Romance novels consist of the best parts of love stories, from the beginning to the happily ever after. Diverse romance books are not as popular but are just as fleeting. We have gathered the ten best LGBT books where characters of all sexual identities and genders find love. Here are reviews of ten must-reads that will warm your heart with love regardless of your identity.
Best LGBT Romance Books
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, by Ashley Herring Blake
If you are looking for a steamy, clever, and queer romantic comedy that involves accepting love and taking chances with everything that comes with it, go for this. It is a book by Ashley Herring Blake, a writer, reader, and mother of two boys. She also wrote, “How to Make a Wish” and “Girls Made of Stars,” among others.
It follows Delilah, who swore never to go back to her hometown. However, her stepsister Astrid guilt trips her to get her to photograph her wedding, to which she reluctantly agrees. She then gets to enjoy some teasing fun with Claire Sutherland, a stepsister’s friend.
Claire lives a life without surprises, but that is what Delilah Green is—an unwelcome surprise. They know each other but not in-depth. Delilah ends up ticking off Claire, which is unsettling for her.
They gang up to work together during the wedding preparations, which heats things up. In addition, there’s a plan to rescue Astrid from her fiancé. Claire falls hard for Delilah even though they promise to keep things casual. The question is, will they?
Right Where I Left You, by Julian Winters
Julia Winters has written “Summer of Everything” and “How to be Remy Cameron,” among other books. He loves soccer and volleyball and is a self-proclaimed comic book geek. School is out as soon as senior year ends, and Isaac is ready for summer.
It was not like the other summers because this would be his last; next fall, he’s heading off to college without his best friend, Diego. Isaac will have to make friends despite his social anxiety. Realizing his time is running out, he hatches a foolproof plan. He will pick up badges for the epic comic convention and attend Teen Pride for the first time with Diego. Just the two of them as intended.
However, he is surprised when he runs into Davi, Isaac’s old crush. Davi distracts him on the day the tickets go on sale, and he ends up short of two badges. He makes it much worse when he makes up to Diego by letting him hang with his gamer buddies.
Not what was in the original plan. Diego’s friend ends up being cool. However, things with Davi start gaining momentum, and Isaac almost forgets about the Legends con mistake; however, Diego finds out what happened that particular day, and their friendship staggers. Isaac speculates that Diego is upset about the convention but is that the entire reason?
One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston’s “One Last Stop” is sexy and magical, where the impossible becomes possible as August helps save a girl lost in time. August is a twenty-three-year-old who is cynical, and her move to New York City was about proving a point.
It is a point that cinematic love stories and magic don’t exist, and going through life alone is the most intelligent way to go about it. She cannot picture how working at a pancake diner and having too many weird roommates would change anything. Her subway commute will be a daily trudge of electric failures and pure boredom.
However, one day, this gorgeous girl is on the train, Jane. Jane is charming, mysterious, dazzling, and impossible. She saves August’s day with her rough edges, soft smile, and leather jacket.
Jane becomes August’s subway crush, but not for long; a problem arises. Jane is from the 1970s; her old-school punk rocker look was not just a look. August then has to help her by using everything she had tried to leave behind in her past. Will she end up believing after all?
Boyfriend Material, by Alexis Hall
If you are a big fan of Evie Dunmore, Manda Collin, and Netflix’s Bridgerton, then “Boyfriend Material,” a lush, queer romance from Alexis Hall, is a must-read. “Boyfriend Material” is about Luc O’Donnell. He is famous; his parents divorced when he was young.
His father has been absent for twenty years, in and out of rehab, but he is back now. But unfortunately, the comeback puts Luc back in the public eye, where a single photo could ruin him. So, to clean up his image, he looks to find a normal relationship.
Oliver Blackwood is the answer; he is normal and friendly too. There have been no scandals about him; he was a barrister and vegetarian. So, one might say he was boyfriend material. However, the only thing they had in common was being single, gay, and desperate.
They agreed to fake being boyfriends until the coast was clear where they would each go their separate ways. The thing about fake dating is that it looks just like real dating. Getting used to someone might cause you to fall in love with them.
Wish You All the Best, by Mason Deaver
If you enjoyed Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli, this book from Mason Deaver could break your heart before teaching you how to celebrate life and heal. It is romantic, heartfelt, and groundbreaking. The book celebrates life, love, and friendship. It is an excellent example of finding hope when life turns to the worst.
Ben De Backer comes out to the parents as nonbinary, which results in their eviction from their house. They move in with Hannah, their estranged older sister, and Thomas, her husband. Since they are struggling with anxiety from their parent’s rejection, they only tell Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist.
