love is love: an lgbtq+ rallying cry across the world, from gay romance novels to movies and art. And it’s no wonder, love is the strongest emotion: it makes us laugh, cry, scream from the rooftops, go crazy and throw things around the room (hopefully they’re just stuffed animals).
However, sometimes it can be difficult to find a gay romance novel that portrays gay love in all its aspects. That’s why we’ve put together a list of some of the best gay romance books that remind us of the universal nature of love.
You are reading: Gay love stories books
There’s something here for everyone: from historical eroticism to love and loss, to the intensity of short-lived desire.
Many of our favorite novels have been made into movies, which is then due to our favorite gay coming out movies and gay comedy movies, in case even the thought of reading an entire book makes you yawn.
but, in our humble opinion, there’s nothing like a good book and your imagination, so let’s start reading!
p.s. If you’re looking to dip your toes in the waters of gay romance novels but are perhaps a bit price-conscious, many are available in eBook format with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, which will give you free access to over one million kindle titles, including ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and more.
Unlimited Kindle titles can be read on any Amazon device or Kindle app and you can borrow titles as often as you like with no expiration dates, and you can keep up to ten at a time.
You can try Kindle Unlimited free for a month now with free cancellation anytime!
call me by your name (andré aciman)
The release of the film adaptation of aciman’s cute novel caused a stir, so why not go back to the source material? this misty summer romance perfectly captures the intensity of desire.
Set in Italy in the summer of 1987, Call Me By Your Name is narrated by Elio as he recalls the romance that blossomed when a doctoral student came to spend the summer with his family to work with his academic father. Oliver’s carefree nature contrasts with Elio’s moody introversion; however, there is an undeniable attraction and what follows is a beautiful story of a passionate affair that is never meant to last.
before we finished we were booking a flight to gay rome and gay florence…
Regardless of your sexuality, if you’ve ever been in love, this novel will remind you of that time.
on earth we are briefly beautiful (ocean vuong)
This stunning book by Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong may not be what you normally think of when searching for gay romance novels. it is emotionally devastating, highlights the love and trauma that is passed from father to son, some chapters are essentially poems. this is what makes it so unique.
While the relationship at the heart of On Earth We Are Briefly Beautiful is that of the narrator’s little dog with his mother, the other relationship that runs like a thread through the novel is his first romance with a young white American who He works on a tobacco farm. the depiction of the two boys exploring their emotions and sexuality, as well as the tragic consequences, is rarely less than heartbreaking.
a single man (christopher isherwood)
See Also: 15 camping books for kids (our favourite campground reads!) ⋆ Take Them Outside
another great movie that has a great book behind it, a single man portrays a day in the life of george, a middle-aged man who has just lost his partner in a tragic accident. Set in Southern California in 1962, the book conveys the anguish of loss, but also the importance of love.
The writing is fresh and dispassionate, and manages to help the reader feel the depth of George’s grief and rage. I know what you’re thinking: a gay romance novel about pain? Although we are stretching the definition a bit, this is certainly a book that will remind you that love is universal and powerful.
the position of a gentleman (k.j. charles)
and now for something that will really get your pulse racing… a knight’s position is actually third in k.j. charles gentlemen society series – we think it’s the best. Set in Regency England, the novel follows the desire between the upstanding Lord Vane and his trusted valet, David.
Although Lord Vane’s principles forbid him from “flirting” with servants, his morals are tested when David sets out to seduce him and win his heart.
will he make it? you’ll have to read to find out!
This novel is not only very funny; it also makes you support love against all odds!
really (alexis hall)
This is a gay romance novel that subverts the conventions of the genre.
Published in 2015, alexis hall’s novel is truly a complex modern take on love and identity. yes, it’s sexy, it has bdsm, but it’s also about falling in love with someone that no one, including yourself, expects you to fall in love with.
Laurence and Toby are 18 years apart in age, come from completely different backgrounds (Oxford-educated surgeon and Shoreditch cafe worker), live different lives. The power should rest entirely with Laurence, but it somehow shifts throughout their unlikely but heartwarming relationship. the intimate story of people who fit together perfectly, despite everything.
captive prince (c.s. pacat)
For some good, raunchy fun, there’s nothing like a bit of historical fiction. The first in the Captive Prince trilogy, this gripping book is delightfully erotic and totally addictive. tells the story of Damen, a man who was once a warrior prince but was stripped of his power and titles and given as a pleasure slave to an enemy ruler.
