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Although I really liked this book, I found the romance to be a very small part of the story; it’s more about self-discovery and found family.

Queer Books From the First Half of 2025

Elle has posted their picks for the 20 best queer books of 2025 so far. For lawyer Wallace, who’s spent most of his life obsessed with his practice, he’s not convinced that he’s dead even when he sits down in the pew of his own funeral.

That being said, there is something for everyone on this list, and I tried my best to make it as comprehensive as possible!

Below are my 40 favorite queer books, out of the 76 total I’ve read.

I will continue to update the list each year with all of the new stories I’ve read.

gay romantic novels

Manhunt

Author: Gretchen Felker-Martin

Release Date: February 22nd, 2022

Find the Book:Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop

Gretchen Felker-Martin created an absolutely crushing dystopian world filled with trans people who were doing their best to survive. I laughed out loud multiple times throughout reading, and would highly recommend to anyone who wants a darkly hilarious sort-of romance starring an adult main character.

7.

20 of the Best Queer Romances of All Time

The Rolling Stone has posted a list of 20 of the Best Queer Romances of All Time. Ryan and Avery

Author: David Leviathan

Release Date: September 12th, 2023

Find the Book:Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop | Review

Ryan and Avery is the perfect YA book.

You Exist Too Much

Author: Zaina Arafat

Release Date: June 9th, 2020

Find the Book:Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop | Review

The bisexual representation in this book is everything I could want. Throughout the book, we dig deeply into Sammie’s interiority and examine how she is feeling and how that makes her behave.

All Access members get a bonus section of 15 new queer books out this week, from literary fiction to horror to celebrity memoir and more.

LGBTQ+ Writing Prize Nominates Self-Proclaimed TERF Author

The Polari Prize is a UK writing prize for LGBTQ+ literature. Our main couple seemed to be in a good place.

She does so with varied success despite the way his friends frequently feel about her. There is no world in which the queer novel could exist in its current form without the work and scholarship of Baldwin.

This content contains affiliate links. But financial freedom — and its sudden departure — can’t actually change the brain chemistry that’s turning her waking hours into such a fraught, anxious mess.

That’s exactly what happened in Wild Things by Laura Kay. As part of her attempt to do more wild things, a woman moves out of the city, goes on dates with women, and maybe (with luck) will tell her best friend she’s in love with her.

29. Two Boys Kissing

Author: David Leviathan

Release Date: August 27th, 2013

Find the Book:Goodreads | StoryGraph | Bookshop

This book holds a special place in my heart as one of the first queer books I ever read.

If we’re missing your favorite, recommend it in the comments!

40. It wouldn’t be a Highsmith work without the tightening seams of suspense and homophobia written throughout the novel, but The Price of Salt remains both a historical novel and a surprising example of Highsmith leaving her characters if not with their dignity, then at least their love for each other.

  • ‘Giovanni’s Room’ by James Baldwin

    There’s nothing soft or easy about Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin’s novel that has remained one of the greatest written works since its publication in 1956.

    First up, the Polari Prize—the UK LGBTQ+ writing prize—made the baffling decision to nominate a self-proclaimed TERF author and then doubled down when criticized. This captivating retelling of the Iliad weaves a heart-wrenching romance between Achilles and Patroclus, blending mythology with a deeply emotional love story. The two sisters used to be snakes, and now they’re immortal human beings drifting in and out of each other’s lives.

    When exes Kit and Theo accidentally book the same European food-and-wine tour, the two try to distract from their awkward feelings by starting a competition to see who can hook up with the most people. Both Can Be True is a story of two kids who attempt to care for a dog in secret. Then there's They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, a modern tale that follows two boys who, knowing they have just one day to live, form an unforgettable bond, reminding readers to live life to the fullest and cherish each moment.

    I liked this book more than Delilah Green, mostly because Iris’ love interest was fun to learn about.