Books like 'Novel Problems: A Sapphic Small-Town Summer Romance'
Readers who enjoyed Novel Problems: A Sapphic Small-Town Summer Romance by Elizabeth Luly also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance queer friends to lovers slow burn small town
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In the Long Run by Haley Cass
Free-spirited and easygoing Taylor Vandenberg left her hometown of Faircombe, Tennessee as soon as she could, and in the twenty-five years since, she has rarely looked back. She wouldn’t change anything about how her life has turned out – having traveled to nearly every country, never staying anywhere long enough to feel stifled...Categorized as:
queer small town f-f contemporary mature couple tennessee past-child-neglect lgbtqia hate -
Mutual Benefits by H.P. Munro
Coming out to your loved ones is stressful, so when Hannah Melville’s family not only accept but celebrate her accidental announcement, it should be a relief. Which it would be, if Hannah was gay.Ashley West isn’t looking for a relationship. When she’s set up by her mother on a blind date, she’s ready to nip any expectations in the bud. She’s less prepared for her love interest to be straight...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers f-f contemporary humor fake relationship forced proximity length-short -
Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden
Sometimes the one you want is the one you least suspect... Accountant Samantha Ennis craves order and structure. As the bookkeeper at the boutique advertising agency she owns with her three best friends, it’s her job to apply logic to the chaos. When one of those best friends, laid back Hunter Blair, moves in to share her loft apartment, Sam’s carefully organized world is thrown wildly askew...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer f-f contemporary bisexual forced proximity length-medium open-door -
A Lesbian's Guide to Women by Erica Lee
Annalise Finch is content - she has a job she enjoys, lives close to her family and friends, and spends most Wednesday nights drinking wine with her grandma. According to her grandma, though, she has lost her sparkle, and the only solution is to join a site to hook up with other women. The only problem (aside from a meddling grandma with a dirty mind) is Annalise doesn’t like women... -
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Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters
An enemies-to-friends-to-lovers lesbian romance about finding heart, hope, and second chances you never thought you’d have.Stella Carter is a former criminal prosecutor and new widow facing down middle age alone in Los Angeles. Without being a prestigious lawyer and someone’s wife, she’s not sure who she is anymore or where her life is headed...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer from hate to love f-f age difference bisexual contemporary length-medium -
Awaiting by Nicole Pyland
This is book #4 in the Royalty Series.Alexandria – or Alex, as she preferred to be called – would one day be the next Queen of the United Kingdom. She would also be the first out lesbian who would take that title... -
A Lesbian's Guide to Women by Erica Lee
Annalise Finch is content - she has a job she enjoys, lives close to her family and friends, and spends most Wednesday nights drinking wine with her grandma. According to her grandma, though, she has lost her sparkle, and the only solution is to join a site to hook up with other women. The only problem (aside from a meddling grandma with a dirty mind) is Annalise doesn’t like women... -
Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton
Two old friends, one hot summer, a whole load of confusion. Poppy Jenkins makes everyone smile. She’s the heart of Wells, a beautiful village in mid-Wales, leaving light and laughter in her wake. She has a doting family, an errant dog and a little sister with a nose for mischief... -
The Summer of Our Discontent by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA fun summer read. Faith Leblanc is looking for that special someone, but her tactics have branded her somewhat of a womanizer. A few doors down, Rachel Chauvin is looking for the same, but her conservative style hasn’t yielded any keepers, either. Neither woman is willing to consider the other as a prospective partner, mostly because they’ve hated each other for nearly four decades... -
The Flight Risk by Macon Leigh
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThings are going great for Baylee Lawrence. Her writing has won awards, been adapted into an outrageously successful movie, and she’s just achieved her childhood dream of selling out a storytelling show at the Ryman. It’s incredible. Her life is perfect—a series of grand adventures. She has no intention of changing anything... -
A Quiet Death by Cari Hunter
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn book three in the Dark Peak series, things are looking up for Detective Sanne Jensen and Dr. Meg Fielding. Dating each other seems to be working, their families are behaving themselves, and the worst of the post-Christmas crime wave is over.The discovery of a Pakistani girl’s body out on the moors changes all that. No one knows who she is, who hurt her, or how she came to be there...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer f-f mystery suspense contemporary heroine sleuth length-medium -
