Thanks for checking out this month’s list! We’ve got polyam, we’ve got dragons, we’ve got ace romance, we’ve got older queer folks finding love, we’ve got holiday romances… and as usual, plenty of other stuff too. Hope you find something new and lovely for your TBR. Which if it’s anything like mine, has given up protesting me adding books to it.
Housekeeping:
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A Little Luck by J.A. Collignon (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Sapphic fantasy thief x bard! Also the cursing is really entertaining in the bit I’ve read so far.
“East-ward I lived, near the waves glimmerin’ gold, Singing for my people, the stories and tales of old…
After the biggest job of her life goes sideways, magical artifact thief Lottie Luck is out of, well, luck. With no job on the horizon and only the clothes on her back, she makes a snap decision to head to Arrowmount, where her estranged sister lives, to regroup and figure out where she’s going next.
Kirandir Dulra, a favored Arrowmount town bard, is happy enough with the way her life is. By day, she’s a dishwasher for the local bar, and by night she performs for the regular townsfolk who frequent the Old’n Narrow. The routine works, but she dreams of more: a life in arcane lights with crowds calling her name.
However, everything is turned upside down when these two strangers get thrown together to organize the entertainment for an upcoming festival as emergency replacements one month out.
As the two try and find a rhythm together, Lottie unearths truths about herself and Kir’s dream starts to become more realistic. In a story full of chilly autumnal nights and the golden glow of lantern light, these two women might just find more in each other than they bargained for.”
Somewhere in the Gray Area by Jeffrey K. Davenport (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: New adult, M/M romance subplot, Black MC, gay Black author.
Note: Based on Goodreads reviews, something about the ending is freaking out some readers, though they seem to feel it was the right ending for the story? So I’m not sure if this means no HEA/HFN. The author calls it a “romance thriller” and it is categorized as a romance on Amazon. If anyone has read it and wants to give me a non-spoiler-y yes/no on the issue, please do!
“There are very few things that James Rhodes doesn’t believe that he can do. Breeze through all of his undergrad classes? Easy. Thrive in his programming internship? Done. Get his yearning-from-a-distance crush to fall in love with him? Pending. He has a plan for everything. And why wouldn’t he? When you plan for everything, nothing can go wrong.
Right?
What he doesn’t plan on is finding himself caught right in the middle of a vicious crime and a police cover-up that takes the lives of his high-profile boss and the rest of the program’s interns. His saving grace is an unlikely team of operatives that pluck him from the scene and explain that there are dangerous secrets being kept from him that will change his life forever.
Things only get more knotty when Mateo, the team’s leader with a rough exterior and a serious eye only for his work, grows a soft spot for James and they realize how alike they are despite coming from two very different realities. Maybe even enough to cross a boundary that they can’t come back from.”
Love, Ace, & Monsters, an anthology with stories by Azalea Crowley, R.N. Barbosa, Sula Sullivan, Katie Skye, Calla Claire, Kass O’Shire, and Daphinie Cramsie (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Ace monster romances by ownvoices authors and allies, fundraising for queer kids.
“Ready for a monster romance anthology with a new intersection?
Love, Ace & Monsters is a collection of monster romances featuring ace identities. From Ace to Demi, this anthology hopes to explore the diverse spectrum and the different relationships through monster romance.
Proceeds will benefit wayOUT, a nonprofit organization that works to support LGBTQIA+ youth in the United States.”
Reborn by Seth Haddon (Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: M/M romance by a queer guy. Small press.
“When the Rezwyn Empire mysteriously cuts diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Usleth, merchant lord Oren Radek is sent to investigate. But when he discovers a coup brewing against the emperor, Radek’s life and his country’s safety is suddenly under threat.
Izra Dziove, visionary advisor to the Rezwyn Emperor, is trying to hold the turbulent Rezwyn court together while being plagued by dreams of his fated man. But when Izra’s adversaries launch an attack on the diplomatic party from Usleth, he is forced to take action to protect them and prevent a war.
