As 2025 comes to a close, it's time to take a look at what sapphic books are being released in 2026. From cosy sapphic rom-coms to epic WLW fantasy and dark historical fiction, here are 20 of our most anticipated sapphic books coming out in 2026. Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change. To the Death Andrea Tang YA Fantasy Thriller 10 February 2026 Two teens are pitted against each other in a magical duel for revenge, but they’ll have to fight their growing attraction first, in this YA fantasy thriller from the author of These Deadly Prophecies. Eighteen-year-old Samantha Chan wants only one revenge for her brother’s death in an illegal magical duel. Ever since that terrible day, she’s been quietly working with legitimate dueling champion Lysander Rook and biding her time until she can take down her brother’s Mateus Blackwood. Tamsin Blackwood is trapped. She wants to make a name for herself in the magical dueling circuit, but she can’t get away from the legacy of her father - and coach - Mateus Blackwood. When she receives a challenge from the undefeated Lysander and his assistant Sam, she jumps at the chance to earn enough fame and glory to finally escape her father’s influence. How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days Jessie Sylva Cosy Fantasy Rom-Com 20 January 2026 How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a comfort read fantasy romance between a halfling and a goblin: imagine a classic opposites-attract romcom taking place in those cosy scenes in the hobbits' Shire from The Lord of the Rings. Expect magical forests, interfering wizards, lots of home cooking, and maybe even a kiss at the Harvest dance... When a halfling, Pansy, and a goblin, Ren, each think they've inherited the same cottage, they make a bargain: they'll live in the house together and whoever is driven out first forfeits their ownership. Amidst forced proximity and cultural misunderstandings, the two begin to fall in love. But when the cottage - and their communities - are threatened by a common enemy, the duo must learn to trust each other, and convince goblins and halflings to band together to oust the tall intruder. Heaven's Graveyard Grace Curtis Fantasy Mystery & Myth 18 June 2026 Be careful what you pray for... Cod became an archaeologist to chase the ghost of her hero, Aleya Ana-Ulai. History may have written Aleya off as a myth, but Cod is determined to prove she existed, even if it means sifting through relics for the rest of her life. Then a message arrives summoning her home. Cod's former teacher has found something monumental: the ruins of an enchanted city, slumbering beneath the soil. This could be the breakthrough they've always dreamed of. But with war brewing, rival powers circling, and ancient magics stirring underfoot, their discovery soon becomes far more trouble than it's worth. Even Cod starts to wonder if some things are better left buried... Mirrorwoven Bori Cser YA Fantasy Romance 02 July 2026 Del has two rules: Stay away from royalty. Don’t fall in love. The first - because Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her boyfriend, Del flees her family, home and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new heir. With a magically constructed mirrorwoven face, Del is now unrecognisable, and disappears to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato. The second rule – because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unravelled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine. Del’s had enough of love anyway. When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the newly widowed First of Salato, she is resolved to keep her head down. But Clara is naïve and trusts too easily, and soon Del finds herself having to guide Clara through the shoals of court life, somehow without revealing her own secret. We Call Them Witches India-Rose Bower Dystopian Fantasy Horror 22 January 2026 Sara and her family must keep moving. Every few months, they’re discovered, and they have to pack up and get out quick. For the twins, it’s all they’ve ever known, for Danny, Noah and Ma, it’s a reminder of all they’ve lost. For Sara, it’s just another day. In yet another abandoned house, one they surround with Pagan wards - the only thing that protects them - Sara and her family think they might be safe, for a while at least. And then they find a strange girl in the garden. Parsley can’t remember where she came from or how she got here. The family sees only a threat, but Sara sees hope. But outside, they are waiting. The eldritch creatures. The ones they call Witches. The ones who already stole everything. And now, just days after the Parsley arrives, they steal something even more valuable: Noah. It 's time to stop running. It's time to leave the safety of the wards, and try to find Noah in the witches' lair. It's just that no-one has ever done that and come out alive... Immortal Game Allison Saft YA Fantasy Romance 04 August 2026 Every 100 years, a small group of chess players are invited to enter the glittering world of Faerie to compete for the honour of playing the King of the Otherworld himself. Whoever defeats him is granted one wish. Nineteen-year-old Shea Fury intends to be the first to win - it's the only way to win back her sister, who was taken by the king years before. But standing in her way is her longtime rival and faerie princess, Ciara. As the tournament progresses and players start to drop dead at their boards, the two are forced together in an unlikely alliance, if they are to outwit the forces of fae magic and survive until the very last move... A Wild Radiance Maria Ingrande Mora YA Epic Fantasy Romance 12 February 2026 Josephine Haven is about to find out exactly where she fits into the march of Progress. Her outbursts are infamous at the House of Industry, the school for children who can wield radiance, an electricity-like magic. She’s tried to follow the rules, but her fiery nature is at odds with the core tenet of the House: Never form attachments. If she is meant to feel nothing, why are her emotions so volatile? No one is surprised when, upon graduation, Josephine is banished from the city to a remote Mission. In Frostbrook, she must work under standoffish Julian, the former golden boy of the House of Industry who seems determined to watch her fail. And then there’s Ezra, the flirtatious stranger who’s a little too curious about how the Mission operates. But there are bigger problems than Julian and Ezra’s secrets. Hell’s Heart Alexis Hall Science Fiction Horror 10 March 2026 Earth is a ruin, and the scattered remnants of humanity scavenge what they can from the stars under the watchful auspices of a grab-bag of collectives, corporations, and churches which are all that remains of what we once called society. Having long exhausted any conventional sources of energy, life in the solar system is now sustained by a volatile, hallucinogenic substance called spermaceti, which is harvested from the brains of vast cetacean-like Leviathans that swim the atmospheric currents of Jupiter. Finding herself with no money and little to occupy her groundside, the narrator (“I”) takes a commission aboard the hunter-barque Pequod as it sets out in pursuit of precious spermaceti. Once aboard, however, she finds herself pulled inexorably into the orbit of the barque’s captain, a charismatic but fanatically driven woman who the narrator names only as “A”. As the Pequod plunges ever deeper into the turbulent, monster-haunted atmosphere of the gas giant, the narrator begins to lose herself in the eerie word of Leviathan-hunting and the captain’s increasingly insistent delusions; the only thing that might keep her grounded is the bond she develops with Q, a woman from the wreck of Old Earth whose skin is marked with holographic light and who remembers things otherwise lost. Love, Gods & Sinners Camille Chong YA Urban Fantasy Romance 11 June 2026 Set in an alternate futuristic world, where descendants of ancient magical clans don secret identities and do battle on the streets of Singapore, Camille Chong's debut YA novel Love, Gods and Sinners is an action-packed enemies-to-lovers urban fantasy with a sizzling rivals-to-lovers romance at its heart. Harper and Tia are roommates, and interns at the same tech company. They clash, they fight, they flirt. And, under cover of night, the two of them adopt secret identities and head out on missions across the city for their respective magical clans. Tia is the beautiful descendant of the Moon Goddess, and Harper is secretly Raven, the leader-in-waiting of the feared and villainous Foxes. When each is tasked by their clan to kill the other, a deceitful game of cat-and-mouse begins. And Harper and Tia will start to understand that the concepts of right and wrong can be just as complicated - and dangerous - as falling in love. Moss’d in Space Rebecca Thorne Cosy Science Fiction 22 July 2026 Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia’s assessment, it was not “a meteoric sign of stupidity.” Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now... but it’s Torian’s ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex... ah, captain… said. Except Torian’s first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of “stealing” the ship. It’s entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity. One Knight Stand Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner YA Historical Fantasy Romance 04 June 2026 Saddle up your dragons, the ladies are going on tour! The sapphic love story continues in the sequel to joyful medieval romp LADY’S KNIGHT from NYT bestselling duo, Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner. Perfect for fans of Gwen and Art are Not in Love and My Lady Jane. Dearest reader… let me catch you up. Gwen, our lady knight. Isobelle, our knight’s lady. They fight monsters, and they’re in love. Well, they fought one monster, once. And while they are in love, they haven’t discussed that fact with each other, and neither wants to be the first to bring it up. This is going to be fine. This story includes: Seaside mysteries. Brooding redemption arcs. A cursed town. A sea monster. Medieval tourist attractions. An evil sorceress. A crumbling dark tower. Moonlit magical rituals. (Ignore all the tentacles, everything is definitely fine…)  Wayward Souls Susan J. Morris Historical Supernatural Mystery 12 March 2026 Six days before Samhain - the night when the veil between worlds is thinnest - Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, and Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the famed criminal mastermind, are thrown into their next the mysterious disappearance of two Society field agents in Ireland. Only this time, the Royal Society is sending Jakob Van Helsing to keep an eye on them. Sam and Hel may have solved the Paris case, but that doesn’t mean the Society trusts them. Sam has the power to slip into the minds of monsters, and Van Helsing has sworn to kill her at the first sign of corruption. And if Hel can’t prove her father’s existence, she’ll soon go down for his crimes. Their investigation takes them from the crumbling ruins of Ireland’s untamed wilds to the occult societies of the rich and powerful. The connection between the Sam and Hel is electric, but as they fall deeper into each other’s orbit, their secrets only multiply. For Hel, it’s the sins she committed when she was her father’s pawn. For Sam, it’s a plague of death omens, mysterious black feathers, and a siren song no one else can hear. And then comes a chilling revelation that is poised to shatter The agents who disappeared were each haunted by a ghost. And so, it seems, is Sam. Chosen Family Madeline Gray Contemporary Lit-Fic 29 January 2026 At the age of twelve, Nell has accepted that hers will likely be a friendless existence. She's not interested in boys or makeup or competing to see who can eat the least - so fitting in at her all-girls' school feels impossible. But then, a new girl arrives at school. Eve has short hair like a boy's, a wicked sense of humour and an unshakable confidence that she will find her place in the world. And the moment they meet, Nell begins to rethink the whole friendless existence thing. As they grow into themselves, Nell and Eve will love each other and hurt each other - through the chlorine-scented savagery of adolescence; long, drunken nights in share houses and gay bars; the highs and lows of parenthood. And always, despite unspoken feelings and sexual confusion, they will choose each other. Again, and again. As friends, as lovers, as family. The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 3 Sumiko Arai Yuri Manga 15 January 2026 Volume three of Sumino Arai's green uri manga - The Guy She Was Interested in Wan't A Guy At All - is finally out! With Aya’s encouragement and inspiration from a music festival they attend together, Mitsuki begins to pursue her passion for music in earnest! But when a certain video of her singing goes viral on social media, Mitsuki ends up becoming somewhat of a celebrity at school - and her newfound fame brings difficulties for both her and Aya... The Obake Code Makana Yamamoto Cyberpunk Heist Sci-Fi 19 February 2026 It's been three years since the Atlas heist. Malia, aka the Obake, the greatest hacker of all time, was set for life. But being set for life turns out to be pretty boring. But when her new hobby of rigging underground fights lands her in trouble with one of the most dangerous gangs on Kepler Space Station, she's offered a deal: take down the corrupt politician interfering with the gang's business, or it's the end of the road for Malia. Hastily assembling her own crew, it should be easy after the impossible heist of Atlas Industries. But this time the person she's working for is just as bad as the person she's taking down, and there are darker things lurking in the shadows. Things tied to Malia's past. Things that could decide her future. On Sundays She Picked Flowers Yah Yah Scholfield Gothic Horror 29 January 2026 When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she’d severed her abusive mother’s hold on her. She didn’t have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own. Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, Jude blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer. But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline. Red And The Wolves Cherry Zong Dark Fantasy Retelling 12 February 2026 For lovers of Through the Woods, Blackwater, and Squad, comes a dark, sapphic retelling of a classic tale. Red , a fiercely loyal hunter, has dedicated her life to protecting her witch Grand Mother. Monsters have been roaming the forest that they call home, bringing forth a mysterious illness that has devastated the land and chased every living soul away. Until Red stumbles upon an injured wolf-girl named Sil. Red is cautiously optimistic to befriend someone new, but the more their relationship deepens, the more she begins to uncover the sinister truths behind everything she’s ever known. Red must make the difficult decision of who to defend, before catastrophe consumes them all. This graphic novel that's an apocalyptic fantasy meets queer love story turns the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairytale on its head. Intergalactic Feast Lavanya Lakshminarayan Adult Foodie Sci-Fi 12 March 2026 It has been three months since Saraswati Kaveri and Serenity Ko won Interstellar MegaChef with their groundbreaking new food simulation, Feast. But victory is only the beginning. Saras is busy promoting their invention as the public face of Feast, while Ko keeps fighting battles to steer its development at XP Inc. And then there’s the kiss. They’ve decided to just be friends for now, at least until the sim’s impending launch, but the memory of that heady night hangs over them. And sometimes it seems the whole galaxy is lined up against them. Saraswati’s secret past is coming under scrutiny, while old rivals are running smear campaigns against her. The cookery world is divided over Feast, proclaiming it a bold new invention and a betrayal of the chef’s art by turns. And others see Feast’s darker potential - not as an experience, but as a weapon... Bridget and Gabe Are Not Okay Lex Croucher YA Historical Fiction/Romance 13 August 2026 It should have been happily ever after. But now, Camelot’s famous couples have fallen apart. Newly crowned King Gabriel is having panic attacks in cupboards in between council meetings. He can't tell Arthur just how not okay he is - so he's set him free, to find love with someone who can get through the day without breaking down. Bridget has lost her spark for sparring, forfeiting again and again in the lists. When she’s invited to join Gabriel's round table, she hopes it’ll be the change she needs. But trying to navigate the post-happily-ever-after reality of a relationship with Gwen, when Bridget no longer feels like the dashing knight Gwen fell in love with, feels impossible. With the kingdom still reeling from an attempted uprising, and rumoured sightings of the holy grail, the questing beast and the green knight happening across the country, the gang depart on a PR tour destined for disaster. Can Gabriel be the king his country deserves? Can Bridget get her jousting groove back? And will they find their way back to the courtly love that once seemed fated? Get Over It, April Evans Ashley Herring Blake Adult Romance 30 February 2026 April Evans' life is in shambles. Her tattoo shop has just closed, she has no money and her love life? Non-existent - ever since her ex-fiancée left her for a younger woman three years ago. When she's asked to teach a summer art class at the town's new resort, April jumps at the opportunity. She's sure that this is the silver lining she needs... until she meets her cabinmate: Daphne Love, the woman who stole her ex. And even worse, it's clear Daphne has no idea who April is. Daphne Love is cursed in, well, love. She thought she'd found the unconditional love she craved in her ex-girlfriend, but now she's single again and utterly broken-hearted. When her friend hooks her up with a summer gig as an art instructor at a swanky resort, Daphne feels optimistic for once. If only she had a roommate who didn't seem to hate her on sight. But slowly, barriers begin to fall, and an inexplicable allure keeps drawing April and Daphne closer, leaving them to wonder if the perfect picture they're looking for can only be painted with each other. Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

This month we're taking a look at queer fantasy books and graphic novels perfect for lovers of Dungeons and Dragons and TTRPGs. Gather your party, take a long rest and make sure you've replenished your spell slots, it's time for an adventure! Here are 12 of the best LGBTQ+ books for DnD nerds: 1. The Unspoken Name Age rating: 17+ The Unspoken Name is an action-packed adult fantasy novel with a full cast of LGBT characters: a lesbian orc warrior, a badass sapphic mage and queer side characters with a slow-burn F/F romance. An immersive fantasy about fate, sacrifice and power. ( Book 2 of the series was released earlier this year). - Escapist fantasy - Lesbian orcs and sapphic mages - Queer found Family Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/the-unspoken-name 2. A Dark And Hollow Star Age rating: 17+ A Dark and Hollow Star is the first in a series of extremely queer high fantasy novels that follow a cast of lesbian, gay, bisexual, genderfluid, pansexual and questioning teens as they band together to find a seriel killer and save both the faerie and human worlds from destruction. ( Book 2 is out now). - Faeries, fantasy, and gays - Find the killer, save the world - Immortal-trapped-in-teenage-body Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/a-dark-and-hollow-star 3. Legends & Lattes Age rating: 17+ Legends and Lattes is a queer and cosy high fantasy novel with low stakes, a double-shot of self-reinvention and a very sweet, slow-burn sapphic romance. The book follows Viv, an orc barbarian, tired of the warrior life as she decides to open a coffee shop in the town of Thune. A heartwarming and lovable character-driven story about coffee and found family. - Cosy coffee shop romance - Fantasy slice-of-life novel - Orc meets succubus 💕 Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/legends-lattes 4. The Adventure Zone Age rating: 15+ The Adventure Zone is role-playing adventure graphic novel series based on the hit podcast of the same name. Follow Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior as they're guided by their snarky DM on an adventure they're REALLY not ready for. - Ambigously German warlocks - Fire wolves - "Abraca- Fuck you!" Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/the-adventure-zone-here-there-be-gerblins 5. WYND Age rating: 12+ WYND is a magical queer YA high fantasy adventure comic with achillean main characters by James Tynion IV. The graphic novel follows Wynd, a teenager growing up in a town where magic is illegal and is forced to hide his pointy ears for fear of being hunted down and killed by order of the king. - High fantasy comic - Gay protagonist - Secret hidden magic Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/wynd-book-one-flight-of-the-prince 6. Master Of One Age rating: 14+ Master of one is a fast-paced and funny YA fantasy adventure with an Achillean fae/thief slow-burn romance. The book follows Rags, a thief who is one day caught by the Queensguard and forced to find an ancient fae relic for a sadistic royal sorcerer. Indiana Jones meets Six Of Crows. - Handsome fae prince - Dumbass with a heart of gold - Slow-burn queer romance Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/master-of-one 7. Rat Queens Age rating: 16+ Rat Queens is a lighthearted fantasy adventure series of graphic novels following a group of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire as they fight, drink and screw their way through a series of quests and kill anyone who gets in their way. - Queer fantasy adventure series - Mages and clerics and fighters, oh my! - Murder hobos for hire Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/rat-queens-volume-1-sass-sorcery 8. Not Good For Maidens Age rating: 16+ Not good For Maidens is a dark, mysterious and often gruesome YA fantasy horror with an ace protagonist and LGBTQ+ representation throughout. It's a book about an ancient labyrinth-like goblin market, bargains gone wrong, and the feeling like you don't belong... also sapphic witches - Goblin markets - Two stories 17 years apart - Dark and gory queer YA horror Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/not-good-for-maidens 9. They Came To Slay: Queer Culture of DnD Age rating: 17+ They Came to Slay is a queer non-fiction book about the history of Dungeons & Dragons within queer culture, and how the game became such a powerful mechanic for queer people. The book examines how DnD allows queer people to explore how they want to lead their lives in real and imagined worlds alike. - Queer non-fiction - Dungeons & Dragons but make it gay - Exploration of identity Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/they-came-to-slay 10. Nimona Age rating: 12+ Nimona is a queer YA fantasy adventure graphic novel following a young, badass shapeshifter named Nimona . Along with Lord Ballister Blackheart (a villain with a vendetta), this duo are about to wreak some serious havoc and prove to the kingdom that the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics isn't as heroic as everyone may think. - Villains vs heroes - Shapeshifting badass - ND Stevenson is a genius Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/nimona 11. The Shadow Glass Age rating: 17+ The Shadow Glass is an 80s-inspired urban fantasy adventure novel set in modern-day London - perfect for fans of books like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. After a freak storm, the puppets are alive... and they're looking for the shadow glass. It's a fast-paced, exhilarating novel filled with puppets, peril and paladins. - Modern-day Dark Crystal - 80s-inspired fantasy adventure - Gay sidekick Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/the-shadow-glass 12. Real Hero Shit Age rating: 18+ Real Hero Shit is a fast-paced and funny fantasy adventure comic book following an adventuring party of LGBT heroes. Prince Eugene has decided that he wants to be a hero, but after joining a mysterious rogue, an angsty mage and a beefy nonbinary cleric on their quest, he starts to realise that this hero stuff isn't quite what he had expected. - Pansexual teifling prince - Dysfunctional adventuring party - Flirty and fun Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/real-hero-shit Want to write about queer nerdy stuff? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk ✌

Not sure what to get your queer friends as a gift this Christmas? No problem, we've put together a quick little list of queer Christmas present ideas to give you some inspiration. All the items listed below come from small, queer-owned businesses, and most are located locally here in the UK. Screw Amazon, shop small this Christmas. BEN SAUNDERS ART Ceramics, magazines, prints & cards. Website: bensaundersart.co.uk Instagram: @ bensaunders.art MARK GLASGOW Queer prints, caps & t-shirts. Website: markglasgow.co.uk Instagram: @markglasgowillustration BEE ILLUSTRATES Prints, zines, cards & clothes. Website: beeillustrates.co.uk Instagram: @beeillustrates FLOWERS FOR ROADKILL T-shirts, stickers, oddities & totes. Website: flowersforroadkill.bigcartel.com Instagram: @flowersforroadkill TOMMY PANG ILLUSTRATION Prints, apparel, cards & calligraphy. Website: tommy-pang-illustration.sumupstore.com Instagram: @tommypangillo OCCULT TRASH Clothes, prints, badges & pins. Website: occulttrash.com Instagram: @occulttrash KINKSTER COMFORTS Apparel, keyrings, stickers, and cards. Website : kinkstercomforts.co.uk Instagram: @kinkstercomforts BOE STUDIOS Prints, stickers, apparel & accessories. Website: boestudios.co.uk Instagram: @boestudio.s PROUD GEEK BOOKSHOP Books, graphic novels & manga. Website: proud-geek.co.uk Instagram: @proudgeekbookshop SNITCHES GET STITCHES Framed embroidery, bracelets & embroidery kits Website: etsy.com/shop/snitchesgetstore Instagram: @snitch__stitch ABPRALLEN Pins, Stickers, patches & prints. Website: abprallen.co.uk Instagram: @abprallenuk LEFTBIANS Necklaces, earrings, chains & art prints Website: leftbians.com Instagram: @leftbians HARDWEAR UK Chains, jewelry, kink-wear & apparel. Website: hardwearuk.com Instagram: @mrsethcorbin FREDDE LANKA Books, pins & apparel. Website: freddelanka.bigcartel.com Instagram: @freddelanka EMMA OOSTERHOUS Prints & comics. Website: emmaoosterhous.bigcartel.com Instagram: @eoosterhous LAUREN MCNICOLL Ceramic bodies, vases & crockery. Website: laurenmcnicoll.com KABO CLOTHING Sustainable fashion, hats, clothes & accessories. Website: kaboclothing.co.uk Instagram: @kaboclothing CRAFTY ROBIN STUDIOS Prints, stickers & accessories. Website: etsy.com/shop/CraftyRobinStudios Instagram: @crafty_robin_studios MONAGHAN MORI Rings, necklaces & jewellery Website: monaghanmori.com Instagram: @monaghanmori ROBIN WHALLEY (deathbycatboy) Art prints, stickers & commissions Website: etsy.com/uk/shop/deathbycatboy Instagram: @deathbycatboy Loo k ing for other ways to support queer businesses this festive season? Go check out our list of queer events, markets and festivals here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/post/queer-festivals-markets-and-conventions-uk or check out the other blog posts below.

