Nine Sapphic Reads For The First Half Of 2026
Cuddle up during these cold months with one of these sapphic novels.
Featured Images courtesy of Bookshop.org
Book gays, rejoice: the first half of 2026 welcomes an abundance of fantastic sapphic reads in every genre under the sun. Whether you’re craving a steamy sports romance, a speculative reality-TV thriller, or a Hollywood detective story, it’s guaranteed that one (or several) of the titles below will hit the spot. Fun fact: preordering a book helps the author and is a nice surprise for your mailbox or ereader on release day!
Greek mythology and art history nerds will adore When the Museum is Closed. In this sweet love story, Rika toils in a frozen-food warehouse—but each Monday, she is paid to converse in Latin with a statue of Venus, the goddess of love. What starts as a random part-time gig quickly evolves when Rika and Venus realize they have feelings for one another. But what will happen when museum curator Hashibami decides that he wants Venus?
If you’re a historical fiction fan who’s still shaking religious guilt, preorder Heap Earth Upon It. The four O’Leary siblings arrive in Ballycrea, Ireland in 1965 under mysterious circumstances. They’re immediately taken in by Bill and Betty Nevan, a well-off married couple in their forties who are hungry for a family of their own. But when Betty forms a unique bond with one of the O’Leary sisters, the Nevans and Ballycrea must face uncomfortable truths.
For a trip to Tokyo that’s much cheaper than a plane ticket, grab Love Makes Mochi. Aspiring fashion designer Lilyn is over the moon to travel to Japan, study with her idol, tailor Mrs. Matsumoto, and beef up her application to her dream fashion school. Mrs. Masumoto’s daughter Yua, who has a funky and colorful style all her own, can help Lilyn design her goth-meets-traditional Japanese collection, but things get way more complex when the two girls fall in love.
Related: How Cat Disabato Turned Her WNBA Obsession Into a Sapphic Romance Novel
Love fun mysteries with a “will they or won’t they?” arc? You’ll adore Love a Comeback. Bex and Sam played detectives on TV, and while filming a reunion special, their roles got real. Now they’re looking forward to some downtime in the City of Angels…until a Gen X icon doesn’t show up to film her first show in over 20 years. Technically, it’s not their business, but Bex and Sam have industry connections, a tiny bit of actual detective experience, and onscreen chemistry on the verge of becoming IRL—what exactly could go wrong?
Craving more Yellowjackets-type stories between seasons? Sink into The Darkness Greeted Her. In this young adult horror debut novel, Penny struggles with OCD and violent impulses after her abusive father’s death. Camp Wildwood, a renowned therapy retreat for teen girls, might help and at first does—until Penny begins having intense hallucinations and other girls subsequently disappear, or die. Will anyone make it out of the woods alive?
A sapphic reimagining of Greek mythology awaits in The Witch and the Huntress. Sorceress Medea sees a way out of her isolated existence when Jason offers her a deal: help him acquire her father’s Golden Fleece, and he’ll marry her and take her to Greece. When feral warrior Atalanta joins the hunt in search of the woman she loves, however, Medea is torn between practicality and desire, and Atalanta realizes true love may be right in front of her.
For stunning literary fiction with a trans identity arc, devour All Us Saints. In 1992, seventeen-year-old Roland St. Cloud murdered his twin sister Edna’s three best friends, leading to a media circus, a true-crime bestseller, and a smash horror-movie series. Almost twenty years later, Edna sets about reenacting the murders with her siblings, husband, and children as she does on each anniversary —but this night will be different from the rest.
Love a telenovela? Smash Preorder on More Like Enemigas. Isabella has never forgiven her ex-friend Valentina for ruining the former’s quinceañera. Years later, when the two women are forced to share a cabin at a weeklong destination wedding, Val has a deal for Isa: Val will help Isa solve an old family secret if Isa will help Val stop the wedding and seduce the bride. Will these former enemies kiss and make up—or is the past too powerful?
Related: Harper Steele To Exec Produce New Trans Masc Youth Documentary, ‘What Will I Become?’
If Heated Rivalry has you craving sapphic sports romance, snap up Half Court Shot. The Jersey Jaguars women’s basketball team reunites two exes: Daniela, who’s notorious for her messy love life, and Perry, who just wants a winning season. When the team’s public image is threatened, Daniela and Perry agree to fake-date—and it’s only a matter of time before those manufactured “feelings” become very, very real.
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!
