Queer Historical Romance

Queer stories with good representation of periodic romances.

Updated November 7, 2025
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The ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye : a novel
Cameron, Briony
Paper Book
This "thrilling, swashbuckling story" (People) based on true events illuminates a woman of color's rise to power as one of the few female pirate captains to sail the Caribbean, and a forbidden love story that will shape the course of history. In the tumultuous town of...
Don't want you like a best friend : a novel
Alban, Emma R.
Paper Book
A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other--the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed! Gwen has a brilliant...
Escaping Mr. Rochester
McKinney, L. L.
Paper Book
In this fresh reimagining of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel by acclaimed author L. L. McKinney, Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason must save each other from the horrifying machinations of Mr. Rochester in this intrigue-filled, empowering young adult romance. Jane Eyre has no...
Fingersmith
Waters, Sarah
Paper Book
From the author of the New York Times Notable Book Tipping the Velvet and the award-winning Affinity: a spellbinding, twisting tale of a great swindle, of fortunes and hearts won and lost, set in Victorian London among a family of thieves. Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of...
Fried green tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe
Flagg, Fannie.
Paper Book
The remarkable novel of two Southern friendships--the basis of the hit film--available for the first time in large print.
A gentleman's gentleman
Alexander, T. J.
Paper Book
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER * From the acclaimed author of Chef's Kiss, a groundbreaking trans Regency romance that's both delightfully witty and refreshingly iconoclastic. "A Gentleman's Gentleman is a thoroughly charming confection of a romance. If you're looking...
The gentleman's guide to vice and virtue
Lee, Mackenzi
Paper Book
A Kirkus Prize nominee and Stonewall Honor winner with 5 starred reviews! A New York Times bestseller! Named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR and the New York Public Library! "The queer teen historical you didn't know was missing from your life."--Teen...
Gwen & Art are not in love
Croucher, Lex
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! "A total, rollicking delight. Gwen & Art gave me the same cheeky, swoony, giddy, irresistible high of the first time I saw A Knight's Tale. Lex Croucher is one of my favorite romcom authors, and they should be yours...
Ladies in Hating
Vasti, Alexandra
Paper Book
A pair of Gothic novelists trade rivalry for love in this swoony, steamy, sapphic Regency by USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti. Celebrated authoress Lady Georgiana Cleeve has achieved fame and fortune. Unfortunately, she's also acquired an enemy: the...
A lady for a duke
Hall, Alexis J.
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of Husband Material comes a lush, sweeping queer historical romance where sparks fly between childhood friends after a life-changing separation--perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Lisa Kleypas!​ When Viola Carroll...
Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND STONEWALL BOOK AWARD * From acclaimed author Malinda Lo comes a gripping, tender coming-of-age novel exploring identity, queerness, and historical upheaval set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s. ...
Learned by heart
Donoghue, Emma
Paper Book
"A wrenching love story" (Chris Bohjalian, The Washington Post) based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply, and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th century York, from the bestselling author of Room and The Wonder. Drawing on years of...
The librarian of burned books : a novel
Labuskes, Brianna
Paper Book
For fans of The Rose Code and The Paris Library, The Librarian of Burned Books is a captivating WWII-era novel about the intertwined fates of three women who believe in the power of books to triumph over the very darkest moments of war.  Berlin...
Most ardently : a Pride & Prejudice remix
Novoa, Gabe Cole
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A STONEWALL HONOR BOOK A trans boy searches for a future--and a romance--in which he can live and love openly as himself in this heartwrenching YA reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Gwen...
Mutual interest : a novel
Wolfgang-Smith, Olivia
Paper Book
An enthralling, dishy novel about ambition, sexuality, and the rise of a capitalist empire in post-Gilded Age New York. "Hernan Diaz's Trust but make it gay? Narrated in the sly-eyed style of Plain Bad Heroines? I am absolutely...
Not for the faint of heart
Croucher, Lex
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Lex Croucher comes a queer historical YA romance, with all the swoons, laughs, and heart-pounding moments you'd expect from a story about the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the girl she's accidentally kidnapped. 'You aren't...
The other March sisters
Epstein, Linda
Paper Book
Giving all the "Little Women" the stories they deserve at last, this imaginative historical novel and companion to the much-loved classic draws Meg, Beth, and Amy March from behind the shadow of Jo - Louisa May Alcott's alter-ego and the "author" of Little Women - as vibrant and...
The perfect crimes of Marian Hayes : a novel
Sebastian, Cat
Paper Book
Cat Sebastian returns to Georgian London with a stunning tale of a reluctant criminal and the thief who cannot help but love her. Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. Of course, the evil, murderous man deserved what was coming to him, but...
The price of salt
Highsmith, Patricia
Paper Book
An unlikely encounter between Therese, a young sales clerk, and Carol, a lonely homemaker, leads to an amorous romance in this classic work of lesbian fiction. Struggling against the oppressive routines of their daily lives and the strict social norms governing mid-century femininity, the new lovers...
A rare find
Lowell, Joanna
Paper Book
Elfreda Marsden has finally made a major discovery - an ancient amulet proving the Viking army camped on her family's estate. Too bad her nemesis is back from London, freshly exiled after a scandal and ready to wreak havoc on her life. Georgie Redmayne is everything Elfreda isn't - charming, popular...
The safekeep : a novel
Wouden, Yael van der
Paper Book
* SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKER PRIZE * * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION * * WINNER OF THE 2025 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION * Shortlisted for the 2025 Dylan Thomas Prize and Aspen Words Literary Prize * A Best Book...
The secret lives of country gentlemen
Charles, KJ
Paper Book
Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels-until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London...
A shore thing
Lowell, Joanna
Paper Book
Former painter and unreformed rake Kit Griffith is forging a new life in Cornwall, choosing freedom over an identity that didn't fit. He knew that leaving his Sisterhood of women artists might mean forfeiting artistic community forever. He didn't realize he would lose his ability to paint altogether...
We could be so good : a novel
Sebastian, Cat
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Book of 2023 A New York Times Books Review Best Romances of 2023 pick * Apple Books' Best Books of the Month * Amazon Best Books of the Month Editor's Pick, Romance * An NPR "Books We Love" * Library Journal Romance Pick of the Month * LibraryReads Hall of Fame:...
The world and all that it holds
Hemon, Aleksandar
Paper Book
The World and All That It Holds--in all its hilarious, heartbreaking, erotic, philosophical glory--showcases Aleksandar Hemon's celebrated talent at its pinnacle. It is a grand, tender, sweeping story that spans decades and continents. It cements Hemon as one of the boldest voices in...
Worth a fortune
Ledel, Sam
Paper Book
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Harriet Browning has thrived as the heiress to a lumber fortune, living lavishly among New York's elite. Her father's death reveals unexpected financial woes, and Harriet is left to face a sudden, harsh reality. Ava Clark threw herself into the...

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