Book picks similar to
The Replacement Man by Christiana Harrell


not-for-me-dnf-sorry
romance-queer
trans
contemporary

The Iron Princess (The Twilight Empress, #1)


Niall Teasdale - 2018
    Thus has it been since before the physical and spirit worlds divided. There are five martial Forms inspired by the elements and humans have learned them, using them to defend themselves, for thousands of years. Ever since the Empire of Iron began using the Metal Form for conquest, the secrets of each Form have been guarded more closely. Few people learn more than one Form as they did in the past. In Avrilatha – an ordinary village in the Western Plains – lives Ayah. Daughter of the village healer, Ayah’s only genuinely remarkable features are a stubborn streak and a desire to master all five Elemental Forms. When she is forced to leave her village, Ayah sets out on her quest to find teachers. Accompanied by a fox with a secret, Ayah’s journey will take her all over the continent and involve her in politics, intrigue, and war. The Empire of Iron is on the move, and the only thing in its way is one stubborn girl.

Behind the Pine Curtain


Gerri Hill - 2006
    Her family was the largest employer in the county, owning Pine Springs Lumber, and her father was mayor of this small town. Her mother could not accept the fact that her only child was gay, could not tolerate the gossip about her family. So, with a hundred dollars in her pocket and a one-way bus ticket out of town, Jacqueline was told not to come back until she had come to her senses. And that included being prepared to marry the son of a business associate of the family. Fifteen years later—long after she’d hitch-hiked to Los Angeles, long after she’d worked nights to put herself through college, and long after she’d written her first best seller, No Place For Family—Jacqueline is persuaded to go back to the tiny town of Pine Springs after her father’s death. The quick trip she’d envisioned for the funeral turns into weeks as she learns her father’s business is suddenly hers to manage. And she is also again face-to-face with the woman who, as a teen, had been Jackie’s first crush. She and Kay had been inseparable as kids, and later as teens. They find themselves falling back into their old habits, and Jackie is soon fighting the same feelings she’d had when she was seventeen. But living behind the pine curtain, Kay is afraid of her love for Jackie, afraid of what her family will say, afraid of how the town will react. Jackie refuses to hide, refuses to crawl back into the closet, so once again, she leaves Pine Springs . . . alone.

Keile's Chance


Dillon Watson - 2009
    Everything Keile Griffen ever loved was taken away, including her family. Surviving a youth in Child Support Services has left her driven to succeed as an adult--and she has. A successful, sought after planning consultant, she maps out solutions for other people, but never for herself. When Hayden Davenport's partner walked out on her in the midst of planning their family, she decided to go it alone. It hasn't been easy, and she's not used to help. When her missing son is found by a stranger at the park, she's overwhelmingly grateful to the young woman. When her gratitude blossoms into something more, her first impulse is to protect her child--and her battered heart. All Keile knows is that fateful day in the park she fell for a pair of big, brown eyes. But if she wants a family she has to take a chance, a big one. She could win it all...or lose everything. Dillon Watson's tale of unexpected love unfolds in the beautiful southeast, and introduces an insightful new storyteller who explores the passionate commitment that leads to love and family.

Sugar


Karin Kallmaker - 2004
    ...Literally. Struggling to make ends meet, Sugar has invested everything into Cake Dreams by Sugar with hopes of becoming the most sought-after designer of event desserts in Seattle. Working - and baking - night and day to perfect her business and her chances of winning a large bake-off prize, she's not prepared for disaster. Within a few hours she's got no place to live and no business, not even a bag of flour or a measuring cup. Support arrives in the form of an empathetic Victim's Advocate social worker named Tree, a hunky, charming firefighter named Charlie, and a dynamic, ambitious local TV producer. She's Emily, and the first of the trio to make a serious play for Sugar in the morning, Sugar in the evening, and Sugar in the afternoon. After years as a single lesbian who couldn't get a heartbeat from any woman anywhere, all this attention has Sugar's head spinning. Forced to live with her ailing, homophobic grandmother, she has no idea how she'll get to know any of these new women in her life. They all offer changed circumstances, stability and a hope at forever. But which one will she choose? FINDING MS. RIGHT IS NO PIECE OF CAKE.

Before Her


Grace Parkes - 2020
    Will Frankie's secrets shatter their relationship before it begins?A sizzling hot Age Gap Romance from Grace Parkes.Cara Taylor has spent her life in a small village without much excitement. She works in a bar, lives with her best friend and without realising is in need of something new and exciting.After meeting her best friend’s new tenant Frankie, she is desperate to find out more.Can Cara break down Frankie’s barriers and find love in the land that time forgot?

Pink Bean Series #1-3


Harper Bliss - 2018
    Beneath the Surface will take you back in time to follow their journey and discover the origin story of Sydney's pinkest coffee shop.Finally, get to know Josephine, long-time barista at the Pink Bean, as she attempts to get over her insecurities and opens herself up to love in Everything Between Us.Grab an espresso (or a flat white) and settle down for nearly 700 pages of heartwarming, dramatic and steamy lesbian romance, like only best-selling author Harper Bliss can craft.Sydney is full of coffeeshops, but none as exciting, and full of drama, as the Pink Bean..

