The Best of the Best Winners |

We ask readers on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram to nominate books in a different trope each week, and we create the best of the best poll. Below you’ll find the winners that have been crowned so far.

Best Sapphic Loss / Grieving

Living

by Lise Gold

Available in Kindle Unlimited

During her morning exercise, yoga instructor Cam Saunders finds herself rescuing a young woman who has walked into the sea, seemingly intent on taking her own life. When the woman in question turns out to be a famous actress, Cam promises to keep her secret safe.

Six months later, America’s sweetheart Ella Temperley is working hard to get her life back on track, grieving the loss of her twin sister and fighting a deep depression. Despite her fame, she feels alone in the world and keeps thinking of the woman she owes her life to.

After Ella shows up in Cam’s life again, the two become closer than they ever imagined possible. But what happens when friendship turns into attraction? Living is a slow-burn coming-out romance about loss, love and life.

The Forever and The Now

by KJ

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Bron McIntyre, forty-two, has it all together. Terrific job. Loving family. No desperate need for a girlfriend but would be interested if one came along. Bron McIntyre is Teflon.

Kate Agostino, forty-eight, is not Teflon. Yes, she has a terrific job. But a loving family? Not really. And her personal life is rapidly disintegrating and turning into dust.

When her orange smoothie explodes all over her business suit while she’s on her afternoon walk, Kate simply shakes her head in resignation.

Bron, having witnessed the smoothie eruption, races to help, and suddenly her life takes an unexpected turn.

Falling in love is like watching the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean where the tiniest ripples wear silver sparkles as their hats. Kate and Bron find that sunset on that ocean with those ripples of love, but what happens when you take that love for granted? What happens when your person disappears? The answers are hard to hear and Bron chooses not to listen.

After a relationship break, a family intervention, and conversations that rip apart seams, Bron and Kate eventually find themselves, each other, and their now. And what they discover is that love is the large and the deliberate, and the simple and the small.

So when tragedy strikes, they call on its strength because, when you think about it, love can live on in the forever, particularly if it lives courageously in the now.

A beautifully poignant story about life, love and a loss so tragic that sometimes even the grandest sunset on the calmest ocean with the ripples wearing hats is too heartbreaking to bear.

Beyond Any Experience

by Anne E. Terpstra

Olivia Northman’s world shattered the day she lost her wife to a drunk driver. Three years later, she still struggles with grief and the demands of being a single parent to their autistic son, Ben. After her first attempt at a new relationship crumbles, Olivia retreats to the simple, the predictable. It’s what’s best for her son and her heart.

Ellie Vasquez isn’t simple or predictable. In fact, she’s charmingly impulsive, as well as gregarious, confident, and attracted to Olivia, which she reveals in an unguarded moment. Olivia doesn’t know what’s more surprising—Ellie’s interest, or her own—but a quiet conversation over drinks soon spins into something more. As Olivia’s caution gives way to hope, she sees another chance at love, both for her, and for Ben, who takes to Ellie with a tender openness. Ellie is fearless about love in a way that makes Olivia want to be brave, but the deeper their passion, the closer she gets to drowning—in grief, in fear, in guilt. To have a future with Ellie, Olivia must come to terms with her past. If she can’t, she risks losing the second love of her life.

Anne E. Terpstra’s Beyond Any Experience is an intimate, emotional debut that explores grief, parenting, neurodiversity, and the vulnerability of love after loss.

Best Sapphic Enemies to Lovers

Requiem for Immortals

by Lee Winter

What would make the most dangerous ice queen of them all, ruthless underworld assassin Requiem, hesitate?

Professional cellist Natalya Tsvetnenko moves seamlessly among the elite where she fills the souls of symphony patrons with beauty even as she takes the lives of the corrupt of Australia’s ruthless underworld. The cold, exacting assassin is hired to kill a woman who seems so innocent that Natalya can’t understand why anyone would want her dead. As she gets to know her target, she can’t work out why she even cares.

Read Between the Lines

by Rachel Lacey

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Books are Rosie Taft’s life. And ever since she took over her mother’s beloved Manhattan bookstore, they’ve become her home too. The only thing missing is her own real-life romance like the ones she loves to read about, and Rosie has an idea of who she might like to sweep her off her feet. She’s struck up a flirty online friendship with lesbian romance author Brie, and what could be more romantic than falling in love with her favorite author?

Jane Breslin works hard to keep her professional and personal lives neatly separated. By day, she works for the family property development business. By night, she puts her steamier side on paper under her pen name: Brie. Jane hasn’t had much luck with her own love life, but her online connection with a loyal reader makes Jane wonder if she could be the one.

When Rosie learns that her bookstore’s lease has been terminated by Jane’s family’s business, romance moves to the back burner. Even though they’re at odds, there’s no denying the sparks that fly every time they’re together. When their online identities are revealed, will Jane be able to write her way to a happy ending, or is Rosie’s heart a closed book?

The Brutal Truth

by Lee Winter

Take one ice queen media-mogul boss, an assistant with a crush on her, throw in a truth bet, and as their secrets pour out in this slow-burn lesbian romance, neither woman will be the same again.

Australian crime reporter Maddie Grey is working the night shift, out of her depth in New York, miserable, and secretly crushing on her twice-married, media-mogul employer.

Elena Bartell is a brilliant, fierce, ice queen boss who eats failing newspapers for breakfast and believes to her core that everything would be much simpler if people told each other the whole, unvarnished truth.

As work takes them to Australia, Maddie is goaded into a brief, seemingly harmless bet with her enigmatic boss—where they can’t lie to each other. The bet backfires spectacularly as Elena realizes that the brutal truth might not be what she wanted after all.