Forced to trust one another, both men must put aside their differences to save the future of both their nations, while also contending with the growing attraction between them— all while trying to understand their mysterious connection and the forces guiding their shared destiny.
Can their fated love change the destiny of nations?”
The Rule of Three by Sophie Snow (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Polyam romance, and I like what I’ve read so far!
“Her reputation has never been worse.
Their love fell apart and left them with a missing piece.
Can three broken hearts hold onto each other long enough to fight for their happy ending?
Recovering from a messy public breakup, lonely songwriter Tessa Reid flees the vicious British tabloids for New York. After sneaking out of a one-night stand, she discovers the tattooed man she left behind, and can’t get out of her head, is her new neighbor, River Sage.
Hopeless romantic, River, lives next door with his best friend, and the man who broke his heart, Cassian King. After years of avoiding confronting their feelings, Tessa shows up and makes them question everything.
Sparks fly as a friends-with-benefits arrangement between the three quickly evolves into something deeper, blurring the lines between friendship and more. Used to outrunning the ghosts from their pasts, can Cass, River, and Tessa stop running from each other and learn to stay?”
The Nightmare I’ve Become by Eve R. Hart (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Bi4bi queer M/F, and I know some of y’all love a horror-mance!
“It’s bad enough to wake up with no memory.
It’s worse to wake up with no clue who you are and find yourself possessed by a demon.
It’s all creepy whispers and echoing laughter in my head. Plus, it’s making me hungry — for souls, not burritos.
All I can say, this adventure is something conjured from nightmares.
I have to get it out. But where do I even start?
With a stray dog I’ve picked up along the way, I’ve come to what might be my last hope.
Which happens to be a cardigan-wearing, tea-drinking, book nerd who looks like he’d rather be dealing with anyone but me.
That is until he starts to see past the monster the demon is turning me into. He sees the me I don’t even know.
It’s weird to fall in love while trying to rid my body of this toxic demonic energy. But hey, at least there’s something good in this messed up story.
I just hope I make it out alive.”
Twisted Tome by Vanora Lawless (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Second installment of a WWI + magic series. I was the volunteer line editor for this book, and I can tell you it’s a master class in taking an established couple to a new level in a sequel. If you haven’t started this series yet, grab the first book! Bi genderfluid neurodivergent author.
“A stubborn empath. A passionate dreamwalker. A love worth fighting for.
For empathic illusionist Warren ‘Sully’ Sullivan dreamwalking Captain Elliot Stone is more than the only thing keeping him sane and safe. He’s the keeper of Sully’s heart, even if he can’t seem to admit it out loud.
When an ancient grimoire infused with catastrophic magic comes into play, they’ve got to do everything in their power to keep it from landing in enemy hands. Unfortunately, that means working closely with a man who once shattered Elliot’s heart. Someone he would have done anything for.
As insecurity and fear threaten the fledgling relationship between Elliot and Sully, will the darkness closing in around them bring them closer or tear them apart forever?”
The Reanimator’s Soul by Kara Jorgensen (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Second book in a romance/mystery series following a couple established in book 1. Queer nonbinary author. The series covers are fantastic.
“An autistic necromancer, his undead lover, and the case that could destroy everything.
When a necromancer turns up dead, Oliver and Felipe think it will be the perfect, straightforward case for their new partnership. That is, until it leads them to a clinic promising a cure for magic, but they aren’t the only ones investigating the Institute for the Betterment of the Soul. Oliver’s ex, Ansley, is in town, and he’s certain the clinic isn’t the paragon of righteousness it claims to be.
Forced to help Ansley infiltrate the institute, Oliver fears he is out of his depth in his work and in love as old wounds and bad habits resurface. But Oliver isn’t the only one struggling. Pulled between his cases, Oliver, and his daughter returning home for the summer, Felipe is drowning. Just when he thinks he finally has everything under control, a new reminder of his untimely demise threatens to throw his life into a tailspin once more.
