August 2023 Queer Romances
There’s nothing that celebrates summer quite like finding the perfect beach read, especially if that book happens to be a queer romance. This month’s post is heavy on romantic reimaginings, which are a personal favorite, but Slather on that SPF, get an extra twist of lime in your drink of choice, and treat yourself to one of these romantic rainbow delights!
With Love, from Cold World
Author: Alicia Thompson Released: August 1, 2023 by Berkley Genre: Contemporary Romance , LGBTQIA , Romance
She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it–yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers .
Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.
Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World–whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something ( anything , really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her .
As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.
I loved Thompson’s romance debut (and her gymnastics YA, by the way – OG fan over here), Love in the Time of Serial Killers , so this shot to the top of my reading list immediately, and boy was I on target with my excitement. Thompson just has a knack for writing unique prickly heroines and the softer men who bring them out of their shells, and within a few pages of reading about straitlaced former foster kid Lauren and her bisexual prankster coworker Asa, who has his own tough past, this immediately shot to my list of all-time favorites.
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Cruel Seduction
Author: Katee Robert Released: August 8, 2023 by Sourcebooks Casablanca Genre: Contemporary Romance , Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance , Romance , Science Fiction/Fantasy Series: Dark Olympus #5
He was my enemy. My lover. My husband. And the one man I swore by all Olympus I would destroy.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Aphrodite and Hephaestus (and Pandora and Adonis).*
Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured hands dirty, and she’s not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus’s enemy number one, the new Hephaestus. She has a wicked plan to keep her deadly new husband off-balance, seducing the one person he seems to care about most in this world: Pandora, a woman as beautiful as she is sweet.
Two can play the seduction game, however, and Hephaestus is all too happy to put his new wife in her place. Her ex, Adonis, seems like he’ll do the trick. It doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous in the way of fallen angels, either.
The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. With Hephaestus and Aphrodite trading venomous strikes that feel a whole lot like foreplay, lines become blurred and emotions entangled. But a broken heart may be the least of their worries. With unrest in Olympus reaching new heights, these bedroom games may have deadly consequences for themselves, their city, and everyone they’ve come to love.
“Deliciously inventive…Red-hot.”— Publishers Weekly STARRED Review for Neon Gods
“I get shivers just thinking of their interactions. SHIVERS.”—Mimi Koehler for The Nerd Daily for Neon Gods
Robert is always a safe bet for seriously steamy, and even the premise of the fifth book in her Dark Olympus series positively sizzles. This Greek mythology reimagining as a polyam romance takes on Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora, and Adonis, using seduction, revenge, and all manner of unholy acts among the gods, just the way we like it.
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New Adult
Author: Timothy Janovsky Released: August 15, 2023 by Sourcebooks Casablanca Genre: Contemporary Romance , LGBTQIA , New Adult , Romance Series: Boy Meets Boy #3
Nolan Baker longs to be “thirty, flirty and thriving” in this charmingly quirky LGBTQIA+ romance that’s one part 13 Going on 30 and one part One Last Stop.
WHY CAN’T WE SKIP TO THE GOOD PART?
Twenty-three-year-old Nolan Baker wants it all by the time he’s thirty. Too bad he’s single, barely able to cover his own expenses, and still paying his dues at a prominent NYC comedy club. When faced with his perfect sister’s wedding, Nolan takes it as a wakeup call. It’s time to quit comedy and make good on his practical dreams—most importantly, asking Drew Techler, his best friend, to be his date.
But right as Nolan is about to give it all up, he’s asked to fill a last-minute spot for a famous comedian. Score! He crushes his set, but stands Drew up, misses his sister’s big day, and disappoints his entire family. After major blowouts with everyone he loves, Nolan desperately wishes on a set of gift “magical healing crystals” to skip to the good part of life. When he wakes the next morning, it’s seven years later, he’s a successful comedian, and he has everything he always thought he wanted. Everything, that is, except his friends and family, none of whom are taking his future self’s calls.
