2025 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for both Black and LGBTQ+ literature. With a wealth of new voices and compelling stories featuring Black and queer protagonists, this list merely scratches the surface of what’s being published. These titles are some of the most exciting releases that deserve a spot on your TBR. Craving more? Be sure to dive into our next issue.
HISTORICAL FICTION
Title: The Filling Station
Author: Vanessa Miller
Plot: Vanessa Miller’s historical fiction novel, The Filling Station, centers on sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice, who flee the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and find refuge at the real-life Threatt Filling Station along Route 66. This Black-owned station served as a safe haven for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era. The novel explores the sisters’ contrasting responses to trauma—Margaret’s desire to rebuild their past and Evelyn’s yearning to move forward—and their eventual decision to return to Greenwood to help restore their community. Miller’s work highlights the resilience of Black Americans and sheds light on a significant yet often overlooked part of history.
Title: Untethered
Author: Angela Jackson-Brown
Plot: Set in Troy, Alabama, in 1967, this historical novel follows Katia Daniels, the strong-willed executive director of the Pike County Group Home for Negro Boys. Surrounded by the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, Katia juggles personal hardship and professional responsibilities. Untethered is a tender, emotionally rich story about a woman whose fierce love and sense of duty are both her strength and burden. It thoughtfully explores caregiving, loss, and quiet resistance against systemic pressures. If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction set against the backdrop of social change, this novel offers a deeply human and resonant read
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Title: A Gentleman’s Gentleman
Author: T.J. Alexander
Plot: A Gentleman’s Gentleman is a Regency-era historical romance that follows the eccentric Lord Christopher Eden, a reclusive trans man who is forced to find a wife by the end of the Season to inherit his family estate. Uninterested in women and dreading the social demands of London, Christopher hires a traditional but handsome valet, James Harding, to help him navigate society. As the two men grow closer, their fragile bond is tested by secrets and the pressure of Christopher’s looming marriage. Blending dry wit, slow-burn queer romance, and a thoughtful exploration of identity, the novel redefines the genre with emotional depth and inclusive storytelling.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Title: Flirty Dancing
Author: Jennifer Moffatt
Plot: Flirty Dancing is a fun and heartfelt romantic comedy about 27-year-old Archer Read, who leaves behind his dull life in Ohio to chase his Broadway dreams in New York—only to face rejection after rejection. His final shot is a summer musical revue at Shady Queens, a queer-friendly Catskills resort. There, he’s shocked to find himself working under his former celebrity crush, Mateo Dixon, a Broadway star with attitude—and undeniable chemistry. As Archer navigates flirtations, backstage drama, and a complicated romance with his bunkmate Caleb, he learns that chasing your dreams (and your heart) means embracing the mess. Packed with humor, queer joy, and Broadway flair, this is a story about finding love and purpose when everything feels like it’s falling apart.