It’s not April’s fool when we say several LGBTQIA books are coming out this March that you won’t want to miss. From authors who release two books in the same month to authors who have become well-known among the queer community for their stories.
If you have read the books in our LGBTQIA picks for March, we have 7 new titles to add to your TBR list. M.K. Englan, Zakiya N. Jamal, and Bridget Morrissey are among the authors we highlight this month.
In order of release date, here are 7 LGBTQIA books we are looking forward to reading this April:
1. Roll for Love by M.K. Englan – April 8
If Dungeons & Dragons is your thing, you will fall in love with Roll for Love. Harper and her mom return to her grandfather’s farm, changing her life immensely. She has decided to focus on her woodworking, trying to convince her mom university isn’t for her. But she still misses her D&D group, so she looks for one she could join in town. Lo and behold, her former best friend and first crush is starting one.
Ollie, unlike Harper, is ready to graduate and head off to college. But things begin to change for her when she reconnects with Harper. As their D&D characters begin to have feelings for one another, Ollie and Harper wonder if the feelings are real between them, too.
Book Description: Ashley Poston meets Becky Albertalli in this Sapphic, second-chance romance about a teen returning to her grandfather’s farm and how joining her childhood best friend’s Dungeons & Dragons game gives her the confidence to follow her dreams and get a second-chance at love with her first crush.
Dungeons & Dragons loving Harper Reid’s summer is off to a rough start. First, she and her mom moved across the country to Clintville, Virginia (population: tiny) to live on her Poppy’s farm, which means saying goodbye to her friends and finding a new D&D group to play with. The only thing keeping her going is getting to polish her carpentry skills in the farm’s woodshop so she can get an apprenticeship after graduation. That is if she can tell her mom that she doesn’t want to go to college, which is kind of hard when mom keeps asking about applications and if she has picked out the perfect school yet. What Harper really needs is to channel the confidence and bravery of her awesome D&D character, and then maybe she could find a new D&D group and tell her mom that her passion is woodworking, not a four-year university. And, hey, maybe she could find a cool girlfriend, too.
The one encounter Harper wasn’t expecting was running into Ollie Shifflet: neighbor, childhood best friend, and, oh yeah, first crush. Unlike Harper, Ollie seems to have everything figured out. She plans on spending the summer digging around in her garden and hanging out with her best friends and trying D&D with them for the first time. Then after graduation it is community college, then opening a small nature-based daycare center and living her best bisexual life . . . well, as long as that last bit stays private. But when beautiful, bold, Harper Reid comes waltzing back into her life and joins her D&D group, suddenly Ollie’s plan seems to have a Harper-shaped hole in it.
So when feelings start to develop in their Dungeons & Dragons game between Harper’s brash Barbarian character and Ollie’s proud Paladin, Harper and Ollie begin wondering if they are falling for each in real life or if it is all just apart of the game. As the school year draws to a close and the final boss looms on the horizon, Harper and Ollie must decide if the relationship that they have been roleplaying in the game could be as real for them.
2. Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa – April 15
Gabriel is focusing on football and becoming a Liga MX or MLS player as soon as possible. And he is also working on convincing himself that he is straight. However, things begin to shake up when Vale, a guy he kissed at a party once, volunteers to tutor him in philosophy. Vale is dreamy, supportive, smart, and a great friend, making Gabi wonder about his feelings.
As his feelings and their friendship continue to blossom, Gabi starts to freak out. A Mexican football player cannot be bisexual if he wants to play professionally. Now, he has to decide if he wants to embrace that part of him that terrifies him or focus solely on the game he loves.
Book Description: A classmates-to-friends-to-lovers romance that’s equal parts raunchy, heartfelt, queer, and Mexican-American, centered on college football (the REAL football)!
Gabriel Piña knows who he is: a college goalkeeper, a future Liga MX or MLS star, and definitely straight. He’s starting his freshman year with a lot of eyes on him and even more potential, but he’s got this. Nothing will have him straying off the path to greatness.
