Jae's Blog, page 7
May 23, 2024
Consent is sexy (Hidden Gems #5)
Consent is sexy. But more than that, I think it’s also important to portray what healthy, freely given, enthusiastic consent can look like in romance novels.
In many books, it’s more implied or made clear by the context instead of being explicitly stated, so for this week’s Hidden Gem category of the Sapphic Book Bingo, read a sapphic book in which the main characters check in with each other and ask for explicit consent during the sex scene.
15 recommended sapphic books with explicit consent
Below, you’ll find a list of 15 sapphic books with explicit consent.
Conflict of Interest by Jae
A detective falls in love with a victim in one of her cases in this remarkable lesbian romantic suspense.
Workaholic Detective Aiden Carlisle isn’t looking for love—and certainly not at the law enforcement seminar she reluctantly agreed to attend. But the first lecturer is not at all what she expected.
Psychologist Dawn Kinsley has just found her place in life. After a failed relationship with a police officer, she has sworn never to get involved with another cop again, but she feels a connection to Aiden from the very first moment.
Can Aiden keep from crossing the line when a brutal crime threatens to keep them apart before they’ve even gotten together?
Available at:
My Boss’s Stalker (Spoiler It’s Not Me!) by Adrian J. Smith
An unrequited crush. A stalker on the loose. Will she be able to save her boss?
Zoe’s boss is a force to be reckoned with. And Zoe has had a crush on Gwen Fudala for the last three years. In a twist of events, Zoe drunkenly ends up on the phone with Gwen while in a compromising position. But it sparks a wildfire that neither can put out.
Still, something isn’t right.
Gwen is being stalked. Vowing to let nothing happen to her boss, Zoe winds up tangled in the stalker’s game. Unable to see which way is out and loyal to a fault, Zoe sticks by Gwen’s side through thick and thin.
Can they navigate a relationship under the watchful eye of a perpetrator?
Or does the stalker have a new target?
Available at:
Make the Yuletide Gay by Ivy L. James
Junior editor Grace Taylor is doubling as the temporary assistant to senior editor Nicola Valentine…and harboring a secret crush on her. Grace is devastated when a work conference forces her to miss her big family Christmas. However, she gets a gift she doesn’t expect when a snowstorm strands her and Nicola at a small B&B.
Nicola has no idea how to handle sharing a room with her gorgeous, vibrant assistant. As she learns to share her heart as well, her fear threatens the blossoming relationship. Can she let Grace in, or will Nicola’s past sabotage her chance at happiness?
Available at:
Heart Failure by Chris Zett
Dr. Jess Riley’s life is perfect, ticking all the boxes—successful cardiologist, newborn daughter, and a luxurious condo. That is, until she suddenly collapses from acute heart failure. Her entire world crumples along with her exhausted body.
Jess is forced to face facts—she can’t keep working endless hours, and she’ll have to move back home to recover.
To her shock, her mother has already taken in Lena Walker, a struggling artist who isn’t a stranger to heartbreak either.
At first, an unimpressed Jess resents Lena’s cheerful presence. Gradually, though, the two women form a tentative friendship over tai chi, picking fruit, and evening walks with the baby. A sexy massage leads to friends-with-benefits fun. But is it all too soon? Should two barely mended souls try to risk a future together?
Available at:
Plague and Ash by Sita Bethel
Sarah only went to Oreburn University of Incantations so her parents would stop asking her when she’d settle down. However, after a strange plague decimates her hometown, Sarah finds herself fleeing with the undead chasing her.
As she escapes, she meets Brighid, a half orc noble, and together, they must reach Oreburn before the undead can overrun the city. Sarah discovers a decay sorcerer created the original curse, and only a wizard powerful enough to destroy him can end the plague.
But now they have to find that wizard.
Available at:
The Fall That Saved Us by Tamara Jerée
Cassiel has given up the family tradition of demon hunting, leaving behind her sacred angelic duty and fated sword. What she can’t leave behind are the scars. To cope, she spends her days immersed in work, pouring all her attention into New Haven Books, her small bookstore and anchor in the new world she’s carved for herself.
But the past hasn’t let go of Cassiel yet. When a succubus named Avitue arrives to claim her angel-touched soul, Cassiel’s old hunter instincts flare, forcing her to choose between old knowledge and her truth. What should be a fatal seduction becomes a bargain neither woman expects. As they grow closer, Avitue is surprised to find her own pain reflected in Cassiel, a nephilim deemed fallen by her own family’s standards.
By choosing trust, they reveal the lies that bind them. Falling for each other begins a path towards healing. But exorcising the effects of trauma is harder than naming it, and to explore the unfettered possibility Avitue represents, Cassiel must find a way to reclaim and redefine her angelic heritage.
Available at:
The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway.
Davy aims to get back into Tally’s good graces by throwing her a big birthday party, but that means dealing with Tally’s other half sister, Anna. To say Davy and Anna don’t get along is putting it mildly.
When a misunderstanding leads to her boss’s assumption that she and Anna are headed to the altar, Davy sees a way to leapfrog over the competition straight into one of the top spots at her firm. She just has to convince Anna to be her faux fiancée in order to do it and keep her growing attraction in check, of course.
Available at:
What Now by Jamey Moody
When love dares to alter a carefully crafted life plan, does the heart win?
Addison Henry is the new bank president in small-town Brazos Falls, but she won’t be there long. This is merely a stepping stone on her career path that leads her to headquarters and the CEO’s office.
Lissa Morgan came back to her hometown to help her family’s business. However, she is not giving up on love just because she happens to be one of the few gay women in town.
When Addison helps Lissa open a new account at the bank an instant friendship is born. Lissa is happy to help Addison navigate the ways of her small town and as they spend more time together something begins to happen to Addison’s heart.
She’s never been with a woman. She has no time for love. She’s on her way to the top. But her heart has another plan. What now?
Available at:
Mending Fences by Angie Williams
When rancher Bobbie Del Rey walks into the veterinarian’s office with an injured pup, the last person she expects to see is the one woman she’s never allowed herself to love. The only thing more dangerous than the storm raging outside is the tempest in her heart.
Veterinarian Grace Hammond is looking for a fresh start. Haunted by her past, she hopes moving back to her hometown will help her find the strength to stand up for what she needs in matters of the heart. The moment her first love, Bobbie Del Rey, walks into her clinic—tall, dark, and soaking wet—the boundaries Grace desperately needs become paper thin.
Can the heartbreaks of the past ever truly be mended?
Available at:
Temptation at Randy’s by Emily Alter
Arlene was more than what she stress-baked. Claude was more than what they hid.
Available at:
Love Me Not by Emma Thingsted
Twenty seven year old reporter Mara Swanson from Los Angeles is down on her luck. Her girlfriend dumped her because she fell in love with someone else. That sucks. In fact it sucks so much, Mara tries her best to drink her sorrows away. One night she stumbles into a taxi so she can go home and sleep the effects of the alcohol away.
But unfortunately, she ends up sharing the taxi with a very annoying brunette. And unfortunately, Mara can’t quite keep her mouth shut and ends up telling the brunette exactly what she thinks of her.
What should have been a random encounter in the middle of the night ends up being far more when Mara a few days after has to replace a sick colleague and conduct an interview with Tanya Goldstein, the leading actress in the highly popular series’ Love Me Not’ and rising star. Sometimes things aren’t always what they seem, and maybe the ‘annoying brunette’ from the taxi wasn’t just another miss Somebody in the Los Angeles night.
The stage is set as Mara faces off against annoyingly beautiful ice queen Tanya Goldstein with the green eyes and sarcastic laughter….
Available at:
Off the Menu by Alaina Erdell
In less than 48 hours, reality TV sensation Restaurant Redo and its gorgeous host will arrive to film in chef Taylor Mobley’s kitchen…and she just found out.
Fixer Erin Rasmussen has a reputation for saving failing restaurants with her take-no-crap attitude. She gets the job done on time, under budget, and millions of viewers tune in to watch her do it.
The fine dining restaurant Taylor works for has some serious problems, and management doesn’t want her input. It’s time to leave. But how is she supposed to find a new position when a TV host with delusions of grandeur keeps painting her as a problem chef? Taylor refuses to play nice with Erin, especially on camera. They make each other’s blood boil, which is why it’s even more annoying that they can’t manage to keep their hands off each other.
Erin only cares about entertaining viewers. Taylor is unprofessional and immature. Or at least that’s what they each think. As the cameras roll and their careers hang in the balance, will Erin and Taylor make the jump from enemies to lovers?
Available at:
Within My Reach: A Sapphic retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion by Amy Blythe
Camping on a futon and babysitting her nephews is not the summer vacation Anna Elliot had in mind, but then Frida Wentworth rolls back into town – home from conquering the world, one stunning photograph at a time.
Anna has never entirely forgiven herself for letting Frida go. And Frida, it would seem, hasn’t forgiven her either. No one knows about their past, thank goodness. But before Anna’s very eyes, two of her friends fall under Frida’s spell.
Set in Auckland, New Zealand, over the holidays, this Sapphic retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion takes the OG second-chance romance for an antipodean spin, with a splash of forced-proximity and a pinch of love-triangle.
Available at:
Halcyon Nights by MJ Duncan
Emerson Riis has a job she loves, friends she considers family, and her goofy malamute Sasha for company. As far as she’s concerned, life in the small town of Mystic is pretty much perfect. Enter Mari Davenport, a Hollywood screenwriter with a dozen blockbusters to her name, who arrives in a car that is completely unfit for the north woods of Minnesota. Their paths cross in a way that could have been plucked straight from one of Mari’s romcoms, and though their attraction is instant and their chemistry off-the-charts, the fact that Mari must return to LA at the end of her six-month writing sabbatical looms ominously on the horizon. As Emerson and Mari’s feelings grow, will they find a way to rewrite the ending to their story, or are they meant only for this sweet but short-lived season of halcyon nights?
Available at:
Guarded Hearts by Sam Kestrel
With hearts guarded by memories of loss and betrayal, can two women find their way to love again?
Wounded by a cheating ex, Jo vowed to never let anyone close again. Was her love of women the only reason she started her therapy business?
Avery, consumed by crippling grief after the death of her lover, found experiencing pleasure impossible. Could a woman selling sexual intimacy help her heal?
Conflict blooms when Jo struggles against her attraction to Avery, while Avery worries that having feelings for Jo would be cheating on her deceased partner.
Can two hearts so guarded traverse this rocky path to love, or will their fear and missteps prove too formidable to overcome?
Available at:
Don’t miss the Pride Reads Celebration!
For Pride Month, I’m organizing a month-long event featuring 70+ popular and new-to-you authors of sapphic fiction. Every day from June 1 to June 30, you’ll have the chance to discover a new sapphic book with exciting offers:
Free ebooks – Snag a free ebook!
Books on sale – Enjoy sapphic books at a discount.
Giveaways – Enter giveaways for a chance to win ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks.
If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss it, you can sign up for the daily reminder emails. It’s not part of a newsletter, so you won’t get any other emails.
Leave a comment
What book will you be reading for the “consent is sexy” category? Let us know in the comments!
The post Consent is sexy (Hidden Gems #5) appeared first on Jae.
May 16, 2024
Sapphic books without a third-act breakup (Sapphic Book Bingo #11)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo features sapphic books without a third-act breakup.
When romance writers learn the writing craft, they are often taught that a “third-act breakup” is a crucial part of any romance novel.
The third-act breakup is the moment near the end of the story (often around the 75-80% mark of the book) where the main couple faces a big conflict or misunderstanding that causes them to separate. It’s a dramatic twist that makes readers wonder whether they’ll ever get back together. Some readers love third-act breakups; some readers hate them.
Personally, for me, it depends on the book. Third-act breakups can work really well if they stem from the characters’ personality or their past, but when it relies on a big misunderstanding that could have been cleared up with a five-minute conversation, I’m not a fan of them.
I also believe that not every romance necessarily needs a third-act breakup, so I put together a list of sapphic books without a third-act breakup.
15 sapphic books without a third-act breakup
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books without a third-act breakup:
Say Cheese by T.B. Markinson & Miranda MacLeod
In a small town teetering on the brink of collapse, will one woman’s arrival seal a factory’s fate or open the floodgate for love and redemption?
Elle Robinson’s world is literally swept away when a raging flood sends her car careening toward certain doom, only to be rescued by Angela Lane – a spirited, self-reliant, and unexpected savior who pulls Elle back from the edge of calamity.
In the aftermath of their brush with mortality, passions ignite between the two women, mirroring the uncontrollable rise of the floodwaters. However, fate has a wicked sense of humor.
As the storm of their one-night stand recedes, a startling revelation emerges. Angie learns that Elle is the ambitious young business consultant whose arrival could signal the demise of Angie’s cherished family cheesemaking business. Will this city girl bring more destruction than the flood? Or could she evolve into the improbable business partner Angie has been waiting for?
Available at:
Departure from the Script by Jae
Aspiring actress Amanda Clark and photographer Michelle Osinski are two women burned by love and not looking to test the fire again. And even if they were, it certainly wouldn’t be with each other. Amanda has never been attracted to a butch woman before, and Michelle personifies the term butch.
Having just landed a role on a hot new TV show, she’s determined to focus on her career and doesn’t need any complications in her life. After a turbulent breakup with her starlet ex, Michelle swore she would never get involved with an actress again. Another high-maintenance woman is the last thing she wants, and her first encounter with Amanda certainly makes her appear the type.
But after a date that is not a date and some meddling from Amanda’s grandmother, they both begin to wonder if it’s not time for a departure from their usual dating scripts.
Available at:
Meeting Millie by Clare Ashton
Oxford – celebrated city of dreaming spires and class warfare – is an ambition come true for lesbian, geeky, upper-middle-class Charlotte and straight, charismatic, working-class Millie.
Against the odds, theirs is an instant, best friendship. Forever.
Exuberant Millie is a breath of fresh air for polite Charlotte and a force of nature within the university’s hallowed walls. And they are going to be the best lawyers of their year and change the world.
But their world changes instead when things go queerly sideways, and they haven’t seen each other since.
Ten years on and Charlotte returns to where it all began. She has a new job at a prestigious law firm and Oxford is as beautiful as ever. She’s a safe distance from her overbearing barrister mother Nicola and three office floors from her snappy college mentor, Olivia.
Then Millie bounds around the corner wanting to be friends again and it’s as if the last decade never happened. Will it be different the second time around? Can they be friends again? Or will love and attraction change things?
Available at:
Murder in Castaway Island by Alicia Gael
On a cloudless summer day, ghostwriter Phyl Long and educator Virgie Campbell meet as they wait for a private boat to Castaway Island. The attraction between the two is immediate, as is the excitement of a relaxing weekend getting to know each other. But once they arrive on the island, Phyl and Virgie discover things aren’t what they should be. After meeting the other guests, they realize the staff are confused, there’s no Wi-Fi, and the phone coverage is spotty. And there’s no way to leave the island.
