LGBTQI+ Book Reviews

Review: Bitter Honey by Yona Katz

Bitter Honey by Yona Katz

A raw and incisive piece of contemporary romance, Bitter Honey by Yona Katz examines the shame we hide, the wounds we bury, and our quiet desires for closure that may never come.

Christopher is a hardworking Deputy District Attorney with an Adonis-like boyfriend, Julian, but something sour is simmering beneath the surface of their bond. Periods of intense connection and intimacy are followed by bitter fights, punitive behavior, and withheld affection, creating a destabilizing cycle that leaves Christopher confused, desperate, and endlessly apologetic.

On top of this domestic disturbance is the resurrection of Mathew Wexler, a long-lost connection from Christopher’s […]

Day Dreaming by Carrie Thorne

Day Dreaming by Carrie ThorneA charming and emotional addition to her cozy mountain romance series, Day Dreaming (A Foothills Romance Novel, Book 7) by Carrie Thorne explores our capacity to gracefully grow and embrace second chances.

When Reed brings his two kids to Foothills for a summer of outdoor adventures, he never expects to fall for a hunky new neighbor, nor for that curious desire to be returned so wholeheartedly. Expanding on the Foothills series, Thorne’s novel centers on LGBT love in all its complexity and depth, without tokenizing the relationship or falling back on superficial stereotypes. Refreshingly, the story also depicts parenthood later […]

2026-08-07T12:22:29+02:00August 7th, 2026|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Return to Dixie by Truscott Jones

Return to Dixie by Truscott JonesTruscott Jones delivers a potent reimagined history of the United States in Return to Dixie, echoing and exploring the stark divides that still sunder America today. 

In this startling vision of the past and present, Lincoln was assassinated before his inauguration, the Civil War never occurred, and the Confederacy persists into modern times, as does its foul legacy of racial supremacy. Within this contentious and creative premise, the story follows a tightly crafted cast of characters – a Shakespearean pair of star-crossed college students, a border-breaking legend of the ring, a sinister sheriff, and a rebellion-loving leader. As their […]

Exile of the Heart by Rasheed Abou-Elsamh

Exile of the Heart by Rasheed Abou-ElsamhA raw account of the author’s long journey to find a place to truly be himself, Exile of the Heart: A Memoir Across Three Continents by Rasheed Abou-Elsamh is a vulnerably written and engrossing memoir.

Born to a Saudi father and an American mother, the battle between conflicting values and ideas was an unavoidable part of his identity, but one that he channeled into a free-ranging interest in the wider world. As Rasheed comes to embrace his homosexuality and recognizes the danger of that identity in Jeddah, he dreams of another life, somewhere his desires aren’t considered a crime. Moving […]

2025-12-09T16:40:42+02:00December 9th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: The Blue Roses by Kent Yorkson

The Blue Roses by Kent Yorkson

A profound tale of friendship, romance, and the beautiful collisions of human existence, The Blue Roses by Kent Yorkson is a quietly provocative work of literary fiction.

Set against the timeless backdrop of New York City’s dramatic glamor, the story centers on Mark, a gifted painter, and a seemingly perfect couple, Hans and Yukari – a prominent diplomat and a prodigious musician, respectively. As their friendship grows and their lives entangle, the powerful nature of their bond becomes a meditation on intimacy, partnership, and emotional liberation. Exploring the perennially fascinating subject of alternative relationships, Yorkson’s novel takes an honest and […]

Review: The Third Act by Kathleen Brehony

The Third Act by Kathleen Brehony

A smart and touching tale of taking second chances and finding your people, The Third Act by Kathleen Brehony explores the rich possibilities of great love during a painful season of loss.

Shannon O’Connell is an accomplished and gracefully aging author, but a string of personal heartbreaks has left her in serious need of support. When a long battle with breast cancer claims one of her dearest friends, Linda, the tragedy brings together their decades-old group of girlfriends for a celebration of life at the O’Connell family’s seaside cottage resort.

Elizabeth Matthews may be an award-winning filmmaker, but her ageless […]

2025-03-25T15:08:55+02:00January 31st, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Flew Too High by Louie Mandrapilias

Flew Too High by Louie MandrapiliasA coming-of-age journey into the heart of psychedelia and reality’s bitter truth, Flew Too High: A gay drug smuggler’s transcendent odyssey in the heyday of Studio 54 by Louie Mandrapilias is a thrilling memoir that summons a gilded and infamous past.

Louie is a closeted young Texan getting his first taste of New York City in the raucous age of gay liberation in Greenwich Village. His life immediately entangles with Govind, an Adonis-like tour guide to metropolitan hotspots and mind-expanding experiences. Fully under his new lover’s spell, Louie is soon seduced into the world of international drug smuggling, and then […]

2025-01-20T16:29:42+02:00January 19th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Where’s Our Purple Heart by Logan Fret

Where's Our Purple Heart by James Linge

Peeling back the complex layers of grief, family, trauma, and secrets, Where’s Our Purple Heart by Logan Fret is a raw examination of the feelings we fear and the memories we bury.

After his gun-loving, hard-drinking, war hero father dies unexpectedly, Todd must navigate a surge of emotions, especially the feelings of relief and a distinct lack of sadness. He struggles to mourn an abusive father who had leveled a murderous threat against him, which forced Todd to hide his queer identity for years and prevented any resolution or authenticity in their relationship. Now, with the main obstacle to his […]

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