They try to keep a low profile at their new school. However, their attempt to survive the remaining half of senior high on the down-low is interrupted when Nathan Allan takes Ben under his wing. Nathan Allan is funny and charismatic. Their friendship slowly grows, and so do their feelings for each other. The beginning might have been disastrous, but the future looks bright. Could there be a chance for Ben De Backer to find happiness finally?
Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert
This book is another charming romantic comedy from Talia Hibbert. Danika Brown knows what she is after; to be academically outstanding, a professional success, and have an occasional hook-up to relieve tension brought about by her career.
Has she ever considered romance? Sure, but it never ends well regardless of their gender. To her, they are a distraction, something she is not into. She looks for the perfect friend-with-benefits, someone who knows their way around the bedroom and how to score.
Zafir Ansari, a security guard, ends up rescuing Dani during a workplace fire drill that went wrong. The signs are apparent; Zaf is an ex-rugby player, and Dani is a Ph.D. student; they are to sleep together. But, before she even gets into that, a video of Zaf heroically rescuing Dany goes viral.
Zaf begs Dani to keep up the ruse to benefit his sports charity for children, which would fit well with the publicity. However, Dani can’t turn him down. So, Dani goes with it, intending to fake their relationship publicly and seduce Zaf in private. However, she runs into a problem; Zaf is a hopeless romantic with issues of his own. The walls around his heart are set up so strong. Is the universe giving her a hint?
The Importance of Being Wilde at Heart, by R. Zamora Linmark
If you enjoy Elizabeth Acevedo’s “The Poet X” and Adam Silvera’s “They Both Die at the End,” this one will be good for you. The story follows a seventeen-year-old boy who struggles with his first love and heartbreak, accompanied by Oscar Wilde, his hero. R. Zamora Linmark, the writer, also wrote “Prime Time Apparitions” and “Rolling the R’s.”
Ken Z has always been fine with words; however, things change when he runs into Ran at the mall food court. Ran is beautiful and mysterious; he becomes Ken’s first kiss and love. He, however, leaves just as fast as he came into Ken’s life.
After Ran leaves, Ken is left disappointed and contemplating the point of love if it always leads here, but it would be tragic if it did. So, Ken, with his best friends, haikus, and surreal appearances of his hero Oscar Wilde, learns that finding love is worth more than heartbreak.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, by Akwaeke Emezi
This book has been named the most anticipated book of 2022 by Oprah Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, Financial Times, and many more. It’s a deeply felt, warm romance novel from one of the greatest authors of our times. Akwaeke Emezi and her passionate vivid writing take us into a world of possibilities. It revolves around a young woman who seeks joy in healing from loss.
Feyi Adekola needs to feel alive again. It has been five years since the love of her life died in an accident. He has changed; she is a new person, an artist who owns a studio and shares her apartment with her ride-or-die Joy, her best friend. Joy starts pushing Feyi back into the dating scene, who is not ready to get into anything serious.
However, a steamy occurrence at a rooftop party leads to a summer she never imagined—to a luxurious tropical island with excellent meals at the beautiful home of a celebrity chef. The chef is also a curator who wants to kick off her art career. Feyi starts to date the perfect guy; however, their relationship is to fail before it even sails.
Their relationship is in danger every time Feyi’s eyes meet the only off-limits individual in the house. After that, things become complicated, and Feyi searches for answers. Who is she? Who is she ready to become? Will she be able to let go of her past, honor her grief and still embrace her future? And how far will she be willing to go to get a second chance for love?
Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo
If you want to explore new emotions and perspectives, read this book. It’s a story about love and duty during the Red Scare set in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It revolves around two women who fall in love with each other.
Lily Hu, a seventeen-year-old, does not exactly remember when the question raised her antenna. The answer was presented to her and Kathleen Miller when walking under a neon sign of the Telegraph Club, a lesbian bar.
In 1954, America was not a safe place for girls to fall in love with each other, especially not in Chinatown. Red Scare paranoia was terrible for everyone, particularly Chinese Americans; this was not the most pleasant time for Lily. In addition, her father faced deportation despite having his hard-won American citizenship. Lily and Kathleen have to risk everything so that their love survives.
Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas
Gabriel comes from a traditional Latinx family with an issue with his gender. So, to prove himself a real brujo, he gangs up with his best friend Maritza and his cousin to perform a ritual on himself. He then goes on a hunt to find the ghost responsible for his dead cousin and set it free.
But there is a hitch to his plan; he instead summons Julian Diaz. Julian Diaz is the school’s resident bad boy who is not about to go quietly into his death. Instead, he wants to uncover everything and tie loose ends before leaving.
Gabriel has no choice but to help Julian get what they both want. But does their spending time together lead to something, something more? Will Gabriel let Julian go?
Conclusion
That was our list of the best LGBT romance books, and we hope these books will move you and make you feel different characters’ perspectives. We hope you have a blast reading them. Enjoy!