A charged accusation. A death. Another death, and then another…and another… As their fellow island occupants are murdered one by one, Phyl and Virgie realize their only hope of escaping is to work together to unmask the killer. But how does each know that the other isn’t using their budding romance as cover for a very twisted plan?
Available at:
The Misadventures of Callie Compton by Alyson Root
It’s not every day you find out that your sweet, sweater knitting, church going grandma is the UK’s most prolific crime boss. For Callie Compton, that day became a reality on her eighteenth birthday. Not being criminally inclined, Callie did the only thing she could. She bided her time, stole her grandma’s little black book of scumbag employees, and ran for her life.
Six years later Callie finds herself in a small café in Sweden, her Spidey sense is tingling. Someone is watching her. How did they catch her trail? And what is she going to do next?
Daisy Simpson knew from the age of sixteen that Callie’s grandma was a bad person, just like her own dad. How she regrets not telling Callie before leaving for university all those years ago. Maybe then Callie wouldn’t have disappeared without telling her. Not only was Callie her best friend, and first unrequited love, she was also Daisy’s biggest supporter. Being born deaf into a family like hers wasn’t easy.
Using skills she’s not at liberty to discuss, Daisy tracks Callie to Sweden. After a few days of playing hide and seek, Callie and Daisy are finally reunited. The duo set out to bring Betty, aka Queen B, to her knees. Easy, right? Wrong!
Callie and Daisy must navigate their growing feelings toward each other, deal with several less than happy women, overcome flooded caves and one raging bull. This is no adventure. It’s quite the opposite.
Available at:
Reality In Check by Emily Banting
Sculptor Arte Tremaine is thrown into the hospitality industry when her beloved late grandmother bequeaths her and her sister a charming yet rundown country hotel with zero guests. Arte is determined to make a success of the business, despite her sister snapping at her heels to sell it and painful memories confronting her inside.
Charlotte Beaufort, heiress to a hotel empire, television celebrity, and self-confessed city woman, hits the countryside to film an episode of her reality television show, Hotel SOS, where she immediately clashes with the overwhelmed Arte and her inquisitive Labrador, Rodin.
Arte doesn’t take kindly to Charlotte’s attitude and frank opinions about her hotel, but when they are thrown together, she begins to realise not everything is as it seems with her attractive nemesis. As Arte begins to chip away at Charlotte’s icy exterior, both women begin to realise dreams and reality rarely entwine and that, sometimes, our dreams are not even our own.
Can the artsy dreamer and ambitious heiress face the reality of their situations and discover their true paths? And if so, can those paths lead them toward true love?
Available at:
Wolf Healer by Huckleberry Rahr
Jade Stone cherishes her family. With loving parents and a supportive community, the fifteen-year-old queer soon-to-be-werewolf can’t wait to take her place in the pack as a healer. But when she’s invited to vacation in Florida, she discovers the shocking existence of werepanthers… after one bites her.
Returning to her native Wisconsin with feline blood coursing through her, Jade is confused and disappointed when former packmates shun her. As she navigates a brand of bigotry she never knew existed, Jade fears she may be exiled from the home and family she loves.
Ostracized and alone, will Jade find a place she belongs?
Available at:
The Planck Paradox by Taryn J Dallas
Cole Maclean is a philosophy teacher who also fosters service dogs through puppyhood. While she trains cute little Paradox to help a paraplegic friend, she can’t help but notice the pretty new professor with whom she finds herself sharing a supply closet.
Kenzie Philips teaches physics and likes her world to be grounded in the hard sciences. She also fears dogs, so she has no reason to be thinking about the sexy-as-hell teacher who asks head-scratching questions and takes a dog everywhere she goes.
But a shared interest in She-Ra, and a Deaf student needing help with his education, practically guarantee that they can’t ignore the magnetic attraction between them.
Available at:
Family is Forever by Rita Potter
Thanksgiving is Jaycee Ward’s favorite holiday, at least it was, until her soon-to-be ex-wife turns her away from Thanksgiving dinner. After the humiliating scene outside her in-laws’ home, Jaycee doesn’t want to return to her enormous, empty house.
Single parent Piper Marsden’s plate is full, running a homeless shelter, attending college, and raising two young children. When she’s left to singlehandedly prepare the holiday meal for two hundred fifty hungry shelter patrons, her plate overflows. How is she going to pull it off?
When Jaycee stops by the shelter, she’s whisked into the kitchen. A connection develops between the women as they frantically rush to save Thanksgiving. But will they ever see each other again? And if they do, are they ready to drop their shields?
Spend the holidays with Jaycee and Piper in this heartwarming lesbian romance, where Jaycee discovers the true meaning of family in the unlikeliest of places—a homeless shelter.
Available at:
Who We Could Be by Chelsea M. Cameron
Tessa O’Connell has everything she could possibly want. She’s engaged, she has her dream job working at a bookstore, and she’s going to be the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding next month.
Montgomery “Monty” Ford has everything she could possibly want. She’s getting married in June, she worked hard to achieve her dream job as a librarian, and she’s helping her best friend plan her wedding for next year.
Unfortunately, plans go seriously awry when Monty’s fiancé ends up being a cheating loser and Tessa’s engagement falls apart. The plans they made so carefully are in complete shambles, and they’re both at a loss for how to move forward. Tessa and Monty turn to one another to try and pick up the pieces, and what starts as an attempt to use each other for dating practice turns into something they never saw coming that will change everything they know about themselves and each other. What happens when it turns out the one you really want has been standing in front of you the whole time?
Available at:
Reaping the Benefits by E. J. Noyes
Morgan Ashworth isn’t having a good day. The award for Minion of the Year is slipping out of reach, and she has to administer an afterlife package to one of her human employees. An employee she’s attracted to. An employee who’ll soon know Morgan isn’t quite what she seems.
Jane Smith was having a great day. Until her hot boss dropped a bombshell. It’s time for Jane to complete the questionnaire to decide where she’ll spend her afterlife. Oh, and her boss is immortal and also Death’s Head Minion. Yes, Death, as in the Grim Reaper.
Jane decides to bargain—if Morgan needs her to sign the afterlife document, she can use her unlimited resources to help Jane with her bucket list. Seems straightforward. Except for the matter of their mutual attraction, and the fact one of the items on Jane’s list is “Sleep with my boss.”
The more time Morgan and Jane spend together, the more they realize mutual attraction barely scratches the surface. But can Jane heal the broken heart Morgan has nursed for centuries? And will Morgan risk loving, then losing, another mortal woman when she knows it means an eternity of heartbreak?
Available at:
For Love and Liberty by Eden Hopewell
Amidst the bustling city of Philadelphia in 1804, two women from vastly different worlds find themselves drawn to each other in a love that defies societal norms. Abigail Caldwell, an heiress with a strong determination to break free from the expectations of her privileged upbringing, clashes with Sarah, a resilient mill worker fighting for justice in a world that constantly seeks to oppress her. As their forbidden love grows, it not only challenges the constraints placed upon them but also sparks a fire of change that could reshape the city and their lives forever.
For Abigail, the weight of her inheritance is both a privilege and a burden that she refuses to carry without question. While taking over her family’s textile mill, she confronts not only the mechanical gears but also the societal gears that have long confined women to narrow roles. In the midst of the clanging machinery, she seeks to carve her own path and redefine the meaning of legacy. But it is her unexpected connection with Sarah, a mill worker who has seen the likes of privileged women before, that will ignite a flame of change she never could have imagined.
Sarah, a witness to the harsh reality of exploitation in the mill, carries the burden of society’s cruelty on her shoulders. As she fights for justice to protect her family from the same fate, she is faced with the arrival of Abigail, a symbol of inherited privilege. Their collision sparks both tension and attraction, leading to a forbidden love that challenges their very notions of justice and equality.
Available at:
Lucky Number by Jo Cox
After months of illness, Abi’s desperate to get back to normal. The trouble is, normal doesn’t exist anymore—her clients have all deserted her, she’s back living with her parents, and someone’s even had the audacity to clean the football club toilets.
That’s why when The Blues’ star striker and resident business mogul offers to be her wingwoman, she tentatively agrees. Jenna is bubbly, successful, and irrepressible—exactly what Abi needs. But as the pair grow closer, will they be able to look past everything that has and could go wrong, and take a gamble on all that might go right?
Available at:
At First Glance by Melissa Tereze
Faye Holmes’s life is the polar opposite from her racy, bestselling romances. It’s quiet, routine, and, at the moment, plagued with writer’s block. If only just a little of the passion burning up the pages of her books would warm her lonely bed. But to be honest, one-night stands aren’t her thing.
When her best friend buys her a lap dance to celebrate her latest bestseller, Faye is more than shocked. She’s intrigued by the stunningly beautiful dancer whose gentle eyes seem vaguely familiar.
Talia isn’t surprised that her favorite coffee shop customer doesn’t recognise her. Few would connect Talia, mild-mannered barista, with Adria, pole dancer and star of Liverpool’s hottest new strip club. And that’s how Talia wants it. It’s safer this way.
In the glaring spotlight though, no truth can hide for long. For two women from different worlds, falling in love can be a delicious dance—and a dangerous game. Not only for their careers, but for their hearts.
Available at:
Kiss Shot by Carolyn Elizabeth
Hot-headed and soft-hearted Street Crimes Detective, Lucy “Lucky” Sorin, can’t seem to stay out of trouble. She even manages to get kicked off the task force working to bring down the Rat Lords, an outlaw motorcycle club in town.
Instead of taking a demotion she turns in her badge, grabs her stick and goes looking for a level table with fast cloth—at the Rat Lords’ clubhouse. While all eyes are on the ex-cop turned pool hustler, Lucky only has eyes for Mira Allen, the club president’s lover.
With her smooth stroke and smart mouth, it doesn’t take long for Lucky to find trouble again. Tempers soon flare and nothing is quite what it seems. Everyone has a secret someone else is willing to kill for—and Lucky is dangerously behind the eight-ball.
Available at:
Starting Over by Nance Sparks
Sam Phillips is going through the motions. She was happily married for thirty-four years when a car accident stole her wife and destroyed her perfectly planned future. Now, it’s all she can do to exist day by day. The one thing that keeps her going is her IT administration job at Walsh Software Design. All seems lost when software stability issues threaten her career, until a hotshot programmer struts into her world and makes Sam want to feel again.
Jennifer Delgado doesn’t do cold and snow, but when a fluke February wildfire in the Southwest means evacuating for the third time in two years, it’s time for a change and she accepts a contract job in Minnesota. The weather is nothing compared to the unexpected feelings she develops for Sam. Jennifer has no idea if she can mend Sam’s broken soul, but it’s never too late for starting over.
Available at:
Leave a comment
What book will you be reading for the “sapphic books without a third-act breakup” category? Are there other books that are a good fit for this category? Let us know in the comments!
The post Sapphic books without a third-act breakup (Sapphic Book Bingo #11) appeared first on Jae.
May 9, 2024
Free sapphic books (Sapphic Book Bingo #10)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo category features free sapphic books!
For this square of the bingo card, read a sapphic book that you got for free. Of course, we are talking about legally acquired books. Below, you’ll find a list of 15 free sapphic books that you can download from Amazon and other online bookstores right now. Many authors also offer free ebooks on their website (like I do here) or a free story to readers who sign up for their newsletter.
Note: A book that you borrowed from the library or that you got as an advance review copy counts as a free book, while books borrowed from KU (Kindle Unlimited) are not free since you are paying a monthly subscription fee.
Alternatively, if you can’t find a free book you think you might enjoy, you can use this square as a “free choice” square.
15 free sapphic books
Below, you’ll find a list of 15 free sapphic books that you can download as a free ebook from Amazon and other bookstores. Some of these books will only be free for a few days. Before you download the books, please double-check to make sure they are still free.
A Conflicted Woman by TB Markinson
Just when she least expects it, Lizzie’s harmonious life starts to unravel.
With the twins turning one and the start of a new semester, Lizzie should be in the mood to celebrate, but the last person she wants to see makes a sudden reappearance in her life.
To complicate matters more, Lizzie’s wife, who is usually the rock in the Petrie household, is navigating her own crisis.
While Lizzie wants to stay strong and provide the support her wife needs, there’s a reason everyone calls her clueless.
Is Lizzie strong enough to survive her own issues while also being there for her wife, or will this be Lizzie’s breaking point?
A Conflicted Woman is the smart and funny fourth installment of A Woman Lost, a series of contemporary lesbian romances. If you like fully-formed characters, complicated family dynamics, and well-crafted prose, then you’ll love T.B. Markinson’s heartwarming series.
Download the free ebook on:
A Road Through Mountains by Miranda MacLeod
When star-crossed lovers reunite, the road to happiness is anything but straight.
When Cecily Parker volunteers backstage at the Oakwood Theater, the only thing she wants is a few hours of relief from the doldrums of her upper-class suburban existence. The last thing she expects is to be reunited with the only person she ever truly loved, a woman she left behind almost twenty years ago.
Rorie Mulloy has built a career as an award-winning production designer in Hollywood, but her personal life is anything but a success. When she agrees to design the sets for a community theater production of A Streetcar Named Desire in Connecticut, she has no idea that the woman who broke her heart and ruined her for love will be assigned to her crew.
As the sparks are rekindled between them, these star-crossed lovers just might have a second chance at a life together. But only if they can overcome the ghosts of their past, and survive the evil suburban soccer moms and reality television divas determined to keep them from their happily ever after.
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A Place to Call Home by Jae
Together, Luke and Nora survived the hardships and dangers along the Oregon Trail in 1851. What started out as a marriage of convenience between a woman living as a man and a former prostitute slowly grew into love.
But now that they have arrived in Oregon City, the real adventure is just beginning. Winter is approaching, and they need to claim a piece of land and build a cabin, all while trying to establish their new roles as life partners and parents.
Will they find a place to call home and, more importantly, a way to grow as a couple?
“A Place to Call Home” is a lesbian historical romance novelette that continues Jae’s award-winning Oregon series. It picks up directly after the end of Backwards to Oregon.
Download the free ebook on:
Amazon (of if it’s not free in your country, you can get it on BookFunnel)
Dress-tease by Jae
Nothing could possibly be more erotic than watching the woman you love taking off her clothes in front of you, right? That’s what Lauren thinks, until she witnesses her girlfriend, celebrity actress Grace Durand, dressing up for a movie premiere. The reverse striptease gets Lauren’s pulse pounding and her breath catching in her throat, and she suddenly decides that they may be running late to that red carpet call…
This erotic romance short story gives us a glimpse into the lives of Grace and Lauren after the events in Damage Control.
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Venus & Aphrodite by Barbara Winkes
When Zoe inherits money from her grandmother, along with the instruction to do “something wild” with it, she takes a three-week vacation to Italy and Greece. But is that wild enough? Back home, she decides to open a restaurant to share with her community the food and wine she fell in love with.
The major wrinkle in her plan? She needs the perfect person to cook the delicious dishes she has in mind.
