Book picks similar to
Bitter Sweet Revenge by Donna Jay


lesbian-romance
romance
young-adult
coming-out

Mother of the Bride


Kim Hartfield - 2019
    Things get more complicated when she realizes the groom's mother was her best friend back in high school - the first woman who ever made her heart beat faster, as well as her first kiss. Gloria and Bethany reconnect during the engagement, and Gloria begins to wonder if she could have her own fairytale romance. Is it too late for Gloria to find love? Or could the mother of the bride be the star of her own story?

A Dark Horse


Blayne Cooper - 2015
    It happened so slowly she barely noticed... Then it was too late. On the cusp of landing her dream job, Natalie is forced to New Orleans in search of her runaway teenaged brother Joshua. Desperately short of clues, she's grateful that NOPD Detective Adele Lejeune seems to genuinely care. Detective Lejeune's interest in Joshua's disappearance dangerously shifts from professional to intensely personal, as do her feelings for Natalie. The women doggedly navigate the depths of the city's seething underbelly as they work to solve the tangled mystery that is poised to crush Natalie's heart and leave Adele's life in ruins. Best-selling, award-winning author Blayne Cooper exposes the intrigue of the Big Easy in this epic story of dedication, risk and passion.

Redemption


Susanne M. Beck - 2000
    Angel searches for freedom but instead finds pain and prison before finally reaching redemption.

She Slipped and Fell


Shonda - 2008
    Kendall Long is sexy, yet delicate. Whether separate or together, these stunning best friends tend to cause quite a stir among the male population. An innocent fall, however, propels their friendship to a new plateau -- one where each is compelled to explore and confront her sexuality. She Slipped and Fell alternates between each characters' point of view, for only Tina and Kendall can decide whether or not their friendship, and love, is strong enough to endure the humility that is oftentimes associated with being different. Will Tina and Kendall risk stepping outside of their comfort zone into unfamiliar territory, defying society, God, and their families, in their quest to discover who they truly are?

Always Faithful


Isabella - 2010
    She is left alone to wonder why she and she alone. Survivor's guilt has nothing on the young Major as she is forced to deal with the scars, both physical and mental, left from her ordeal overseas. Before the accident, she couldn't think of doing anything else in her life. In fact, she even had sacrificed love for service, but now she questions the very ideals she once believed in. Was it worth it? Sent Stateside to recover, she finds herself at the Marine Corps base in California where her new job is to inform families of a loved one's death. One of the "informs" will change her life forever. Claire Monroe is your average military wife, with a loving husband and a little girl. She is used to the time apart from her husband. In fact, it was one of the reasons she married him. Then, one day, her life is turned upside down when she gets a visit from the Marine Corps. She finds herself losing a husband but awakening a long-gone side of herself she never thought she would see again. Is she being disrespectful to the memory of her recently dead husband or is she finally being true to who she really is? Can these two women come to terms with the past and finally find happiness, or will their shared sense of honor keep them apart?

How Still My Love


Diane Marina - 2014
    Why mess with the heart when it isn't broken? Being alone means never dealing with hurtful ex-girlfriends, or parents who have shunned her for being gay. Being alone has its perks - she's just fine on her own. Or so she thinks until the young, vivacious and sexy Toni Vincent enters her life. In one moment, Toni quickly unlocks Beth’s heart and the two women plan a future together. But when Beth learns that Toni may not want the same type of happy ending she had in mind, fate steps in yet again to steal her happily-ever-after. Toni wants things that Beth might not be able to provide. When an interested new woman steps into the picture, chaos erupts. Can Beth fix things before it’s too late, or will she lose Toni forever? Travel with Beth on this funny and heartbreaking journey to true love.

Swipe Right


Mia Archer - 2017
    An impulsive swipe in a hot new dating app. A secret that will change their world! Eve played it safe. Keep quiet. Keep your head down. Graduate top of the class. That was the plan. Now if only she'd stuck with that plan. Because the plan didn't involve signing up for a hot new app for LGBT teens. It didn't involve discovering her former best friend on that app. It certainly didn't involve falling in love before she got to college where it was safer to come out! Lily was popular. Lily was high school royalty. Lily had it all, and she hated her life. More specifically she hated Lisa and the crowd of mean girls she called friends. Sure she was with the popular crowd, but it came at a price. Like being forced to play along when Lisa forced her to join some new gay dating app so they could find and out anyone using it. Only what started as a prank becomes a whole lot more as Lily realizes there are more important things than being popular. Even if she is risking the only life she knows for feelings that are strange, new, and more than a little scary! Two girls from different worlds. Two girls afraid of what they're feeling. Two girls who will have to risk it all for a chance at love!

Hers to Protect


Nicole Disney - 2018
    She thinks she's prepared for anything, but when she responds to a bloody domestic violence call, only to find her high school sweetheart is the victim, she knows she has to find a way to help.When Adrienne Contreras's mother moved her to the south side of Chicago at seventeen, she quickly saw her safe life and idealistic love with Kaia replaced with poverty, crime, and violence. Now twenty-seven, Adrienne is dating Gianna, a high-ranking member of a brutal gang. She has the streets figured out, but the first rule is to never talk to cops, even one she used to be in love with.As their attraction grows into love, Adrienne and Kaia struggle to see past the changes in each other and escape Gianna and the gang, who have threatened both their lives.

