Does Love Always Win? by Diane Billas

Does Love Always Win is a sapphic coming of age young adult novel that explores coming out and understanding one’s sexual orientation. Sam “Shorty” Daniels has a plan for her senior year, but her romantic life being a hot mess was not part of the agenda. Shorty quickly discovers she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend and fellow marching band member Zack despite her many hours of daydreaming of what it would be like to date him. Their flirting previously had been so intense that those feelings have to come back again, right? When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky new girl around high school, Shorty’s instantly intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty has a breakthrough moment realizing why none of her other relationships worked out. Just as Shorty is about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to out her to the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents. Will Shorty be able to overcome Bryan’s ridiculous blackmail scheme and get her dream girl?

Sushi and Sea Lions by Rachel Corsini

When a career-ending injury and a messy breakup send prima ballerina Daniela Verdi back to Queens, New York, she fills her days with countless distractions: meaningless sex, pinot grigio, and video games. It takes a chance meeting with her brother's best friend, Vincent LaBate, for her to remember who she was before the stage lights and distractions of the Upper West Side. She's convinced that Vincent could never love a girl like her: broken, insecure, and stumbling her way through life. What Daniela didn’t count on is that Vincent is as scarred as she is after divorcing his cheating wife and going through an equally messy child custody fight. Soon enough, old vulnerabilities rear their ugly heads, opening a crack in Daniela’s perfectly imperfect romance. As Daniela and Vincent's relationship develops, will Daniela learn to accept that a dream life isn't all it's cracked up to be?

An Empty Embrace by Cyril Mezden

Submit. Repent. Obey. Celest was raised to follow. Trained from an early age to be a cleric, the elf has lived his life fully devoted to the goddess of the sun and the doctrine of his citadel. Newly paired with his teammates, Sable, a quick-witted halfling witch, and Viktor, a bull-headed half-orc warrior, the three are swallowed into a dark city, long forgotten by the world from which they came. There, they find a family wracked by fear. A man of unquenchable thirst haunts the rain-soaked nights, preying off the living. But, when his interest is piqued upon first meeting the considerate Celest, all else seems unimportant. Armed with unnatural beauty, a silver tongue, and a wicked smile, the vampire begins his intimate pursuit to cage the cleric’s heart. AN EMPTY EMBRACE is a chilling tale of queer love and twisted intentions.

Sand Dancer by Trudie Skies

Only monsters summon fire by magic. It’s a sin against the sun god and a crime against the king. The punishment is death. But when sixteen-year-old Mina discovers fire magic runs in her family’s blood, it’s just the beginning of the secrets her father has been keeping from her. When her father is murdered, this half-starved peasant girl finds herself on the run—pursued across the desert by the soldiers and guards of the noble Houses. To survive, she knows she’ll have to abandon her past and learn the way of the sword. But only boys are allowed to carry a blade. There’s only one solution… Disguised as a young nobleman, Mina must make a new life for herself in the heart of her enemies. But she knows she can’t keep up the masquerade forever. With time running out, which will she choose to find—the truth or revenge?

The Beast of Loughby Island by Matt Doyle

A young man named Tom Daniels is kidnapped by a local family and is dropped on Loughby Island in an attempt to 'clean up their streets'. When the family that dropped Tom off is slaughtered by a werewolf-like creature, he soon finds himself banding together with a small group of the island's residents in a fight for their lives against an otherworldly monster.

March & Feather by Emma Saska

At Stony Point Homeschool Academy, high school senior Audra Dunne spends her time hanging out with friends, cooking and baking, and dreaming of her not-so-distant future at the Culinary Institute of America. Sure, she wishes she were comfortable enough to talk to her much-older sister Madeline about something other than AP Calculus. And sure, she wishes new kid Matthew Harwell would stop invading her friend group. But Audra finds comfort in her digital persona Feather, exchanging texts with her best friend March, the pen pal she met on a homeschool forum four years ago. When March lets slip that he’s recently moved to her city, Audra’s curiosity begins to grow. What if she and March end their pact to stay anonymous? What if March goes to Stony Point? What if... March is someone she already knows? As unexpected family developments and a personal crisis (or two) threaten to upend Audra’s life, she’ll have to decide whether turning away from all she’s used to is worth it for the chance at finding more.

Blessed by the Cupid Distribution System by Robin Jo Margaret

Local loner and hopeless romantic Iris Clarke is single, again, on Valentine’s Day. During the annual Cupid speech before the grand lover’s day, Jaya comes across Iris’s file. Unable to look away from those beautiful brown eyes, Jaya chooses Iris for her imminent mission. When the winged woman shows up at Iris’s house and tells her she is going to find her a partner for the day, Iris can’t believe it. With some tweaks to their official agreement, the two find themselves wandering the city to complete Iris’s list of dream dates, so that she can get the opportunity to finally experience the romance she always dreamed of. But what will happen if the feelings between the two of them become a little too real, and their agreement is only supposed to last one day?