Spring is upon us, and with the flowers bloom another array of amazing queer books. Dive into this list of our most anticipated releases this March!
On March 5th comes sapphic YA romance The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall, which features a fat MC!
Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon-worthy love.
Hollis Beckwith isn’t trying to get a girl—she’s just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a Chris. Their relationship isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she’s a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris’s favorite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery—but his unfortunate “No Girlfriends at the Table” rule means she’ll need to find her own group if she wants in.
Gloria Castañeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria’s cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in-game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armor, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.
But then an in-game crush develops between Hollis’s character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis’s stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants…or if she’s content to just play pretend.
That Secret Something by Emily Wright releases on March 6th and promises a sapphic romance between a bisexual MC and lesbian love interest, plus anxiety representation.
Rebecca Lawson is off-limits.
Jess knows this, but Rebecca has captured her heart for as long as she can remember. She’s sporty, tall and confident—all the things Jess is not—but most of all…she’s her best friend Lily’s sister. Nothing can ever happen between them.
Especially after that slip-up at prom night.
But when Lily announces her engagement, and Jess and Rebecca are forced to spend time together as the maids of honour, the forbidden feelings intensify and sparks begin to fly.
Amidst the chaos of raging bridezillas and other wedding disasters, can Jess resist temptation for the sake of her friendship?
Or will pursuing Rebecca Lawson finally send her life up in smoke?
Bryony Rosehurst's When Love Barges re-releases in ebook on March 7th, featuring a sapphic small-town romance with a plus-size MC and the brother's best friend trope!
Piper Stevens has always been intimidated by best friend Max Lockett’s older sister, Jamie, despite having been practically taken in by the Lockett family from the age of fourteen. Given her rough past in foster care, her altogether shy and nervous disposition, and a tiny crush on the openly queer woman that caused Piper to come to terms with her own sexuality, things have always been awkward between them.
After two years of traveling, Jamie is back in their small town of Hebden Bridge, and seeing Piper again brings back old feelings — as well as new ones. Jamie has never understood the uneasiness between them, and she resented the way it made her feel out of place in her own home, but they're both willing to try to be friendlier for Max's benefit. When Piper agrees to model for Jamie’s plus-size handmade clothing line, it soon becomes clear that the tension between them stems from more than just awkwardness. But can they allow themselves to finally fall for one another, or will their mutual loyalty to Max keep them apart?
We can't wait to read The (Anti) Wedding Party by Lucy Knott, a romance that features a bi MC and a lesbian wedding. Out on March 14th!
Andi hates weddings. So when her best friend Alex tells her she's getting married in Italy, and asks her to be her maid of honour, she knows she's the wrong woman for the job. But Alex won't take no for an answer, and so begins a week-long trip to a beautiful villa in Italy, full of potential disasters that it's Andi's job to avoid. But what if she's the one causing them?
Enter Owen, fellow wedding-hater, Best Man and also the worst person for the job. Tall, sexy and warm, Andi can't help but feel the ice around her heart begin to melt when he's around. But as Andi and Owen grow closer, the disasters begin to multiply, try as they might to keep them at bay. Together, can they put their feelings aside and pull off a successful wedding for those they love most?
On March 15th, read Synthetic Sea by Franklyn S. Newton, a sci-fi cyberpunk romance featuring trans, non-binary, pansexual, ASD, and PTSD rep!
In the distant future of planet cracking, VR distraction, and corporate greed, grieving private detective Ryoma LeBeau takes what seems to be a simple job on the opulent casino planetoid of Scylla. Captivated by a chance meeting with the cybernetic musician Guin, he finds himself drawn to the smoky anachronistic lounge bar where they perform. But it seems there's a lot more to both Guin and this case and Ryoma can't help but pull at the threads of mystery leading him to the depths of conspiracy and memory.
Love You However by Katherine Blakeman releases on the 22nd and explores lesbian and non-binary representation! Read our Pride-iversary interview with Katherine here.
This is a statement that I have always tolerated about myself. Except now… it seems to be getting harder. My gender has never felt right, but I’ve been able to overlook it. I’ve always been okay with being retail worker, choir leader and wife of Petra. Our idyllic little life in Cornwall has given me the stability I’ve needed ever since my sister died, and everything’s been ticking along just fine. Up until now. A blast of menopause hormones has brought my gender to the front of my mind. When Petra is suddenly hurled into the role of ‘headteacher’ at work, it becomes harder and harder to share it with her. With work taking over her life and gender taking over mine, how can we keep our marriage alive? And can I realise my true identity before it’s too late?
Content warning: mentions of self-harm, family members lost to cancer, and discussions of gender identity.
On March 26th, dive into a romantic mystery with Under Her Roof by Allison Temple, featuring lesbian rep!
My name is Gillian and I have three problems:
- A fallen tree through the roof of my family’s remote island cottage.
- A sister trying to sell said cottage out from under me.
- A dead body in the living room. Sadly, it’s not my sister’s.
Actually, make that four problems: my ex, Amanda, just showed up uninvited. Apparently, she’s a spy, undercover to investigate the luxury wine auction hosted by my conniving sister.
We’ve got no connection to the mainland and a murderer on the island, so tonight Amanda and I have three missions:
- Find the killer
- Stay alive
- Escape by sunrise
Actually, make that four missions: Do not fall in love, because apparently Amanda and I are far from over.
Sapphic favourite Rachel Lacey returns with bodyguard romance Cover Story also on March 26th!
Natalie Keane is one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, but she’s paid a steep price for her fame. After she was stalked eight years ago, the ensuing media frenzy almost broke her. So when a new threat arises, Natalie agrees to extra security, but she wants to keep it under wraps. The last thing she needs is another tabloid spectacle, especially during awards season.
Taylor Vaughn has made a career as a bodyguard to the stars, but an injury has kept her sidelined for the past three months, jeopardizing her future in the job she loves. When an opportunity arises to work for Natalie Keane, Taylor jumps at the chance―even before knowing the details of the assignment.
From the moment they meet, Natalie knows this could Taylor, the bodyguard, masquerading as her girlfriend. The perfect cover story. But as circumstances push the two women closer, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur.
Closing out the month on the 30th, read The Blood Curse by Jessica A. McMinn, a SFF featuring asexual, bisexual, and gay characters with a MM romance! This is book two in the Gardens of War & Wasteland series.
Amika has left Holania in ruins.
Grief-stricken and betrayed, she is on a fiery path to set things right—even if it means submitting to prophecy’s chain. Emboldened by her growing powers, Amika heads towards the wastelands of Qhoraak to rescue her brother and drag another Chosen into destiny’s sick game.
With demonspawn mobilising in unprecedented numbers, she and Rei-Hai Shaw must confront the dangers awaiting them beyond the western border… and those lurking within their shadows.
Kriah, adrift at sea, struggles with the aftermath of breaking the first seal. Now, Azet’haal and his Meah-Hyren army know of the plan to revive the Goddess and it’s only a matter of time before they make their move on the mainland.
But as a new threat spreads across the east, Kriah must uncover the origins of the deadly blood plague and convince the vulnerable people of Whyt’hallen that it is not the old Sickness they fear.