From Swoonworthy Meet-Cutes to Emotional Journeys of Self-Discovery
As the warm breezes of summer arrive, so too does a bounty of brilliant new LGBTQ+ romance novels to utterly obsess over. This June is delivering an absolute embarrassment of inclusive love story riches that cater to every variety of queer reading pleasure. Whether you're craving lighthearted romantic comedy confections, deliciously smoldering slow burns, or soul-nourishing emotional odysseys celebrating queer experiences in all their glorious complexities, these are the standout releases I couldn't put down. Get ready to be swept away into immersive worlds brimming with swoon-worthy intimacy, representation that will make your heart swell, and queer joy galore.
Furious by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos
Release Date: June 4th
This achingly tender yet deliriously sexy young adult romance utterly enraptured me from its opening notes of yearning between go-kart racing rivals Jojo and El. As the two grieving teens unite to solve the baffling disappearance of El's daredevil big sister, their electrifying chemistry and affirmations of queer identity left me awash in swoons.
Pacton and Podos render Jojo and El's blossoming romance with such incandescent sensuality and raw emotional truth, I was utterly transported into their hunger for connection and self-actualization as queer women of color. Beyond the tantalizing romantic raptures, this novel's intersectional portrayal of grief, mental health journeys, and following your bliss made for one of the most profoundly empowering reads of the year so far. By its cathartic final chapters of twin awakenings, both romantic and personal, I was giddy over being reminded of the power of chasing your wildest dreams boldly and authentically.
London on My Mind by Clara Alves
Release Date: June 4th
Nina Perrotta's exquisite English translation of Brazilian novelist Clara Alves' sparkling YA romance is everything queer historical fiction fantasies are made of. After losing her mother, 16-year-old Dayana travels from Rio to London to reconnect with her absent father, only to fall into the kind of delicious royal forbidden love story perfect for devouring in one sun-drenched afternoon.
Alves spins an utterly irresistible will-they-won't-they tango between Dayana and the spunky redhead Diana, who may or may not be linked to the highly scandalized British royal family. As the two outcasts bond over their shared griefs and desires to forge new beginnings in one another's arms, the romantic swoons left me absolutely breathless. Even better is Alves' sensitive, specific rendering of Dayana's queer Latina identity in the very WASPy confines of 2020s London, beautifully reminding us how first loves can transcend any environmental hostility in their transportive magic. Lush setting details, tantalizing emotional intimacy, and two heroines you'll be cheering for against all odds - London on My Mind is an unputdownable gem.
Experienced by Kate Young
Release Date: June 4th
This introspective exploration of dating and queer sexual identity utterly transfixed me in the rawest and most profoundly life-affirming way. Meet Bette, a 30-year-old bisexual woman in a deeply committed romance with her girlfriend Mei, yet encouraged to "experience" flings with other women before cementing their future. What follows is a soul-stirring chronicle of one woman's sexual and self-actualizing journey that radiates authenticity.
Young's tender yet sensual excavations of hookup culture dynamics, navigating social circles while opening yourself up as a late bloomer, and the nuances of queer polyam lifestyles felt like revelatory scripture about aspects of LGBTQ+ identity seldom portrayed in fiction. Bette's fumbling romances with alluring new partners are swoon-inducing. But it's her central relationship with Mei, and the vulnerable negotiations of boundaries and consent explored therein, that left me utterly shaken and renewed by Experienced's emotional depths. This is affirming romantic fiction that truly sees all our messy complexities and celebrates every stumbling step toward self-realization.
Wish You Weren't Here by Erin Baldwin
Release Date: June 4th
After gobbling up Erin Baldwin's latest YA rom-com in a single voracious sitting, I'm utterly convinced this enchanting author has achieved something akin to sunshine in literary form. Her story of teen rivals Juliette and Priya embroiled in a combustible faux-romance at their beloved childhood sleepaway camp is the frothiest of delightful sorbets - light, airy, yet bursting with flavor and guaranteed to leave you with a euphoric post-binge buzz.