Between festering wounds and secrets, Oliver and Felipe’s lives stand upon a knife’s edge. To face the evil lurking behind the clinic’s genteel smiles, they must stand together or face the destruction of the place they call home.”
Hatchett Grannies by Avery Morstan (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Immortal sapphics, one of whom has avoided confessing her feelings for 194 years! Surely this is a record for sapphic avoidance! Nonbinary author.
“Jane Hatchett has been alive for more than two hundred years and for one hundred and ninety-four of them she’s been in love with her best friend, Annie. Annie is a siren, and together they’ve made some beautiful (but unfortunately platonic) music.
But now it’s the bitchin’ eighties and devilish record exec Lark Dixon is offering Jane’s band a chance at the big time… only Jane and Annie can’t risk the limelight. When Lark gets Jane alone, she offers Jane something she could only dream of- another chance at humanity and possibly a shot with Annie- but it’s at a huge cost. Will Jane risk the souls of herself, Annie and their two human bandmates to be with the girl she loves? Or, once their gig is over, will she tell Lark to blow it out her butt even if it costs her the band?”
The Santa Pageant by Lillian Barry (Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: In the author’s words, “a second-chance holiday romance between a sunshiney lesbian and a chilly non-binary bisexual.” Author’s pronouns are they/she/he.
“Ten years ago, best friends Effie and Tove kissed in the bushes at Winter Ball…and then stood there like lemons, as if they weren’t crushing on each other so hard it hurt. In the confusion, their friendship fizzled, and Tove walked into the sunset with some guy who had nice hair.
Now a cocksure twenty-five-year-old with secretly appalling self-esteem, Effie enters the Santa of the Year Pageant to prove to her unsupportive family that Santa could, in fact, be a lesbian. Enter Tove, the grumpiest Santa in the grotto, back on the island after a harrowing break-up with Nice Hair Guy and using the Pageant to reconnect with the world.
As the Pageant eliminates Santa after Santa, Effie and Tove clash over their past: the kiss that drove them apart, and the fears the last ten years have etched into their worldviews. Effie must let go of others’ opinions and learn to love herself, and Tove must move forward despite there being no guarantee they won’t be hurt again… Or they risk losing each other a second time.”
Yours Celestially by Al Hess (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Sci-fi with, in the author’s words, “Gay, bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, and asexual characters; M/M and NBi/M romance; ADHD main character; autistic love interest; love interest with anxiety and past trauma.” Trans guy author.
“A biblically accurate angel. A guy trying to move on with his (second) life. And the love-sickness still tethering them together.
After divorce, death, and having his reformatted soul uploaded into a new body, Sasha expected resurrection to be a fresh start. His time spent in digital Limbo with the program’s cheeky AI guardian angel, Metatron, was cathartic, but what good is a second life when he only sees his daughter on the weekends, he has all the same problems he had before he died, and he can’t seem to shake the ache for the married life he lost?
If that weren’t frustrating enough, a glitch in the program has given Sasha the ability to sense Metatron even outside of Limbo. And Metatron is in love. The angel’s sickly-sweet yearning for one of the souls still in Limbo has turned Sasha’s stomach into caramelized lead. It’s hard enough to move on without someone else’s feelings making the emptiness in his own life even more acute. He didn’t have playing wingman to an actual winged being on his bingo card, but he’s determined to help Metatron make a move on their crush so he can get love off of his mind.
Sasha takes a job with the resurrection company in order to covertly contact Metatron. Except Sasha’s new coworker, Mr. C, keeps showing up at the worst moments. The man is annoying, he’s pushy… and he’s incredibly hot. Sasha can’t decide whether Mr. C wants to blackmail him or be his new BFF, but he seems to know things about Metatron and the resurrection program that Sasha doesn’t. Getting close to him might be the key to solving Sasha’s problem, but if he isn’t careful, he’s going to end up catching feelings of his own.”