It's that time of year again when all you want to do is snuggle up next to a fire with a hot chocolate and a good Hallmark-style romance. From sapphic longing to bisexual fake dating and festive meet-cutes, here are ten of our favourite queer holiday rom-coms that are worth a read this winter: The Christmas Swap Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ It's the perfect Christmas love story. Margot Murray is a newly single, high-flying businesswoman with no interest in a cutesy seasonal romance. Ben Gibson is an unlucky-in-love sweetheart in need of a woman to bring home for the holidays. Together, they make a pact: Margot gets two blissful weeks away from London in a picture-perfect manor, in exchange for posing as Ben's girlfriend. The story can only go one way. Margot is sure to fall in love for real. And she does. With Ben's sister, Ellie. Look Up Handsome Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Men Reading Age: 17+ Hay-on-Wye’s only queer bookshop is always a hive of activity. So when it’s threatened with closure, its owner Quinn Oxford is determined to do whatever it takes to save his beloved shop. That is until romantic novelist Noah Sage arrives in town. Gorgeous, brooding and clearly unhappy to be there, Noah is the distraction Quinn doesn’t need. Noah has a history with Hay and it’s one he’d rather not face. But when the snow leaves him stranded, he’s left with no choice. Hay is a small town, meaning Quinn can’t help but bump into Noah wherever he goes. And as the two grow closer together, is it possible that Noah’s feelings towards Hay will thaw? Can Quinn have a real-life romance and save his beloved bookshop, or will he need a Christmas miracle? Season Of Love Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Miriam Blum has no choice but to face the past she thought she’d left behind when she inherits her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm in this witty, glittering, heart-filled romcom. Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row - until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm. But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager—as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first. I'll Be Gone For Christmas Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still - especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs. Clover Mills has had a year. Between losing her mother and making the complicated decision to leave her fiancé, sticking around the idyllic Christmas-obsessed town of Salem, Ohio, just doesn’t feel right. So when she hears about Vacate, she jumps at the chance to spend the holidays in the unfamiliar city of San Francisco. Soon enough, Bee is living in Clover’s cozy Salem cottage, and Clover is living in Bee’s sleek San Francisco apartment. As Clover can’t seem to stop running into Bee’s frustratingly gorgeous sister, Beth, and Bee finds herself spending more and more time with Clover’s ultra-charming ex-fiancé, Knox, the two women realize that this Christmas they may find just what they were looking for and more… Make The Season Bright Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Two exes find themselves stuck at the same house for Christmas in this holiday romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn't Date. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado - it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet's upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane's sister Adele also brought a friend home - and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton. All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas - and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she's stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers - which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele's mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. How To Excavate A Heart Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 14+ Kelly Quindlen meets Casey McQuiston in this sapphic Jewish twist on the classic Christmas enemies-to-lovers rom-com, as college freshman Shani’s internship is interrupted by a whirlwind winter fling. Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani’s plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her monthlong paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break... It could be going better. But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May’s path, the fossils she’s meant to be diligently studying are pushed to the side—along with the breakup. Kiss Her Once For Me Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Demisexual Women, Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Daring, witty, and strange, the twelve stories in Large Animals confront what it means to have a body. Jess Arndt's often-unnamed narrators battle with inhabiting a form that makes them feel both deeply uncomfortable and detached, constantly challenging the limits of gender and reality as they try to connect with other people and with themselves. These are stories that rebel against accepted ideas of human identity and present a new normal that is as ambiguous as it is messy. Soupy, visceral, and often disconcerting, Large Animals sets a new standard for language, challenging our concepts of gender and body in a way that feels radical, insightful, and incredibly relevant. Under the Mistletoe with You Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Men, Tran Men Reading Age: 18+ Ready to spend a quiet Christmas with his nearest and dearest, Christopher has closed up shop in his bakery, he's wrapped up and packed up his presents, and he's found someone to stay in his flat over the festive period. Everything is under control. That is until the mysterious person he's rented his flat to turns out to be none other than Nash Nadeau, an actor - and the star of all Christopher's favourite Christmas movies. For Nash, this Christmas was a chance to escape Hollywood, to go to a small town and hide away, alone, in a place where no one knows who he is. But when a huge snowstorm hits, the whole country grinds to a halt. There's no way Christopher is leaving, and there's nowhere else for Nash to stay. The two of them are just going to have to weather this together, snowed in for Christmas... Make You Mine This Christmas Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ After a year from hell, Haf is ready to blow off steam at a Christmas party: a kind stranger, a few too many drinks and suddenly she's kissing Christopher under the mistletoe - in front of his ex-girlfriend. The next day the news is out that they're apparently a couple, madly in love and coming to Oxlea to spend the festive season with Christopher's family. But Haf doesn't have better holiday plans and to save her new friend from embarrassment, she agrees to pretend to be Christopher's girlfriend for Christmas. It has the makings of a hilarious anecdote they'll be telling for years. Until Haf meets Christopher's sister: the mysterious, magnetic and utterly irresistible Kit. Maybe love was waiting for Haf in this quiet little town all along . . . The Merriest Misters Holiday Rom-Com - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Men Reading Age: 18+ Patrick Hargrave and Quinn Muller have been married for less than a year, but their passionate romance is cracking under the pressures of domestic life and a cumbersome mortgage. That's until Christmas Eve when Patrick wakes Quinn up 'I think I've killed a man.' Quinn realizes the 'burglar' Patrick knocked out is none other than Mr. Claus himself. Instructed by a harried elf to don the red suit and take the reins of the reindeer-guided sleigh up on the roof, Quinn and Patrick work together to save Christmas. But as the sun rises on Christmas morning, the sleigh brings them back to the North Pole instead of New Jersey, and they're in for a massive shock. The couple must assume the roles of Santa Claus and the first ever Merriest Mister or Christmas will be cancelled... permanently. Bonus: Young Men In Love Romance Anthology - Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Queer Men Reading Age: 18+ Sure, it's an anthology with a whole bunch of different stories, but it's worth an honourable mention in this list of holiday romcoms just for Hamish Steele's contribution of 'Big Man' alone. Young Men In Love is a n original graphic novel anthology of queer male romances by a host of amazing queer male (cis/trans) creators. Haphazard pirates, wayward ghosts, holiday romances, dashing knights, rampaging kaiju and down-to-earth regular joes are all assembled here to amaze and delight you in a wildly unique anthology celebrating love between men, from an astounding array of comics creators who know exactly how it feels.  Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekBookshop  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

This week we're taking a look at queer books that focus on queer criminals. From gay victorian grave robbers to asexual assassins, queer con artists and criminal mob bosses, here are 12 LGBTQ+ books with a focus on being gay and doing crime. Note: Some of these books tackle difficult themes - please check trigger warnings before reading these books. The Butterfly Assassin Finn Longman Dark YA Thriller Queer Rep: Asexual Women Innocent by day, killer by night: a dark, twisting thriller about a teen assassin’s attempt to live a normal life. Trained and traumatised by a secret assassin programme for minors, Isabel Ryans wants nothing more than to be a normal civilian. After running away from home, she has a new name, a new life and a new friend, Emma, and for the first time in Isabel’s life, things are looking up. But old habits die hard, and it’s not long until she blows her cover, drawing the attention of the guilds – the two rival organisations who control the city of Espera. An unaffiliated killer like Isabel is either a potential asset... or a threat to be eliminated. Be Gay, Do Crime Edited By Molly Llewellyn & Kristel Buckley Short Stories/Anthology Queer Rep: Queer Women, Trans Women, Queer Cast In sixteen brilliant, wild-eyed stories, Be Gay, Do Crime delivers a celebration and reckoning of why queer people turn to crime - be it unintentionally, as a means of survival, as protest, as rescue, or to right injustices big and small. A trans woman makes increasingly frequent hoax calls to a business where she's had a negative experience, watching the consequences with perverse joy. A group of aging queers turns to bank robbery to stop the sale of their bungalow complex to a development company. As the president prepares to give a speech, two women lurk among the journalists, ready to shoot him. And an aspiring author takes to stealing items from strangers’ homes in a kind of cosmic redistribution each time one of her relationships fail. The Resurrectionist A. Rae Dunlap Historical Thriller/Horror Queer Rep: Queer Men Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in this queer gothic thriller about 19th century gay grave robbers in 19th century Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires - except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves - but it doesn’t take long for James to realize he’s made a devil’s bargain... Nye is a body snatcher. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice. Lady Eve's Last Con Rebecca Fraimow Sci-Fi Rom-Com Queer Rep: Queer Women Ruth Johnson and her sister Jules have been small-time hustlers on the interstellar cruise lines for years. But then Jules fell in love with one of their targets, Esteban Mendez-Yuki, sole heir to the family insurance fortune. Esteban seemed to love her too, until she told him who she really was, at which point he fled without a word. Now Ruth is set on disguising herself as provincial debutante Evelyn Ojukwu and set for the swanky satellite New Monte, she’s going to make Esteban fall in love with her, then break his heart and take half his fortune. At least, that's the plan. But Ruth hadn't accounted for his younger sister, Sol, a brilliant mind in a dashing suit... and much harder to fool. Sol is hot on Ruth's tail, and as the two women learn each other’s tricks, Ruth must decide between going after the money and going after her heart. The Girls I've Been Tess Sharpe YA Thriller Queer Rep: Bisexual Women Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape . For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems: #1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris. #2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because: #3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it. The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage… Icarus K. Ancrum YA Crime Mystery/Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men, Instersex Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man - the wealthy Mr. Black - has been their target, revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people and feelings at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught. Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black, but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous—a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules. As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the bars of the gilded cage that has trapped both of their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. Aces Wild Amanda Dewitt YA Crime Fiction Queer Rep: Asexual Cast Some people join chess club, some people play football. Jack Shannon runs a secret blackjack ring in his private school’s basement. What else is the son of a Las Vegas casino mogul supposed to do? Everything starts falling apart when Jack’s mom is arrested for their family’s ties to organized crime. His sister Beth thinks this is the Shannon family’s chance to finally go straight, but Jack knows that something’s not right. His mom was sold out by Peter Carlevaro: rival casino owner and jilted lover. Gross. Jack hatches a plan to find out what Carlevaro’s holding over his mom’s head, but he can’t do it alone. He recruits his closest friends - the asexual support group he met through fandom forums. Now all he has to do is infiltrate a high-stakes gambling club and dodge dark family secrets, while hopelessly navigating what it means to be in love while asexual. Easy, right? The Great Orchid Heist Eleanor Vendrell Adult Rom-Com Queer Rep: Queer Women Phil, never Philippa, is getting to breaking point with her dad and their mounting debts from his gambling addiction. So when best friend and bad influence Chaz offers a solution to all of her worries, she knows she will do what it takes. When that solution turns out to be a heist of a rare Orchid due to bloom for the first time in captivity, she obviously thinks he's joking. But Phil's mission is to infiltrate the renowned Felborough Botanic Gardens as a volunteer, befriend the employees for intel, and on the big day make it out with the Orchid. But falling head over heels for Lily, the grumpy head gardener's assistant was not part of the plan, and as the heist approaches, Phil is faced with a steal the orchid and break Lily's heart or lose her house to her dad's gambling problem. Mobsters In Love Chiyoko Origami BL Manga Queer Rep: Queer Men A wholesome Boys Love rom-com between a handsome but oblivious mob boss and his young, simplehearted but moody second-in-command! Akihiro Kashima is the right-hand man of the Sawatari mob, and he has a secret. He’s been hopelessly in love for years—with his boss! As a trusted subordinate, he’s subject to the head honcho’s unintended acts of seduction. But with Akihiro’s position in the group at stake, he couldn’t possibly reveal the infatuation that plagues him. Stuck between duty and his feelings, something’s gotta give! Hammajang Luck Makana Yamamoto Sci-Fi Fantasy Queer Rep: Agender Lesbian, Queer Women Edie is done with crime. Eight years behind bars changes a person - costs them too much time with too many of the people who need them most. And it's all Angel's fault. She sold Edie out in what should have been the greatest moment of their lives. Instead, Edie was shipped off to the icy prison planet spinning far below the soaring skybridges and neon catacombs of Kepler space station - of home - to spend the best part of a decade alone. But then a chance for early parole appears out of nowhere and Edie steps into the pallid sunlight to find none other than Angel waiting - and she has an offer. One last job. One last deal. One last target. The trillionaire tech god they failed to bring down last time. The Dangerous Convenience Store 945 BL Manhwa Queer Rep: Queer Men This hit Boys' Love webtoon/manhwa (comic) is coming to print in English for the first a full-color and Mature-rated romantic comedy about a convenience store part-timer and a handsome gangster! Yeo Eui-joon needs cash, so he works part-time at a convenience store--where the clientele includes hoodlums and mobsters. He's tired of being yelled at while ringing up booze and trying to talk his way out of extortion, but he's not tired of seeing a certain good-looking gangster walk in the door. Gunwoo is huge, gruff, and intimidating at first... but he seems to care about Eui-joon's well-being, and is quick to knock aside anyone giving Eui-joon a hard time. After Eui-joon gets a peek at the enormous condom size Gunwoo buys, a little spark of attraction might just grow into a big, fiery love story! Lord Of The Empty Isles Jules Arbeaux Sci-Fi Fantasy Queer Rep: Aro/Ace Spec, Gender Non-Conformaing, Queerplatonic Thousands of lives in the balance. Five years ago, interstellar pirate Idrian Delaciel ordered a withering - a death curse - cast on Remy's brother, costing him his life. Now, Remy is ready to return the favour. Only when he casts the withering, it also rebounds onto him. The implications are unthinkable - that Remy is fatebound to his brother's killer. The only way to slow the curse is to close the distance between them, so Remy infiltrates Idrian's criminal crew, hiding his identity as the witherer. But Remy quickly learns that Idrian is the sole provider of life-saving supplies to thousands of innocents. And if he dies, they will perish with him. With more at stake now than just revenge, Remy must find a way to break the curse. Do you have a book recommendation you'd add to this list? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

