15 Enthralling wlw books for adults You’ll Obsess Over

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Recently updated on July 15th, 2024 at 08:50 am

Fed up of being recommended wlw ya books? Here are the 17 best wlw books for adults.

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Picture this. You’re searching for wlw book recommendations. But most of the recommendations are young adult. An all too familiar situation for many of us.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge ya fan.

But sometimes I struggle to relate to high school students. That’s why I’ve compiled the best wlw books for adults.

Whether you’re looking for wlw romance books for adults or wlw books with spice, I’ve got you covered.

Read on for the best wlw books for adults.

The Best wlw books for adults

1. Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Searching for an adult Sapphic romance? The Bright Falls trilogy is for you. These steamy romances are set in a small town featuring a range of queer characters. These are perfect for fans of a romantic comedy.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is a dual POV following Delilah Green and Claire Sutherland.

Delilah Green swore she would never return to Bright Falls. Only memories of a lonely childhood with a distant stepfamily remain in Bright Falls. 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 the town. She plans to breeze in and out.

Claire Sutherland has raised her eleven year old daughter mostly on her own while also running a bookstore. With an unreliable ex, Claire Sutherland depends on a life without surprises.

And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first.

The funny writing make this a quick binge read. Funny, steamy and heartfelt – everything you want in a queer romance. Plus the banter and hilarious hijinks will keep you laughing until the last page. Perfect if you’re after wlw books for adults.

2. One last stop by Casey Mcquiston

One Last Stop is a new adult sapphic romance. New adult is ideal if you enjoy the writing style of young adult without being stuck in a high school setting. The ideal transition from young adult to adult fiction.

We follow cynical 23 year old August, she 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 problem is,  she’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s.

This book features an incredible cast of queer characters. Each character is well developed. August, a chaotic bisexual, is relatable. The romance between Jane and August is adorable.

 The writing is also hilarious with great banter. Plus the food imagery is droolworthy. ( If you enjoyed One Last Stop then read my article  full of recommendations for books like One Last Stop)

3. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Sapphic romance and dragons. What more could you want in a book. Fans of high fantasy will love Priory of the Orange Tree. Don’t let the length put you off – this enthralling fantasy is worth the read.

Queen Sabran the Ninth is still unwed but must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction. But assassins are closing in on her.

 Ead is an outsider who has risen to the position of lady in waiting.  Ead is loyal to a hidden society of mages and keeps a close eye on Sabran. She protects her using forbidden magic. 

Across the sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider. She is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Fantasy readers will love the epic battles, incredible world-building and amazing love story. This isn’t for beginners to fantasy, but seasoned fantasy readers will love this thrilling read.

If you’re after wlw books for adults, then you 100% need to read this book. 

4. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This Is How You Lose the Time War is an insanely popular fantasy novella. But, it won’t be suitable for everyone.  This is not a light read.

I personally wasn’t a fan. Problem is, not much happens in the first 30 pages.

Consequently, it’s difficult to get into. Likewise, the writers delight in confusing and maddening the reader.  

This is How You Lose the Time War is set in the midst of a war. An agent of the Commandant finds a letter that reads burn before reading.  

This letter sparks an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents.   But what first begins as a taunt, grows into something more. Something romantic.

However, the discover of their bond would mean death for each of them. After all, there’s still a war going on. A war that someone has to win.

While this book wasn’t personally for me, I can understand why it’s so popular.  It’s cleverly written and full of beautiful prose. However, you need to really pay attention when you read this.

5. Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Searching for wlw books for adults? 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. Ideal for fans of One last Stop and Delilah Green doesn’t Care.

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

6. Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a feel-good wlw sci-fi book.

It features incredible world-building, amazing characters and excellent writing. Plus it has diverse characters and it’s set in a world where non-straight relationships aren’t a big deal.

It follows Rosemary Harper. She joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer.

The ship has seen better days.

But it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past.

She’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew. And life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy.

But it’s about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime.

7. Honey girl by Morgan Rogers

If you’re after wlw books for adults you need to read Honey Girl. Honey Girl gets sold as a romance, but this is so much more for this. It tackles racism, mental health issues and millenial burnout.

We follow Grace. She’s just completed her PhD in astronomy. And she goes on a girls trip to Las Vegas.

But 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 relatable for burnt out millennials. 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 wlw books for adults need to check this out. You’ll love the cute wlw romance and discussion of mental health.

8. Milk Fed by Melissa Broder 

Searching for wlw books  for adults? You need to read Milk Fed. 