Violet Moon by Mel E. Lemon (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Sapphic werewolves series starter. Author’s pronouns are they/them.
“A slice of life sapphic friends to lovers slow burn with werewolves and a bakery
Seraphine’s days are filled with fresh coffee, fruit tarts, and doing her best to be the Beta her pack needs. But when Sera discovers she has feelings for Parisa, her best friend and pack Alpha, she decides to bury those feelings for the sake of the pack. (After all, what’s a little secret pining between friends?) Strong feelings can’t stay buried forever, though, and when they cause her to act rashly, Sera risks losing everything, but could gain so much more.”
The Night Shift Before Christmas by Katherine Isaac (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Queer polyam novella, and I like the author’s writing style so far.
“Twas the night shift before Christmas, when all through the restaurant,
Five creatures were stirring,
Not just stirring, they were freaking the hell out.
If it was any other night, or any other building, Penelope would love the extra attention from Ross, Ludo, Jason, and Gia. It didn’t mean anything. After all, they were just flirting for fun. Something to get through the shift, right?
Wrong. It’s Christmas Eve, and a storm has trapped all five of them in the restaurant. It’s the longest closing shift they’ve ever worked.
The snow is piling up outside, emotions are running high inside, and the truth is coming out everywhere.
Welcome to Rinkies! Your burger might take longer than usual.”
Fair Haven by Wendy Palmer (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: M/nonbinary romance. I’m really enjoying what I’ve read so far, especially the portrayal of sign language(s).
“Stronghold Fair Haven by the Sea is a beacon in a sometimes harsh world, open to all and deliberately, stubbornly kind. It also holds the honour and responsibility of hosting an atelier, a workshop for the rare and highly-prized magical engineers known as Mancers.
Hazel lives a comfortable, contented life in Stronghold Haven as a member of the team of elite bodyguards protecting the resident Mancer. But when another Mancer comes knocking on Haven’s door to plead for refuge from the stronghold zhey’ve just escaped from, zhey bring a growing threat of invasion in zheir wake.
Ash is disruptive to Hazel’s peaceful routine in more ways than just that: to his own astonishment, he’s hopelessly attracted to the prickly, secretive Mancer.
This might be the start of something precious…or the end of everything he holds dear.”
The Space Ace of Mangleby Flat by Larre Bildeston (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Ace novel with a romance subplot. Queer, neurodivergent author. I love this cover a lot.
“On paper, things look fine. Sam Dennon recently inherited significant wealth from his uncle. As a respected architect, Sam spends his days thinking about the family needs and rich lives of his clients. But privately? Even his enduring love of amateur astronomy is on the wane. Sam has built a sustainable-architecture display home for himself but hasn’t yet moved into it, preferring to sleep in his cocoon of a campervan. Although they never announced it publicly, Sam’s wife and business partner ended their marriage years ago due to lack of intimacy, leaving Sam with the sense he is irreparably broken.
Now his beloved uncle has died. An intensifying fear manifests as health anxiety, with night terrors from a half-remembered early childhood event. To assuage the loneliness, Sam embarks on a Personal Happiness Project:
1. Get a pet dog
2. Find a friend. Just one. Not too intense.
As Sam comes to terms with the shameful family secrets revealed in a series of letters left to him by his deceased uncle, Sam falls in love again: first with his adopted poodle-cross, and then, much more slowly, with a kind and generous trans woman from his tennis club.
Reina is so visibly and proudly queer Sam can’t imagine the two of them share a single thing in common. If only humans came with a guide book…”
A Common Bond by T.M. Kuta (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Part of a multi-author series by queer authors featuring a variety of queer pairings.
“Construction Project Manager Carneline has a lot of her plate at the family business. The last thing she needs is romance.
But Josie, the skilled superintendent, is complicating things one iced coffee at a time.
