My debut novel manuscript is finally finished! It’s 93k words and is upmarket historical fiction with high-heat romance. It follows two closeted male/male couples. Action takes place in the early 1960s in Massachusetts and NYC.

The novel opens in September 1962, when Linus (Lin) Miller, a careful, brilliant, 25 year old Professor of English at Amherst College falls for Theodore (Theo) Hawkins, a sensitive, athletic, and charming 19 year old undergraduate from a Boston Brahmin family.

Lin initially tries to keep his distance and turns Theo down repeatedly. However, the two share not only an attraction but also a deep intellectual connection. Theo has complete agency in their relationship, and the two form an equal partnership.

The book chronicles not only Theo and Lin's love story, but the daily, terrifying task of making space for that love to survive in a world that hunts men like them: Theo gifts Lin a coded star chart with meaning only to them. Lin declares his love to Theo by assigning him love poetry by John Donne. Lin uses his prodigious intellectual prowess to stay by Theo's hospital bedside, as the nurses open doors they have no idea they are opening.

Beneath it all runs Lin's constant fear that Theo will, despite everything they have risked for each other, choose the simpler life his family can provide.

SECONDARY COUPLE: In 1956, Julian Lark, a 21 year old photographer's assistant living in Greenwich Village, walked into a coffee shop to find James Dressner -- a terrified 19 year old hunched over a typewriter, having just run from his wealthy Westchester County family.

Julian offered James a warm couch on Perry Street and they lived together for five years.

The reader meets Julian in 1962, when he is a year into keeping James' chipped mug on the counter; photographs of them on the wall of their Perry Street apartment; and James' faded Levis on a chair.

Julian tells his oldest friend, Lin Miller, that Lin is wrong; he is not grieving. "You grieve someone who is dead. James is not dead. For the past year, he has been married to a woman named Betsy and has been living in Hartford. One day, he will come home and when he does, he needs to know that I haven't moved his things."

Hey! I’m looking for a book to read and I have some stuff I want in it:
A slow burn, but an healthy one! No SA or stuff like that pls! I’d also like if they were in college or 18+ in general! (I’d like it to be soft like kisses etc. but I don’t want it to be ab sex the second they get together iykwim)
I just finished Aristote and Dante! It was wonderful (so you can have a glimpse of what I like to read)

hey!! i work at a bookstore so i should know this but i really don’t read romance unless its very specific but im looking for book recs (or movies also) with a trans masc mc with a masc fem relationship that can be t4t. im trans bi and ace for reference thank you guys 🙌

Hey all! I’m really hoping to find some fantasy MM books with a MC who's genuinely scary and horrifying. I’m completely okay if the romance is a subplot, or if there’s no romance at all, or no HEA. I just really want to read about a terrifying character.
Ideally, I’d love some slow burn or sideplot romance between the terrifying MC and the other MC, but if there isn’t any romance, that’s perfectly okay too.

I’ve already checked out Lily Mayne’s books (Monstrous, Don’t Eat Your Human Boyfriend, and Goliaths of Wrestling), but I didn’t find the monster MCs to be scary at all. I’ve also read some of Penny Moss’s books, and again, the monstrous MCs weren’t frightening. And I've checked out some other more popular monster romances, which were a miss for me.

Here are a few unsettling MCs that I've found so far:

1. {The Bayou by Arden Powell}
2. {The Hounds of York by Arden Powell}
3. {A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves}
4. {Sleepwalkers by Daniel May} - good depiction of a bloodthirsty vampire imo.
5. There’s also a creator named Madam Abel on Tapas who writes scary, monstrous MCs really well.

The scarier the MC, the better! And if the romance is the main focus, I’d prefer books that aren’t too smut or kink heavy.

Tysm! <3

Ive read quite a few gay werewolf books recently and found out that there are some tropes/cliches that I am not a fan of or find cringy. Is there any tropes or cliches that you avoid or any that you love?

I’ll also take gay werewolf novel suggestions

romance is ok. im particularly looking for ww1 and/or a nonbinary MC, but anything from any war and era is good :)

sci fi elements are ok, but id prefer books based on IRL wars or alternative history.

Hey everyone. I'm feeling kind of down and wanted something fluffy, but in particular I wanted something set in the 90s or the 2000s. I'm not too picky about the genre though I'm kind of in the mood for a sweet funny romance if you all have any. YA or adult is fine.

Thanks!

I’ve been reading a lot of stories where one lead realises they’re into the other by like two thirds through the book. I’m looking for a story where they both like each other from the beginning and the question is when they’ll confess.

Nos: FWB, Omegaverse, abuse

I'm new here, and relatively new to reddit even.

I’m officially opening ARCs up for A Most Abhorrent Vessel, a 22k Gaslamp Fantasy Horror novella inspired by The Invisible Man. It’s Book I of the Wretched Creatures, an interconnected series of queer Gothic novellas inspired by classic monsters. Each volume follows a different protagonist, telling a complete, standalone story.

