The Best LGBTQIA+ Romances
ROUND UP
Love is Love
is Love
Romances in all its forms — loud and quiet, bold and brave. These stories celebrate relationships of every kind and validate that everyone deserves to love and be loved as they are.
In this Haus, we love love! And we believe everyone has the right to live their truth and be safe and supported. So while we’re celebrating Pride in June, know that you’re safe and welcome here year-round.
Victoria Loves LGBTQIA+ Romances
I’ll be the first to admit that when I come across a book I love, I tend to read through the entire series in one go. Or I’ll read an author’s entire collection. Or I’ll read a series of books in that same theme or trope. But reading the same stories, or the same style, can very quickly feel monotonous and unexciting, especially when the stories hit too close to home.
I personally read to escape and to explore. I read to learn about different perspectives, to understand how characters / people may think, do, see, feel differently than I would, to experience how one’s backstory might influence the decisions they make and dictate the path they travel. I think that’s how and why I’ve loved LGBTQIA+ love stories.
At their core, they are relatable — it all comes down to love, even if the wrapper looks slightly different from my own lived experience. Each of these stories has characters worth rooting for and love worth dreaming of.
LGBTQIA+ Romance Recommendations
POLITICAL: Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Amazon)
MM | A love so big it can’t be contained to one nation. You’ll laugh, you’ll sigh, you’ll cry. Red White and Royal Blue will take you on a journey of a hesitant friendship that blooms into a heartwarming love.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
SPORTS: Everything for You by Chloe Liese (Amazon)
MM | In our Haus, when we say “football” this is what we mean (aka soccer). If you aren’t a fan of the sport but you have seen Ted Lasso and loved it, look no further. Oh, and if you like this one, you’ll be glad to know this is #5 in the Bergman Brothers series.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
SPORTS: How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly (Amazon)
FF, non-binary characters |This story focuses on a former college basketball star turned professional athlete and a small-town high school basketball coach. Woven throughout the evolution of their relationship are the complexities of mental health and identity. Although I wish the tension / problem was more drawn out, it was the groundswell of support and love from their community and how that encouraged the main characters to pursue their dreams as they are that bumped up the rating for me.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
BRITISH: Boyfriend Material (London Calling #1) by Alexis Hall (Amazon)
MM | Oliver Blackwood is described as boyfriend material. And I don’t think that’s even the truest thing written in this book. Nope, that honor would go to his relationship with Luc. It’s everything. It’s warmth, it’s safety. It’s patience, it’s humor. It’s being seen, it’s being held.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
YOUNG ADULT: Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales (Amazon)
FF | For my Bachelor Nation folks! Idk about you, but when I tuned into the franchise, it was as much for the drama as it was for the happy ending. And well, as much as I love myself an HEA, I kinda didn’t mind when a contestant stuck it to the Bachelor(ette) whenever I wasn’t a fan, and I secretly also love all the behind-the-scenes shows that propped up off the heels of the reality tv craze. This book fulfills all that chaos with a sprinkling of finding oneself, enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
PIRATES: Blood on the Tide (Crimson Sails #2) by Katee Robert (Amazon)
FF | Full transparency: this was my first pirate romance… and it had quite a bit of mythological / fantastical elements, so it was a lot to wrap my head around. Now, if that floats your boat (ha, get it?!), this may rate better for you! If anything, Katee knows how to write steam. So for that alone, you’re welcome.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3/5
FORBIDDEN: We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian (Amazon)
MM | This book is a hug — soft and gentle. A perfect friends-to-lovers, would-do-anything-for-you kind of love. Nick and Andy’s love story is so sweet that the softest touch, the smallest gestures were so genuinely intimate, I felt the affection pouring off the pages and enveloping me.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
EROTICA: Pucking Around (Jacksonville Rays #1) by Emily Rath (Amazon)
MM/MF/MFMM | This is a looooong book, but I personally didn’t mind it. I picked it up for the hockey and I kept reading it for, well, the other sticks and scoring. But really, I was intrigued by the relationship dynamics of this workplace / neighbors / friends-to-lovers romance featuring broody and cinnamon roll love interests. While others will complain this didn’t need to be so long, it was all quite satisfying.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
MYTHOLOGICAL: Cruel Seduction (Dark Olympus #5) by Katee Robert (Amazon)
MM/MF/FF/MMF, non-binary characters | A Greek mythology retelling of Hephaestus and Aphrodite featuring Adonis and Pandora. A seduction turned foreplay to romance. I’d recommend this entire series, if you’re intrigued. But it’s definitely NSFW.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
DARK POLITICAL: Governor (Governor Trilogy #1) by Lesli Richardson (Amazon)
MM/MF/MMF | I was not prepared for this trilogy, so take this recommendation with a grain of salt and a warning to read and re-read the synopsis, especially if you’re new to BDSM. With that, this polyamory love story introduces three characters, who each narrate their own stories in the trilogy. And with each book, they add their own context to events that have passed, exposing the backstory that feeds their decisions and preferences. The sex is graphic. The characters are raw. The love is heavy. And it’s all packaged in a neat little political romance.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
Favorite Scene
“I want this with you. I want everything with you. And I need you to know that. I don’t know how we’ll make it work, but I want it anyway.”
- WE COULD BE SO GOOD by Cat Sebastian
The Best of the Best
ADVENTURE: Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun (Amazon)
FF | An HoH Book Club Pick! Here We Go Again was an unexpected gift. Second-chances, peaceful endings. Living life to its fullest. This beautiful story unfolds through witty banter, literary references, and beautiful scenery.
You’ll laugh out loud, you’ll cry (or sob). You’ll laugh-cry. But this story, these characters… they’re among the most beautiful I’ve read. My hope is at that when you turn that final page, you’ll go hug the people most dear to you.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 5/5
FOOD & DRINKS: Triple Sec by TJ Alexander (Amazon)
FF/FNB/FFNB | Pour yourself a drink (or no… you should wait and make yourself a drink using Mel’s recipes through the book) and crack open this book. Then settle in for the night because you’re going to want to read this in one sitting. But! I’d recommend you do take your time so you can actually make those drinks as you read because they sounded delicious!
Beyond the amazing food and drink descriptions, TJ does an incredible job writing these characters and their relationship dynamics. They’re all so different — their interests, passions, journeys — yet they fit together so well.
I wish there was more Kade / Mel time or Kade / Bebe time. Basically, I wish there was just more Kade because I’m a sucker for a brooding love interest. Guess I’ll just have to reread to get my fix!
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.5/5
Until the next chapter!
xo, Victoria
P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.
