Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of three rom-coms: QUEERLY BELOVED, LOOKING FOR A SIGN, and BED AND BREAKUP, all from Dial Press/Random House. Susie is also a bookseller at her favorite local indie bookstore and a cupcake enthusiast. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom.
Once a month or so, I’ll be scrolling away on the ol’ interwebs, minding my own business, when BAM, some random bookish account chooses violence by posting something along the lines of, “It’s not that I’m homophobic, it’s just that there are no good sapphic romances. They don’t exist.” Typically, this bad take is accompanied by some not-so-subtle misogyny like, “There’s no passion between women characters,” or, “The protagonists are so unlikeable,” or, “It’s too emotional and not spicy enough.”
As a sapphic rom-com author, the first thing I want to do in this situation is light my phone on fire. And not just out of personal offense! There are SO. MANY. WONDERFUL. SAPPHIC. ROMANCES. Claiming they don’t exist is not indicative of the options available; it only shows that you’re not really trying to find these stories. Or it shows that your internalized misogyny has made it impossible for you to appreciate a story about two women finding a happy ending with no men involved. Honestly, I’m sad for you.
So instead of committing rage arson on my own property, I made a short list of some indisputably excellent sapphic romances to throw at the next person who tries to tell me such books don’t exist. I love each of these books immensely (and so many more I couldn’t fit on this tiny list.) Next time you see a bad take about sapphic romance, consider spreading the word about some of these lovely books.
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
Next time I hear a bad take about sapphic romances, rather than throwing fists, I will throw a copy of Alison Cochrun’s Here We Go Again at their head. This is one of those perfectly crafted books that takes you on a journey through every human emotion: laughter, frustration, fear, passion, grief, healing, and, of course, love. Rosemary and Logan’s childhood friendship ended with a big falling out, but now that they’re both English teachers at their old high school, they can’t easily avoid each other. Keeping their distance gets even harder when Joe, their favorite teacher from their own high school English days, is given a terminal diagnosis and convinces them to take him on a cross-country road trip before he dies. A romantic comedy about death is tough to pull off, but Cochrun does it with grace, humor, and so much heart.
A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins
“SaPpHiC rOmAnCeS hAvE nO cHeMiStRy.” I’m going to stop you right there and slap you on the cheek with Chencia C. Higgins’ superbly steamy friends-to-lovers romance A Little Kissing Between Friends. Cyn produces some of the most dance-worthy beats in the Houston club scene. And she draws a lot of inspiration from her best friend Jucee’s incredibly sexy dance moves. They’ve always had strict boundaries in their relationship, but their sparkling chemistry starts to make them wonder if trying something new together could be as rewarding as their music partnership. With two lovable leads and a full cast of endearing family and friends around them, A Little Kissing Between Friends is definitive proof that sapphic romances can be just as messy, charming, quick-witted, and spicy as your favorite straight romance.
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An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera
You don’t have to stick with contemporary-set stories to find an outstanding sapphic romance. Travel back in time with Adriana Herrera’s enchanting sapphic historical romance An Island Princess Starts a Scandal. Caribbean princess Manuela will soon be forced into a marriage to a man she never would have chosen. Luckily, she’s got one last summer to live on her own terms while showing off her art in Paris. There, she meets a business-minded duchess named Cora, and they strike a deal for Cora to financially benefit from showing Manuela around town. Their adventures together offer them both a taste of freedom and pleasure, and their relationship turns into much more than they bargained for. I absolutely adore this dreamy, swoon-worthy romance set in 1889 Paris, and anyone who doesn’t is, frankly, wrong.
Here for the Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang
I have a feeling that some of the people claiming there are no good sapphic romances think The Bachelor is a place where people find true love. Those folks could use a reality check in the form of Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang’s sensational rom-com Here for the Wrong Reasons. Krystin auditioned for the hit reality dating show Hopelessly Devoted because she’s never really been in love before, and who wouldn’t fall in love with perfect bachelor Josh? Lauren auditioned for the show for very different reasons: she wants more followers on social media, and she’s willing to hide her queerness to get them. But when sparks fly behind the scenes on Hopelessly Devoted, it’s not between Josh and a contestant. It’s between Krystin and Lauren. It’s a wonderfully layered romance with surprising twists and off-the-charts chemistry. And even better, it’s written by a couple who fell in love over their shared obsession with The Bachelor.
The Next Chapter by Camille Kellogg (June 10, Dial Press)
You’ll have to wait until next month to start throwing Camille Kellogg’s The Next Chapter at anyone who slanders sapphic romance, but I promise it’s worth the wait. When Kat stumbles into Jude’s bookstore in New York City, she’s looking for books to help her explore her own queerness. Kat finds instant connection with Jude alongside the stack of queer stories Jude recommends. What Jude doesn’t know is that Kat is a former child star, now struggling to transition into adult acting roles. With her eyes on Jude, Kat decides publicly coming out by announcing a relationship with a cute butch bookseller could be just what her career needs. But the tidy solution to Kat’s problem turns out to be a lot messier than expected when both of them develop very real feelings. The Next Chapter is a book lover’s dream, full of literary references, big emotions, and a cozy bookstore setting.
The following comes to you from the Editorial Desk.
This week, we’re highlighting a post about the literary events that should be on your calendar for the rest of 2025. From awards announcements to famous authors’ birthdays to Banned Books Week, these are the dates readers should have on their radars. Read on for an excerpt and become an All Access member to unlock the full post.
The Most Anticipated Literary Events of (the Rest of) 2025
For some, the major literary events of the year come as a pleasant or interesting surprise—something to enjoy in the moment, rather than to anticipate. For others, there’s big appeal in bookmarking these occasions in advance to plan, predict, and build around. I and the rest of the editorial team are in the business of thinking ahead about what the year has in store for book lovers, publishers, industry experts, and the like, which is why we all got together toward the end of 2024 to plot out everything from birthdays of literary greats, to anniversaries of books that have made a deep cultural impact, to literary awards and events coming up this year. We’ve been marking these events as they happen on the site for what’s shaping up to be a very busy year in books, but there are still so many big, exciting literary events of 2025 to anticipate.
Whether you’re a book-focused or -adjacent content creator, someone who beefs up their TBR with literary awards honorees, or a book lover who appreciates being in the know, I’m here with a starting place for calendaring out the rest of this storied year…
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