In the past couple of years, I have discovered some real gems of independent and self-published sapphic literature. Last May, I read Morgan Dante’s stunning Providence Girls, which won Best Historical Fiction at the 2023 Indie Ink awards. The author pitches it as “a seaside sapphic cosmic horror romance” in the vein of The Handmaiden and The Shape ofRead More
A Paranormal Romance Novella with Teeth: A Wolf Steps in Blood by Tamara Jerée
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! “We are the figures of each other’s fairytales made flesh.” – A Wolf Steps in Blood, page 22 Last October, I reviewed Tamara Jerée’s debut novel, The Fall That Saved Us, a romance between a former demon hunter and a succubus. As that was a favoriteRead More
A Slow-Burn Romance About Rival Cartoonists: Outdrawn by Deanna Grey
Buy this from Bookshop.org to support local bookstores and the Lesbrary! The dedication at the start of Outdrawn by Deanna Grey reads, “For oldest daughters who have become creatives obsessed with perfection.” This perfectly encapsulates this slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance about the importance of valuing yourself and finding people who value you. Noah Blue is an up-and-coming cartoonistRead More
Healing Through a Haunting: The Fall That Saved Us by Tamara Jerée
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link The author’s content notes, which also apply to this review: “While Cassiel’s story is focused on healing, heavier themes of trauma and shame are explored to give context to the protagonist’s journey. Please consider the major content notes: cutting scars, brief self-harm ideation, discussion of an eating disorder, family emotional abuse, andRead More
A High-Heat Heist: Double Exposure by Rien Gray
Note: While I’ve avoided major plot spoilers, this review is relatively detailed regarding the character arcs and themes. Fittingly enough, I’ve been exposed to Double Exposure by Rien Gray twice. The first time was through the Happily Ever After Collective, which releases monthly romance novellas from a variety of authors. Last year, Double Exposure released to patrons along withRead More
Kayla Bell reviews The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link If you think about it, “Beauty and the Beast” is a fairy tale that can really apply to the queer experience. Being shunned by society, finding love that the people around you view as monstrous, and forming your own life outside of the norm is something that mostRead More