Fed up of being recommended the same 3 MLM books? Here are 17 captivating Sapphic Contemporary books you'll love.
This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.
Imagine you're searching for LGBTQ+ book recommendations. But you're constantly recommended the same MLM Books. And you're after Sapphic books with a main character who is wlw. I've got you.
A Sapphic book is a book with a female main character, of any sexual orientation, who is attracted to other women. A Sapphic book does not need to feature a wlw romance. Sapphic includes lesbians, bisexual and non-binary people who identify with the term.
I surveyed book lovers, browsed Facebook, Youtube, TikTok and Reddit. And I’ve compiled the absolute best Sapphic contemporary books.
I’ve also read and loved every single book on this list.
Read on for the best Sapphic contemporary books.
Best Sapphic Contemporary books
Here are my top picks for Sapphic Contemporary books.
1. Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Searching for Sapphic Contemporary books? Or maybe wlw books with spice? Written in the Stars is a great pick.
Why? Because Written in the Stars is an incredible, feel good wlw romance. A New Adult WLW book with the fake dating, enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes.
It follows Elle and Darcy. Elle is a free-spirited social media astrologer. She agrees to a disastrous first date with uptight actuary Darcy. After the terrible blind date, Darcy is determined to stop her brother from setting her up again. So she lies and starts a fake relationship with Elle.
Written in the Stars is a queer of Pride and Prejudice set in urban Seattle. A compelling and heartwarming read.
You feel the chemistry though the pages.
The characters were well developed and well written. The fake-dating trope also allows for lots of character development.
The imagery of the city is incorporated throughout. And it makes you want to visit the city.
I'm OBSESSED with enemies to lovers book. I have tons of recommendations for fans of enemies to lovers books. Likewise, many enemies to lovers books feature LGBTQ+ characters. Check out my article on LGBTQ+ Enemies to Lovers Books here.
2. One last stop by Casey Mcquiston
Are you a fan of Red, White and Royal Blue?
Then you NEED to read One Last Stop. A new adult book with bisexual main character and the found family trope. It also has a cast full of amazing queer characters.
It follows August. She’s a cynical 23 year old who is trying to survive in New York. But then she meets this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane.
Jane is dazzling, mysterious and insanely charismatic. But the problem is she's literally displaced in time from the 1970s.
So many good things about this book - the chaotic roommates, intriguing mystery and incredible friendships. The writing is also hilarious with great banter.
Likewise, the food imagery is droolworthy. Picture this -bacon, maple syrup, hot sauce, and a runny fried egg sandwiched between two pieces of Texas toast.
Mouth-Watering food imagery fills the pages of One Last Stop. From strawberry milk poptarts to breakfast sandwiches and pancakes.
If you enjoyed One Last Stop then read this post for more books like One Last Stop)
3. Honey girl by Morgan Rogers
If you're after Sapphic contemporary books you need to read Honey Girl.
Honey Girl follows Grace. She’s just completed her PhD in astronomy. She goes on a girls trip to Las Vegas.
And she accidentally marries another woman. But she doesn’t even know her name.
And this is very uncharacteristic of Grace.
Meanwhile Grace is struggling under the weight of her ex-military father’s expectations. And she starts to wonder why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree.
So she leaves home and decides to spend the summer with the wife she barely knows.
This book is so relatable for burnt out millennials.
Why? Because the main character suffers mental health issues and burnout after tirelessly working on her degree. Something many people can identify with.
It also features an adorable friends and the found family trope.
The writing style is more adult and won’t suit everyone. But many will adore this Sapphic romance.
Fans of Sapphic Contemporary books need to check this out. You'll love the cute wlw romance and discussion of mental health.
4. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
Picture this - the Scottish highlands, a sassy princess and an fancy boarding school.
Her Royal Highness is an incredible Sapphic YA Contemporary book.
This lighthearted romance features an amazing bisexual main character and a cute wlw romance set in a Scottish Boarding School.
We follow Millie. She's heartbroken when she discovers her kinda girlfriend kissing someone else. After getting into a super elusive boarding school, she moves to Scotland. And this is where she meets Princess Flora.
Not only does this book include the enemies-to-lovers trope. But it also features the room-mates trope, royalty and an ex-girlfriend.
Oh, and did I mention it’s all set in stunning Scottish highlands.
It is little rushed towards the end of the book. But it's still a sweet and irresistibly charming book.
If you're looking for Sapphic contemporary books, you'll love this.
This short book is easy to binge read in one sitting. A great book to read on holiday. Or if you're struggling to recover from a reading slump.
5. The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
Are you looking for the perfect LGBTQ+ summer romance?
The Falling in Love Montage is the book for you.
It plays on tropes found in 90s and 00s rom coms. The title references the montage of clips showing the main characters fall in love.
The Falling In Love Montage follows Saoirse . She is struggling to cope because her mother is in a home with dementia.
Also, it’s a hereditary condition. One day she might inherit it.
So she doesn’t see the point in a relationship. Until she meets Ruby at a party. And they decide to have a relaxed summer fling.
Ciara Smyth wrote The Falling in Love Montage. And she previously worked as a mental health trainer. This definitely comes across in the book. And it deals with many mental health issues. It also deals with the consequences of early-onset dementia.
If you're looking for a ya book that balances romance with mental health issues -then this is a great choice.
