The ReadDown

Queer Romance Books to Read Right Now

Find the perfect romance books to read that celebrate queer love. These stories feature all our favorite romance tropes, from friends to lovers to forced proximity, but they also explore characters learning to live their truth and claim their identities.

This Pride Month, share your favorite book by an LGBTQ+ author and the words they wrote that inspired you to be you using #InYourWords on social media!

1

Some Girls Do

by Jennifer Dugan

In this contemporary queer romance, an openly gay track star falls for a closeted, bisexual teen beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars. With each girl on a different path toward living her truth, can they go the distance together?

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$17.99

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2

Date Me, Bryson Keller

by Kevin van Whye

Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new–the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he’s never really dated before. Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes.

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$9.99

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3

I Think I Love You

by Auriane Desombre

Arch-nemeses Emma and Sophia find themselves competing against one another for a coveted first-prize trip to a film festival in Los Angeles. But after a twist of events, they end up falling for one another—at least they think so. Full of laugh-out-loud humor and make-your-heart-melt moments, this is a pitch perfect queer romance.

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$9.99

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4

Bonds of Brass

by Emily Skrutskie

A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend—the man he trusts most and might even love—only to learn that his friend is secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire.

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$16.00

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5

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them

by Junauda Petrus

Told in two distinct and irresistible voices, Junauda Petrus’s bold and lyrical debut is the story of two black girls from very different backgrounds finding love and happiness in a world that seems determined to deny them both.

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$9.99

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6

The Starless Sea

by Erin Morgenstern

From the bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world—a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

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$16.95

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7

Lover At Last

by J.R. Ward

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has found an identity as a brutal fighter in the war against the Lessening Society. Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions, but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, Qhuinn learns the true meaning of courage, and two hearts meant to be together finally become one.

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$8.99

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8

Belladonna

by Anbara Salam

In 1957, when Isabella and her best friend Bridget graduate, they land coveted spots at a prestigious art history school in northern Italy. There Bridget discovers she can reinvent herself as anyone she desires…perhaps even someone Isabella could desire in return. A hypnotizing coming-of-age novel that stares into the heart of longing and at the friendships that have the power to save and destroy us.

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$17.00

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9

When Katie Met Cassidy

by Camille Perri

Katie Daniels, a Kentucky transplant with a strong set of traditional values, has just been dumped by her fiancé when she finds herself seated across a negotiating table from Cassidy Price, a sexy, self-assured woman wearing a man’s suit. A chance meeting later that night leads them both to the Metropolis, a dimly lit lesbian dive bar. Soon their undeniable chemistry will push each woman to confront what she thinks she deserves–and what it is she truly wants.

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$16.00

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10

19 Love Songs

by David Levithan

Born from David Levithan’s tradition of writing a story for his friends each Valentine’s Day, 19 Love Songs brings all of them to his readers for the first time. With fiction, nonfiction, and a story in verse, there’s something for every reader to enjoy.

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$10.99

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11

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

by Malinda Lo

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the feeling took root—that desire to look, to move closer, to touch. Whenever it started growing, it definitely bloomed the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. Suddenly everything seemed possible. But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

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$18.99

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12

Malice

by Heather Walter

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne and the future queen her realm needs. She isn’t bothered by Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the dark magic that runs in her veins. A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

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$27.00

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13

His Royal Secret

by Lilah Pace

James, the handsome, cosmopolitan Prince of Wales, is used to being in the public eye. But he’s keeping a king-sized secret…James, next in line for the throne, is gay. He’s been able to hide his sexual orientation with the help of his best friend and beard, Lady Cassandra. While on holiday, he meets Benjamin Dahan—a rugged international reporter with a globe-trotting, unattached life—who catches far more than James’s eye. But what began as a torrid fling grows into something far more intimate and powerful. Soon James will have to decide who he is, what he wants from life and love, and what he’s willing to sacrifice for the truth…

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14

The Passing Playbook

by Isaac Fitzsimons

Spencer Harris seems to have it all: a decent shot at a starting position on the boy’s soccer team, great friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The only problem is, no one at school knows Spencer is trans—he’s passing. Spencer has to decide if he should be true to himself even though it means coming out to everyone—including the guy he’s falling for.

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15

Something to Talk About

by Meryl Wilsner

Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn’t come at a worse time—threatening Emma’s promotion and Jo’s new movie. With the launch of Jo’s film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all…but is acting on the spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames?

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$16.00

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16

Darius the Great Deserves Better

by Adib Khorram

In this companion to Darius the Great is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. Darius is just starting to feel okay, like he finally knew what it meant to be Darius Kellner. But maybe okay isn’t good enough. Maybe Darius deserves better.

