It may still feel like summer outside in most places, but October is officially the beginning of “Hide away with a good book” season, regardless of the forecast. Thankfully, this month is overflowing with excellent picks in the realm of new queer romance, and here are the ones I’m most excited about!
The Devil She Knows
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Released: October 21, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Paranormal, Romance“A fantasy-tinged sapphic romance with perfect banter.”—People
A down-on-her-luck woman makes a deal with a crafty demon to win back her ex-girlfriend after a proposal gone awry, only to discover the girl of her dreams might be the devil she knows, from nationally bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.
Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell.
In less than 24 hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, she’s trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman claiming to be a demon.
Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone claiming to be an evil supernatural entity. She’s pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And she’s here to offer Samantha a deal she can’t refuse. Six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade—Samantha’s soul. There’s a glaring loophole in their contract, one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn’t fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back.
Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes . . . with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another.
As Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the Devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after.
Bellefleur’s been on my autoread list since her debut, Written in the Stars, but if it needed cementing, That Scene in her Truly, Madly, Deeply definitely took care of that. (IYKYK. IYDK, read it. You’re welcome.) Breaking out her first paranormal during spooky season has definitely piqued my interest, but even without all the rest of it, a Sapphic couple (that includes the devil!) in a clinch in an elevator with the tagline “Going down?” I mean. Come on. Doesn’t get more Must Read than that.
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Author: Samantha Saldivar
Released: October 21, 2025 by Dell
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceIn this sizzling sapphic romance, sparks fly between a sports journalist and her latest source—the first woman to be named head coach of a D1 men’s basketball team—but are they willing to risk their careers for a shot at love?
When Jordan D’Amato becomes the first woman named head coach of a top-level men’s college basketball team, journalist Caroline Beck is determined to get the story. After years of scraping her way into the world of sports reporting, Beck knows that snagging the first one-on-one interview with the elusive head coach could be her big break. But Jordan is wary of the media and the attention her historic new appointment attracts, especially as her boss makes it clear that it’s a temporary assignment—and if she doesn’t lead the team to victory, it won’t become permanent.
Beck’s persistence, however, charms Jordan and she agrees to sit down for an interview. The two women have undeniable chemistry—but journalists definitely can’t fall for sources, and Jordan certainly can’t fully trust the ambitious reporter who has every reason to use her team secrets for the next big scoop. Though they both know it would ruin their reputations and likely also cost them their jobs if anyone found out they were romantically involved, they can’t seem to stay away from each other.
With the national tournament in sight and both of their careers on the line, they must decide whether to take the shot on their budding love story—or walk away from the risky game they’ve been playing for good.
I’m always a sucker for a good sports romance, but as the holder of a Journalism degree, I got two itches delightfully scratched at once with Saldivar’s authoritatively written debut. Tropewise it dips into enough to have a little something for everyone, from slow burn to a forbidden relationship to hurt/comfort, but it’s the competence (and the way this has a bit of a classic sports movie feel, if those were ever Sapphic) that sells this one for me.
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Author: Sasha Laurens
Released: October 28, 2025 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceA big-hearted and sexy queer rom-com celebrating the kind of sweeping romance that inspires our favorite love songs.
Renee Feldman is desperate for a fresh start. She’d hoped to rediscover her creative spark by taking time off from her MFA in documentary film. Instead, she’s stalled. Barista-ing doesn’t chip away at her debt, her thesis project is nonexistent, and if she doesn’t re-enroll next semester, she’ll be out of the program.
Pop star Lola Gray is supposed to be the songwriter of her generation—but she hardly feels like it anymore. It’s been a year since her secret relationship imploded, simultaneously breaking Lola’s heart, annihilating her plan to come out, and plummeting her into writer’s block.
But when Lola sees Renee at her sister’s wedding, all that stress comes to a grinding halt. Lola’s teenage crush on the fearless lesbian next door was so overwhelming, it secretly inspired her debut album. Lola and Renee haven’t crossed paths in a decade, but that night sparks fly.
Renee is still processing the hottest—and most unexpected—one-night stand of her life when Lola surprises her again. Her team is producing a documentary alongside her next album, but the director they hired is a creep. Lola needs Renee to replace him…and filming starts in a week. With her thesis deadline approaching, Renee knows this is her only ticket to graduation.
As Lola and Renee reconnect, there’s no denying the feelings they have for each other or the renewed creativity it inspires. But neither realizes how hard it will be to tell their love story in an industry that sets a narrative of its own.
It’s been a rough season for the Gaylor clan, but if you’ve ever played “Hey, what if T-Swift rocked the rainbow?” this is the book to soothe what ails you. It’s a bit of second chance (though the first go-round was a mutual pining situation) meets childhood friends-to-lovers along with the whole celebrity angle, and the whole thing reads as smoothly as your favorite album — sexy, fun, and absorbing.
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Author: Emily Zipps
Released: October 28, 2025 by The Dial Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceIn this sapphic homage to While You Were Sleeping, a down-on-her-luck receptionist is mistaken as the girlfriend of a comatose man and doesn’t have the heart to come clean to his devastated family—even when she starts falling for his sister.
“Nostalgic and witty, this romance is for everyone who yearned with the fire of a thousand suns, only to find true love in the unexpected. A swoony, tender delight.” –Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
Alice Rue has never spoken to her longtime crush Nolan Altman, but when she saves his life one night in their office building, the EMTs tell his family that Alice is Nolan’s girlfriend. She wants to set the record straight, but Nolan’s in a coma, and if the family feels comforted by the idea of Nolan having his “girlfriend” by his side for what might be his last moments, isn’t it kinder to go along with it? At least for now?
After all, the Altmans are impossibly nice and supportive, and there’s something about Nolan’s sister, Van, that makes Alice feel more seen and understood than she has in years. The local news names her a hero. Her boss finally starts treating her well. Alice even starts to remember what it’s like to have a family. She knows it’s wrong to lie, but it’s easy to convince herself that she’s doing the right thing by evading the truth.
What she can’t avoid, however, is her growing chemistry with Van. Alice must decide if she can unravel this tangle of lies in order to salvage her chances with the woman who just may be the love of her life–especially if Nolan wakes up. Warm, witty, and full of heart, this debut romcom is a love story for pessimists who secretly hope for their own happily ever after.
I have seriously fond memories of watching While You Were Sleeping with my childhood bestie, and I’ve been tailing this bisexual version, anxiously awaiting its release, literally since it was announced. It just sounds incredibly fun, and I can’t wait to see how Zipps does the rom-com justice in writing.
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