One reader’s “sweet and satisfying” is another reader’s “wait, that was it?”. That is exactly why knowing how to choose closed door romance matters. The label sounds straightforward, but in practice it covers a surprisingly wide range - from gently flirty rom-coms to emotionally intense love stories that simply keep the bedroom door shut.

If you have ever picked up a so-called low-spice romance expecting cosy tension and found something almost entirely chaste, you are not alone. Equally, if you wanted tenderness without graphic scenes and got a book so sanitised it felt like the chemistry had been sent through HR, that can be a let-down too. Closed door romance is not one single vibe. It is a category with moods, expectations and a few sneaky grey areas.