Are you looking for a new comfort read this winter?
BY SARAH KENNELLY
Early December is always a blur, frantically trying to squeeze in meeting your friends while juggling the busiest time of year at work. The boozy Christmas parties and festive street lights give life an air of excitement that we’re all in anticipation of something special. And all of this has to fall into place before heading home for the holidays where life slows down for a fleeting moment. But Christmas isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, especially for queer people with difficult home lives. And when you can’t control what’s happening around you, sometimes getting lost in the narrative of a great book is the greatest solace. Here are a few of our favourite new releases featuring queer winter romances.
Make The Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
In this second-chance sapphic romance, two exes find themselves trapped in the same house together for Christmas. It’s been five years since Brighton Fairbook left Charlotte Donovan at the altar but in a twisted act of fate, they end up getting invited to the same holiday getaway by two mutual friends who know nothing of their past. Although they try to keep up the act of being total strangers, the love they had for one another begins to creep in, forcing them to confront their painful past. Essentially, it’s a holiday rom-com about two women who make a Christmas sex pact, creating a narrative filled to the brim with sexual tension.
I’ll Get Back To You by Becca Grischow
This charming book follows the story of two former classmates who start fake-dating under a secret motive. On the brink of failing university, Murphy desperately wants to impress her professor, who conveniently happens to be Ellie’s mother. And yearning to break free from her controlling parents, Ellie enlists the free-spirited Murphy for help. But their scheme ends up backfiring when they lose sight of their goal by eyeing up each other. This coming-of-age novel is filled with nostalgia for young love, perfectly capturing the all-consuming and angsty feelings of falling for someone for the first time.
I’ll Be Gone For Christmas by Georgia K. Boone
Georgia K. Boone grants us the Christmas wish of queer women everywhere: a lesbian version of The Holiday. Unfortunately, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz won’t be featuring but the heartwarming romances the protagonists embark on are equally as exciting. In dire need of a break, Bee Tyler and Clover Mills swap their houses in San Francisco and Ohio over the holidays for a change of scenery but unexpectedly find love instead. It is the ultimate cosy read this Christmas, tugging at the heartstrings of your younger self who didn’t see much queer representation growing up.
This Christmas by Georgia Beers
Festive romance can be found in the unlikeliest of places, even in a no-kill animal shelter. Raising money for the charity, the shelter’s staff organise a Christmas parade and whoever is crowned King and Queen will spend the holidays filming adorable vignettes playing with their puppies in order to boost donations. But this competition is rigged by Samantha and Keegan’s friends who are sick of seeing the couple deny feelings for each other. If you’re having a difficult time this Christmas, this is the perfect wholesome read filled with cute animals and a heartwarming friends-to-lovers narrative.
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