Carneline Triana runs a tight ship. Her no-nonsense approach to project management saves her father’s historic restoration firm money—that’s why he put her on the company’s first project in Clover Hill. Her cool demeanor keeps all but the bravest at bay, and she’s fine with that. She’s got her plants and her poetry, and doesn’t have time for dating anyway. At least, until she walks on to the construction site and finds Josie in charge.
An experienced site superintendent, Josie Basurto intends to fix up Clover Hill’s historic town hall one iced coffee at a time. She’s worked with the Trianas before, but never with Carneline. With her easy swagger and attractive confidence, she is determined to wiggle under Carneline’s frosty exterior and make Carneline smile by any means necessary.
Neither of them are looking for love, but when a faulty engine part strands Carneline downtown, staying over at Josie’s seems the logical choice. As sparks start to fly, the two women are forced to hide their mutual attraction in order to keep the project on track and avoid angering Carneline’s father. When a fateful night pushes them over the edge, Josie and Carneline have to make a choice. Do they figure out a way to do this thing, or do they ignore their feelings and pretend it all never happened?”
A Curse of Scales and Flame by Max Walker (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Dragons. M/M romance by a queer guy.
Note: The death of one MC’s mother references in the blurb happens on-page within the first 10% of the book.
“Damien Blackthorne
Dragons were dying. All over the world, a curse was taking us out one by one, and nobody knew how to stop it.
I watched my mother burn, I watched my little brother fall sick. I didn’t want to see anyone else die, I was determined to figure out how to stop the dragon fall.
That’s when Robby practically falls into my lap, with his big brown eyes and charming smile and his penchant for being hunted by vampires. After saving him twice from certain death, we soon come to realize that there’s a reason he’s being hunted.
And that reason may be the answer to all our problems, and the start to a whole new set of them.
Robby Diaz
I liked to float through the world. I bounced off problems and tended to avoid any and all issues with a smile and a wave.
So imagine my surprise when I’m heading to a magic shop in Malibu and I’m suddenly attacked by vampires and then saved by one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. I thought I could float away from whatever mess I stumbled into, but this problem stuck—following me all the way home.
The vampires were after me, but they didn’t want me dead… they wanted me alive. Why? And what did I have to do with this dragon-killing curse? And why was I falling for the fiery hot dragon who insists on saving me over and over again?”
Wishing on Winter by Brenna Bailey (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Senior MCs, queer M/F (she’s bi). The first two books in this series were sapphic, and you know I like the mixed queer romance series.
“The aspiring novelist. The retired drummer. The fake relationship that will warm up their winter.
Evvie Adler thought she’d never find love again. Then the recent pair-ups of her two best friends make the queer septuagenarian realize she doesn’t want to be alone for Christmas. Besides, she needs fodder for her romance novel, and what better research than the real thing? But one disastrous date later, and Evvie’s ready to give up on love once and for all.
After years on the road, drummer Matthias Vogel is settling down in Juniper Creek to focus on family — and to finish the band memoir he has no idea how to start. When he literally bumps into an aspiring novelist, his sister suggests they collaborate. But how could he trust a stranger with his secrets, let alone immortalize them in ink?
When Evvie proposes they fake date to give her material while she helps Matthias finish his memoir, it seems like the perfect solution — until feelings get real and insecurities, presumptions, and a meddling bandmate interfere. With a lifetime of baggage to unpack, will Evvie and Matthias take a chance on love and make this the best holiday season ever?”
The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q by Felicia Davin (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Second book in an extremely queer paranormal historical epistolary series, and this one’s polyam. If you’re not on this train already and this sounds at all appealing, get the first book stat. Bi author whose pronouns are she/they.
“Paris, 1825. Losing her husband is the best thing to happen to Delphine in ages. After he used magic to control her, Delphine’s only regret is that she didn’t kill that petty tyrant herself. Widowed, Delphine can pursue her dashing rescuer, the androgynous novelist Camille Dupin — and solve the mystery of her first love, a man called Ari who disappeared before Delphine could tell him she was pregnant with his child.
