Sapphic Romance Books to Read in One Sitting
The sapphic romance genre has had a genuine boom in the last few years. More books, more variety, better craft. These are the ones that are genuinely hard to put down. Pick one based on your current mood and surrender your afternoon to it.
For the Hate-to-Love Fan: She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
Scottie Zajac has just been dumped by her girlfriend and crashes her car into the most popular girl in school. Now they have to carpool. It is exactly as fun as that sounds. Quindlen writes YA romance with real comic timing and genuine warmth. The enemies-to-lovers tension is well-constructed and the resolution is satisfying without being rushed. This is the book you read when you want to smile at your phone on public transit and not care who sees.
For the Grumpy-Sunshine Addict: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Delilah Green has spent years avoiding her hometown and her complicated feelings about the family she left behind. She comes back for her stepsister’s wedding and meets Astrid, who is buttoned-up and serious and exactly Delilah’s type despite being the worst possible idea. This is the first in the Bright Falls series and it is extremely good. The tension is slow-built and the payoff is worth every page. Blake writes banter as well as anyone in the genre.
For the Workplace Drama Lover: Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood built her reputation writing STEM romances and this collection includes a sapphic story about two women who are stuck in a housing situation they didn’t choose and have very strong feelings about each other, mostly hostile. Hazelwood’s formula works because her characters feel like real people who are bad at emotions rather than romance novel archetypes. Fast, fun, and satisfying.
For the Historical Romance Mood: The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
The sequel to The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue follows Felicity Montague, who wants to be a doctor in 18th-century Europe and is not interested in anything that gets in the way of that, including men, social convention, and her own feelings. She is an excellent protagonist. The book is funny and adventurous and Felicity’s emotional journey is genuinely satisfying. Main character energy, all 400 pages.
For the Contemporary Drama Fan: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Elle works at a dating app company. Darcy is her brother’s best friend and possibly the most annoying person Elle has ever met. They are stuck pretending to date to satisfy their families at the holidays. This is extremely cozy and the romantic tension is done well. The two leads have a dynamic that feels earned rather than manufactured. A great one for a cold weekend.
A Few More to Know
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston sends a woman falling for someone stuck on a time-displaced subway train, and it’s as delightful as that sounds. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas is YA paranormal romance with a trans lead summoning the wrong ghost. Loveless by Alice Oseman explores aromantic and asexual identity through a protagonist going to university. All essential.
Cancel your plans. Block off six hours. You know what you’re doing today.