I have been reading as many queer romances as I can find, particularly focusing on stories featuring transmasculine main characters. Last year, my voracious appetite was awakened as I realized what kinds of characters and storylines I was craving, and it was not sated—not by a long shot—as there are not nearly the number of romances featuring transmasculine protagonists as my heart strains to read. The market has yet to catch up, and I am excited to see it do so, but in the meantime, here are some of my favorite queer reads of last year and four trends in book cover design I have noticed across them in my quest to read as many queer romances as I can find. I have provided a few straight romance titles in each section to compare with each book cover trend. Please note: this blog is not a knock on any book designs!
The ripped bodices
Unsurprisingly, some queer romances fall into the category of book covers that straight romances have been well known for: featuring the bare, oiled chests of naked men, or a variation upon the theme. It appears that, in this regard, some queer—specifically gay—romances have continued the tradition of muscled, handsome men gracing their covers. To quote Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie’s (the stars of the hit show about gay hockey players, Heated Rivalry) new matching tattoos: sex sells.
Penalty Box Series by Ari Baran
I love that the men in these series are much more diverse than the current racial makeup of the major hockey teams, and that there are pairings that feature two men of color, as opposed to a relationship featuring a person of color with a white person—which has been much of the relationships we have seen in media in recent years (think Bridgerton, Heated Rivalry, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Love Hard). I also appreciate that the books tackle homophobia in the industry, and especially how crucial it is to nurture multiple interests and skills to plan for life after hockey. It’s important to mention that several characters deal with depression and substance use, and the novels dig into the realities of professional athletes coming to grips with their bodies breaking down.
Hotshots Collection by Annabeth Albert and Smoke and Bullets Series by A.R. Barley
The heat in both these series is off the charts; you might have to call in some reinforcements to cool down. Enjoy some sweet, heartwarming, and heartwrenching times with these rough-around-the-edges firemen as they break down toxic masculinity and open up to tenderness with each other.
Straight examples: Driving Her Wild by Meg Maguire, Just for Him Series by Talia Hibbert
The 2D portrait
Another common category in straight romance book covers that queer romances have followed is what I call the “2D portrait” style. Often, the main characters are featured on the cover with a certain amount of vagueness in facial features, expressions, shadows, or depth perception in the image. It can be done well to allow for the reader to project onto the characters, but on the flip side, it can also come across as bland. Sometimes I want more intrigue, but when I see these covers, I also know the kind of optimal predictability and cozy comfort that they promise.
Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert
The character arcs in this story are the cherry on top of the road trip to attend a TTRPG (Table Top Role-Playing Game) convention. And the final fight is quite the showdown!
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
I love the gender representation in this book as these two exes utilize a food tour across Europe to get back at each other . . . or get back together?
The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid
A more emotionally available alternative to Reid’s famous Heated Rivalry. While the characters are also hockey players, one is Asian and one is white, the characters have past history, and the setting is similar to “The Cottage—”a famous Heated Rivalry episode. The characters are older, at different stages in their careers, and have more direct communication styles than their celebrity counterparts.
Straight examples: The Brown Sisters Series by Talia Hibbert, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, Lovelight Series by B.K. Borison, Happy Place by Emily Henry, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings
The artsy ones
A much less explored genre of cover designs is that where it looks like a painting or a hand drawn illustration is the focal point. These are very satisfying to see because they have the kind of organic quality and depth that piques the mind.
A genre of romances, queer or not, that I feel has been really playing with their cover designs is fictional horror/thriller. You’ll see when you get to the last book in this section.
This is one of my favorite books, partly because of the lovingly depicted relationship between Luis and Gene, partly because of the fact it’s set really close to Portland, and partly because I could relate to some of the situations and dynamics Gene navigated as a trans man and the space Hoffman wrote for him to be human.
Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar
Written for younger readers, this book follows our young protagonist as he comes out as trans and has to leave his swim team and people he thought were his friends. Touching on being mixed race (hapa), transphobia, friendship loss, grief, and transitions, this book is an earnest and heartfelt story. It is loosely based upon the author’s own experiences.
A surreal tumble from the rigid halls of a nunnery to the throes of a spiritual (demonic?) orgasm, and cavorting across the landscape lying, stealing, and cheating, Jules and Casper find themselves in one pickle they might not be able to escape. The stained-glass, slightly illuminated-manuscript-esque style lends itself to the absurd, strange, and whimsical love story.
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
A haunting cover that is truly a work of art is fitting for the atmospheric, chilling story of a young queer woman’s entanglement with climate disasters, environmental anxieties, and unknown monsters that may not be so unfamiliar after all.
Straight examples: One Summer Day by Carley Fortune