While the end of the year is close, there is no end in sight for upcoming LGBTQIA books. Queer characters to comfort us, make us feel seen, and provide us an escape from the cruel reality continue to grow and come to life on the pages of magnificent upcoming books.
If you have read the books in our LGBTQIA picks for October, we have 7 new titles to add to your TBR list. Brittany Johnson, Cale Dietrich, and Clio Evans 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 November:
1. Deadly Ever After by Brittany Johnson – November 4
Amala is a princess who has spent her entire life being obedient and quiet. Before her story can truly begin, she is murdered on the night of her wedding. On the other hand, Kha’dasia has always been labeled as “too much,” being a ruthless warrior princess trying to fulfill her dead brother’s wish. Before she can fulfill her destiny, she dies.
After their deaths, both princesses wake up in a cursed forest where the gods offer them a second chance at life. To earn that chance, they must find true love’s kiss. However, while the right kiss will save them, the wrong kiss will kill them. The twist? They might not realize love is standing right in front of them.
Book Description: Two dead princesses must find true love’s kiss to bring them back to life in this heart-stopping romantic fantasy debut. For fans of Cinderella Is Dead and Girl, Serpent, Thorn.
Amala has spent her whole life trying to be the perfect delicate, quiet, obedient. But when she’s murdered on the night of her wedding, her story is cut short before it begins.
Kha’dasia has been told her whole life that she is too rough, too loud, too much. She’s no ordinary princess but a ruthless warrior on a quest to fulfill her late brother’s dying wish. Except she dies before reaching her destination.
When both girls wake up in a cursed forest, the gods offer them a second chance at life—if they can find true love’s kiss. But there’s a catch, the gods warn.
While the right kiss will save you, the wrong kiss will kill you.
On their journey, the princesses must overcome challenges that force them to face the truth of their lives…and their deaths. And as Amala and Kha’dasia grow closer, they can’t help but wonder if true love has been standing right in front of them all along.
2. Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington – November 4
When Mikky left Prophets Lake, he never expected to return. Leaving his sister, Kyla, behind seemed okay when she had her best friend, Erin. However, when Erin is murdered, Mikky makes up his mind to return home and help his sister navigate this loss.
As the siblings reunite, Mikky realizes Erin’s death affected Kyla more than he imagined. Now, as he helps his sister uncover the truth behind her friend’s murder, Mikky is pulled into several mysteries that took place in the town he wanted to leave behind.
Book Description: Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.
When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.
Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.
Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than stay.
As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.
3. My Roommate From Hell by Cale Dietrich – November 11
Owen attends college to study hard and get a job that will set him up for life. However, his plans are derailed when he meets his new roommate: the prince of hell. Zarmenus is the first to participate in the Earth/hell exchange program, and he wants to make the most of it. That includes throwing parties, bringing random boys back to his room, and making Owen’s life hell (no pun intended).
But when the two begin to clash and Zar risks the exchange program, he decides to ask Owen to be his fake boyfriend and teach him to be a better human. In return, he offers Owen an internship that will help shape his future for good. What could possibly go wrong with these two fake dating?
Book Description: A swoon-worthy YA rom-com about an ambitious college student whose plans get derailed when he discovers his roommate is the prince of hell.
Owen is not going to college to have fun. Nothing is going to stop him from achieving his goals: study hard, get a good job, and set himself up for the rest of his life. The last thing he needs is to have a loud, obnoxious, and infuriatingly hot roommate. Especially since said roommate just so happens to be the prince of hell.
Prince Zarmenus has come to Point University for the first-ever Earth/hell exchange program, and he’s determined to make the most of it. Which may or may not include wild parties, bringing in random boys to his and Owen’s room, and accidentally setting Owen’s furniture on fire. Sparks fly (literally) as Owen and Zar clash, but Zar’s actions threaten to not only ruin Owen’s peaceful college life, but demon-human relations as well. To clean up his image, he asks Owen to be his fake boyfriend and teach him how to be a better human in exchange for an internship that will secure Owen’s future. That, and Zar will consider being a better roommate.
A deal is struck, and the two start pretending to be in a relationship where they each have agendas of their own. Only Owen has a secret―dating his mortal enemy, even if it’s fake, is the most fun he’s ever had.
Charming and fun, My Roommate from Hell is a rom-com with a magical twist. Think just one bed, but that bed is in hell, surrounded by fire and brimstone.
4. Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto – November 11
For Izzy Chen, the annual family gathering for the Chinese New Year is dreadful. She never looks forward to being with her relatives in a Michelin-starred restaurant where everyone flaunts their success. This year, things change when Izzy sees her grandmother walk into the restaurant with a woman on her arm and kissing her in front of everyone. After having those same feelings and feeling like a black sheep, Izzy sees herself reflected in her grandma.
As her grandmother realizes Izzy struggles in the way she did as a teenager, she decides to share her story. Magnolia Chen was sent to Los Angeles for her education, and there she met Ellery, her best friend and the love of her life. Because of her culture and gender norms, this seemed like an impossible love. Now, Magnolia revisits her love story to share it with her granddaughter.
