Clean Romance Quotes

Make a Christmas Wish… But Only if You Know What Your Heart Really Wants. ~ Nancy Naigle

Jessabelle,
I'm sorry to just leave, but I need some time.
Time to get my head back on straight.
Time to remember who I really am.
Time with my Creator, the one who knew before the foundations of the earth what would happen over the last few days.

I wish more than anything, that I could process all of this with you, go through all of this together, because I'm coming to understand that, out of all the men in the world, God picked me for you. It's so much more than lineage. It's you. How you've come into your own. How you've blossomed and grown. I'm so privileged to see that secret side of you-the side no one else gets to see. The side where you secretly paint your second toenail a different color because everyone else does the fourth one, but you're not sure my mother would approve so you never wear open-toed shoes to show them off. You only eat M&Ms in odd numbers. You use your right hand to put hair behind your ear, but never your left.
You didn't know I knew those things, did you?
I've watched you over the last few months and learned more about you than I realized until I tried to put my thoughts on paper. You're sleeping just feet away from me as I write this. Your even breathing brings some peace to my troubled soul. The small smile on your face makes me wonder what your dreaming about and if, in your sleep, you've managed to find happiness instead of the turmoil life always seems to bring. I have to stop myself ~ Carol Moncado

He'd stolen a kiss, and been transported to heaven. "I won't say I'm sorry, Susanna. Even if you think I should."
Her lips looked kissed and a bit plump. "I didn't ask you to. ~ Caroline Fyffe

Rick smiled mischievously and said, "I think I'm going to learn 'Kisses sweeter than wine'. It's a fun one."
Amelia laughed. "What it about?"
"It's about a guy who falls in love with this girl who has kisses sweeter than wine. As you know, folk songs have a story to tell. Well, he asked her to marry him. At first she wouldn't accept his proposal, so he had to beg and plead with her."
"Why didn't she want to marry him?"
"I think she was worried about how it would change her life. She'd been on her own for quite some time and she had to get used to the idea."
Amelia bit her lip and glanced down at her lap. With curiosity, she asked, "Did she finally accept his proposal?"
"Yup. It just took her a while to realize he was the best thing that ever happened to her." Rick grinned. "She sort of reminds me of someone else I know. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

Lindsay strode to the door and picked up his overcoat from the back of the couch, where he'd tossed it when they came in. She wheeled around to hand him his coat; once again, as expected, Fred was standing right behind her. But this time he wasn't looking at her. He was looking up.
At the mistletoe, directly over their heads.
He met her eyes with a look that glimmered with promise. Then he took the overcoat from her hand and tossed it, lightly, onto the back of the sofa once again.
Everything seemed to slow. His intentions were clear, and she had plenty of time to step back. Yet Lindsay did nothing to stop him when he took her chin in his hand, tipped it upward, and brought his lips down to hers, as purposefully as if he'd meant to do it all along.
Lindsay could have sworn she heard bells....
Still dazed, she followed his eyes upward. "And what's the penalty for ignoring mistletoe?"
"Struck by lightning, I think. ~ Sierra Donovan

Where are you staying?
Our house. He shifted closer and I stopped breathing.
Not good. I really needed to breathe and leaned back further in my chair to put space between me and his stubble darkened chin, his oh-so-kissable mouth, his windblown hair, his...his...everything.
For the zillionth time, I wondered what the statute of limitations was on stupid decisions. Marrying him had to top the list. ~ Sue Barr

Mrs. Baxter gave his mother a look of disbelief. "So you are saying I should accept these gifts because doing so makes Mr. Livingston more lively?"
The image came to him of his uncle doing a jig, and Ben burst out laughing.
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Ben scrambled for something to say, for he didn't think the jig image would go over well with his uncle. Then he remembered the text from Sunday's sermon. "Well, Reverend Norton says that. 'It's more blessed to give than to receive.' So you're making sure he's blessed, Mrs. Baxter. ~ Debra Holland

Love is a smooth road filled with potholes. ~ Catherine Bennett

I've done a lot of stupid things because of my fear of taking a chance on someone. But the most stupid thing I ever did was push you away. ~ Jennifer Shirk

Where's the toilet room?"...
"Outhouse 'round back."
When the boy's eyes lit up, Albert laughed again.
"You like that?"
"Sure. Lots of lizards. ~ Caroline Fyffe

I want to always feel the way that I do here in Evergreen." Her smile was bright.
"The feeling of home. ~ Nancy Naigle

Pride is important to a man, but it isn't everything. When it comes to the right woman, a man needs to be willing to swallow his ego every now and then. ~ Debbie Macomber