Best Sapphic Romantic Suspense

Strangely Familiar

by Ruby Scott

Available in Kindle Unlimited

As deadly secrets about the vigilante murders are revealed, in this sequel to The Stranger Within Me, Detective Ashley Tate has the power to implode Jude’s tangled web of illusion and deceit, but to what consequences?

Having been the victim of kidnapping, Jude has been using her new found gift to right the wrongs of the world, but will Ashley throw her plan into disarray?

As we unravel layers of lies, a simple tale of love and understanding emerges, but is it too late for redemption, and who is it that needs to be saved?

Requiem for Immortals

by Lee Winter

What would make the most dangerous ice queen of them all, ruthless underworld assassin Requiem, hesitate?

The Headmistress

by Milena McKay

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A chance encounter. An unforgettable night.

And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it’s with a roar and not a whimper.

Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to re-evaluate everything.

Can she and the Home of Dragons withstand the storm that is Magdalene Nox, or will any and all crumble?

Not everything is as it seems, and as she slowly unravels the mysteries behind the centuries-old walls, Sam realizes that home is much more than oak and stone.

Character with a Disability or Mental Illness

Finding Jessica Lambert

by Clare Ashton

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Movie star Jessica Lambert is in danger of burning out. Returning to London for the premiere of her latest film, she’s recognised everywhere she goes. When she runs away through the streets of London, she’s taken in by the beautiful and more mature Anna. The two hide in the sanctuary of Anna’s roof-top flat, a haven away from the crowds, but why has Anna removed herself from the world?

As the two women get to know each other, stripping away the layers, both appreciate what each does for the other. This could be the start of something wonderful, more than either of them know.

Tengoku

by Rae D. Magdon

Aozora Kaede is on the run. Forced to flee from home after a violent disagreement with her aunt and cousin, she is a wanderer with a spirit wolf as her only companion. Homura Imari lives in the lap of luxury. As the daughter of a daimyo, her duties are clear: stay home and learn how to rule the province she will inherit. But when fate brings the two of them together, Imari notices Kaede’s connection to the spirits and decides to ask for a favor. She needs someone to guide her to Hongshan, a faraway mountain where a magical blacksmith is rumored to live—a blacksmith who can hopefully replace her missing left hand. Together, they must travel across the treacherous Jade Sea, protect themselves from Kaede’s vengeful family, and perhaps even save the Empire from destruction.

No Strings

by Lucy Bexley

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Fun is the one thing Elsie Webb takes seriously. Though she’d be having a lot more of it if Haelstrom Media paid her enough to actually get out of debt. She’s determined to hold out on contract negotiations for her kids’ television show Fangley Heights until she gets what she deserves. There’s only one problem, the head of the network just died and left her future more uncertain than ever.

Forty-eight hours and one funeral–that’s all Jones Haelstrom has to get through before she can return to her life in LA that’s as ordered and sparse as an IKEA showroom. When she steps in as CEO of her father’s media company, Elsie Webb is her first problem to deal with. Elsie ends up challenging Jones in ways she never could have predicted, starting with an attraction neither can avoid.

As their attraction teeters on the edge of something more both agree to keep it casual. A no-strings agreement and disclosure to HR should be enough to keep things between Jones and Elsie from getting tangled, right?

Best Sapphic Single Parent Stories

Starting From Scratch

by Georgia Beers

What happens when your life takes an unexpected turn?

What happens when you need to protect the one you love from the one you want to love?

What happens when you lose something you never knew you wanted?

Lambda and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author Georgia Beers brings to you her long-awaited seventh novel, Starting from Scratch, a story where learning, laughing, loving, and baked goods are just a few of life’s basic ingredients.

Starting from Scratch…where life is what you make it.

A Whisper Of Solace

by Milena McKay

Available in Kindle Unlimited

What makes an Ice Queen?

Neve Blackthorne, head of one of the most successful Studios in Hollywood, is the one to rule them all. Powerful, beautiful, and aloof, she’s ruthless, yet irresistible. Above all, she has an unquenchable survival instinct.

Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, won’t bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown. Or will it?

Neve’s public persona has no chink in the untouchable armor, but when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, what becomes of an Ice Queen whose heart is ruled by love and fear?

When You Least Expect It

by Haley Cass

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Caroline Parker knows three things to be true. First, she is going to be Boston’s most sought after divorce attorney by thirty-five. Second, given how terrible her romantic track record is, falling in love isn’t in the cards for her. And third, Christmas only brings her bad luck – being broken up with not once, not twice, but three times during the holidays is proof enough of that.

When she runs into Hannah Dalton on Christmas Eve, she has no reason to believe her luck will change. After all, though Hannah is probably the most gorgeous woman she’s ever seen, she’s also straight. And married to Caroline’s work rival. While being hired by Hannah throws her for a loop, winning a divorce case and sticking it to her ex-colleague should be enough of a thrill. But as the months slip by, bringing her closer to both Hannah and her adorable daughter Abbie, the lines between attorney and client begin to blur.

And she could have never predicted just how much she wants them to.

Best Sapphic Celebrity Romances

A Whisper Of Solace

by Milena McKay

Available in Kindle Unlimited

What makes an Ice Queen?

Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, won’t bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown. Or will it?

Neve’s public persona has no chink in the untouchable armor, but when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, what becomes of an Ice Queen whose heart is ruled by love and fear?

All the Love Songs

by Nicole Pyland

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Peyton Gloss is the world’s most famous and popular singer & songwriter, known for her chart-topping hits as well as her famous girl squad and July 4th events, inviting all of her famous friends to celebrate. This year, she did something even more extravagant than ever, and invited her friends to join her for a week-long adult summer camp experience.

