When I was a baby queer, freshly out at 15, I dreamed of one day being a professional queer. You know, the kind of person whose brand is queer and whose day job doesn’t just tolerate their queerness but centers it. Running a Pride-themed B&B, say. Or starting an LGBTQ bookstore. Today, I get paid to write the Our Queerest Shelves newsletter (among other things). I’ve also been running a queer book blog of my own for over ten years, which occasionally makes money, so I can officially call myself a professional queer reader at this point.
Admittedly, the romance genre is not my particular expertise, but I’ve been enjoying the new abundance of traditionally published queer romances, and I have three that are absolute stand-outs. These are must-read queer romance novels, whether you’re new to the genre or a professional.
Content for paid subscribers continues below.
This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.
I should probably end with a caveat that the “queer book professional” framing is tongue in cheek: these are just my personal favorites and aren’t actually an objective ranking of the best in queer romance, especially since I’ve read only a tiny portion of all the queer romances out there.
What’s your favorite queer romance novel? Let’s chat in the comments!
If you found this post online and want queer book news and recommendations in your inbox, sign up for Our Queerest Shelves here.
The comments section is moderated according to our community guidelines. Please check them out so we can maintain a safe and supportive community of readers!