Looking for your next LGBTQ+ romance novel? I got you, boo. February is the perfect month to cozy up with one of these reads to beat the winter blues.
Boyfriend Material by Alexis J. Hall. 2020. Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook. In this super cute and funny British romcom, tangentially famous screw up Luc O’Donnell is in need of a nice, normal relationship to get his public image back on track so he can keep his job. Enter Oliver Blackwood, as normal a guy as they come. Perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately, aside from being gay, single, and in desperate need of a date for big events coming up, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal and drum up a fake relationship, just until the dust settles. This one is especially charming on audio, so if you read with your ears, don’t miss the fantastic British accents!
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun. 2021. Also available on e-book. Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star. Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off. As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.
The Doctor’s Secret by Heidi Cullinan. 2019. Also available on e-book and downloadable audiobook. Dr. Hong-Wei Wu has come to Copper Point, Wisconsin, after the pressures of a high-powered residency burned him out of his career before he started. Ashamed of letting his family down, he plans to live a quiet life as a surgeon in this tiny town. His plans, however, don’t include his outgoing, kind, and attractive surgical nurse, Simon Lane. The problem is, St. Ann’s has a strict no-dating policy between staff, which means their romance is off the table, unless they bend the rules. But a romance that keeps them in the closet (literally) can’t lead to happy ever after. Simon doesn’t want to stay a secret, and Hong-Wei doesn’t want to keep himself removed from life-not anymore. To secure their happiness, they’ll have to change the administration’s mind. But what other secrets will they uncover along the way, about Copper Point and about each other?
How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole. 2021. Makeda Hicks has lost her job and her girlfriend in one fell swoop. The last thing she’s in the mood for is to rehash the story of her grandmother’s infamous summer fling with a runaway prince from Ibarania, or the investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies tasked with searching for Ibarania’s missing heir. Yet when Beznaria Chetchevaliere crashes into her life, the sleek and sexy investigator exudes exactly the kind of chaos that organized and efficient Makeda finds irresistible, even if Bez is determined to drag her into a world of royal duty Makeda wants nothing to do with. When a threat to her grandmother’s livelihood pushes Makeda to agree to return to Ibarania, Bez takes her on a transatlantic adventure with a crew of lovable weirdos, a fake marriage, and one-bed hijinks on the high seas. When they finally make it to Ibarania, they realize there’s more at stake than just cash and crown, and Makeda must learn what it means to fight for what she desires and not what she feels bound to by duty.
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly. 2022. When they meet on the set of a reality cooking competition, neither Dahlia (she/her) or London (they/them) is looking for love. Dahlia’s recently divorced and starting over, while London’s too busy worrying about the country’s reaction to them as the show’s first nonbinary competitor. But sparks soon start to fly and as the heat rises, both in and outside of the kitchen, Dahlia and London will have to figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after. This romcom is perfect for fans of cooking competitions.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. 2021. Also available on e-book. Cynical August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley. 2021. Also available on e-book. As the Wynchester family’s resident master of disguise, Thomasina can fake her way through many different situations. But when it comes to wooing the lady who makes her heart skip a beat, Tommy’s far less confident. Miss Philippa York doesn’t believe in love, preferring to spend time with her Bluestockings discussing matters of the way. But when the new baron flirting with Philippa turns out to be a woman, maybe Philippa might change her mind about love. This regency romp is the second in the Wild Wynchesters series, so you might want to start with The Duke Heist, but it stands alone nicely, too. Starring a large, eccentric family and written with humor, this is a great choice for Bridgerton fans!
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. 2020. Also available on e-book. When flighty astrologist Elle and type-A actuary Darcy are set up on a blind date, things do not go well. Elle’s late, Darcy’s upset, they have absolutely nothing in common, the wine spills, and Elle overhears Darcy telling someone on the phone how terrible she is. Yeah, there were undeniable sparks on both sides, but it’s pretty clear that Elle + Darcy is NOT going to happen. But rather than face a holiday season with overbearing family members loudly proclaiming that each of them is a failure at relationships, Elle and Darcy strike a deal. They’ll fake it. Just until the holidays and their family gatherings are over, just to get everyone off their backs. They set up ground rules and an expiration date. By New Year’s Eve, they’ll be dunzo and can each head on their merry way. But what if they’ve found something neither of them know she was looking for? This charming romcom gives nods to Bridget Jones’s Diary and Pride & Prejudice and it’s a delicious read at the holidays or anytime.
