thoughts on books

Category: LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈

  • last first kiss by julian winters

    I squealed when I saw there was a sequel to one of my favorite romances, I think they love you. This is in the same universe and even in the same family and business, 24 Carter Magic. An event planning company has so many potential storylines and this story follows a quick planning of Atlanta’s high society wedding of the year. The brides best friend and man of honor, Jamie, was Jordan Carter’s first kiss and crush. Back in their elite private high school, they had pot brownies, played Mario Kart and shared a kiss. Now Jordan is working with him as he helps his friend Amy plan a quick and beautiful wedding.

    Does this work as a standalone? Sure, but it ruins the plot of the first book, and it isn’t one to miss.

    Read if you like;
    Second chance romance
    Demisexual/pansexual representation
    Family business stories
    Wedding planning stories
    Flash mobs

    I genuinely appreciate how Jordan is figuring out his sexuality, and the complexities that go along with that- not only in Jordan’s mind, but also Jamie’s. Not everyone is up for being someone’s “first” experience.

    I read a quote recently that said “some people are bisexual in the sense that Michael Jordan once played professional baseball. And you are no less part of the LGBTQ community.” In this case, pansexual, but the sentiment is the same. And this was handled in such a great way, there wasn’t much homophobia/internalized biphobia. The characters were transparent and real. I loved the chemistry and the dialogue.

    Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published 1/27/25.

  • sheer by vanessa lawrence

    It is impossible to be an ambitious woman. Max is born in 1975 and is inspired to create a beauty brand at the age of 6. She starts doing makeup for women in high school, then during college she is able to secure an angel investor which alters her course forever. It’s a cult-following beauty brand, and cult stories never end well, so they?

    The entire time she is closeted. The narrative spans Max’s life from age 6 to age 40. Interspersed with a 9 day period in 2015, we are learning the formative experiences for her building her brand.

    This story was so engaging and so realistic that only 30% of the way through the story I started searching the author to see if she had experience at a female entrepreneur unicorn company. Surely she worked at Away, at Glossier?? This story is a deep dive in those types of stories, you can create a culture and create a monster. This is such a powerful story; you will find no heroes or villains. Max is a compelling character. She is so very real.

    I am filing this as historical fiction. We do love to put a female entrepreneur on a pedestal and then knock her off of it.

    This is a very nuanced story with so many layers. And I promise you won’t be able to put it down. When I was watching the Pee Wee Herman documentary I couldn’t help but think that if he wasn’t closeted, it may have played out differently. This may be true for this fictional story as well.

    This is sure to be one of the best LitFic books of 2026.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC. Book to be published January 12, 2026.

  • alice rue evades the truth by emily zipps

    In a modern retelling of “While You Were Sleeping,” Alice has a two year long crush on Nolan Altman, a rich lawyer in the building where she works as a night receptionist. She just hasn’t spoken to him yet. Then, he collapses right in the lobby, and she performs CPR which ends up saving his life.

    The EMT mistakes Alice as Nolan’s girlfriend, and soon his entire family believes it too. Since Nolan is in a coma, they are thrilled to hear he has a girlfriend and she reluctantly agrees to spend Hanukkah with them. It’s only a matter of time before Alice falls in love with his big family. Since both of her parents died from long term illnesses, Alice talks herself into the charade so she can be around a big family again.

    And then there is Nolan’s sister, Van. Alice can’t deny the chemistry between them. But is she somehow cheating on her fake boyfriend Nolan by having feelings for Van?

    Like the movie, this book takes place over the holidays, which has a lot of opportunities for togetherness and nostalgia. Instead of Chicago, the novel takes place in Portland. And I truly appreciated the fresh story and so many more mature and serious elements of this version. Alice and Rue had great chemistry, and the minor characters are very memorable and add a lot of comic relief.

    “This is the worst idea anyone has ever had, but also already the best thing that’s ever happened.”

    Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC. Book to be published 10/26/25.

  • next time will be our turn by jesse q sutano

    I am unwell- THAT ENDING! 😭😭😭😭😭😭

    Izzy is talking to her beloved grandmother Nainai, who is an accomplished woman in Indonesia. Nainai has just entered the Chinese New Year party with a tall beautiful woman on her arm and shared a public kiss. The scandal!

