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The best queer rom-coms to read right now
Get ready for butterflies and rainbows.
Rom-coms come in every flavor, from the utterly silly to the very serious with a side of laughs. The queer rom-coms on this list are the best the subgenre has to offer and represent an incredible range of styles, experiences, and settings. Some of them take place in small towns; others in big cities. Some use fresh takes on tried-and-true tropes, and some invent entirely new tropes. They star characters of many different genders and sexualities. Most importantly, they each offer what every rom-com reader craves: a guaranteed happily-ever-after at the end of a hilarious and satisfying romantic journey.
Boyfriend Material
No one does a rom-com quite like Alexis Hall. His humor is irresistible, and this book is overflowing with it. Luc is the son of a washed-up rockstar whose comeback tour is putting Luc in the spotlight—exactly where he doesn't want to be. When a gossip rag publishes an out-of-context picture of him that threatens his job, he realizes he needs to clean up his image. Enter Oliver: a polite, upright, very proper barrister who has never been near a scandal. Oliver agrees to start fake dating Luc, but pretty soon, their feelings for each other become a little too real...which is, for Luc and Oliver, somewhat terrifying. Come for the jokes about dung beetles; stay for the heartwarming story about learning to love yourself and ask for what you want.
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Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure
If you haven't read a romance novel in which two elderly women get revenge on a truly terrible man by way of geese, have you even read a romance novel? This lesbian historical is a fiery feminist romp about two old women sticking it to the patriarchy, and that is a really good time, but it is also a silly madcap adventure, and that is also a really good time. Beatrice Martin is a 73-year-old widow; Violetta Beauchamps is the 69-year-old proprietor of a rooming house. When Beatrice's Terrible Nephew, who boards at Violetta's establishment, starts causing her all sorts of trouble, the two women team up to deal with him—and fall in love along the way.
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The Charm Offensive
This rom-com will have you laughing out loud, but underneath the jokes and the banter, it's a tender, serious exploration of mental health, mental illness, and emotional trauma. Dev is a hopeless romantic and a producer for a reality dating show. The show's bachelor star, Charlie, is a reclusive, awkward, camera-shy tech genius. It's Dev's job to help Charlie transform into a TV-worthy bachelor. Instead, as Charlie and Dev slowly fall in love, while filming all over the world, they transform each other—not into shiny, camera-ready versions of themselves, but into the messy, complicated, not-always-okay, whole people that they are.
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Chef's Choice
TJ Alexander has a knack for writing funny, feel-good romances with quirky characters that celebrate queer family. This poignant rom-com follows two trans twentysomethings who are both trying to get their lives on track. Luna has just been fired from her boring office job and badly needs money. Jean-Pierre is a charming, handsome, and very rich Frenchman who needs a fake girlfriend to help him cook a fancy meal to prove to his celebrity chef grandfather he has what it takes to inherit his restaurants. The premise is silly, but that's part of the fun—it's a joy to watch Luna and Jean-Pierre fumble around in the kitchen and fall in love along the way.
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Delilah Green Doesn't Care
The first book in Ashley Herring Blake's romance series about the queer denizens of Bright Falls, Oregon, has everything you could want from a small-town rom-com: a vividly imagined setting, a group of close-knit friends, and, most importantly, a cozy bookshop. Delilah is a queer photographer trying to make it as an artist in New York. The last thing she wants is to go back to her small Oregon hometown to photograph her estranged sister’s wedding and be reminded of painful memories of her dad’s death and the lonely years that followed. But back in Bright Falls, she falls for her sister’s best friend Claire, a single mom and bookstore owner. Blake perfectly balances real character growth with lots of delicious banter, and steamy scenes.
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Red, White & Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston's bestselling debut romance has become a contemporary queer classic in the few years since it was published; reading it feels a bit like a rite of passage. The story of the unlikely romance between the First Son of the United States and the Prince of England is serious and silly, hopeful and heartbreaking, tender and hot. Alex and Henry both come alive on the page as complicated people with messy pasts, big dreams, and even bigger feelings. This book is an ode to hope, optimism, making change, queer history, and, most of all, the transformative power of queer love.
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D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding
If you're looking for a soft, low-angst romance with plenty of laughs, down-to-earth characters, and a homey feel, this is the rom-com for you. Kris and D'Vaughn are two Black lesbians who enter a reality TV show for very different reasons—Kris is trying to get ahead with her career, and D'Vaughn is looking for a splashy excuse to finally come out to her mom. The show requires them to plan an amazing wedding in just six weeks—and convince their friends and families it's for real. Neither is expecting to actually meet someone they care about, and it turns out falling in love on camera is not as easy as it looks.
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Take a Hint, Dani Brown
In this wry and heartwarming bi-for-bi romp, contemporary romance queen Talia Hibbert executes the fake dating trope with absolute perfection. Danika Brown is working toward a successful academic career and doesn't have time for romance. That all changes after a series of absurd events: Zaf, a security guard at her building, rescues her from a botched fire drill. A photo of the two of them goes viral. Suddenly Dani finds herself in the middle of a fake relationship with a burly, brooding ex-rugby player whose rough exterior hides a soft, romantic heart. This book is pure fun from start to finish.
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