Chef Arianna O’Dell was a rising star in the culinary world before a public scandal put an abrupt halt to her dreams. Arianna is reluctant to resume a career in a field that has cast her out, but it’s hard to resist Zoe’s passion.
Can Zoe and Arianna overcome everything that’s holding them back, and make their shared dream a reality?
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Waiting for You by Anne Hagan
The Starlite Diner seemed like the perfect place for a blind date. Broad daylight. Good food. Great service. What could go wrong?
Marketer Kelly Dawson took herself out of the dating game after a failed engagement. She let a good friend talk her into a blind date. Some friend. Her date was late, and the time Kelly spent waiting on her was a better time than the half hour they spent together.
Alyssa Tyler is just helping out in her parents’ busy diner. An MBA candidate and future general manager of a Starlite Diner mini empire, she’s usually completely focused on operations and not on the front-end customer experience. Her focus changes when a gorgeous butch gets seated in her section for the lunch rush.
Kelly’s failed date is dispatched away quickly, but the journey to love for her and Alyssa won’t be as easy as pie.
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Double Exposure by Rien Gray
Love always shows your true face.
Jillian Rhodes lies to everyone she meets. As one of the world’s best art thieves, a life of infiltration and con artistry has left her flying solo, which is exactly the way she likes it. When Jillian is hired to steal a collection of photos belonging to the late—and deeply controversial—Russell Key from the Art Institute of Chicago, everything should be business as usual.
Except she has two problems: first, fellow master thief Sloane Caffrey also has their eye on the photos. Second, Sloane is her smoking hot ex.
Three years have passed since a messy breakup, but Jillian and Sloane have been getting vengeance on each other ever since. When the Key theft becomes their latest competition, love and loathing ride a fine, shaking line.
Trying to destroy each other should be simple. But confronting past mistakes is hard, especially when the entire job is starting to look like a setup to put Jillian and Sloane behind bars…
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Leap to Love by Johana Gavez
Leap to Love is a second chance romance short story
Sonya Vassilieva is Russia’s biggest hope of winning a gold medal at the most important competition in gymnastics. When a mistake destroys that dream, she questions everything in her life, including her relationship with fellow gymnast Arina Sokolova.
Arina wants to retire from gymnastics and start a quiet life with Sonya. She is ready to share their love with the world, or at least the people closest to them. She didn’t count on Sonya breaking her heart and much less having to spend a month together in a training camp in Mallorca, the city where their relationship started, right after their breakup.
Relive the start of their relationship and follow them as they find their way back to each other.
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In Your Hands by Johana Gavez
After being single for several years, Manuela is eager to end her dry spell. She tries her luck on a dating app where she encounters Sophia, a confident and straightforward woman. Their instant connection leads them from flirtatious messages to steamy exchanges on the app.
“In Your Hands” follows Manuela as she explores pleasure on her own and later the world of sexting, roleplaying and one-night stands that turn into more.
“In Your Hands” is a short story originally published as part of the Sapphic Sizzle anthology in 2022.
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Encore by Raven J. Spencer
Emmy Whittaker is loved by many, but after a traumatic experience she struggles to regain her purpose…
One incident changes multiple lives forever. During the tour that should have been the crowning success on the heels of another hit album, Emmy and her band are involved in a crash, caused by a man who hates the outspoken performer.
Emmy’s recovery proves to be difficult, even when Andrea is determined to love her through it. She’s not the only one who remains steadfast by Emmy’s side. Bit by bit, Emmy and her friends rebuild their lives, while Andrea gets an intriguing offer from one Carter Forbes.
A paradigm shift is in the making…
Download the free ebook on:
Poolside Love by Shannon O’Connor
The last thing single mom Nicole expected was to find love on her Hawaiian vacation. All she wanted to do was drink daiquiris, read her dirty book and relax for the first time without her son.
Enter a beach ball to the head courtesy of Bree, the college student with eyes for the single mom. After an apology leads to a heated hookup and a walk on the beach, they begin to like each other. But will their vacation fling turn into something real or will it be a Hawaiian romance they leave behind?
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January Embers by Hildred Billings
Welcome to Paradise Valley, where the locals thrive on the rural landscape, the quirky Oregonian living, and the history of the lesbian commune that founded it.
Mixing small town attitudes with lesbian dating? Sounds like another day in Paradise.
City girl Mikaiya “Mik” Marcott returns to her hometown to help her ailing grandmother. But who does she see first when she’s barely reached the city limits?
Ariana Mura, the girl whose heart she broke ten years ago. Only Ari isn’t a “girl” anymore. She’s a grown woman who doesn’t take crud from anyone. The lanky Ariana with a flower crown in her long hair is now the big and tough Ari, Paradise Valley’s strongest EMT and all-around “native gal” the other townsfolk are prepared to defend.
Locking eyes with her serves a grim reminder to Mik that coming home isn’t always a small-town parade. It reminds them both of the worst night of their lives.
In a small town like Paradise Valley, these two former lovebirds will never avoid one another. Do they make peace with their tumultuous past? Or do they acknowledge the embers of love that still simmer in their heartbroken shells?
Who will stoke the fires first?
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First Rule of the Cutthroat Vampire Collective by J.J. Arias
Assassin-for-hire Alethia is a vampire with a new job. This time, someone is paying big bucks to take out a very powerful target.
What will happen when she has to contend with a gorgeous Amazon who is older and more powerful than her? And worse, what if someone else tries to get to her first?
Embark on this steamy paranormal romance thrill ride and find out what happens when a vampire meets her match.
First Rule of the Cutthroat Vampire Collective: Don’t Fall For The Target is a novelette in the Dusk Queen Series.
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The Heart Doesn’t Lie by Aunt Georgia Lee
One day a tall, caramel cutie walks into a New York City bar and has a chance encounter with a sexy curvy, brown-skinned lawyer who is destined to be her wife.
Now, ten years later, with three adopted kids and two fur babies, Aubrey and Nicolette Casper are trying to make it last forever.
But when a suspicious spouse who’s had too many previous rounds of infidelity believes her loving wife to be the next unfaithful female caught in the act on an episode of Cheaters, the battle to reclaim Nicolette’s heart will be a long and hard fight for Aubrey. But Aubrey’s home is where her heart is, and there’s no place like home than with Nicolette and their chosen family.
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Hot for the Royal CEO’s Bodyguard: A Sapphic Satire by Hazel Emilie
Meet Emily: fashion intern, hornbag and aspiring writer.
So there’s dull, and then there’s my life – that is, until the day before I stumble tits-first into an internship at Hayes Couture International, where everyone’s as sharp as a Louboutin heel and twice as deadly. Oh, and my boss? None other than Vanessa Hayes herself, frostier than a penguin’s arse and gorgeous enough to make even a straight girl’s knees wobble. One other thing? She’s as kinky as a cheap garden hose.
Yeah, I’ve pretty much hit jackpot. Melting ice queens is practically my superpower. But things get a touch complicated when I run into an old friend the night before my first day on the job.
Enter Captain Fox: ex-army, abs you could grate cheese on, swoonworthy biceps, and come-to-bed eyes. She also happens to be in charge of guarding Princess Margaux – who, in a twist of fate that would make even a sapphic romance writer blush, just happens to be my doppelganger.
Of course, it goes without saying that she’s hot as hell too.
Buckle up, babes, because we’re about to dive headfirst into a whirlwind of steamed-up office windows, lace-and-leather soirees, and Paris Fashion Week’s glitzy catwalks. And my sex life as I attempt to find happiness – or at least a damn good shag – with a royal, a CEO and a bodyguard.
A satirical celebration of the Indie Sapphic Fiction community, this bonkers and bonk-filled little book is written with its tongue firmly in its cheek* and is best read the same way. It is ridiculous, hilarious and jam-packed with all your favourite tropes – AND some of the biggest names in sapphic fiction – all tied up in a farce of fabulous proportions.
As Emily says, you couldn’t make this shit up. Trust me, she’s tried.
*OMG! Not that cheek! You guys…
Download the free ebook on:
Sweet is Her Heart by Isabella Eden
An old house nurtures new beginnings.
Lydia Hart heads an extremely successful London architectural firm and her designs, as whimsical and beautiful as the woman herself, win awards around the world. She only wishes she found matters of the heart as easy.
When Elise Meriweather, an ambitious architecture student, wins an internship in Lydia’s firm, the two find themselves drawn to each other. Their creative minds spark together. Elise discovers she’s the perfect foil to Lydia’s chaotic designs, and Lydia inspires Elise to truly reach for her full potential.
Their worlds just begin to run parallel when fate suddenly pulls them in different directions. Life, career, distance and illness show them that love isn’t just about finding someone – it’s also about making choices.
From the bustle of London to the rustic elegance of the French countryside, Lydia and Elise learn that love isn’t always about grand gestures but the unspoken moments in between.
Download the free ebook on:
Leave a comment
What book will you be reading for the “free sapphic books” category? Let us know in the comments!
The post Free sapphic books (Sapphic Book Bingo #10) appeared first on Jae.
April 18, 2024
Sapphic book with a trans or nonbinary character (Hidden Gems #4)
For this week’s Sapphic Book Bingo square, read a sapphic book that features a trans or nonbinary character. I would love it if we could support trans and nonbinary authors by reading books written by a writer who is trans or nonbinary. Of course, it’s not safe for everyone to be out, and some authors prefer to keep their identity private, so this isn’t a requirement for this category.
The book needs to feature a main character who is trans or nonbinary, though, not just a supporting character.
15 recommended sapphic books with trans or nonbinary character
Below, you’ll find a list of 15 sapphic books featuring a trans or nonbinary character:
Not Like Before by Lily Seabrooke and Jacqueline Ramsden
Lola never wanted to be on camera alongside an A-list star—but maybe Mackenzie is everything she needs.
History professor Lola Barnes never cared about celebrities, and filming alongside superstar actress Mackenzie Vale isn’t exactly on her bucket list. But there aren’t a lot of experts on Mackenzie’s hometown on the remote Celadon Isles, so when the studio filming a deep dive of Mackenzie’s backstory comes knocking, no isn’t really an option.
This exposé is the last thing Mackenzie wants to do. She’s had a good run as an actress without the ravenous press finding out she’s trans, but keeping it that way when the media is digging around in her childhood and with her gossipy family isn’t going to be easy. But it might be her last shot at her dream casting—and her agent doesn’t take no for an answer, anyway.
And it isn’t any easier when Mackenzie is immediately head-over-heels for the gorgeous professor they tapped to film with her. And it isn’t any easier when going back to the isles means confronting all the things Lola ran away from there over twenty years ago—and that the only thing comforting her is a bond with the last person she’d ever expect to fall for.
As a tight filming schedule, a nosy agent and a relentless director force Lola and Mackenzie to face the ghosts of their pasts, will they crumble in the face of everything they ran from once? Or can they find strength in one another and be more than they were before?
Available at:
Lessons in Lesbianism by Fern V. Bedek
When an all female theatre academy opens up to trans women for the first time, Olivia Bishop is happy to apply. Having grown up in a family that breathed theatre, and having transitioned in high school, she feels well prepared to get top marks. There’s a lesson of womanhood she has not learned yet, however. One that the tall and handsome Eliza Haliwell is proving more than happy to teach her.
That lesson being that trans girls can be lesbians too.
Available at:
Pack of Her Own by Elena Abbott
Natalie Donovan jumps at a friend’s offer to stay in the family cabin for a month—she desperately needs the chance to get away from, and get over, her messy breakup. She doesn’t count on the owner of the local diner making her heart pound and her body desperate to be touched.
Wren Carne is a lone wolf. As an Alpha shifter, she has no pack and maintains her territory without causing drama, just the way she likes it. When she checks on the girl staying in a local cabin, she’s not expecting her wolf to identify the human as her One True Mate.
As fallout from their pasts encroaches upon the sleepy town of Terabend, Wren must decide if she wants a pack of her own, while Natalie worries that her secret—she’s transgender—might be too much for Wren.
Available at:
Best Friends’ Promise by Issy Waldrom & Mackenzie Sutton
“What are best friends for, after all?”
“Getting us turned into vampires.”
Best Friends are forever, are they not? Time spent together, bonds formed, promises made. No matter how fantastical they might seem, how far-fetched. But friendships can change as time takes its toll, and people change.
Miyako might be a bit lost in life. She’s come out as trans, is studying in the hopes of doing something with her life, and perhaps wishing that things could be different. But Luna is still her best friend, and when she gets invited to go to a concert with her, to see Luna’s favourite band and crush, what she doesn’t expect is the offer to be turned into a vampire alongside Luna, because she wants her there with her. Of course, there is no way that she was ever going to refuse.
Decisions, made on impulse or not, have their consequences. Especially when it means that she’s thrown herself into a hidden aspect of society. Sure, she might have the body she’d only been able to dream about, but now she’s involved with a wider group of people, has to prove herself to her family, and there is darkness at the edges. And why does she have to have feelings for that one hot vampire who was an absolute bitch to her. Even if she is exactly her type, and perhaps there might be more to it all.
Available at:
Plain English by Rachel Spangler
When Claire Bailey left London to open her own art gallery in the tiny village of Amberwick, she’d hoped the slower pace and lower cost of living might allow her to focus on her own painting, away from all the drama and distractions that had plagued her in the city. She fully intended to make an honest go at simple living right up until the moment a shockingly attractive aristocrat rocketed off the road and knocked her world off its axis.
Pip has learned to play the part of a ne’er-do-well upper elite: charismatic, enigmatic, and a little bit erratic. Luckily, women tend to like those characteristics. After leading such a charmed existence, where even motorcycles wrecks come with the added bonus of meeting beautiful women, Pip finds that Claire’s complete lack of interest in money or status sparks both curiosity and attraction.
Surrendering to both boredom and sheer chemistry, the two agree to an unconventional, no-strings, romantic adventure designed to provide them both a bit of freedom and entertainment. However, once released from the pressure to project perfect images of themselves, the walls they depended on for protection begin to crumble. Worlds blend and identities blur as their whirlwind romance quickly becomes more than they bargained for. Will their almost elemental attraction be enough to overcome the complexities rushing in from all sides? Or will the pressures they’ve both sought to escape force them to forge a new path neither of them had dared to dream of?
Available at:
Double Exposure by Rien Gray
Love always shows your true face.
Jillian Rhodes lies to everyone she meets. As one of the world’s best art thieves, a life of infiltration and con artistry has left her flying solo, which is exactly the way she likes it. When Jillian is hired to steal a collection of photos belonging to the late—and deeply controversial—Russell Key from the Art Institute of Chicago, everything should be business as usual.
Except she has two problems: first, fellow master thief Sloane Caffrey also has their eye on the photos. Second, Sloane is her smoking hot ex.
Three years have passed since a messy breakup, but Jillian and Sloane have been getting vengeance on each other ever since. When the Key theft becomes their latest competition, love and loathing ride a fine, shaking line.
Trying to destroy each other should be simple. But confronting past mistakes is hard, especially when the entire job is starting to look like a setup to put Jillian and Sloane behind bars…
Available at:
The Last Girl Scout by Natalie Ironside
The past lies like a nightmare over the world.
