Hi and welcome! Most of the Damsel recommendations are non/low spice but the romances maturity does fluctuate and evolve over the ratings, so here is a quick guide to what you can expect from a book that has a tag including the word “romance”.

At the bottom of this page¹ is also my new addition of specific romance heat levels which come in for later reads.

10+ – doubt its present unless its a book that is mostly aimed at older ones but is also suitable in which case it will say in the review

10+ B – same as above

11+ – tiny tiny little amounts less than 0.5/5

11+B – usually this is if romance gets introduced later in the series (for example Anne of Green Gables is completely suitable throughout all seven books but there is a little romance in it)

12+ -tiny amounts of romance, hardly mentionable and rather insignificant over the plot of the book. These are likely to be sweet crushes or a slight blush and maybe a kiss.

12+B – a little more romance may be in the book, but in the end the B is focused on more the thematic content at a 12B than the romance. There may be a kiss or two if you look at the individual review, but in the end, romance wise the B doesnt matter much.

13+ – The romance gauge jumps up on a 13+. These are going to be developing relationships or established ones, and the romance will be slightly stronger and likely more influential in the plot. Kisses and hugs between love interests is to be expected unless stated otherwise.

13+B – If you are being careful about what romantic content is in your books, this is just going to be the bridge between a 13+ and a 14+. It is likely to be given a B for violence, so just check the individual review if you want to know more. Romance here may have a fade to black but usually with low heat!

14+ – By a 14+ we as the reader should expect the romance if present to be stronger and more mature. Kisses, hugging and sleeping next to each other should be expected. Around a 14+, the romances tend to get a little bit more complicated, and this is usually where an ‘enemies to lovers’ mentality will be introduced, if at all.

14+B – not much different from a 14 romance- wise, a few sexual inncendos may raise this or a love triangle if that is ever present in one of my reviews. Can have a Swoony A scene or a fade to black!

15+ – by a 15+ we are dealing with a romantic relationship that may directly mention sex, and even have it on page. Swoony A and B! Kisses and cuddling will be usually frequent.

15+B – same as any other B’s this just suggests a higher level of one or another of the content warnings/themes explored.

16+ – specifics in the review content warnings will always be present for any romantic/sexual things present. Usually, this is a step up from 15, containing content that is more sexually explicit and most Swoony C’s fall here purely for sexual content.

16+B – B’s are given for primarily violence in the lower age categories but these will be given now for sexual content more than previously.

17+ – another step up, this is where I will start adding in books classified as NA but there will always be a warning if they contain extreme graphic violence or sexual content.

17+B – check the content warnings, but it is practically Adult by this point.

Adult – by 18+ then the expectation that there will be sexual content that is higher than other recommendations, if you check the individual review it may be Adult just for content but also open door scenes are to be expected unless the individual review doesn’t say.

However, it is important to remember that there is more than just the romance that goes into my ratings of the books, and on some reviews they would be a 12 for romance but a 14 for violence and themes. It all depends, but my ratings are based on thematic subjects of the book, language, the platonic relationships (this may sound odd, but some YA novels deal with very acute betrayal and toxicity in platonic relationships so this is a consideration) and current/non current societal issues (slavery, racism, homophobia, sexism etc) as well as romantic relationships.

NA:– nothing is really present, it isn’t the focus or a subplot.

Soft: perhaps a closed mouth kiss or two, no detail.

Sweet: Kissing, cuddling, clothes on, mild innuendo.

Suggestive: The flirtation becomes more physical — making out, caresses, breathlessness, mostly clothed but doesn’t take it any further on the page, discussions of sex/sleeping with each other, can have some strong innuendo.

Smokey: Closed Door/Fade to Black: This can float between or slightly above Sweet and Suggestive but we don’t get any details beyond making out.

Swoony: This will have some sex on the page but it is going to be less than a paragraph – not some graphic sex scene. More and more YA seems to be having open door scenes now and sometimes the books are still ones I will recommend but I will definitely mention that they contain this content as always. By ‘low’ spice I mean it’s not going to be some detailed graphic scene and it will focus more on the emotional impact it has on the characters.

I am going to have Swoony A, B, C. A is less than a paragraph and euphemistic, B is less than a page with no graphic description at all, C is rarely used but means scenes of more than one page, with more explicit language and on page sex.

I am going to go back to my old reviews and add these in as much as I can but from now in the Romance star section I will include these so you can find exactly what you are looking for!

I will add these in addition to age ratings so you always know what you are going to be reading!