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17

Captive Prince

by C. S. Pacat

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave. Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country. For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else…

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18

Skye Falling

by Mia McKenzie

A woman who’s used to going solo discovers that there’s one relationship she can’t run away from in this buoyant novel, a probing examination of the complexities of family, queerness, race, and community.

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$27.00

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19

Full Disclosure

by Camryn Garrett

Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! As she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on. Full Disclosure is the uplifting story of a bisexual teen, falling in love and learning to live her truth.

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20

Dirty Games

by HelenKay Dimon

Finn Drummond is the baby in a family of sharks—which means he’s worked twice as hard to make a name for himself. After learning the tricks of the trade from his brothers, Finn’s just as ruthless and dominant. But when supplies from Drummond Charities go missing, Finn has to partner up with the smoldering ex–Army grunt who’s always challenging his authority—or giving him mixed signals. Justin Miller wanted his attraction to Finn to be mutual, but the cocky brat always had a girlfriend. Who could blame Justin for trying to move on? After Justin and Finn are thrown together against gunrunners and kidnappers, their simmering chemistry turns explosive. Justin only hopes that hot sex is enough to persuade this spoiled pretty boy to do the right thing.

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21

Odd One Out

by Nic Stone

From the bestselling author of Dear Martin comes an honest and touching depiction of friendship, first love, and everything in between. Perfect for fans of Love, Simon and What If It’s Us.

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22

All Through the Night

by Suzanne Brockmann

It’s Christmastime in Boston, and this year the silver bells will be wedding bells as FBI agent Jules Cassidy ties the knot with the man of his dreams, Hollywood heartthrob Robin Chadwick. A waterfall coming through their kitchen ceiling, a bat colony in the attic, old family tensions . . . even an international incident can’t dampen their spirits. But add to that a parade of unexpected guests, including a reporter looking for a scoop, an ex-lover hell-bent on causing trouble, and a dangerous stalker, and suddenly the wedding is poised to unravel in chaos.

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23

Playing the Palace

by Paul Rudnick

When Carter Ogden, a lonely American, starts dating Edgar, the gay Prince of Wales, a royal uproar ensues setting off media fireworks on both sides of the Atlantic. Together Carter and Prince Edgar fight for a happy ending to equal their glorious international beginning.

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24

Girl Crushed

by Katie Heaney

Before Quinn Ryan was in love with Jamie Rudawski, she loved Jamie Rudawski, who was her best friend. But when Jamie dumps Quinn a month before their senior year, Quinn is suddenly girlfriend-less and best friend-less. Enter a new crush: Ruby Ocampo, the gorgeous and rich lead singer of the popular band Sweets, who’s just broken up with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. Quinn’s always only wanted to be with Jamie, but if Jamie no longer wants to be with her, why can’t Quinn go all in on Ruby? But the closer Quinn grows to Ruby, the more she misses Jamie, and the more (she thinks) Jamie misses her. Who says your first love can’t be your second love, too?

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25

My Cowboy Heart

by Z.A. Maxfield

J-Bar ranch foreman Malloy pretty much keeps to himself—slinking around the edges of everybody else like an old coyote, doing his job and staying private. That is until Crispin Carrasco shows up. Lean, muscular, and with a motor mouth that won’t quit, Crispin sparks something in Malloy—something the foreman didn’t know was there. But how does a lone coyote approach the warmth of a fire? And more important, what would happen if that fire burned?

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26

Riven

by Roan Parrish

Theo Decker might be the lead singer of Riven, but he hates being a rock star. The paparazzi, the endless tours, being recognized everywhere he goes—it all makes him squirm. The only thing he doesn’t hate is the music. Feeling an audience’s energy as they lose themselves in Riven’s music is a rush unlike anything else . . . until he meets Caleb Blake Whitman. Caleb is rough and damaged, yet his fingers on his guitar are pure poetry. And his hands on Theo? They’re all he can think about. But Caleb’s no groupie—and one night with him won’t be enough.

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27

A Fashionable Indulgence

by KJ Charles

When he learns that he could be the heir to an unexpected fortune, Harry Vane rejects his past as a Radical fighting for government reform and sets about wooing his lovely cousin. But his heart is captured instead by the most beautiful, chic man he’s ever met: the dandy tasked with instructing him in the manners and style of the ton. Harry’s new station demands conformity—and yet the one thing he desires is a taste of the wrong pair of lips.

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28

Foundryside

by Robert Jackson Bennett

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them. To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

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