Patty's Potent Potion by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Shawna Haydel was sixteen years old, she dropped Ashton Guidry’s name into a potion that would supposedly make Ashton fall in love with her. She knew it was silly, but she clung to one irrational thread of hope their friend Patty’s concoction would grant her heart’s desire... -
Spindrift by Anna Burke
Can a hot summer fling mend the hearts of two broken women?Morgan Donovan had everything she ever wanted: a dream job as a large animal veterinarian, awesome friends, and a loving and supportive fiancée. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancée dumps her after realizing that Morgan’s job will always come first...Categorized as:
queer small town f-f length-medium contemporary north-america dual-pov explicit-open-door -
Separate Like Stars by Diana Kane
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOn paper, Jordan Cohen has it all. With numerous bestsellers under her belt, a number of blockbuster movie adaptations to her credit, and a high profile relationship with one of Hollywood’s most prominent stars, what more could she possibly ask for? Maybe for Olivia Bradley, the only woman to ever break her heart, to exit her life as quickly as she’d re-entered it... -
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Enthralled by Her by Chelsea M. Cameron
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThings might be going well enough, but I couldn’t see much to look forward to. Sure, I somehow had a thriving business repairing and rebinding books, and my parents had gifted me their vacation house after my apartment was turned into a co-op. Still, there wasn’t a whole lot of action and excitement in little Arrowbridge, Maine, but I was making the best of it, like I always did... -
June by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe daughter of Mandy Fay Harris is all grown up and like her mother, is a force of nature. She is ready to come into her own and take London by storm!She never expected what what she would find while searching in New York for a scout for her music label and the new relationships she would form.This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book... -
Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill
Jacqueline Keys was ostracized from her small hometown of Pine Springs, Texas when she was seventeen, sent away because she was gay. Her family was the largest employer in the county, owning Pine Springs Lumber, and her father was mayor of this small town. Her mother could not accept the fact that her only child was gay, could not tolerate the gossip about her family... -
Jericho by Ann McMan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWelcome to Jericho, Verginia.Librarian Syd Murphy flees the carnage of a failed marriage by accepting an eighteen-month position in Jericho, a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Her plans to hide out and heal her wounds fall by the wayside as she gets drawn into the daily lives of the quirky locals... -
Goddess of the Moon by Claire Highton-Stevenson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDiana Maddox is a creature of comfort, she plays by the rules and she likes things done properly. Now, she finds herself in a bit of a rut. Single after an almost decade-long relationship with Jason, who cheated on her, Diana is sharing a flat with her sister and nephew. Her friends have all married and had families of their own, so there's only one thing for it, Diana decides...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer f-f contemporary queer-awakening childfree-couple length-medium -
Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLove can weather the stormiest of hearts…Athena Storm, the resilient owner of a struggling tavern, has weathered many storms in her life. As she fights to keep her establishment afloat, she is convinced she does not have time for a relationship.Enter Kate Franklin, an ex-cop turned delivery driver who seeks refuge from her past... -
At Seventeen by Gerri Hill
Madison Lansford and Shannon Fletcher met when they were ten years old. Madison—daughter of wealthy parents and Shannon, daughter of their live-in maid and cook—became fast friends, yet both knew their place in life.There was never a doubt that they would become lovers . . . there was also never a doubt that Madison would marry and maintain her social standing in the community...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer contemporary f-f second chances angst length-medium explicit-open-door -
Perfect Rhythm by Jae
Pop star Leontyne Blake might sing about love, but she stopped believing in it a long time ago. What women want is her image, not the real her. When her father has a stroke, she flees the spotlight and returns to her tiny Missouri hometown. In her childhood home, she meets small-town nurse Holly Drummond, who isn’t impressed by Leo’s fame at all... -
Only Hope by Ruby Landers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlison Hartmann is a woman with secrets no one wants her to keep. Gold Hill, with its idyllic setting is the perfect place to hide.Light-hearted Hope Sullivan doesn’t see it that way... -
Spectrum by M.J. Duncan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSparks fly the moment Bryn Nakamura lays eyes on Anna Fitzpatrick, and not in a good way. Driven, reserved, and recovering from another encounter with a life she would rather leave behind, all Bryn wants is to forget about Anna and focus on her beloved vineyard—but Fate has other plans...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer f-f contemporary age difference from hate to love length-long -
