No Strings Review: Is It Worth Reading?
A funny, big-hearted age-gap workplace rom-com by Lucy Bexley, held back by heavy inner monologue and a divisive third act.
Mental Health
Returning to Love Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A married-couple second-chance romance with some of the most honest depression writing in sapphic fiction, held back by a long, repetitive middle and a reconciliation that happens mostly off the page. Best for: Readers who want a realistic story about mental illness inside a marriage, and who can forgive a slow middle, a lot … Read more
Is This a Cry for Help Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Emily Austin’s novel about a lesbian librarian unravelling after her ex dies is warm, funny and true to library life — and, for a loud share of readers, too preachy. Not a romance; 1/5 heat; hopeful ending.
Fly with Me Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A funny, big-hearted fake-dating debut between an anxious ER nurse and an ambitious pilot, with grief and mental health handled more honestly than most rom-coms dare — undercut by a cartoonish ex, a saggy middle and an ending that leaves its biggest threads hanging. Best for: Readers who want a rom-com that also makes … Read more
Finding Jessica Lambert Review: Is It Worth Reading?
Our full review of Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton, the Goldie-winning London celebrity age-gap romance: heat, pacing, ending and what readers say.
Seeking Approval Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: One of the most emotionally mature low-angst romances on our list: passed over as CEO after her father’s death, extroverted heiress Emery sets out to marry for respectability — and falls for Arden, the socially anxious woman who has admired her for years. Readers love that neither tries to fix the other; a few … Read more
At the Water’s Edge Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: One of Harper Bliss’s darkest and most emotional books: a woman in her forties comes home to an Oregon lake to heal after a suicide attempt and falls for the resort owner who calls her on her nonsense. Readers who have lived with depression call it the truest portrayal they’ve read; others strongly object … Read more
Half Court Shot Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A heartfelt debut that mixes second chance, fake dating and a WNBA front office, with thoughtful mental-health and masc representation. Fans cried and kicked their feet; critics found the prose clunky, the conflict weak and the basketball mostly off-court. Best for: Readers who want a yearning second-chance romance with two Black women and real … Read more
How You Get the Girl Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A soft, funny and emotionally generous romance between a high school basketball coach who has never dated and the former WNBA player she idolised as a teenager — one of the best books around about figuring out your sexuality as an adult, if you can live with a slower pace and a crowded supporting … Read more
Golden Hour Review — Is It Worth Reading?
Verdict: A tender, clear-eyed Outer Banks romance about an Army staff sergeant learning to name her PTSD and let a patient nurse love her anyway, held back by a flashback-heavy first half and a romance that several readers say plays second fiddle to the healing story. Best for: Readers who want a character-driven sapphic novel … Read more