Ari isn’t dead. Three years ago, he stole a magical weapon from a powerful man and was exiled to a distant prison. When a stroke of luck allows him to escape, he sets out to confront the man who ruined his life and reunite with Delphine. He never expected to find her in bed with Camille, or to find himself falling in love with both of them.
Camille loves Delphine and was almost ready to let her guard down. Ari’s reappearance stirs up old hurts and threatens them all — Ari’s enemy will stop at nothing to get his stolen artifact back. Camille’s conscience won’t let her abandon Delphine and Ari in danger, but she won’t stay to have her heart broken once they’re safe. Before Delphine, Camille, and Ari can imagine a happy future, they’ll have to reckon with the past.”
Spark by Allie Lasky (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Jewish queer m/f holiday romance; he’s bi, she’s neurodivergent. Queer Jewish neurodivergent author.
“She’s not the one who got away — she’s the one he never had the guts to pursue.
Arielle likes that Asher sees beyond her neurodivergence to treat her like any other person — he’s been her friend for twenty years because of it, not in spite of it. The teenage crush she had on the stocky boy next door has only grown as they have, and after he nearly kissed her at Thanksgiving… yeah, it’s back, there’s no denying.
The problem? Every time she thinks she can finally tell him how she feels, that little voice inside her head convinces her she’s reading the situation wrong — again.
There are eight nights of Chanukah, but Arielle knows she won’t get eight more chances to show Asher she feels the same. Can she overcome her insecurities before he writes this off as another missed connection?”
Tome for the Holidays by Yolande Kleinn (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Kleinn has a great touch with holiday romances, and I’m looking forward to this one; the first little bit of it I read is cuuuute. Ace author.
“Between grad school and the barista gig that helps pay his tuition, Cole Moreau’s hands are full. He shouldn’t have time or energy to maintain a hopeless crush on Isaac Hamlin, a coffee shop regular who happens to own the bookshop next door. But Isaac is sweet and gorgeous — and being friends with him only exacerbates the problem.
When a Christmas Eve blizzard strands Cole on Isaac’s doorstep, the challenges pile up just as deep as the snow shutting down the city. A power outage, a mischievous cat, and only one sleeping bag… None of this leaves room for pining over impossible things.
Isaac is off-limits, but tell that to Cole’s stubborn heart.”
Splinter by Jasper Hyde (Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Queer M/F with a bi FMC and demi MMC. Black aroace author.
“This Is The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Reborn…
In a small town hidden behind the hills of New York, things are far from ordinary. As Sleepy Hollow’s youngest Medical Examiner, the pressure intensifies for Dr. Drusilla Van Tassel when the headless bodies of her sister Katrina’s friends start surfacing. Meanwhile, Drusilla’s ex-lover Ichabod Crane returns to town, dredging up feelings better left buried.
Things take a turn for the worst when Drusilla comes face-to-face with the Headless Horseman, who is back to settle old scores – and she and her sister are the perfect targets. Drusilla can repel the horseman with an unknown power, but her sister isn’t so lucky, and she goes missing.
However, when Drusilla discovers Ichabod is a monster hunter, she has no other choice but to turn to him for help. Even if that means working with a man she feels an inexplicable attraction to. Will they find Katrina and banish the headless horseman once and for all?”
SoulMatch by Nicole Pyland (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Sapphic sci-fi with a romance subplot. What I’ve read so far is really nailing that disturbing dystopian vibe.
“As long as people look for love, someone will be there trying to make a profit on it.
SoulMatch promises people soulmates created just for them. The person simply needs to tell them what they want, give a little DNA, answer some questions, and in twenty-three years, a soulmate who loves them and is perfect for them in every way will be delivered. As people start creating soulmates for their children so that they don’t have to go out and find love themselves, the industry is booming.
