On Coney Island in 1910, a stolen merman and an orphaned Boricua blacksmith fall in love in the most unlikely place: a sideshow. Taken from the East River for an exhibit, merman Río longs to escape. As an out-of-place blacksmith new to New York, Benny was glad for work before he discovered he was building an ironwork tank to contain a merman. As Benny gets to know Río, their friendship and love force Benny to face the prospect of losing his life in the city if it means freeing Río.

Gayle’s gut-wrenching debut explores what it means to love someone in every lifetime, no matter how much it hurts to try. After two brain bleeds, Molly Graham cannot remember the last six years of her life. She certainly cannot remember marrying her impossibly wealthy academic rival, Aster Bishop. Everyone around her insists Aster is a caring, devoted husband, but Molly finds it impossible to reconcile this version of him with the callous, caustic one she remembers. Reacquainting herself with the adult she’s become, Molly starts to fall for her lovely husband and trust the version of herself who fell in love with Aster the first time.

In 1960’s New York City, Eddie O’Leary is having the worst baseball season of his life. Homesick, friendless, and bad at his job for the first time in his life, Eddie could use a bit of cheering up. No one would expect a grief-stricken, surly arts reporter to turn his life around. When Mark Bailey’s partner died, no one could know what they were to each other. Ever since, he has been a shell of himself, walking like a ghost through his own life until his boss assigns him to cover Eddie’s horrible season. He may not want to cover baseball, but as Mark gets to know Eddie, he begins to fall for him, bringing a bit of light back to them both.

Ten years after their college breakup, Verity Hill and Wright “Monk” Bellamy haven’t stopped ruminating on their failed relationship. In the meantime, Verity’s built an impressive career as a screenwriter and Monk’s become an established musician. So perhaps it is no surprise that when Verity writes a script for a Harlem Renaissance biopic, Monk is tapped for the score. If they can put their feelings aside, they will create an Oscar-worthy film together, but even creative geniuses cannot outrun heartbreak. Instead, Verity and Monk must face their feelings head-on if they want a chance to move forward.

Former friends turned rivals must work together to give their queer mentor his dying wish: one final road trip to his beach house in Maine. In Cochrun’s saddest romance—and potentially the saddest romance on this list—high school teachers Logan and Rosemary embark on an equally exuberant and devastating sapphic road trip romance. As the two figure out the best way to get from point A to point B with their former English teacher, they begin to unravel the many misunderstandings that dismantled their high school friendship in the first place. In turn, Logan and Rosemary weave a romance to help them both weather the grief that comes their way.

When Austin Hardy entered the Grand Slam, he didn’t expect the level of attention his sexuality would bring to his play. As the first openly gay man to compete in the professional tennis tournament, his story is everywhere—a situation made worse by his anxiety disorder. His hot competition, Diego Cruz, offers unexpected solace. Their flirtatious off-court friendship and on-court competition is everything to Austin as he finds his way in the public eye. Schmit’s wonderfully queer debut is sure to make you cry and be glad you did so.

A witch prodigy loses access to her power and is exiled from the witch community when she uses forbidden magic to resurrect her aunt. Sera would make the choice again if it means keeping the aunt who always loved and supported her, but that doesn’t erase the ache of her lost power. Now, she’s the primary caretaker of an inn that holds the remains of her magic, looking for an opportunity to restore her power. In walks Luke, the key to translating a spell that could solve all her problems. Luke came to the inn with his autistic sister for short-term lodging, but every day he works alongside Sera, he feels compelled to stay forever, even if it means rearranging his life to do so.

Ex-model and current influencer Dani Jenkins knows that focusing on work first without the distraction of romance has contributed to her success. But when her mentor Tanya dies, she sees the artist Micah Wright again and is confronted with the end of their disastrous relationship. Micah has lived with the guilt of failing Dani ever since they broke up. So, when Tanya’s dying wish asks him to work with Dani to complete a road trip scavenger hunt, he jumps at the chance to mend their relationship. Bishop’s turbulent second-chance romance will make you cry and patch you back up after.  

Kemmerer knows how to torture her characters and then make their lives even worse. No book proves that more than the Braided Fate sequel. Readers reunite with our beloved power throuple in peril. Wanting to be free of his tragic past, Asher is determined to focus on protecting and loving his princess and king. Princess Jory is coming to terms with betraying her family and taking the throne to protect her best friend and intended fiancé. Meanwhile, King Maddox Kyronan is working hard to protect his assassin and princess from their rash behavior and their collective enemies. If they want to survive, Asher, Jory, and Ky will have to learn to trust each other with their hearts and their collective trauma. 

Jack Gardner and Theodore Beaumont meet seventeen years after falling in love in Europe during their sons’ move-in day to the same elite boarding school where they met. Somehow, their kids from their failed marriages are roommates, forcing them to confront the unsettled history between them. Jack and Theo have never had an easy relationship, but they always had an undeniable spark that pulled them towards each other. The years have done nothing to dull their chemistry, but the two will have to be honest with each other and themselves if they want their first chance at true happiness.

Courtney Starling is looking to recover from her disastrous debut performance by working at her best friend’s small-town bookstore. Although Courtney has suffered from severe migraines for years, she has never had one come on so aggressively on stage, prompting relentless speculation. Naturally, she was looking to hide from her problems, but in doing so, she finds the love of her life working next door. Thea Quinn is working as a piercer at a local tattoo shop to hide from her family’s legacy when she discovers Courtney’s intoxicating charm. Both women have baggage, but if Courtney cannot figure out how to divulge her secrets, their blooming relationship will never have a chance to grow.

Widely regarded as Williams’ saddest book, this Black romance follows two authors who have a second chance at love at a New York City literary event. Today, Eva may be a bestselling erotica writer and single mother, and Shane may be a reclusive award-winning literary author, but when they were teens, Eva and Shane fell in love. The last twenty years were filled with trauma and professional success; they have written about and to each other again and again in the meantime. Meeting once more, Eva and Shane’s chemistry is just as electric, and they have seven days to fall in love one more time.