It’s always a good time to celebrate love, and as shelves and e-readers continue to make more space for romances with marginalized leads, it’s been a delight to see a true variety of representation in romance, including an increase in those starring trans and nonbinary main characters. Of course, there’s still plenty far to go—it will not be lost on you that this list is extremely white, for instance—but these best-selling trans romance books demonstrate just how much people want more trans romance in their lives.
A Lady for a Duke
Whether Bridgerton lured you into a passion for historical romance or love among corsets and waistcoats has always been your jam, queer romance superstar Hall has written a serious must-read with this twist on best-friends-to-lovers set in the early 19th century.
Viola earned her freedom and ability to live as her true self via her presumed death at Waterloo, but it wasn’t without its cost, greatest of all being her best friend, the Duke of Gracewood.
When they face each other again years later, Viola is crushed to see that he’s become a shell of himself in the wake of his loss. But as she works to bring him back to life, she runs the risk of losing her heart in the process.
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Fake It
There’s nothing like a good foodie romance, and Seabrooke’s written an entire series of them with Taste of Port Andrea, kicked off by this f/f romance about a trans chef named Avery who finally lives her dream of opening a luxury restaurant, only to find herself in desperate need of help to keep it open.
That assistance comes from the most unexpected of places: celebrity chef Holly Mason, whose TV show about helping struggling restaurants could also use a boost. Enter a fake-dating arrangement and some very real feelings.
Peter Darling
Chant’s got a delightful variety of trans romances under their belt, including new adult m/m novella Coffee Boy and m/f trans/trans paranormal Caroline’s Heart. But best known is this fantasy romance take on Peter Pan that returns trans Peter back to Neverland after leaving life as Wendy Darling behind ten years earlier.
As it happens, his old rival, Captain James Hook, is delighted to see him, but things between them grow into something unexpected and dangerous when Peter’s Lost Boys and Hook’s pirates clash to the point of blood.
For the Love of April French
If you wanna debut with a serious splash, doing it with a deeply sexy and loving BDSM romance is definitely a solid way to do it.
April’s spent plenty of time at kink club Frankie’s, but she knows never to expect any of her dalliances to go anywhere; that never seems to be on the table for girls like her. So when Dennis comes in hot, April keeps her expectations on the floor where they’ve always been.
When it turns out Dennis does want more—including her heart—April has to find her way toward accepting the love she deserves.
Love & Other Disasters
If Kelly’s debut isn’t the first traditionally published adult romance with a nonbinary lead, it’s almost certainly the best known. Similarly, London is the first openly nonbinary contestant on a popular American cooking show, and the friendly competition heats up considerably when they fall for a fellow chef, klutzy bi divorceé Dahlia.
Only one of them can take home the prize, but there’s something even larger at stake as the two of them grow closer while the season's end approaches.
The Companion
E.E. Ottoman’s been holding down independently published trans romance for years, and his newest—an all-trans polyamorous historical set in 1948—is his biggest yet.
In it, frustrated aspiring author Madeline becomes a companion to bestselling author and notorious recluse Victor, moving into his home in upstate New York. There, she meets not just the author but his beautiful neighbor, Audrey, and finds herself falling for both of them. This is, naturally, a bit complicated, especially as Victor and Audrey are also exes, but…maybe it doesn’t, in fact, have to be that complicated at all.
Cinder Ella
Kicking off Lynn’s series of Black Trans Fairy Tales is this sapphic Cinderella, starring a trans woman named Ella whose cruel stepmother shoves her right back into life as Cole after her father passes.
At her stepmother’s mercy, Ella has no choice but to play along. But when she’s invited to a royal ball by Princess Lizabetta herself, she goes as her true self…and finds the princess is not only perfectly happy with that, but more special than Ella herself dared to even dream.
Of course, her stepmother once again intervenes to destroy her happiness, but Ella is determined to find her way back to her princess, to love, and to herself.
Love Language
Reese Morrison has no shortage of romances starring trans men and nonbinary people, and the very popular Love Language—which kicks off a series centered on Deaf protagonists—is a great place to start.
A hurt/comfort BDSM romance, it introduces Deaf trans Dom Marco and grieving sub Greg, who meet when neither one has reason to expect anything from a night out. But as Greg reopens his heart to the possibility of a new Dom, and Marco finds someone who’s not only his type but fluent in ASL, they may not have been looking for love, but it sure seems like they’ve found it.
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