7 Robin Hood Inspired No-spice Romance Books

Did I need an excuse to read more Robin Hood inspired novels? No. Am I using this as that excuse anyway? Absolutely.

If you know me, you know that I wrote my dissertation for my History degree on the man I believe was the real Robin Hood (and the man who was the real Sheriff of Nottingham. No I will not share who I believe it is as someday it will more than likely make it into a book I write). I love the Robin Hood stories that much.

I’m not ashamed to say that I have purchased books based solely on the fact that they were marketed as, “Robin Hood inspired.” Say less.

So I figured it was time to share some of my favorites with the rest of the world in case there are others like me that cannot get enough of the noble outlaw.

We read, review and recommend books that do not have a lot of gore, horror, language, or open door intimate scenes. If you don't see a book on this list, we either haven't read it yet or it contained one of these things.

On to the books! In no particular order...

Scarlet Series (Scarlet, Lady Thief, Lion Heart)

Blurb:

Posing as one of Robin Hood's thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. When the heat turns up on the band of thieves as the Sheriff of Nottingham seeks revenge, the romance burns strong between Scarlet and her flirtatious fellow outlaws. Helping the people of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It's only her fierce loyalty to Robin-whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her-that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

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Hood by Jenny Elder Moke

Blurb:

You have the blood of kings and rebels within you, love. Let it rise to meet the call.

Isabelle of Kirklees has only ever known a quiet life inside the sheltered walls of the convent, where she lives with her mother, Marien. But after she is arrested by royal soldiers for defending innocent villagers, Isabelle becomes the target of the Wolf, King John's ruthless right hand. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Marien helps Isabelle escape and sends her on a mission to find the one person who can help: Isabelle's father, Robin Hood.

As Isabelle races to stay out of the Wolf's clutches and find the father she's never known, she is thrust into a world of thieves and mercenaries, handsome young outlaws, new enemies with old grudges, and a king who wants her entire family dead. As she joins forces with Robin and his Merry Men in a final battle against the Wolf, will Isabelle find the strength to defy the crown and save the lives of everyone she holds dear?

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The World Above by Cameron Dokey

Blurb:

Gen and her twin brother, Jack, were raised with their mother's tales of life in the World Above. Gen is skeptical, but adventurous Jack believes the stories--and trades the family cow for magical beans. Their mother rejoices, knowing they can finally return to their royal home.

When Jack plants the beans and climbs the enchanted stalk, he is captured by the tyrant who now rules the land. Gen sets off to rescue her brother, but danger awaits her in the World Above. For finding Jack may mean losing her heart....

Grab a copy on Amazon*.

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The Wicked Prince by Celeste Bakendell

Blurb:

A righteous outlaw. A wicked tyrant. A marriage to save their crumbling kingdom.

As regent, Prince John has a never-ending list of problems, including his brother’s expensive war and his subjects’ utter hatred of him. But the biggest thorn in his side? The outlaw Robin Hood.

With an ultimatum from his brother—deal with the outlaw once and for all or be sent to the frontlines to die—Prince John needs a solution and fast. Upon discovering everything they thought they knew about the criminal was wrong—most surprising, Robin Hood is a woman—Prince John’s brilliant scheme is born. Marry the outlaw. Secure his safety… even if he condemns himself to a wife that despises him and fascinates him in equal measures.

Robin has never come across a trap she couldn’t escape, but when Prince John proves himself as her equal, it’s time to put that to the test. She’d made a vow to fight his tyranny, and the ring on her finger won’t change that. As long as she believes he is every wicked thing the world says he is, her heart is safe, and even though she might be the greatest thief in the world, it isn’t like he has a heart for her to steal…

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Arrows and Gems by Erin Halbmaier

Blurb:

"Princess Helena has always struggled to belong. When she wakes from her twelve-year enchanted sleep, she tries to adjust to the changes in her life. But her childhood sweetheart’s marriage and the council’s plan to choose her husband push her too far.

Cap just wants to protect the people suffering from the tyrannical regent’s rule. But his less-than-legal methods have put a target on his back.

He’s wary of the woman he believes has been sent to trap him, but she has a way of slipping past his defenses. And he’s afraid she might be another sign that he shouldn’t trust his own judgment.

Can Helena and Cap work together to bring down the regent? Or will their insecurities and secrets destroy everything they care about?

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Hightower Robin Hood Series by Jacque Stevens

Blurb:

Noblewoman by day. Legendary thief by night. Who is the girl under the hood?

Orphaned at five and widowed at sixteen, Marian is the sole heir of Locksley keep and the Earldom of Huntingdon. Her husband, Robin of Locksley, never returned from the crusades, leaving her at the mercy of the sheriff. He chooses her a new husband among his brutal lackeys and taxes her people to rags and starvation.

Marian is sidelined and powerless, but rumors spread of a charismatic thief who could change everything. Clever, brave, and strong, his followers claim that the hooded rogue is Robin’s spirit back from the grave. Only Marian knows the truth. Her husband is dead, but under his hood, she could be invincible.

The King of Thieves is dead. Long live the Queen.

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The Maid of Sherwood Forest by Sian Ann Bessey

Blurb

Mariah thought Robin Hood was just a legend--until time pulled her into his world and the outlaw stole her heart.

Nothing about Mariah Clinton's passion for archery or her work as a sous-chef in contemporary London prepares her for the moment she's pulled into another time--and another life. One minute, she's stepping into McQuivey's Costume Shop to rent a medieval gown. The next, she's standing in a castle kitchen in twelfth-century Nottingham--with no idea how she got there or how to return to modern time. Forced to pose as a kitchen servant, she must draw on ingenuity and courage to survive in a world in which she shouldn't exist. But when her skill with a bow draws the attention of outlaws in Sherwood Forest, she's swept into a conflict that is more dangerous--and more thrilling--than she could ever have imagined.

Robin Hood has spent years outwitting the sheriff, protecting the innocent, and keeping his men one step ahead of Prince John's reach. But when he crosses paths with a mysterious archer who shoots like no woman he's ever met, he knows she's hiding something. Her words, her ways, even the fire in her eyes--none of it belongs in his time. Yet the more she stands at his side, the harder it becomes to imagine Sherwood Forest without her.

Mariah is torn between a past she understands in modern-day London and an uncertain future with an outlaw who has stolen her heart. But as the sheriff's grip tightens and betrayal looms, one truth becomes clear--some choices are impossible to undo, and love, once found, is not so easily left behind.

Grab a copy on Amazon* Grab a copy on Bookshop.org* Read our Rec

Have a Robin Hood inspired book you love that we didn't mention? Drop it in the comments!

Thanks for reading.