It certainly has a big impact on the ending and the plot itself. The Snow Child also has a romance which is a big part of the second half of the book, even if it's not the protagonist's romance. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is definitely a romance - the whole book is about Miss Pettigrew spending a day with a woman who has three boyfriends and has to decide which she loves, with Miss Pettigrew's help. In short, this list is meant to be of novels that are completely AROMANTIC and have female protagonists. To qualify for this list, the plot must not involve woman+romantic interest (s) unless the romance is so negligible it isn't even mentioned in the book description/can be completely removed from the novel in such a way that it in no way changes the essence of the story. Even if the protagonist ends up single, or goes on a journey of self-discovery that involves forsaking poisonous relationships, or even if the romantic relationship is some kind of social metaphor, or the central plot is not completely about love but the novel spends a lot of time talking about love interests, it still involves someone's love life. New Criteria: if the novel has anything to do with romance it doesn't count. Perhaps my explanation was vague, so hopefully this clarifies what I hope this list will include. Specifically: The Dressmaker, the COVE!!!, Elizabeth Gilbert novels (The Signature of All Things), The Bride's Farewell, Becoming Clementine, A Ring of Endless Light, etc are all guilty of having romantic elements that are important to the plot. I've noticed some ( or, a lot) of the books people have added to this list are Romantic Fiction as in, romance - whether successful or not- is important enough to the plot of the book to be mentioned in the plot description of the novel. so, I present to you a list, however depressingly meagre, of work that doesn't make women feel like our existences are only validated by being someone's wife/girlfriend/mistress. C'mon, our turn! I would really like to find more fiction that explores women as the complex and multi-faceted people we are. I mean really, the boys have Kerouac and Hemmingway and an overflowing cup of introspective life lessons, coming of age stories, bromance and platonic partnerships, and political intrigue. Can we have experiences that don't involve the pursuit or the management of love/marriage? Can we exist without a soulmate by our side? Hell yes! Love is great, but is it our raison d'etre? Of course not.

Not that I have a problem with romance novels or fiction that is about/involves love or has romantic subplots, but I'm frankly bored with books about women chasing love. Short list, huh? I've started this list because there is shockingly little fiction out there geared towards women that doesn't center around a girl falling in love, most commonly with a dude.

Find love or die trying kat