My Pride Month TBR: 10 Queer Books Coming Out in June 2025
Words by Loviisa Pasternak
Graphics by Sabina Anand
Join me in celebrating Pride Month with these stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ community! Whether you’re looking for adult or YA, contemporary or historical, science fiction or fantasy, this list has you covered.
“Amelia, If Only” by Becky Albertalli is a YA sapphic romance. When Amelia and her friends go on a road trip to attend a meet & greet hosted by Amelia’s favorite YouTuber, Walter Holland, sparks fly—but not between Amelia and Walter. If this is anything like “Imogen, Obviously,” I am ready to lose my mind from intense cuteness and vulnerability. Plus, Becky Alberalli is amazing at infusing her stories with nuanced and powerful messaging about the queer experience that is as impactful to an adult audience as a YA one.
2. “A Rare Find” by Joanna Lowell
“A Rare Find” by Joanna Lowell is an adult historical romance starring a f/nb (female and non-binary) couple. At the start of the story, Elfreda, an aspiring archeologist, is forced to team up with Georgie, her childhood nemesis, on a treasure hunt. Tensions between them run high, fueled by a mutual loathing and…maybe something else, too. Joanna Lowell is excellent at developing characters who shine just as brightly as individuals as they do together, so I cannot wait to pick this book up. I also greatly appreciate her careful balance of positivity and realism as she explores gender and expression in historical settings.
3. “If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You” by Mae Marvel
“If I Told You, I'd Have to Kiss You” by Mae Marvel is an adult sapphic romcom/spy thriller. It stars legendary field agent Yardley and expert hacker KC, exes who never told each other about their secret careers—until an undercover mission goes wrong and all is revealed! I am anticipating indulgent drama, witty banter, and high (verging-on-unbelievable) stakes—everything I love most in fiction. This sounds like the kind of humorous, action-packed story that I will eagerly devour in a single sitting.
4. “He's to Die For” by Erin Dunn
“He's to Die For” by Erin Dunn is an adult Achillean romance/mystery. Detective Rav Trivedi is young, successful, and a bit of an outsider at the NYPD. The high-profile murder of a record executive is just the type of case he’s worked so hard for, and he won’t be distracted—even if his number one suspect is a famous rock star and ridiculously hot to boot. I am always thrilled to find a celebrity romance with an even power dynamic, let alone one by a debut author with a strong mystery plotline, too! Needless to say, this book is already on my to-be-read shelf.
5. “The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses” by Malka Ann Older
“The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses” by Malka Ann Older is an adult sapphic sci-fi mystery, the third in the “The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti” novella series. In the first, the Sherlockian duo solved a murder, in the second, a missing persons case, and now, they’ll be investigating academic sabotage. Come for the stunning covers, stay for the cozy vibes, scholarly prose, and nuanced worldbuilding of this inimitable series.
6. “Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon” by Annie Mare
“Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon” by Annie Mare is an adult sapphic sci-fi romance. When it turns out Tressa Fay has been flirting via text with a missing person from the past, she and her friends are confronted by ideas like temporal paradoxes and parallel universes. I am beyond ready for the charming relationship dynamics (both platonic and romantic), the mind-bending mystery, and the multiverse shenanigans that this story promises.
7. “Backhanded Compliments” by Katie Chandler
“Backhanded Compliments” by Katie Chandler is an adult sapphic romance with a speculative twist. Juliette and Luca are tennis rivals. Their upcoming match is the most anticipated of the season, and they are each determined to be number one. As it happens, they are also soulmates—and completely uninterested in acknowledging this pesky detail. Between the romance, sports, and fantasy elements, there are a lot of plotlines to balance in this story! I’ve heard that it goes heavier on the tennis subplot than some romance readers expected, so I’d particularly recommend this book to lovers of both romance and women’s fiction.
8. “Cage of Starlight” by Jules Arbeaux
“Cage of Starlight” by Jules Arbeaux is an adult romantic fantasy with ace-spec main characters. A vengeful healer is forced to work with his captor when a mission leaves them stranded in enemy territory. With tracking implants ready to kill them if they are gone for more than three days, they may have to choose between survival and freedom. My only concern about this book is that it might break my heart. Gentle characters who are hardened by vicious circumstances, who are bombarded with emotions that may be comforting or cruel, but are relentless either way, and who experience every excruciating, precious and healing aspect of love and pining—a certain recipe for tears.
9. “A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace” by Emily Skrutskie
“A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace” by Emily Skrutskie is an adult romantasy set in a queernormative society with bisexual representation. This friends-to-lovers romance opens with the major battle that concludes most fantasy stories. When said battle doesn’t end the world or solve all its problems, Katrien and Emory must contend with their fragile future. The plot of this story focuses on the aftermath of the war and on their attempt to create an enduring peace. I am looking forward to the excitement of their final mission, the hope for a new and better world, and the simultaneously lighthearted and emotionally-fraught character development.
10. “Devils Like Us” by L.T. Thompson
“Devils Like Us” by L.T. Thompson is a YA historical fantasy featuring three queer and trans friends. Torn between their authentic identities, their religious society’s expectations, and their dedication to their loved ones, their story promises to be equally hopeful and haunting, heartwarming and gut-wrenching, charming and dark. As a reader, I am excited to experience emotions as turbulent as the waves over which our three stowaways travel.