Fall Into Sweater Weather With These Pumpkin-Spicy Sapphic Reads

The temps are steadily dropping, the leaves are beginning to fall, and you know what that means: it’s cuffing and cozy season! Time to snuggle up in your warmest sweater with a pumpkin spice latte (or if you’re like me, a salted caramel hot chocolate), and perhaps a cute babe or three, and tuck into one of these fabulously sapphic autumn reads. What’s your pleasure: a searing memoir about rediscovering queerness and the perfect pair of pants? A romcom about a high school crush all grown up? Polyamorous romantasy with poison flowers? This list has all that and much more!

If you adore Women and wonder what the author’s been up to, try Trying. Cult classicist turned bestselling author Chloé Caldwell wanted to have a baby with her husband…but couldn’t. In between invasive fertility treatments and her side hustle working at a store that sells “life-changing” pants, Caldwell discovered a devastating secret that blew up her marriage, and embarked on a journey that can only be described as “very gay.” Written in bite-size chapters and vignettes that are equal parts darkly funny and extremely relatable for anyone who’s tried…anything, Trying is both a lightning-fast read and a book that will stay with you for a long, long time.

If you love nothing more than classic film, you’ll dig As Long as You’re Mine. This standout standalone from Nekesa Afia, author of the Harlem Renaissance historical mystery trilogy, follows two generations of queer women: ballerina Thea Ross, whose father committed suicide and left behind a shocking confession, and actress Lorelei Davies, searching for her big break at any price. With the help of a take-no-prisoners reporter, Thea pieces together the clues of Lorelei’s existence, leading her down the rabbit hole of the glamorous but relentless world of 1930s Hollywood.

Devour the queer vampire tale that’s taken Korea by storm with The Midnight Shift. In this English translation of the bestselling Korean novel, police detective Su-Yeon is on the case when four elderly people jump to their deaths at the same hospital—and she’s worried her best friend Grandma Eun-Shim, who is a patient there, might be next. Soon, Su-Yeon finds herself in the orbit of stunning Violette, who was at the scene of the crime, and claims to be a vampire hunter in search of her own ex-girlfriend, Lily. Does Violette have a casual relationship with the truth…or is a vampire behind the mysterious fatalities?

For a second-chance small-town story, snap up Girl Next Door. MC Calloway is a struggling freelancer with a secret: the bestselling sapphic romance Girl Next Door is about her. Though author Nora Pike used a pen name to publish, there are juicy details of their shared experience (which didn’t end well) that only MC would know. When MC’s editor at the gossip site Jawbreaker—and former high school classmate of both MC and Nora—pushes her to get an exclusive interview with Nora, MC has no choice but to return to their hometown, and the memories she left behind long ago. Will MC get the scoop and the girl?

If you remember teen rivalries all too well, read Try Your Worst. As babies, Sadie and Cleo were neck-and-neck for firstborn in the new year. Now they’re high school seniors gunning for the coveted title of valedictorian—until both are framed for a series of increasingly dangerous pranks. Threatened with expulsion (in other words, no dream college for Sadie or Cleo), the enemies must team up to find the true culprit. Could friendship, or more, be far behind? Stonewall Award-winning author Chatham Greenfield’s latest is a young adult cozy mystery with plenty of heart. 

Want an opposites-attract romance with modern Bridgerton vibes and demisexual rep? Pick up Toni and Addie Go Viral. Victorian history professor Toni has a red-hot encounter with struggling actress Addie while at an academic conference in Scotland. One year later, Addie’s in LA, auditioning for the main character (named after her) in the streaming adaptation of Toni’s hit historical lesbian detective novel. Sparks fly again, but Toni’s a career-obsessed commitmentphobe, while rising star Addie’s waiting for her one true love. And when a publicity stunt takes social media by storm, can the two lovers write their own happily ever after?

For rooftop kisses and prep school intrigue, grab Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls. In this thriller, driven Manhattan scholarship student Kay Anderson receives a note in her locker with a simple but strange directive: “dye your hand blue.” She soon falls in with the Blue Hand Girls, an exclusive clique who are set to expose harsh but necessary truths about the exclusive Davison High. It’s all fun and revenge games until Kay is pressured to reveal her own intimate secrets, and she begins to wonder if her Blue Hand membership is worth it—and whether her potential girlfriend may be involved…

For a sexy historical mystery, give Last Dance Before Dawn a spin. In the last installment of Katharine Schellman’s Nightingale series, heroine Vivian Kelly and club owner Honor Huxley are proud of the glamorous space they’ve created in 1920s New York. The hooch is flowing, the jazz is hot, and what happens on the dance floor stays there. But when a stranger from Chicago kicks off a series of unfortunate events—and clubgoers find themselves stalked and hunted—Vivian and Honor must solve a cold case to restore safety to their beloved speakeasy.

If the description “spicy character-driven FFF gothic fantasy novel with lyrical prose” makes you say “yes, please!”, preorder The Flowers I Deserve. Carlotta was born with an immunity to weeping luna, the floral poison that is used to control her home kingdom. She uses this power for an “in” with the demon-turned-monarch King Emelia. Life as a “poison girl” is luxurious, and Carlotta finds humanity in Emelia, earning the monarch’s love. But Carlotta must consider life beyond simple seduction and separate her own desires from the gorgeous demon she now serves. 

Note: While these books can be found on multiple platforms, all links in this article lead to Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores–and they have ebooks too. Happy reading!