There’s no better reading season than fall. The cool weather is the perfect excuse to snuggle up under a blanket, sip your warm beverage of choice, and read a cozy book. October calls to readers in different ways: some will hunker down with a stack of the most disturbing horror novels ever written, while others yearn for comforting, cute romances. I’ll be recommending plenty of queer horror this month, but I wanted to also have a list for the cozy readers, so here are eight cozy queer reads perfect for autumn.
What is a cozy autumnal read? Well, fall leaves on the cover are always a plus, but it’s not mandatory. We’ve got a selection of cozy contemporary novels set during pumpkin spice and mooncakes season, plus some cozy fantasy reads that add a little magic to your reading life. (All Access members can also find 27 new queer books out this week at the end of this post!)
Cozy Queer Autumnal Books
Fall Into You by Georgina Kiersten
The sapphics are really bringing the cozy queer autumnal vibes: I had to edit this list down so it wasn’t entirely F/F romances. Isn’t this the perfect fall romance book cover?
After Imari left her fiancé at the altar, she escapes the gossip by moving to the small town of Appeley. While she’s enjoying the fall festival, she bumps into a childhood friend: Cassidy. They pick up where they left off, but Imari can’t help but notice that Cassidy grew up to be a beautiful, confident woman she can’t keep her eyes off.
Pumpkin Spice by Tagan Shepard
After Nicki’s heart was broken, she promised to never fall in love again, but Carter, the hot new butch in town, is making that difficult. Nicki’s niece is obsessed with Halloween, so she agrees to help arrange the school’s Halloween festival, held on Carter Farm. But Nicki isn’t expecting to constantly bump into Carter at the pick-your-own-pumpkin patch. Worse, Carter seems to be charmed by Nicki’s clumsiness and awkwardness, and despite her best efforts, Nicki is falling for her…literally.
Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford and K. Elle Morrison
Okay, Jordyn conjuring the ghost of her ex-girlfriend was definitely a mistake — especially because now she’s determined to stick around until Jordyn finds someone new.
When Harlow arrives in Maple Hollow, she thinks the Halloween theme is a gimmick — but she quickly realizes magic is real here. Just as she’s starting to second guess living in the same town as vampires and werewolves, she’s asked out by apothecary witch Jordyn, and sparks fly. But will their romance be able to bloom with her ex haunting them?
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Dylan entered a teen chef mooncake-making competition for the Mid-Autumn Festival. He hopes to bring business to his aunt’s failing restaurant and to honor the memory of his mom. But he’s distracted from his goal by Theo, who convinces him to be his fake date to his family’s Hamptons wedding. Dylan is swept up in Theo’s lavish lifestyle, and he’s starting to fall for real, but the contest deadline looms, and he is forced to choose between the competition and his new romance.
Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker
Tell me this isn’t the coziest opening to a book you’ve ever read: in this graphic novel, Nova is a queer teen witch who is working at her grandmothers’ magical bookshop when her childhood crush, a nonbinary werewolf named Tam, reappears in her life. Witches, werewolves, and magical bookshops: this is the fantasy world I want to live in this autumn. Together, Tam and Nova research the horse demon Tam fought in the woods, and along the way, they unearth secrets this town is hiding…and they make mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival!
Life of Melody by Mari Costa
Honestly, I requested this graphic novel from the library the second I saw the cover. How cute is that?? When Razzmatazz, a fairy godfather, and Bon, a beast man, find a human child in the woods, they argue about what they should do. Eventually, they agree to coparent this kid in the human world, but the more time they spend together, the closer they become. You can also read the original webcomic online for free!
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
There are a lot of queer cozy fantasy novels, happily, but I had to go with the one that has tea in the title. If you prefer coffee, pick up Legends and Lattes. If you like your drinks stronger, there’s Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland.
This one is about Reyna and Kianthe, who want to open a combination tea shop and bookstore — that is the dream! — but they keep getting interrupted by assassins, dragons, and political intrigue. You can follow these two in the rest of the Tomes and Tea series: A Pirate’s Life for Tea and, soon, Tea You at the Altar, which is out March 4, 2025.
A Curse for Samhain by Dahlia Donovan
Hyde is a genderfluid vampire who owns a bookstore, spoils their two cats, and hosts a weekly knitting group. When one of the coven leaders misses a knitting group meeting, Hyde and their crush, Teresa, end up investigating the murder — especially when other members of the club become suspects. If they don’t solve the mystery soon, they may be the next victims. Of course, they fall for each other while investigating. This sounds like the perfect blend of cozy mystery and cozy fantasy. The second book in the series, A Fatal Autumnal Stew, comes out November 7, 2024.
Looking for more cozy queer reads? Check out these queer cozy mysteries, queer fantasy romances, and queer romantasies.
27 New Queer Books Out This Week
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