Radclyffe Hall first blazed the trail for lesbian writers and lesbian romance stories when she published the lesbian novel “The Well of Loneliness.” Nearly a century later, queer women have become an incredible force, publishing everything from thrillers to memoirs to books of poetry. When it comes to romance, there’s no shortage of incredible options.
Here are some of the best sapphic authors taking the romance genre by storm.
1. Haley Cass
Nobody writes a friends-to-lovers sapphic romance like Haley Cass! Her romance novels are filled to the brim with all the pining, angst, and tension that has cemented the friends-to-lovers trope as one of BookTok’s favorite tropes.
Cass’ characters are real and relatable, and her books are filled with emotion. All of her books (she has eight published in total) feature sapphic love stories and are available on Kindle Unlimited and audiobook, so start your way through her back catalog right now.
What to read:
“On the Same Page” (college best friends, dual timeline between college days and current life in their 30s) and “The Next Chapters” (a novella that follows up on Riley and Gianna)
“Those Who Wait” (friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, political/election season backdrop) and “Forever and a Day” (a follow-up novel for when you can’t get enough of Sutton and Charlotte’s love)
2. Sarah Waters
British novelist Sarah Waters is renowned for her works of romantic lesbian fiction set in the Victorian era (historical romance lovers, it’s your time to shine!). Waters has wowed readers and critics alike with her rich storytelling and complex characters. Reading her novels is like being transported back in time.
While she hasn’t released anything new since 2014, her six novels should keep you busy for a while!
For even more historical LGBTQ+ romance, check out Emma R. Alban.
What to read:
“Tipping the Velvet” (set in 1890s England, coming of age story). It was adapted into a three-part BBC series as well!
“Fingersmith” (Victorian era, historical crime novel split into two parts)
3. Meryl Wilsner
Meryl Wilsner writes my favorite kind of love story: sweet and spicy! They started writing as a kid and eventually moved on to writing fanfiction (authors! they’re just like us!) before turning to romance novels. Their books are easy to devour and manage to touch on sensitive, important topics while still being sweet, funny, and heartfelt.
After three incredibly popular contemporary romance novels, Wilsner challenged themselves to write an audio short story with Dipsea. Writing an audio story is wildly different from writing a novel (Wilsner details the experience in this interview) but they absolutely crush it.
What to read:
“The Detour” (forced proximity, three-part audio series)
“Cleat Cute” (sports romance, teammates-to-lovers, opposites attract)
4. Ashley Herring Blake
Ashley Herring Blake is one of those authors who can write for a range of audiences and nail it every. single. time. She writes about serious topics with such grace and her novels for young readers, especially those figuring out their identity during those tender middle school years, are beautiful.
Blake began her career writing young adult novels (“Girl Made of Stars” was a Lambda Literary Award finalist) and captured the hearts of readers with the stunning middle grade novel “Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World," which won an American Library Association Stonewall Book Award.
Most recently, she’s broken into adult contemporary romance with “Delilah Green Doesn’t Care” and the rest of the Bright Falls series. And while she’s written for younger audiences before, don’t let that fool you—these books pack a seriously spicy punch!
What to read:
“Delilah Green Doesn’t Care” (grumpy/sunshine, single parent, hometown romance, first book in a series)
“Make the Season Bright” (second-chance holiday romance)
5. Samantha Shannon
Fantasy romance lovers, please give Samantha Shannon’s works a read! The English author first published The Bone Season when she was just 21 (yes, 21!!!) years old and it’s now a sprawling series with an epic world and a cast of incredible, diverse LGBTQ+ characters.
In 2020, “The Priory of the Orange Tree” was a finalist for Lambda Literary Awards and the prequel immediately skyrocketed to the top of The New York Times best seller list. The worlds she builds and the characters she creates are just incredible. Run, don’t walk, to read her back catalog!
Fans of Sarah J. Maas’ “A Court of Thorns and Roses” or Rebecca Yarros’ “Fourth Wing” will love Shannon’s writing style.
What to read:
“The Bone Season” (the first in the series, there are four books out now and the next is coming out in February 2025)
“The Priory of the Orange Tree” (an epic high fantasy with dragons!)
