Looking for your next great read? I’m right there with you. From steamy romance novels to coming-of-age self-discovery tales, there’s rich, inclusive storytelling for everyone, especially within the LGBTQ section of the bookstore. Tucked within, though, there’s a veritable treasure trove of WLW books waiting to come home with you.
So, what exactly does WLW mean?
WLW stands for "women-loving-women," and it's all about relationships, romances, and stories featuring women who are attracted to other women. It's an inclusive term, embracing lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and queer women. All sapphic folks are welcome here!
As visibility has grown, WLW books have become more popular, especially in spaces like BookTok, allowing readers to connect with characters and stories that resonate with their own experiences. Whether it’s a steamy romance, a heartfelt coming-of-age tale, or an epic fantasy adventure, WLW stories put sapphic relationships front and center.
Even if you’ve already devoured classics like “The Price of Salt” or more recent favorites like “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” you owe it to yourself to fall in love with a few book recommendations that prioritize not just queer main characters but happy endings, too!
1. “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” by Casey McQuiston
If you’ve already devoured McQuiston’s first sapphic romance “One Last Stop,” you’ve got to dive into “I Kissed Shara Wheeler.” Messy high school drama and a quest to figure out why Golden Girl Shara mysteriously disappeared just a month before graduation? Sign me up.
Chloe has been keeping a low profile ever since her moms moved the family from sunny California to Alabama and enrolled her in private Christian school. She’s dying to finally beat out Shara Wheeler and earn valedictorian. When her rival kisses her and suddenly vanishes, Chloe teams up with some unlikely friends to solve the mystery. It’s fun, it’s sweet, it’s full of giggles. The perfect dip into young adult WLW romance.
2. “The Girl from the Sea” by Molly Knox Ostertag
If graphic novels are more your speed and you’re looking to expand your LGBTQ graphic novel collection beyond the “Heartstopper” series (an absolute MUST-read), then you need to pick up “The Girl from the Sea.” It’s utterly charming.
Morgan feels stifled and uninspired by life on her home island, craving freedom from her difficult family and a friend group. Morgan can’t find the courage to tell them about her most desperate wish: She really wants to kiss another girl. When Keltie, a mysterious stranger from the ocean, rescues Morgan from drowning, island life gets a lot more interesting.
3. “Priory of the Orange Tree” by Samantha Shannon
More of a romantasy reader? We’ve got you covered.
Yes, okay, this book is not for the faint of heart, but it’s so very worth the read. A hefty high fantasy tome, “Priory of the Orange Tree” centers around three very powerful and very different women.
Sabran rules as queen of Inys and is under pressure to produce a female heir while assassins threaten her queendom.
Ead secretly protects Sabran with forbidden magic that she hones with the help of a society of mages.
Tané is a fearsome dragon rider from a rival nation across the ocean.
How do these three fit together? The 800 pages it takes to find out will have you begging for even more.
4. “Of Fire and Stars” by Audrey Coulthurst
Trapped in a political betrothal, Denna knows she has to keep her magical skill with fire a secret in order for her marriage to be successful in keeping the peace between kingdoms. Magic of any kind is outlawed in her new homeland.
It doesn’t help that Mare, her bethrothed’s sister tasked with teaching Denna the ways of her soon-to-be subjects, is both unconventional and frightening...at least at first.
As their friendship grows and an assassination attempt brings them even closer, Denna and Mare both have to decide how many secrets they are really willing to keep from each other...and if love is worth the risk.
5. “Moonshadowe Chronicles” on Dipsea
If you like the sound of “Of Fire and Stars” but prefer something with just a little more heat, this is your solution.
A sapphic enemies-to-lovers story full of magic and royal machinations, Dipsea’s “Moonshadowe Chronicles” audiobook tells the story of Lillia, a determined princess, and Fang, a steadfast warrior, as they team up to journey to the Middle Kingdom.
Lillia is promised to marry a prince to secure an alliance, and Fang is assigned to escort her. What could possibly happen on the way there..?
6. “Wilder Girls” by Rory Power
Not all sapphic books are love stories. A young adult horror novel that’s part “Lord of the Flies” retelling and part yearning slow burn, “Wilder Girls” examines what happens when young women are determined enough to break all the rules despite soul-crushing danger.
Raxter School for Girls has been under quarantine for 18 months, ever since the Tox started taking over. When Hetty’s best friend Byatt goes missing, though, Hetty is determined to figure out what happened to her. What she finds along the way could change everything the girls know about what’s been going on outside of their isolated lives on the island.
7. “Everything Leads to You” by Nina LaCour
I first caught wind of this one thanks to the Goodreads Choice Awards years ago, and I’m so glad I did. I love anything that takes a peek behind the curtain of show business.
Emi is a young and incredibly talented set designer who, try as she might, just can’t seem to figure out how to get her personal life together. When an unexpected letter introduces Emi to Ava, everything changes. With a perspective Emi is totally unaccustomed to, Ava helps break Emi out of her shell while Emi breaks through the world of Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes industry.
Amid all of that coming-of-age cuteness, you’ve also got moments like, “I know. It sucks. Let's go get tacos and sit on the beach.” I can’t think of anything that more perfectly sums up true connection with another person.
8. “Some Girls Do” by Jennifer Dugan
Morgan is an out and proud track star who has to switch schools mid-way through her senior year of high school only to find out that her super conservative new school has an anti-queer policy in its code of conduct.
Ruby is a closeted lesbian gearhead who competes in beauty pageants to placate her controlling mom when all she really wants is to work on her vintage Ford.
One is hell bent on living as freely as possible and the other is terrified of what coming out might mean for her, but neither one can deny how strong their feelings are for each other.
Have your tissues ready, y’all. I needed mine.
9. “The Detour” on Dipsea
If the adorable mechanic thing does it for you, do I have an audiobook you need to check out...
Allow Meryl Wilsner (author of such adorableness as “Mistakes Were Made” and “Cleat Cute”) to introduce you to Sierra, the charming, rough-round-the-edges gearhead who helps out when city girl Alex suddenly finds herself stranded on the side of the road with a busted car.
Since fixing the problem will take a few days, there can’t possibly be any trouble the two of them could get up to...right?
10. “The Fiancée Farce” by Alexandria Bellefleur
If you’ve already gotten through "Written in the Stars” or “Truly, Madly, Deeply,” “The Fiancée Farce” is next. Alexandria Bellefleur knows what she’s doing with contemporary romcoms, and this one is a bit of a modern-day Cinderella retelling wrapped in LGBT-cuteness (see what I did there?). Oh, and there’s also a fake dating trope. You’re welcome.
Gemma has never quite clicked with her affluent family, and Tansy is dying to shake her stepfamily’s poor opinion of her. One needs to get married to inherit a publishing business while the other wants to save her father’s struggling bookshop. Seems like the perfect arrangement until someone catches feelings.
11. “She Drives Me Crazy” by Kelly Quindlen
Scottie has the day from hell. She lost a basketball game against her ex-girlfriend and she got into a car accident right after with her school’s queen bee Irene. Forced to carpool together (thanks to their scheming moms), Scottie and Irene have exactly nothing in common.
That is, until they decide that pretending to date could give Scottie some serious social status. What could go wrong, right?
Enemies to lovers plus fake dating plus high school equals messy feelings all over the place. Yes, please.
Looking for even more WLW romance stories? Explore more Dipsea audiobooks here, and check out the sapphic, Her + Her, or WLW tags.
Or download the Dipsea app for the best listening experience.