Mackenzie Smyth was dared to audition for a TV show. Thinking she had no chance of getting the part, she went along with it. Five years later, she’s one of the most popular young actresses in Hollywood. She’s also socially awkward and struggles with getting to know new people and spending time with her peers.

Lennox Owen is Hollywood royalty and has been famous since birth. She’s remained in the business because she didn’t know what else, if anything, she could do, and because it was what was expected of her.

When Lennox and Kenzie meet, there’s electricity between them. And the camp is the perfect opportunity for them to explore what might be. But after the magic of their week away from the world dissipates, can they still find that spark and make their relationship work?

Breaking Character

by Lee Winter

Life has become a farcical mess for icy British A-lister Elizabeth Thornton. America’s most-hated villain stars in a top-rated TV medical drama that she hates. Now, she’s been romantically linked to her perky, new co-star, Summer, due to the young woman’s clumsiness. As a closeted actress, that’s the last thing Elizabeth needs. If she could just get her dream movie role, life would be so much better. The only problem is that the eccentric French film-maker offering it insists on meeting her “girlfriend”, Summer, first.

Summer Hayes is devastated when her co-star shuns her for accidentally sparking rumors they’re lovers. Now the so-called British Bitch has the audacity to ask Summer to pretend to be her girlfriend to get her a role? Elizabeth doesn’t even like Summer! Oh, how she’d love to tell her no. And Summer definitely would if it wasn’t for the fact she’s maybe a tiny bit in love with the impossible woman.

A lesbian celebrity romance about gaining love, losing masks, and trying to stick to the script.

Best Sapphic Second Chance Romances

Go Around

by E. J. Noyes

Avery Weston is doing fine.

Sure, she’s not doing as fine as her ex―award-winning actress and current television It Girl, Elise Hayes―but Avery enjoys her work as a Federal Air Marshal and also enjoys almost being over Elise walking out on their relationship fifteen months ago. Until Elise is seated next to her on a flight, and the emotional progress Avery thought she’d made is reset in an instant.

Just like their first flight together, this one also has some bumps. But this time they don’t have to make a go around for a safe landing; they just have to deal with an overzealous fan threatening Elise. And when Elise comes begging for a place to stay until the stalker situation is resolved, Avery has to agree it’s the perfect solution to keep Elise safe. After all, nobody knows Elise Hayes used to have a girlfriend.

It’s only for a few weeks, what’s the harm? Except for some tiny issues, like when you’re still kind of in love with your ex and the mutual spark is as strong as ever, it’s easy to fall into familiar habits. Then there’s Elise’s apologies and genuine regret over leaving, which makes it hard for Avery to hold on to past hurts and sends her simmering emotions to a boil.

But love and sparks aren’t always enough. If Avery and Elise can find a way to move past everything that came between them last time, maybe they’ll get a chance to go around and try landing their relationship again.

Second Chances

by MJ Duncan

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Charlie Bennett is a rising star in the world of sports journalism, but her personal life is a mess. Still hung up on her college sweetheart, a one-night-stand gone wrong convinces her that she needs to make a change. An offer for a one-year guest lecturer position from a small private university provides her the opportunity she needs to escape, and she jumps at it. All Charlie expected to find when she left Manhattan for rural New Hampshire was a little peace. Instead, she finds Mackayla Thomas. Eight years have passed since Charlie foolishly walked away from Mackayla, and Mackayla is determined to never let anyone hurt her that way again. For Charlie, their serendipitous meeting is a sign that happily ever after might finally be within her reach. First, however, she needs to find a way to convince Mackayla to let the past go, and to give her a second chance.

Forever Yours

by Melissa Tereze

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A second chance, age gap winter romance that will have you cheering them on, crying for them…while a whole lot of love settles in your heart.

Paisley Healy was never supposed to fall in love with her boss. Her superior. The woman she looked up to. Working at the best law firm in the city was supposed to be cut and dry. The night she confessed her love to the woman she was falling for should have been magical, so why was she alone three years on, unanswered questions continuously plaguing her mind?

Georgina Weaver’s dream had always centred around her business. Love wasn’t everything to her—she wasn’t sure it could compete with the demands of her job—but her assistant had quickly blown that out of the water. With the words ‘I love you’ spoken with such beauty and honesty, Georgina was prepared to give her entire universe to Paisley.

One night would change everything. One moment would crush their dream.

When Georgina walks back through the doors of Weaver & Associates—interrupting the annual Christmas party and Paisley’s life—both of them must make choices. While Georgina learns of some powerful news, Paisley believes their past is better left buried.

Best Sapphic Rich Girl / Poor Girl Romances

# 3

Temptation

by Kris Bryant

Cassie Miller is broke. Her parents cut off all funding when she dropped out of medical school, and graduate school is expensive. A full-time nanny job at the Wellington estate is the answer to her problems, except working for beautiful, successful Brook Wellington wasn’t in the job description.

Brook has always had a head for business. Born into a global shipping empire, she sits at the helm running it with skill and savvy. But success comes at a cost. Her priority is her six-year-old son, but she can’t be in two places at once. Hiring a nanny isn’t the perfect solution, but it would certainly help, and Cassie came highly recommended. If only she wasn’t so damn attractive.

Can Cassie and Brook deny their growing attraction and keep things professional? Or will they sidestep propriety and give in to temptation?

The Delicate Things We Make

by Milena McKay

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Hitting rock bottom in the concrete jungle of Manhattan, investigative journalist Jamie Walker lands the assignment of a lifetime – find the most elusive artist of a generation, who has enthralled the art and fashion world for over a decade.

