10 New Asexual Books, From Romance to Horror to Manga

His Small-Town Challenge by Kelli Storm

Julie Alleen is desperate to save her cute, small-town home decor store from being swallowed up by a corporate behemoth. Desperate enough to make a video on social media asking her former classmate and current boy band celebrity Jake Reynolds for help. She didn’t expect him to actually show up at her doorstep, though, or for sparks to fly between them, not least because he has a reputation as a womanizer, and she’s asexual. This is the first Harlequin romance to have an asexual main character!

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann

Uncovering the secrets of a haunted house on reality TV is Lucky’s dream. As a Black asexual parapsychologist with ESP, Lucky can read people’s core personality, and it has always caused her problems. After years of nannying and breaking into haunted locations, she’s gotten a job offer to film her experience in a sentient house with her favorite paranormal investigator, Maverick. As Lucky begins her 30-day stay, she begins to warm up to the house and everyone in the production company she is working with—especially Maverick and his adorable daughter, Rebel. As she uncovers the trouble at the heart of the house, Lucky begins to learn what it means to have a home and a family to come home to. —R. Nassor

Thanks for Listening by Molly Horan

The Loudest Silence by Sydney Langford

This is a platonic love story between two queer disabled teens: a bisexual girl and an aro/ace guy. Casey has always dreamed of being a singer — but now she’s had sudden, profound hearing loss and is mourning losing her connection to music. Hayden dreams of being on Broadway, but his family all thinks he’ll follow in their soccer star footsteps, and his Generalized Anxiety Disorder means he hasn’t been able to tell them the truth. Casey and Hayden bond over their shared love of music, and soon they’re sharing the secrets they haven’t been able to tell anyone else.

Love Points to You by Alice Lin

First off, how stunning is this cover? Lynda is determined to get into her dream art school, and she’s helping to get there with her drawing commissions. When her tablet is destroyed, though, she’s stuck—until her conceited classmate Angela offers her a deal. If Lynda designs the art for her otome (dating) game, Angela will pay her generously, including buying her a new tablet. As they work together, sparks fly. But Lynda’s ambition means she has little patience for anyone who doesn’t meet her high expectations, and it might take blowing up all her relationships for her to realize her own shortcomings. I really enjoyed this romance between two asexual bi girls!

Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao

I can’t remember the last time a book captured the specificities of life on a college campus with so much honesty and detail. The story follows Sophie and Jo, two first-year students at Wellesley who run rival Instagram advice accounts. On the internet, they fight, but in real life, they bond over their shared asexuality and soon become best friends. This is a fantastic queer friendship story with the stakes of a romance. —Laura Sackton

The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray by Christine Calella

Asexual and aromantic teen Ophelia has lived her whole life under the shadow of her pirate queen mother’s reputation. Nothing she does seems to be good enough to counteract it. When a naval officer saves her from the angry crowd at her mother’s hanging, she decides to follow in his footsteps, enlisting in the navy herself under her sister Betsy’s name. When their father falls ill, Betsy tries to recall Ophelia to save the family business—which alerts the authorities to the fact that a daughter of the pirate queen is among them. Now, Betsy has to board a ship herself and chase Ophelia across the sea to bring them both home safe. Did I mention that it’s hurricane season?

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

Andrew and Thomas bond over their shared love of twisted fairytale stories, which Andrew writes endlessly. But then Thomas begins acting strangely, showing up with blood on his clothes. Andrew discovers he’s been battling monsters at night, the same monsters that Andrew invented in his stories and Thomas drew. The two of them battle every night to stop the monsters from hurting anyone else, which brings them even closer, into an obsessive, toxic relationship. But the monsters are getting stronger, and Andrew begins to wonder if the only way to stop them is to kill their creator. This is a queer, asexual YA horror novel.

I Want to Be a Wall by Honami Shirono

A lavender marriage is one in which a man and a woman marry to cover the fact that one (or both) of them is queer. This sweet manga features such a marriage between Yuriko, an asexual Boys Love manga fanatic, and Gakurouta, a gay man in unrequited love with his best friend. Though neither got married for romantic love, their affection and respect for each other only grow with time. Volume three just came out. —Eileen Gonzalez

The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide by Cody Daigle-Orians

In this self-help book, internet Ace Dad gives their advice for navigating friendships, romances, casual hookups, and more as an asexual and aromantic person. This book addresses common questions like “Should I be upfront with someone I’m interested in that I’m ace or aro?” as well as offering advice for establishing boundaries and deconstructing harmful ideas about asexuality and aromanticism.

Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zipps (F/F Romance)

Yours for the Season by Kate Cochrane (F/F Holiday Romance)

300 New Year’s Eves by K.C. Carmichael (M/M Time Loop Romance)

Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho (Bisexual Fantasy)

Stars in the Daylight Sky by Maya MacGregor (Nonbinary Fantasy)

The Library of Lost Girls by Kristen Pipps (F/F YA Gothic)

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews (Bisexual Guy YA Gothic Horror)

Monster and Ghost, Volume 1 by Himemiko (M/M Manga)

Light of My Life by Takiba and Fuuko Minami (M/M Manga)

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 3 by Sumiko Arai, translated by Ajani Oloye (F/F YA Manga)