6. Casey McQuiston
Casey McQuiston stole the hearts of readers everywhere (mine included) with their smash debut “Red, White & Royal Blue” in 2019 and they’ve been killing it ever since! Their characters are so complex, real, and relatable that it’s impossible not to fall in love with them.
McQuiston’s characters are often coming to terms with their sexuality, figuring out who they are, and celebrating that identity with the family they’ve built around themselves. While the main characters steal the show, McQuiston also writes incredibly detailed side characters who have their own share of troubles, trials, and tribulations (seriously, can I get a book about every single character they write?).
What to read:
“One Last Stop” (contemporary romance with a sci-fi twist, found family)
“I Kissed Shara Wheeler” (YA, rivals-to-lovers)
7. Clare Lydon
My gosh, does Clare Lydon know how to write a book that packs an emotional punch! Her books are packed with British humor and complicated, relatable, flawed characters (I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for a character who isn’t perfect).
With Lydon’s books, you’re guaranteed a happily ever after with lots of laughs, but you’re going to go through emotional turmoil to get there (best case scenario, in my opinion!). With more than 20 books under her belt, getting through Lydon’s catalog is no easy feat but worth it for the laughs and tears. From standalones to series, she has something for everyone. Run, don’t walk!
What to read:
“Before You Say I Do” (forbidden love, bride/bridesmaid)
“Once Upon a Princess” (a lesbian royal romance!)
8. Lana Harper
When the crisp fall air hits, I immediately want to dive head-first into a cozy, spooky romance novel. Luckily for me (and you), Lana Harper is here to save the day!
Harper’s books straddle the line between contemporary romance and fantasy romance, making them the perfect option for when you want to start dabbling in romantasy. Her characters struggle with the same things we all do (broken hearts, navigating friendships, not wanting to go back to our small hometowns) making them insanely relatable.
She has also written a handful of YA novels under the name Lana Popović, all of which have a similar mythical contemporary romance vibe.
What to read:
“Payback’s a Witch” (think “John Tucker Must Die” but sapphic!)
9. Rachel Lacey
Rachel Lacey’s tagline is “happily everyone after” and she means it—she has a book for everyone! She first came onto the publishing scene a decade ago with contemporary romance novels featuring male/female romances (you can find these published under the pen name R.S. Lacey).
Recently, she’s shifted to writing sapphic love stories and she knocks it out of the park every time. Her books are funny, sweet, and spicy—basically the perfect combination. Lacey’s extensive catalog covers pretty much every book trope (including my personal favorites: fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, and rivals-to-lovers) so she has a book for every mood.
What to read:
“Read Between the Lines” (think “You’ve Got Mail” but make it sapphic!)
“Cover Story” (fake dating, bodyguard romance)
10. Patricia Highsmith
While Patricia Highsmith is best known for her thriller works (including “The Talented Mr. Ripley”), I would be remiss if I didn’t include her on this list. Published under a pseudonym in 1952, her novel “The Price of Salt” is an iconic work of lesbian literature. It’s Highsmith’s only novel that explicitly features a romance between two women. It served as the inspiration for the historical romance movie “Carol,” which came out in 2015.
The rest of Highsmith’s books are stomach-twisting, heart-pounding thrillers. She wrote more than 20 full-length novels and countless short stories, so there’s no shortage of good reads here!
What to read:
“The Price of Salt” (forbidden love, age gap, mystery romance)
Lesbian and sapphic authors from other genres
If you enjoy these sapphic romance authors, you may also want to check out these authors outside the romance genre:
Audre Lorde (“Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches”)
Rita Mae Brown (“Rubyfruit Jungle”)
Dorothy Allison (“Bastard Out of Carolina”)
Leslie Feinberg (“Stone Butch Blues”)
Jeanette Winterson (“Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”)
Nancy Garden (“Annie on my Mind”)
Alison Bechdel (“Fun Home”)
Alice Walker ( “The Color Purple”)
Virginia Woolf (“Orlando”)
Roxane Gay (“Bad Feminist”)
Sappho (“If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho”)
Looking for more sapphic love stories? Check out Dipsea, the app for original spicy audiobooks! A free 30-day trial will give you plenty of time to find WLW stories that sweep you off your feet.
Or download the Dipsea app for the best listening experience.