In vere, both her new master and the court around him seem dangerous, wealthy and corrupt, but nothing is what it seems and Damen has to work hard to keep her identity a secret and try to find out what is going on. there’s a lot of kinkiness here, but it’s backed up by a funny story and a bit of heart!
secret mountain (annie proulx)
Okay, it’s a short story, not a novel (don’t hate me!), but is there a complete list of gay love stories without mentioning the penniless mountain?
we would say no.
When two young men sign up for a summer job in the mountains of Wyoming, they don’t expect to be attracted to each other, let alone form an intense emotional bond, but that’s what happens.
For the next 20 years, they continue to meet, despite having separate families and lives. Although the writing condenses the passage of time into short sections, the strength and desperation of Enis and Jack’s love is beautifully narrated. the frustration readers feel that they can’t be together is enough to make you cry.
See Also: Best 10 eBook Torrenting Sites | Kickass eBooks Download Sites FREE – Buzzcnn
after reading this we did some research and while your chances of finding a gay cowboy of your own in wyoming are sadly low, there is a huge gay scene with cowboy bars in nashville, austin and denver. you’re welcome!
the boys’ men (william j. mann)
This book has earned classic status in the gay community since it was published in 1997, and for good reason. after all, it is about accepting the cards that life has dealt you and accepting yourself; Who among us cannot empathize with these issues? It also reflects on youth and how love can make you feel young again (swoon).
Jeff is in his early 30s when his lover leaves him, he sees his first love dying of AIDS, and their one-night stands feel pointless. An affair with 22-year-old Eduardo seems to offer passion and redemption, but is it just a summer romance? If he hasn’t read Boys’ Men yet, it’s time to do it now!
maurice (e.m. forster)
A story of forbidden love in early 20th century Britain: a member of the upper classes begins a passionate relationship with a gamekeeper on an estate. their relationship defies the class differences of the time. No, we’re not actually describing Lady Chatterley’s lover, but the book that some believe was the inspiration: Maurice.
Written in 1913 but published posthumously in 1971, this is a classic masterpiece with a penetrating insight into human nature. it’s a gay romance story before it was accepted by society and it also has a happy ending. For this reason alone, this beautiful book is worth reading.
beijing comrades (bei tong)
a fascinating novel that vividly depicts China in the late 1980s with its political instability and totalitarian rule. Against this tumultuous backdrop, two young men, one a working-class student and the other the son of communist party officials, meet and connect instantly. They spend all their time together, but they soon realize that they are not living under a regimen that supports their love, and besides, handong is part of that regimen.
Beijing Comrades was originally published anonymously on a Chinese gay website, but has since been translated, without losing its impact in translation or over time. heartbreaking, powerful, and riveting, this is definitely one of the gay romance novels you should have read by now!
inertia (amelia c. gormley)
a great book for any of us who have ever felt too scared to get involved in the event of injury.
derrick handyman from detroit lives a quiet, organized and solitary life; despite being young, he is determined not to lose anything. when he meets flirty gavin, everything changes and he has to decide whether to give in or not.
inertia is a sweet and sexy story of awakening, and of two people facing the challenges of their past to find something real. Definitely one of our favorite gay romance novels for its authenticity and those sweet love scenes!
find me (andre aciman)
Naturally, if we have Call Me By Your Name on our list, we wouldn’t want to miss out on 2019’s sequel Find Me. While it doesn’t have the heartbreaking evocation of first love that the original novel does, it does have a bittersweet look at romance throughout our lives, how love ages, and if we ever forget the first person we love.
Organized into four short sections, it begins with Elio’s father having a chance encounter, before moving on to talk about Elio himself and his romance with Michel. meanwhile, oliver is in new england thinking about his past with elio. passion, memory and exuberant European backgrounds are combined in this tender novel in love with love.
Days Without End (Sebastian Barry)
When you start reading Sebastian Barry’s edgy, epic novel set in 1850s America, you may not initially describe it as a romance novel. But the deeper you get into the story of travel along the Oregon Trail to California and back, of military life, and of the intimacy between two soldiers, the more it feels like a love story.
Days Without End is incredibly beautiful in its writing and can be incredibly brutal in its depictions of life at the time. We cannot promise you an easy read. but we can promise you an impressive representation of the love that survives all the chaos that life can throw at you.