That is, until his philosophy classmate Vale volunteers to tutor him. Vale, the same guy who Gabi, in a moment of history repeating itself, might’ve kissed very briefly—and only once—just to help him out at a party. Vale, the smart, supportive, compassionate new friend with beautiful brown eyes and a smile that keeps Gabi, for completely inexplicable reasons, constantly in a daydream.
As a friendship blooms and the two spend more and more time together, Gabi finally begins to recognize something about himself: maybe he’s not as straight as he thought he was. But a larger and darker realization lingers. Someone like Gabi—a brown, Mexican futbolista with dreams of playing for El Tri—can’t also be bisexual. He’s seen the way his teammates and community react to queerness in their sport. It would be the exact type of straying off path that destroys his future.
Or, maybe Gabi could be brave enough to embrace all those parts of himself and forge his own path, one that includes a boyfriend and the beautiful game.
A sports romance for those who keep rewatching Bend It Like Beckham and rereading Red, White & Royal Blue and the incredible collection of queer soc—football romances out there, Futbolista follows the first semester of one guy’s freshman year of college, navigating who he is, who he’s allowed to be, and who he wants to be.
3. If We Were a Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal – April 22
Rochelle Coleman wants to be valedictorian, get into Wharton, and take down her nemesis, Amira. Everything seems to be going according to plan, except that she needs a job to stand out in her college application. When she begins working at Horizon Cinemas, she is disappointed to find out that Amira is her boss. At first, she thinks it will be a nightmare, but she soon changes her mind.
The only problem now is that strange things are happening at Horizon, threatening to close its doors forever. The employees are the only ones who can solve the mystery and save the cinema. Will that bring Rochelle and Amira closer?
Book Description: Lights. Camera. Love?
Rochelle “The Shell” Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle’s college application is missing that extra special something: a job.
When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances of getting into her dream school. There’s only one problem: Amira works there . . . and is also her boss.
Rochelle feels that being around Amira is its own kind of horror movie, but as the two begin working closely together, Rochelle starts to see Amira in a new light, one that may have her beginning to actually . . . like her?
But Horizon’s in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon’s chances of staying open slim, it’s up to the employees to solve the mystery before it’s too late. But will love also find its way into the spotlight?
4. Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrissey – April 22
If The Holiday is among your favorite movies, Anywhere You Go might become one of your favorite books. Tatum Ward and Eleanor Chapman swap homes as they try to escape from the reality of their homes. Tatum is a Midwestern waitress trying to avoid her feelings for a regular named June. Eleanor needs time away from her high-profile press career.
But as they swap homes, they realize what they truly want and what they’re worth. Eleanor finds herself attracted to Tatum’s older sibling, Carson, while Tatum spends a week with June and her unavoidable feelings. What could go wrong?
Book Description: A small-town waitress and a big-city Broadway press agent swap homes to escape the messiness of their personal lives, only to find new purpose—and new love.
Tatum Ward and Eleanor Chapman lead totally opposite lives. Tatum’s never left her Midwestern hometown. She resides in a quaint guest cottage on her parents’ property while working part-time as a waitress, where she spends most shifts ignoring her feelings for a beautiful regular named June. Eleanor dedicates every waking hour to her high-profile press career, sacrificing personal relationships for professional success, save for the occasional hookup to fight off her loneliness. When both women’s lives unexpectedly blow up at the exact same time, they each need an escape, and fast.
In Tatum’s hometown, Eleanor expects a quiet hideaway where she can recharge. Instead she gets wrapped up in the family drama that Tatum left town to avoid, pulled in by Tatum’s charismatic older sibling, Carson, who charms Eleanor at every turn. Tatum ends up in Eleanor’s New York high-rise apartment with June. One week together in the big city might make it impossible for Tatum to avoid not just her true feelings for June, but her real dreams for her life.
Amid a friendship with a reclusive Hollywood actress and a complicated family reunion, Tatum and Eleanor each discover much more than they bargained for away from home. Their house swap won’t last forever, but it might be just long enough for both women to surrender their defenses and finally fight for the life—and love—they deserve.