BE GAY, SOLVE CRIME! This week, we're taking a look at LGBTQ+ detective novels. From queer murder mysteries to gay detectives, supernatural crime agencies and lesbian private investigators, here are 10 LGBTQ+ books about queer detectives solving crime. Note: Some of these books tackle difficult themes - please check trigger warnings before reading these books. Beneath The Streets (Book 1) Adam Macqueen Historical Fiction/Thriller Queer Rep: Queer Men, Queer Cast When Jeremy Thorpe hired thugs to kill his ex-lover, they botched it. What if they had succeeded? It is February 1976, and the naked corpse of a shockingly underage rent boy is fished out of a pond on Hampstead Heath. Since the police don't seem to care, twenty-year-old Tommy Wildeblood - himself a former 'Dilly boy' prostitute - finds himself investigating. Dodging murderous Soho hoodlums and the agents of a more sinister power, Tommy uncovers another, even more shocking crime: the Liberal leader and likely next Home Secretary, Jeremy Thorpe, has had his former male lover executed on Exmoor and got clean away with it. The Undetectables (Book 1) Courtney Smyth Paranormal Murder Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Women, Queer Men A magical serial killer is stalking the Occult town of Wrackton. Hypnotic whistling causes victims to chew their own tongues off, leading to the killer being dubbed the Whistler (original, right?). But outside the lack of taste buds and the strange magical carvings on the victims’ torsos, the murderer leaves no evidence. Enter the Undetectables, a detective agency run by three witches and a ghost in a cat costume (don’t ask). They are hired to investigate the murders, but with their only case so far left unsolved, will they be up to the task? Mallory, the forensic science expert, is struggling with pain and fatigue from her recently diagnosed fibromyalgia. Cornelia, the team member most likely to go rogue and punch a police officer, is suddenly stirring all sorts of feelings in Mallory. Diana, the social butterfly of the group, is hitting up all of her ex-girlfriends for information. And not forgetting ghostly Theodore – deceased, dramatic, and also the agency’s first dead body and unsolved murder case. Killing Jericho (Book 1) William Hussey Crime Thriller/Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Men Fresh out of prison, former Detective Constable Scott Jericho is a desperate man. Disgraced and penniless after his assault on a violent suspect, he is forced to seek refuge with the fairground family he once rejected. Now, troubled by his failure, Jericho’s brilliant mind stagnates. That is until a series of bizarre murders reawaken his interest. Men and women with no obvious link to each other are being ritualistically slaughtered. Slaughtered in ways that recall an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair. Now, in a race against time, he must unpick the threads of a baffling mystery. But as his investigation unfolds and the corpses pile up, a shocking truth awaits him. A revelation that will test not only Jericho’s intellect but challenge the very core of his morality... Bianca Torre Is Afraid Of Everything Justine Pucella Winans Campy YA Mystery Thriller Queer Rep: Non-Binary A campy YA thriller about an anxious, introverted nonbinary teen birder who somehow finds themself solving a murder mystery with their neighbor/fellow anime lover, all while falling for a cute girl from their birding group... and trying not to get murdered. Sixteen-year-old Bianca Torre is an avid birder undergoing a gender identity crisis and grappling with an ever-growing list of fears. When their gaze wanders from the birds to one particular window across the street, Bianca witnesses a creepy plague-masked murderer take their neighbor’s life. Worse, the death is ruled a suicide, forcing Bianca to make a choice - succumb to their long list of fears or investigate what happened. Bianca enlists the help of their friend Anderson Coleman, but the two have more knowledge of anime than true crime. As Bianca and Anderson dig deeper into the murder with a little help from Bianca’s crush and fellow birding aficionado, Elaine Yee, the trio uncovers a conspiracy much larger than imagined. Bone Horn Prudence Bussey-Chamberlain Lesbian Detective Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Women A newly registered Private Investigator attempts to track down Alice B. Toklas’s reputed horn in this smart, hilarious, sexy, and deeply poignant detective novel. Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas are the most famous married couple of Modernism, icons of literary queer history. But what if Alice had a secret? What if, underneath her thickly cultivated fringe and low brimmed hats, there was something sinister growing? What if, as Picasso claimed, Alice B. Toklas really did have a horn? This is what the mysterious voice on the phone is asking of her. And she’s in no position to hang up; a newly registered Private Investigator, she recently walked away from an exploitative job in academia, is bereaved following the sudden death of her partner, and has a kid to support. The case sounds ridiculous, but she needs the money. Have You Seen This Girl Nita Tynall YA Mystery Thriller Queer Rep: Non-Binary A standalone YA thriller following a nonbinary teen investigating a series of copycat murders targeting girls in their small town murders based on their serial killer dad's MO. Another girl has gone missing in Cardinal Creek. Sid knows their dad didn't do it - this time. He's currently serving a life sentence for the five girls he murdered ten years ago. Girls whose bodies he dumped into the lake. The same lake where June Hargrove was just found. And while Sid's dad couldn't have done it, suspicion is now directed at Sid. The only person who doesn't suspect Sid is the new girl, Mavis - as long as Sid doesn't let her find out about their past. But Sid has another secret: They're being haunted by the ghosts of the five girls their father killed. Except now there are six. And unlike the others, June isn't content to just whisper in Sid's ear. She wants them to find out who's killing again, especially as another girl goes missing. Strange Beasts Susan J Morris Historical Supernatural Mystery Queer Rep: Queer Women At the dawn of the twentieth century in Paris, Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, works as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. But no one realizes how abnormal she is. Sam is a channel into the minds of monsters. Sam finds herself assigned to a case with Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the criminal mastermind and famed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes and a notorious detective whom no one wants to work with on account of her previous partners’ mysterious murders. Ranging from the elite clubs of Paris to the dark underbelly of the catacombs, their investigation sweeps them into a race to stop a beast from its killing rampage, as Hel and Sam are pitted against men, monsters, and even each other. But beneath their tenuous trust, an unmistakable attraction brews. Is trusting Hel the key to solving the murder, or is Sam yet another pawn in Hel’s game? One Killer Problem Justine Pucella Winans YA Mystery Thriller/Dark Comedy Queer Rep: Queer Women When Gianna "Gigi" Ricci lands in detention again, she doesn't expect the glorified study hall to be her alibi. But when she and her friends receive a mysterious email directing them to her favorite teacher, Mr. Ford's room, they find him lying in a pool of blood. But calling the math teacher's death an accident doesn't add up, and Gigi needs all the help she can get to find the truth. Luckily, she's friends with her high school's "mystery club," and so with her best friend, Sean, and longtime crush, Mari, Gigi sets out to solve a murder. But it turns out, murderers are extremely unwilling to be caught, and the deeper Gigi gets in this mystery, the more dangerous things become. Between fending off a murderer, continual flare-ups of her IBS, and her archnemesis turning flirtatious... making it out of junior year is going to be one killer problem. Flat 401 Kingsley Pearson Psychological Thriller Queer Rep: Queer Men A mixed-race gay man imprisoned for a crime he falsely confessed to is blackmailed about the crime he actually committed. All Jay wants is to start again, to set himself up in a small, quiet town where no one knows him. Because here, no one will let him forget what they think he did the day his neighbour died in Flat 401. He just needs to keep doing what he's always done: treat people with kindness and respect, and try to stay out of trouble. But when a threatening note makes its way into the hostel, he's forced to call home - Everyone is going to know what you really did - his hope for a fresh start begins to crumble. Jay fears that the secret he's fought so hard to hide, that he went to prison to protect, might finally come out. How far is he willing to go to keep his freedom alive? And with a shadowy figure from his past tracking Jay's every move, perhaps it's not just his freedom Jay should be worried about being taken from him, but his life... Murder In The Dressing Room Holly Stars Murder Mystery Queer Rep: Non-Binary By day, shy hotel accountant Joe hides behind their desk and plays by the rules. By night, Joe takes to the stage as Misty Divine, an upcoming star of the London drag scene. But when Misty’s mentor, Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room, Misty finds herself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Because Lady Lady was murdered – and as the only ones with access to her room, Misty and her fellow performers quickly become prime suspects. Heartbroken by the loss, and frustrated by the inaction of the police, Joe is determined to uncover the killer in their midst. But what can they, a mere hotel accountant, possibly do? This is a case for Misty Divine… Do you have a book recommendation you'd add to this list? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

It's Pride Month once again, a time to support and celebrate LGBTQ+ creatives, businesses and artists. From queer TTRPGs to slutty playing card decks and must-read pride anthologies, here are a small list of LGBTQ+ Kickstarter campaigns that you can back right now: Wrath Month | Queer Rage Anthology Wrath Month is the book of queer rage. There's a lot of reasons to be angry right now, so we're smashing into Pride 2025 with a gang of radical queer writers and a brand new anthology. We're channeling our fury into a new collection of biting, blood-splattered stories at the cutting edge of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. It's time to kick down the doors of convention and release: vengeful lesbian witches, antifascist mutants, transfem superheroes and a whole lot more. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bonabooks/wrath-month-an-anthology-of-queer-sff Beneath The Blossom Tree | Queer & Cozy Fantasy Novel Beneath the Blossom Tree is a queer and cozy fantasy story. It’s perfect to read on a beautiful, sunny day (which are always great for reading). If you like books like Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, you'll probably like this story too! Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/everafterprint/beneath-the-blossom-tree-a-queer-and-cozy-fantasy-novel Jim Queen and the Quest for Chloroqueer | Animated Film Jin Queen In Search Of The Chloroqueer is a glittery queer french animated film project that celebrates the gay community in all its glory. From Twinks to Bears, from Fetishists to Puppies, prepare to dive into an epic world populated by likes, butts, and love. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bobbypills/jim-queen Real Hero Shit Book 2 by Kendra Wells | Graphic Novel Returning readers will love this volume’s explorations of each character’s history and personality, but it won’t leave new readers out in the cold! Don't be afraid to dive right into Book Two’s funny, sexy, and accident-prone characters and their ridiculous hijinks in this fantasy adventure steeped in heartfelt snark. Above all, Real Hero Shit: Harder Than It Looks  is a story driven by the journey of discovery, reminiscent of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and it’s perfect for readers who prefer imperfect heroes who make mistakes along the way. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/real-hero-shit-book-2-harder-than-it-looks-by-kendra-wells Second Puberty: Strange New Places | Queer Music Strange New Places are a Belfast-based queer power-punk band and they're looking for help to press their queerpunk debut album, Second Puberty , to vinyl! They've been working on the album for the past five years and they're incredibly proud of it, but making vinyl isn't cheap and they need a hand to cover the initial outlay of printing. "We want it to be available on vinyl, not just for us, but for everyone who values the sound, the ritual, and the art of Big Plastic Discs of sound." £1000 would get them to a point where they can cover the rest. ( Check out their Spotify HERE ) Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/strangenewplaces/second-puberty-strange-new-placess-debut-album Aces and Aros | Asexual & Aromantic Comic Book Anthology From the publisher that brought you Transphoria, Bi Visibility, and Hairology comes Aces & Aros: An Asexual and Aromantic Comic Book Anthology ! Aces & Aros Vol. 1 is a 100-page GRAPHIC NOVEL that collects twenty-one (21) brand new short stories about Asexual- and Aromantic-spectrum experiences! Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/aces-and-aros-an-asexual-and-aromantic-comic-book-anthology Queer Rainbow Window Sticker | Sticker A stained glass style rainbow reflecting window sticker that is easy to remove and reposition. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hagstone/queer-rainbow-window-sticker Be Gay, Do Crime | History of Queer Resistance Sometimes it pays to be gay and do crime! As communities are boldly rising to challenge capitalism, white supremacy, and authoritarianism, Be Gay, Do Crime: Everyday Acts of Queer Resistance and Rebellion   is your ultimate guide to LGBTQ+ resilience and rebellion. Packed with hundreds of snapshots of radical queer history, this book celebrates the bold, the brave, and the beautifully defiant moments that have shaped the fight for justice. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrkclasshistory/be-gay-do-crime-a-history-of-queer-resistance Club of Queens: Second Edition | Queer Playing Cards This isn't your grandma's deck of cards... well, not yet! It's a celebration of queer culture, kink, drag, and joy. All 54 cards and the box were illustrated by Rory Midhani, a trans*, Berlin-based multimedia artist. Each suit struts: ♣️ Clubs in Clubwear ♦️ Diamonds in drag ♠️ Spades in Leather ♥️ Hearts in.. nothing at all, they’re naked! A new character joins the party on each card, for a total of 54 lovable lil' queer characters across the deck. It’s the kind of deck that makes your poker night a little sexier, your gift-giving a little queerer, and your bookshelf a whole lot more fabulous. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/polarembassy/club-of-queens-second-edition-queer-playing-cards The Queer Joy Portrait Project | Photo Book In a world that continues to threaten queer existence, amplified visibility (especially joyful visibility) is everything. This book is a love letter to queer folks everywhere, it is a soft rebellion against hate, a reminder to youth that they are not alone, and a tool to counter the tired excuse: "I've just never met a queer person." Well, here we are, over 100 of us, smiling right at you. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anniewide/the-queer-joy-portrait-project-photo-book Defy the Gods | Queer TTRPG Defy the Gods is a tabletop role-playing game of daring adventure, passionate romance and cursed power, set in fantasy ancient Mesopotamia. Inspired by Conan, Clash of the Titans and Princess Mononoke, it brings queer love and resistance to sword & sorcery role-play. Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hecticelectron/defy-the-gods-rpg COMING SOON: Seasonal Queer | NSFW Calendar 2026 Seasonal Queer is a collection of 12 unique, hand‑drawn illustrations celebrating lovable men through the changing seasons - available as a full‑color physical calendar and high‑res digital downloads, plus exclusive merch and bonus extras Back it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/axeishguy/seasonal-queer Got a queer Kickstarter campaign you want us to know about? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