Two hundred years after the War when atomic fire rained from the skies and burned the world to cinders, human civilization has had time to rebuild within the burned-out husk of Old America. But the old terrors of the past still persist, and while some work to build a better world, others still dream of reclaiming the glory of the Old World.
In southern Appalachia, political commissar Magnolia Blackadder is sent on a mission into the irradiated Exclusion Zone of Old DC, where an evil that humanity thought it had vanquished centuries ago is waking up and rebuilding its strength. Along the way, she meets a strange woman with terrible secrets and an unspeakable past, and as they forge a bond and brave the terrors of the wasteland together, she learns that some demons are not so easily exorcised, and that some stones are better left unturned.
Available at:
The Ex Emergency by J. R. Hart
Taylor just wanted to spend a Valentine’s Day alone.
Last year, Taylor spent Valentine’s Day with her ex, and that ended… explosively, to say the least. This year, she has everything planned out: wine, chocolate, and a good movie on TV.
There’s only one issue.
When Beck lands in the emergency room after a skateboarding mishap, they’re expecting to take it easy for the evening, but a concussion leaves them unable to drive and in need of an emergency caregiver. The hospital resorts to their emergency contact—their ex, Taylor, who they forgot to remove from their medical records.
Stuck taking care of Beck for the night, Taylor has to see if she’s ready to reconnect, or if they’re both destined for a repeat of the disastrous date from the year before.
Available at:
Quill & Still by Aaron Sofaer
Sophie Nadash once yearned to understand life and chemistry. Now a disillusioned scientist approaching middle age, she yearns to set aside pipettes and polymerase forever.
A chance encounter with the Goddess Artemis sets her on the path to becoming the Alchemist for the rural Shemmai village of Kibosh, where the rat race gives way to peace and the quiet life. Freed from the hustle of Earth, she can relax, make friends, and rediscover her love for chemistry through its mystical precursor… and come to grips with the Jewish faith she left behind as a child.
Available at:
Puppy Love by Alex Silver
Impulse control is not my darling puppy’s strong suit. Most of the time, I find that endearing. It certainly helps us find willing partners to join us for a scene or two. As long as it doesn’t put Quent in a position to get hurt, I’m on board. But when their spontaneity combined with their huge heart results in them offering to be their brother’s surrogate, let’s just say, I have my doubts.
Quent refuses to be deterred from their path despite the risks. As their mommy, my number one job is to take care of them, no matter my misgivings. That includes arranging the details and supporting them through the pregnancy and beyond. If we’re both lucky, I might just get to give them every kinky desire of their heart along the way.
Quent and I have learned over the years that we can resolve most of our problems with clear communication. I just hope that includes the bumps along the way to helping my brothers-in-law grow their family.
Available at:
Once Bitten by C H Clepitt
Sink your teeth into a book with bite!
Having survived a series of terrifying attacks with the help of the beautiful and mysterious Morgan, Meg resolves to fight back. With the help of a small group of vampires and humans they endeavour to stand up and take back control!
Follow a journey of self discovery across centuries, as Meg, Morgan, Nadia and Zoe reclaim the narrative in their stories, and call time’s up on Wentworth and his bloody reign of terror!
Available at:
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw
In space, everything hungers.
Maya has died and been resurrected into countless cyborg bodies during her dangerous career with the Dirty Dozen, the most storied crew of criminals in the galaxy before their untimely and gruesome demise. Decades later, she and her team of broken, diminished outlaws must get back together to solve the mystery of their last, disastrous mission and to rescue a missing and much-changed comrade . . . but they’re not the only ones in pursuit of the secret at the heart of the planet Dimmuborgir.
The highly evolved AI of the galaxy will do whatever it takes to keep humanity from regaining control. As Maya and her comrades spiral closer to uncovering the AIs’ vast conspiracy, this band of violent women—half-clone and half-machine—must battle both sapient ageships and their own traumas, in order to settle their affairs once and for all.
Available at:
Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey
Sugar, ice, and bumps in the night…
After a thrilling year of ghost-whispering, monster-chasing, and blogging for the Echo, Mave Kitten is keen to abandon her witchy hat for a well-earned break. Snowflakes are drifting in; the office is stuffed with fruit cake. How to win the pub karaoke without cheating (too much) is all that’s left to worry about.
Aside from fiddling the office’s debts and choosing a suitable karaoke costume, Lisa Blonde is also ready for the party season, not forgetting a crate of beer. As long as Mave’s happy, Lisa’s happy.
But best-laid plans can come unstuck for witches and their leather-clad familiars. The ghost of Jacky Frost blows in with the snow, demanding a playmate. How can Mave and Lisa say no to the dancing queen of ice? Even ghosts deserve a Christmas.
The playful ice queen goes viral, and the Echo unexpectedly gains hundreds of readers. Only a few gremlins remain: What of the Echo’s overdraft? Who’ll win the karaoke? Where’s Lisa’s motorcycle?
Kitten and Blonde: Holiday Baking Hijinks Mostly Paranormal. Sometimes alien. Always gentle.
Available at:
Blackpoint by Kate Hershberger
Joseph McNiff has lived a life unlike any other.
Being half Irish and half Blackfoot is not easy for a young man in the old west. He has a place in both the white man’s world and the native tribe, but he’s never really fit into either. It’s even more complicated as he is really a woman and trying to keep the town safe as it’s sheriff. The last thing Joe needs is to make his life any harder than it already is.
When a beautiful woman with a mysterious past comes into his life, Joe finds himself opening his home and quite possibly his heart to the newcomer. But he also has to tread carefully, making sure that he doesn’t reveal too much and risk putting himself in danger.
Cassandra Gibson has lived a very sheltered life.
Growing up with her abusive father, she was sure the only way she would ever get out of his house would be if she married or when he died. After a really bad morning, Cassie finds herself running away from the only life she’s ever known hoping to find a town where she can start fresh. She remembers a town her father once spoke about, to the north. A town with no church and no sense, according to him.
It sounds perfect.
Blackpoint is a town full of people just trying to live their lives in the best way possible. Many people have settled there and succeeded in finding peace. Hopefully, Joe and Cassie will be able to as well.
Available at:
The Rebel Foxes by Noah Hawthorne
Welcome to the Dome, a special kind of hell where flora and fauna are legends brought to life by shifters, a mutant race that the malevolent and overtly wealthy Citadel hunts down endlessly in fear of what they what do if given a foothold in society.
The Rebel Foxes are a powerful gang led by Rajni, a fox shifter hellbent on bringing down the oppressive system impoverishing and endangering humans and shifters alike. They take in those who need shelter, and give away their wealth to the poor. Her pack is thriving and for the first time in years, they have a counter attack planned for The Hunt, a night of crime sanctioned by the Citadel. A night dedicated to flushing shifters out so anyone can murder them without the worry of standard daily limits and hunting tags.
But, all good things must come to an end, and Rajni’s past catches up with her on the night of the Hunt. The human with amber eyes that once saved her life demands her help. Or else.
Fight with Rajni and her foxes.
Drystan, the peaceful panther and nanny.
Jaromir, the wise polar bear who loves to bake.
Balderik, the golden canine with healing hands.
Hotaru, the black fox who likes chemistry too much.
Xylia and Takara, the foxes who share Rajni’s bed, and her dreams.
Available at:
Hummingbird by T C Parker
There’s a storm brewing in Gallow: angry parents, protests at the school, a new priest up at the church with some very clear ideas on sin… and an unfamiliar face in the cottage on the edges of the village, carving sculptures out of skin and bone.
It’s a powder keg. Even before the protestors start disappearing…
Jodie doesn’t want trouble – just to be left alone to raise her son in peace.
Tanya wants more God and less wickedness in her own son’s studies.
Tara wants to leave her complicated past behind her, if only it would let her go.
And all Jonas wants is to get some work done – and if he can make peace with his father while he’s at it, then so much the better.
But the woman in the cottage and the priest up at the church – they have very different goals in mind. And Jodie and Tanya, Tara and Jonas… they’re about to get caught in the crossfire.
Available at:
Leave a comment
What book will you be reading for the sapphic books with a trans or nonbinary character category? Let us know in the comments!
The post Sapphic book with a trans or nonbinary character (Hidden Gems #4) appeared first on Jae.
April 11, 2024
Sapphic hurt/comfort books (Sapphic Book Bingo #9)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo features sapphic books with a hurt/comfort theme.
One main character is hurt in some way–either physically or emotionally, and the other main character takes care of them and provides comfort. The hurt could be caused by an injury, an illness, or psychological trauma.
15 sapphic hurt/comfort books
Below, you’ll find 15 recommended sapphic books with a hurt/comfort theme:
The Roommate Arrangement by Jae
Comedian Stephanie Renshaw hopes to finally get her big break in LA. A chance encounter lands her the perfect apartment close to the comedy clubs, but it comes with a catch: she needs a roommate to afford the rent.
Enter Rae Coleman, a former police officer working the door at one of the top comedy clubs. After getting injured in the line of duty and losing her job with the LAPD, Rae guards her wounded soul behind a tough exterior.
At first, the two clash horribly before a tentative friendship develops. Bit by bit, Steph manages to break through the walls Rae has built around her.
But Steph has never been in a relationship, preferring casual flings, and Rae isn’t sure she’s ready to be happy again. Will they find the courage to open themselves up to love?
Available at:
Whispering Oaks by Stephanie Shea
Nothing ever happens in Whispering Oaks.
The air is clean; uncorrupted by a tawdry downtown. Birds twitter. Crime is nigh non-existent. It’s the picture-perfect suburb with all the effects of classy restaurants and diverse nightlife. Not to mention block parties marked by face-forward flattery and back-biting.
Cassidy Linden hates it. Rather, the false mystique of it all disturbs her.
Nothing ever happens in Whispering Oaks.
So, when Cassidy’s younger sister vanishes one night, it’s not just surprising, it’s unfathomable—the only trace of her disappearance a trail of red petals and her cell phone left in the grass of her backyard.
No witnesses.
No suspects.
A police department who claim to be doing everything they can, and the poorly-timed return of a family friend.
When a one-night stand with the charming, enigmatic Ashlyn Castille reveals an unforeseen connection, Ashlyn and Cassidy realize they have more in common than either expected.
But one thing is certain, seventeen-year-old girls don’t just disappear. Someone must have taken her. Can Cassidy prove it in time to bring her little sister home? Or is she a fated anomaly?
The perfect mystery for a perfect suburbia.
Available at:
The Place I Call Home by Hartley Blaze
Darcy Kenton has been in love with her best friend for as long as she can remember. The only problem is it seems Caitlyn doesn’t love her back. Caitlyn Swailes has harboured conflicted emotions for her best friend for a long time and now Darcy’s coming home after years of being away. Will Caitlyn be brave enough to finally be honest with herself and those in her life? Can they overcome old hurts that drove them apart in the first place?
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Every Path Leads To You by Hayden Quinn
The last thing Rae thinks she will find during her retirement is her long-lost love, yet that’s exactly who shows up while she looks for a hobby to fill her time.
Olivia already has enough on her mind working through the trauma of her previous relationship, she has no intention of jumping into another one, even with the woman she has pined after for years.
In spite of how determined they are to avoid each other, and the demons of their past, the fates won’t stop throwing the two women together.
Will they move on from each other once and for all, or will they let go of the past and spend the rest of their lives together?
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Cicatrice: New Eyes and Brave by Jo Boyle
Jamie Stevens and Mel Lal were best friends at Melbourne’s Parkville University. More than that, they were family. But in October of 2008, something changed. Mel became anxious, secretive and distant. And then Jamie’s life was turned upside down when Mel disappeared.
Five years later, Mel resurfaces. She’s been subjected to a nightmare that Jamie could not imagine, and Mel’s only wish upon stumbling into Jamie again, is to protect the gentle writer from the hell that is Mel’s existence: a relentless pursuit by a vindictive and sadistic arms dealer, hell bent on holding Mel accountable for a debt she can never repay.
Mel’s feelings for Jamie have not faded with time, but Mel cannot reveal the truth of them. To do so would put a target on the woman’s back. The chance reunion, however, sets in motion a series of events that spiral out of Mel’s control, and it seems that after five years of running, the nightmare is only just beginning. If Mel can’t stop Amir Hashim, all of her sacrifice to keep Jamie from a vicious, twisted madman… will have been for naught.
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Here You Are by Jo Fletcher
Would-be artist and romantic Elda Brown is shaken to the core when an encounter with hot-shot barrister Charlotte Mason disrupts the monotony of her daily grind.
Career-minded fixer Charlie Mason has forged a solid reputation inside the courtroom and between the sheets. She’s accustomed to inviting people into her bed rather than her head, but meeting Elda challenges her outlook.
As Elda and Charlie navigate their newfound connection, an unexpected friendship blossoms that gives them a renewed sense of purpose to confront the scars of their past.
Will Elda and Charlie, flawed and haunted by their own histories, dare to seize the opportunity for romance? Can they gather the courage to unlock their hearts and find the happiness they truly deserve?
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In Bloom by Kat Jackson
Nicole Callahan is certain she has endured the worst heartbreak possible, and she’s in no hurry to dive back into the tumultuous waters of love. She insists that she’s absolutely fine being alone, but a part of her still wonders…
To Avery Pullman, owner of a flower shop filled with thorns less prickly than her exes, the idea of love is just a disaster waiting to happen. She sees no reason to invite pain in, especially when she’s still tending to fresh wounds on her heart.
Neither expects—nor wants—the tiny spark that ignites the moment their eyes lock. If they get too close to it, they might each have to face an uncomfortable truth—that they’ve never really known true love before. And that might be more terrifying than any heartbreak.
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Passing Through by Katia Rose
Nestled in a towering fir forest on British Columbia’s famous Vancouver Island, Three Rivers Campground is calling you to come relax, explore, and maybe even fall in love…
Emily Rivers does not have time for love.
Or dating.
Or even a one night stand.
As the eldest of the Rivers sisters, she’s too focused on keeping her family’s campground running in the wake of a devastating tragedy to even think about romance.
When Kim Jefferies shows up at the local small town bar looking like a lesbian snack on a stick, Emily writes her off as yet another tourist just passing through—no matter how much the butterflies in her stomach try to tell her otherwise.
Only Kim’s plans of ‘passing through’ fade the second she sees Emily Rivers, despite the fact that the whole point of her soul-searching journey was to stop falling for random women in bars who only lead her to heartbreak.
The last thing they’re looking for is a love story, but with the help of some conniving sisters, an interfering bartender, and the magic of the great outdoors, that might be exactly what Kim and Emily are going to get.
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Call of Love by Lee Haven
Separated by fear. Reunited by fate. Will they get a second chance at life and love?
Parker Snow left home at nineteen after being abandoned by her family for loving her foster sister, Kate Cain. She joined the Marine Corps and has had little contact with her parents since. But when she’s transferred back to Washington D.C. and informed that Kate is dying, Parker returns home, filled with anger and fear.
