From awesome librarian Carrie comes this request:
My library is doing a book display of GLBT titles, and I thought it would be fun if they included some romance. Anyone have fantastic GLTB romance to recommend?
Her caveats: she’d need the books to be in print – which is tricky because so much GLBT romance is digital only – and she needs to hopefully order a few titles, so they have to be available. So, what do you recommend?
I’d be happy to supply your librarian with a list, but 95% of our books are in print and available. Ever title is sent to the ALA for review and several have been nominated for the new ALA Rainbow Recommended List. I’d even send free copies of some of the titles I have on hand from the returns supply to her.
Laura Baumbach
MLR Press, LLC
Romance:
Any books by Mark A. Roeder but especially Outfield Menace and A Better Place (YA Romance)
G.A. Hauser The Boy Next Door
Dreamspinner has print versions of their books
Kensington has a GLBT line and some of them are Romance focused
Oh, and another YA Romance is Rainbow Boys and Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
I just finished Jane Bites Back last week, and went looking for other books at the local library today. Much to my surprise I found out the author (Michael Thomas Ford) has a backlist of gay romance/contemporary novels. I’ve not read them yet, but I did very much like the ‘voice’ in Jane Bites Back.
http://www.michaelthomasford.com/
http://www.michaelthomasford.com/books
@jmc I really liked Sean Kennedy’s Tigers and Devils. Australian Football and Snark and Realistic relationship building. Awesome!
The best part of this entry is reading the comments and going oh, yeah I loved that one and ohhhh, I’ve got to check that one out
A few fantastic books that aren’t Romance (cap R) but have wonderful lesbian relationships:
– Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters (also a GREAT BBC miniseries)
– Blue Place (and the sequels Stay and Always) by Nicola Griffith. This is a kick-ass noir style mystery/thriller series with a heroine who is a martial arts expert. SO good.
I also liked Santa Olivia by J. Carey.
Forgot to mention Rob Byrnes, Lambda Award winner for his M/M romantic novels. One of my favorites is When The Stars Came Out.
I would enthusiastically suggest anything by K. A. Mitchell, but specifically Collision Course and Regularly Scheduled Life. In fact, I would say Regularly Scheduled Life is one of the most powerful, most beautiful books I’ve read this year. Be warned though: the sex is graphic and very hot!!
Ya books
Anything by Julie Anne Peters – seriously, anything.
Susan Juby’s Another Kind of Cowboy—isn’t strictly romance, but it’s wonderful.
Nancy Garden’s Annie on my Mind – it’s a classic.
Steamy adult m/m
Heidi Cullinan’s been mentioned earlier for Double Blind and Special Delivery. They’re great, as is Myles and the Magic Flute.
Helpless by MJ Pearson is fabulous. All her GLBT romances are wonderful!!
Rick Reed has published many books focused on gay characters, but “Orientation” was REALLY good… Romance and reincarnation… It was thought provoking…
Lisa
Your library may already own these books.
Susan Brockmann has on ongoing male male romance throughout her Troubleshooters series. There was a novel published in that series that celebrated the Mass. marriage of Jules (FBI agent) and Robin (actor).
JR Ward has ongoing plot lines throughout the last few books of some bro-mance.
It’s already been mentioned, but Alex Beecroft’s False Colors is absolutely my favorite M/M romance. Love the historical setting, and it has a great cover for display!
You have to read Regularly Scheduled Life by K.A Mitchell Published by Samhain and should be available in print! It is a book I always come back to—it is a beautifully written story and worth checking out! Also No Going Home and Home of His Own by T.A. Chase are wonderful as are all of his books (many genres as well)!
More mainstream, and not really romance but still good…. Gabaldon’s Lord John books, especially Brotherhood of the Blade. And the library probably already has them on the shelves.
I’ve recently enjoyed Radclyffe’s INNOCENT HEARTS and TOMORROW’S PROMISE (lesbian).
Kirsten Saell’s CROSSING SWORDS and BOUND BY STEEL feature a bisexual heroine. I haven’t read the first but I loved the second. It’s erotic fantasy f/f/m.
Another vote for Sean Kennedy’s TIGERS AND DEVILS and LB Gregg’s HAPPY ENDING.
Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen. That and Almost Like Being in Love, you’ll pry from my cold, dead hands.
Oh, and Love and Loyalty by Tere Michaels is finally available in paperback now, along with Faith and Fidelity! Also very good.
Are there any recommendations for good romance novels with transgender characters? I would happily give my right arm if anyone does (or have I missed any in the comments?).
@Kezia
Susan Smith’s Of Drag King’s and the Wheel of Fate might meet your criterion.
Oooo, my favorite topic. I second (third? fourth?) Almost Like Being in Love, Lynn Flewelling’s Nightrunner series, Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English Mysteries, Maurice, and anything by J.L. Langley (The Tin Star or Without Reservations are good ones to start, though my personal favorite is My Fair Captain *g*).
I’d add:
Turnskin by Nicole Kimberling (fantastic all around)
The Price of Temptation and Discreet Young Gentlemen by M. J. Pearson (pure, cracky romance novel fun! loooove the cheesy cover art, too)
The God in Flight by Laura Asagiri
The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Psycop: Partners by Jordan Castillo Price
I had a bunch more, but realized they didn’t really fit in the “romance” category, so I’ll stop there. 😉
@Kezia: This isn’t available in print, but I liked Circle of Change by Laney Cairo for a transgender romance. I found it quite enjoyable, though not 100% perfect.
The Rest of Our Lives, by Dan Stone—witchcraft and sweet gay romance.
I’m totally goin to be uncouth and recommend my own two m/m romances, By Degrees (which has been on Torquere Press’s top seller list for almost a year now) and In the Rough, both in print. (They do have explicit sex, though.)
