Reddit reviews A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries Book 1)

Unfortunately, I can never pay attention to what characters look like in series (my brain just skips over most of the time). Unless it is said again and again and again, I'm just not noticing it. I literally have to be beat across the head with it to notice it.

I can give you some series I liked that I think there is a low probability of it happening though:

Cainsville by Kelley Armstrong (I know you said you didn't like WotO but the two series feel pretty different imo. This series does have a love triangle, though, but it is the best love triangle I have ever had the pleasure of reading.)

The Others by Anne Bishop, if you somehow haven't read it before.

Realm Walker by Kathleen Collins

Colbana Files by J.C. Daniels, like lupa280 suggested

Skindancer by Anthony Francis

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness (this probably is focused on a bit, but mostly because love, it doesn't spread to the secondary characters.)

Elemental Mysteries by Elizabeth Hunter (book one is currently FREE on amazon)

don't do Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane because I doubt we are ever getting an ending to that, despite it being so damn good.

Hunter Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu

October Daye by Seanan McGuire

Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin

The Elemental Mysteries series by Elizabeth Hunter is phenomenal.

The Elemental Mysteries series is not really smutty. It's a fantasy series, though...

The Rosie Project might interest you.