With nowhere else to turn, Nolan sets out to find the only person he trusts to help. Except Drew is all grown up now, too. He’s hot, successful…and hates Nolan’s guts. As Nolan works to get back to his younger self—and the life he so carelessly threw away—he’ll have to prove he’s not the man everyone thinks they know in order to regain Drew’s trust, friendship, and maybe, ultimately, his heart.
While part of a series, this book stands alone.
New Adult as an official category in traditional publishing may not have had legs, but that isn’t stopping Janovsky from becoming its unofficial new king in gay romance.
And what better way to cement your crown than with a book actually called New Adult ? No doubt this one will be as sweet, funny, and romantic as his others, but this one gets bonus points for taking on a totally underadapted work in 13 Going on 30 .
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Teach the Torches to Burn
Author: Caleb Roehrig Released: August 22, 2023 by Feiwel & Friends Genre: Historical: European , LGBTQIA , Romance , Young Adult Series: Remixed Classics #7
Verona, Italy. Seventeen-year-old aspiring artist Romeo dreams of a quiet life with someone who loves him just as he is. But as the heir to the Montague family, he is expected to give up his womanly artistic pursuits and uphold the family honor–particularly in their centuries-old blood feud with a rival family, the Capulets. Worse still, he is also expected to marry a well-bred girl approved by his parents and produce heirs. But the more Romeo is forced to mingle with eligible maidens, the harder it is to keep his deepest secret: He only feels attracted to other boys.
In an attempt to forget his troubles for just one night, Romeo joins his cousin in sneaking into a Capulet party. During a fateful encounter in the garden, he meets the kindest, most beautiful boy he’s ever encountered, and is shocked to learn he’s Valentine, the younger brother of one of his closest friends. He is even more shocked to discover that Valentine is just as enamored with Romeo as Romeo is with him.
So begins a tender romance that the boys must hide from their families and friends, each of them longing for a world where they could be together without fear. And as the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets escalates out of control, Romeo and Valentine find themselves in danger of losing each other forever–if not by society’s scorn, then by the edge of a blade.
If you haven’t read anything in the Remixed Classics series yet, you’re missing out on some of the most interesting and innovative YA in the game right now, but you definitely don’t want to sleep on this thrilling gay historical Romeo & Juliet retelling that eschews the tragic ending.
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In Charm’s Way
Author: Lana Harper Released: August 22, 2023 by Berkley Genre: LGBTQIA , Paranormal , Romance Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove #4
A witch struggling to regain what she has lost casts a forbidden spell—only to discover much more than she expected, in this enchanting new rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper.
Six months after having been hit by a power surge that nearly obliterated her memory, Delilah Harlow is still picking up the pieces. Her once diamond-sharp mind has become shaky and unreliable, and bristly, self-sufficient Delilah is forced to rely on friends, family, and her raven familiar for help. In an effort to reclaim her wits and former independence, she casts a dangerous blood spell meant to harness power with healing capacities.
While the spell does restore clarity, it also unexpectedly turns Delilah into an irresistible beacon for the kind of malevolent supernatural creatures that have never before ventured into Thistle Grove. One night—just as things are about to go terribly sideways with a rogue succubus—a mysterious stranger appears in the nick of time to save Delilah’s soul.
Gorgeous, sultry, and as dangerous as the knives she carries, Catriona Quinn is a hunter of monsters—and half-human, half-fae herself, she is the kind of sly and morally gray creature Delilah would normally find horrifying. Though Delilah balks at the idea of a partnership, she has no choice but to roll the dice on their collaboration. As the two delve deeper into the power that underlies Thistle Grove, they uncover not only the town’s hidden history but also a risky attraction that could upend Delilah’s entire life.
Fans of Lana Harper ‘s bestselling Witches of Thistle Grove series rejoice!
Book four lands this month and brings the series back to f/f romance by featuring the newly injured Delilah and a love interest who’s neither witch nor fully human. Magic, chemistry, and cozy small town vibes abound!
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