Valentine’s Day is fast approaching so thoughts of love may well be top of mind. Be it the love we feel for our partners, or friends, or the love we hold in place for ourselves – there’s a whole lot of love to explore.
Yet, for the queer community, it isn’t always as simple as picking up the latest Kinsella instalment to find depictions of love that we see ourselves reflected in. So, whilst Eros fires out his arrows of affection, we are aiming for the books that speak to queer joy, be it the romantic or the platonic kind. From stories summoned from the ancient world like 300,000 Kisses, or contemporary debuts set for the best-seller lists, enter This Love by Lotte Jeffs, there’s something for everyone.
For centuries queer authors have depicted queer joy through the lens of love, and whilst some stories are only receiving their flowers now, for the LGBTQI+ community to see themselves stitched into the tapestry of literary love is vital. Of course, you could get your fill by heading straight to your streaming service du jour, but why not fall in love with a new page-turner this February 14?
Granted life doesn’t always offer the perfect happily-ever-after, but these books promise to bring joy and then some. So, if you want to laugh out loud, or find the next novel that’s so good you have to finish that chapter on the escalator, you’ll need to add these books to your to-read list.
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300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World By Luke Edward Hall and Seán Hewitt
In a nutshell: this gorgeous anthology features 40 modernised stories from the ancient world each accompanied by stunning illustrative works, with narratives of the distant past inviting us here in the present to dust off our perceptions of history.
Co-creators, artist Luke Edward Hall and Laurel Prize-winning poet and critic Seán Hewitt add to the artistic and literary tapestry of queer love by diving head-first into the canon of Greco-Roman stories. The result is classical tales that feel shockingly contemporary. The perfect self-love gift for the discerning arty type guaranteed to spark coffee-table conversation.
Buy now £19.98, Amazon
This Love By Lotte Jeffs
In a nutshell: Mae and Ari meet during their final year at Leeds University, providing the spark for an instant and lasting friendship. Spanning ten years of the duo's relationship, this novel tackles what it means to find your soulmate, the powerful love of chosen family, and our evolving expressions of love itself.
As an award-winning columnist, former Editor-in-Chief at ELLE, and host of the LGBTQ parenting podcast Some Families, author Lotte Jeffs is no stranger to celebrating queer joy - though This Love marks her debut in the world of non-fiction.
Anchored by complicated real-world challenges, this novel explores the weight of secrets, toxic partnerings, grief and desire all whilst celebrating the greatest love in so many lives, friendship.
Buy now £20.24, Amazon
The New Life By Tom Crewe
In a nutshell: John and Henry have envisioned new lives for themselves, yet set against the backdrop of Oscar Wilde’s London trial of the mid-1890s, their respective desires are under threat. The pair joined together under a shared vision of publishing a book advocating for the legalisation of homosexuality.
A beautifully rich and tender work built upon the foundations of real-life events, The New Life was shortlisted for the Nero Debut Fiction Book Award as well as the Times and Guardian Novel of the Year 2023.
Author Tom Crewe entered the world of historical fiction armoured by his work as a historian crafting a rich and vivid remastering of a world on the brink of change but shrouded by the veil of Victorian morality.
Buy now £14.29, Amazon
One Last Stop By Casey McQuinston
In a nutshell: One Last Stop, written by the author of love-it or loathe-it sensation Red, White & Royal Blue, is part coming-of-age tale, part sci-fi romance - think (loosely) Russian Doll season two, meets a big city cynic who falls in love.
Though we all may dream of a tube meet cute after some sustained eye contact on the morning commute, this book takes that to the next level, albeit on the New York Subway. August, One Last Stops' main character, is a 23-year-old non-believer in fairytale love. Enter Jane, the ultimate subway crush. Though all is not as it seems, August's mission is to save Jane who has become trapped on the subway and is misplaced in time from the 70s.
Big-hearted and a fair bit silly, this is a read over a long weekend romp. A book that speaks to both romantic and platonic love and is the ideal choice for anyone suffering from a bit of a reading slump.
Buy now £16.99, Waterstones
Bellies By Nicola Dinan
In a nutshell: Bellies is a stunning debut from the wildly talented Nicola Dinan. It begins as your typical ‘boy meets boy’, Ming is a playwright whom Tom finds himself deeply drawn to, meeting on a night out at university. Moving to London together, Ming announces her intentions to transition, with the novel moving with the pair as they navigate their lives post-graduation.
This one is heart-wrenching at times but speaks to the multifaceted experience of growing up, finding yourself and making your way in the world, which despite the heartache is still filled with optimism and joy. Deeply poignant and achingly beautiful, this novel has all the hallmarks of a classic for the ages.