Baldwin conjures the idyllic traditions and magical aura of summertime camp nostalgia with effortless authenticity, immersing us in a world of colorful rivalry, bonding traditions, and cherished shared spaces with her signature wit. But it's the utterly tantalizing slow-burn between adversaries turned awkward lust-objects Juliette and Priya where this book truly soars into revelatory comic heights. As the frenemies embark on an opposites-attract-charged courtship, Baldwin renders the desperate longing and swoon-worthy awakenings with achingly specific and evocative sensuality. Underscored by themes of reclaiming confidence despite insecurities, and embracing authentic self-expression over societal approval, Wish You Weren't Here radiates queer joy in every funny, heartwarming page.
Now, Conjurers by Freddie Kölsch
Release Date: June 4th
Queer horror fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Freddie Kölsch's pulse-pounding occult thriller Now, Conjurers, and trust me - this book will positively unhinge you with rapturous delights. Following a coven of teenage witches who witness the gruesome murder of their closeted classmate Bastion, Kölsch spins an intricate web of paranormal intrigue, exquisite atmospheric dread, and simmering romantic frissons that left me utterly entranced.
Part occult murder mystery, part supernatural teen drama tinged in homoeroticism, Now, Conjurers seduced me with its delicious gothic sensibility and refusal to ever let the reader feel their footing firmly underneath them. Kölsch's lush, evocative prose soars when rendering the charged intimacy between queer witch coveners like Nesbit and Dove - a tantalizing hint of polyam possibilities swirling amidst the escalating horror and doom coursing through their cursed Massachusetts town. Where this novel truly transcended for me, however, was in Kölsch's sensitive explorations of self-acceptance in the face of inner demons, and the sanctuary queer kinship circles provide amid societal alienation. I was utterly gripped and ravished by every shivery twist in this darkly sensual queer cult saga.
The Ghost of Us by James L. Sutter
Release Date: June 11th
Indescribably tender yet swooningly romantic, The Ghost of Us left my heart completely beguiled with its supernatural yet profoundly moving tale of doomed soulmate romance between mortal teen Cara and the spirit of her high school crush, Aiden. As a quid pro quo to remain on Earth, Aiden recruits Cara to seduce his grieving sister Meredith back toward joy - only for their fake courtship to gradually blossom into a delirious connection brimming with all the heartache of young love.
One of the most memorable aspects of this paranormal gem is how author James L. Sutter renders the tantalizing physicality and emotional intensity of Cara and Aiden's romance despite one partner being corporeal. Their every metaphysical caress and longing gaze radiates heady romantic energy powerful enough to burn holes through the pages. Yet where the narrative truly transcends into revelatory emotional majesty is Sutter's profound examinations of grief, survivor's guilt, coming-of-age anxieties, and radical queer acceptance. As Cara and Aiden's fates intertwine in ways both inevitable and devastating, I was left with my heart in a million pieces yet flooded with cathartic renewal. This queer paranormal story will make you swoon, shiver, and perhaps even rethink the boundaries of how we define love itself.
So clear your calendars this June and prepare to get utterly obsessed with these unforgettable new LGBTQ+ romances, fiction fans! From sizzling summertime flings to raw emotional voyages of the soul to supernatural love stories that will unhinge your very perception of reality, this incredible crop of queer novels is ready to transport you straight into rapture. I was repeatedly left trembling with renewed fervor for chasing life's wildest romantic potentials after devouring them. Queer readers will devour these narratives like sacred texts, reveling in their authentic representation, tantalizing sensuality, and above all else, unbridled celebration of LGBTQIA+ experiences in all their boundless complexities. This June is delivering true transcendent wonders into the world - replenishing all our souls, regardless of sexuality. So don't delay, dive inward and let these brilliant queer love stories awaken your fullest potentials for living with incandescent courage and authenticity!
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