But Theodora knows she wasn’t made for the man she’s supposed to marry in a few short months. She knows that because she doesn’t and can’t love any man – she was meant to love a woman. When one day, her best friend goes missing and a new student of SoulMatch School shows up in her place, everything changes fast for Theodora.
Avalon knows the secret of SoulMatch. When they’d tried to get her to conform, she’d resisted. Now, she’s the only one who can bring them down. She just needs a little help, and she thinks she can get it from the one person she’s been told to trust. The fact that Avalon is falling for that person and not for the man she’s meant to marry soon only complicates things further, but Avalon will have her revenge.
Avalon and Theodora will bring SoulMatch down because lives are at stake, and not just their own.”
Outdrawn by Deanna Grey (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: New adult sapphic rivals to lovers Black romance.
“It isn’t always lonely at the top.
Noah Blue’s finally got her foot in the door. After clawing her way to the top of the charts with her webcomic, she’s garnered enough attention to earn a full-time position at a company re-launching their cult classic comic: Queen Leisah.
Queen Leisah is predicted to be an instant bestseller with movie deals already in the making. Things are falling into place. There’s nowhere to go but up…as soon as she gets one person out of her way.
Sage Montgomery has always been the best artist in every building she’s stepped foot in. Raw talent’s gotten her webcomic to the top of the charts every month for the past eight years. She’s been the best for as long as she can remember. Sure, her career has plateaued but that can be easily fixed by working on a big, mainstream comic.
She was promised complete creative control over Leisah. Instead, she got a shared credit with the one artist who’s been breathing down her neck since college. The one artist who has a fighting chance of being better than her.
Sage and Noah have to work as a team — or, at least appear to work as a team. They thought the hardest part of the relaunch would be drawing together. But that’s easy in comparison to falling in love.”
Keep You Both by Kathryn Nolan (Amazon/KU / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: MFF polyam, and from what I’ve read, there’s *plenty* of angst so I’m very much looking forward to reading the rest.
“What’s the first rule of wedding planning? Don’t fall for the couple…
It was supposed to be a quick trip to the mountains. I was going to show my best friends Beau and Flora their wedding venue, hope they said ‘yes,’ and check another task off the long list of things to do before they tie the knot. Oh, and continue to keep my feelings for the bride and groom under wraps.
What I didn’t plan for was a sudden blizzard to trap all three of us in a cozy cabin over New Year’s Eve weekend. Just me, the dirty-talking paramedic, the flirty baker, and too many bottles of champagne.
Oops.
Talk about a disaster. Resisting temptation is the only option — because revealing my secret would ruin their relationship and our friendship.
I’m not willing to lose them both.
Even if the couple I’m forbidden to have… might want me back.”
Stuffed by Cassie Donoghue (will likely be in Kobo Plus / Amazon / Goodreads)
Why I’m excited to list it: Normally I don’t include books until they’re live for purchase, and as I’m sending out the newsletter, this comes out *tomorrow*. But given it’s seasonal and a bi FFM polyam erotic romance, I didn’t want y’all to miss the opportunity to read it timely. (And I trust the author.)
“The turkey won’t be the only thing getting stuffed this Thanksgiving…
When her holiday trip home is canceled, Izzy doesn’t expect to get shared with her boyfriend’s best friend. Now, their Friendsgiving has turned into the hottest hookup of her life with her as the mouthwatering centerpiece.”
At the end of each newsletter, I take the liberty of recommending a few of my recent favorite queer reads, from romance to SFF to graphic novels and comics. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite book here! These may not always be self-published or small press; it just depends on what’s gotten to the top of my TBR lately.
Knots by Myles McDonough(Amazon / Goodreads)
Dystopian novel about persecution of queer and kinky people that I found a tough read emotionally, especially because the MC is a cop, but it’s definitely not copaganda. And it’s really, really good. CW: secondary character torture and death, off-page (not committed by MC).