Buy now £14.99, Waterstones
QUEER LIFE, QUEER LOVE Edited by Golnoosh Nour, Matt Bates, Sarah Beal, Kate Beal
In a nutshell: QUEER LIFE, QUEER LOVE brings together more than 40 different voices from across the world, from the established author to first-time-writers, in an anthology that celebrates love in all its many facets.
Be it the subversive or the everyday mundane, each unique story shines in this sweeping curation of narrative voices. Providing a glimpse into the different ways we each experience love. This collective work takes shape through a series of edited poems, essays and flash fiction excerpts, independently published by UK-based Muswell Press.
Buy now £9.35, Amazon
Whatever Happened To Queer Happiness? By Kevin Brazil
In a nutshell: partly collected essays, part memoir, author Kevin Brazil lovingly centres his work around the titular question, ‘Whatever happened to queer happiness?’
Taking a deep dive into the lives of artists and writers from the past and present, paired with his own lived experiences, Brazil posits the vital sentiment that we must celebrate the beauty of queer joy. With essays covering the work of artists like Wolfgang Tillmans, and Derek Jarman as well as singer Robyn.
Championing pleasure, community and the collective, this is the perfect book for readers who are drawn to creative non-fiction.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
The Price of Salt By Patricia Highsmith
In a nutshell: a 1950s novel widely heralded as being amongst the first queer love stories to have a hopeful ending, The Price of Salt is an undisputed classic in the queer canon. A story lifted from the very real experiences of author Patricia Highsmith.
An enchantingly atmospheric work, this novel tells the story of Therese Belivt and the smouldering Carol Aird. A love story that begins with a pair of conveniently forgotten gloves and goes on to achieve the surprising feat of making department store shopping at Christmas seem romantic.
Immortalised in the Oscar-winning film, Carol, which starred Cate Blanchet and Rooney Mara, and went on to fuel the much-loved meme account, Dyke Blanchet. So, whilst ‘Carol Season’ may be over for now, The Price of Salt remains an eternal queer classic.
Buy now £15.93, Amazon
Meet Cute Diary By Emery Lee
In a nutshell: this novel by Emery Lee is a romantic comedy that sets out to explore a transgender teen’s first love and ideas of relationships.
The story centres around Noah, a self-proclaimed love expert who runs the popular blog Meet Cute Diaries, a series of happily-ever-after trans love stories. Except there’s a problem, all of the stories are made up, and once this comes to light Noah sets out to prove they were true retrospectively. Enter Drew and the ensuing romance, though Noah quickly realises it’s sometimes easier to write about love than it is to navigate it.
A book you’ll be likely to devour in one sitting, this poignant coming-of-age story is an ode to joy and the complexities of identity and our ideas of ourselves.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
Like a Love Story By Abdi Nazemian
In a nutshell: Like a Love Story centres around three teenagers living in New York at the dawn of the 90s and a changing world. Reza is an Iranian boy who has moved to the city, and whose perceptions of his sexuality are set against the backdrop of the depiction of the AIDS epidemic in the media. Meanwhile, Judy, an aspiring fashion designer falls for Reza, whilst Art, Judy’s best friend, is the school's only out teen.
Here the three work to understand the dynamic of their friendship and love for one another. This Young Adult novel will make you laugh and cry in equal measure, with heartwarming moments that’ll linger with readers of any age. It was written by author, Abdi Nazemian who received the Stonewall Honor Books Award for their work.
Buy now £9.00, Amazon
First Comes Love By Tom Rasmussen
In a nutshell: First Comes Love takes a tour through a series of wholly different weddings, as well as interviewing those who are married, want to be or couldn’t think of anything worse.
This hilarious, heartwarming take on holy matrimony is nothing short of a feat—exploring what marriage means through the guise of sexuality, gender, religion, and class. Ultimately seeking to unlock what the past and present mean for the future of tying the knot and to reconcile dreams of everything from the perfect dress to radical sexual politics. What First Come Loves does so well is contradict itself, a vital step when exploring so many different views of what marriage truly is. This is a tender and laugh-out-loud work of non-fiction you won’t be able to put down.
Buy now £7.02, Amazon
Nettleblack By Nat Reeve
In a nutshell: set against the backdrop of 1893, Nettleback is a sweet, humorous historical coming-of-age tale that opts for an epistolary and journal-style format.
At the heart of this story is heir/ess Henry, and it follows a Dickesian-style plot of fast-paced, all-out fun and intrigue. Henry runs away when the promise of marriage looms, soon to be ambushed and then saved by a mysterious detective agency to which they soon enlist. From here, Henry embarks on a journey to find their place in the world, challenging myths that centre around queerness along the way.
The tone of this novel feels both familiar and entirely new, a refreshing fizz of a read that transports you into another world other than your own.
Buy now £11.95, Amazon