We're not resuscitating a snowman, are we?"
"Real funny, Doc." She gave him a playful sideways glance.
"Good, because I'm pretty sure defibrillators and melted snow are not a good mix. ~ Nancy Naigle

He looked down into Lindsay's face, and her eyes were bright once more, her cheeks flushed....
"I thought you were after the fudge." Lindsay didn't move one centimeter toward the kitchen, didn't stir from his arms.
"I found something sweeter. ~ Sierra Donovan

His gaze lingered on her mouth, wide and sweet. A sudden hunger to kiss her made him draw Maggie close. He pressed his mouth against hers, softly, a gently caress, not a searing kiss, for he didn't want to frighten her away.
Her hand on his arm tightened.
Caleb ran his tongue smoothly over her lips until she opened to him, making a small sound. He wanted to plunge his tongue into her mouth and deepen the kiss, to pull her against him and slide his hands over her curves, but he knew that brute of a husband had hurt her. This was only supposed to be a light flirtation, so he held back and waited for her to lead.
Maggie pulled back a few inches. Her eyes fluttered open, dark and luminous, the gold flecks sparkling in the sun. She swallowed and moistened her lips. She studied his face. Her generous mouth trembled, and then her lips turned up. "Why did you kiss me?
"Because I enjoyed your enjoyment in our drive today. I know how seldom pleasures come your way, and I was glad to give you the experience. Because I lack appreciation of my blessings..." 'Because you are mine.'
Caleb didn't want to delve deeper inside himself to find his true feelings, so he resorted to some light banter. He touched the tip of her nose with one finger. "This is the month of May. A man is supposed to steal kisses in May. ~ Debra Holland

He took one step out of her office cubical, turned, and said, "I'm not going to bite you, ya know."

She closed her eyes. Biting. An image of him nibbling at her neck took her by surprise and she dropped her pen. She startled and opened her lids. He was far more dangerous than she had first imagined. Even her thoughts weren't safe from the perilously handsome man. ~ Vicki Wilkerson

Are you sure this isn't crazy?" "Oh, I'm sure it is crazy. But isn't that our thing? Or have you gotten boring now? ~ Cindi Madsen

Being invisible had its advantages. ~ DiAnn Mills

From Summer's End
What we have is enough. It's more than we consciously realized. ~ Sally Henson

I just figured out what you are," he said.
"What?"
"You're a present." He nodded as if in satisfaction. "Tightly wrapped, with lots of tape, lots of beautiful shiny ribbon, all tied up in impossible knots. The kind of present that makes you half mad when you're trying to get it open. Because you know, the whole time, what's inside is going to be wonderful. ~ Sierra Donovan

Rick nudged Amelia and grinned. "Hey, stick with me baby, and I'll keep you in shape. Good food. Exercise. Fun games. You name it." He wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously. "And plenty of lovin'. I guarantee it."
An elderly couple sat on a bench, gazing at the scenery. The man grinned at Rick as he approached and gave an approving nod. Apparently they had heard his insinuations. Rick had spoken loud enough.
"You've got the right idea, young man," said the elderly gentleman as he winked at his wife. "Plenty of lovin'. That's what we do for sure. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

I just want to understand why you haven't fallen in love."
Amelia was pensive for a moment and then said "When I fall in love, I want to feel as if I'm floating on clouds. As if there is not a care in the world. I want to be deliriously happy and tell everyone about it just like in South Pacific."
"South Pacific?" he asked with an uplifted brow.
She nodded as she softly sang,
"'If you'll excuse an expression I use,
I'm in love, I'm in love,
I'm in love, I'm in love,
I'm in love with a wonderful guy! ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

Still reeling from the touch of her husband's lips on her, Trudy didn't know whether to feel relief or dread that she'd married Seth Flanagan for better or worse. But from the fireworks of excitement swirling in her middle, she figured on both. ~ Debra Holland

Dalton gaped at something in the stream.
"Did you see that trout? Where's my fishing pole when I need it?" He was leaning so far over she feared he might fall in headfirst. She grasped his arm and pulled him back.
"You made that up," she laughed. "You didn't see a fish. Trout don't swim at night."
"What makes you think that? They don't have a little house to go home to when the sun goes down, with a small woodstove and comfortable bed. ~ Caroline Fyffe