    And so the story jumps back to 1996 when Nainai (whose name is Magnolia) is 16 and following her big sister Iris to Los Angeles. Magnolia is smart but insecure, brilliant but impulsive.

    Themes of found family, the bond of sisterhood and a gigantic criticism of patriarchal norms and purity culture, this book has a very ambitious goal to hit and knocks it out of the park. It has elements of romance but is truly, instead, Magnolia’s coming of age story. The themes change and attack culture both in the US and in her homeland. The time jumps are seamless and get right to the heart of the questions we ask… what traditions make sense to carry with us and what is best left behind?

    Five stars. I usually reserve fives for books that both surprise me and make me cry. This story is extremely engaging. But seriously, is there a genre Jesse Q Sutano can’t write??

    Critics will say… “how corny.” SHUT UP CHEESE HATERS SONE OF US HAVE HEARTS

    Thanks to @netgalley and Berkeley he for the ARC. Book to be published November 11, 2025.

  • sing you home by jodi picoult

    This was an amazing, engaging story. It was recommended to me by a friend on instagram when I asked for recommendations for gay centered stories for Pride month. I hadn’t heard of it, and Jodi Picoult has been a mixed bag for me. But this was a phenomenal story, with great characters, some twists and a satisfying conclusion.

    Zoe and Max lose a baby at 28 weeks, a tragic situation at the end of a 4 year infertility journey. Both of them are devastated and as they no longer connect, Max asks for a divorce and goes further into alcoholism.

    Both Zoe and Max fall unexpectedly in love with new people, causing a problematic situation that ends up in a courtroom.

    TW: infertility, still birth, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, homophobia, spiritual trauma.

    I learned a lot about music therapy as this was Zoe’s career. The villain characters were pretty villainous. I was very enraptured in this complicated story. It’s interesting to read this story in 2025 as it was published and takes place in 2011; we have gone three steps forward and 10 steps back. In some ways their world is worse to the LGBTQ community and in others it is better.
    Still, stories like this give me hope.

    Happy pride month everyone!

  • like family by erin o white

    Blue Sisters, but way more gay. This year’s “Sandwich.” A great debut family drama.

    This book follows 3 couples in upstate New York, with young kids. If you are confused reading the blurb, you aren’t alone. It is kind of difficult to keep the characters straight (lol) but in the ARC I have read there is a helpful chart in the beginning of the book to tell you who the couples and their children are.

    The characters are not perfect, but definitely not boring. This is slice of life, tackling themes such as; “what makes a family? What makes someone family? What do you do when you have everything you ever wanted?” The couples in this book are in their late 30s/early 40s, they are interconnected and have strong family vibes. Their inner dialogue is sometimes kind of self-indulgent. They are exhaustingly liberal, the kind of liberal where you feel like you have to care A LOT about everything all the time.

    Critics may say this book lacks plot, but it really focuses on character development, and there are so many characters that it becomes very well rounded. Everything kind of builds to the couples counselor’s advice in the final act. It’s only a couple of paragraphs but it ties it together nicely.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC. Book to be published Nov 4th, 2025.

  • let them stare by jonathan van ness and julie murphy

    Infinity stars; I loved this— it is a ghost story / non-binary MC / small town Pennsylvania/ YA romcom … and I know not everyone enjoys some of those elements… but ignore those biases because this book is delightful.

    Sully can’t wait to leave Hearst, PA; after high school graduation they have a fun new internship with an influencer in New York City. But just as their new life is about to start, the internship falls through and they are stuck with no job and no car. So what better time to go thrifting? And because karma rewards those without hope, they are rewarded with a super rare, vintage, extremely valuable Butler bag. (Think of a vintage Birkin because I don’t think a Butler bag is a thing)

    Lo and behold the handbag is haunted with the ghost of Rufus,
    a queer diva who has been erased from the history of Hearst- so now it up to Sully to uncover and tell their story.

    I love Julie Murphy- she wrote my favorite in the Meant To Be Series, “If the Shoe Fits” and other romcoms with a plus sized/ thick hottie FMC.

    Queer Eyes’ Jonathan Van Ness first novel- I know them from their hair care only, but I am a fan.

