As a queer woman, I was ecstatic to hear that Bridgerton season 5 will focus on the blossoming romance between Francesca Bridgerton and Michaela Sterling. Dearest reader, it's about time that WLW love stories got the chance to shine in the Netflix Regency-era franchise.
In Julia Quinn's popular Bridgerton books, however, Francesca is heterosexual, just like every other dalliance in the series. But there are plenty of other historical romance novels that deliver LGBTQ+ representation in the form of unlikely courtships, kismet connections, and, of course, forbidden love. We consider these period pieces certified page-turners because they transport the reader to centuries ago—meaning the historical accuracy will tap one interest, and the restraint that adds to their eroticism will intrigue another. Simply put: It’s fun to imagine secretly grazing fingertips in packed ballrooms and ripping open corsets by the firelight. (I’m more than happy to never deal with a chamber pot, though.)
From enemies-to-lovers to marriage of convenience and just about every other romance trope that fills your TBR stack, these are the best queer historical romance novels. They may take place in different locations and eras, but all of these books feature beautiful queer love stories.
The Best Enemies-to-Lovers Queer Historical Romance Books
What’s better than a feud-turned-romance between two writers? Lady Georgiana Cleeve and Cat Lacey are rival novelists who plan for their next books to take place in the same spooky manor. When they travel to the home for inspiration, they become trapped inside. The duo find that the ghost sounds aren’t the scariest part of their imprisonment: It’s their burning desire for each other.
I’m obsessed with a good heated rivalry. Like in Love with You by Emma R. Alban is a Regency-era enemies-to-lovers story about Lady Rosalie and Catherine Pine, who compete to win over the same man—but ultimately fall for each other. The novel navigates societal expectations, family secrets, and steamy romance through the world of 19th-century Bath, England.
The Best Fantasy Queer Historical Romance Books
You’ll want to sink your teeth into this dark lesbian vampire novel. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil follows María, Charlotte, and Alice as they navigate new desires and freedom in a small town in Spain in 1532, London in 1827, and Boston in 2019. As vampires, they live for eternity, but will their loves last just as long?
Anxious eldest children will relate to Robin Blyth’s predicament. In early 20th-century England, Robin is already overwhelmed by his responsibilities when an administrative mishap names him the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society. He now must navigate the intricacies of magic, a deadly curse, and a frustrating coworker named Edward Courcey. Robin’s predecessor disappears, and he relies on Edward to help him find answers. The hostile pair fall for each other as they work to dismantle a plot set to endanger every magician in the British Isles.
The Best Forbidden Love Queer Historical Romance Books
When Stephen Davenport became a secretary at Mr. Alleyn and Lady Priscilla’s estate, he didn’t expect the house to hold so many mysteries. He was hired to help the couple claim the barony of Ravenswick, but he quickly realizes that they may not be the true heirs. Lady Priscilla’s sister is dead under questionable circumstances, and he could be next. He fears not only for himself but for the future of a new love.
In 1360 England, William disappears the night before his politically arranged betrothal. The bride’s brother, Raff, journeys to track him down. William isn’t prepared to survive on his own and leans on Raff, a kind stranger, to make it through the forest. While their bond begins in deceit, the pair unite through unexpected romance.
The Best Forced Proximity Queer Historical Romance Books
In the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo, Viola Carroll is presumed dead and decides to remain that way to the world. Now, she can finally live her truth as a trans woman. But in shedding her old identity, she loses her wealth, title, and best friend Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. When Viola encounters Justin years later, he is a shell of the person he was. As she works to reignite his old personality, the pair become much more than friends.
The Best Friends-to-Lovers Queer Historical Romance Books
A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell is a delightfully wholesome story of an artist and a botanist who fall in love while preparing for a bicycle race. Kit Griffith is a trans man who leaves his sisterhood of women artists and moves to Cornwall to sell bicycles. He meets Muriel Pendrake, and they strike a deal: She will join an all-male cycling club to prove women are just as talented at riding bikes as men, and he will return to his art to illustrate British seaweeds for her. As they pedal near the shore together, they fall head over wheels.
The Best Marriage of Convenience Queer Historical Romance Books
There’s nothing sexier than a female business owner. The third book in Jess Everlee’s Lucky Lovers of London series, A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence, follows Jo Smith, who is a lesbian in a lavender marriage in 1885. Jo is comfortable with her life and bookshop until her husband’s pregnant lover requires medical attention. She enlists the help of Dr. Emily Clarke, who works outside of the city. Jo is rough around the edges, while Emily is refined and educated, but when their worlds collide, sparks fly.
Queer besties Verbena Montrose and Étienne plan to marry, so Verbena can save her family from poverty, and Étienne can shut down a harmful rumor. However, a poet named Flora Witcombe seems to have recognized their ploy. Verbena confronts Flora, but instead of fighting, the pair falls for each other. However, Flora has a secret: They are genderqueer and also identify as William Forsyth, a novelist and son of a nobleman. They hope Verbena will choose them, both as Flora and William, before she weds Étienne.
The Best Opposites Attract Historical Romance Books
The summer I explored my sexuality? Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan travels to Paris to showcase her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle and escape her duties for one last summer before she enters a loveless marriage. Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, is power hungry and wants Manuela’s land. So Cora agrees to Manuela’s proposition of a piece of her treasured land in exchange for spending the summer with Cora in Paris. Through their proximity, they become lovers, but they fear what becoming a public couple could mean for their reputation.
Not the prince and the pauper, but the sexy lord and the coffee shop owner with a troubled past. Percy, Lord Holland, finds comfort in high society, but that solace is quickly disrupted when his friend is in trouble, and the only way to save him is to retrieve a mysterious book once owned by his mother. He enlists Kit Webb, a former highwayman and current coffeehouse owner, to teach him how to pull off a heist. While their focus is lessons in thievery, there may also be some lessons in chemistry.
Secrets, betrayal, ex-lovers, oh my! Gareth Inglis and Joss Doomsday were once romantically involved, but that relationship went up in flames. The men come from completely different worlds—Joss runs a smuggling clan, and Gareth inherits a grand home and the title of baronet. Years after their affair, Joss’s sister is on trial, and he and Gareth find each other on opposite sides of the courtroom. Even given the dire circumstances, the pair cannot dampen their desires.
The Best Slow Burn Queer Historical Romance Books
To lose or not to lose your head. In 1791, Sylvie de Rosiers, a biracial heiress, flees the Haitian Revolution, only to encounter another uprising in Paris. There, she finds admiration for Maximilien Robespierre’s policies and lust for his mistress Cornélie Duplay. While learning from revolutionaries, Sylvie comes to terms with her complicity with systems that enslaved people in Saint-Domingue, and decides whether she will stand by or stand up this time.
If you wish Pride and Prejudice were more blatantly queer, this one’s for you! Lindz McLeod’s story takes place four years after the conclusion of Jane Austen’s novel. In a bit of a literary remix, the novel finds Charlotte left alone and adrift after her husband’s death. She writes to her best friend, Lizzie, who sends her sister Mary Bennet to comfort her. Mary is much more enticing than Charlotte remembers with her newfound fascination with academia and botany. As their relationship grows, suitors come calling for Charlotte, and she must decide if she’s willing to risk society’s backlash for her new love.
