Before we get to today’s announcement, please note at the bottom of this post is a $50 Amazon gift card giveaway.

Today is a special day at I Heart SapphFic for two reasons. First, it’s TB’s birthday. Second, it’s the five-year anniversary of this site! TB knew IHS would celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2022, but when Miranda asked for the actual date, TB couldn’t remember. Imagine her surprise when she did some digging and discovered it coincided with her birthday. (To all of TB’s exes, you can rest assured knowing it wasn’t just your birthday she forgot.)

In fact, TB’s kinda famous for messing up dates, which is hilarious since she loves history. TB suspects she started the IHS site on her birthday to help her remember the milestone. It was a solid plan but didn’t take into account TB’s legendary forgetfulness. Also, don’t ask her how old she is. It’s not that she’s sensitive about it. She just doesn’t remember.

It feels like just yesterday when TB started the website to help connect readers with sapphic books. That was her goal from day one and it’s still the driving force behind I Heart SapphFic. Turns out, the site has been rather successful. Our book links have been clicked over 500,000 times in over 140 countries!

Even more special is how the site has grown to the point that it’s not just TB running the show. There are now four of us on the IHS team!

In even better news, IHS has just signed a contract with a website designer to give the site a much-needed overhaul. Expect a relaunch near the end of summer, including an official migration from the I Heart Lesfic URL (although that will continue to take you to the right place if you forget) to the I Heart SapphFic URL. The new site promises to have some amazing functionality that will help readers find all the sapphic books their hearts desire.

So many exciting things are on the horizon!

To help celebrate the five-year anniversary, IHS spearheaded the I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection, which includes books by some of the top-selling sapphic fiction authors today.

These eight Pride-themed novels have been carefully selected by I Heart SapphFic to give readers a taste of the very best modern sapphic fiction has to offer. Each women loving women story promises to bring all the feels. June is the perfect time to remember that love is love, and everyone deserves a happily ever after!

Below the books, there’s a $50 Amazon gift card giveaway, which is our way of saying thank you for the amazing support over the years.

Down to a Science 

by Haley Cass

Ellie Beckett’s life is simple and uncomplicated: she’s on track to become a leading expert on biomedical engineering, she has a pub where she feels comfortable enough to hang out multiple times a week, and – so what if she doesn’t have the time or inclination for, well, people? She doesn’t need or want them.

Until she meets Mia Sharpe. And it turns out, maybe she does want at least one.

A word from Haley: I love that pride is truly about a sense of community and belonging, that signifies how we all belong somewhere in this world no matter how we identify. And I’m so honored to be included in this event with other amazing writers to share these stories with everyone in our community.

The Glow Up

by Cara Malone

A coveted summer internship takes a small-town girl to the Windy City, where she’s totally out of her element – and learning who she is for the first time. When Josephine literally stumbles into Chicago’s huge Pride Parade, she narrowly avoids death-by-scooter, but quick-thinking Hazel scoops Jo into her lap instead. What begins as a traffic accident soon evolves into a smoldering attraction in this romance full of pride, found family and the glow-up of a lifetime.

A word from Cara: Whether you’ve been a part of Pride since its inception or this is your first year, this month is all about coming together to celebrate who we are. I’m so excited to be part of the Pride Collection, where nine sapphic authors share their own unique take on what Pride means to them.

Take Two

by Miranda MacLeod & TB Markinson

Gina needs Sophia Rossi, a popular actor, to be the grand marshal of the local Pride parade. Sophia needs to convince her meddling mother she has a steady girlfriend in order to survive a month of filming in her hometown. It should be a match made in heaven, aside from one problem: Gina broke Sophia’s heart in college, and they haven’t spoken since. Can this fake relationship lead them to a second chance at love?

A word from TB & Miranda: One of the most thrilling parts of organizing this collection was asking so many talented authors to participate and having them say yes! Miranda and TB are so proud to be involved in celebrating the queer community and raising awareness of all that sapphic fiction has to offer. It’s a true honor to have our book listed with these fabulous authors who we greatly admire and appreciate for making the world a more welcoming and colorful place for everyone.

Faux Pas

by Lily Seabrooke

Paige finds a few problems in queer-destination small-town Willow Arches, where she unexpectedly inherited a restaurant: it’s ruined, she can’t cook, and everyone in town wants her gone. But when most eligible bachelorette Madison kisses her publicly, things are looking up. A fake relationship through Pride to keep the suitors off Madison’s back in exchange for help with the restaurant—what could go wrong?

A word from Lily: Being invited to write these Pride stories, celebrations of queerness in all its messy beauty, alongside some of my favorite authors has been SUCH an honor. I’m really excited to share these stories with the amazing queer community that’s been so good to me!

Pride Festival

by Nicole Pyland

Ruby Simon wanted to change something in her tiny town before she went off to college in the fall, so when she got the chance to create her community’s first annual Pride festival, she grabbed it and fell in love with Jaden, a girl from the private school a town over, along the way. Chance was used to following her headstrong friend around and had no problem helping with the Pride festival. She wasn’t prepared to meet the new, shy kid in school right before graduation. The path to self-discovery for all of them leads right through the Pride Festival.

A word from Nicole: I was honored to be asked to participate with some other amazing authors and write a novella about Pride. Each book features a different story revolving in some way about Pride month, and I hope you check them all out.

The Perfect Fit

by Erica Lee

Ashton Levengood has never fit in, so when her family suggests a Pride tour after she comes out, she worries she won’t fit in there either. That is, until she meets Dakota Douglass.

A word from Erica: Pride month means a lot to me because there was a time when I wasn’t proud of who I was and whom I loved. It means the world to me to be included with such an amazing group of authors writing a book about something that is very near and dear to my heart.

Howl 

by Lucy Bexley

Lou McCallister owns Howl, the only surviving queer bar in Boston. When an investment opportunity to save the floundering bar is inadvertently sabotaged by Clementine Darby, Howl’s newest employee, Lou is ready to give up. Now Clem will do anything she can to make it right and keep Howl alive, but will she be able to save the bar in time? This sapphic Coyote Ugly retelling brings the funny and the feels.

A word from Lucy: Getting to celebrate pride without leaving my house? I simply couldn’t pass it up. It was such an honor to celebrate pride with this community of great authors. Think of this as our little block party—Peaches blasting by the drinks table and animals for adoption near the glitter station. I hope these books make you feel seen and valued and a little bit sexy, too.

Every Version

by Bryce Oakley

Lizzie Goldstein is out to prove that she’s definitely over her ex — and what better way to do that then bring the hottest date to Pride’s biggest party, Prom-A-Rama? But when her date search turns into a string of disasters, she begins to wonder if her perfect match might be someone closer than she realized.

A word from Bryce: My favorite Pride events have always been those big effervescent parties — seeing old friends, meeting new ones, reveling in the collective joy that is being queer. To me, this collection feels like one of those parties: hanging out on the dance floor alongside authors I love and admire and capturing that unbridled Pride joy with a story where two queer women find their happily ever after.

Before you go, don’t forget to enter the $50 Amazon gift card giveaway.

The giveaway ends on June 30th.

Here’s to the next amazing five years!

Miranda, Em, Faith, & TB

Buy Us a Coffee

Running IHS takes the four of us many hours every single week. Also, the costs add up. Last year we setup a Buy Us a Coffee page, which allows people to help cover the expenses. When we first announced the page, we were blown away by the response. Not only were people willing to pitch in, but all of the kind notes and encouragement brought more than a few tears to TB’s eyes. If you’d like to support us, click here. Every cup helps immensely! If you’d like to learn more about TB’s initial response to the outpouring of support, click here.

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