Do you remember the first time you ever picked up a queer love story and read it in two days? Try to think about the feeling it gave you: Maybe it made you feel less alone, turned you into an avid reader, gave you something to aspire toward as a gay person and even sparked your interest in the romance genre. Maybe, since then, you’ve been endlessly searching for new ones to read. They didn’t use to be quite as common to find, but now, we’re seeing a beautiful rise in romantic, wholesome LGBTQ-focused books.
Mohsin Zaidi, a well-known queer author based in the U.K., has often shared why he believes that all LGBTQ+ stories belong on bookshelves in libraries, homes and bookstores — even romance novels. “'Stories help shape cultures and if you hear no stories about something that is a part of you then, to my mind, that part of you can't possibly develop and mature at the same pace as the rest,'” he shares, “That's the importance of queer reading; it nurtures you, and helps every part of you grow.”
And he is right. We need LGBTQ+ romance novels — they make for great beach reads, the thing you spend your Sunday devouring or even a great topic for a queer book club and they can make us all swoon (if you’re into that sort of thing.) So, without further ado, here are our top three favorite new WLW romantic book recommendations, below.
5 WLW Book Recs You Need to Read ASAP
A new kind of queer love story that combines wholesome fantasy with a romance that feels the way first loves do — simple and sweet. Baldree’s “Legends & Lattes” follows Viv, a former battle orc who leaves her life of bounties and bloodshed behind to open a coffee shop. The only catch? In this fantasy world, no one knows what coffee is, let alone how to make it. Through her adventures, Viv meets travelers and another special someone, who becomes a partner she’d never have dreamt she deserved before. It’s perfect and sweet in every way.
Who doesn’t love an unexpected love? Kristen Zimmer's The Gravity Between Us tells a story of friendship, fame, and of course, romance. We get to follow the paths of Kendall and Payton, childhood friends turned roommates, who both experience the unique challenge of growing up in the public eye. As Kendall rises to stardom, the dynamics of their relationship evolve, forcing both women to confront their true feelings (which are, of course, of the LGBTQ variety.) Zimmer craftfully shows fame and self-discovery, all in one, while mixing in what we’re really here for: a heartfelt and relatable lesbian love story.
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At the recommendation of an avid reader and lesbian TikToker, INFAMOUS is described as being Bridgerton for sapphics. It’s based on Emily Dickinson’s life — through the lens of 22-year-old aspiring writer Edith 'Eddie' Miller and her best friend Rose who have always done everything together— and not just climbing trees. Through tough times, friendship, impending marriage and more, they both navigate being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, while living in the English countryside. It’s such a fun, modern twist on a true classic love story.
Imagine being twenty-eight-year-old and going to Vegas to celebrate your achievements with the girls, only to end up married to a complete stranger in the morning. Well, in Roger’s Honey Girl that’s exactly what happens to Grace Porter, who gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know. It’s an unexpected, turn-of-events LGBTQ+ romance that will have you on your toes the entire way through.
Described as a fantastic, weird-as-hell, smutty and gay, Beagin’s Big Swiss tells the story of a transcriptionist who begins a new job of transcribing a relationship therapist’s sessions as he starts writing a book. Through listening to one woman’s sessions, she begins to have romantic feelings for her, even though she has no idea who she is. Again, an unexpected and sexy read, that will leave you feeling spicy and in love, too.