As she struggles to reconnect with her family and adjust to a place that no longer feels like home, Parker has the chance to rekindle her relationship with Kate, the woman she never stopped loving. However, their reunion may be brief and bittersweet. With time running out to find a liver donor, Parker and Kate must navigate their way through their complicated past and uncertain future. Will they be able to find the love and happiness they deserve, or will fate intervene once again?
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Releve by Max Ellendale
Undercover assignments rarely have positive outcomes for anyone involved. For Maya, her successful mission might have brought her closer to her ultimate goal, but the price she paid left her with deep emotional wounds. On her first night back home after three months living the life of someone else, she finds herself alone and homeless in the streets of Seattle. When a compassionate stranger offers her refuge, Maya’s affection toward the kind dancer becomes the only light she can see. As Vivian attempts to help Maya lift herself up from a life of frequent falls, the two begin to explore their deep connection to each other. With the support of her doting cousin, Nora, and her chosen family, Maya slowly begins to lower the tightly packed walls around her heart.
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A Perfect Place to Cry by S-Jay Hart
Rowan isn’t sure she believes in love. Not the romantic type, anyway. She’s been hiding from the prospect of it for years now, an easy thing to do when you live in the middle of an eighty acre campground. She likes her quiet existence, greeting campers, pitching tents, and kayaking on the little river that leads to Lover’s Lake. Besides, her best friend Amber fills her life with enough love related dama for the two of them.
Indie knows a thing or two about secrets. She’s good at keeping them and exceptional at being one. When her three year love affair comes to an abrupt end, heartbroken, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about life and love. But it’s not as easy as simply moving on. Not when her ex can’t seem to let her go. When an accidental invite forces her into close proximity with her secret lover, Indie decides to accept.
Will she be able to get through this and find the closure she’s looking for? Sometimes the answers we seek aren’t as important as the answers we find.
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Truly Wanted by J.J. Hale
After a chaotic childhood in a long line of foster homes, Sam McKenna found her version of serenity in her friendship with Brooke Fields. When tragedy forces Brooke to become a single mother, Sam is there for her. Sam ignores the crush she’s had on Brooke since college. Their relationship is too precious to risk.
After the loss of her husband, Brooke finally dips her toes back into the dating world only to have each encounter end in disaster. If it wasn’t for Sam by her side picking her back up, she might give up on ever finding love again.
After a night of unexpected passion when Brooke and Sam cross the line of friendship, Brooke can’t help but yearn for more with Sam. A chance encounter leads Brooke and Sam on a journey to Sam’s birth family, uncovering the ghosts of Sam’s past and revealing wounds that threaten the friendship both once believed to be indestructible, and any chance for something more.
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The Hideout by Melissa Tereze
Juliet Saunders quit her soul-killing law career while she still had her sanity, but she’s not sure yet if buying a private bar qualifies as sane. Determined to make it work, she decides to shake things up with a new menu of signature cocktails.
Juliet never mixes emotions with business or pleasure, but there’s an irresistible spark with her new mixologist, a stunning, flirty blonde who ignites Juliet’s body in a way she hasn’t felt in years.
Paige Harrison Googled her new boss pre-interview, but nothing prepared her for Juliet’s sultry looks and slow, sensual smile. Maybe, after hopscotching through a succession of short-term bar jobs, she’s found a safe place—because in a members-only bar like The Hideout, her past isn’t likely to follow her through the door.
But in the glow of a surprising new relationship, it’s too easy to forget that safety can be an illusion…and the past is never more than a step or two behind.
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Thunder by Barbara Winkes
She wants her, but she has a job to do.
Get it done, and get out of town. Kelli Jameson is tasked with finding a missing teen accused of a crime he’s never been held accountable for. Neither the town’s authorities nor the residents are forthcoming with information.
She finds a reluctant ally in teacher Merin Burke, but Merin has secrets of her own. Attraction flares between them, but giving in to it would come at a cost.
Will they make it through the storm that’s about to break lose?
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You Matter by Jazzy Mitchell
Chrissy Kramer became pregnant during her senior year of high school and was abandoned by her parents, her boyfriend, and her friends. She became a loner, working hard to provide for her son. It was her and him against the world. She eventually earns a paralegal degree and works for a powerful female attorney, Reggie Esposito, a senior law partner at a leading Boston law firm.
Chrissy’s smitten from the beginning, but she refuses to jeopardize her job by acting on her feelings. When a disgruntled former client attempts to kill Reggie after she loses his lawsuit, Chrissy prevents him from shooting Reggie, but she’s hurt in the process. While Chrissy and her son, Ben, stay in Reggie’s home to recuperate, Chrissy’s connection with Reggie deepens, and they embark on a romantic relationship.
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Leave a comment
What book will you be reading for the “sapphic hurt/comfort book” category? Are there other books that are a good fit for this category? Let us know in the comments!
The post Sapphic hurt/comfort books (Sapphic Book Bingo #9) appeared first on Jae.
April 4, 2024
New or new-to-you sapphic authors (Sapphic Book Bingo #8)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo post is another special one. It features a list of sapphic authors who are either new authors or might be new to you.
For the purpose of the Sapphic Book Bingo, “new author” means any author who has published no more than two full-length novels (not counting shorter works such as short stories and novellas).
Below, you’ll find a list of 120 new sapphic authors, plus 220 authors who aren’t recommended as often, so they might be new to you.
120 new sapphic authors
The following authors are considered “new sapphic authors” since they have currently published 1-2 novels:
Aaron Sofaer, author of Quill & Still Adriana Sargent, author of Through the Embers AJ Mason, author of The Helion Band Alicia Gael, author of Murder in Castaway Island Alison Grey, author of Contract for Love & Hot Line Amber Perez, author of Shay’s Gamble & Lexi’s Cup of Tea Amy Marsden, author of We’re All Monsters Here Ana K. Wrenn, author of Strange Attractors Angela Graves, author of Atlantis Dying Angela Greenman, author of The Child Riddler Anna Woiwood, author of A Tiger in Suburbia Anne E. Terpstra, author of Beyond Any Experience Anne-Marie Pellow, author of The Dreamcatcher Tattoo & Under the Spotlight Arzu Gokyolcu, author of Angel Diarys1/Babylonian Spell A.T. Geiger, author of The Caretaker of Secrets Fate Audrey Beth Stein, author of Becoming Emily Novak Audrey Wilson, author of Only Human Avery Brooks, author of Other Girls Bailey Bridgewater, author of Come Find Me in the Midnight Sun Barbara Lynn Murphy, author of Two Lives, One Heart & When It’s True C. Jean Downer, author of Lies Are Forever Carina Lupo, author of True North Carrie Byrd, author of Loser of the Year (out in August 2024)Charlotte Suttee, author of Weather and Beasts and Growing ThingsChelsey Lynford, author of Crossing Bridges Chris Zett, author of Heart Failure & Irregular Heartbeat Cinnamon Blossom, author of Hex/Art: Shadowbonds and Strawberries (out later in 2024)Claire Forsythe, author of We Met in a Bar & Business of the Heart Corrie Mackay, author of The Lay of You D. A. Hartman, author of Round Trip Diane Billas, author of Does Love Always Win? Eden Hopewell, author of For Love and Liberty & Haven’s End Elizabeth Luly, author of Not Just Gal Pals & Novel Problems (out in May 2024)Emi Sasagawa, author of Atomweight Emily Noon, author of Aurora’s Angel Emily Waters, author of Two Is A Pattern & Honey in the Marrow Emily Wright, author of Tamara King & A Holly Jolly Christmas Emma Brand, author of Dial One For Revenge Emma Rossi, author of One Last Summer Erin Kaste, author of I Know About You Frankie Fyre, author of A Flight to Love & A Honeymoon Mix-Up Gail Marlene Schwartz, author of Falling Through the Night Georgina Kiersten, author of Fall Into You Gwen Tolios, author of Returning to You Gwenhyver, author of Jasyn and the Astronauts: Under The Ice Skies & Jasyn and the Astronauts – Book 2 – The Sea of Stars Haley Donnell, author of Only A Bridesmaid Hartley Blaze, author of The Place I Call Home & Surviving Christmas with the Family Hayley Price, author of The Vermilion Ribbon Isa G.C., author of May I? (out in June 2024)J. A. Vodvarka, author of Unworthy J.J. Hale, author of Truly Wanted & Truly Enough Jacqueline Fein-Zachary, author of Harvest Dreams Jay Wright Tompkins, author of Voyager J.C. Rycroft, author of The Blood-Born Dragon & The Timeless Legion Jenna Jarvis, author of Digging for Heaven Jennifer Giacalone, author of Art of the Chase Jessamyn Violet, author of Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar Jo Boyle, author of Cicatrice: New Eyes and Brave Jo Fletcher, author of Here You Are Jo Hemmingwood, author of Broken Fences Judy Sapphire, author of Radiant Kate Hennessy, author of Watch Over Me Kate Rounds, author of Catboat Road Katherine Blakeman, author of The Summer We’ve Had Katherine Rupley, author of Calculated Risk & Antarctica Kathy Anderson, author of The New Town Librarian Kellan McKnight, author of A Perfect Fit & Don’t Circle Or Kelly and Tana Fireside, author of Vintage and Vogue Kit Meredith, author of An Independent Woman Kris Purdy, author of Paradise Pending L A Wright, author of Changing Gears Laura May, author of The One Woman Lee Haven, author of Call of Love Lillian Barry, author of The Santa Pageant Liv Little, author of Rosewater Liz Rain, author of Perks of Office & Onside Play Lori G. Matthews, author of #CassiNova and I Dare You to Love Me Lydia Stryk, author of The Teachers’ Room Lynn Oliver Hudson, author of Kringle Falls Macon Leigh, author of The Flight Risk Margot Douaihy, author of Scorched Grace Mel E. Lemon, author of Violet Moon Merlina Garance, author of The Flourishing Mickey Brent, author of Underwater Vibes & Broad Awakening Mickey Eliason, author of The Butch in the Wedding Boutique Minita Sanghvi, author of Happy Endings M.J. Milne, author of Secrets of the Italian Villa Morgan Rogers, author of Honey Girl Nancy Beverly, author of Shelby’s Vacation Naomi Rivers, author of THIS: A Simple, Complex Love Story Ness Brown, author of The Scourge Between Stars Nicole Gustafson, author of Training Horses and Hearts Nicole Hidalgo, author of This Is How Immortals Die Nicole Maser, author of Losing Sam Olivia Janae, author of The Loudest Silence and Colstead and Andie Patricia Lucia, author of Perilous and Beautiful Rebecca K. Jones, author of Steadying the Ark & Stemming the Tide Rhiannon Grant, author of Between Boat & Shore & Carving a New Shape Rosalie Rayburn, author of The Power of Rain Rose Sutherland, author of A Sweet Sting Of Salt Ruby Landers, author of Falls From Grace & Two Tickets S-Jay Hart, author of A Perfect Place to Cry & Oh My Stars S.A. Mossman, author of The Tree of Life Sara Scott, author of The Touch of Her Voice and The Sound of Her Smile Sheila Jenné, author of Black Sails to Sunward Shireen Magedin, author of Lifelines & Heartlines Siobhan Muir, author of Broken Chains & In Plain Sight Spencer Greene, author of Stolen Kiss Suzanne Lenoir, author of A Talent Within & A Talent Ignited Taleen Voskuni, author of Lavash at First Sight Tamara Jerée, author of The Fall That Saved Us Terri Cutshall, author of Fall Into Me & Breakthrough Thea Belmont, author of Principle Decisions Titania Tempest, author of Paper Daffodils: A Dawn & Rosie Adventure Tracie Hollis, author of Unusual Minds Valerie Kapp, author of For a Lifetime Verónica Gutiérrez, author of As You Look Virginia Black, author of No Shelter But The Stars & Consecrated Ground Zaayin Salaam MD, author of With Love, From Planet B220 sapphic authors who might be new to you
I asked the 5,000+ readers in my Facebook group for a list of underappreciated sapphic authors who deserve to get more attention. Here’s the list of authors they came up with. Chances are, there are at least a few on the list that you haven’t heard of.
Abigail TaylorAdiba JaigirdarAddison M. ConleyAdrienne TooleyAJ QuinnAlex WashoeAlex WestmoreAlexa WoodsAlyson RootAoibh WoodAli SpoonerAlison Naomi HoltAmi SpencerAmy DeMerittAmy SpaldingAndi MarquetteAndrea BramhallAnn RobertsAnna PulleyAnna WoiwoodAnne ShadeAnnette MoriAprille CanniffAudrey CoulthurstAunt Georgia LeeBL MillerBarbara WinkesBaxter Clare TrautmanBecky BohanBecky HarmonBenny LawrenceBrenda MurphyBrey WillowsBritney JacksonBryce OakleyC. FonsecaC.A. HallCamryn GarrettCaren J. WerlingerCarolina de RobertisCarolyn ElizabethCarrie L. CarrCarsen TaiteCassandra YorkeCate CulpepperCatherine MaiorisiCeleste CastroCF FrizzellChar DafoeCharley ClarkeCharlotte MillsChelsea M. CameronChencia C. HigginsCheryl A. HeadCheyenne BlueCiara SmythClaire Highton-Stevenson Jackson LeighDDaleDeanna GreyDena BlakeDiana KaneDillon WatsonDonna JayDorothy Rice BennetEdale LaneEija JimenezElena GrafEliza AndrewsEliza LentzskiElizabeth AndreElle ArmstrongElle E. IreEmily BantingEmily O’BeirneEmma DonoghueEmma NicholsEvelyn DarErin DuttonErin ZakFiona RileyFiona ZeddeFletcher DeLanceyGaelle CathyGenta SebastianGill McKnightGiselle FoxHildred BillingsH.P. MunroIsabel HansenIsabel SterlingJA ArmstrongJackie D.Jacqueline RamsdenJaime ClevengerJamey MoodyJane KolvenJane RetzigJax MeyerJaycie MorrisonJC RoweJ.E. LeakJean CopelandJeannie LevigJen LyonJennifer FultonJess LeaJessica WebbJM RedmannJo HavensJolie DvorakJohana GavezJourdyn KellyJove BelleJS FieldsJulie CannonK. AtenK.A. MollKallie MontKarelia Stetz-WatersKaris WalshKarmen LeeKat JacksonKat McIntyreKate CastleKate ChristieKate HershburgerKate SweeneyKatia RoseKD WilliamsonKenna WhiteKG MacGregorKianna AlexanderKim BaldwinKim PritekelKimberly Cooper GriffinK.L. GallagherKL RhavensfyreKris BryantKrystina RiversLayce GardnerLara ZielinskyLauren HartLee LynchLesley DavisLexa LuthorLianyu TanLily SeabrookeLily HammondLinda NorthLise GoldLise MacTagueLola KeeleyLori L. LakeLyn DenisonLyn GardnerLynn AmesLynn GalliMadeleine TaylorManda ScottMardi AlexanderMarian SnoweMax EllendaleM.B. GuelMcGee MathewsM.E. TudorMeka JamesMissouri VaunMJ DuncanMolly J. BraggNan CampbellNancy Ann HealyNatasha WestNeen CohenNell StarkNicole PylandNita RoundPenny MickelburyPoppy WoodsQuinn IvinsRachel FordRavens DaggerR.E. BradshawRebekah WeatherspoonRenee DahliaRenee RomanRJ NolanR J SamuelRobbi McCoyRobyn NyxRonica BlackRosalie KnechtRuby ScottRyann FletcherSabrina BlaumSarah MarkelSaxon BennettSerenity SnowShamim SarifSharon K AngeliciSherryl D. HancockSheryl WrightSheryn MunirSienna WatersSilvia ShawSkye Von TriessenSR SilcoxStacy Lynn MillerStein WillardStephanie KusiakStephanie SheaTagan ShepardTasha SuriTiana WarnerTiffany E. TaylorTracey RichardsonViolet MorleyVK PowellWendy HudsonYolanda WallaceLeave a commentWhat book will you be reading for the “new or new-to-you sapphic author” category? Are there other authors that are a good fit for this category? Let us know in the comments!