“The 29th Amendment guarantees everybody one monogamous romantic and sexual partner. As a detective with the Boston Police Department’s Intimacy Allocation Unit, Sean hunts down the hoarders who violate this law.
Sean likes his job. It’s the perfect cover.
But when Sean gets invited to an underground play party, his safe, simple life becomes…complicated. Every hour he spends with these outlaws, leading their life — the life he could have had — makes them seem less like targets, and more like people.
His people.
With career — and life — on the line, Sean must decide whether his loyalties lie with his job, his friends, and his old way of doing things — or with a group of complete strangers who somehow feel like family.”
I Am Ace: Advice on Living Your Best Asexual Life by Cody Daigle-Orians (Amazon / Goodreads)
Informative, compassionate nonfiction book about asexuality. If you’re in the market for an Ace 101 type of book, this is a good pick – or ask your library to acquire it so it’s available to people in your community!
“How do I know if I’m actually sexual?
How do I come out as asexual?
What kinds of relationship can I have as an ace person?
If you are looking for answers to these questions, Cody is here to help. Within these pages lie all the advice you need as a questioning ace teen.
Tackling everything from what asexuality is, the asexual spectrum and tips on coming out, to intimacy, relationships, acephobia and finding joy, this guide will help you better understand your asexual identity alongside deeply relatable anecdotes drawn from Cody’s personal experience.
Whether you are ace, demi, gray-ace or not sure yet, this book will give you the courage and confidence to embrace your authentic self and live your best ace life.”
Mall Goth by Kate Leth (Amazon / Goodreads)
Lovely coming-of-age graphic novel about a bi teen girl in the 2000s.
“Liv Holme is not exactly thrilled to be moving to a new town with her mother. After all, high school can be brutal, even more so when you’re a fifteen-year-old, bisexual goth. But Liv is determined to be who she is, bullies or not. Still, being the new kid and the only out student brings her a lot of unwelcome attention, and Liv flounders in her search for community. The only person who makes time for her is one of teachers, but Liv isn’t sure how to feel about the way he behaves toward her.
Thankfully, she’s found the perfect escape: the mall. Under its fluorescent lights, Liv feels far away from her parents’ strained marriage and the peers who don’t understand her. Amid the bright storefronts, food court smell, and anonymous shoppers, Liv is safely one of the crowd and can enjoy the feeling of calling the shots in her own life for once.
With the help of her suburban refuge, Liv sets off on a journey of self-acceptance and learns to navigate the ups and downs of high school and to recognize true friendship.”
The Hills of Estrella Roja by Ashley Robin Franklin (Amazon / Goodreads)
I was delighted to curl up with this sapphic YA graphic novel where two girls meet while one, a paranormal mystery podcaster, is investigating a reported phenomenon in the other’s family hometown. The spookiness doesn’t kick into high gear until fairly late in the story, but I loved main characters Kat and Mari so much that it was worth the wait. Mari’s down-to-earth kindness complements Kat’s enthusiasm and boldness. Thoroughly enjoyable book – and as a Texan myself, I always love seeing a story set in my home state!
“When college freshman Kat Fields receives a mysterious email urging her to visit a relatively unknown Texas town with a history of witchcraft, strange sightings, and “devil lights”—glowing red stars that appear above the town’s hills every night—she ditches her plans for spring break and takes a solo road trip to Estrella Roja to investigate for her podcast, Paranormal Texas, catchphrase: “Y’all stay spooky!”
Meanwhile, Marisol “Mari” Castillo, is also headed for Estrella Roja to attend the funeral for her abuela whom she hasn’t seen since childhood, when her mom cut ties with the family and left town. Feeling lost and bored, she decides to help Kat after a chance meeting at the local diner—and, okay, it doesn’t hurt that Kat is super cute.
As the two girls grow closer not only to each other, but to uncovering the dark legacy that the town was built on, they discover that something hungry lurks beneath the strange stars and that in the hills of Estrella Roja, some secrets should stay buried.”