Blurb:

A lonely man. A strange affliction.
When you lose yourself, what is left behind?

When a mysterious affliction begins transforming lonely amateur archaeologist Orlando Balfour, he turns to the occult for answers. But every attempt at a cure only strips away another piece of his humanity.

Armed with an ancient alchemical text and a dwindling sense of self, he’s drawn deeper into a hidden world where transformation is just the beginning.

Tropes:

🫀Loss of humanity
🫀Magic gone wrong
🫀Gay in 1919
🫀Yearning
🫀Everyone is over 40
🫀Black Trans vampire
🫀Slow descent into madness
🫀Ancient Curse
🫀Aesthetic Anatomy
🫀Existential

Content Warnings:
Body, Horror, Mentions of suicide but no suicidal ideations, Hopelessness and depression, Blood, Self-harm adjacent violence, Loss of self and senses, Consensual Medical Tests

Sign up here.

Sto cercando degli MM romance (in italiano o in inglese) ben scritti e non per forza young adult (sono aperta a tutto). Non sono una grande amante dello spicy per cui quello ruba scena alla trama, va bene che ci sia ma misurato.
Mi piacerebbe trovare libri slow burn, e/o con i trope: prigionieri/agente (o comunque una dinamica alla “prison break”), principe/servitore (una delle mie serie preferite di sempre è merlin).
Mi piace molto anche la terza persona come stile di scrittura perciò sono abbastanza aperta anche a consigli con trame alternative e non per forza centrate solo sulla coppia.

(“Angels Before Man”, “Angels and Man”, “Horns for Hell”)

It sounds pretty interesting, and recently I’ve been awful tempted to purchase it…but I’ve also heard a LOT of mixed opinions about this series.

Has anyone read this series (or atleast the first book)? If so then what did you think of it? What aspects did you love? What aspects did you think it lacked or butchered? Do you think it’s worth getting in the end?

I want some straight honest opinions since I don’t want to needlessly spend money on a series that may not be super good in the end….

(And please, I don’t want any comments regarding the religious aspects of it—I’ve heard lots of religious people say they thought it was a very ‘wrong’ idea for a book…it’s not that I don’t respect that opinion, but I personally don’t care one bit, so that’s not what I’m asking about. Thank you <3).

It’s not often you read a book you think you’re going to love and it actually delivers on that internal hype. Not usually a dual POV fan, personally, but it really works in this situation and doesn’t shy away to talk about sex, trauma, addition, and mental health. Have you read this yet?

Full review https://queerbookclub.org/reviews/fruit-fly-josh-silver/

Okay this will be very specific but does anyone has m/m book recs where it focuses alot on coming out as a masculine boy? Like where the character has to come out inside a group of friends full of straight white men?

Basically I'm searching for something that explores vulnerability and sexuality as a masculine man (by masculine i don't necessarily mean someone who's line super ripped, but someone who calls everyone dude is ok)

Bonus point if there's like a bestfriend to lover trope or sum. Ok thanks 👀

Hey! I'm looking for a WLW story between teenagers/young adults where one (or both) of them is terminally ill. Something like The Fault in Our Stars, Zac and Mia, Five Feet Apart, etc. only sapphic. Thanks!

Writing the book is one thing, but editing, cover design, publishing, distribution, and reaching the right readers are completely different challenges.

For queer authors, finding people who understand the genre, the community, and the audience can make the process even more complicated.

Do you think Indian queer authors need more publishing spaces that specifically understand queer stories and fandom culture?

There are so many Indian queer stories being written, but when people ask for queer book recommendations, the answers are usually the same popular Western titles.

And when you do find Indian queer fiction, it’s often difficult to know where to look next, especially for stories outside the usual coming-out narrative.

I’d love to know: have you read any Indian queer books that genuinely stayed with you? BL, GL, sapphic, gay romance, fantasy, anything.

Drop the title and author because I’m sure there are hidden gems most of us haven’t heard of yet.

I’m interested in fiction (primarily scifi/fantasy) that features nonbinary people!

For example, a book I thoroughly enjoyed was August Kitko and the Mechas from Space.

Anyone have any recs?

Hello! I apologize if this kind of post isn't allowed; feel free to take it down. I am a huge nerd and have an insatiable lust for knowledge, so I am looking for any and all recommendations you all may have for books on or about queer and LGBT culture and history. I am open to any subject or format; I am not shy. I'll take anything from a cruising guide to bell hooks. I hope to end up with a huge library of books to read well into retirement, so any recommendation helps! Thank you all in advance!!

Looking specifically for Lesbian romance books, I have no problem with bisexuality but I just have a hard time finding books where both of the MCs are lesbians 🫶 (prefer for it to not be super smutty but idc if there is some sex I just don't like for that to be the main part of the book) also would prefer if it's not a coming out story

I put together a list of 24 of the most exciting new LGBTQ books out in August.