This assignment is supposed to finally be Jamie’s ticket to journalistic fame and fortune. The quest, however, proves to be difficult, as—so far—nobody has managed to discover who the legendary DeVor really is.

As Jamie delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic artist, trying to salvage her stagnant career, she risks getting in over her head and losing her heart in the process.

Behind Her Eyes

by Melissa Tereze

Available in Kindle Unlimited

All it takes is one cold lie to ruin the recipe for a perfect love…

Five years ago, Abi was in culinary school and dreaming of working at Adley’s, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and for its equally delectable owner. Instead, she’s alone, broke, and out of friendly couches to sleep on. Her only direction…rock bottom.

Abi’s in a mess, but it’s her mess, and she plans to fix it. She just doesn’t know how—until, huddled and shivering in a doorway across from Adley’s, she sees the beautiful owner drop her purse. And returning it reaps an unexpected reward.

Behind Victoria Adley’s cool public persona and power suits is a woman in turmoil, a victim of tabloid lies that have thrown her for a loop. Accused of having an affair with a female employee, her family has fallen apart and her business is suffering.

When Victoria offers temporary shelter to the homeless young woman who found and returned her dropped purse, she is irresistibly drawn to Abi’s kindness and warmth. Their instant attraction melts into something more, but they can’t pretend the real world doesn’t exist. While all the ingredients for a lasting love are there, putting them together isn’t so easy.

Because Victoria isn’t out.

And Abi can’t live a lie.

Best Sapphic Stories with Animals

Go Around

by E. J. Noyes

Avery Weston is doing fine.

The Awkward Truth

by Lee Winter

This funny opposites-attract lesbian romance digs up the awkward truth about what really matters in life.

Ambitious ice queen and corporate lawyer Felicity Simmons has spent her life focused on one thing: scuttling up the career ladder. She’s achingly close to taking charge of a media empire for her boss when she’s sent to investigate a South Bronx charity that helps homeless people’s pets.

Has the charity made off with her boss’s generous donation? And who on earth is that gorgeous soft-butch veterinarian who looks as if she could toss a Shetland pony over one shoulder? Not that Felicity has any interest in some opinionated Amazon or her adorable fleabag of a dog.

Felicity is quite sure she will not be distracted, thank you very much. She has a minor mystery to solve, a mentor to impress, and her life’s dream to fulfil. Even if a distraction might be exactly what she needs.

The Headmistress

by Milena McKay

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A chance encounter. An unforgettable night.

Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to re-evaluate everything.

Can she and the Home of Dragons withstand the storm that is Magdalene Nox, or will any and all crumble?

Not everything is as it seems, and as she slowly unravels the mysteries behind the centuries-old walls, Sam realizes that home is much more than oak and stone.

Best Sapphic Fantasy

Elemental Attraction

by K. Aten

Two people find themselves in a quandary: Aderri, a powerful dragon shifter with some light defensive magic, and Ellys, a half-elven swordswoman for hire, one of the best across the six nations.

When Aderri gets news that she must come home for the naming ceremony of a new hatchling, she’s forced to hire Ellys and her telepathic steed, Roccotári, to see her safely there. Of course, things are never as simple as they seem. Not only do they have to traverse the land between two kingdoms on the brink of war, but Aderri’s Clan expects her to return with a romantic interest. So, for the added promise of triple Ellys’s normal fee, the half-elf agrees to pretend to be Aderri’s suitor.

Ellys and Aderri have to convince a Clan full of magical mixed-shifters for a week that creatures of differing elements can burn with the flames of love, without actually lying. A situation made even more difficult by a matchmaking mare, steamy baths, and an innkeeper with mischief on the mind.

Caught between the weight of the past and expectations of the future, they must find their true destiny within the heat of fire.

The Fate of Stars

by S D Simper

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A devout mermaid. A disgraced princess. A feud as ancient as the gods.

Worlds collide when Tallora is kidnapped from her ocean home and forced to be a pet to a tyrannical foreign empire. Her only hope for rescue lies with a sworn enemy—Princess Dauriel, infamous for her stone heart and conflicted past. But when Dauriel’s kingdom comes to the cusp of war, could their uneasy alliance be the key to defeating a common foe? Or will their growing feelings for each other lead them to ruin?

From the world of FALLEN GODS comes a tale of ancient magic and cutthroat politics—and finding redemption through love.

Pirates of Aletharia

by Britney Jackson

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A sapphic fantasy romance for people who love dangerous women, magical worlds, and lesbian pirates.

Emilia Drakon was once the youngest and kindest of the dragon sorcerers, but she’s now the last of her kind. Betrayed and angry, she trades her meekness for a sword and embarks on a quest for vengeance that will lead her straight into the arms of the legendary Captain Maria Welles.

Captain of the famed pirate ship, the Wicked Fate, Maria is every bit as treacherous and bloodthirsty as they say. She has her own vendetta and practically jumps at the chance to trick Emilia into joining her crew.

But when their animosity toward each other blossoms into a passionate romance, the two women will have to decide what they want most.

Vengeance?

Or love?

Best Sapphic Medical Character

Coming Out

by Jourdyn Kelly

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Ellie Montgomery had a secret. Beyond being a mother, a best friend, and a baker of incredible desserts, there was something deeper in her soul that she had been forced to deny. Something she had never planned on revealing. Not even to those closest to her. Then SHE walked into Ellie’s Diner and everything changed.

Dr. Hunter Vale was burnt out. A recent tragedy had her reexamining her life and career. A chance meeting at a local diner showed Hunter exactly what she was missing, and she knew she would do everything she could to make her dreams a reality. The problem was, Hunter didn’t know if her advances would be reciprocated. And, if they were, would her past destroy the possibility of a sweet future?