Howie brought her hand to his lips. "You stepped in front of me," he said in wonder. "I didn't need you to. I can handle Prudence Morgan."
"But you didn't." She tapped his chest. "You stayed quiet for the longest time before responding."
"Quiet is how I handle difficult people…."
"You don't handle me that way." Her voice came out sounding breathless.
Howie slipped his arms around her. "If it were up to me, this is how I'd handle you."
Butterflies danced in her stomach. Not a fearful battering of wings, but a sparkling mating flight, making her heart soar into her throat. "Why isn't it up to you? ~ Debra Holland

She sighed. "What I wouldn't give for a civilized bathroom."
Howie remained silent out of habit and also because he didn't know what a civilized bathroom was. ~ Debra Holland

Amelia furrowed her brow and said adamantly. "I'm not staying here tonight. No way!"
Rick cleared his throat and was about to tell her there was no other hotel in town. They had no choice but to stay here. After a moment, he thought better of it. He made it his goal to never argue with an irate woman. If he had anything to say, it was better to wait until she was calm. He knew that much about women.
When Rick was old enough to date, his father had warned him: "Any man who is not afraid of a woman's wrath is a fool. Wait until she's calmed down before talking with her."
Rick gave a curt nod. He thought it best to do as his father had warned. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

Was this what peace felt like? It'd been so long that it was hard for her to recognize it when it sneaked up on her. ~ Laurie Tomlinson

One cannot think well, love well, or sleep well, if one has not dined well. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

Perhaps Cadoett was just a splendid tomb, and the ocean was a tender songbird humming a noble tale. ~ Ella Rose Carlos

More. Give me more.
I don't know if you're ready for this. He's shirtless.
You're killing me. Is he built?
Like a Greek god.
Nooooo.....so unfair. I don't have any hot neighbors, just acres and acres of corn fields. ~ Sue Barr

Death stalked her baby, and she had no bullets to protect him. ~ DiAnn Mills

It's Christmas. A time when magical things happen. ~ Nancy Naigle

My grandpa used to say, 'the heart knows what it wants even when the head doesn't. ~ Nancy Naigle

Even through her coat, he could feel the curve of her arm, making him aware of their differences.
Man and woman.
Hard and soft. ~ Debra Holland

After a moment, she announced. "Found it." She held the key up to show him.
"Where did you find it?"
"Under the back wheel." With laughter in her voice, she said, "If at first you don't succeed ... "
"I know, I know. Try, try again!"
Amelia shook her head. "No, no! You call Moore Detective Agency. She can find anything. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

He whirled her around under the stars, and somehow, it was perfect. She moved her feet at just the right time, and despite having never been much of a dancer, with Edouard it just… worked. ~ Paige Elwood

It is the house of my dreams. My Tuscan dream! [Every Italophile's dream] ~ Kate Fitzroy

This is what we call a shamrock. It has three leaves. Do you know what it represents?"
"Luck? Amelia answered.
Lee smiled. "That's what everyone says."
Rick shrugged. "Well, I know it's Ireland's emblem."
Lee shook his head and said earnestly, "It's much more than that. It represents our religion ... who we are. When St. Patrick was trying to teach Christianity here in Ireland, he used this shamrock as an example." Lee pointed to each leaf and said, "This is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ... "
Rick still held the clover in his hand. He looked at it and twirled it between his fingers as he said, "I'm calling this the Shamrock Case from now on. I love what it represents. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

I particularly want you to meet Miss Bucholtz."
The very idea made him uneasy. "Why is that,
Ma'am?" he bluntly asked.
Mrs. Morgan hesitated. "Keep this under your hat, mind you."
"Yes, Ma'am."
She let out a tired sigh. "I've brought Miss Bucholtz to replace Mr. Gabellini."
Howie pictured a dried up old spinster with the same commanding presence as Mrs. Morgan, a real battle-axe.
"Fireworks are coming. Are you sure a woman is the right, uh, person for the job?"
"Bertha Bucholz is one of the best cooks I know. I guarantee by this time next month, you men will all be sporting five extra pounds. ~ Debra Holland

Playfully, he tapped her nose. "If men were the ones to have babies, the human population would die out within a generation. ~ Debra Holland

Amelia laughed and then teased him with a kiss on the cheek.
He shook his head. "Nah! Not good enough."
Knowing what he really wanted, she kissed him lightly on the lips.
Rick smiled. "Now that's more like it."
Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers, giving her a kiss to remember... a kiss that took her breath away... a kiss that made her lips tingle. As his hands did their magic, caressing her back with tenderness, Amelia sighed.
When he finally released her lips, Rick tenderly cradled her face in his hands and said, "Now that's what I call the perfect thank you." He kissed her sweet lips again. "Just remember that next time."
Amelia blinked and said breathlessly, "I'll try to remember that. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

