At Mills & Boon, weโre celebrating Pride Month the best way we know howโฆwith feel-good romance, stories that inspire, and characters you instantly root for.
Here are 5 must-read queer romances perfect to read during Pride month (and all year round!)
All the Painted Stars by Emma Denny
To win her heart, she’ll have to fightโฆ
Oxfordshire 1362
When Lily Barden discovers her best friend Johannaโs hand in marriage is being awarded as the main prize at a tournament, she is determined to stop it. Disguised as a knight, she infiltrates the contest, preparing to fight for Joโs hand. But her conduct ruffles feathers, and when a dangerous incident escalates out of Lilyโs control, Jo must help her escape.
Finding safety with a local brewster, Lily and Jo soon settle into their new freedom, and amongst blackberry bushes and lakeside walks an unexpected relationship blossoms. But when Joโs past catches up with her and Lilyโs reckless behaviour threatens their newfound happiness, both women realise that choices must always come at a cost. The question they need to ask is if the cost is worth the price of loveโฆ
Perfect for fans of:ย
Friends-to-lovers
Fighting for love
Knight’s tale vibes
Secret identities
The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky
Ready. Set. Faux.
Things are not going well for Holden James. His chance to audition for his favourite game show, Madcap Market, should have been great โ a tribute to his mum, who died six years ago. Instead, heโs destroying the minibar in a grim hotel roomโฆrecently dumped and sliding into misery.
But at least he has room service. It even comes with a sexy (smart-ass) concierge who arrives with pizza, Monopoly, and rather distracting forearms.
All Holden knows about Leo Min is that heโs beautiful, unexpectedly sympathetic, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. Maybe itโs even enough to convince the showโs casting directors that theyโre a real couple. And if they can win the competition and the huge cash prize, all of Holdenโs problems โ his broken heart, buried grief, and complete lack of money and direction โ will be solved.
Of course, nothing ever works out as planned. And love is an entirely different gameโฆ
Perfect for fans of:ย
Fake dating
Spice
Off the charts chemistry
The 7-10 Split (Peach Blossom, Book 1) by Karmen Lee
It was never just a gameโฆ
Ava Williams has every reason to hate Grace Jones.
They were once thick as thieves and bowling rivals who pushed each other.Then they shared a kissโฆand after that, nothing was ever the same.
But then Grace, bowling pro and local celeb, starts teaching at the same small-town high school as Ava. And Grace is handed the schoolโs new bowling team that Avaโs been trying to set up for years!
Now theyโre expected to work together and lead the team to victory in six months. And with that, their rivalry is backโฆas is their undeniable attraction. So itโs just a matter of time before it explodes โ one way or the other.
Perfect for fans of:ย
Enemies-to-lovers
Forced proximity
Second chance romance
The Boyfriend Subscription by Steven Salvatore
A simple deal and complicated feelingsโฆ
Teddy Hughes has lost his marriage, his business, and now he canโt afford another beer in his favourite dive bar. So he has no choice but to leave New York for good. But then a gorgeous stranger walks in with cheekbones that could cut glass.
Like the leather harness he wears under his suit, Cole Vivien is a mass of contradictions. Heโs a successful entrepreneur whose app, VERSTL, allows consumers and sex workers to form real โ if temporary โ connections. But Cole needs a fake boyfriend so he can project a more traditional image for a potential investor. And Teddy โ shy, smart, and so much hotter than he knows โ is perfect for the part.
Cole has two conditions: no kissing or falling in love. And in exchange for one week together, Teddy will get enough money to get back on his feet.
But breaking the rules is much more funโฆ
Perfect for fans of:ย
Fake dating
Spice
Opposites attract
We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian
Nickย shouldย have hated Andyโฆ
When Andy Fleming turns up in the newsroom of the New Yorkย Chronicleย to learn the business Nick Russo is determined to dislike him. Nick has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighbourhood to reporter the hard way. Andy is heir to a publishing fortune: he canโt type, he loses his keys and has never done a dayโs work in his lifeโฆand one day heโll be Nickโs boss.
Except, Nick keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the filing cabinets. Opposites in every way, an unlikely friendship soon turns into feelings neither want to deny. But a relationship that feels possible in secret, seems doomed in the light of day. And now Nick and Andy must decide if, for the first time, theyโre willing to fight for what theyย reallyย want.
Perfect for fans of:ย
Opposites attract
Friends-to-lovers
Wholesome
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Happy Pride month and happy reading!
