Love was in the air this past February during Valentine’s Day. Throughout the month of March, the Content team will continue to celebrate love in all its forms.

Members of the team were asked to talk about their favourite LGBTQ+ romance novels for older readers. From the beauty in contemporary first loves to the thrills of a romance in a zombie apocalypse: love can be found in all genres.

Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper books continue to be one of the most popular series for romance fans and for a good reason. In this fifth and penultimate volume, everyone’s favourite couple Nick and Charlie must face the realities of their futures. They’re strong together, but can they be strong as individuals as well?

“Each novel in the series manages to get cuter and cuter whilst somehow still dealing with complex emotions that many teenagers are faced with,” said Editor Kerry. “I’m sad that there’s only one more volume to come.”

In The Queen of Coin and Whispers , queen Lia and spymaster Xania play dangerous games with power. What they don’t expect is to fall in love with one another.

I adored Helen Corcoran’s Irish fantasy novel. If there’s one thing I love, it’s political intrigue inside a castle! Fantasy is increasingly becoming a genre with a rich diversity of stories. Bring on more stories like these, I say! In fact, its standalone sequel, Daughter of Winter and Twilight, does exactly this!

Editor Peter particularly loved the horror novel, Wranglestone by Darren Charlton.

“Every once in a while in this job, you come across a very special book,” said Peter, “and Wranglestone is one such.”

In an American national park, survivors have established a safe haven but winter is coming and the zombies are drawing closer. Amidst all this we have Peter, sent out on a mission with Cooper, and we follow the love story that develops between them.

The writing is lyrical and atmospheric, and vividly brings the setting to life. It combines epic adventure with romance and a zombie apocalypse to give readers something that is both familiar and fresh… with scares for good measure!

Lucy, an Editorial Assistant, loved Felix Ever After – calling it one of her all-time favourite LGBTQ+ romances!

“Its trans main character, Felix, is complex and lovable,” said Lucy, “and I think a lot of readers will be able to see something of themselves in him. Although Felix hopes to find love with a partner, the book’s ultimate love story is about Felix learning to love every part of himself.

“It’s a beautiful, moving, and inspiring story that I think everyone should read!”

We Deserve Monuments follows the love story of two girls, Avery and Simone, and the buried history of racism in their small American town.

This book is such an important read, as not only does it navigate the often-intertwined issues of homophobia, institutionalised racism, and complex family dynamics, it also features a joyful LGBTQ+ romance between two Black women.

“I loved reading this book, and hope others will, too!” said Editorial Assistant Lisa.

What are your favourite LGBTQ+ romances? Are there any we need to quiz? Customers can request for books to be quizzed using the Suggest a Quiz form on our website.

Books mentioned in this post:

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
UY | Quiz # 244599 | BL 2.9 | Hodder Children’s Books

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran
UY | Quiz # 238394 | BL 5.3 | O’Brien Press

Daughter of Winter and Twilight by Helen Corcoran
UY | Quiz # 244492 | BL 7.1 | O’Brien Press

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
UY | Quiz # 238394 | BL 5.0 | Stipes

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
UY | Quiz # 242398 | BL 5.1 | Faber

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
UY | Quiz # 243611 | BL 5.0 | Roaring Brook Press