This hilarious romance is full of relatable lines. And it made me laugh so much. A great pick if you're looking for Sapphic contemporary books.
6. Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Delilah Green doesn't care is an incredible Sapphic Contemporary romance. A captivating romance featuring enemies to lovers, childhood friends and a revenge plot.
It follows Delilah Green and Claire Sutherland.
Delilah Green swore she would never return to Bright Falls.
Nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York with her photography career.
But then Delilah's estranged stepsister pressures her into photographing her wedding. And Delilah finds herself back in Bright Falls. She plans to breeze in and out. But then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties.
And she decides there's some fun to be had in Bright Falls after all.
Delilah Green doesn't Care is an incredible Sapphic Contemporary romance.
The romance is compelling and believable. The dual POV works perfectly. And both characters have excellent development throughout the course of the novel.
As well as adorable romance, the book discussed some important issues such as single parent families well. It balanced romantic comedy with important issues well.
7. She gets the Girl by Alyson Derick and Rachel Lippincott
She Gets Girl is an incredible Sapphic Contemporary book. It balances heartwarming romance with important topics such as alcoholism.
It follows Alex and Molly. Alex is a headstrong flirt. She knows how to get the the girl. Keeping her on the other hand... not so much.
Molly has everything in control. Except for her complete awkwardness with anyone other than her mum. She's in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. But she just hasn't talked to her yet.
Alex and Molly don't belong on the same planet. But when they cross paths, they realize they might have a common interest after all.
Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment.
The hate to love trope is executed brilliantly in this book. Both characters have excellent character development and come to understand each other better through the course of the book.
The discussions around alcoholism were incredibly well done and balanced perfectly with heartwarming romance.
If you're after Sapphic contemporary books, then I highly recommend checking out She Gets The Girl.
8. Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
Do you enjoy the fake dating trope? Then you need to read
f you like the Fake Dating Trope then you have to read Hani and Ishu's guide to fake dating. This ya contemporary features a wlw romance with Muslim and Bengali main characters.
And it executes the fake dating trope fantastically.
Hani is bisexual but she is having trouble making her friends to believe her. Ishu wants to be Head Girl.
They decide to fake date so that Hani’s friends believe she is bisexual. And to help Ishu in her Head girl campaign.
The bisexual representation is executed amazingly.
Not enough books deal with biphobia. And this explicitly deals with biphobic bullying.
The fake dating trope is also executed perfectly. At first, the hilarious banter made me chuckle. But both characters learn from each other and grow throughout the book.
The writing is hilarious. And the grumpy/sunshine romance led to many funny moments that'll make you laugh out loud.
It’s an adorable book with a heartwarming romance. The combination of tropes is executed perfectly. And this book will never fail to cheer you up.
If you're looking for sapphic contemporary books, you need to read this ya romance.
9. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
The Henna Wars is incredible! This own voices, ya contemporary features a Muslim, Bangladeshi, lesbian main character
The Henna Wars follows Nishat. She comes out to her parents as a lesbian. They’re happy for her to be whoever she wants to be.
As long as she isn’t herself – because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians.
Her life becomes harder when she is reacquainted with a childhood friend – Flavia. Especially when in a school competition they both decide to start their own henna business.
This book includes a lovely queer wlw romance.
But it’s also much more than a romance.
It navigates homophobia, bullying, racism and cultural appropriation. It also includes one of the best main characters in Nishat. Nishat bravely deals with many things being thrown at her.
This book deals with some heavy topics. But it still manages to remain a cute, funny and romantic debut novel. If you're looking for ya lesbian books with more diverse representation then you should definitely read this book.
10. Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales
Do you want books with bisexual characters?
Perfect on Paper is a cute high school ya romance with a bisexual main character. The bisexual representation is excellent.
Plus the discreet cover looks like any ya romance book.
Perfect on paper follows Darcy Phillips. She runs an anonymous service giving love advice to her classmates via a locker. They slip in their worries and she responds with a carefully worded response. But Alexander Brougham catches her in the act. And in exchange for keeping her secret, he asks her to be his dating coach.
If you like the fake dating trope, you’ll love this book. The ‘dating coach’ concept worked amazingly. And it allowed for incredible character development. I also loved the romance between Alexander and Darcy.
The discussions around bisexuality and biphobia in this book are excellent.
This is clearly an own voices story. And the discussions around bisexual girls in relationships with guys is spot on. A under-discussed topic in LGBTQ+ books.
Gonzales’ Writing style is excellent - easy to read with no purple prose. The teenagers were also well written and very believable. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between all the characters.
11. Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
Why? Because it's a wildly erotic book about food, sex, and god. And Entertainment Weekly called it 'one of the strangest and sexiest novels of the new year'
It follows Twenty-four year old Rachel. A lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion By day, she maintains an illusion of existential control by way of obsessive food rituals. At night, she pedals nowhere on the elliptical machine.
Rachel is content to carry on subsisting. But then her therapist encourages her to take a ninety-day communication detox from her mother. A mother who raised her in the tradition of calorie counting.
Early in the detox, Rachel meets Miriam. A zaftig young Orthodox Jewish woman working at her favorite frozen yogurt shop.
Rachel is suddenly entranced by Miriam. And as the two grow closer, Rachel embarks on a journey marked by mirrors, mysticism, mothers, milk, and honey.
This post was all about Sapphic Contemporary books
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