By the way, I do enjoy fairytale endings, in case you misunderstood me." He glanced at her and smiled. "I like it when good wins over evil ... when the knight defeats the dragon and saves the fair maiden ... and when the woodsman saves Little Red Riding Hood. I like it when they say, 'And they lived happily ever after' ...
Just because I'm a man doesn't mean that I don't have a romantic bone in my body." Rick gave a curt nod. "Men can be romantic, too. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

Why could he not have chosen some other woman? Why Avelina? But he knew why. It was because she had seemed good and kind and had expressed her thoughts without any false pride or pretense. He had admired her forthrightness and her compassion. And although he had never thought of a wife with strong opinions was a good thing, he actually found he liked her opinions-or at least admired her for having them. He wanted to get to know her, to know everything that was in her heart. He wanted to marry her and, surprising even himself, to love her. ~ Melanie Dickerson

Al he knew was that he'd never met anyone who caused him to doubt and to hope as much as she did. ~ Catherine Bennett

As Matt walked Rick outside, he whispered, "Don't forget my little secret." He wiggled his eyebrows. "A happy wife. A happy life. Got it?"
Rick nodded. "Got it. ~ Linda Weaver Clarke

I'd come to appreciate the sounds of silence. I'd grown accustomed to the stillness of Ponder, where one could hear the snow being blown off the tree limbs by the wind, the distant cry of a caribou, and the crackle of the Northern Lights. ~ Debbie Macomber

I snatched my gaze away from hers and tugged at the collar of my shirt. I wanted to know how she could talk with such authority on the subject. I wanted to know what evil she'd seen, but I wanted even more to escape the narrow store aisle. Warning bells pealed in my brain. 'She's crazy. Don't get involved. ~ Katherine Fleet

I page through the book, my heart thumping in my chest as I'm brought back to him, to Mayson Holt, the boy who stole my heart, broke it and disappeared from my life five years ago. The man who I do not allow myself to think about. The man who still owns a very large piece of my soul. ~ Melissa Brown

I have clung To nothing, lov'd a nothing, nothing seen Or felt but a great dream! ~ John Keats

My mom is very romantic. As is my dad. They appreciate real romance. ~ Ansel Elgort

I wrapped the unyielding woman I loved in my arms & kissed her slowly, hoping that some part of her would sense my absolute devotion. #Ren ~ Colleen Houck

...and lovers of romance novels and dissident rebels and brothers in Christ and druids and shamans and aphrodisiac vendors and scriveners and purveyors of real fake passports and gun-runners and porters and bric-a-brac trades and mining prospectors short on liquid assets and Siamese twins... ~ Fiston Mwanza Mujila

We were designed to love and when we do, something good develops inside. We feel clean, rich, whole. Even better, we become less concerned with how we feel and more concerned with the lives of others. ~ Larry Crabb

It's a wonderful fantasy, but it's not real. It's just watermelon magic. ~ Hope Ramsay

The brain may die, but my compulsion for useless trivia lives on. ~ Molly Harper

Spread, Foxy. Show me that sweet spot. ~ Sherilee Gray

In any case, the manifesto states that a Jew is without honour from the day of his birth. That he cannot differentiate between what is dirty and what is clean. That he is ethically subhuman and dishonourable. It is therefore impossible to insult a Jew and from this it follows that a Jew cannot demand satisfaction for any insult. ~ Geraldine Brooks

I don't want to be just another guy - because I am the guy for you.- Jared Hoffman ~ Sheena Hutchinson

I felt like I'd somehow gotten stuck in a scene from one of those cheesy TV movies I never watched because they were too unrealistic...Except apparently somehow, unbelievably, this had become my real life. ~ May Archer

Forget men, I want to marry my MacBook. It's dependable, reliable and you can even go shopping with it. ~ Alexandra Potter

I didn't mean it' he said again. She tried to smile, but had to sniff instead. Her face was wet, and her nose was running. He thought she looked beautiful. ~ Brock Cole

I wish you could have seen the kitchen when I was done: It looked like a hurricane had blown right in the door! But I cleaned it all up, and when Mother came home the whole house smelled warm and spicy, Bing Crosby was singing "White Christmas" on the radio, I was wearing a clean apron, and she called me her "little homemaker."
What would you think about tomato mincemeat cookies? I bet no one else will think of that! ~ Ruth Reichl

And grumbling, he does it, in front of everybody, which is how I know he is utterly and completely mine. ~ Jenny Han

Snowing is an attempt of God to make the dirty world look clean. ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