The post New or new-to-you sapphic authors (Sapphic Book Bingo #8) appeared first on Jae.
March 28, 2024
Sapphic speculative fiction (Sapphic Book Bingo #7)
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo post delves into a wonderfully diverse genre: sapphic speculative fiction.
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for books featuring fantastical, supernatural, or futuristic elements. It includes genres such as sapphic fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance, horror, superheroine books, and alternate history.
20 sapphic speculative fiction books
Since sapphic speculative fiction is such a broad category, I included 20 instead of just 25 recommended books.
Second Nature by Jae
For solitary novelist Jorie Price, true love seems as fictional as the shape-shifting creatures she writes about in her paranormal romances.
Griffin Westmore doesn’t believe in love either, but she’s one of those not-so-fictional shape-shifters who secretly live among humans.
When Jorie’s writing gets uncomfortably close to the truth, Griffin is sent to investigate and, if necessary, kill the author to protect the secrets of her kind.
But when Griffin unexpectedly finds herself drawn to Jorie, her world is turned upside-down. Hell, she’s supposed to kill the human, not fall in love with her! How can she complete her mission now?
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Soul Food Stories by Anna Burke, Jenn Alexander, Jacob Budenz, Virginia Black, Cathy Pegau, and Ann McMan
To the living, “soul food” has a specific meaning, history, and flavor. But what does “soul food” mean to the demon, ghost, fiend, witch, spirit, or vampire? How does their ingenuity and wit rise and fall in the taking, baking, erasing, embracing, and defacing of sustenance?
West and Cogneau have challenged their authors to explore these and other questions in surprising and fascinating ways. Sometimes sweet and other times terrifying, sometimes warm or otherwise demented, these stories set the table for an otherworldly feast of delight and intrigue.
Let the banquet begin . . .
Soul Food Stories is packed with literary confections by award-winning authors, Anna Burke, Jenn Alexander, Jacob Budenz, Virginia Black, Cathy Pegau, and Ann McMan.
Featured stories include:
“The Five Year Revenge Agency” by Anna Burke
“Tilly’s Tarts” by Jenn Alexander
“Of the Air and Land” by Jacob Budenz
“Ravenous” by Virginia Black
“In Speary Wood” by Cathy Pegau
“Perhaps You Missed My Signs” by Anna Burke
“Ghost Writer” by Ann McMan
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Her Rival Dragon Mate by Arizona Tape
Junior property lawyer Alisha didn’t expect to run into her one-night-stand at work and discover she’s her new colleague. Dragon shifter Kendra has no interest in finding her mate but fate keeps putting Alisha in her path.
When they’re forced to work together on a case, tension grows between the two women as the stakes get higher. Can Kendra and Alisha look past their ambitions and find common ground or will their rivalry break them apart?
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Lies Are Forever by C. Jean Downer
Sloane West is an ex-New York City cop turned private investigator needing a distraction. She’s grieving her secretive mother’s death, and her ex-best friend and ex-lover have just sent her an invitation to their upcoming nuptials.
When a stranger arrives seeking her help, she receives a deadly diversion to the quiet Canadian village of Denwick. There, Sloane learns she’s not the only target in a murderous plan—so is her long-lost cousin, the High Priestess of her family’s coven.
To find the killer, Sloane must solve a murder while accepting a crash course in witchcraft. The choice is hers. Will she embrace her power as a protector—or flee from the birthright she’s only beginning to understand?
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Without Words by Cameron Darrow
Words aren’t always easy. Sometimes they’re impossible. Only too rarely are they unnecessary.
Long set apart from the rest of her tribe, Zifa’s life of quiet invisibility high in the mist-shrouded trees of the Great Forest has meant the first two have always been true, the last barely a dream. It takes the arrival of a foreign princess unlike any elf Zifa has ever seen to leave her speechless. The newly-installed Princess Skathi brings with her dire news, however: the desert-dwelling Cantari tribe is on the verge of losing its only source of water and magic. Charged with finding a way to save her people by any means necessary, when negotiations go poorly her options quickly dwindle to accepting their fate or taking a new home from their pacifist cousins by force. So when a final, remote chance to fix things peacefully presents itself, she takes it, even if it requires venturing with Zifa into the most cursed place in any elven tongue to confront not only their fears, but everything Skathi thought she knew about strength.
From the highest place to the lowest, they will need everything they find in each other to face the truths awaiting them.
If it isn’t too late.
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Demon Hunters of Kitty Cat Café by Davina Lee
Miss Nakamura’s Kitty Cat Café in downtown Neo Tokyo provides a unique service. The hostesses who serve tea routinely strip down to nothing but cat ears and a tail to entertain their female clients. But that’s just their day job. Behind the scenes, they also use their supernatural abilities to protect the city from ancient demons thought to exist only in folklore.
When new girl Kaiya joins the team, she’s unaware of anything more than the serious crush she’s developing on Miss Nakamura’s daughter Ayumi. But soon the demons come calling, forcing Kaiya, Ayumi, and the other warrior hostesses into action. Will Kaiya find her power? Will she get her girl?
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Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon
Joined in a battle for survival, a broken-winged angel and a shapeshifter huntress with a bloody past form a bond that may change their world.
Alone since her father’s murder, Aurora has spent years hunting his killers. Battle-weary she’s ready to start over where no one knows who or what she is, she just has one last mission to complete. Everything is going to plan until she discovers the beautiful winged girl caged underground.
Her decision to rescue Evie and to help her get home safely, despite avians being infamous for selling out shapeshifters like Aurora to cutters and black-market flesh dealers, will put her on a perilous path.
As the women travel together their attraction grows but Aurora is guarding her lonely heart almost as much as her dangerous secrets and Evie is struggling to accept how important Aurora has become to her.
When their enemies conspire to kill them, they may be each other’s only hope. Aurora is powerful but she’s also emotionally scarred and it will be up to Evie to save her from herself and to fight for them or innocent people will die along with the guilty ones and Aurora will disappear from Evie’s life forever.
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Harsh Reality by Elle E. Ire
After demon elementals kill the good folks Sheriff Cali McCade has sworn to protect, the last place she expects to find herself is the future.
Cali McCade is happy being the only female sheriff in the West until evil destroys her town of Oblivion and everyone in it. But when a magical creature sends her forward in time, Cali gets a chance for justice—and to stop history from repeating itself.
Now, on the set of Harsh Reality, a television show that challenges average people to survive in historical settings, Cali isn’t just the sheriff of Oblivion—she also plays herself on TV. It isn’t easy to find her path in this new world, but at least she knows what her “character” would do… even if it’s a little strange to be navigating a blooming romance with the woman playing Arlene, her long-lost love.
When the elementals show up to destroy Oblivion all over again, can Cali find a way to defeat the demons, keep her cover, and still ride off into the sunset?
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The Blood-Born Dragon by JC Rycroft
A bond she didn’t choose.
A love she can’t escape.
A creature so powerful it bends the limits of time…
Smart, sassy, and sanguine, Des Mildue is a traveling sellsword in Rescalin, a dry and dusty kingdom full of rogues, opportunists, and thieves. She keeps her nose clean, brazens it out with a blade when she can’t, and keeps others at arm’s length where they can’t mess up her plans.
That is, until a sword fight gone wrong leaves her tied by blood to the first dragon hatched in centuries. Suddenly, Des has to contend with a new voice in her head: haughty, willful Esquidamelion. Des wants to leave Squid by the roadside, but the blood bond has other ideas.
With half the world on their tail – including Liv, her beautiful, faithless ex who Des is definitely over – Des must search for answers for why so many are willing to kill, maim and torture to get their hands on Squid. But she’s beginning to suspect her blood bond has tied her not only to a dragon, but to a fight for Rescalin’s future…
…and no one else even knows it’s at risk.
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Remember Me, Synthetica by K. Aten
What happens when a woman loses her memory but gains a conscience?
Dr. Alexandra Turing is a roboticist whose intellect is unrivaled in the field of artificial intelligence. While science has always come easy, Alexandra struggles to understand emotional cues and responses. Driven by the legacy of her late great-uncle, she dedicates her life to the Synthetica project at her father’s company, Organic Advancement Solutions (OAS).
Her life is rebooted when she wakes from a coma six months after being struck by a car. Traumatic brain injury altered Alex’s senses, her memory, and her personality. Despite the changes, she feels reborn as she navigates her way back into her old life. Part of her new journey includes dating the alluring Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Emily St. John.
Emily is enamored with the hyper-intelligent scientist, but there are things about Alex and OAS that don’t add up. With Emily’s prompting, Alex undergoes testing that leaves her with more questions than answers. What she discovers changes more than her life, it will change the world around her.
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Of Wulf and Wynd, Part 1 by Lexa Luthor
Princess Tharon and Princess Roswynd were best of friends as kids; now they are enemies and forced to marry each other.
The Kingdom of White Sommer and the Kingdom of Wyndfeld had been united and strong. Princess Tharon of White Sommer grew up with her best friend Princess Roswynd of Wyndfeld, both having vowed to always be together. But it all came crashing down when Tharon’s mother was murdered by Roswynd’s family. The two kingdoms plunged into a dark, bloody war of revenge and hatred. After ten long years at war, the kingdoms agree to a ceasefire, but under the condition of a forced marriage between the two princesses.
Tharon becomes the Prince and Lord Commander of the White Sommer Army and a knight known as the Black Wulf. She has dedicated her life to conquering Wyndfeld and avenging her mother’s murder. Even better, she finally gets to claim Roswynd as her Omega. Now nothing can stop her from having it all.
Roswynd grew up broken and enraged over Tharon’s betrayal of their friendship pact. Now forced to marry Tharon, she is at a loss with her new wife, finding no remnants of her best friend under Tharon’s cold exterior. She gives her wedding vows to Tharon, but she knows their vows are based on lies. She will protect her kingdom from Tharon.
As Tharon and Roswynd play the game, they both discover they must choose between honoring their wedding vows or their vows to their kingdom.
Available at:
Scatter: Hearts of Heroes 1 by Molly J. Bragg
When Deputy US Marshal Danielle ‘Danny’ Martin was told she’d gotten a promotion, she expected to be leading her own fugitive retrieval team. Instead, she got transferred to Pontian Florida of all places, and assigned to a Superhero support detail for Focus, a seemingly immortal superhero who is also one of the most famous lesbian icons on the planet.
Bad enough she’s got to spend every day working with a woman she’s had a crush on since she was five years old, but when she arrives at her new post, things start getting weird. It turns out that Focus asked for her by name, and it quickly becomes apparent that Focus wants to be more than just coworkers, or even friends.
After Focus has a violent reaction to Danny getting hurt in the line of duty, she starts looking into why the Superhero might be so fixated on her. She begins to suspect that seeing the future might be one of Focus’ powers, but when a mission leaves her stranded thirty years in the past, right at the start of Focus’s superhero career, everything becomes clear, except why the Focus in the past can barely seem to tolerate her presence.
Available at:
The Blood Bride by Rae D. Magdon
Valis Nyxera Aefbain, queen of the snow elves, must find a consort of magic blood as soon as possible. A dangerous secret slumbers beneath her palace and only a powerful ritual can keep her kingdom safe.
Brynn Woodwarden, a wood elf with misfiring magical abilities, hates the snow elves. They killed her brother, Darrow, while poaching unicorns. But dangerous creatures prowl her forest home – twisted, rotted things that infect anyone they bite. The wood elves can’t fend them off alone.
Only Brynn’s unique blood is suitable for Valis’ ritual. Only Valis has the soldiers and alchemists Brynn needs to stop the rotted creatures. An arranged marriage is the perfect solution… but such a union might be more than either of them bargained for.
Available at:
Grave Consequences by Sandra Barret
When Tamar Richler, an unlicensed necromancer, raises someone from the dead, she is forced to earn her license from researcher and top necromancy expert in the state, Maddy Wu. Maddy is both beautiful and unreachable, with lofty standards Tamar feels she can never meet.
Maddy knows better than anyone the dangers of unlicensed magic. After an accident years before leaves one brother dead and the other mysteriously uninjured, Maddy attempts a resurrection herself before the ambulance and licensed necromancer can arrive. The result leaves her with chronic illness and fatigue, and her brother in a coma. Now her only goal is to right her wrong and bring him back.
When Tamar connects the dots to what really happened, the two of them must fight against the most politically powerful necromancer in the state to save a life and prevent the threat to their own survival.
Available at:
The Mermaid Hypothesis by Siri Caldwell
Mermaid Survival Rule Number 1: Stay away from intelligent women.
Who are so my type.
Fish are not great conversationalists.
That’s not why Niua sneaks aboard a research ship, or why she’s stumbling around on legs, pretending she’s not a mermaid, but years of living among uncommunicative sea life may explain why she’s unwisely flirting with a marine scientist who’s far too perceptive–and far too female–for Niua’s safety.
She needs to focus, but Ms. “Why Aren’t You on the Passenger List?” keeps distracting her.
In the best possible way.
She’s in over her head, and she doesn’t have time to waste. She has a shipwreck to find, a treasure to reclaim, and a secret to protect.
Before mermaids disappear forever.
Available at:
Blood Hero by T.J. Mindancer
Cutty Downes is quite content being a police chief in a village nestled next to a scenic state park. She gets to enjoy the surrounding national forest she’s explored since childhood in a job where the most excitement happens when someone falls off a bluff or gets lost in the forest.
Archivist Paula Reisling still pinches herself that she’s in the dream job she would have dreamed about if she had known it existed. As the Director of the Repository of Unusual and Unsolvable Crimes, she’s determined to solve at least one of these crimes.
Cutty’s and Paula’s worlds come together when Cutty finds a dead man with no trace of a weapon or an assailant in a cave full of electronics in the national forest. Together they embark on a twisting, mystical quest to solve this most recent of unusual and unsolvable crimes. They’re only clues: a fragment from an ancient sword and a mysterious Irish woman who is a drummer in a famous rock and roll band.
