Sandra sent us her own recommendations list (THANK YOU SANDRA!!), and I know I LOVE a book on here already. Bear, Otter and the Kid blew my mind. I devoured the entire series and fell in love with them all!! Angsty and the most amazing slow burn. LOVED LOVED LOVED!!! P.S. Here’s my review of that one.
P.P.S. A few in our book crew agree & LOVED some on this list, too!
Christine: I really love anything by TJ Klune . . . Bear, Otter and the Kid is awesome
Dawn: Just finished Bear, Otter and The Kid. Why did I hold off reading it before?!? It was amazing!
Ronelle: Shattered Glass. Brilliant book.
Mischa: Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander is LOL funny! Easy and enjoyable read. I have a new appreciation for bunny slippers
And now… check out Sandra’s list:
7 Best Queer Books to Read in 2023
Queer literature has become more widely read than ever in recent years. Readers have the opportunity to recognize themselves in a variety of romances. We’ve gathered some of our favorite LGBTQ romance novels featuring couples of various genders and sexual orientations. These queer books will warm your heart regardless of who you are.
Sandra: The One Woman is Laura May’s most recent lesbian book. Despite using a range of perspectives, Julie’s life as a graphic artist and her relationship with Mark don’t stand out. Before Ann shows up. Beautiful, smart, and seductive describe Ann. The chemistry they felt straight away after unintentionally bumping into one another is hard for Julie to dispute.
The pull will get reawakened by the experience in Barcelona. When tragedy hits, Julie will need to decide whether to stick by Mark or Ann. Can genuine love withstand distance? To learn more, read Laura May’s book.
2. Catch and Cradle by Katia Rose
Sandra: Although there isn’t a formal regulation prohibiting relationships between teammates on the UNS Women’s Lacrosse team, those words may just as easily be carved into stone tablets in the middle of the field. Becca Moore, the captain, is determined to keep her players’ love life out of the locker room after seeing far too much drama in the past.
Becca is not patient with and will not tolerate any interruptions throughout the game. Unfortunately, Hope Hastings has been a walking, talking, charismatically dorky, and way-too-kissable distraction ever since the day she arrived for tryouts.
Hope was instantly aware that she was moving toward a dangerous area as soon as she noticed Becca’s fiery red hair and snarky captain sneer. After pushing off her desire to Becca for the past two years as a simple crush, Hope is forced to acknowledge exactly how intense and far from innocent their chemistry is when she begins a new semester just out of a disastrous relationship.
The tight-knit team’s relationships and chances of winning the championship are all on the line, but as Hope and Becca grow closer to breaking the rules they’ve vowed never to break, they discover their hearts are now on the stake. Although losing has never been an option, winning might be more expensive than they are prepared to pay.
3. Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander
Sandra: A mangy cat, a male prostitute, a murder, and an infatuation that endangers his life, job, and approaching marriage. For Austin Glass, nothing is turning out as expected.
It appears that Austin Glass has it all. A devoted fiancée, an opportunity with the FBI, and a sizable trust fund. a minimum of on the surface. He also has a smile and a one-liner for any circumstance. A tragic background that he has buried too deeply to remember is hidden behind the outwardly cheerful man, and his jokes cover up bitterness and insecurity.
Austin has the majority of the world—including himself—for a fool until he encounters a redhead wearing a pair of bunny slippers. Austin’s carefully planned future falls apart as the biggest case of his life plays out, forcing him to make hasty, irreversible choices. But how can he trust anything he feels or himself when every event seems to be nothing more than a string of explosive reactions?
4. This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender
Sandra: Nathan Bird rejects the notion of happy endings. Nate has seen too many relationships end in divorce for him to think there are any happy endings in real life, despite the fact that he is the world’s biggest movie fan and aspiring screenwriter.
Since his father passed away and left his mother to fall apart, he has always played things safe to prevent getting hurt, but this approach has its drawbacks. Florence, his former girlfriend who has since become his best friend once more, is determined to see that Nate meets someone else. And in a rom-com-worthy twist, Oliver James Hernández, his boyhood best friend, does show up.
Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings after a painful misunderstanding when they were younger. Can Nate, however, muster the courage to seek out his own happily ever after?
5. Change Of Heart by Clare Lydon
Sandra: Erin Stewart gets more than she anticipated when she hires a fictitious date for her parents’ anniversary celebration. Steph Mitchell, a professional actor who is moreover drop-dead attractive, is the first person she lands. Second, she hits a brick wall of conflict in the family. Take a deep breath—only five days remain. And she can definitely get through it with Steph’s assistance, right?
However, Erin wasn’t prepared for the phony romance with attractive Steph to seem so intensely authentic. She also doesn’t see how their intense attraction will get out of hand and have disastrous effects on everyone. Is Steph Erin’s fate, or will she bring about her destruction?
6. Before You Say I Do by Clare Lydon
Sandra: What occurs if you develop feelings for your bridesmaid?
Marcus Montgomery is the ideal fiancé for Abby Porter, who also holds a high-profile position. But when he employs a professional bridesmaid to assist her in the lead-up to the wedding, Abby’s entire life is turned upside down. Abby struggles to breathe when she first encounters Jordan. Marcus is unaware. Weeks separate us from the wedding.
The only remaining concern is whether Abby will make it to the altar.
7. Bear, Otter, and the Kid by T.J. Klune
Sandra: Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother left with her new lover for an unspecified location, leaving Bear to care for his younger brother Tyson, also known as the Kid, who is six years old. They’ve managed to get by somehow, but since Bear is completely devoted to the Kid, he isn’t really living much.
With a few notable exceptions, he has withdrew from society, and he is largely content with that. till Otter gets back home. Otter is the older brother of Bear’s best buddy, and as they have their entire lives, Bear and Otter frequently run into one other in unexpected ways. But this time, they can’t escape the intensity of their feelings for one another.
Bear is still convinced that his role is that of the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help but wonder whether there could be more out there for him.
Share your favorite queer books in the comments below!
➔➔➔ Love this genre? Browse more gay romance book features and reviews on my blog.
➔➔➔ Looking for more of our favorite recommendations? Browse our “Ultimate Favorites Lists” here. Are you in the mood for a certain kind of story? Browse our favorite “genre/trope categories” here and our reader favorites lists too.