With a new year here, we’re continuing our journey of supporting LGBTQ+ books and the authors within our community. From a retelling of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to AU’s of Mean Girls and sports romances, we’ve got you covered with a list of LGBTQ+ books coming out January 2026.
A special shoutout goes to Netgalley, the premiere source of getting books in advance if you’re looking to review books. Most of the summaries were sourced from Netgalley, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble and we hope this helps get readers interested in these creative queer writers!
Also, make sure to check out whether any of the books listed below for January 2026 are available at your local indie store here.
1. Two Left Feet by Kallie Emblidge
Synopsis: Oliver Harris is football royalty in London. Ordinarily the star of the Camden Roses is calm, cool, and collected, keeping his club relevant with his prowess in the midfield and his mighty left foot. But this season, the threats abound: There’s Camden’s management to contend with—complete with a prickly new Dutch coach, eager for better results—and a midseason injury, which sidelines him when his team needs him most. When a recruit is called up to fill in, Oliver fears he’ll be replaced. If he can mentor this younger talent, then they might just have a chance at winning, together.
After a string of lackluster performances in his native Spain, Leonardo Davies-Villanueva is looking for one last shot with the club he always dreamed of, where he once played in the youth academy. Oliver immediately finds confident, eager Leo irritating. He can barely go through the motions, let alone coach him, without outright hostility. When he comes to admire Leo’s skill and warms to his humor and energy, though, he begins to see Leo as a friend—and then, to his mounting horror, as something more.
Leo craves Oliver’s attention and partnership; Oliver can’t afford to fall in love with his teammate. He’s always kept a tight lid on his sexuality in a league that’s never had a player come out. As the season heats up, a lot more than football hangs in the balance. Can Oliver—and Leo—win when it counts most?
Release date: January 13, 2026
2. Like in Love with You by Emma R. Alban
Synopsis: When Catherine Pine relocates to Bath in 1817, she comes face-to-face with her mother’s arch nemesis and her daughter—the wildly popular Lady Rosalie. Twenty-five years after a horrible betrayal, Catherine’s mother sees the perfect opportunity for revenge: Catherine must win the favor of Lady Rosalie’s suitor and unofficial betrothed, the most eligible Mr. Dean.
Only Catherine soon discovers that Lady Rosalie is by far the wittiest, cleverest, most intriguing young woman Catherine’s ever met, and she’s instantly smitten. Which is a problem.
Meanwhile, Lady Rosalie feels trapped in her relationship with Mr. Dean and in her role as Bath’s resident mean girl. But when she notices newcomer Catherine gunning for her spot as queen bee, Rosalie finally feels a spark again–something she absolutely doesn’t want to extinguish.
As Rosalie and Catherine circle Mr. Dean, and their mothers force them into increasingly absurd contests of wit and feminine charms, the two women somehow find themselves falling for each other, scheme, by barb, by catty jab…
Is it possible that their sizzling rivalry can become a match to last?
Release date: January 13, 2026
3. Playing for keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur
Synopsis: Poppy Peterson’s life is finally back on track and she’s thriving as the publicist of the NFL’s most promising quarterback (and her childhood best friend), Cash Curran. So, she doesn’t appreciate when he makes an impulsive and public pass at America’s popstar darling, Lyric Adair. When Lyric’s notorious publicist Rosaline Sinclair reaches out, Poppy is ready to face her wrath, but instead learns that Lyric is equally interested.
As Cash and Lyric embark on their ill-advised whirlwind romance, Poppy and Rosaline are forced together, each determined to protect their own client from the other. Poppy is frustrated by Rosaline’s cool demeanor, while at the same time, as a legend in the industry, she’s determined to impress her. But, no matter what she does, she can’t shake the feeling that Rosaline doesn’t like her.
That is until one steamy night, when the two women contend with their unexpected feelings and begin a messy romance of their own. But with paparazzi, tabloids, and stalker fans nipping at their heels, Poppy and Rosaline’s loyalties will be tested in ways they could never expect.
Release date: January 8, 2026
4. Secrets We Cradle in the Dark by Ivy Lovell
Synopsis: As a burned out spy for the NSO, Dimitri’s goal in life is to get through each monotonous day to the next. He goes on missions, cooks food, and watches TV until his mind numbs enough to fall unconscious. Occasionally, his spy partner and best friend, Levi, visits and overstays his welcome, but Dimitri’s touch deprivation doesn’t mind the spontaneous sleepovers.
Every day the NSO reminds Dimitri he is a disgrace and the only reason he’s their second best spy is because he is their only other spy. Despite this, he expects to be a spy until the day he inevitably dies on a mission because quitting would make the suffering he’s endured pointless. Leaving also means never seeing Levi again, and as the NSO’s golden child, Levi will never quit.
Or so Dimitri thought until a mission to steal a mysterious therapy gun goes awry. They are shot and transported into a dream world where they have to face an alternate reality. Dimitri and Levi have to figure a way out while also confronting truths they’ve long left buried.
Release date: January 30, 2026
5. The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Nick Carrington wants nothing more than to leave Greenwood, Oklahoma, behind and make a name for himself in the papers. But when tragedy strikes, dreams turn into a twisted reality. Forced to start anew in Harlem, only a letter of acceptance from the prestigious West Egg Academy is able to pull him back into the world.
