Katherine Morgan

Recently there has been a big push among queer writers to foreground stories of love and joy, says Aaron Aceves, the debut author of a YA novel about longing, lust, and the value of friendship. Here, he selects five of the best LGBTQ+ romance novels with joie de vivre—but which also aren't afraid to engage with a bit of hard reality on the way to a happy ending.

Britain’s Regency period has always been a popular setting for historical romances—and particularly so in the wake of the hit television adaptation of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series. We asked the author and columnist Olivia Waite to recommend five of the best Regency romance novels for those who prefer their love stories trimmed with lace.