I've had a few people lately ask for queer book recommendations with neurodiverse rep, and with it being #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek this week, what better time to post a quick list? There are plenty out there, but it's often tricky to find them, especially if you're not sure where to start. So here's a short list of LGBTQ+ books with great neurodivergent protagonists and themes - all of them with links to where you can find them on our website, as well as the suggested reading age. Something To Be Proud Of MC with Autism YA Contemporary Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women, Queer Men, LGBTQ+ Cast Reading Age: 14+ Imogen Quinn is a chaotic bisexual with dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian, crushing stereotypes about autistic people. When she decides to put on a pride festival that’s accessible for everyone, she enlists the help of the openly gay captain of the football team, Ollie Armstrong. Dealing with the fallout from his parents’ divorce, Ollie is initially hesitant. But it doesn’t take long for him to be swept up by Imogen’s passion, and he’s not the only one. Joined by the (infuriatingly perfect) head girl, musicians, an artist and a star baker – a dream team soon assembles to help plan pride and tackle injustices in their school and beyond. You’d better listen out – they’re getting ready to make some noise. Key Lime Sky MC with Autism Si-Fi/Romance Queer Rep: Non-Binary & Pansexual Reading Age: 17+ An alien invasion hits the town of Muddy Gap, but a disgruntled pie aficionado is the only one who seems to remember it… Denver Bryant’s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming in search of the best slices. Though he dutifully posts reviews on his blog, he’s never been able to recreate his brief moment of viral popularity, and its trickling income isn’t enough to pay his rent next month. Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything – or to care that the residents’ strange behavior, as well as a shower of hail-that-isn’t-hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Being both non-binary and autistic, he’s convinced his reputation as the town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers. Frustrated, he documents the bizarre incidents on his failing pie blog, and his online popularity skyrockets. His readers want the truth, spurring him to get to the bottom of things. The Prospects MC with ADHD Adult Sports Romance Queer Rep: Trans Men, Queer Men Reading Age: 18+ The pressure cooker of minor league baseball leads to major chemistry in this exhilarating, sexy, and triumphant rivals to lovers debut romance. Hope is familiar territory for Gene Ionescu. He has always loved baseball, a sport made for underdogs and optimists like him. He also loves his team, the minor league Beaverton Beavers, and, for the most part, he loves the career he’s built. As the first openly trans player in professional baseball, Gene has nearly everything he’s ever let himself dream of—that is, until Luis Estrada, Gene’s former teammate and current rival, gets traded to the Beavers, destroying the careful equilibrium of Gene’s life. Gene and Luis can’t manage a civil conversation off the field or a competent play on it, but in the close confines of dugout benches and roadie buses, they begrudgingly rediscover a comfortable rhythm. As the two grow closer, the tension between them turns electric, and their chemistry spills past the confines of the stadium. Greta & Valdin MC with OCD Contemporary Adult Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Men, Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Valdin is in love with his ex-boyfriend Xabi, who left the country because he thought he was making Valdin sad. Greta is in love with fellow English tutor Holly, who appears to be using her for admin support. But perhaps all is not lost. Valdin is coming to realize that he might not be so unlovable, and Greta, that she might be worth more than the papers she can mark. Helping the siblings navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the tendency of their love interests to flee, is the Vladisavljevic family: Maori-Russian-Catalonian, and as passionate as they are eccentric. Rebecca K. Reilly's exploration of love, family, karaoke, and the generational reverberations of colonialism will make you laugh, cry, and fall for the whole Vladisavljevic bunch. Strong Female Character MC with Autism Memoir Queer Rep: Bisexual Women Reading Age: 18+ Strong Female Character is an inspiring and empowering read that celebrates the strength of neurodiversity and the power of female voices. Fern Brady's memoir is an important and timely account of neurodivergence, sexism and survival which makes it the perfect addition to any queer book lover. Brady takes a sledgehammer to the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope which is often mistakenly applied to neurodiverse women and looks at how her lack of regard for social expectations ultimately meant she surpassed any limitations of what a Scottish working-class woman can do. A raw and powerful story that will leave readers feeling inspired and ready to challenge the status quo Late Bloomer MC with Autism & ADHD Contemporary Cosy Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Winning the lottery has ruined Opal Devlin's’s life. After quitting her dead-end job where she’d earned minimum wage and even less respect, she’s bombarded by people knocking at her door for a handout the second they found out her bank account was overflowing with cash. And Opal can’t seem to stop saying yes. With her tender heart thoroughly abused, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, which to her translates to putting almost all her new money to buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina to let the flowers live out their plant destiny while she uses the cabin on the property to start her painting business. But her plans for isolation and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Smith is waiting for her at her new farm. Here We Go Again MC with ADHD Adult Rom-Com/Road Trip Queer Rep: Queer Women, Demisexuality Reading Age: 18+ A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking. Now in their thirties, Logan and Rosemary find they aren’t quite living the lives of adventure they imagined for themselves. Still in their small town and working as teachers at their alma mater, they’re both stuck in old patterns. Uptight Rosemary chooses security and stability over all else, working constantly, and her most stable relationship is with her label maker. Chaotic and impulsive Logan has a long list of misguided ex-lovers and an apathetic shrug she uses to protect herself from anything real. And as hard as they try to avoid each other—and their complicated past—they keep crashing into each other. Including with their cars. Uncomfortable Labels MC with Autism Memoir - Non-Fiction Queer Rep: Trans Women, Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ A candid, first-of-its-kind memoir, in which author Laura Kate Dale recounts what life is like growing up as a gay trans woman on the autism spectrum. From struggling with sensory processing, managing socially demanding situations and learning social cues and feminine presentation, through to coming out as trans during an autistic meltdown, Laura draws on her personal experiences from life prior to transition and diagnosis, and moving on to the years of self-discovery, to give a unique insight into the nuances of sexuality, gender and autism, and how they intersect. Charting the ups and downs of being autistic and on the LGBT spectrum with searing honesty and humour, this is an empowering, life-affirming read for anyone who's felt they don't fit in. Milk Fed MC with OCD Erotic Fiction - Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ A scathingly funny, wildly erotic, and fiercely imaginative story about food, sex, and god from the acclaimed author of The Pisces and So Sad Today. Rachel is twenty-four, a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. By day, she maintains an illusion of existential control, by way of obsessive food rituals, while working as an underling at a Los Angeles talent management agency. At night, she pedals nowhere on the elliptical machine. Rachel is content to carry on subsisting—until her therapist encourages her to take a ninety-day communication detox from her mother, who raised her in the tradition of calorie counting. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth MC with Autism YA Fantasy Horror Queer Rep: Trans Men, Trans Women, LGBTQ+ Cast Reading Age: 15+ London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter that he’s needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing. After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness - a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness - and shipped away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its rotten guts to the world - as long as the school doesn’t break him first. The Summer Love Strategy MC with ADHD & Autism YA Rom-Com Queer Rep: Queer Women, Trans Women Reading Age: 14+ A sweet and swoony YA rom-com about two friends making a pact to find summer romance like they’ve seen in the movies—and finding love where they least expect it along the way! Hayley always has a crush. The problem is, her crushes never like her back. After her latest unrequited love—a girl from her basketball team—gets a boyfriend, she decides she’s done falling for girls who are unavailable. Her best friend, Talia, wants romance too, but rarely gets crushes on anyone, and she’s tired of watching Hayley get her heart stomped on over and over. So the two girls make a they’ll help each other find summer love by putting themselves in situations that always lead to romance in movies. To help carry out their summer love strategy, they make a list of all the places they could find their real-life the beach, the Pride parade, the pool, a MUNA concert, and a party. But as they go to each place and try to find the one , it seems like they just can’t catch a break. Lover Birds MC with ADHD YA Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 14+ A sapphic Pride & Prejudice retelling set in Liverpool with an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance, and perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli. When Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life – her city, her accent, her trademark boldness – so if, when she catches Isabel staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn’t be for any other reason, could it? Eloise needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets Isabel, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Isabel's classism, Eloise’s distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them. You Had Me At Happy Hour MC with OCD Erotic Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men Reading Age: 18+ A grumpy sommelier and a flirty mixologist might just be the perfect pairing… Bethlehem, Pennsylvania may be charming, but Julien Boire can’t wait to get out of there. Soon he’ll be leaving to take an advanced wine course that will put him on track to become a master sommelier. In the meantime, his OCD demands he keep clear of distractions, especially the hot new hire at his aunt and uncle’s restaurant, Martin’s Place. Which should be easy, because Greg Harlow is as ill-suited to Julien as a bold cabernet is to a delicate salmon entrée. As charismatic and confident as Julien is tightly wound, Greg is a TikTok mixologist who could charm a paper bag. One thing they do have in common: neither wants a relationship. Interesting Facts About Space MC with Autism Contemporary Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Women Reading Age: 18+ Enid is many things: lesbian, serial dater, deaf in one ear, space obsessive, true crime fanatic. When she's not listening to grizzly murder podcasts, she's managing her crippling phobia of bald people and trying hard not to think about her mortifying teenage years - which is hard, when she's lost the password to her old YouTube account and the (many) vlogs that her teen self once uploaded. Enid is obsessed with space. She can tell you all about black holes and their ability to spaghettify you without batting an eye in fear. Her one major phobia? Bald men. But she tries to keep that one under wraps. When she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts on a loop, she’s serially dating a rotation of women from dating apps. At the same time, she’s trying to forge a new relationship with her estranged half-sisters after the death of her absent father. When she unwittingly plunges into her first serious romantic entanglement, Enid starts to believe that someone is following her. As her paranoia spirals out of control, Enid must contend with her mounting suspicion that something is seriously wrong with her. Because at the end of the day there’s only one person she can’t outrun—herself. Think we've missed something worth sharing? Want to add to this list? Send us a message @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

