With all due respect, it sounds like YOUR way would not be your husband's way. A game can't be everything for everyone and Larian is not responsible for saving your relationship. Most of the combat is integral to the storytelling and sense of character progression and serves as a break from what would otherwise be rather tedious and nonsensical looting and exploration.
Though it seems you haven't tried too hard to avoid combat (you get the Escapist talent to flee even close combat etc.), I agree story-mode could have made it even easier to do so while compensating you with xp so your party level wouldn't lag behind the content. That said, realize you are a tiny minority and you want Larian to pander to you despite the fact that this would realistically mean cutting content that the large majority would want instead.
