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(I)t’s more that he can’t quite wrap his brain around being attracted to anyone. He can appreciate the aesthetic beauty of other people, and he’s had intellectual crushes on women— he’s admired women, respected them, had a vague desire for an intimacy and a closeness he’s never been able to achieve. But he’s never really wanted a woman before, and his sexual fantasies about women are usually vague and abstract. They’re not usually even about him.

— Alison Cochrun, The Charm Offensive

Everything looks like friendly teasing if you don’t know what sexual tension is.

— R. Cooper  For Better or Worse

He set the spoon down. “I’m not flirting with you.”

“Really.” Jonah’s voice dripped with disbelief. “You don’t call putting food in my mouth flirting?”

“No, actually. I share food with my eating companions regularly.” Vaughn mentally replayed their conversation. “What part of the last twenty minutes was flirtatious?”

Jonah’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? Just how oblivious are you?”

— Cass Lennox. Blank Spaces

Orlando thought it strange, if other people were anything to go by, that he’d reached the age of twenty-eight without finding anybody he wanted to be close to.

— Charlie Cochrane, Lessons in Love

It had taken her a while to understand that hot wasn’t quite the same as beautiful for most people.

— Jae Perfect Rhythm

Kissing people gave them the wrong idea, and it was hard to enjoy touching anyone when you were constantly wondering where they’d stick their hands.

— K.J. Charles  The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter

“So, you have a relationship with this transport.”

I was horrified. Humans are disgusting. “No!”

Ratthi made a little exasperated noise. “I didn’t mean a sexual relationship.”

Amena’s brow furrowed in confusion and curiosity.

“Is that possible?”

“No!”

— Martha Wells Murderbot

 

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 ~ Books with Ace Rep ~

Main characters

A Gentleman’s Position (2016) KJ Charles (Society of Gentlemen) Romance

Ada Maria Soto (The Agency): His Quiet Agent (2017), Merlin in the Library (2018), Agents of Winter (2022) Romance

All the Wrong Places (2016) Ann Gallagher (Bluewater Bay) Romance

Best Laid Plans (2021) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run) Romance

For Better or Worse (2017) R Cooper Romance

TJ Klune How to Be a Normal Person (2014), How to Be a Movie Star (2019) TJ Klune (How to Be) Romance

Making Love (2017) Aidan Wayne Romance

Perfect Rhythm (2017) Jae (Fair Oaks) Romance

Play It Again (2019) Aidan Wayne Romance

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R Cooper parental Romance

That Kind of Guy (2019) Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood) Romance

Thaw (2017) Elyse Springer (Seasons of Love Book)) Romance

The Charm Offensive (2021) Alison Cochrun Romance

The Ex Talk (2021) Rachel Lynn Solomon Romance

The Heartbreak Bakery (2021) A.R. Capetta Romance

The Quid Pro Quo (2021) A.L. Lester (Bradfield Trilogy) Romance

The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter (2019) KJ Charles (Lilywhite Boys) Romance

Three Stupid Weddings (2018) Ann Gallagher Romance

Two Rogues Make a Right (2020) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks) Romance

Upside Down (2019) N.R. Walker Romance

Human Enough (2019) ES Yu Fantasy

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (2018) Mackenzi Lee Fantasy

Turning Darkness Into Light (2019) Marie Brennan secondary Fantasy

Uncommonly Tidy Poltergeists (2017) Angel Martinez Fantasy

All Systems Red (2017) Martha Wells  (The Murderbot Diaries) SF

Blank Spaces (2016) Cass Lennox (Toronto Connections) Mystery

Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Lessons in Love (2008). Lessons in Discovery (2009) Mystery

Dahlia Donovan (Motts Cold Case series): Poisoned Primrose (2020), Pickled Petunia (2021), Pierced Peony (2021), Purloined Poinsettia (2022) Mystery

The Murder Next Door (2021) Sarah Bell Mystery

Secondary characters

Family Matters (2018) Angel Martinez (Brandywine Investigations)) Fantasy

The Book of Candlelight (2000) Ellery Adams (Secret, Book, & Scone Society) Mystery

The Moving Finger (1942) Agatha Christie (Miss Marple) Mystery

The Tropic of Serpents (2014) Marie Brennan (Lady Trent) Fantasy

Non-Fiction

Ace What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Identity, and the Meaning of Sex (2020) Angela Chen