This month we're taking a look at LGBT books about timetravel. From queer time travel anthologies to gay retellings of back to the future - you'll find characters who will travel through time and space to fight for what's right, find true love and save the world. Here are 10 LGBTQ+ sci-fi books focusing on time travel that everyone should read: 1. One Last Stop Reading age: 18+ One Last Stop is a funny and emotional sapphic contemporary romance from Casey McQuiston with a bisexual main character, lesbian love interest, and a smart, magical twist. The impossible becomes possible as cynical twenty-three-year-old August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time on the NYC subway train. - F/F time slip rom-com - Anxiety rep - Sex on the subway Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/one-last-stop 2. The Psychology Of Time Travel Reading age: 18+ A queer science fiction murder mystery exploring loss, identity and mental health. The Psychology Of Time Travel follows four female scientists who pioneered time travel in 1967 and the repercussions it has over the following 50 years. Speculative feminist fiction, perfect for fans of sapphic historical fiction and murder mysteries. - Speculative fiction - Psychology and timetravel - Interwoven timelines Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/the-psychology-of-time-travel 3. Paper Girls, Vol. 1-6 Reading age: 15+ A fast-paced sci-fi adventure series of graphic novels recently adapted for TV by Amazon Prime . Paper Girls follows the story of four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls in 1988 Cleveland, Ohio as they stumble across a strange machine that sends them 28 years into the future. - Amazing artwork - Suburban sci-fi mystery - Kids on bikes save the world Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/paper-girls-volume-1 4. Yesterday Is History Reading age: 14+ Yesterday Is History is a heartfelt and emotional queer romance with a black gay main character and multiple love interests. A beautiful sci-fi novel about letting go of the past, figuring out what you want in the future and staying in the moment before it passes you by. between 1969 and the present day. - Gay YA timetravel novel - Love triangles - Grief and loss Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/yesterday-is-history 5. This Is How You Lose The Time War Reading age: 16+ This Is How You Lose The Time War is a dystopian wlw time travel romance told through a series of letters between two queer women on different sides of the time war. The discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all - Enemies to lovers - Time travelling pen pals - Sapphic yerning Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war 6. The Future Of Another Timeline Reading age: 18+ An often dark, yet surprisingly optimistic science fiction novel about time travel, murder and the lengths people go to to protect the ones they love. The book has a focus on feminism and reproductive rights throughout time, with a diverse and inclusive cast of characters including queer women, trans women as well as non-binary people. - Diverse and inclusive feminism - Politically focused novel - Check trigger warnings Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/the-future-of-another-timeline 7. Spin Me Right Round Reading age: 12+ Spin Me Right Round is a positive and funny contemporary YA romance with a diverse cast of queer characters including a Cuban American gay main character. The book follows seventeen-year-old Luis as he travels back to 1985 to save a closeted classmate's life. Perfect for fans of Back to The Future - Back to the Future but make it gay - 80s nostalgia - MLM time travel Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/spin-me-right-round 8. Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance Reading age: 16+ Someone In Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance is a collection of 16 heartwarming short stories focusing on romance with a scifi twist. This diverse anthology explores themes of discrimination, mental health, queerness, love and heartbreak, and the different ways individuals may choose to use time travel. Edited by Jonathan Strahan. - Queer romance anthology - 16 short stories Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/someone-in-time 9. Future Reading age: 17+ Future is an emotional science fiction graphic novel from Tom Woodman and Cast Iron Books following Kay and her terminally ill wife Murray. The comic follows the engineer and astronaut duo as they take a one-way trip into space in an attempt to travel into the future and obtain information that could save the earth and hopefully Murray. - Time travelelling wives in space - Gorgeous artwork - Save the world and save my wife Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/future 10: Circuit Reading age: 18+ Circuit is an explicit and dark spicy gay murder mystery romance with a time-loop twist. The book follows Bear - running late to a nightclub the weekend before London Pride. However, after a bomb goes off in a club killing his friends, his night resets and Bear has to relive the same night trying to figure out how to stop the attack. and save his friends. - Groundhog day with circuit gays - Messy gay frenemies - Drinks, drugs and time-loops Buy it here: https://www.proud-geek.co.uk/product-page/circuit Bonus: One Day You'll Leave Me Reading age: 17+ One Day You'll Leave Me is a deeply emotional WLW time travel romance following Karen Stephens, an ordinary woman living an ordinary life in the year 2010. Until the day she hears a song that moves her in a way she cannot understand or explain. Back To The Future meets The Matrix in this sapphic love story set between 2010 and 1960s. - F/F timetravel romance - 60s nostalgia - Heartwarming and engaging Have we missed your favourite queer time-travel book? Send us a message on twitter @ProudGeekStore or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk ✌

It's time once again to look at some of the best queer books being released this year with characters on the asexual spectrum. From queer horror to asexual sci-fi, demisexual fantasy and queer-platonic relationships, here are our 10 most anticipated ace & demisexual books coming 2025. Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change. Thanks for Listening Molly Horan Genre: YA Romance Queer Rep: Asexual Women, Queer Cast 16 January 2025 A sweet ace romance and a secret social media advice account that goes wonderfully, terribly astray. Mia knows what she’s talking about. Class schedules, significant others, existential life crises - you name it, she’s talked someone through it. The problem? No one actually takes her advice. So when her latest round of (very sensible!) guidance is ignored, resulting in a class flyer stapled to her best friend’s arm and her brother going steady with a girl he doesn’t have feelings for, Mia is done talking. Instead, she creates HereToHelp, an anonymous account to give advice. If her friends don’t know it’s her behind the account, maybe they’ll finally listen for once. Throw in the girl of her dreams, a plethora of sound (and not-so-sound) advice, and a couple of best friends who seem to have a lot more to hide than Mia knows…and Mia could use some advice of her own to make it through this senior year. This Ends in Embers (Book 2) Kamilah Cole Genre: YA Fantasy Queer Rep: Demisexual Women, Queer Women 06 February 2025 Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people… and she fears they might be right. Elara Vincent - the new Empyrean - must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure? This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made. Don't Let The Forest In CG Drews Genre: YA Horror/Mystery Queer Rep: Asexual Men, Queer Cast 16 January 2025 High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more. But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories. Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. The Last Hour Between Worlds Melissa Caruso Genre: Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy Queer Rep: Biromantic Asexual Women 08 July 2025 Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she's determined to enjoy the party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She's a member of the Guild of Hounds, after all, and she can't help picking up the scent of trouble. She's not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what's causing the mayhem: a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual. As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they'll need to rely on their wits - and each other - to unravel the secret of the clock and save their city. That's What She Said Eleanor Pilcher Genre: Adult Contemporary Fiction Queer Rep: Demisexual Women, Bisexual Women, Platonic Relationships 08 May 2025 Serena and Beth are best friends who couldn’t be more different - Beth is an avowed demisexual, who lacks confidence in her career and in her chances at a happy relationship due to her sexual orientation. Serena is a free spirit who oozes with confidence, both in her job and her sexual proclivities. And yet, since the moment they met, they knew they were platonic soulmates. So, when Beth decides that she officially wants to take charge of her sex life and explore the things that scare her the most, Serena is more than happy to help. Speed-dating, sex therapy, tantra, a perplexed but ultimately very nice escort—it’s all on Beth’s Sexual Odyssey List. But when Beth’s crush from her old job comes back and Serena’s favorite friend-with-benefits pushes for more than just sex, it throws their whole world into a tailspin. And suddenly, this sexual odyssey is more than a fun gag. It’ll set them down a course that’ll make them so much closer—or end their friendship for good. Les Normaux Janine Janssen & S Al Sabado Genre: Fantasy Romance - Graphic Novel Queer Rep: Demisexual Men, Queer Cast 13 February 2025 Boy moves to new city. Boy meets vampire. They kiss, then become friends. But both would like something more… Sébastien recently moved to supernatural Paris hoping to get away from his troubles at home and live a peaceful life learning magic. But what are you going to do when the really hot vampire you made out with last night to forget your troubles turns out to be your new neighbor? Sébastien (a demisexual boy with “main character hair” and a bunny named Pierre), meet Elia (a hot, supermodel, vampire neighbor and crush). Join Elia, Sébastien and their assorted crew of wonderful friends, as they navigate the ins and outs of dating in a modern and paranormal love story. Cage of Starlight (Book 2) Jules Arbeaux Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy Queer Rep: Aro/Ace Spec, Gender Non-Conforming, Queerplatonic 12 June 2025 A grumpy healer must work with his captor when a mission strands them in enemy territory in this action-packed, queer romantic fantasy by the author of  Lord of the Empty Isles . Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos.  Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to work on the front lines of a brutal war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees - right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras. Caged in a cruel training facility and implanted with a magical tracker, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead. There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay. But Sena is already paying more than Tory knows, and when a mission strands them both in enemy territory, they must cooperate to survive. As they learn the truth about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other.  Love Points to You Alice Lin Genre: YA Romance Queer Rep: Asexual & Demisexual Women, Biromantic Women 04 March 2025 A swoony asexual romance between driven, practical Lynda Fan and her rich, arrogant classmate, Angela Wu. When Angela offers Lynda the chance to design characters for her otome game, Lynda discovers things she never knew about herself... or her heart. Sixteen-year-old Lynda Fan has the skills and the drive to get into the Rhode Island School of Design - but not the money. Her parents are too busy paying for her stepsister’s violin lessons to help Lynda get into art school. So when her rich and arrogant classmate, Angela Wu, offers to hire Lynda as a character designer for an otome game - a love story-based video game - she jumps at the opportunity. Lynda isn’t exactly a romantic, but in pursuit of her dreams, she discovers things she never knew about herself while also finding love with every heart she draws. Being Ace: An Anthology Edited by Madeline Dyer Genre: Contemporary, SciFi & Fantasy Queer Rep: Asexual Stories, Queer Cast 17 February 2025 Discover the infinite realms of asexual love across a collection of fourteen sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary stories from queer, trans, femme and disabled writers. From a wheelchair user racing to save her kidnapped girlfriend and a little mermaid who loves her sisters more than suitors, to a slayer whose virgin blood keeps attracting monsters, the stories of this anthology are anything but conventional. Whether adventuring through space, outsmarting a vengeful water spirit, or surviving haunted cemeteries, no two aces are the same in these 14 unique works that highlight asexual romance, aromantic love, and identities across the asexual spectrum. What Wakes the Bells Elle Tesch Genre: YA Gothic Fantasy Queer Rep: Demisexual Women 25 April 2025 Built by long-gone Saints, the city of Vaiwyn lives and breathes and bleeds. As a Keeper, Mina knows better than most what her care of Vaiwyn’s bells means for the sentient city. It’s the Strauss family’s thousand-year legacy - prevent the Vespers from ringing, or they will awake a slumbering evil. One afternoon, to Mina's horror, her bell peals thirteen times, shattering the city’s tenuous peace. With so much of the city's history and lore lost in a long-ago disaster, no one knows the danger that has been unleashed - until the city begins to fight back. As the sun sets, stone gargoyles and bronze statues tear away from their buildings and plinths to hunt people through the streets. Trapped in Mina’s bell, the soul of a twisted and power-hungry Saint festered. Now free of his prison, he hides behind the face of one of Vaiwyn’s citizens, corrupting the city and turning it on itself. Time is running out, and the only chance Mina has to stop the destruction and horrific killings is to find and destroy the Saint’s host. Everyone is a suspect, including Mina's closest loved ones. She will have to decide how far she’ll go to save her city - and who she’s willing to kill to do it. Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

It was pointed out to me this week that there haven't been many recommendations with canonically bi and pansexual characters recently. So, it's time to change that and take a look at what bi & pan books are being released this year. From pansexual superheroes to bisexual horror, queer fantasy and YA romance, here are 20 of our most anticipated queer books coming out in 2025 with bisexual and pansexual characters. Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change. Dream On, Ramona Riley Ashley Herring Blake Contemporary Adult Romance 13 May 2025 A small-town waitress and a Hollywood star’s worlds collide in this new bisexual romance by Ashley Herring Blake. When a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, Ramona Riley wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem - Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child - is the star. Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that she’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that she’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things. But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress she’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone she’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. My Best Friend's Honeymoon Meryl Wilsner Erotic Rom-Com 29 April 2025 Elsie Hoffman has been engaged to her college boyfriend for a year and a half. Ginny Holtz has been in love with Elsie for almost a decade and a half. When Elsie discovers her fiancé already planned their wedding and honeymoon as a surprise and she’s expected to be in a white dress in seven days, she swiftly realizes she’s let herself become too comfortable with a future she never wanted. She breaks things off, and a week later is on a plane to the Caribbean for her non-refundable honeymoon with her best friend Ginny instead. Ginny thinks it’s high time Elise learned how to speak up for herself. So, they make a deal with her. For the next week, Elsie can have whatever she wants, wherever, however, and whenever she wants it, as long as she asks. They never expected Elsie to want them. The Broposal Sonora Reyes Adult Contemporary Romance 12 Feb 2025 A Latinx adult romance debut from Sonora Reyes where two friends enter into a marriage of convenience to save one from deportation - but everything changes when they unexpectedly fall in love. Alejandro (Han for short) has never been in love. He purposefully keeps his heart at arm’s length from anyone who might want it, which he lets his family and friends think is due to commitment-phobia paired with a heavy dose of emotional constipation. Now, though, he's coming to learn that it might have more to do with his fear of looking too deeply inward, whether that be his sexuality or the looming anxiety about being undocumented in an increasingly hostile environment. On the other hand, Han’s roommate and best friend, Kenny, is stuck in a soul-sucking relationship with a woman who wants nothing more than for Kenny to ditch Han and marry her. Kenny can't stand being alone, and has always been afraid of being punished for making the wrong choice, so his girlfriend happily makes most of his decisions for him. But when she forces his hand and makes him choose between their relationship and his best friend, he finally knows without a doubt who the correct choice is. That's What She Said Eleanor Pilcher Adult Contemporary Fiction 08 May 2025 Serena and