He's not going to stop this. He's really going to kill himself. ~ Kenya Wright

I love romance. I'm a sucker for it. I love it so much. It's pathetic. ~ Drew Barrymore

A little bit closer to the stars, anything seemed possible. ~ Heather Demetrios

Bryn," he said. "Do you know how much I love you?"
I smiled and answered with a hint of sarcasm in my tone, "Well, I'm not quite sure."
"No, I'm serious," Tyler said, turning over onto his side so that he was facing me. His eyes were serious, something that I only saw when he really had something to say.
"Yeah, I do. It's the kind that hurts so good, right? Almost like you can't breathe without the other person and the only thing that keeps you sane throughout the day is knowing that you'll see that person soon enough. Nothing can come between you and that person. You would do anything for them. Be anyone they need you to be. Without thinking twice, you know you will be there, no matter what. That's what loving you is to me. ~ Alexandria Rhodes

Heads together. I tell the waiter, give us clean food, please. Please, don't be doing any trash to the stuff we order. In that case, sir, ~ Chuck Palahniuk

John Isidore said, "I found a spider."

The three androids glanced up, momentarily moving their attention from the TV screen to him.

"Let's see it," Pris said. She held out her hand.

Roy Baty said, "Don't talk while Buster is on."

"I've never seen a spider," Pris said. She cupped the medicine bottle in her palms, surveying the creature within. "All those legs. Why's it need so many legs, J. R.?"

"That's the way spiders are," Isidore said, his heart pounding; he had difficulty breathing. "Eight legs."

Rising to her feet, Pris said, "You know what I think, J. R.? I think it doesn't need all those legs."

"Eight?" Irmgard Baty said. "Why couldn't it get by on four? Cut four off and see." Impulsively opening her purse, she produced a pair of clean, sharp cuticle scissors, which she passed to Pris.

A weird terror struck at J. R. Isidore.

Carrying the medicine bottle into the kitchen, Pris seated herself at J. R. Isidore's breakfast table. She removed the lid from the bottle and dumped the spider out. "It probably won't be able to run as fast," she said, "but there's nothing for it to catch around here anyhow. It'll die anyway." She reached for the scissors.

"Please," Isidore said.

Pris glanced up inquiringly. "Is it worth something?"

"Don't mutilate it," he said wheezingly. Imploringly.

With the scissors, Pris snipped off one of the spider's ~ Philip K. Dick

We had no one else to learn this from- none of our parents were shining examples of relationship success- so we learned this from each other: when someone you love needs you to, you can get a hold of your five-alarm temper, get a hold of the shapeless things that scare you senseless, act like an adult instead of the Cro-Magnon teenager you are, you can do a million things you never saw coming. ~ Tana French

I don't think you need anything to wear, Blue. In fact, given what I've seen, I'd prefer it that way. ~ Gayle Ann Williams

I would do anything for you, lass. You only have but to ask. Sleep now, and we will leave soon."
"I am...ready for more," she whispered.
He laughed. "'Tis good to know. I have been ready forever. ~ Terry Spear

Sweetheart, this is not a race to the finish line. It's you and me, spending time together and getting to know each other better. Just that simple. ~ Brey King

That's one of the most bewitching things about romance for me, as a reader and writer. Romances harbor hope for the reader. They create a direct emotional experience of certainty and potential to bridge the dark moments and help lead us into the light. No small wonder that romance is the source of all fictional genres and that romance continues to outsell every other form of human literary output. Hope is a magical thing, hard-won and easily snuffed. Anyone can point out ways for us to stay disappointed, compromised, and anxious, but opening anyone's eyes to possibilities helps them dream harder and reach further. Any book that can do that deserves a place on my shelves. ~ Damon Suede

...(he) had his own set of rules: "ride clean and ride fair." Asked by reporters how he managed to keep calm despite the attacks by other cyclists, Marshall answered, "I simply ride away. ~ Lesa Cline-Ransome

If she were gone I would be nothing. You should think better of yourself than to settle for that. ~ Erin Morgenstern

Everything you're telling me was just a story, and now it's real. ~ Kathy Bryson

Tereza knew what happens during the moment love is born: the woman cannot resist the voice calling forth her terrified soul; the man cannot resist the woman whose soul thus responds to his voice. ~ Milan Kundera

It takes wisdom to know when you've had enough, strength to make the decision and determination to see it through. ~ Seraphine Abrams

Charlie squinted in the glare of the sun. "Are you a member of the crew?" He stepped forward and shaded his eyes.
"In a manner of speaking," the man replied. "I'm Rock Harding."
"Oh, nice to meet you. ~ Hank Edwards