Ask, Tell

by E.J. Noyes

Where can you turn when you’re caught in a crossfire of war and passion?

Captain Sabine Fleischer is a skilled and dedicated U.S. Army surgeon deployed to a combat hospital in Afghanistan. She is also one of the thousands of troops who are forced to serve in silence because of the military’s anti-gay policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT).”

Usually driven and focused, Sabine finds that battles raging both inside and outside the perimeter walls are making it more and more difficult for her to deal with her emotions. Dealing with loss and mortality, lack of privacy, sleep deprivation, loneliness and the isolation forced on her by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are all taking their toll. Plus, her long-term relationship with a civilian back home is quickly becoming another casualty of war.

Colonel Rebecca Keane is an enigmatic career officer who runs the surgical unit like clockwork. Well liked and respected by those who work with and under her, she walks a fine line to preserve the military’s chain of command while connecting with those under her care and supervision. Sabine knows the Colonel is way off-limits, but can’t help fantasizing about her. Especially when she starts picking up unspoken cues—a stolen glance, a secret smile, an “accidental” brush of hands. Or is it just wishful thinking? After all, Rebecca’s wedding ring shines almost as brightly as her deep blue eyes…

Trails of the Heart

by Ruby Scott

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Brilliant but socially awkward, trauma specialist Rachel Adams is all about making a difference. Returning to the US after working with Doctors Beyond Borders in Haiti, she faces the challenge of settling into ‘normal’ life as part of the City General ER team. But all she has is her work.

Andy (Andrea) Jones, a no nonsense Medevac pilot has always played the field since her Air Force days, having never met the right woman. Charming, charismatic and caring, women rarely say no to her, that is, until she meets Rachel.

Attractive women make Rachel flustered. Confident, attractive medevac pilots who flirt with her, send her into a tailspin.

There are a hundred reasons to say no; one is older, the other young; one is outgoing, the other quiet; one loves nature, the other loves their couch. But will a hundred reasons to say no blind them to the thousand reasons to say yes?

Best Sapphic Girl Next Door

Girl Next Door

by Erik Schubach

When it comes to love. Brandye can’t see what is right in front of her. A blind artist, Robin, shows her that all relationships are not doomed to end badly, and soulmates are destined to find each other.

Atramentum

by MJ Duncan

Joss Perrault left Sky, Colorado after high school with no intention of ever returning, but all that changes when she inherits Atramentum. Burned out on public accounting after too many sixteen-hour days, the allure of operating a small, independent bookstore is too tempting to resist, and Joss decides to walk away from the career she spent the last decade building to move back to the resort town high in the Rockies. Cupid strikes as she’s moving into her new place outside Sky and, contrary to popular belief, Cupid has four legs and a tail, hits like a linebacker, and answers to the name George. Before Joss can recover from being tackled by the Great Dane, she finds herself face to face with George’s mom, Maeve Dylan. Joss is immediately smitten with her beautiful neighbor, but their conversations walk the line between friendliness and flirtation like it’s a tightrope, and Joss is reluctant to do anything that will risk their budding friendship. Thankfully for her, however, George doesn’t give up so easily.

Poppy Jenkins

by Clare Ashton

Two old friends, one hot summer, a whole load of confusion.

Poppy Jenkins makes everyone smile. She’s the heart of Wells, a beautiful village in mid-Wales, leaving light and laughter in her wake. She has a doting family, an errant dog and a little sister with a nose for mischief. But she’s the only gay in the village and it’s a long time since she kissed a girl: the chance of romance in sleepy Wells is rarer than a barking sheep.

If she doesn’t think too hard, life is cosy, until a smart sports car barrels into town with the last woman Poppy wants to see behind the wheel. Beautiful Rosalyn Thorn was once Poppy’s high school BFF even though she was trouble. Then one day she abandoned Wells and Poppy without explanation. Now the highflier is back and bound to cause fresh havoc in the village and with Poppy’s heart; folk are not happy.

Wells needs to wake up to the 21st century and Rosalyn can help, but old prejudices die hard. If they can be friends it could be the chance to make everyone’s happy ever after. Couldn’t it?

Best Sapphic Suspense

The Red Files

by Lee Winter

Rival reporters team up for the story of their careers in this lesbian romantic suspense filled with humor, twists, and one fierce ice queen.

Ambitious Daily Sentinel journalist Lauren King is chafing on LA’s vapid social circuit, reporting on glam, A-list parties while sparring with her rival—the formidable, icy Catherine Ayers.

Ayers is an ex-Washington DC political correspondent who suffered a humiliating fall from grace, and her acerbic tongue keeps everyone at bay. Everyone, that is, except knockabout Iowa girl King, who is undaunted, unimpressed and gives as good as she gets.

One night a curious story unfolds before their eyes: One business launch, 34 prostitutes and a pallet of missing pink champagne.

What on earth does it mean? King and Ayers join forces but they might find a lot more than just a passion for news on the dusty road to Nevada.

Unbreakable

by Cari Hunter

Dr. Grace Kendal never stands a chance. The injured woman comes out of nowhere, bleeding heavily and holding a gun. Compelled to help her, Grace is dragged into Elin Breckenridge’s nightmare. Their fight to survive will take them across the country and to the limits of their endurance. But who is Elin running from? As Grace struggles for answers, one thing becomes clear—Elin is somehow connected to a dead man, and Grace could be next.

For Detective Sergeant Safia Faris, the case should have been easy: one dead body, one suspect. But the deeper she digs, the more obvious it becomes that murder was only the beginning. The investigation sets her on a collision course with Grace and Elin, and she’s forced to reevaluate everything she knows. Because nothing is quite as it seems, and Grace’s and Elin’s lives aren’t the only ones on the line.

