August is Fat Liberation Month, a culmination of different fat pride and liberation celebrations, coming together for its first iteration in 2020, then moving to August in 2022. It’s a time to celebrate the strength, joy, and beauty of our fat, plus size, and otherwise abundant bodies; honor the people who have done the work to expand the rights and protections of people living in larger bodies; fight for a future free of fatphobia; and honor intersecting liberation movements.

One of the most joyful and liberating ways to honor yourself year-round is engaging with media with people who look like you. Reading plus size romance books with plus-size and fat characters (however you choose to identify, but fat is not a dirty word) is a great way to celebrate the giddy joy of loving yourself, falling in love, and feeling comfortable in your body, no matter where you are in your journey. 

Here are nine recent plus size romance book releases (2025) to fill up your To Be Read list with joy, love, and curves for miles.

Shadowed Obsessions by Evelyn Leigh

Sweet Escape by Willa Kay

A sweet and spicy story, Sweet Escape by Willa Kay is a fresh baked treat. This small town brings grieving single dad and cowboy Wilder and plus size baker Olivia together with a surprise pregnancy. Battling Wilder’s past and a family rivalry, this indie romance novel is perfect for people who love emotional (and hot) plus size romances that heal the heart. 

From the blurb: …Fate or something deeper had other plans, and on the way back, I met the sweetest distraction. Olivia Sullivan isn’t for me, but now she’s carrying my baby, and I can’t seem to deny this innate connection that draws me to her.

Sweet Escape will be available August 18, 2025, on KindleUnlimited and Willa’s website.

Bewitched & Bewildered by Elle Lavendelle

Bewitched & Bewildered by Elle Lavendelle is a cozy cottagecore, rivals to lovers romance between plus size and witchy heroine Juniper, and rival apothecary shop owner Ozan. This grumpy x sunshine pairing heats up the small town of Starbrook. This plus size romance is great for people who love fantasy but don’t want to spend hours learning a world. The standalone includes plenty of spice between soft dom Ozan and Juniper.

From the blurb: Fellow witch Ozan Demir makes his grand return to Starbrook with emotional baggage, a business degree, and an idea for a new apothecary. When his old rivalry with Juniper reignites, sparks of passion begin to fly, too.

Read it on KindleUnlimited, get it from Barnes & Noble, or get signed copies on Elle’s website.

First Comes Amor by Cynthia A. Rodriguez

Daniela is ready to buckle down and focus on her career in First Comes Amor by Cynthia A. Rodriquez. When a one night with her neighbor Quintin is followed by a surprise coworkers situation, can the plus size beauty stop herself from falling for the hot chef while also trying to handle her budding bundle of joy? This surprise pregnancy and forced proximity romance is perfect for those looking for a Latine love story where he falls first and a hard-won happily ever after.

From the blurb: With a baby on the way, dating should be off the table. If only the sexy chef didn’t look at her like he wanted her naked on his kitchen table.

Read it on KindleUnlimited or get it directly from Cynthia on her website.

More Than A Friend by Daisy Wren

More Than A Friend by Daisy Wren is perfect for the romantics who’ve ever had a crush on their BFF. Ava is a single mom trying to navigate her sexual awakening and complicated feelings for her BFF Skylar, who has been pining for Ava for over a decade. When Ava asks Skylar for sex lessons, this plus size sapphic romance novella heats up. 

From the blurb: Even while knowing a sexual relationship could ruin their friendship, neither of them can say no to crossing that line.
Will their friendship grow into something more? Or will this be the end?

Read it on KindleUnlimited and check out Daisy’s website for more of her plus size romance books!

Winks & Windows by Laurel Holl

Winks & Windows by indie romance author Laurel Holl is a TBR-friendly read at just under 200 pages. Isaac, an artist suffering from burnout, moves to the small town of Calysto’s Cove and soon runs into his mysterious plus size neighbor Brinn. Can Brinn resist the urge to fall into her grief, or will she fall for the ultimate golden retriever MMC (with an adorable pit bull) who fell first? Winks & Windows a romance novella is for people looking for a story about navigating grief, falling in love with life again, and falling for your hot neighbor.

From the blurb: I am trapped in this house, a tomb of the life I’ll never have… Until a misdelivered package forces me outside to talk to my handsome new neighbor and his adorable dog.

Read it on KindleUnlimited and sign up for Laurel’s newsletter to get info on future releases.

Where There’s Smoke… by Aricka Alexander

Small town sapphic romance, you say? Between a firefighter and a baker? With ADHD, anxiety, and depression rep? Black main characters? Spice?! Aricka Alexander’s Where There’s Smoke… is a plus size romance book that has it all and then some. Firefighter Phoenix and pastry chef Angel are a match made in heaven as they connect in this Louisiana based small town romance. 

From the blurb: To [Angel’s] surprise, the town quickly grows on her, and she can see herself putting down roots in Tucker. Especially after she reconnects with a certain very attractive female firefighter who stops at nothing to make her smile

Read it on KindleUnlimited or paperback and check out all Aricka has to offer.

Love Me Softly by Ellie Harper Smith

Love Me Softly by indie romance author Ellie Harper Smith will give you hope in dating apps again. After meeting on an app, Riley and Matt both think they can go their separate ways again after a practice date. When a meddling sister forces Riley to take action, can she contend with golden retriever Matt as a temporary addition, or is he here to stay? This plus size romance book includes demi/bisexual, ADHD, and PCOS rep to make you feel seen and understood. 

From the blurb: After a whirlwind practice date, they go their separate ways only for life to bring them back together again, forcing them to confront how real their connection was.

Read it on KindleUnlimited while you listen to the playlist!

A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling In Love by Alice Murphy

A Showgirl’s Rules for Falling In Love by Alice Murphy is a fat-positive romance. Present-day narrator Pheobe grapples with her growing feelings for Armitage while telling the story of proudly fat vaudeville star Evelyn and showbiz tycoon Thomas. This unique, glittering hybrid between historical romance and contemporary fiction is inspired by a real-life group of plus size dancers in the 1890s, and sets the stage for multiple love stories and the love of community.

From the blurb: …Present-day narrator Phoebe steps in to reveal secrets and show readers what it really means to claim self-love. Inspired by the true story of a Progressive Era troop of plus-size dancers, this is a story about the spirit of community and the power of romance.

Get it from Bookshop.org or Amazon or get the audiobook on Libro.FM.