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.

9. Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

Are you searching for a spicy wlw romance? Then you need to check out Meryl Wilsner’s work. In particular, Mistakes were made. This sharp rom com follows a college senior as she accidentally hooks up with her best friend’s mum.

We follow Cassie Klein. She goes to an off-campus bar to escape her school’s Family Weekend. She isn’t looking for a hookup. But it happens.

Buying a drink for a stranger turns into a one-night-stand. But the next morning rolls around. And her friend drags her along to meet her mum.

The hot, older woman Cassie slept with.

What should have been a one-time fling quickly proves impossible to ignore, and soon Cassie and Erin are sneaking around. Worst of all, they start to realize they have something real. But is being honest about the love between them worth the cost?

 10. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

If you’re a fan of wlw books for adults, historical fiction or classics then you need to read Tipping the Velvet. It also has an incredible BBC adaptation. 

We follow Nan King, an oyster girl. She is captivating by the music hall phenomenon Kitty Butler – a male impersonator. 

Nan manages to visit all her shows and finally meet her heroine. Soon after  she becomes Kitty’s dresser. The pair begin a glittering career as a double act. 

 At the same time, behind closed doors, they admit their attraction to each other and their affair begins

11. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

The Price of Salt is a classic. This novel is perfect if you enjoy reading books with adaptations. The adaption of this book, Carol, is incredible.

We follow Therese Belivet, a stage designer trapped in a department-store day job. One day her salvationa rrives in the form of Carol Aird. 

Carol is an  alluring suburban housewife in the throes of a divorce.  They fall in love and set out across the United States.

But a private investigator pursues them. He eventually blackmails Carol into a choice between her daughter and her lover.

The Price of Salt was first published in 1952 under a pseudonym. This book soon became a cult classic but never given the literary recognition it deserves. This book is unlike any other. The writing style is unique. And it’s astonishing that this was first published in the 1950s.

12. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple is a modern classic about love and redemption. The book won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American Women in Georgia between the wars. Celie  is a young Black girl born into poverty and segregation.

Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie keep in touch through a series of letters.   But then she meets the glamour Shug Avery – a women who has taken charge of her own destiny.

Gradually Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves.

This book is a powerful depeiction of Southern, Black women. And Alice Walker’s writing, her characterisation and storytelling are phenomenal. A masterpiece about love and redemption.

13. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a hugely successful historical fiction novel. This book made bestseller lists and continues to dominate TikTok and bestseller lists. But, it lives up to the hype.

We follow ageing movie icon, Evelyn Hugo. The narrative jumps between present day and the past as she tells the truth on her scandalous life. But she chooses an unknown reporter to tell the story.

Why?

This is my favourite of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s work. This captiviating novel portrays the glamourous but tumultuous life of a Hollywood icon. The storytelling is incredible and will have you in tears.

14. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Another recommendation for fans of fantasy books. The Jasmine throne is an enchanting fantasy book about a captive princess with beautiful worldbuilding.

Again, this is not a book for beginners to fantasy books. And it took me several reads to appreciate this stunning fantas as the worldbuilding is heavy.

Malini has been imprisoned by her dictator brother and spends her days isolated in Hirana, an ancient temple. 

Priya, a maidservant,  makes the treacherous journey to the top of Hirana every night.

She cleans Malini’s chambers. And she is thrilled to be anonymous. Especially if it keeps her dangerous secret safe. 

But Malini accidentally witnesses Priya’s true nature. And their destinies become irrevocably tangled.

This book is full of epic worldbuilding, magic and morally grey lesbians.  If you like magic, rebellion and court intrigue then you should pick this up.

15. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldtree

This is a cozy, adult slice of life fantasy book. A cute cozy book to read curled up with a mug of coffee. This doesn’t feature spice. But this cozy read is ideal if you want a lighthearted book aimed at adults.

Legends & Lattes follows Viv – an orc barbarian.  She leaves her life as a warrior and opens the first coffee shop in Thune. 

Cosy imagery, a wlw romance and the found family trope. Everything I love in a book. And as if that’s not enough, Legends and Latte’s has a compelling mystery to solve. 

The hype for this book recently is insane. And for good reason. Legends & Lattes is bookish equivalent of a steaming hot mug of coffee. The perfect book to curl up on the sofa with in Autumn or Winter.

The way it depicts a slower lifestyle is captivating. The main character escapes a warrior life to live a slow life doing what she loves. Something I think many adults will relate to this book.

This post was all about wlw books for adults

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