Book Description: A grandmother tells her granddaughter about her twisty, often surprising, journey to who she is now in this sweeping love story by USA Today bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Izzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration, where they all come together at a Michelin-starred restaurant to flaunt their status and successes in hopes to one up each other. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed.
Seeing herself in her teenage granddaughter’s struggles with identity and acceptance, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery, an American college student who became Magnolia’s best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents, Magnolia’s star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you’re meant to be.
5. Cactus Heart by Clio Evans – November 11
When the main character returns to his small town in Texas, things get a bit complicated as he starts to fall for his brother’s two best friends. With his brother’s overprotective nature, he should know better than to look at his best friends.
Levi Rayburn, an ex-hockey player, is also returning to Texas, looking better than ever. Mateo Jimenez is a firefighter who has been by the main character’s side on several occasions. What could possibly go wrong?
Book Description: In the small West Texas town of Whynot, why not fall for your brother’s two best friends—even if it means risking a broken heart?
Two years ago, I moved back to the dusty small town I used to call home. Every day that goes by is the same until two men I have no business wanting turn my life upside down.
Levi Rayburn. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the ex-hockey player, but now he’s back in Texas—hotter and more rugged than ever.
Mateo Jimenez. The mustached firefighter is sexy, sweet, and has been there for me more times than I can count.
The only problem?
As my overprotective brother’s best friends—Levi and Mateo are completely off limits.
At least, they should be…
In this MMF small town romance, you’ll find: Brother’s Best Friends, Mustache Riding, MMC with glasses, Hurt/Comfort, BDSM, Found Family.
6. Leave It on the Track by Margot Fisher – November 18
After a terrible fire that killed her dads in small-town Utah, Moose moves to Portland with her half-sister. While Eden does her best to help Moose, the teenager is struggling to come to terms with her sexuality and live in a town where there are rainbow flags everywhere you go. To help deal with her emotions, she decides to join a roller derby team.
As she gets to know the other teammates, Moose finds a group of people who help her deal with the death of her fathers and confront her issues with her sexuality. Meanwhile, Moose begins to realize that she might be going against roller derby rules by falling for one of her teammates.
Book Description: From Reese’s Book Club LitUp Fellow Margot Fisher, a moving debut about healing, self-acceptance, and queer first love, set on a roller derby team.
Morgan “Moose” Shaker barely survived the fire that killed her fathers in their beloved roller rink in small-town Utah. Now she has to move to Portland, Oregon to live with her much older half sister, Eden. Eden’s doing her best, but she’s hardly ready to be a parent to a sixteen-year-old she hasn’t seen in years. Plus, barely-out-of-the-closet Moose worries that she’s not ready for super-affirming, rainbow-flags-everywhere Portland. Her anxiety and frustration are at peak levels.
Fortunately, Moose finds an outlet for her emotions and a surprising group of friends in roller derby. Her teammates help her grieve her dads and confront her queer imposter syndrome. And even though it’s against league rules, she might be falling for a teammate.
Heartfelt, funny, and romantic, this debut will make you want to lace up your skates, pull on your pads, and hit the track.
7. Husband of the Year by M.A. Wardell – November 18
After finding the love of his life, Marvin Block returns to the classroom to guide a flock of kindergarteners. As he does his job, Marvin begins to wonder if Olan Stone and he are ready to face the challenges that come with planning a wedding. Can their love actually survive?
Olan Stone is ready to marry Marvin, and his daughter is ready to call the kindergarten teacher her stepdad. However, as the wedding day nears, the tensions rise and unresolved issues knock on the door. Is Olan and Marvin’s love real?
Book Description: Exploring themes of love, family, and parenthood, Husband of the Year is a trade paperback original publication featuring all the characters you’ve met and grown to love and is the highly anticipated final installment in the Teachers in Love series—from an author whose “stories are sweetness and spice wrapped into a big, warm hug” (Alice Oseman, bestselling author of Heartstopper).
Family isn’t only about blood. It’s about the people we choose.
For Marvin Block, former Teacher of the Year, life should be a breeze after finally finding his soulmate. But as he returns to his role as Mr. Block, guiding a flock of kindergarteners, he realizes that getting married is anything but simple. Sure, he’s discovered the love of his life, but is their love strong enough to weather the storm of planning a wedding?
Olan Stone wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with kindergarten teacher Marvin Block. And his daughter, Illona, can’t wait to call Marvin her stepfather. They’re bashert—meant to be. However, as the big day approaches, family tensions and unresolved issues put their future together in jeopardy.
Marvin thought he and Olan had everything all figured out. But he’s realizing that their whirlwind romance may not be the foundation for a lifetime commitment after all. As they struggle through the changes that life is throwing their way, will they be drawn closer together or farther apart?
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What will you be reading in November? 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 known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). In addition to Eulalie Magazine, you can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.