The Books

Book Author

Nghi Vo

Publishing Date

April 8, 2025

Fiction

LGBTQ+

Fantasy

Historical

Great Gatsby Reimagined

Unfinished Business

Adult

From award-winning author Nghi Vo comes Don’t Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

Nick Carraway―paper soldier and novelist―has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He’s good at watching, and he’s even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he’s forgotten the events of that summer in 1922.

On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone’s been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face at a club one night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn’t done with him.

In all paper there is memory, and Nick’s ghost has come home.

If there is one thing I love, it’s ghosts of the past coming back to haunt the protagonists. Combine that with a historical fantasy that features LGBTQ+ characters and you have me hooked! I’ve been in a retelling phase lately, and can’t wait to get my hands on this latest one.

Book Author

J. Penner

Publishing Date

April 15, 2025

Fiction

Fantasy

LGBTQ+

Cozy Fantasy

True Prize is the Friends We Made

Adult

She doesn’t need to have magic in order to be magic…

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs. So, when her orc neighbor (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she’ll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

Though Arleta may not yet believe in herself, she makes her way to Langheim—with the help of a very attractive woodland elf—and competes. While on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships, and potential romance, Arleta will have to decide whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize after all. But win or lose, her adventure is only beginning…

I’m not going to lie, in this tumultuous time, I’ve been consuming A LOT of cozy fantasies lately. I love a good “finding the strength within you arc” and a healthy dose of magic never hurts. As someone who has watched every season of The Great British Bake-Off, a fantastical baking competition sounds absolutely delightful! I’m hoping I can get my hands on an audiobook version so I have something to help me unwind during my commutes.

Book Author

Lucky Hart

Publishing Date

April 23, 2025

Fiction

Romance

LGBTQ+

Contemporary

Opposites Attract

Friends to Lovers

Adult

Jason King:

Jason King has everything he could ever want—an amazing best friend, great relationships with his family, a job he loves, and the best fur babies in the whole world. He doesn’t need a partner to share that with, and the burn in his chest when his baby brother snuggles up to his lifelong best friend is definitely indigestion and not jealousy, thanks. But when he self-appoints himself as the new English teacher’s welcoming committee and catches unexpected feelings, it throws everything he thought he knew about himself into chaos.

Emerson Miller:

Emerson Miller has always known he’s different—people have told him so his entire life. As a high-masking autistic person, he’s spent years trying to fit in, but now, he’s ready to embrace his true self. Moving to Southern California for his dream teaching job is his chance to unmask and carve out his own path. With the support of his new friend and fellow teacher, Jason King, it finally feels possible. That is, as long as he doesn’t fall in love first.

Make the Play is a character-driven, slow burn, standalone MM romance. It is the second book in the Kings of Heart series, each featuring one of the four King brothers on their sometimes messy, sometimes tender paths to happy ever after. Make the Play features a golden retriever football coach who thinks he’s straight until he meets the new introverted, autistic English teacher at his high school. Expect a bisexual awakening, the sweetest of first times, neuroaffirming love and a guaranteed HEA.

Look, as an autistic person, I am constantly searching for autism representation in adult fiction. When I first saw this book, I knew instantly I would have to read it. I love a good friends to lovers slow burn where the characters get a chance to deepen their emotional bond before jumping into a physical relationship. The author also teased good communication and, let me tell you, I am so excited to see it! This is my most anticipated release for April.

Book Author

Venessa Vida Kelley

Publishing Date

April 29, 2025

Fiction

Fantasy

LGBTQ+

Historical

Romance

Mermaids

Star-Crossed Love

Love Against Odds

Adult

In Coney Island, true love rises to the surface. With lush illustrations and buoyant prose, Venessa Vida Kelley forges an unforgettable New York fairytale.

Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River.

More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.

Releasing Río could mean losing his found family, his new home, and his soulmate forever. Yet Benny’s courageous choice may just reveal a love strong enough to free them both.

Mermaids? Check. Gay yearning? Check. Historical fantasy? Check. When I first read the description of this book, I knew it would be right up my alley. I love when fantasy melds with historical fiction and creates a new world parallel to our own. Add mermaids to the mix, and you have a bonafide hit in my eyes. I’m also a sucker for doomed/forbidden love and yearning, so I will definitely be making space for this book on my shelf.

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