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The Love Project by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsCan a long shot bring love to a couple of lonely hearts?Joni Fisher is facing economic ruin. The once successful advice column she runs with her mother is on the brink of cancellation, and it’ll take a miracle to turn things around... -
Awakenings by Susan X. Meagher
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDespite the questions of her roommates and the objections of her fiance, Jamie Evans persists in enrolling in a college course that seems an odd choice for a young woman of her background. What no one can know is that the course, The Psychology of the Lesbian Experience, will propel Jamie onto a journey of self-awareness and realization... -
Where the Heart Is by Lily Seabrooke
Kissing her childhood friend on a family Christmas vacation is probably a bad idea…The Jackson family is primed to explode over Christmas—with Stella’s parents hiding their divorce proceedings from the family during a two-week vacation to the cozy Christmas town of Bellsford, Stella and her sisters are under strict orders not to cause drama... -
Operation: Secret Santa by M.J. Duncan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen Holly Burke saw who she’d drawn for Secret Santa, she knew she had to do something to make it special. It was Christmas, after all, and if anyone deserved some extra Christmas cheer, it was Mo Davy... -
Lightning Strikes Twice by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsReturning home to Seattle from a twenty year absence in London...Victoria discovers that time has not erased her feelings for an unrequited love. It soon becomes obvious that with true love, lightning can sometimes strike twice.This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book... -
Sleigh Bells Ring: A Sapphic Romance by Alyson Root, Tara Sullivan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFor Nicole Robinson, Christmas means returning to the family home in Hebden Bridge with her sister Beth and their brother Liam, who has lived with permanent delays since a childhood accident. Though Beth and Nicole have grown up and moved away, every December the Robinson kids reunite for a month of family and festive traditions... -
This Is the Season to Make You Mine by Johana Gavez
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWill the Christmas magic help these two friends take a shot at love?Morgan Bergman doesn’t want to go home for Christmas. She loves her family, but since her parents retired and her sister moved back to their hometown of Apfelville to take over the family business, she’s been avoiding them, feeling guilty about choosing her rising career in New York over her family... -
Making It: A Novel by Laura Kay
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the author of Wild Things comes a heartwarming and relatable queer rom-com about an isolated young woman whose artistic celebration of her pet chinchilla suddenly launches her into the professional art world, reality TV fame, and first love.Isobel's life is just her, her mum, and her pet chinchilla, Abigail, in their council flat on the Kentish coast... -
Every Little Thing by Lily Seabrooke
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe end isn’t the best time to realize you’ve been in love all along.Bakery owner Harper has her secrets. She’s always kept to herself, constantly on a career climb that only she can see, with no one allowed close—except the one person in Bayview who won’t take no for an answer.Paisley’s fallen into bed with Harper twice already over their years of friendship, but it’s never meant anything... -
Girls of Summer by Kate Christie
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first four books of the Girls of Summer series introduced Emma Blakeley and Jamie Maxwell, two athletes with bright soccer futures. Now, in Girls of Summer, the US Women's National Team (USWNT) is in its final round of preparations before the 2015 World Cup. For Jamie, a starting spot on the World Cup roster would be a dream come true... -
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Only Hope by Ruby Landers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlison Hartmann is a woman with secrets no one wants her to keep. Gold Hill, with its idyllic setting is the perfect place to hide.Light-hearted Hope Sullivan doesn’t see it that way... -
No After You by Nicole Pyland
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDani Wilder only intended to go to a fundraiser and donate money to a worthy cause. She had no idea that she’d meet the love of her life that night. There were only a couple of problems with that chance meeting. Dani had a boyfriend. That chance meeting – it was with Peyton Gloss, the world’s most famous music star, who also happened to be a woman. Peyton had only planned on performing that night... -
Run Away With me, Girl 2 by Battan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMaki's first love was her high school classmate, a girl named Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki at graduation, saying they were now "too old to be fooling around dating girls... -
Whenever You're Ready by Rachel Runya Katz
