Let me tell you, 2025 is starting off strong with a huge amount of exciting new queer books out in January. Every year, it gets harder to keep track of upcoming queer books and to choose which to highlight, because there are just so many of them! It’s an excellent problem to have. This month, we have new releases from favorite authors as well as intriguing debuts.
In terms of genre and representation, we’ve got a little bit of everything, from literary fiction to cozy mystery, sci-fi, dystopia, romantasy, and—of course—plenty of queer romance. There are lesbian leads, M/M romances, drag queen detectives, trans man time travelers, and more.
As always, this is just a small selection of the queer books out this month. All Access members can see 17 more queer books out this week at the end. Now, let’s get into the books!
We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin (Lesbian Fiction)
The newest from the author of Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, We Could Be Rats follows the story of two sisters. Sigrid is perpetually stuck in childhood. She didn’t graduate high school, and she’s stuck at a dead-end job at Dollar Pal. Her older sister Margit doesn’t understand Sigrid’s resistance to grow up and conform to society’s expectations. But as she works towards understanding her sister’s perspective, Margit reconnects to her own childhood imagination. —Emily Martin
Isaac’s Song by Daniel Black (Queer Fiction)
Isaac grew up in Missouri with a controlling father, and now that he’s moved out, Chicago offers him the freedom he’s never experienced before. But as a young queer man in the 1980s, he’s also living through two crises that threaten to upend the life he’s built for himself: the AIDS epidemic and Rodney King’s attack. Through therapy, he begins to process this by tracing back the history of his family, where he discovers both ancestral trauma and the secrets these ancestors kept.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan (Lesbian Fiction)
This is the fictional memoir of Cate Kay, author of the most famous book series in the world—who has spent most of her professional life anonymous, even as her books were turned into movies, musicals, and theme parks. Now, she’s telling all, with help from chapters by other people in her life: her childhood best friend’s little sister, the love of her life, her former manager (and ex-girlfriend), and more. There are also excerpts from her books included. This is a twisty, engrossing read perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars (Drag Queen Mystery)
A “quozy” (queer and cozy) mystery set within a community of drag queens? My hold can’t come in soon enough! The first in a series, this whodunit follows London drag queen Misty Divine who investigates her mentor’s sudden death while managing her own rising fame. —CJ Connor
The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee (F/F Romance)
In this follow-up to 2024’s The 7-10 Split, Karmen Lee takes us back to Peach Blossom, Georgia. When Jessica is heading into town for a visit, her car breaks down, and the mechanic who helps her out is everything Jessica wants in a fling. But Vini wants more than anything to fall in love. As she takes time out of her schedule to drive a carless Jessica around town, she isn’t sure if she’s willing to compromise. —Jessica Pryde
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes (M/M Romance)
Sonora Reyes has made quite the name for themself on the YA circuit, and after having received the National Book Award and Lambda Literary Award for The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, they are bursting onto the adult romance scene with The Broposal.
What do you do when your best friend loses the job that was imperative for the renewal of their visa? Obviously, you ask him to marry you, even though you’re both kind of sure that you’re straight. But when you have to pretend to be in love to make the whole thing work, real feelings might make things all the more confusing. —Jessica Pryde
Single Player by Tara Tai (Sapphic Romance)
When Cat gets her dream job as a writer for a big upcoming video game, she’s excited to put her stamp on the in-game romances. Too bad the narrative lead, Andi, hates the idea of HEAs, especially on what they feel is their story. When the two have to work together—not just to tell the story, but to uncover a plot to damage Andi’s name—they go from reluctant coworkers to something else entirely. —Jessica Pryde
The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill (Trans Man Speculative Fiction)
In this sci-fi time travel tale (my favorite flavor of sci-fi), a trans man moves back to his small Illinois hometown after losing his job. It wouldn’t normally be his first choice—he’s never quite fit in, and things ended weird with his best friend—but he has no choice. He’s not thrilled to be back home, but when he enters his local bookstore, the only place he ever felt safe, he finds himself hurtled back in time, where he suddenly has the chance to speak to his childhood self. Is it possible for him to change his future? —Steph Auteri
Motheater by Linda H. Codega (Queer Fantasy)
This is a queer debut fantasy set in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. Bennie is risking everything to prove that the dangerous conditions in the mines are killing the workers, including her best friend. When she finds a strange woman half-dead in a dirty mine slough, she tells Bennie she is the witch of the mountain. Motheater is the protector of the mountain, and with Bennie’s help, they may be able to save the mountains from the coal industry. —Liberty Hardy
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto (Nonbinary Lesbian Science Fiction)
Be gay, do crime: This queer, debut sci-fi novel is a heist story! Once upon a time in future Hawai’i, Edie trusted Angel, and now Edie has spent eight years in prison. Womp womp. Then Edie gets word that early parole is available—they just have to do one last job. For Angel. Edie thinks it would be outrageous to trust Angel again. But they’d also really like to get out of prison, so Edie agrees. What could go wrong? —Liberty Hardy
I Think They Love You by Julian Winters (M/M YA Contemporary)
Denz needs to pretend to be in a relationship to prove that he’s the best choice to run his family’s business, but the friend and roommate he planned to fake it with doesn’t show up, so as a last resort he calls in his ex: Braylon. Braylon similarly needs Denz’s connections for his own gain, so he agrees to join him at family functions. But the time they spend together leads to some confusing moments. —Jessica Pryde
The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold (F/F YA Dystopia)
In this post-apocalyptic novel (that cover!), Liz sets up camp in the abandoned suburban NJ bookshop in which she used to work, using books as currency to get through the end of the world. When another young woman named Maeve breaks in, Liz reluctantly agrees to let her stay. Together, they prepare for an impending, world-breaking storm, catching feelings for each other even as chaos rages around them. —Steph Auteri
Brewed with Love by Shelly Page (Sapphic YA Romantasy)
Sage Bishop is a teen plant witch whose future is clear: taking over the family apothecary…it just needs to last until then. Unfortunately, her family has just hired Ximena Reyes, her ex-best friend, and if that wasn’t bad enough, one of Sage’s tonics has been stolen from the apothecary and was used to erase the high school cheer captain’s memory. Sage and Ximena will have to work together to find the culprit, or the apothecary will be shut down. As they spend time together, Sage finds it harder to deny the sparks that still fly between them, but can she trust Ximena not to break her heart again?
That’s it for me this time! I’d love to hear which of these is on your TBR and if I missed one of your most anticipated reads. I’ve already gotten to The Three Lives of Cate Kay and Single Player, and I highly recommend them both! You can hear me talk about them on today’s episode of All the Books. Until next time, happy queer reading!
17 More Queer Books Out January 7, 2025
Bonus content for All Access members continues below.
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