Well, I'm gay, so I primarily read gay romances if I'm in the mood for romance. A few that I liked are:

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (Bisexual romance, lots of well-written characters and family themes.)

The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian (It's.. a lot better than the title suggests. Historical fiction with adventure and mystery!)

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (M/F. Love interests are best friends and gradually fall in love over a decade of vacations together.)

Like you, I don't read romances that portray abusive behaviors as loving and typical, and I'm also very picky about what romances I read at all.

Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola

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Thank you so much. I'm a woman and not gay but I've found gay romance books to be one of the best written and healthiest out there. Or at least the healthy ones are easier to find.

I should have clarified - I'm a lesbian, so yep, also a woman. :D

Cat Sebastian, btw, is great. She writes primarily LGTBQ romances, with lots of diverse characters (racially, developmentally, bodily), and she's freakin' funny besides. I tend to really enjoy her stuff.

I find most M/F romances extremely alienating, in that I can never relate to the female characters. But People We Meet on Vacation was the exception, and it was also a lot of fun.

Moment of Truth, by Kasie West. Sustained, by Emma Chase. I read few romances but thought it fit to comment because I like these books which was unlikely.

In Anna Karenina Levin and Kitty line is pretty romantic and ends in a happy marriage. Sure, there are a few unsuccessful romantic lines there, but they can be happily ignored.

Hello. Per rule 3.3, please post book recommendation requests in /r/SuggestMeABook or in our Weekly Recommendation Thread. Thank you.