After reconnecting on a road trip, two friends must decide if love is the ultimate risk worth taking in this funny, emotional sapphic romanceNia and Jade had been inseparable ever since their best friend, Michal, introduced them at her tenth birthday party...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers forced proximity humor contemporary f-f found-family length-medium -
For Love or Money by Clodagh Murphy
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 16 ratings'Clodagh Murphy is the queen of romantic comedy and her latest is witty and warmhearted, with fantastic characters, laugh out loud dialogue and plenty of intrigue. This was my favourite kind of read - one where you fall in love with the characters to the point that they feel like your friends... -
Chemistry Lessons by Jae
Sometimes the perfect person has been right in front of you all alongKylie and Regan have been best friends since kindergarten, supporting each other through thick and thin.While everyone thinks they would be perfect for each other, they insist there’s no chemistry between them—and Regan should know since she’s a chemistry teacher... -
The Last Lavender Sister by Melissa Brayden
When your parents name you and your three siblings after flowers, the world is stacked against you. At least, that’s how Aster Lavender feels. The youngest daughter, Aster always keeps her head down and lets her siblings stand in the spotlight...Categorized as:
slow burn small town queer contemporary f-f other-man-woman third-person-pov dual-pov -
Where Love Leads by K.C. Luck
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSometimes love leads where you least expect it.When socialite Melanie Sotheby finds herself abandoned on the wrong side of Los Angeles, she has few options. With no phone, credit cards, or identification, the means to get back home to New York seem slim. Not until she is rescued by a tall, dark stranger in the middle of the night does Melanie think of a plan...Categorized as:
slow burn queer age difference f-f from hate to love super rich hero contemporary length-medium -
Making It by Laura Kay
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom the author of Wild Things comes a heartwarming and relatable queer rom-com about an isolated young woman whose artistic celebration of her pet chinchilla suddenly launches her into the professional art world, reality TV fame, and first love.Isobel's life is just her, her mum, and her pet chinchilla, Abigail, in their council flat on the Kentish coast... -
And Then She Kissed Me by Harper Bliss
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen a trip down memory lane sparks an unexpected journey to love...TV cop Sadie Ireland needs a break from her Hollywood life. She heads home to the beach town where she grew up to celebrate her 40th birthday with her family. Devon Douglas can’t believe it when she comes face-to-face with Sadie again...Categorized as:
small town queer f-f contemporary competent heroine famous heroine second chances length-medium -
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Closer than Ever by Lisa Elliot
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLong-lost friends from university explore their unresolved history on a road trip around Scotland in this second chance sapphic romance.Anna lives in the Scottish Highlands and works at Glenbuinidh whisky distillery. Loyal to her small town and her beloved distillery, all she wants is to find her future wife, settle down and start a family... -
Endgame by Meghan O'Brien
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDelaney, a self-confessed cad and committment-phobe, meets a woman she shouldn't play. However, it's also the one woman she can't resist... -
Christmas Mouse by Rachel Spangler
What makes for the perfect Christmas? Where or how you spend it, or perhaps, who you share it with?Small-town woodworker Ava Collins and big city doctor Bex Leone both love Christmas. Some might go so far as to call them obsessed. They love Christmas music, Christmas food, Christmas carols, and Christmas movies... -
Feels Like Home by Jo Cox
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsJess has loved Melissa for longer than she can remember and it’s bearable when they’re a hundred miles apart, but what will happen when they’re thrown back together and there’s nowhere to hide?Jess has tried everything to put her feelings aside, but when Melissa comes home from university and becomes a permanent fixture in her office, kitchen, and sometimes even bed, she’s got no chance of... -
Wherever Is Your Heart by Anita Kelly
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow long, exactly, had June been coming to Moonie’s for the sole purpose of pining after the bartender? She certainly didn’t come for the karaoke. Even though the karaoke made her smile sometimes. All these young queers with their off-key, bouncy energy. They made Mal smile, too, June knew. Even if Mal tended to hide her smiles. But she saved them sometimes, for June... -
Back to Me by Katie Duggan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen you can’t see ahead, try looking back.Jo Quinn has everything under control. After her engagement suddenly ends, she is perfectly fine, thank you very much. Until her first love crashes through her walls and back into her life.Hunter Cleary is looking for a new start after coming out, and moving in with her first love might not be the best way to do it, but it definitely isn’t the worst...
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