way we handle this issue will look different for each of us. Some women feel fine simply skipping over the spicy parts of a book, others are convicted to avoid those specific books, and some will probably choose to not read romance novels at all.
There’s no legalism here. We’re free to do what we want, but I’d encourage you to spend some time in prayer about this and let the Holy Spirit guide your decisions.
Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. As Christians, our entire life’s focus should be on drawing closer to Jesus, meaning we probably ought to cut out anything that takes away from that.
The good news is that if you love books as much as I do, you don’t have to completely avoid romance novels. That’s why I do what I do.
So, with that in mind, I’d like to offer some suggestions.
No- and Low-Spice Romance Authors
When I tell you there’s no shortage of amazing no- and low-spice romance authors these days, I’m not exaggerating!
Here are just a few I recommend:
Me (writing as Emily Paige Skeen): Of course, I’d be doing myself a disservice here if I didn’t mention my own books. I write clean and wholesome small-town romance novels with a touch of suspense, and I’ve recently released a Christian murder mystery. You can find my books here on my website or on Amazon.
Jaime Jo Wright: I’ve read 3 books by this author now, and I can confidently say she’s amazing! The ones I’ve read are clean mystery/suspense novels with a dual timeline. And, let me tell ya, they’ll keep you on the edge of your seat! Click here for her website.
T.I. Lowe: T.I. is the author of Under the Magnolias (which was a #1 international bestseller). As soon as I read that book, it quickly became one of my top 5 all-time favorites. If you like Southern fiction (think Where the Crawdads Sing vibes), you’ll love T.I. Lowe as much as I do! Here’s her website.
Debbie Macomber: No list of low-spice romance novels would be complete without Debbie Macomber! She writes the sweetest books that draw you in and have you really rooting for the characters. Find her here.
Francine Rivers: And, of course, the queen of Christian Fiction herself! If you haven’t read Redeeming Love, I recommend you do that. Like, right now. Check out all her books here.
This is just a short list of the authors I thought about first, but there are so many others! Search “clean and wholesome books” on Amazon, or if you’re on Instagram, you can search it there. You’ll find posts with that as a hashtag (#cleanandwholesome) and might just discover a new favorite author!
Hint: You can also search similar hashtags on Instagram, like #christianfiction, #cleannovels, #christianromance, etc. You get the idea.
Low Spice, High Swoon
I hope I’ve convinced you by now that you can enjoy swoony, entertaining, can’t-put-down books without compromising your convictions. Research the authors I mentioned above and look for “clean and wholesome books” on Amazon, and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with low-spice romance novels just like I have!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are low-spice romance novels OK for teens?
Most low-spice novels are totally appropriate for young adults, but every parent has different standards when it comes to what they let their kids watch and read (my kids would say my standards are pretty strict, hah).
I always recommend reading a book yourself before letting your teen read it if you’re unsure. There are a couple of reasons for this.
First, sometimes books are labeled as low-spice but contain implications that you’d feel uncomfortable with your kid reading. Second, you’ll want to consider more than just intimacy; think about the language used, what values are portrayed (gossiping, mean girls, etc.), and the worldview of the characters.
Are all low-spice or no-spice books Christian Fiction?
No, not all books that would be considered low or no spice (or “clean” in general) are specifically Christian Fiction. I’m not saying that’s wrong! I think there’s definitely a place for romance novels without smut that don’t feature faith.
For one thing, low-spice books can reach readers who might not pick up a book that’s overtly Christian. And that could lead to these same readers eventually being open to Christian fiction down the road.