But the supposedly integrated private boys’ school is more of a catchy headline than a fact, with the same prejudices Nick left behind back home. And his secret but growing feelings for the founder’s wickedly charismatic son, Jay Gatsby Jr.— who dances past society’s conventions with practiced ease—only add more complications.
When Nick’s cutting pen exposes dangerous truths about West Egg and leads to perilous consequences, he and Jay must decide whether to spend a lifetime outrunning trouble or be the ones to light the match. Can they not only fight back but triumph? Or will the powers that be win yet again?
Release date: January 27, 2026
6. Soul of a Gentleman Witch by David Ferraro
Synopsis: Perpetually seventeen, Callum the green witch is indebted to the Devil until he fulfills 666 tasks. When Lucifer offers Callum an unusual job that will end Callum’s contract early and return his soul, Callum readily agrees. All Callum must do is ensure Augustus “Auggie” Sanderson makes it from London to New York by the next blood moon.
This proves more difficult than Callum could’ve predicted as power-hungry witch kings and queens, blood witches, and even necromancers are also out to capture Auggie. To deliver Auggie on time and win back his soul, Callum will need the help of his black cat familiar, his human assistant (whom he accidentally turned into a frog), a four-armed, tally undead witch, and Auggie himself—who seems too good to have made a deal with the Devil.
But if Auggie didn’t make a deal with the Devil, what awaits him in New York? And if Auggie doesn’t deserve his fate, is Callum willing to give up his own chance at freedom to save him?
Release date: January 20, 2026
7. Freddie and Stella Got Hot by Maggie Horne
Synopsis: Freddie and Stella are on a mission: take down their former best friend turned queen bee Levi Preston by depriving her of the one thing she wants more than anything: The Beaumont-Gardiner Award. Only the coolest, smartest, and—let’s face it—hottest girls win. . . so Freddie and Stella are going to have to get a whole lot cooler, smarter, and hotter.
At first, it seems to work—Freddie and Stella slowly manage to worm their way in with the cool girls. With every shopping date, agonizing salon appointment, and hot yoga class, the girls get closer to the in-crowd and Levi fades more and more into the background. The higher they rise, though, the more uneasy Freddie starts to feel. Stella’s gone from her lovable, goofy best friend to someone she barely recognizes, using her newfound power for evil at every opportunity. Soon, Freddie realizes she’s created a monster—and she needs Levi’s help to put a stop to it.
Release date: January 27, 2026
8. The Demon of Beausoleil by Mari Costa
Synopsis: Helianthes is a Cambion—a child born touched by demons. Horned, clawed, and tailed, Helianthes—Hell for short—is a devil-may-care exorcist whose devil-may-care attitude has succeeded in alienating those closest to him—all save for his long-suffering bodyguard, Elias, who sees him as less a strange, mythical being and more just a . . . nuisance.
Together, the two venture into the streets of this psuedo-remix of Victorian London to exorcise demons (and maybe cause a little mischief on the way). But as Hell becomes increasingly drawn to his enigmatic bodyguard—and as Elias becomes increasingly aware of his feelings for his trouble of a charge—the two find themselves faced with a growing, chaotic dark that might threaten everything they’ve been working toward . . .
Release date: January 27, 2026
9. For Our Next Song by Jessica James
Synopsis: For Glitter Bats keys player Jane Mercer, writing music helps tune out her self-doubt from a strict upbringing. Composing also distracts from her longtime feelings for her bandmate and best friend, Keeley, who Jane can’t pursue if she wants to keep her bisexuality out of the media. But when an incompetent percussionist quits mid–recording session on one of her major solo projects, there’s only one drummer to call to make the deadline.
Keeley Cunningham is determined to do what’s best for the newly-reunited Glitter Bats—including conceal her incurable attraction to Jane by keeping her distance. Still, when Jane asks for her help in the studio, Keeley drops everything to fill in. They collaborate harmoniously… until their repressed feelings crescendo into a massive argument about the band’s future that leaves them barely speaking.
As music forces Jane and Keeley into increasingly close proximity, the lingering tension finally ignites into the romance they’ve both been craving—and it’s hot, emotional, and fundamentally secret. But after an intimate moment is caught on camera, they’ll have to decide if their duet can survive its debut—both on and off stage.
Release date: January 13, 2026
10. One Week to Win the Chocolate Maker
Synopsis: Dario Cotogna has a problem. Per his late grandfather’s wishes, if Dario’s not married by his thirty-second birthday, his family’s chocolate empire will go to his philandering little brother. To make matters worse, Dario’s agoraphobia keeps him locked away from the rest of the world. How can he put himself out there and meet “the one” if he literally can’t put himself out there?
The solution? A global competition. Five lucky contestants get an all-expenses-paid trip to Dario’s luxury Italian villa for a chance at becoming his lawfully wedded spouse.
But aspiring tattoo artist Charlie Moore isn’t looking for love—he’s looking for a miracle. As his grandparents’ sole caregiver, he’s desperate to keep their bill collectors at bay. Marrying into the Amorina Chocolate fortune could save his family home from foreclosure. But when Charlie meets the brilliant heir, their attraction is instant—and very, very real.
After a whirlwind week of wine, indulgence and temptation as spicy as it is sweet, will Dario and Charlie melt under the pressure…or find a love that’s truly worth savoring?
Release date: January 27, 2026
Queerly Not Straight posts Saturdays on Fangirlish with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community. Posts are ONLY published on Fangirlish.
