December is the perfect time to get cozy with a new book and dive into fictional worlds that distract us from everything that went wrong throughout the year. You can end the year and spend the holidays on a high note, with characters who might be going through similar experiences as yours.
If you have read the books in our LGBTQIA picks for November, we have 7 new titles to add to your TBR list. Cozy DuBois, Zakiya N. Jamal, and Alexis Hall 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. Glimmer in the Dark by Cozy DuBois – December 1
After his transition, Rory’s family kicked him out. Then came the new guy at work who seemed to be stealing all of his projects. Trying to escape the sad reality and finally accomplish his dream of seeing the Northern Lights, he books a spontaneous vacation in Alaska.
By the time he arrives, Rory is told his reservation never made it. To make matters worse, the new guy, Sanzhar, is staying at the same hotel and offering to share his cabin. Even though that wasn’t what he had in mind, Rory takes him up on his offer, which leads to a life-changing vacation.
Book Description: His whole life, Rory has longed to see the Northern Lights.
He just never expected his irritating coworker would be there when he did.
Rory will be spending the holidays alone this year. His polycule recently hit a rough patch, and his family cut him off after his transition. With his boss icing him out, work has been the cherry on top of the sh*t cake.
After another awful meeting—where Rory’s project gets reassigned to Sanzhar, the annoyingly perfect new guy—Rory finds a brochure in the Three days in Fairbanks for the Winter Solstice in a luxurious geodesic dome cabin, full of cozy charm, winter adventure, and the Northern Lights. Frustrated with everything, Rory books a spontaneous vacation to finally see the Aurora Borealis. His PTO request will probably get declined, but he’ll be in Alaska by then.
But when he lands, the hotel (more rustic than luxurious) has no record of his reservation. The snow is falling, the sun set hours ago, and to make matters worse, Sanzhar is there to witness his humiliation. Swallowing his pride, Rory accepts Sanzhar’s offer to share his cabin. A long weekend of fireside chats, endless nights, and only one bed may turn Rory and Sanzhar from rivals to friends…or more.
2. On the Edge of Uncertainty by E.V. Bancroft – December 1
Florence Cooper has dedicated her life to her niece. At fifty-five, she lives with her niece and her girlfriend, dealing with the side effects of arthritis and the solitary life she has led. When her niece’s girlfriend graduates and Florence comes face to face with the woman who broke her heart two decades ago, chaos takes over her life.
Now, Florence dives into memory lane and the literary world of 1920s London to sort out the chaos and confusion that has taken over. She must decide if she wants to stick to what’s known and safe or take a chance that changes everything.
Book Description: Florence Cooper has spent most of her life caring for her niece, Cam Langley. Now she shares a house with her niece and Cam’s beautiful girlfriend, Gloria Edwards, but at fifty-five, arthritis is slowing Florrie’s body and solitude is settling on her soul.
On Gloria’s graduation day, a chance meeting with the woman who broke Florrie’s heart over twenty years ago throws chaos and confusion into her life, forcing her to take a trip down memory lane into 1920s literary London.
Old wounds reopen and long-buried feelings reignite, pulling Florrie into a life she thought long-drowned. Standing once more on the edge of uncertainty, Florrie must dive into the ocean of possibilities or swim for the safety of the shore.
3. The Lightyears Between Us by Shannon K. English – December 2
Every 25 years, the Eden Space Station students are chosen at random to pilot the Laikas. The goal of this mission is to find a habitable world. Even though Will was never supposed to be a pilot because she is the daughter of an important politician, she was chosen alongside Paige, her bitter rival. The two of them must pilot the Laikas 15.
The rivals put their differences aside when they discover the darkest secret. The Laikas were never meant to return home. Now, trapped in space with an uncertain future, Will and Paige must work together to return home safely.
Book Description: Seventeen-year-old noble Will Arrex and her classmate Paige Tarrant were destined to be bitter rivals. Where Will is ice cold and painfully poised––everything an Arrex should be––Tarrant is a firecracker, unafraid to speak her mind.
Every twenty-five years, students aboard the Eden Space Station are chosen by lottery to pilot the Laikas––a fleet of ships sent on exploratory missions, humanity’s last hope to find a habitable world. As the only daughter of a powerful politician, Will was not supposed to be one of them.
When Will and Tarrant wind up piloting Laika 15 together, their mutual hatred begins to thaw. But all seems lost when they discover the Eden’s darkest secret…Laika 15 was never meant to come home.
Trapped in the vastness of space on an impossible mission, Will and Paige must bridge the lightyears keeping them apart if they want to survive.
4. Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal – December 2
First, Stella’s roommate invites her to a sex club, then she bails on her. Even so, Stella decides to go to the club and take a chance at losing her virginity. Once there, she meets a stranger whom she is willing to take a chance on. However, they soon realize they don’t have protection, and Stella decides this is a sign to let it go.
Shortly after, Stella learns that her company is partnering with an AI company that could put her job at risk. When the CEO’s brother, the program’s creator, comes to visit, Stella realizes it is the stranger from the club. While they choose to keep their personal and professional lives separate and take a chance on love, this proves more difficult than expected.
Book Description: A late bloomer thought a visit to a sex club might jump start her love life, but instead makes an instant connection that turns her whole world upside down, in this adult debut from author Zakiya N. Jamal.
When Stella Renee Johnson’s roommate invites her to a sex club party but bails at the last minute, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, they realize they don’t have protection and Stella, taking it as a sign this wasn’t meant to be, flees.
