By Lauren Dooley, Becca Binnie, Alyssa Miles and Emma Holbrook
New year, a new TBR! It’s time to update your Goodreads Reading Challenge and keep your eyes peeled for some amazing LGBTQ+ books coming to shelves this year. The following article contains our list for our most anticipated LGBTQ+ reads of the first half of 2022.
FEBRUARY
The Alpha’s Son by Penny Jessup
A fan of fantasy romance? Penny Jessup has just the novel! The Alpha’s Son, due to be released on 12 February, sees wolf shifter Max Remus juggle romance and adventure in this comedic and heartfelt story. Max’s feelings do not quite align with his fate-obsessed pack; he is quite happy living his life with no interest in finding a mate. However, the highly anticipated summer camp, the Blue Moon Festival, is a rite of passage for Elite Pack wolves searching for a mate. The festival is where Max meets the alpha’s son, Jasper Apollo. Jasper is a jerk but, unfortunately for Max, an undeniably handsome one. When Max finds himself inexplicably linked to Jasper, he has a decision to make: accept his destiny or watch as fate deals him the consequences.
Watch as Max grapples with his unexpected feelings in the first instalment of this exciting new series. Goodreads likens this novel to Young Royals, Teen Wolf and Twilight, so it’s sure to be a much-anticipated LGBTQ+ read!
MARCH
The City of Dusk by Tara Sim
This next author is not one to disappoint when it comes to epic fantasy mixed with conflict-ridden romance. Tara Sim is one author you don’t want to underestimate when it comes to how addictive her books can be! Her upcoming book, the first in a fantasy romance series, The City of Dusk, is no different. The City of Dusk, due to be released on 22 March, follows the heirs of four noble houses – each gifted with a divine power – as they form a tenuous alliance to keep their kingdom from descending into a realm-shattering war. The Four Realms: Life, Death, Light and Darkness, all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm, there is a god, and for each god, there is an heir. But the gods have withdrawn their favour from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying. Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs – Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart, and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light – will sacrifice everything to save the city. But their defiance will cost them dearly.
Witness as the four heirs struggle not only with the mounting pressure of saving their beloved city but the new and dangerous feelings that begin to form within each one of them as it threatens to take their focus from their mission and onto what lies deep within their hearts. This novel is perfect for those wanting to see these four protagonists struggle with choosing between what their city needs them to do and what their hearts want them to do. Nothing is more exciting than seeing protagonists fall in love whilst saving the world, right?
APRIL
Sanctuary by Andi C. Buchanan
Later this year, Andi C. Buchanan invites readers on a supernatural adventure with Sanctuary. Described as a sanctuary for ghosts, this horror tale is set in Morgan’s dilapidated home. Our intriguing non-binary main character resides in a haunted house inhabited by the spirits of people long gone. Buchanan states “in a world that wasn’t built for their queer, neurodivergent selves, they’ve made it into a place they belong.”
This paranormal story begins when Morgan receives a collection of old bottles containing ghosts; the mysterious delivery unleashes the past onto Morgan, who must trust themselves and their internal abilities to save the life they have worked for. Helen Vivienne Fletcher, author of We All Fall, remarks that this story “is a safe place not only to ghosts but to the community of neuro and gender diverse characters who have found a home” within the pages of this ghostly mystery. Sanctuary will be published by Robot Dinosaur Press on 12 April.
MAY
Misrule by Heather Walter
In May, the sequel to Heather Walter’s Sleeping Beauty retelling, Malice, will hit shelves. After receiving much praise for Malice, fans have been patiently waiting to see what is in store for Princess Aurora and her Dark Grace, Alyce. Misrule will mark the conclusion of the epic duology and take place one hundred years after the events of Malice.
A century after destroying the kingdom that made her an outcast, Alyce is now feared and despised for her wicked power. Princess Aurora continues to sleep under a curse that not even Alyce’s power or kiss can break. Alyce vowed to do anything to wake her, but the path she follows to do so may make her into a villain Aurora may no longer be able to love.
This thrilling ending will be published by Del Ray on 10 May.
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