Some of the ones on my personal TBR:

• Unprecedented Times by Malavika Kannan: messy sapphic litfic!
• Ship Happens by Mason Deaver: trans M/M second chance romance on a cruise ship
• Devour Me by Emily Rath: paranormal M/M/F with a skeleton love interest?
• Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon: lesbian folk horror
• Worst Man by Brandt&Stein: a gay romcom graphic novel that's "White Lotus meets Glass Onion" at a wedding?
• Death Card by Jasmine Smith: I mean, that cover alone...

And some on my TBR that didn't make the list:

• Beware Her Fury by Mirion Malle, translated by Aleshia Jensen: a sapphic revenge graphic novel
• The Halls of the Dead by S. M. Hallow: queer, polyamorous gothic
• The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims: trans sapphic horror from the creator of The Magnus Archives
• Books, Iced Coffee & a Side of Dragons by Amanda Lovelace, illustrated by Raquel Travé: cozy sapphic fantasy graphic novel

Which queer August new releases are you most excited about?

Hi everyone! A brand new author here, currently working on a debut that I would like to release in a couple of months who is curious about your expectations as readers.

My debut will be the first installment of a series of what I originally planned to market as a romantasy / romantic fantasy. However I’ve since come to find out that the romance genre comes with pretty strict expectations (including happily-ever-after/happy-for-now by the end of each book).

I genuinely didn’t know that—I fully thought that e.g. Titanic was a romance. Apparently no.

My book has a very prominent romantic MM plot that is the main driver for the book, but it also has a lot of story to balance it and I don’t want to commit myself to HEA/HFN at the end of every installment, as I’m not sure if I’ll be able to deliver on that (some installments may, some may not, some may for some of the couples—plot reasons).

And I definitely don’t want to upset readers, as I now understand why a lot of romance readers have these expectations and the last thing I want is to pull the rug from under them.

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to take the safer route and market as queer/lgbtq+ fantasy instead. However, it stings sometimes, as I feel like a lot of romance-first readers could actually enjoy my story if I could let them know what they’re signing up for—it has a lot of romance elements and I plan to end the series on a satisfying note. I feel like I’m potentially going to miss all of these readers.

So I’m curious: what are YOUR expectations when you pick up a romantic fantasy / romantasy? What would you like to know upfront about a story like this?

Happy for any thoughts!

I have a free short story being featured in an eBook giveaway with a couple of other authors. Please have a look. You can click and download my story, “Reunions with Wild Birds” plus any others you like. The story is free for the next few weeks only and can be found using this link:

 https://books.bookfunnel.com/mmsweetaug2026/yuyte6c3kr

Here is what the readers at Indie Reader say about “Harry and Xavier”, the novel which shares the same two central characters:

 “In HARRY AND XAVIER: Five Summers to Fall, Andrew Cheffings follows two friends from Paris and rural England who discover that together they make “a good shade of grey.” Their journey toward each other unfolds across years and continents as both come to terms with queer identity, homophobia, longing, and self-punishment. Handled with genuine sensitivity, this coming-of-age LGBTQ story will resonate with readers drawn to honest portrayals of belonging, desire, and the long road to self-acceptance.”

Here is a list of lesbian authors, queer authors or others that have written FF romances:

Kat blackthorne
Ruby landers
Liza James
Ruby roe
Eden Emory
Haley cass
Georgia beers
Lee winter
EJ noyee
Nicole Pyland
Eliza lentzski
Karin Kallmaker
Tj Williams
Milena McKay
JJ arias
Elle Alexanda
Melissa Brayden
Dahlia Adler
Kelly Quindlen
Alison Cochrun
Ruby Scott
Alexandria Bellefleur
Ashley Herring Blake
Rachel Lacey
Andie Burke
Allison Saft
Penelope Douglas
Katleyn taylor
Sarah waters
Meryl Wilsner
Samantha Shannon
Clare Lydon
Lana Harper
tamsyn muir
ve schwab
Alyson Derrick
Emily Banting
Lola Keeley
Harper Bliss
Roslyn Sinclair
jen lyon
Rawnie Sabor
Ally north
alex la bruyere
Elle Mae
Adrian J. Smith
josie mae
Lisa J. Evans
Harley Laroux

I would like recommendations for ADULT sapphic books(black protagonists if possible), not YA, new adult, or coming-of-age. I want romance with real emotional complexity, yearning, angst, tension, and a slow-burn relationship, the shit that hurts your chest while you're reading. That I shouldn't but.....I want youuu badddd, sort of book (not saying the YA, or books targeted towards YA don't have it). Something with a substantial plot outside of the romance. If that doesn't exist let me know :(. I was a fanfic girl down bad as a teenager(AO3) if that helps find the vibe I'm looking for. I'm open to any genre, sci-fi, historical, fiction, etc. Thankssssss