Melt My Heart


Anna Cove - 2020
    Hoping people will forget, Laura takes leave from her soap opera role and escapes to the small Catskill Mountain town of Love Falls. The public needs a break from her, and she needs a safe place to have her baby.She just didn't expect that "safe place" to be on the side of a deserted mountain road.Dylan Wilson exists only to help others.Three years ago, a car accident stole Dylan's wife and her joy. Her job as a 9-1-1 operator is the only thing that drags her out of bed in the morning. When she meets Laura, she feels a spark of something she hasn't in years. And later, when she responds to Laura's emergency call, that spark fans into a flame she can't resist reaching for.Dylan knows all too well the pain of loss. Falling for Laura, someone who doesn't belong in her small-town world or her small-town life, could be a sure path to heartache. But despite her misgivings, she flutters to Laura's luminescence, unable to turn away.Has Dylan found the one who will burn her to cinders or the one who can finally melt the ice around her heart?Don't miss the sexy, sensual, joyous first novel in the Catskill Crew lesbian romance series, complete with a progressive and artistic small town, fun side characters, and a deep romance that will tick all your boxes.

A Marine Awakening


Jax Meyer - 2019
    Navigating the policy and finding allies is harder than she expected, but she's determined to complete her enlistment period and return to college. Meanwhile, gregarious military kid Sharon Rodriguez knows connections are critical to navigate the unspoken rules of the Marine Corps. She’s confident in her ability to enjoy the casual flings she's accustomed to, while pursuing the 20 year career she desires. When Sharon convinces Cam to attend a party with her, neither realizes their lives are about to become more complicated than they planned for. How hard will they need to fight for a love that must remain in the shadows? A Marine Awakening, a Dal Segno prequel, is a contemporary new adult lesbian romance with a happy ending that shows that no person or policy can stop two Marines fighting for each other.

Strawberry Summer


Melissa Brayden - 2017
    She hated her name, was less than popular in school, and was always cast aside as a “farm kid.” However, with the arrival of Courtney Carrington, Margaret’s youth sparked into color. Courtney was smart, beautiful, and put together—everything Margaret wasn’t. Who would have imagined that they’d fit together so perfectly?But first loves can scar.Margaret hasn’t seen Courtney in years and that’s for the best. But when Courtney loses her father and returns to Tanner Peak to take control of the family store, Margaret comes face-to-face with her past and the woman she’s tried desperately to forget. The fact that Courtney has grown up more beautiful than ever certainly doesn’t help matters.

Rain Falls


Kelli Jae Baeli - 2014
    She ends up with two assignments - one, to interview up-and-coming lesbian romance writer Tegan Lowry, and the other? To win a bet to write her own lesbian romance, thus securing for herself a job as an editor. There's a bit of an issue with the second of those. India writes science fiction, not romance. There's none of that confusing touchy-feely stuff in her science fiction novels. Hell, she doesn't even read romance, and as for the lesbian aspect, she's not sure how to define her sexuality, but if she's a lesbian, then she's so far in the closet, she doesn't even know where the door is. Maybe Tegan could give her some pointers on writing all those sex scenes she's probably going to have to stick in there? Tegan is thrilled to be interviewed, even by the awkward and socially-inept India. Not that Tegan views herself as anyone's fantasy - she's on crutches, and who would be interested in a cripple? Her deeply romantic fantasies are all lived out on the page. But when India suddenly asks if Tegan will join her in her writing cabin to get some serious work done, she jumps at the chance to leave her horrible basement apartment behind to concentrate on her writing in comfort and peace, with the fascinating, if rather emotionally-unavailable, India Bell. In the gorgeous cabin on the outskirts of the small tourist town of Rain Falls, Colorado, the two women find themselves struggling with temptation and absurdity. It's a situation they never thought they'd find outside of a romance novel.

Colorblind


Siera Maley - 2016
    and it’s not that she likes girls. She has a rare and special gift: she can see how old other people will be when they pass away. Nothing she does changes this number, and that becomes especially clear when her mother dies in a car crash. With only one other person in the world who knows about and shares her gift, Harper is determined to keep her distance from everyone. Then she falls for Chloe… whose number is 16.That means that Chloe doesn’t have twelve months to live. She doesn’t even have six.She is going to be dead by the end of the summer, unless Harper can find a way to stop it.

I Can't Think Straight


Shamim Sarif - 2008
    As Tala’s wedding day approaches, simmering tensions come to boiling point and the pressure mounts for Tala to be true to herself.Moving between the vast enclaves of Middle Eastern high society and the stunning backdrop of London’s West End, I Can’t Think Straight explores the clashes between East and West, love and marriage, conventions and individuality, creating a humorous and tender story of unexpected love and unusual freedoms.

Something Tragic


Jessica Yeh - 2017
    In fact, they never would have crossed paths if it wasn’t for the school project. They were juniors. Addison was the quiet, new girl. Having to move in with her uncles after the fire was one of the most difficult things she had ever endured. Tragic, really. Life always seemed to turn out that way for Addison.When Addison first started at Parkville High, she knew exactly who Crisa Grayson was, even if Crisa didn’t know her. Crisa was the focus of hallway gossip, infamous for her wild parties and golden hair. On the surface, she seemed like the typical high school cliché. She was bubbly, fun-loving and sometimes even larger-than-life. But appearances can be deceiving, and Addison never expected to interact with the enigma, let alone fall in love with her.Follow Addison Warren as she begins to unravel different layers of Crisa Grayson. Something Tragic is a coming of age, LGBT novel about self-discovery and finding love.