Frustrated in more ways than one, Stella is shocked to learn that the digital media website where she works is partnering with an AI company. She’s even more shocked when the alluring man from the previous night walks in. Max Williams is the CEO’s brother and the creator of the AI program now threatening her job.
Despite the conflict of interest, Stella and Max can’t resist their magnetic attraction toward each other, and agree to keep their personal lives separate from what’s happening at work. But the more similarities they discover at home—both Black, book smart, and bisexual—the more they butt heads at work. Stella and Max must decide whether to think with their heads and walk away from their budding relationship, or follow their hearts and take a chance on love, no matter the cost.
5. Love At Frost Sight by Charlie Novak – December 4
A former boyband superstar convinces his agent to sign him up for the Come Dancing With Me Christmas Special. He is excited to know his partner will be the “bad boy” of the show, Nico. However, Nico might not be too happy to partner up with an ex-superstar.
As the two spend more time together in rehearsal, the chemistry begins to flow, and they connect in ways they didn’t expect to. While Nico is seen as tough, he is the only person to break through the former superstar’s walls. Now, they need to figure out if their chemistry was solely connected to the show or if it can survive the dance partners stage.
Book Description: Sometimes Love Catches You Out Of Step
Convincing my agent to sign me up for the Come Dancing With Me Christmas special was the best decision I’ve made in years, especially when my partner turns out to be the show’s stunning ‘bad boy’, Nico.
I’m ready to put on my sequins and my dancing shoes, but first I need to figure out how to defrost Nico’s attitude towards me. He seems under the impression that as an ex-boyband superstar I’m going to be a diva, and not even some homemade gingerbread is helping!
But the more hours we spend together in training, the more we begin to connect. Nico might be prickly but he’s the first person who begins to see me as more than my past. And as things heat up on and off the dancefloor, I realise I don’t want to let Nico go.
Our connection is only supposed to be temporary, but can we find a way to make it last forever?
6. Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot by Alexis Hall – December 9
Audrey left her important job as a journalist and her long-term girlfriend behind to work for the second-biggest newspaper in Shropshire. Even though she tells herself that she is fine and getting drunk every night is something everyone does, she impulsively signs up for Bake Expectations.
Her journalistic spirit lights up when she meets Doris, a contestant with a WW2 queer love story. Her lover spirit sets on fire when she meets producer Jennifer. Even though she knows Jennifer should be off-limits, Audrey can’t help herself because she hasn’t felt this way in a long time.
Book Description: Bestselling author Alexis Hall brings all the cozy charm of The Great British Bake Off to life in this quirky LGBTQIA+ romcom.
Audrey Lane is perfectly fine. Really. So what if she left her high-powered job as a Very Important Journalist—and her even higher-powered long-term girlfriend—to live a quiet life as a reporter for the second-biggest newspaper in Shropshire? And so what if she keeps hearing the voice of that same higher-powered long-term now-ex-girlfriend in her head night and day, constantly judging just how small Audrey’s allowed her life to become?
She’s fine. She’s happy. She’s perfectly within her groove. Do not-in-their-groove people get weekday drunk and impulsively apply for the UK’s most beloved baking show?
All right, so maybe she’s not completely fine, but being on Bake Expectations is opening her world again in ways she never anticipated. First through fellow contestant Doris, whose personal story of queer love during WW2 captures Audrey’s heart, imagination, and journalistic interest like nothing has in ages.
Then through Jennifer Hallet, the most foul-tempered (and fouler-mouthed) producer, woman, and menace Audrey has ever met. Jennifer should be off-limits, but her fire lights something unexpected inside of Audrey, making her want to burn back a million times brighter. A million times hotter. A million times more herself than she’s been in a long, long time.
7. Try Again Later by Jemma Croft – December 11
Orlando is a spoiled nepobaby who spends his life sleeping with straight married men. But when his father cuts him off and his best friend moves away, Orlando feels completely alone, and there is only one person he can turn to. However, that person is Harry Ellis, a Bath Centurion rugby player. Sadly, their past might make this even more complicated.
Harry has spent his career working hard to prove his worth, outshine his teammates, and fight to be captain. As they reunite, the two men realize there might be one or two things they can learn from each other.
Book Description: If hooking up with straight married men was a business, Orlando Oakham-Goodwin would be the CEO. Nepo baby and all round spoilt brat, Lando lives a life most can only dream of. But when his father cuts off his finances and his best friend reveals she’s moving away, Lando must find a way to pull himself up by his designer bootstraps. With everyone else abandoning him, there’s only one person left for him to call upon . . . the one person Lando swore he’d never speak to again.
Two years ago, Harry Ellis’s dream came true when he made the roster of the Bath Centurions Men’s rugby team. Unfortunately, that was the same year they also signed a superstar to the squad, and Harry’s been playing second fiddle ever since. Desperate to prove himself and get noticed, Harry vows he’ll outshine his teammates and win the fight for captaincy. And it’s going pretty well, at least until a certain rich boy with a loud mouth and a lack of boundaries comes crashing back into his life.
Harry is a man on a mission to be the best, even if it kills him. But Lando, in all his chaotic glory, might teach him something far more important. Because this isn’t the same Lando Harry remembers. There’s something different about him now. Something a little more . . . driven.
Try Again Later is a friends to enemies to lovers MM rugby romance with a lactose intolerant brat and a grumpy fly-half. Expect reluctant second chances, “teach me” goodness, and plenty of toilet humour—literally. Try Again Later is the second in the Try for Love series of interconnected standalones.
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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.