Retrospect: The Hidden Life of Mac Scott

by A.J. Hutchinson-Forton

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A lesbian thriller fiction. Dark, bold, and sexy.

McKenna Scott is missing. She’s presumed dead. Perished. Out of her misery… Suddenly, she’s not. She’s alive! Existing. Viable, just about…

Two years after she vanished, Mac Scott stumbles into a London hospital. Scars encrust her body. She cannot tolerate the slightest physical touch despite her body aching for human connection. She has no memory of what happened to her. As Mac tries to ease herself into a life that now feels alien, she is consumed with grief and anger at losing the self-assured, fun-loving woman she once was. So she looks for help.

Enticing therapist, Alisha Cole, helps her retrieve shards of horrific memories and it soon becomes clear… Mac may be home, but she is far from free.

Using her scars and memory fragments like a road map, she investigates her disappearance and journeys through the perilous twists and turns of her own mystery. Unexpected love and an insatiable need to be freed from the evil which torments her, drives Mac to rediscover herself and find newfound fortitude.

Where has she been? Why was she captured? She’s about to find out. And then she will make them pay. Escape is just the beginning; Mac is going to raise hell.

Best Sapphic Fantasy Romance

Princess of Dorsa

by Eliza Andrews

Available in Kindle Unlimited

The fate of an empire lies in the hands of one untested princess.

Rebellious Princess Natasia has always known that her fate is to marry a man her father can shape into his heir. But everything changes after a would-be assassin nearly takes Tasia’s life. Someone with means and connections is obviously trying to destabilize the Empire, but who? No noble family is above suspicion, so the Emperor takes the extraordinary step of naming his daughter his true heir.

Tasia suddenly finds herself saddled with learning to rule an entire Empire. But there are enemies on every side, threatening to disrupt the Empire’s fragile peace — there’s the long-standing and deeply unpopular war in the East, disagreements amongst her father’s closest advisors, angry lords threatening their defiance, and rumors of a faraway kingdom trying to sow discord.

Can Tasia rise to the occasion? Will she be the leader her father believes her to be? Or is the Empire doomed to fall?

Aurora’s Angel

by Emily Noon

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Joined in a battle for survival, a broken-winged angel and a shapeshifter huntress with a bloody past form a bond that may change their world. Alone since her father’s murder, Aurora has spent years hunting his killers. Battle-weary she’s ready to start over where no one knows who or what she is – she just has one last mission. Everything is going to plan until she discovers the beautiful winged girl caged underground. Her decision to rescue Evie and to help her get home safely, despite avians being infamous for selling out shifters like Aurora to cutters and black-market flesh dealers, will put her on a perilous path.

As the women travel together their attraction grows but Aurora is guarding her lonely heart almost as much as her dangerous secrets and Evie is struggling to accept how important Aurora has become to her.

With their enemies conspiring to kill them, they may be each other’s only hope. Aurora is powerful but she’s also emotionally scarred. It will be up to Evie to save her from herself and to fight for them, or innocent people will die along with the guilty ones and Aurora will disappear from Evie’s life forever.

Of Wulf and Wynd

by Lexa Luthor

Princess Tharon and Princess Roswynd were best of friends as pups; now they are enemies and forced to marry each other.

The Kingdom of White Sommer and the Kingdom of Wyndfeld had been united and strong. Princess Tharon of White Sommer grew up with her best friend Princess Roswynd of Wyndfeld, both having vowed to always be together. But it all came crashing down when Tharon’s mother was murdered by Roswynd’s family. The two kingdoms plunged into a dark, bloody war of revenge and hatred. After ten long years at war, the kingdoms agree to a ceasefire, but under the condition of a forced marriage between the two princesses.

Tharon becomes the Prince and Lord Commander of the White Sommer Army and a knight known as the Black Wulf. She has dedicated her life to conquering Wyndfeld and avenging her mother’s murder. Even better, she finally gets to claim Roswynd as her Omega. Now nothing can stop her from having it all.

Roswynd grew up broken and enraged over Tharon’s betrayal of their friendship pact. Now forced to marry Tharon, she is at a loss with her new wife, finding no remnants of her best friend under Tharon’s cold exterior. She gives her wedding vows to Tharon, but she knows their vows are based on lies. She will protect her kingdom from Tharon.

As Tharon and Roswynd play the game, they both discover they must choose between honoring their wedding vows or their vows to their kingdom.

Best Sapphic Fake Relationship

For the first time, we had a tie for third place!

Backwards to Oregon

by Jae

A single mother and a woman living as a man find love on the Oregon Trail in this best-selling lesbian historical romance.

“Luke” Hamilton has always been sure that she’d never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man.

After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life.

But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.

Who’d Have Thought

by G Benson

Top neurosurgeon Samantha Thomson needs to get married fast and is tightlipped as to why. And with over $200,000 on offer to tie the knot, no questions asked, cash-strapped ER nurse Hayden Pérez isn’t about to demand answers.

The deal is only for a year of marriage, but Hayden’s going into it knowing it will be a nightmare. Sam is complicated, rude, kind of cold, and someone Hayden barely tolerates at work, let alone wants to marry. The hardest part is that Hayden has to convince everyone around them that they’re madly in love and that racing down the aisle together is all they’ve ever wanted. What could possibly go wrong?

The Girlfriend Arrangement

by Anna Stone & Hildred Billings

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Fake girlfriends. Real chemistry.

Parker Black has put her bad girl days behind her. Once the rebellious, womanizing middle child of the wealthiest family in Seattle, she’s now the founder and CEO of a luxury lingerie label. But when an incident from her past resurfaces, everything she’s built threatens to come crashing down.