Delve into a world of Irish mysticism, warrior women, and age old traditions still very much alive in the twenty-first century.
Available at:
Prewrath and Rapture by TJ Dallas
This story follows on from the events of the Pride trilogy. Four years ago, Harry’s first act of Humility sent her hurtling to the deepest recesses of the dream world. When Death gives her the chance to save her family, her second act will prove infinitely worse. When Persephone arrives at the Cardinal, it’s time for Harry to keep her end of the deal. But it isn’t Pride, or even Humility, that Persephone wants; it’s Wrath. Emilia must join ranks with four forces of evil that long predate the Seven Deadly Sins; Death, Pestilence, War, and Famine. Emilia’s ruthless volcano has lain dormant for centuries, but a hidden agenda and a betrayal could tip her over the edge, causing an eruption felt throughout the very fabric of time and space.
Available at:
Spirit Warrior: Maiden’s Path by Tracey Love
Susan Sibley is a highly sensitive Witch who is doing her best to find where she fits in the world as she tries to understand her spiritual gift. When she falls in love with Tamika, the woman of her dreams, she discovers how easy it is to lose herself in someone else instead. In the Maiden phase, Susan’s naivety and fear create her struggle to let the light in, flow with change, and fully realize her power.
Maiden’s Path is the story of one young woman’s journey to discovering that the happiness you want can only come to you through lessons, which means living through both the painful and joyful parts of the human experience. Opportunities for growth arise as Susan’s relationship with Tamika develops. Creating a home and family challenges her Maiden mindset and invites her to step into the role of the Mother. As she continues to receive signs and messages from Spirit, Susan ultimately faces the most painful choice of her life: whether to walk away from the greatest love she has ever known or lose herself in total darkness.
Available at:
Unusual Minds by Tracie Hollis
As a child, Angela Mathers was the victim of a top-secret experimental program that implanted neural chips in children to correct disorders and enhance intelligence. Shunned by society, she, and others like her were locked away in camps.
Now an adult Luman, she is both brilliant and calculating. Her quest for redemption brings her to D.C. where she works to get a government bill that would free the Lumans passed into law.
Isabella Dodge works for Control, the agency tasked with tracking and imprisoning the remaining Lumans. But Isabella has one secret. She’s a Solo—an undocumented Luman who fled the camps years ago.
When their paths cross, an innocent touch sparks something in both women. But is it love, or simply their neural programming? When Control finds out Isabella is a Solo and captures her, Angela finds her answer—she will risk everything to save Isabella, even her own freedom.
Available at:
Consecrated Ground by Virginia Black
Like her father before her, Joan Matthews is a witch. For generations, their family of binder witches has protected Calvert, Oregon from vampires by strengthening the land with spellcraft. Pushing back against tradition, Joan defied her father and left town to become a war witch, one who fights the monsters hand-to-hand. But when her father dies, Joan returns to find her hometown assailed by a vampire lord’s endless attacks—and the answers lie with the one woman who chose a rival over Joan.
Leigh Phan once believed her heart was safe and her future was set. When Joan left town, Leigh’s choices led to ruin and unintended consequences. Now Leigh harbors a dark secret forcing her to live a moment-to-moment existence. Her only hope of survival lies in trusting the war witch who left her behind.
Now it’s up to Joan to fight for a town she left behind, while Leigh faces a destiny she never imagined was possible. With Calvert on the brink of total destruction, Joan and Leigh join forces and face inconvenient truths in order to save their town—and each other.
Available at:
Leave a comment
What book will you be reading for the “sapphic speculative fiction” category? Are there other books that are a good fit for this category? Let us know in the comments!
The post Sapphic speculative fiction (Sapphic Book Bingo #7) appeared first on Jae.
March 14, 2024
Sapphic books with AAPI characters
This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo post isn’t just a Hidden Gems category, it’s also a project that I’ve been working on for quite some time.
Instead of listing 15 recommended books, as I usually do for each Sapphic Book Bingo post, I put together a huge list of 150+ sapphic books featuring AAPI characters. You’ll find it below.
Important: For this category, not only should at least one of the book’s main characters be Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander, but the book should also be written by an AAPI author.
150+ sapphic books with AAPI main characters, written by Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander authors
Bloodbath (Harietta Lee Book 2) by Stephanie Ahn (Korean American author, Korean American character, urban fantasy)
Deadline (Harietta Lee Book 1) by Stephanie Ahn (Korean American author, Korean American character, urban fantasy)
Flytrap (Harietta Lee Book 3) by Stephanie Ahn (Korean American author, Korean American character, urban fantasy)
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (Persian author, Persian-coded main characters, YA fantasy)
Start Here: Short Stories of First Encounters by Ronald S. Lim & Brigitte Bautista (editors) (Filipina author, anthology)
You, Me, U.S. by Brigitte Bautista (Filipina author, Filipina main character, romance)
Love Bi the Way by Bhaavna Arora (Indian author, Indian main characters, erotic fiction)
Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt (Indian author, Indian main character, romance)
Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju (writer of Sri Lankan descent, biracial Sri Lankan main character, young adult)
Bestiary by K-Ming Chang (Taiwanese American author, Taiwanese American main character, magical realism)
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng (Taiwanese Canadian author, speculative thriller)
Shadow Theatre by Fiona Cheong (Singaporean-born author, Singaporean characters, contemporary fiction)
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (Malaysian author, Malaysian main character, contemporary fantasy)
The True Queen by Zen Cho (Malaysian author, Malaysian main character, alternate history/fantasy)
My Education by Susan Choi (biracial Korean American/Jewish author, contemporary women’s fiction)
Kween by Vichet Chum (Cambodian American character, Cambodian American author, YA romance)
The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco (Chinese Filipino writer, YA fantasy)
The Ever Cruel Kingdom by Rin Chupeco (Chinese Filipino writer, YA fantasy)
Black Ice Matter by Gina Cole (Fijian main character; author of Fijian, Scottish, and Welsh descent; short story collection)
Tingle: Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing by Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz (Filipina author, Filipina main characters, short story collection)
Not for Use in Navigation: Thirteen Stories by Iona Datt Sharma (British Indian author, British Indian characters, science fiction short stories)
Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night by Katherine Fabian & Iona Datt Sharma (British Indian author, urban fantasy)
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard (author of Vietnamese & French descent, Vietnam-inspired world, fantasy)
In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard (author of Vietnamese & French descent, Vietnamese main characters, fairy tale retelling)
Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard (author of Vietnamese & French descent, Vietnam-inspired world, science fiction)
Bruised by Tanya Boteju (Sri Lankan Canadian author, Sri Lankan Canadian main character, young adult fiction)
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho (Tawainese American characters, Tawainese American, short stories)
To the Warm Horizon by Jin-Young Choi & Soje (Translator) (Korean main characters, South Korean author, post-apocalyptic fiction)
Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick (biracial Korean American main character, YA romance)
She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick (biracial Korean American main character, YA romance)
All Inclusive by Farzana Doctor (Canadian writer of Indian descent, biracial Indian main character, magical realism)
Stealing Nasreen by Farzana Doctor (Canadian writer of Indian descent, Indian Canadian main character, women’s literary fiction)
Moving Truth(s): Queer and Transgender Desi Writings on Family by Aparajeeta ‘Sasha’ Duttchoudhury & Rukie Hartman (Editors) (various Desi writers)
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (Lebanese Canadian author, epistolary science fiction/time travel)
Rana Joon and the One and Only Now by Shideh Etaat (Iranian American main character, Iranian American writer, YA fiction)
If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan (Persian American author, Iranian character, young adult)
Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan (Persian American author, Persian American character, YA romance)
Messy Roots by Laura Gao (Chinese American character, Chinese American author, graphic novel)
Half World by Hiromi Goto (Japanese Canadian writer, Japanese Canadian main character, YA fantasy)
Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns (Tamil character, Tamil author, social satire)
A World Between by Emily Hashimoto (Japanese American/German Jewish and Indian American main characters, romance)
Your Love is Not Good by Johanna Hedva (Korean American character, Korean American author, literary fiction)
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho (Taiwanese American main characters, Taiwanese American author, short stories)
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang (Chinese American main character, Chinese American author, satirical horror)
Burning Roses by S.L. Huang (Chinese-inspired world, fantasy/fairy tale retelling)
The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist by S.L. Huang (sci-fi fairy tale retelling)
Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar (Bangladeshi Irish author, Indian Bengali main character, Bangladeshi Bengali main character, YA romance)
Rani Choudhury Must Die by Adiba Jaigirdar (Bangladeshi Irish author, Bangladeshi Irish main characters, YA romance)
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar (Bangladeshi Irish main character, Bangladeshi Irish author, YA contemporary romance)
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (Bangladeshi Irish author, Bangladeshi Irish character, YA romance)
Just Happy to Be Here by Naomi Kanakia (Indian American character, Indian American author, young adult novel)
All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan (Indian American character, Indian American author, coming-of-age story)
A Married Woman by Manju Kapur (Indian author, Indian main character, contemporary literary fiction)
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan (South Asian author, Bengali Canadian character, young adult)
What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan (Indian character, South Asian author, YA romance)
Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan (South Asian author, Pakistani main character, YA contemporary fiction)
Bearly a Lady by Cassandra Khaw (Malaysian author, paranormal romcom)
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (Malaysian author, science fiction)
Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells (Korean American writer, YA fairy tale retelling)
Shatter the Sky (Shatter the Sky Duology #1) by Rebecca Kim Wells (Korean American writer, YA fantasy)
Storm the Earth (Shatter the Sky Duology #2) by Rebecca Kim Wells (Korean American writer, YA fantasy)
Prairie Ostrich by Tamai Kobayashi (Japanese Canadian author, Japanese Canadian main characters, historical novel)
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi (author of Japanese and Southern American descent, science fiction)
The Paths of Marriage by Mala Kumar (Indian American author, Indian American character, literary fiction)
This Place Called Absence by Lydia Kwa (Canadian Singaporean author, Canadian Chinese main character)
Salt Fish Girl by Larissa Lai (Canadian Chinese author, Chinese main character, magical realism)
The Tiger Flu by Larissa Lai (Canadian Chinese author, postapocalyptic cyberpunk thriller)
When Fox Is A Thousand by Larissa Lai (Canadian Chinese author, Chinese main character, historical/magical realism)
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee (Chinese-Vietnamese author, young adult)
Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (Chinese-Vietnamese author, Chinese-Vietnamese main character, superhero fiction)
Flip the Script by Lyla Lee (Korean American author, bisexual Korean American main character, young adult fiction)
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee (Korean American author, Korean American main character, M/F YA romance with a bisexual character)
Beyond the Dragon’s Gate by Yoon Ha Lee (Korean American author, science fiction)
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (Korean American author, East Asian-coded character, science fiction)
The Vela by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon, S.L. Huang (science fiction)
True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li (Chinese American character, Chinese American author, YA romance)
Tell Me How It Ends by Quinton Li (Timorese Australian author, coming-of-age fantasy/Rapunzel retelling)
The Very Inside: An Anthology of Writings by Asian & Pacific Islander Lesbian and Bisexual Women by Sharon Lim-Hing (editor) (various Asian American writers, poetry, prose & articles)
A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo (Chinese American author, Chinese American main character, mystery thriller)
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo (biracial Chinese character, Chinese American author, YA fiction)
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (Chinese American author, Chinese American main character, YA historical fiction set in the 1950s in San Francisco)
Adaption by Malinda Lo (Chinese American author, YA apocalyptic thriller)
Ash by Malinda Lo (Chinese American author, YA fairy tale retelling)
Huntress by Malinda Lo (Chinese American author, Chinese-inspired world, YA fantasy)
I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu (One main character is Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Taiwanese; the other is a Korean American. YA psychological thriller)
Lifelines (Journey Series Book 1) by Shireen Magedin (Pakistani/Austrian author; Pakistani/Austrian main character, Pakistani main character; medical/medicolegal thriller/adventure)
Bloodlines (Journey Series Book 2) by Shireen Magedin (Pakistani/Austrian author; Pakistani/Austrian main character, Pakistani main character; medical/medicolegal thriller/adventure)
Heartlines (Journey Series Book 3) by Shireen Magedin (Pakistani/Austrian author; Pakistani/Austrian main character, Pakistani main character; medical/medicolegal thriller/adventure)
Maya’s Quest (Timeless Journey Series Book 1) by Shireen Magedin (Pakistani/Austrian author; from the Indus Valley/modern-day Pakistan; time travel romance)
Last Words from Montmartre by Qiu Miaojin (Taiwanese author, Taiwanese main character, epistolary fiction)
Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin (Taiwanese author, Taiwanese main characters, coming-of-age story)
Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Korean author, Korean main character, YA science fiction)
Godslayers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (Korean author, Korean main character, YA science fiction, sequel to Gearbreakers)
The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj (Sri Lankan author, South Asian characters, erotic science fiction)
The Tree of Life by S.A. Mossman (Black/Filipina author, mystery)
Falling into Place by Sheryn Munir (Indian writer, Indian main characters, romance)
Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami (Japanese author, Japanese characters, magic realism)
Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam (American writer of Bangladeshi descent, Bangladeshi characters, coming-of-age story)
Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire Book #1) by Natasha Ngan (biracial Chinese-Malaysian & English author, Malaysian-inspired setting, young adult fantasy)
Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire Book #2) by Natasha Ngan (biracial Chinese-Malaysian & English author, Malaysian-inspired setting, young adult fantasy)
A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen (Vietnamese American author, Vietnamese main character, Vietnamese American main character, sapphic young adult romance)
The Ministry of Guidance by Golnoosh Nour (Iranian author, Iranian characters, short stories)
When Tara Met Farah by Tara Pammi (Indian American main character, Indian main character, new adult romance)
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (Asian-Australian author, Chinese main character, historical fantasy)
Kari by Amruta Patil (Indian author, Indian main character, graphic novel)
The Verifiers by Jane Pek (lesbian Chinese American main character, Singaporean American author, mystery novel)
Fantasian by Larissa Pham (erotic psychothriller)
Let’s Go Let’s Go Let’s Go by Cleo Qian (Asian main characters, asian authors, dystopian short stories)
Noteworthy by Riley Redgate (biracial writer of Chinese descent, Chinese American main character, young adult)
Final Draft by Riley Redgate (biracial writer of Chinese descent, Korean main character, YA romance)
Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman (Pakistani American character, Pakistani American author, coming-of-age novel)
Southland by Nina Revoyr (biracial Japanese American author, Japanese American main character, historical fiction)
The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr (biracial Japanese American author, Japanese American main character, young adult)
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi (biracial Arab American author, Biracial Indian/Persian American main character, YA romance)
A Place Somewhere by R J Samuel (Irish Indian author living in the US, romantic suspense)
An Outsider Inside by R J Samuel (Irish Indian author living in the US, Irish Indian main character, literary fiction)
Casting Shadows (The Vision Painter #2) by R J Samuel (Irish Indian author living in the US, Irish Indian main character, magical realism)
Falling Colours (The Vision Painter #1) by R J Samuel (Irish Indian author living in the US, Irish Indian main character, magical realism)
Heart Stopper by R J Samuel (Irish Indian author living in the US, Irish Indian main character, thriller/suspense)
I Can’t Think Straight by Shamim Sarif (author of Indian & South African descent, British Indian main character & UK-based Palestinian main character, romance)
The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif (author of Indian & South African descent, Chinese character, Pakistani character, YA thriller)
The World Unseen by Shamim Sarif (author of Indian & South African descent, Indian characters, set in South Africa, historical fiction)
Close to Home by Parvati Sharma (Indian author, Indian characters)
Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu (Sri Lankan American author, Sri Lankan American main character, literary fiction)
Tempted by the Bollywood Star by Sophia Singh Sasson (Indian author, Indian main character, romance)
Chlorine by Jade Song (Chinese American character, Chinese American writer, horror/coming-of-age story)
Nights Like This by Divya Sood (Indian American author, Indian American character, romance)
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (Chinese American author, Chinese-codec characters, fantasy)
The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach (Maori author; Māori-inspired fantasy)
The Sunforge by Sascha Stronach (Maori author; Māori-inspired fantasy)
A Greater Music by Bae Suah (Korean writer, Korean main character, contemporary women’s fiction)
It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura (Japanese American author, Japanese American main character, YA romance)
Love & Other Natural Disasters by Misa Sugiura (Japanese American author, Japanese American main character, YA romcom)
Firebird by Sunmi (Korean American character, Korean American author, graphic novel)
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri (British Indian author, Indian-inspired world, fantasy)
Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki (Japanese American character, biracial Japanese Canadian author, Anne of Green Gables reimagining)
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (biracial Japanese Canadian author, biracial East Asian main character, young adult graphic novel)
Skim by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki (biracial Japanese Canadian author, Japanese Canadian character, young adult graphic novel)
(You) Set Me on Fire by Mariko Tamaki (biracial Japanese Canadian author, Asian Canadian character, young adult)
The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan (bi Chinese main character; Malaysian Chinese Australian author, gothic horror vampire romance)
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (Japanese author, Japanese-coded main character, YA fantasy adventure)
Megume and the Trees by Sarah Toshiko Hasu (Japanese main character, YA)
She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran (Vietnamese American character, Vietnamese American author, YA ghost story)
Dear Twin by Addie Tsai (Chinese American main character, biracial Chinese American author, young adult novel)
The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar (Indian Australian main character, Indian Australian author, historical/contemporary fiction)
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Vietnamese American author, Vietnamese American main character, historical fantasy)
The Empress of Salt and Fortune (The Singing Hills Cycle #1) by Nghi Vo (Vietnamese American author, Vietnamese-coded nonbinary main character, sapphic characters, fantasy)
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (Chinese American main character, Vietnamese American author, fantasy set in an alternate Golden Age Hollywood)
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle #2) by Nghi Vo (Vietnamese American author, Vietnamese-coded nonbinary main character, sapphic main characters, fantasy)
Monkeypuzzle by Rita Wong (Chinese Canadian author, poetry)
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto (agender lesbian main character; Mauian author; lesbian space heist)
by Lois-Ann Yamanaka (Hawaiian author, Hawaiian main character, young adult)
Parachutes by Kelly Yang (Chinese American author, Chinese main character, Filipina American main character, young adult)
Waiting on a Bright Moon by J.Y. Yang (Chinese Singaporean author, Chinese-inspired world, science fantasy)
Yellow Rose by Nobuko Yoshiya (Japanese author, Japanese main character, short story)
No Two Ways by Chi Yu Rodriguez (Filipina author, Filipina main character, romance)
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao (Chinese American aroace character, young adult fiction. The book isn’t strictly sapphic, but I kept it on the list since I know some of my readers are looking for books just like this. It features a queerplatonic relationship between a girl and a nonbinary person. Both of them identify as asexual and aromantic)
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhou (Chinese Canadian author, Character based on China’s only female emperor, YA novel)
More sapphic books with AAPI main characters?