Beth are best friends who couldn’t be more different - Beth is an avowed demisexual, who lacks confidence in her career and in her chances at a happy relationship due to her sexual orientation. Serena is a free spirit who oozes with confidence, both in her job and her sexual proclivities. And yet, since the moment they met, they knew they were platonic soulmates. So, when Beth decides that she officially wants to take charge of her sex life and explore the things that scare her the most, Serena is more than happy to help. Speed-dating, sex therapy, tantra, a perplexed but ultimately very nice escort—it’s all on Beth’s Sexual Odyssey List. But when Beth’s crush from her old job comes back and Serena’s favorite friend-with-benefits pushes for more than just sex, it throws their whole world into a tailspin. And suddenly, this sexual odyssey is more than a fun gag. It’ll set them down a course that’ll make them so much closer—or end their friendship for good. Homegrown Magic Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos Fantasy Romance 13 March 2025 A delightful queer romantic fantasy full of friends-to-lovers chemistry, found family, rival family drama, and cozy garden magic from two acclaimed YA authors making their debut in the adult space. Yael Clauneck is the only scion of an obscenely wealthy banking family with its fingers in every pie in the realm. They’re on the precipice of a predetermined life when they flee their own graduation party, galloping away in search of…well, they’re not sure, but maybe the chance to feel like life can still be a grand adventure. Margot Greenwillow - talented plant witch, tea lover, and greenhouse owner - has never felt further from adventure in her life. She’s been desperately trying to keep what remains of her family's magic remedies business afloat. So when her childhood friend and former crush, Yael, rides back into her life, she’s shocked. But perhaps this could be a good thing. After all, Margot could use an assistant in the greenhouses. Lucky Day Chuck Tingle Dark Comedy Horror 12 August 2025 After a global disaster prompts thousands of comically unlikely deaths, a bisexual statistics professor - who has convinced herself she might not exist - and an ethically dubious government agent must travel to Las Vegas to unravel the connection between deadly bouts of absurdity and a supernaturally lucky casino. Vera is a survivor of a global catastrophe known as the Low Probability Event, but she definitely isn't thriving. Once a passionate professor of statistics, she no longer finds meaning in anything at all. But when problematic government agent Layne knocks on her door, she's the only one who can help him uncover the connection between deadly spates of absurdity and an improbably lucky casino. What's happening in Vegas isn't staying there, and the world is at risk of another disaster. The Coven Tendency Zoe Hana Mikuta YA Fantasy Horror 01 April 2025 A bloody and unrelenting fantasy about young witches dangling on the edge of love and obsession, of magic and madness, of life and death (and death and death and death). Just like her mother and her mother’s mother, 18-year-old Vanity Adams is destined to lead a lavish life under the patronship of the Museum, someday taking her place as its premiere necromantic Spectacle and the centerpiece of their weekly soirees thrown for the City’s elite. But until that day, Vanity (and the other young witches of the Museum) is isolated from the outside world and purged of her magic - magic being particularly unstable for teenagers and often leading to antisocial conduct, mood swings, bloodlust, delusions, and, most concerning, a habitual, violent obsession with one another. This Feast of a Life Cynthia So YA Coming-Of-Age 09 January 2025 From the author of If You Still Recognise Me  comes a delicious story of two people brought together by a shared love of food as they figure out themselves and each other. Auden is finding different ways to be themself. The first - using their new chosen name, which feels most authentically them. The second - starting a food blog where they can share their passion for food, through family recipes and the stories behind them. And when the blog brings them Valerie, they discover more than they'd ever expected. It's been over a year since Valerie lost her mum - her beautiful, vibrant mum who loved cooking. Since her mum's death, Valerie and her dad have drifted further and further apart, the kitchen left cold and empty, until Valerie finds Auden's blog. The blog (and its writer) spark something in Valerie. Could she have found a recipe for happiness? and the old magic slumbers. Dead - or waiting for a spark to light it anew . . . And They Were Roommates Page Powars YA Romance 29 May 2025 Romance is the last thing on Charlie’s mind. On his first day at Valentine Academy for Boys, Charlie’s carefully crafted plan to hide his identity as the school’s only trans student is set in motion. Only to be immediately destroyed. Charlie has been assigned the worst roommate in the world (possibly the universe): Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke Charlie’s heart the year before he transitioned. Except, Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie. Who knows how long until Jasper realizes the truth? Charlie has one shot at freedom and a dorm room all to himself, but only if he helps Jasper write love letters on behalf of their fellow students first. No problem. Charlie can help Jasper with some silly letters. Tart Becki Jayne Crossley YA Romance 14 August 2025 Smart, sweetly funny & heartwarming, Tart is a must-read exploration of coming out and accepting yourself. Perfect for fans of She Gets the Girl and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Libby's world shatters when a video of her 'cheating' on her popular boyfriend, Dan, goes viral the night he gets into a serious bike accident. Overnight, school friends turn into bullies and the only person who will talk to her is Neha, the new girl everyone else ignores. While Dan is in a coma, oblivious to the drama unfolding around him, Libby and Neha grow closer. But Neha's not ready to admit she's been crushing on Libby for months. And if Libby follows her heart, she'll be making her already messy life a lot messier. The Earl Meets His Match TJ Alexander Historical Romance 11 March 2025 It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. But Lord Christopher Eden is no ordinary man… Lord Eden has always preferred the comfortable company of his staff to the prying eyes of the debutantes at the ton’s latest soirée. So, when he receives word that he must find a wife by the end of the Season, or lose his fortune, Christopher knows that he can’t do it alone. Enter the distractingly dashing – if rather stoic – James Harding. As Lord Eden’s mysterious new valet, James must ensure Christopher’s reputation appears as faultless as his cravat. But as sparks fly, and Christopher’s deadline to find love looms, will James find himself vying for the position instead? It's a Love/Skate Relationship Carli J. Corson YA Sports Romance 06 Ju 13 Mar 2025 A sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between a hotheaded butch lesbain hockey player and the ice princess at the figure skating rink next door. Charlie Porter is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the hockey rink. When she accidentally starts a brawl after a game, she's suspended from school, meaning no hockey this season--and no chance to play in front of college scouts. Alexa Goldstein's pairs skating partner was hurt in the fight, and with only four months until their next competition, pickings for a replacement are slim. So she strikes a deal with Charlie--skate with her at the competition well enough to place, and her Olympian mother will use her formidable connections to get Charlie in front of scouts at D-1 schools, even without her team. It seems impossible, and not just because Charlie has never figure skated before. Where Charlie is powerful, Alexa is elegant; where Charlie is quick to blow up, Alexa is cold as ice. But as the frostiness between them starts to thaw, they begin to wonder if they've found a partner for more than just skating. Deadpool Vol. 2 Alyssa Wong Superhero Comic - Graphic Novel 04 February 2025 Love is in the air as Deadpool takes his new romance - non-binary assassin Valentine Vuong - out on the town! Unfortunately, bullets, blades and explosive devices are also in the air - since both of them have enemies who want them dead! What do trained killers do when trained killers try to kill them? Naturally, they try to kill those trained killers first! After all of this, Wade Wilson will need a break. All he wants to do is retire, have a nice time with his daughter and be completely cured of his cancer - is that too much to ask? But when he's captured by the mysterious Horned Emperor, can Deadpool's new paramour (or his giant symbiote dog) save the Merc with a Mouth? Or is he heading for heartbreak?! Love Points to You Alice Lin YA Romance 04 March 2025 A swoony asexual romance between driven, practical Lynda Fan and her rich, arrogant classmate, Angela Wu. When Angela offers Lynda the chance to design characters for her otome game, Lynda discovers things she never knew about herself... or her heart. Sixteen-year-old Lynda Fan has the skills and the drive to get into the Rhode Island School of Design - but not the money. Her parents are too busy paying for her stepsister’s violin lessons to help Lynda get into art school. So when her rich and arrogant classmate, Angela Wu, offers to hire Lynda as a character designer for an otome game - a love story-based video game - she jumps at the opportunity. Lynda isn’t exactly a romantic, but in pursuit of her dreams, she discovers things she never knew about herself while also finding love with every heart she draws. Amelia, If Only Becky Albertalli YA Romance 19 June 2025 Amelia Applebaum isn’t in love with Walter Holland. He just happens to be her favorite moderately famous, chaotically bisexual YouTuber. Who she just happened to invite to prom. (But it’s fine. No, for real. If you delete the post, it didn’t happen.) Okay, maybe her friends are right: She’s slightly parasocially infatuated. But Amelia just knows sparks would fly—if only she could connect with Walter for real. If only he would host a meet and greet. If only it were just a short road trip away. And if only Amelia could talk her best friends into making it the perfect last hurrah before graduation—even her newly single, always-cynical, guitar-toting best friend Natalie. One thing’s for sure: All roads lead to butterflies. Hungry Heart, Volume 1 Jem Milton YA Romance - Graphic Novel 02 January 2025 An endearing queer rom-com that grapples with self-discovery, finding your voice, and the power of acceptance. Laurie, a plucky young food writer, gets his big break interviewing heartthrob chef, Oryan Adjei. Laurie has idolized Oryan since watching him rise to fame in the UK Kitchen Trials back when they were both teens. But Oryan's life is lonelier than it seems from the outside and his career has taken a direction he isn't sure he wants to continue. Laurie seems to get Oryan in a way few others do. Their clumsy first meeting turns into a series of interviews that takes them on a food tour across London, from a coffee shop in a snow flurry to a hole-in-the-wall burger shack and Oryan's own kitchen. Despite their attempts to keep things professional, the two begin to bond over cheesesteaks, flat whites, and stolen hors d'oeuvres. As the pair find themselves in a pressure cooker of celebrity and personal struggles that threatens their chance at romance, will Oryan learn to trust himself and follow his heart? Dead Real Poppy T. Perry YA Zombie Horror/Comedy 03 July 2025 Nora Inkwell is totally, completely, absolutely going to tell her best friend and fellow horror movie superfan, Ruby, that she’s in love with her. It doesn't matter that Baxter from Body Combat wrote on the college wall that Nora's frigid. Or that Ruby is more interested in losing her lesbian v-plates before they start university. And it certainly doesn't matter that Nora's old school friends said that all bisexuals are attention-seeking wannabes! ... It might matter that the entire town has turned into flesh-eating zombies. Guess there's no time like the (deadly, dangerous, zombie-swamped) present to confess your undying  love. Roll For Love MK England YA Romance 24 Apr 2025 A second-chance queer romance about two teens whose in-world D&D characters fall in love, but in IRL... things are more complicated, perfect for lovers of Ashley Poston and Becky Albertalli. Harper Reid’s summer is not off to a great start.  After the death of her grandpa, she moves across the country, leaving her friends and Dungeons & Dragons group behind. She wasn’t exactly planning to start her senior year on the farm where she spent her childhood summers, but running into Ollie Shifflet - former best friend and first crush - makes things much better. When Harper discovers Ollie and her friends are starting a new D&D campaign, she quickly joins the group. As Harper and Ollie reconnect in the real world, romantic tension begins to build between Harper’s brash barbarian and Ollie’s proud paladin, but it’s all just part of the game... right?  Ollie’s future depends on keeping her bisexuality private while Harper’s dreams include an out-and-proud life in their rural town, but as their feelings continue to grow with each gaming session, their relationship begins threatening everything they’ve worked so hard to build. Chaos King (Book 2) Kacen Callender YA Magical Fantasy 10 April 2025 The explosive sequel to instant New York Times bestseller Infinity Alchemist . Ever since he rose up against his father and saved New Anglia from destruction, Ash has been struggling to adapt to his new life. He has nightmares every night, haunted by strange black orbs and his screaming dead mother. Ash is sure she's trying to warn him that the world is still in danger, and becomes determined to find a way to speak to her again - but communicating with the dead isn't easy, even for an alchemist as powerful as Ash. It doesn't help that violent anti-alchemist sentiment is spreading across New Anglia. When Ash is captured by a radical alchemist group, inspired by his father's legacy, he must decide if alchemist rights can be trusted in the hands of the Houses, along with his partners Callum and Ramsay - or if Ash must follow the path his father laid for him, and become the leader of an alchemist revolution. Can Ash keep his relationships together and stop the world from falling apart? Liquid Mariam Rahmani Literary Fiction 15 May 2025 The unnamed Iranian-Indian American narrator of Liquid has always believed herself to be the smartest person in the room. And from an early age, she and her best friend, Adam, have turned their noses up at other people’s riches. But two years after earning a PhD from UCLA, the narrator is no closer to the middle-class comfort promised to her by the prestige of her fancy, scholarship-funded education and the successes of her immigrant parents. Jokingly, Adam suggests she just marry rich. But our protagonist, whose PhD thesis compared Eastern and Western views of marriage in film and literature, takes the idea seriously. She makes a spreadsheet and outlines a 100 dates with people of all genders and a marriage proposal in hand by the official start of the fall semester. What follows is a whirlwind summer packed with martinis sans vermouth with the lazy scion of an Eastside construction empire; board games with a butch producer who owns a house in the hills and a newly dented Porsche; a Venmo request from a “socialist” trust fund babe; and an evening spent dodging the halitosis of a maxillofacial surgeon from Orange County. Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌

It's 2025 and comics are gayer than ever before!! As usual, we're taking a look at some of the incredible queer graphic novels being released later this year. From sapphic sports romances to slice-of-life BL manga and cosy queer fantasy, here are 20 of our most anticipated LGBTQ+ graphic novels coming out in 2025. Note: some release dates of these books may be pushed back and covers may change. Toxic Summer Derek Charm Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror/Comedy Queer Rep: Queer Men 22 April 2025 Best friends Ben and Leo are ready to celebrate the summer after graduation by patrolling the beaches of idyllic seaside town Port Dorian as lifeguards - allowing them to also check out the hottest hunks and snag invites to the best parties, of course. But they arrive to find that a mysterious toxic spill has turned the water unswimmable and littered the shore with rotting fish carcasses. Their jobs become beach cleanup and the hunks are nowhere to be seen - like hermit crabs. When they save a local historian with suspiciously glowing eyes from the water, and tentacled monsters begin snatching people in the night, Ben and Leo have to team up with the only other teens in town to uncover the cause of the spill, save their new friends and family, and try to get this sexy summer back on track before it’s too late. Kirby's Lessons For Falling (In Love) Laura Gao Genre: YA Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women 24 April 2025 From Laura Gao, the acclaimed creator of  Messy Roots ,  comes an authentic slow-burn romance and coming-of-age story perfect for fans of  Heartstopper ,  lovers of astrology and tarot, and anyone looking for answers on the right way to fall (in love).  Once dubbed the Queen of Balance as her school’s top rock climber, Kirby Tan suffers an injury that sidelines her for the rest of the season. Now she’s forced to join the newspaper club for some desperately needed extra credit. Worse, she’s recruited by crystal-wearing, tarot-reading Bex Santos for her astrology-based love advice column. As Kirby reluctantly agrees to orchestrate “matches made in heaven” with Bex, she begins to wonder if their own stars could be aligned. But loving who she wants isn’t so easy when her family and church community are on the line. Can Kirby pull off her greatest balancing act yet? Grand Slam Romance Book 3 Ollie Hicks & Emma Oosterhous Genre: Adult Sports Romance Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Queer Women, Polyamory 19 June 2025 A raucous celebration of queer joy and magical girl mayhem, Farewell to Babes is the third and final graphic novel in the Grand Slam Romance series In Grand Slam Romance: Farewell to Babes, softball’s favorite throuple, Mickey, Astra, and Wolfgang have finally given in to their undeniable attraction: but it is true love or just temporary lust? Wolfgang’s ready to go public with the relationship, Mickey’s still sorting out their feelings, and Astra has conveniently peaced out on a mysterious eurotrip that she neglected to inform her partners about. Between Berlin and Belle City, magic and havoc follow these lovebirds wherever they go—but in pursuit of love, they’re going to swing for the fences.    EAT Nagabe Genre: Dark BL Manga Queer Rep: Queer Men 25 February 2025 From bestselling creator Nagabe comes an anthropomorphic Boys’ Love manga about dark, unspoken desires and the delicious temptation to give in. Professor Lufria has a secret: he finds pleasure in watching others eat. As a strict and intimidating law professor, this wolf hides his unusual obsession behind a stern demeanor. But when one of his students dares to bite him, it awakens a hunger deep inside him. This time, it’s not just about food - it’s about passion, intimacy, and the thrill of being devoured. Will Lufria give in to his primal desires, or will he be left endlessly craving for more? DC Pride: To the Farthest Reaches Various DC Authors Genre: Superhero Anthology Queer Rep: Queer Cast 27 May 2025 DC's Eisner and Ringo award-winning Pride comics anthology returns in the form of a universe-spanning travelogue like you've never seen! In this volume, Dreamer makes a first-time pilgrimage to her ancestral planet, Naltor! Poison Ivy and Janet from HR go spore-hunting on Portworld! Superman (Jon Kent) gets the boys together for a night out in A-Town, but things go sideways when The Ray vanishes into thin air! Steel (Natasha Irons) works up the courage to face Traci 13 at the Oblivion Bar's Pride party for the first time since they broke up! Aquaman (Jackson Hyde) catches an unexpected ride to the Fourth World just in time for their annual Love Festival! All this and more in a volume celebrating how the LGBTQIA+ community is everywhere and belongs anywhere - even the very furthest reaches of the universe. My Boyfriend is a Dog, Vol. 2 Kadiro Genre: BL Slice-Of-Life Manga Queer Rep: Queer Men 18 February 2025 A pawsitively adorable furry and fluffy slice-of-life Boys' Love manga following on from My Boyfriend is a Dog, Vol. 1 Exciting developments are afoot for Kentarou and boyfriend Inukai, as a sudden proposal is followed by a visit to meet the family! Meanwhile, Inukai-kun's coworker Nekomiya-kun and his feline boyfriend Shimada-san, whose daily lives are already full of shared affection, take their relationship to the next level! Mismatched Anne Camlin & Isadora Zeferino Genre: YA Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men, Queer Cast 02 January 2025 Evan Horowitz has it beauty, brains, and a not-so-secret flair for matchmaking! An Insta influencer with a talent for makeup and a taste for romance, he’s no stranger to playing cupid for those hopelessly clueless in finding love. So when shy transfer student Natalia shuffles into school one day, Evan can’t help but get his hands messy! With so many matches to choose from, it’s not long before he sets a plan in motion for Natalia. But he takes things too far, creating a web of drama that spirals out of his control. Can Evan learn to put the people closest to him before his misguided ambition? Or will he lose them and his own chance at romance, too?  How Do We Relationship? Vol. 12 Tamifull Genre: Yuri Manga Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women 13 March 2025 A romance of convenience between two college women soon becomes the real thing. Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult - especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to help, until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests they might as well start dating each other since it’s not like either of them has other options. Miwa is trying so hard to make things work with Tamaki, despite the strain their mismatched libidos put on their relationship. Saeko is throwing all her energy into supporting Yuria’s dream of becoming a beautician, even though Yuria doesn’t seem to want her help at all. They both love their girlfriends so much, but sometimes love isn’t enough… Hungry Heart, Volume 1 Jem Milton Genre: YA Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men, Queer Cast 02 January 2025 An endearing queer rom-com that grapples with self-discovery, finding your voice, and the power of acceptance. Laurie, a plucky young food writer, gets his big break interviewing heartthrob chef, Oryan Adjei. Laurie has idolized Oryan since watching him rise to fame in the UK Kitchen Trials back when they were both teens. But Oryan's life is lonelier than it seems from the outside and his career has taken a direction he isn't sure he wants to continue. Laurie seems to get Oryan in a way few others do. Their clumsy first meeting turns into a series of interviews that takes them on a food tour across London, from a coffee shop in a snow flurry to a hole-in-the-wall burger shack and Oryan's own kitchen. Despite their attempts to keep things professional, the two begin to bond over cheesesteaks, flat whites, and stolen hors d'oeuvres. As the pair find themselves in a pressure cooker of celebrity and personal struggles that threatens their chance at romance, will Oryan learn to trust himself and follow his heart? Motherlover Lindsay Ishihiro Genre: Adult Slow-Burn Romance Queer Rep: Queer Women, Queer Parents 19 June 2025 Imogen has an exciting new neighbor! Alex just moved from the big city back into her late parents' house, and she seems to have it all: She's a cool single mom with a thriving career, a fun look, and a cosmopolitan life of adventure. Imogen certainly has dreams of a more carefree life, but being a stay-at-home mom of four is a more-than-full-time job, and that's all she can handle. How does Alex do it? She's captured Imogen's imagination. But what we see on the surface isn't always the whole story. Alex's return has given her a lot to ponder. Her parents are gone, and she's just starting to realize her privileged childhood wasn't as happy as it seemed. Now she's adrift, learning how to relate after a lifetime of pushing everyone away. Chance brought these two fast friends together... and everything that happens next is unlike anything they could have planned! Rainbow Volume 2 Sunny & Gloomy Genre: YA Coming-Of-Age Fantasy Queer Rep: Queer Women 8 May 2025 Heartstopper meets Magical Boy in this heartwarming YA graphic novel full of heart, adorable illustrations, and a storyline every teenager can relate to. Teenager Boo Meadows's story continues in this second volume! With pink hair and a very vivid imagination, Boo has trouble separating from the real world. In her daydreams, she dances beautifully at balls or fights monsters as a magical girl. In reality, she has a complicated home life, work stress, school stress, and a wicked crush on the girl of her dreams. After life became too toxic to endure, Boo has moved out of her alcoholic mother's house. Can Boo and Mimi stick together? And is dealing with Mimi's unapproving mother any better than Boo's mom? I Heart Skull-Crusher! Josie Campbell & Alessio Zonno Genre: Dystopian Sports Comic Queer Rep: Queer Women, Queer Cast 13 February 2025 Mad Max meets dodgeball in this wild sports graphic novel set in a post-apocalyptic America. 18-year-old Trini will do anything to compete in her favorite sport, Screaming Pain Ball, alongside her longtime hero Skull-Crusher! But she can’t do it alone, and a gaggle of misfits is just what she needs to cross the American wastes and battle in Queen Mob’s deadly tournament. With Trini’s dreams of being just like Skull-Crusher on the line, do she and her friends have what it takes to win a coveted spot on their team? Hey, Mary! Andrew Wheeler & Rye Hickman Genre: YA Religious Coming-Of-Age Queer Rep: Queer Men 15 April 2025 Mark is a good Catholic boy. He goes to church, he says his prayers, and he spends too much time worrying about hell. When Mark realizes he has a crush on another boy in his school, he struggles to reconcile his feelings with his faith as the weight of centuries of shame and judgment - and his fear of his parents' response - presses on his shoulders. Mark seeks advice from his priest, as well as a local drag performer, but also receives unexpected input from key figures in Catholic history and lore, including Joan of Arc, Michelangelo, St. Sebastian, and Savonarola. Ultimately, only Mark can answer the question: Is it possible for him to be both Catholic and gay? The Restaurant at the Edge of the World Oliver Gerlach & Kelsi Jo Silva Genre: YA Cosy Fantasy Queer Rep: Queer Women, Non-Binary, Queer Cast 02 January 2025 At seventeen, Soup is at a crossroads, eager to make her mark on the world, yet reluctant to leave the restaurant she calls home. The last thing on her to-do list is to overthrow the patriarchy, but when her elven boss snaps at her she begins to see his pattern of abuse, starting in the kitchen. Something's got to give, and the answer is a bet for the restaurant. If Soup wins the cooking competition, she'll claim the business and protect her village. If she loses, she'll have to leave her home and stand by as the food community she loves is razed to the ground. With friends and chosen family rallying around her, Soup has a chance to win. Yet, everyone knows villains don't fight fair and this restaurateur is not going to give up his throne so easily . . . The Metalhead Next Door Mamita Genre: BL Slice-Of-Life Manga Queer rep: Queer Men 02 January 2025 A tale of two neighbors - a shy metalhead and a broke graduate student - who slowly learn about each other over shared meals with a hope for something more. Impoverished graduate student Kento nearly freezes to death outside his new, cheap (unheated) apartment during a blizzard. Luckily, he’s saved by neighbor Soushi, a quiet and somewhat frightening young man who dresses in all black. Although he exudes an aura that screams “keep away,” his eyes, hidden behind long rocker hair, plead for something else. Over the following year, the two share meals together, but as the time passes, the closeted Kento finds it increasingly difficult to ignore his growing feelings. Will he choose to maintain the peaceful, happy times he’s grown to love or risk it all for the possibility of something more? Les Normaux Janine Janssen Genre: Paranormal Romance Queer Rep: Queer Men, Demisexual Men 13 February 2025 Boy moves to new city. Boy meets vampire. They kiss, then become friends. But both would like something more… Sébastien recently moved to supernatural Paris hoping to get away from his troubles at home and live a peaceful life learning magic. But what are you going to do when the really hot vampire you made out with last night to forget your troubles turns out to be your new neighbor? Join Sébastien (a demisexual boy with “main character hair” and a bunny named Pierre), and Elia (a hot, supermodel, vampire neighbor and crush), as they navigate the ins and outs of dating in a modern and paranormal love story. Mobsters In Love, Vol. 3 Chiyoko Origami Genre: BL Romance Manga Queer Rep: Queer Men 07 January 2025 A wholesome Boys Love rom-com between a handsome but oblivious mob boss and his young, simplehearted but moody second-in-command! Absence makes the heart grow fonder after mob boss Sawatari kicks his right-hand man, Kashima, out of the family. Free of the previous ties that bound them, their relationship begins to undergo changes that trigger a realization... Sawatari finally notices that what he’s feeling toward his second-in-command is love! Things seem like they might be too awkward to go on—until Sawatari kisses Kashima out of nowhere! But just as their budding romance has started to bloom, an enemy targets the boss’s life and he winds up in a coma... In this final volume of the series, can their love ever come to fruition? To Broadway Maurane Mazars Genre: Historical Fiction Queer Rep: Queer Men 19 June 2025 Germany, April 1957. Uli is a modern dance student at the prestigious Folkwang University of the Arts who will do anything to pursue his dream of becoming a famous Broadway dancer. But Uli’s dream and his energetic, outgoing personality hardly fit the melancholy culture of postwar Europe. During a fateful trip to Berlin, Uli meets Anthony, a young American dancer. The attraction is immediate, and Anthony convinces Uli to move to New York to try his luck on Broadway. The young men part ways, and Uli is inspired to pack his bags and embark on an adventure. Will Uli be able to seize his dreams in New York City? Or is he just one of the many young artists doomed to find a disappointing reality check in the Big Apple? Kickflip, Vol. 1 LD Lapinski & Logan Hanning Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction Queer Rep: Non-Binary & Genderqueer 19 June 2025 A poignant LGBTQ+ graphic novel about self-discovery, skateboarding and finding your true community of friends, perfect for fans of Heartstopper . What happens when your two worlds collide... At school, Elliot gets bullied for being 'different to other girls' whereas at the skate park, everyone welcomes Elliot - presuming they're male - but neither label feels right. As Eliot's love of skateboarding and friendships grow, their worlds collide at a sports expo where the school netball team and skate crew are competing. Can Elliot find the courage to share what they've learned about non-binary identity? Will best friend Jess or the skateboarding crew accept Elliot for who they are? And what about Ryan, the skater who Elliot has been feeling increasingly close to? The Unsinkable Ship of Fools Jonas Goonface Genre: Erotic Fantasy Queer Rep: Non-Binary, Queer Cast 17 July 2025 A super raunchy, super explicit fever-dream of fun from Jonas Goonface and Iron Circus Comics. Cum one, cum all! Jump aboard the Ship of Fools for your final ride. An ensorcelled train hurtles through the night, with no stops and no hope for its passengers; everyone is welcome, and no one can leave. Freaks, kooks, misfits, no one is too strange! No bosses! No brakes! Only thrills, mutual support, and carnal bliss. These vagabonds only have each other now, and in a collection of magical erotic encounters, we get to meet them all - a ragtag group of castoffs who must find the answer: Who's driving this thing, and who's ultimately in charge of your fate? Think we've missed something great? Send us a message on Instagram @ProudGeekStore  or email us at contact@proud-geek.co.uk  ✌