5. All Fired Up by M.K. England – April 29
Nicole left Seattle to study and to forget about the feelings she had for her best friend, Skylar. Now, she is returning with a new job and hopes to reconnect with her friends. Everything changes when Skylar announces she is moving to Fiji for a new business idea she was. Nicole believes this is a terrible idea and Skylar must be stopped.
She teams up with the newest addition to the group, firefighter Kira. As the two begin to plan different ways to keep Skylar in Seattle, feelings start to blossom, and the plan isn’t the only thing between them.
Book Description: Nicole Wells left Seattle two years ago for graduate school to study fire dynamics…and to get away from her best friend and unrequited love, Skylar Clark. Now she’s back home with a new job, ready to hit reset on her life and reconnect with her friends.
And maybe finally get together with Skylar.
Nic’s plans go up in flames when Skylar announces she’s moving to Fiji for a new business venture, in what will likely be another catastrophe for the ambitious but seldom successful BFF. That, and there’s a newcomer to Nic’s group of friends: Kira McKinney, a firefighter Nicole can’t keep her eyes off.
Worried about their friend making a huge mistake, Nicole and Kira work together to stop Skylar from leaving. When talking to her doesn’t work, there’s only one option left—shenanigans. But as all their efforts go up in smoke, one thing becomes wildly clear.
Sparks are starting to fly between Nic and Kira…
In this sapphic rom-com, a fire starter (a chemist who studies fire) and a firefighter team up to save their best friend from making an epic mistake, sparks fly (literally) and shenanigans ensue; a celebration of queer joy for fans of Casey McQuiston and Ashley Herring Blake.
6. My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner – April 29
Elise is engaged to her college boyfriend, and Ginny is in love with Elise. They are best friends. Elise soon finds out her fiancé has planned a surprise wedding and honeymoon and realizes that’s not the future she wants for herself. Instead, she hops on a plane with Ginny to enjoy the Caribbean and the non-refundable honeymoon.
Ginny agrees to go on the honeymoon but makes a deal with Elise to encourage her to speak up for herself. For the next week, Elise can have anything she wants as long as she asks for it. Surprisingly, she wants Ginny.
Book Description: Meryl Wilsner’s spicy f/nb romance, where two lifelong best friends go on a nonrefundable honeymoon together and discover sometimes to find a happily ever after, you just have to ask.
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 Elsie 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.
What starts as choosing activities and taking selfies soon turns to toe-curling kisses and much, much more. But what happens when the honeymoon is over?
Meryl Wilsner’s My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is about not only learning to ask for what you want, but for the happiness you deserve.
7. Once Upon You & Me by Timothy Janovsky – April 29
Taylor flies to Storybook Endings Resort to help his boss, Amy, set up her daughter’s sweet sixteen. He knows he can do an amazing job if only he can focus and stop flirting with the manager, Ethan. He has to stop flirting, not because it’s a distraction but because Ethan is Amy’s ex-husband, and that would be a mistake.
Ethan believes the only way to make up for the divorce is to give his daughter the sweet sixteen she has always dreamed of. The only problem is that things might get ugly if he continues to tease with Taylor. If Amy were to find out, everything would go south very quickly.
Book Description: Charming fairy tale meets spicy bedtime story in this deliciously enchanting age-gap LGBTQIA+ romance
When Taylor Frost’s boss, Amy, flies him across the country to prep for her daughter’s sweet sixteen at the Storybook Endings Resort in the Catskills, the solo mission is well within his wheelhouse. Taylor is excellent at his job—except, he’s probably not supposed to flirt with the resort’s mountain man of a manager, Ethan Golding. Because the rugged older man is also the birthday girl’s father, aka Amy’s ex-husband. Oops.
For Ethan, his divorce seemed like the bad ending to his romantic story. And now, making his daughter’s sweet sixteen dreams come true is the closest he’ll get to the kind of magic happiness in fairy tales. Until adorable Taylor has him wondering if maybe this is just the beginning of a more erotic kind of bedtime story…
The only problem is Amy. And how very not okay she’d be with the chemistry between her assistant and her ex.
If only forbidden flings ever led to happily-ever-afters…
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What will you be reading in April? Share your picks in the comments below!
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature who works in PR. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Geek Girl Authority, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.