For up-and-coming public relations specialist Julia Conner, her job is her life. A former foster kid, she’s spent years climbing the ladder. So when Parker contacts her to help her come back from a scandal, Julia is determined to prove she can handle a big-name client like Parker Black.

But Julia isn’t prepared for the way the blonde-haired billionaire makes her weak at the knees. And she definitely isn’t prepared when Parker announces to the world that Julia is her girlfriend.

Swept into a fake romance with a woman who’s determined to tempt her into her bed, Julia is unable to resist Parker and her intoxicating power games. But is their relationship really just pretend? And with both their reputations on the line, will Parker and Julia be willing to put their hearts on the line too?

Breaking Character

by Lee Winter

A lesbian celebrity romance about gaining love, losing masks, and trying to stick to the script.

Best Sapphic Love After 50

Touchwood

by Karin Kallmaker

Fleeing the ruins of her life and relationship, Rayann Germaine rents a room from bookstore owner Louisa Thatcher. Decades older, Louisa offers shelter and work—and eventually passion that takes them both by surprise.

Falling in love, and into bed, turns out to be the easy part. Rayann’s mother disapproves of a liaison with a woman her own contemporary. Louisa’s son blames Rayann for revelations about his mother’s past and present that he does not want to accept. Friends universally agree that it can’t last.

These doubts would be easier to withstand if Rayann wasn’t already worried about sustaining the interest of a fascinating woman with a lifetime of experiences. Louisa isn’t sure she has any right to lay claim to the future of a much younger woman. Their only common ground seems to be the searing attraction that they simply can’t deny.

A Breathless Place

by Harper Bliss

When all hope is lost, can music be the ultimate lifeline?

Isabel ‘Izzy’ Adler used to dominate the world’s stages with her vocal acrobatics. But since she lost her voice ten years ago, Izzy’s been to hell—and hasn’t found her way back.

When journalist Leila Zadeh is brought in to finish her biography, Izzy’s dark plans for her life are challenged by the brilliant and gorgeous new woman in her life.

Will the instant attraction between them be enough to stop Izzy from playing out her final song?

A Light on Altered Land

by Becky Bohan

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Ellie Belmont, a retired college teacher, wants to leave the house she shared with her wife, who died three years ago. Kathryn Kepler, a retired psychotherapist, finds life as a country club divorcée lonely. They meet by chance at a coffee shop and bond over downsizing. Sparks of attraction ignite on a road trip from Minnesota to California. After a romantic few days in Yosemite, they must deal with the real world—Kathryn’s homophobic daughter, medical cannabis, and a run-in with the law. A love story about mature passion and personal integrity, A Light on Altered Land has readers cheering for this winsome couple.

Best Sapphic Magical Realism

Out on the Panhandle

by R. E. Bradshaw

Take a thirty-nine-year-old woman, born and raised on the beach, and plop her down on the Panhandle of Oklahoma in the midst of her lover’s huge family reunion. Add in a cow chip throwing contest, a horse round up, Native American legends, a crazed fundamentalist sister-in-law, a family secret, an unforgettable romance, and Decky Bradshaw is in for a wild ride. The sequel to Out on the Sound, this novel continues the tales of Decky and Charlie. From Lambda Literary Award Finalist author, R. E. Bradshaw, Out on the Panhandle will elicit tears one moment and side-splitting laughter the next, on the way to discovering that true love never ends.

Art Of Magic

by KJ

Available in Kindle Unlimited

A story where a touch of love and a slice of life creates a whole lot of magic.

Cath Monroe loves her teaching job, her friends, her family, and her colleagues. They fill her life and her heart. She knows that it’s important to share love with actions and words, but that last one? About the words? That’s a problem. Because when it comes to saying ‘I love you’ to her forever person, Cath discovers that she doesn’t really know anything about love at all.

Then, Rica Diamandis strolls into her life. Rica is all stardust and sexy, and Cath is intrigued. The sudden availability of a romantic blank canvas takes Cath’s breath away. But when her father is taken to hospital with a life-threatening disease, Cath boxes up the romance with Rica, and packs it into the back of her heart. Fortunately, the Universe has other ideas and Cath begins to realise that embracing emotional chaos is actually the art that creates the magic.

Letters to Cupid

by Miranda MacLeod

Available in Kindle Unlimited

An American celebrity chef and an Italian chocolate maker cook up a magical recipe for true love.

In a tiny village in the hills of Tuscany is a statue of Cupid with the power to grant the deepest desires of the heart to all who ask. The village is home to single mother Valentina, who runs a struggling chocolate shop. All she’s ever wanted was to fit in, determined to provide a quiet, normal life for herself and her daughter. She works hard to keep it together, asking for nothing…especially not Cupid’s help. Not when that would mean admitting to herself and everyone else that her deepest desire is to find the love of a woman.

American celebrity chef Andie should be having the time of her culinary life while on a PR blitz in Tuscany. Instead, a tabloid scandal that threatens to destroy her career has her hiding in a remote hillside village. With nothing to do but worry and wait, she spends her time avoiding shame and infamy by flirting with a local chocolate maker who’s as irresistible as the sweets she sells. She’s shocked by the discovery that her heart longs for much more than a temporary distraction, but even if she can convince the reluctant Valentina to give her a chance, how can she balance a relationship in Italy with a career in the States?

When it comes to realizing the deepest desires of their hearts, it just might take an act of divine intervention for these two women to find their future together!

