It’s Pride Month! June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, a time we honor our queer ancestors and activists; fight against injustice and systemic brutality; and celebrate queer joy. One of the ways you can celebrate this month (and year round) is to engage with queer stories and queer authors.
Pride month also celebrates how queerness intersects with all your identities. Being fat (a neutral descriptor)/plus size/living in a larger body adds another layer of systemic discrimination for queer folks (as do other intersecting identities like race, ethnicity, etc.). As a queer, fat, indie romance author myself, I wanted to take the time to celebrate plus-size and queer indie romances for people looking for relatable stories for their intersecting identities.
Lesbian Indie Romance and Sapphic Indie Romance
Scars like Wings by Chelsey J. León
Take a trip to a fantasy realm with witches, shifters, hunters with Chelsey J León’s Scars Like Wings. This high spice, fast burn, fated mate indie romance featuring a plus-size Black FMC includes mystery, intrigue, and plenty of lesbian cuteness. Join Bryd and Quinn as they unravel family mysteries and fall in love. This book is part one of the Crystal Dragon Duet.
From the blurb: Suddenly, the mysteries surface and threaten to drown Byrd. Nothing from her friends to her past to Quinn is what they have always seemed. The further she dives, however, the more one solitary idea becomes clear: her mother did everything to keep her safe. But at what cost?
Read it on KindleUnlimited or get a signed paperback directly from Chelsey.
Back to Me by Katie Duggan
The second book in Katie Duggan‘s “Quibblings” series, Back To Me, follows Jo and Hunter (and a bearded dragon), in a sapphic second-chance, fake dating romance. Meeting again after years apart, these former first loves hatch a plan to save face in front of Hunter’s ex-fiance.
From the blurb: “The more fake they are with the world, the more real Jo and Hunter are with each other, slowly realizing that there’s so much more to the other than meets the eye.”
Read it on KindleUnlimited or paperback.
Gay Indie Romance and MM Indie Romance
Bears & Bakeries by Dylan Drakes
Cinnamon roll MMCs who make cinnamon rolls? Heck yes! Bears & Bakeries by Dylan Drakes low angst, high spice romance between Locky and Benedict includes cuteness, kink, and hurt/comfort dynamics, with no third act break up. These body positive boys are getting down to business and business. It’s the second book in Dylan’s Sweet & Stocky series.
From the blurb: Now they have to decide just how deep they want to go together. Will they biscuit all for love? Or will they decide the whisk is just too great?
Read it on KindleUnlimited, paperback, or audiobook.
The Falcon and the Foe by A.J. Truman
Who doesn’t love an enemies to lovers romance? The Falcon and the Foe by A.J. Truman forces two single dads to come together for the sake of their kids. What’s even more terrible (for them, not for us), is they’re forced to share the same tent.Russ and Cal are an opposites attract couple who explore the wilderness, parenting, and what it means to fall in love. This is the first book A.J.’s Single Dads Club for the DILF lovers out there.
From the blurb: We’d both sworn off romance to focus on fatherhood, and nothing’s going to change that, not even sharing a too-small tent in the wilderness.
Read it on KindleUnlimited, or get signed (or unsigned) and audiobooks directly from A.J. (Audiobook also on Audible).
Bisexual Indie Romance and Pansexual Indie Romance
There are many multi-sexual identities that people may choose for a variety of reasons. Many call this the “bisexual umbrella” and one common identity under this umbrella is Pansexuality. This category is by far the biggest one, with many books having bisexual and pansexual characters in a variety of relationship pairings. No matter who a person is with, it never negates their queerness.
Axes and Ohs by Kayla Gross
This polyamorus, plus size, and bisexual “lumbersnack” romance from Kayla Grosse really has it all. In Axes and Ohs, established couple, Fox and Morgan, come across a stranded Nathan in this forced proximity, holiday romance. This high-heat, but still cute and cozy romance explores the vulnerability in figuring out what feels right for your sexuality and taking a chance on love.
From the blurb: Fox, with his tattooed, rugged allure, and Morgan, with her sweet and sultry charm, are making Nathan question everything he thought he knew about himself.
You can get this book on KindleUnlimited, signed or on audiobook directly from Kayla, Barnes and Noble, or listen to it on Audible and Spotify.