From other authors, I really liked Willow Bend by Ally Blue at Samhain, as well as An Agreement Among Gentlemen and Bareback, both by Chris Owen at Torquere Press.
For bigger name authors, Tanya Huff has an old book. It’s a fantasy novel, and the m/m romance is a subplot, but it’s very sweet and always makes me go “aww.” It was originally printed on its own as The Fire’s Stone, but is easier to find these days in a reprint of it and another of her novels in Of Darkness, Light, and Fire. She also has a trilogy, a follow-up to her vampire trilogy (but you don’t have to read the vampire trilogy if you just accept some things you won’t know about) that has a m/m romance as a subplot throughout the whole arc, Smoke and Shadows, Smoke and Mirrors, and Smoke and Ashes (all of which the library may already have!).
Phew. Enough out of me. 😉
JB
@msbehavin247 and Dana
Thank you so much! I hadn’t known about either of them. You both just made my day 🙂
I would second the recommendation for Tipping the Velvet by Sara Waters. It’s a fabulous Victorian lesbian romance, that can be appreciated by straight readers as well.
Seconding the recommendation for Jordan Castillo Price’s PsyCops series – The print titles are, in sequence, PsyCop: Partners (Torquere Press) Psycop: Property (JCP Press) and Camp Hell: A Psycop Novel (JCP Press)
Oh – and Manna Francis’ Adminstration series, which is published by Casperian Press.
Historical romance “Whistling in the Dark” by Tamara Allen from Lethe Press
Touching YA urban fantasy “Vintage” by Steve Berman from Lethe Press
Charitable Anthologies “I Do” and “I Do, Two” from MLR.
Enjoy.
If we’re going to suggest short story anthologies, then I submit To Love and To Cherish. The collection is subtitled “an anthology of lesbian love and marriage”, and features 14 romance short stories around the theme of marriage/commitment proposals, wedding/commitment ceremonies, and life in lesbian families.
It’s published by loveyoudivine and available in print at Amazon.
Marriage Equality USA receives all proceeds from sales.
Helpless by MJ Pearson would be nice. *eg*
I’m a gay teen reader and for YA, I’d suggest looking a bit further than Alex Sanchez et al. “Vintage” by Steve Berman is a modern ghost story/romance with a twist. Highly recommendable. “The Vast Fields of Ordinary” by Nick Burd and “What They Always Tell Us” by Martin Wilson are not your typical YA romance novels, but they do explore first gay love and I highly recommend them. “Love & Sex” edited by Michael Cart is a great YA anthology. And lastly, “Clay’s Way” by Blair Mastbaum because it’s hot.
My short story collection with gay cowboys, fairy firemen and a transgender heroine is out in print, and just got a starred review from Booklist – it’s for adult and young adult readers both. “Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories.” Great for libraries everywhere 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Diana-Comet-Other-Improbable-Stories/dp/1590210948
There’s also a YouTube video to go with it – that’s about women sf writers over the last 75 years:
“Annie on my Mind” is one of my very favorite YA romances of any orientation. So much love for that book.
Also, another great author is ML Rhodes. She has a contemporary fantasy called Falling from Amber Quill (I’m pretty sure it’s in print). She also has a fantasy shapeshifter series with dragons called the Draegon Lords, also at Amber Quill. The first two are in one print volume and the third and fourth will do the same once the fourth is released this year. Excellent books, very good vs evil with a diabolical villain.
I recommend Dark Designs, by Luisa Prieto. I LOVED this story. It’s a dark fantasy with romantic elements. M/m romantic elements 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Designs-Luisa-Prieto/dp/160820071X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271998535&sr=1-1
Just wondering – if a book is m/m/f, would that count as a GLBT book? If so, I think Samantha Kane and Kate Pearce both have books/series where there is definite man love as well as a woman loved by both.
Nobody has mentioned Patricia Nell Warren’s The Front Runner—an absolute classic. (What a shame it’s not available as an ebook.)
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
There are some lesbian romance elements in Jim C. Hines’ Princess series (The Stepsister Scheme, The Mermaid’s Madness, soon to be Red Hood’s Revenge)
Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden
Fairy Tales: Traditional Stories Retold for Gay Men by Peter Cashorali
I am sure there are more I should be able to list but can’t think of right now…
@ Sandra :
I second the Lord John books by “The Diana”. Very mainstream, though not strictly a romance. Still awesome!
Thank you so much, everyone! I am in awe of all the support and knowledge. I’m sadly not actually an Awesome Librarian myself, I’m just an awesome stay at home mom who keeps telling the awesome librarian what to read. I can’t wait to see what she does with all these suggestions, and I can’t wait to read them myself!
My bisexual erotic romance ONDINE (eXcessica Publishing) would love to be a welcome addition to anybody’s shelf:
https://www.createspace.com/3429723
Hugs,
Giselle Renarde
Canada just got hotter!
Spits coffee on Aunt’s keyboard. That was hilarious.
I’m chiming in before finishing the comments, so bear with me. I’m totally addicted to m/m erotica right now, especially of the romance variety. I want to point out these are definitely erotica, not just romance (but there’s plenty o’ that):
Bareback by Chris Owen is in print, and I personally think it’s the best gay cowboy romantica evah. The follow-up book,
may or may not be in print.
Someone mentioned JL Langley’s Ranch series, which is really good. Especially The Tin Star.
Langley also has a short in The Ties that Bind that I freaking love—part of an anthology of m/m erotica that’s pretty good. Lightish BDSM, but I’m not sure it’s in print.
Also, TA Chase has a m/m cowboy series I like – No Going Home and A Home of His Own are in print in one volume (the third book is only in ebook format, and not epub yet, dammit. Grumble).