Best Sapphic Slow Burn Romance

And Playing the Role of Herself

by K. E. Lane

Actress Caidence Harris is living her dreams after landing a leading role among the star-studded, veteran cast of 9th Precinct, a hot new police drama shot on location in glitzy LA. Her sometimes-costar Robyn Ward is magnetic, glamorous, and devastatingly beautiful, the quintessential A-List celebrity on the fast-track to super-stardom. When the two meet on the set of 9th Precinct, Caid is instantly infatuated but settles for friendship, positive that Robyn is both unavailable and uninterested. Soon Caid sees that all is not as it appears, but can she take a chance and risk her heart when the outcome is so uncertain?

The leading ladies and the supporting cast of this debut novel by newcomer K.E Lane will charm you, entertain you, and leave you with a smile on your face, eager for Ms. Lane’s next offering.

Those Who Wait

by Haley Cass

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Sutton Spencer’s ideas for her life were fairly simple: finish graduate school and fall in love. It would be a lot simpler if she could pinpoint exactly what she should do when she graduates in less than a year. Oh, and if she could figure out how to talk to a woman without feeling like a total mess, that would be great too.

Charlotte Thompson is very much the opposite. She’s always had clear steps outlining her path to success with no time or inclination for romance. Her burgeoning career in politics means everything to her and she’s not willing to compromise it for something as insignificant as love. Fleeting, casual, and discreet worked perfectly fine.

When they meet through a dating app, it’s immediately clear that they aren’t suited for anything more than friendship. Right?

The Truth About Eve

by Jourdyn Kelly

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Eve Sumptor is back. This time she is facing her toughest opponent yet. Herself.

After a passionate affair, Eve Sumptor and Lainey Stanton had difficult choices to make. One chose fear, the other gave in to guilt. As the consequences of those decisions begin to come to light, both women must find a new direction.

Will their paths once again come together?

Or have they missed their chance?

You met Eve and Lainey in Something About Eve. You watched them suffer in Flawed Perfection. You’ve followed Eve’s therapy sessions online. Now, see where every decision leads the two women. Were they meant to be together? Or will life keep tearing them apart?

Best Sapphic Books Featuring a POC Character

Finding Jessica Lambert

by Clare Ashton

As the two women get to know each other, stripping away the layers, both appreciate what each does for the other. This could be the start of something wonderful, more than either of them know.

Evolution

by MJ Duncan

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Life in The Royal Ballet comes with a set of unwritten rules, and no one knows them better than Nina Devereaux. Even in her current role as the Company’s Artistic Director, those expectations still loom menacingly over her life. But when she’s granted the opportunity to bring her revolutionary ballet to stage, the little voice that has always kept her playing by the rules begins to waver as she watches her love letter to the woman who has held her heart for years come to life. She knows better than most that it’s a long road from wanting something to having it, but perhaps this time she’ll finally manage to get it right.

The Woman in 3B

by Eliza Lentzski

Available in Kindle Unlimited

The challenge was supposed to be simple. Spill a drink on an airline passenger and be one square closer to winning the company’s secret bingo card game. Twenty-five different challenges, at various levels of difficulty, had to be accomplished within a month’s time. After nearly eight years of being a flight attendant, Alice Kaminski had spilled drinks on plenty of passengers, mostly on accident and during rough air. She didn’t particularly like the idea of the bingo card, but she had massive student debt; the financial incentives were enough to make her momentarily forget the questionable ethics of it all. The challenge was supposed to be simple—that is, until Alice saw her intended target—the beautiful woman seated in 3B. And after that, nothing was simple ever again.

Best Sapphic Age Gap Romance Winners

The Brutal Truth

by Lee Winter

Take one ice queen media-mogul boss, an assistant with a crush on her, throw in a truth bet, and as their secrets pour out in this slow-burn lesbian romance, neither woman will be the same again.

Australian crime reporter Maddie Grey is working the night shift, out of her depth in New York, miserable, and secretly crushing on her twice-married, media-mogul employer.

A beautiful lesbian workplace romance about the lies we tell ourselves.

By Design

by J.A. Armstrong

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Building bridges has a very different meaning for Jameson Reid than it does for Candace Fletcher. J.D. Reid spends her days designing some of the most elegant and majestic buildings and homes in North America. U.S. Senator Candace Fletcher has spent her life working to build bridges between people. J.D. Reid is not who Candace Fletcher was expecting to arrive on her doorstep. Candace will challenge all of Jameson’s preconceptions about the women of Washington D.C. The enigmatic architect will test the resolve of the Junior Senator from New York. Two women will discover that falling in love may be out of their control, but creating a relationship in the world of politics and business is completely BY DESIGN.

Mrs Middleton

by Melissa Tereze

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Their love could heal their hearts…but destroy the relationships they both hold dear.

Emma Bradley is trembling. And not because of the climate difference between England and Africa, where she’s just ended an 18-month stint teaching sports to kids. She’s about to see Vanessa again.

Golden hair, luminous blue eyes, a smile to light up a room. The woman Emma loves. The woman she spilled her heart out to, then ran away to another continent to avoid a humiliating scene—because Vanessa is her best friend’s mum. If Emma is lucky, maybe Vanessa chalked it up to too much wine. Or better yet, forgot all about it.

Vanessa Middleton is fighting a serious case of uncertainty. Emma’s confession is crystal clear in her memory, and now that Vanessa is divorced from her cheating husband, the strongest barrier between them is gone. But there are others no less challenging.

Because if Vanessa couldn’t keep her husband’s attention, what could bright, beautiful, much younger Emma possibly see in her? Worse, if the two of them act on their attraction, their affair could jeopardise the relationship they both hold dear: Vanessa’s daughter—Emma’s closest friend.

Congratulations to the winners!

Miranda, Em, & TB