I’m sure there are even more sapphic books with AAPI characters, written by AAPI authors. If you know of any, please leave a comment or send me an email, and I’ll happily add it to the list. Before you email me, please check to make sure the book isn’t already on the list.
I also did my best to get all the information for every book on my list right, but of course I couldn’t read all 150+ books. If any of the information is incorrect, please let me know too and I’ll correct it right away.
Thank you!
Jae
Don’t miss the upcoming birthday book giveaway
My birthday is coming up next week, and since I enjoy giving gifts more than receiving them, I’ll send out a newsletter with a big giveaway that will include ebooks, audiobooks, and fun boxes with signed books & treats, among them German chocolate. If you aren’t signed up yet, you can subscribe to my monthly reader newsletter here.
The post Sapphic books with AAPI characters appeared first on Jae.
March 12, 2024
Bachelorette Number Twelve has been plagiarized
I’m usually a pretty laid-back and emotionally even-keeled person, but I have to admit I’m very upset and furious right now, and I wanted to share the situation with you because I think it’s important, not just for me, but for the entire community of sapphic readers and authors.
Here’s what happened: Yesterday, someone in my Facebook group for readers of sapphic fiction posted anonymously, saying they had come across a fanfiction on AO3 (the biggest fanfic archive worldwide) that is “inspired by Bachelorette Number Twelve,” my newest sapphic romance, which has barely been out for two months. The reader seemed to think the fanfiction was really cool, so I checked it out.
You see, I love fanfiction in general—it’s how I first discovered sapphic fiction, so I’ll forever be grateful for its existence. I can totally understand when fascinating characters from a TV show or a movie or even a book inspire a fan to write a story about these characters.
What is fanfiction?
In case you aren’t familiar with the term, fanfiction (also called fanfics) are stories written by fans, using characters from someone else’s work, usually TV shows or movies. Fanfiction has a long tradition in the sapphic community because we rarely get positive representation in movies or TV shows, and even if we do, lesbian/sapphic characters still often end up being killed off. So it’s no wonder that queer fans write their own happy endings for their favorite characters.
I won’t go into details since I’m not a lawyer, but legally, fanfiction falls into a tricky gray area because fanfic writers use characters from someone else’s copyright-protected work without permission. Some authors and TV/movie producers pursue legal actions against fanfiction based on their work, while others allow or at least ignore it, as long as fanfic writers don’t make any money from it.
But this is not fanfiction!
However, when I checked out this particular fanfic, I discovered that it wasn’t what I would call fanfiction. To me, fanfiction means “borrowing” someone else’s characters and/or story universe to tell your own story.
This story, however, wasn’t merely “inspired by” my novel Bachelorette Number Twelve. Instead, someone took my book and copied it almost word for word, changing just bits and pieces here and there to make it fit the fandom they are writing in.
To give you an idea, here’s the first sentence of Bachelorette Number Twelve, which was published in January:
Ellie stood on her tiptoes on top of the ugliest orange plastic chair she’d ever laid eyes on, stretching to the right as far as she could, when a pair of sneakers squeaked to an abrupt stop behind her.
The first sentence of the fanfiction, which was posted just a few days ago:
Yelena was in the main pantry as she stood on her tiptoes on top of the ugliest yellow rolling chair she had ever laid her eyes on, stretching as far to the left that she could, when a pair of training shoes squeaked to an abrupt stop behind her.
Here’s another example from Bachelorette Number 12 from a scene in which Regina participates in a singles auction:
She wasn’t nervous. Of course not. She handled cardiac arrests, strokes, and subdural hematomas for a living, bringing people back from the brink of death on a regular basis. A silly auction wouldn’t make her sweat.
Standing around, waiting, had just never been her thing. She was a woman of action.
But as much as she hoped for a last-minute miracle that would get her out of this, she knew it wouldn’t happen. The only way out was through.
The fanfiction not only has a singles auction scene too, but the wording is nearly identical in many places:
She wasn’t nervous. Of course not. She handled aliens, magical monsters, and demented robots for a living- this would be a walk in the park. She had been paraded around by her mother at galas for years- she’ll be fine. A silly auction wouldn’t make her sweat. Standing around and waiting had just never been her thing. She was a woman of action after all.
As much as she hoped for a last-minute miracle that would get her out of this, she knew it wouldn’t happen. The only way out was through.
The rest of the story—at least the two chapters of the fanfic that are already posted—follows the plot of Bachelorette Number Twelve exactly. And it’s not just the plot that is identical. Many lines I have written were used word for word.
This is not an homage or someone inspired to write their own story after reading mine. This is someone stealing my story and pretending it’s their own. It’s plagiarism (passing off someone else’s work as your own) and copyright infringement (copying chunks of someone else’s story without permission). Even saying “inspired by Bachelor Number Twelve” in the author’s note of the fanfic (misquoting the title and not even naming the author, by the way) doesn’t change that.
This is getting old…but not less upsetting
Sadly, this isn’t the first time something like this happened to me. A couple of years ago, someone posted my sapphic romance The Roommate Arrangement on Wattpad, changing just the character names to make it appear as if it were a Clexa fanfiction, and claimed they had written it.
I’m also not the only sapphic fiction author this has happened to.
Stealing is easy, writing is hard
To be honest, it feels like a kick to the gut. An entire series of kicks to the gut. I put my heart and soul and an incredible amount of work into each of my books. From the first idea to publication, I worked on Bachelorette Number Twelve for nearly a year—doing research on working in an ER, the setting, disc golf (Regina’s hobby); creating detailed character profiles; outlining the novel; writing the book; revising it for months; and finally proofreading it half a dozen times.
Not to mention all the other people who invested their time and energy into my manuscript—my beta readers, the medical professionals who helped me get the medical setting right, and the editor and proofreader my publisher paid.
And then someone comes along, steals everything I have worked on so hard, changes just a few things, and pretends this is their story. Calling it “fanfiction” doesn’t make it all right.
Writing a novel is hard work. There are no shortcuts. There shouldn’t be any shortcuts. If you want to be a writer, you have to put in that hard work, no matter if you’re writing fanfiction or original works.
Why plagiarism & copyright infringement aren’t “harmless”
I don’t really know what this fanfic author’s motivation was and what they were thinking. Maybe they honestly thought this wasn’t a big deal. But it absolutely is.
For one thing, having your work stolen is emotionally damaging to authors. It feels like a violation—as if someone just waltzed into my home and stole one of my most-prized possessions.
It also takes valuable writing time away from writers. Instead of working on my next book, as I had planned to yesterday, I had to contact AO3 and fill out DMCA takedown notices to get that fanfiction removed from the site. It’s exhausting.
If a book is in Kindle Unlimited—as The Roommate Arrangement was when it got posted to Wattpad, that also means the author signed a contract with Amazon, promising to not make the ebook available anywhere else. Amazon’s bots comb the Internet. If they find a version of the story—or even just a story with plenty of identical text—anywhere but on Amazon, the author is in breach of Amazon’s terms of service. Amazon could take down the original book from their sales platform—which means the author loses income and readers can no longer read the book. Amazon could even close the author’s account for good. All of the author’s books would be gone from Amazon forever, and that would destroy the author’s career!
So copyright infringement and plagiarism aren’t harmless. They endanger an author’s livelihood. This is very serious for every writer, but especially for authors who make a living from their writing and need that income to pay the bills, as I do.
For the same reason, sharing ebooks on pirate sites isn’t harmless either.
What can you do to support authors as a reader?
If you come across a story—published or fanfiction—that you are sure plagiarizes the work of another author or infringes on their copyright, please report it to the author of the original work so they can take a look and take action, if necessary.
In fact, when The Roommate Arrangement was posted to Wattpad, it was a reader who alerted me, and I’m still very grateful for that.
It should go without saying, please don’t download pirated ebooks. (Not just to protect authors, but also to protect yourself, by the way. These sites are often full of viruses and malware). If you ever hear a fellow reader talk about reading pirated books as if it were a totally fine thing to do, please speak up.
How to know when to alert an author
To help you understand when you should reach out to an author and alert them, here’s an explanation of what is—and isn’t—copyright infringement.
Copying chunks of someone else’s work word for word and posting or publishing that work without permission is copyright infringement—and that’s a crime. Even if the person paraphrases here and there, adds a few words, or rearranges sentences to make it a little different, it’s still copyright infringement.
Of course, I’m not talking about short, common sentences such as “She smiled.” I’m talking about copying unique, complex sentences and paragraphs like the ones you can see in my examples above.
What’s not copyright infringement are stories that use the same basic premise. Ideas aren’t protected by copyright, only the exact words to express that idea. Two stories that are based on the same trope will often have similar scenes because those scenes follow logically from the trope. For example, fake relationship romances will often have a scene in which the characters have to kiss to convince others they are a couple. So if two different fake dating stories both include a scene like that, it doesn’t mean one author stole from the other, as long as the descriptions within that scene aren’t copied verbatim or near verbatim from another author’s work.
Every writer knows that coming up with a story idea is the easy part. The writing and revising to make it a published book is the hard part. 99% of the work is in the execution, not the initial idea.
What happened isn’t just about me or only about this one fanfic author who might or might not have been aware that they were doing something wrong and presumably even committing a crime.
It’s about respecting the hard work that goes into creating stories and protecting authors from emotional and financial harm.
Thank you for your support!
Jae
The post Bachelorette Number Twelve has been plagiarized appeared first on Jae.
March 7, 2024
I Heart SapphFic best of the best winner (Sapphic Book Bingo #6)
This week’s category of the Sapphic Book Bingo is another special one. For this square of your bingo card, read one of the I Heart SapphFic “Best of the Best” winners. It can be the #1 (gold), #2 (silver), or #3 (bronze) winner in one of the categories.
What is I Heart SapphFic?
I Heart SapphFic (IHS), run by TB Markinson and Miranda MacLeod, is a great place to find sapphic books.
Their website has a handy BookFinder, a database of 5,000+ sapphic books, and they send out a newsletter six times a week, including a newsletter for new sapphic releases on Tuesdays.
On Wednesdays, they announce the “Best of the Best” winners for popular categories such as “friends-to-lovers” or “ladies in uniform.” The books are nominated and voted on by readers in a weekly poll.
15 I Heart SapphFic “Best of the Best” categories
Here are a few examples for “Best of the Best” categories. Click on each link to see the three winners in each category, or check our more categories on the IHS “Best of the Best” page.
Best Sapphic Billionaire Romance
Best Sapphic Enemies-to-Lovers Romances
Best Sapphic Friends-to-Lovers
Best Sapphic Hot & Steamy Romances
Best Sapphic Living Abroad Stories
Best Sapphic No Strings Attached
Best Sapphic Return to Hometown
Leave a comment
Leave a comment and let us know what book you’ll be reading for the “I Heart SapphFic Best of the Best winner” category!
The post I Heart SapphFic best of the best winner (Sapphic Book Bingo #6) appeared first on Jae.
