I don’t always read rom coms, but the queer ones really hit in the best way. I was super excited to see some buzz and hype around some of these and even happier when they turned out to be just as good as advertised:

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
This was super fun! I think the title and cover of the book don’t do the plot justice, because this takes place on the set of a cooking competition show. It feels very “Netflix amateur chef show with heartwarming back stories to root for” kind of a show. I liked that this romance featured someone who was non-binary, and the conversation around the topic was handled well. It’s not super advanced content as far as queer issues go, but it was such a fun story that I really enjoyed this one. Light and happy with a decent ending!

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
When I first heard that this was a lesbian subway time-travel love story, I have to admit that I was weary. However, this ended up being super enjoyable and not as predictable as I had imagined. It was written very well, there were connections I was not expecting, and it was queer queer queer queer QUEER. It felt super relatable and familiar… besides the sci-fi aspects of course. It’s all done in a way that I really loved reading, and I appreciated how much diversity and representation that was included. I’d honestly recommend this to anybody who is open to a love story with a small sci-fi twist – and even if you aren’t at first, still consider giving this a try!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
This book made me happy, horny, and hopeful, and the movie did just the same. If only we lived in a world with a woman for president whose son is bisexual and biracial (and fucking the price of England!). Reading the book made me feel so good and I was happy with how the movie turned out, even if we did lose a character or two in the adaptation. Definitely go watch on Amazon Prime even if you don’t read the book first!

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
This had also been on my list for a while before I serendipitously came across it at my favorite local bookstore, and it was definitely as good as I was expecting it to be. The main character is a buttoned-up recent doctorate graduate and her life unwinds after she drinks too much and gets married in Vegas. It’s just as cheesy and predictable as you might imagine, but it’s heart-warming and fun to fall in love alongside the women. Loved it!

Read Between The Lines by Rachel Lacey
Even though this starts as enemies to lovers pipeline, most of this book is generally happy an feel-good vibes. There’s a lot of logistics that these two need to work out in order to be together, but it was a happy ride overall to get there. Sure, it’s maybe a bit predictable, but I still really loved reading the story. The author also set up the plot for her next book, where two side-characters will go on their own love journey. Easy read, cute story, happy vibes.

No Rings Attached by Rachel Lacey
I might have liked this book better than the first one, honestly! The plotline was a little predictable also, but it had more interesting side-plots to me than the first book. It was overall enjoyable and happy for most of the book as well, so I had a great time reading it. Definitely recommend reading both of these back to back!

Written In The Stars by Alexandra Bellefleur
I will say this – this story is very much a typical romantic comedy. It was predictable, cheesy, and hardly really broke the mold at all. The only way that this differs from every other rom-com ever created – the story is about a lesbian couple. Within 10 pages into the book, I correctly predicted the entire plotlines and ending of the book. However, I still couldn’t stop reading and I had to see for myself. Yes, it all played out the way I was expecting it to – but hey, it was lesbians, so I had to finish the story. I will say that the characters are interesting, and even us queer women deserve to read cheesy romantic comedies that we can relate to and dream about. I would recommend this book to young adults who are looking for that typical silly love story, but queer.

Never Kiss Your Roommate by Philline Harms
I enjoyed this book even more than I initially expected it to. It takes place in a British boarding school, and follows a few unique love journeys. I definitely go into most young adult fiction novels assuming there will be a certain level of predictability, but here I was pleasantly surprised. While it does give you the warm feels of a cheesy rom-com, the plot didn’t go in the direction you’d think – which I really appreciated. It’s definitely longer than I think a young adult / romantic comedy should be, but it still read easy enough to be quick. It was a cute story, a light and easy read, but joyously satisfying. This is one that I would absolutely recommend, especially since it’s wonderfully queer.

One Summer In Miami by Amber Rose Gill
This isn’t something that I would typically read, but it was written by a winner of Love Island UK that came out as a lesbian years after her season aired. The story is cute, pretty simple – a DJ and a just-fired corporate girlie fall in love. Not a lot of plot, mostly just some feel good scenes back to back to back, so definitely a very happy book. A little low-key for me, but it was cute.

Fly With Me by Andi Burke
Okay, this was actually pretty cute and had some actual depth to it. There was a lot going on with the side-plot of the brother that really broke my heart, but the love story itself was very cute and pretty typical for a rom-com. I have to admit that I HATE HATE HATE the fake-dating trope, and it made absolutely zero sense in this story, but I kinda just ignored it and was able to enjoy everything else that was going on.

a/k/a by Ruthann Robson
I picked this up from my local bookstore because it was in the queer romance section, but this was structured very differently than any other romance book that I’ve ever read. It was published in 1997, so I don’t know if that contributes to this non-traditional structure, but I’m not sure if I would classify it as romantic (or a rom com despite it being included in this post – but that’s what I thought it was going to be!). It was written really uniquely, where two characters are navigating their chaotic lives separately, and in the end they come together. I was surprised to actually really enjoy the ending, and it was definitely unlike anything else I’ve read I think.

Blackout by Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Nic Stone
So this was a really cool collaboration of six authors writing six stories with characters that overlap in a blackout in NYC. It almost read like a movie or a TV series, where you meet new characters who are the friends and siblings of the first characters you see, and everyone has their own stuff going on. I liked this most for the representation of different couples, as there was straight ex’s, gay friends with tension, straight besties that never considered each other in a romantic way, lesbians who meet for the first time, and more. Everyone, to my knowledge, is a person of color, as were all of the authors. This novel is intended for young adults, can be a little cheesy at times, but was super cute and absolutely worth reading.

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus
I’m gonna be straight up – this book was allllllll over the place. I really wanted to love this one because my girlfriend picked it out for me from a local bookstore, but I only enjoyed about half the story. Half the plot line was super interesting and had a lot of potential – a girl from Trinidad was sent to live with her American father after her mother discovers that she is queer. The way she overcomes adjusting to the states and connecting with her father was actually super beautiful. There was also a lot of poetry and astrology integrated into the book that was fun, but then sorta out of nowhere the entire energy of the book changes when one of the girl’s American friends is diagnosed with a cancer-like terminal illness. While the Trinidad plot line was sad but real, as many queer people deal with being disowned from their families, the terminal illness plot line was a bit dramatic and soap opera-y. Sorry if this is a ton of spoilers, but at least I’m saving you from the most random part – the ending. I don’t know.. the book could have been really cool without all the added layers of random drama.

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
I actually really disliked this book and cringed my way through the whole thing. The sex scenes could have been great, but the age difference and messiness of secretly hooking up with your best friend’s mom really ruined it for me. I appreciate the representation of sapphic relationships in rom coms, but this would be a much different book if it wasn’t two women. I’m sure others are into the MILF porn stuff, but I could have passed on this one.

More queer love stories coming soon!

Thanks for reading. (Last Updated: Feb 2025)