Deadly Deceit by Settle Myer
Settle Myer’s dark mafia romance, Deadly Deceit, is perfect for those who love a dangerous pair. This rivals to lovers book has plenty of spice between bisexual, plus size mafia princess Delancy, and pansexual mob hitman Noah, including a MFM spicy scene. While the romance is sweet, it includes many dark elements including stalking and violence, so check those trigger warnings!
From the blurb: Maybe it’s the way his gaze lingers on my body. Or the secrets in his dark eyes. But whatever it is, I’m determined to find out.
You can get it on KindleUnlimited or directly from Settle.
Transgender Indie Romances
Fake the Shot by Olivia Lynd
Fake the Shot by Olivia Lynd is book two in her SLC Sting hockey romance series. A dislike-to-lovers storyline always pairs great with fake dating, which is exactly what happens when veterinarian and trans woman Emory and hockey player Kayden fall into a fake relationship. Obsessed, cinnamon roll and curvy girl Emory have plenty of banter in the newest addition to your TBR.
From the blurb: His brilliant idea? A fake relationship. Guess who happens to be right there when this idea pops into his head? Guess who doesn’t just say no and walk away? At least there’s no chance I’ll ever fall for him. Right?
Read it on KindleUnlimited or paperback.
Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System by Robin Jo Margaret
Author Robin Jo Margaret is an all around favorite for queer, plus-size, indie romance. Many of xyr books include trans or gender queer characters, and most of them are monster romances. Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System pairs Iris, a trans, autistic human woman with a plus size cis woman, who also just happens to be a cupid. These cute and nerdy couple discover love and explore their sexualities together in this cozy and spicy novella.
From the blurb: …The two find themselves wandering the city to complete Iris’s list of dream dates, so that she can get the opportunity to finally experience the romance she always dreamed of.
You can get this book on ebook, audio, or paperback from various retailers or directly from Robin.
Queer Indie Romances
Queerness rarely fits into neat boxes, and many people hold multiple queer identities. While every book on this entire list is queer, here are two more books that fall into multiple realms of queer magic.
Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms by Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callahan
This fantasy, regency inspired world brings human Roger and fae Wyndham together in a Bridgerton-eqsue, slow burn, fake dating romance. Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms has gay, pansexual, demisexual, autistic, mental health, AND fat rep set in a queernormative world with plenty of queer side characters—truly the whole package. It is the Fea & Human Relations series, co-authored by Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callahan.
From the blurb: Adding to the disarray, a popular gossip column unexpectedly announces that Roger and Wyn are engaged. Obliged to go along with the falsehood to save their families from scandal, they are forced to reconcile their differences for the sake of the rubric — and for their impending marriage.
Read on Kindle, paperback, or hardcover.
Washed Up [With a Kraken] by L.E. Eldrige
For monster lovers, there’s a range of gender and sexuality way beyond the heteronormative. Also it’s just fun and sexy! Washed Up [With A Kraken] by L.E. Eldrige is part of her series of standalones, Trapped with A Monster. Jorah, a non-binary Kraken meets, Quinn, the plus sized human woman of their dreams in this fast burn, insta lust, forced proximity romance which includes plenty of monster sex.
From the blurb: Quinn wants to leave, but Jorah insists that she owes them a life debt…but that’s no foundation for a relationship. Will they work through their differences and find a way to be together?
Read it on KindleUnlimited, paperback, audiobook, or get it directly from L.E.
Bonus picks from the bookish community:
There are so many great queer love stories out there. Check out these Instagram posts by bookish content creators and authors to find even more plus size pride month recs, for whatever flavor of love you’re looking for.
- Fat & LGBTQIA+ recs by @Sarah_thebookishnerd
- Fat/curvy romance: Pride Edition by @justkitbooks
- LGBTQIA+ reads with plus size leads by @curvygirlbookguide
- Book LGBTQ and Fat & Cuvry rep by @FatGirlsinFiction
- Curvy Paranormal Pride Reads by @paranormalcurvyreads
- Pride Reads featuring fat MCs by @curvygirlsreadromance
- Queer Romance & Fantasy books with Plus Size / Curvy Rep by @tropes.and.roses
- Non-binary romances to read with plus-size rep by @books.with.love.handles
- Fat & Fruity by @fatgirlsmut
- We’re all queer here by @fatgirlsmut
Enjoy your now bursting-at-the-seams TBR and all its queer goodness this June and year round!
*KindleUnlimited availability accurate at time of posting, but may not be accurate at time of reading.