    I laughed a lot at the dialogue between Sully – a modern day 18 year old, and Rufus who asks too many questions. I was really enraptured by the historical love story between Rufus and Robby and finding out as they did what happened in the 1950s. I was absolutely rooting for Sully all the way, a snarky and confident kid, a great friend.

    This is a happy ending with a lot of realism about our current state- and a lot of respect and integration of queer history. We simultaneously have so much to be grateful for and so much to keep fighting for. This book reminds me of a quote from Steel Magnolias “Laughter through tears is the best emotion.”

    Indeed.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC. Book to be published May 20, 2025.

    **a best book of 2025**
    ***a best LGBTQ book of 2025***

  • a family matter by claire lynch

    I was recommended to read this on NetGalley- thank you to the publisher for the ARC— in exchange for an honest review.

    This is a quick read and somewhat difficult subject matter.

    Multiple timelines- 2022 Heron, recently diagnosed with cancer and his adult daughter Maggie. He has been divorced for 40 years, Maggie has no memory of her mother, Dawn.

    1983- Dawn and Heron divorce because Dawn is in love with a woman, Hazel.

    We already are aware, because of the structure of the book, that Dawn’s decision to leave Heron makes her completely absent from Maggie’s life. In the 1980’s during divorce proceedings most gay parents were not given custody, and this is a tragedy; the homophobia of the time is still not giving us a lot of hope, but we can’t forget about what used to be.

    That said, Dawn had to continue living and learn to let go.

    Honestly, it is very sad, but the plot felt a little lacking- perhaps it would be an excellent short story; plus you kind of know right up front how it is going to end because you have the dual timelines. I didn’t feel a strong connection to any of the characters, but I think it’s also an ambitious topic for a debut author.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC. Book to be published June 3. File under LitFic

  • first time long time by amy silverstein

    Allison is a college professor and at the age of 28, her mother is being very annoying about her singleness. Allison is a relatable character, she has other side hustles like facilitating book clubs. She met Reid at a bar, he is close to her father’s age. He is a successful shock jock and inspired by Howard Stern. She teaches creating writing and is a writer herself. Allison’s divorced parents are interesting side characters.

    I struggled with how to rate this- some of the lines of dialogue are so purely and cleverly written. This is true witty banter and a “slice of life” story. Amy Silverberg is a talented writer and has keen observations of life. My favorite character is Reid’s daughter Emma (she is incorrectly called Maddie in the blurb).

    In the acknowledgements she mentions that this started as a 30 page short story and damn I bet that was amazing. I kept thinking “this would work better as a short story” as it was a strangely paced story. Also the blurb gives away a LOT of the story that doesn’t happen until 66% through the novel.

    Like many of my favorite short stories, it ends with just an image, rather than a conclusion of plot. If you are looking for a lot of plot, you will likely be disappointed; but if you love observational dialogue, this is some of the best I’ve read.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. Book to be published July 22, 2025.

  • the phoenix pencil company by allison king

    You have 32 great-great-great-grandparents. And some of them were probably very brave. Some were very smart, and some were very good people. Over time, their stories have been lost, likely you do not know any of their stories specifically. If you have done 23 and me, you likely know where they were born and grew up. For most people on earth today, you live in a different country than your great-great-great grandparents did. And so much of our experience, our connections, are wildly different than theirs. And yet, much is the same.

    Monica’s family’s legacy is the Phoenix Pencil company, a manufacturer of pencil in Shanghai. As her grandmother Yun is facing her final days, Monica wants to reconcile her relationship with her cousin Meng. She survived the Chinese civil war (I did have to look up “Chinese civil war” on wikipedia quickly for context) and came to California, leaving her beloved cousin behind. Soon Monica discovers that the pencils are not just pencils but carry the stories within them. And what is a Phoenix but a magical creature that burns and is born from its own ashes.

    Highly lyrical and descriptive, The Phoenix Pencil Company is a debut novel that spans generations and continents. The characters change and grow, and there is also a tangential love story that (to me) kind of sprang up out of nowhere. The plot, while simplistic, was hopeful and original. True to the culture and timeline, the story echoes the question, “who owns your story and who will tell it?”

    Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. Book to be published June 3, 2025.