Trans-Sister Radio


Chris Bohjalian - 2000
    Her daughter, Carly, enthusiastically witnesses the change in her mother. But then a few months into their relationship, Dana tells Allison his secret: he has always been certain that he is a woman born into the wrong skin, and soon he will have a sex-change operation. Allison, is overwhelmed by the depth of her passion, and finds herself unable to leave Dana. By deciding to stay, she finds she must confront questions most people never even consider. Not only will her own life and Carly’s be irrevocably changed, she will have to contend with the outrage of a small Vermont community and come to terms with her lover’s new body–hoping against hope that her love will transcend the physical.

Close Ups and F**k Ups


Natasha West - 2017
     Allie just wants to make movies. But that’s not so easy when distractions abound. Distractions like sexy set designer Ashley. Or for that matter, sensitive screenwriter Cameron. In the high pressure atmosphere of a top film school, can Allie hang on to who she is? And with two different love paths in front of her, will she choose the right one? Or will she fuck everything up? From the author of 'The Plus One' and 'Waiting for the Punchline', 'Close Ups and F**k Ups' is about risking everything for what (and who) you love.

Finding Faith


Kim Pritekel - 2020
    Considering he was the only parent she had left after her mother's suicide when Faith was just a child, she thought that's what it would take. She was wrong. What she dreamed would be glamorous and satisfying turned out to be grueling and thankless. Since she wasn't willing to play the game between the sheets, she was forced to stay in the cubicle jungle doing all the heavy lifting while the men got the credit and the rewards. Deciding she is done, Faith packs up and, with the flip of the bird to the rearview mirror, leaves New York and heads home to Colorado. She has nothing there: no job, nowhere to live, no relationship with her father. Truth is, she barely has a relationship with herself. On the drive home, she finds herself in Wynter, a tiny mountain town at the foot of the Rockies. Looking more like it belongs in a made-for-TV Christmas movie than on the map, Faith is utterly enchanted. When she tries her luck and buys a raffle ticket at Pop’s, Wynter’s charming café, her prize is far more than meets the eye—or the heart. Enter Wyatt, a feisty, sexy southerner and waitress at Pop's, who just happens to be married to a local sheriff's deputy. All is not as it appears with the All-American boy and his Georgia peach.A colorful cast of unforgettable and charming characters will teach the jaded attorney that sometimes to find yourself all you have to do is go back to the basics…and have a little Faith.

The Gift of a Child


Donna K. Weaver - 2018
    She and her two young children must now face a holiday season filled with so many reminders of what they've lost. But when a coworker who’s raising his young nephew moves next door, Rae discovers that the support of a good friend, and the gift of a child, can bring back some of the joy of the season.

Hope & a Canoe


Michele M. Reynolds - 2014
    She’s just waiting until she turns eighteen and has enough money saved to run away from her unbearable life with her grandparents. Gracie has everything Tember never knew she was missing—a good education and a loving father, who is supportive of her sexual orientation and even tries to set her up with girls. When he introduces the two girls, Gracie’s blue eyes and strong character immediately catch Tember’s attention. But a summer romance is not Tember’s style, especially since she’s about to run away.

Detransition, Baby


Torrey Peters - 2021
    She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men.Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese—and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby—and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it—Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family—and raise the baby together?This provocative debut is about what happens at the emotional, messy, vulnerable corners of womanhood that platitudes and good intentions can't reach. Torrey Peters brilliantly and fearlessly navigates the most dangerous taboos around gender, sex, and relationships, gifting us a thrillingly original, witty, and deeply moving novel.

Too Strong to Die


Erin Wade - 2017
    Ricky hunts a savage serial killer while trying to provide protection for the headstrong Senator as Christine takes on the task of securing agreements with Mexico to build a wall along the Texas border. The two become embroiled in life and death situations as they battle to keep each other alive. Fast action and romance make this one of the top romantic thrillers of the year.

Carry On Wayward Son (Underground Granny Matchmakers #2)


Tamie Dearen - 2022
    When she sends me over to redesign Race’s condo, I know what she’s up to. GeeBee wants us to get married, just like my sister and his brother did.But I’m not Race’s type. He’s a rockstar, and I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket if you held a gun to my head!The good news is that Race is on my side. I told him he’s not my type either. Together, we should be able to foil GeeBee’s plans to match us up.RaceApril is helping me win back the woman I lost. Only, I'm not so sure I want her back anymore.And now GeeBee is finding new matches for April. First, my old high school nemesis. And then my roommate.Doesn't she realize those guys aren't good enough for April?It’ll take an act of desperation to get April’s attention.But I know her weaknesses: flowers, chocolate and (most important of all) throw pillows!I just hope it’s not too late...You'll love this second book of the sweet romantic comedy series, Underground Granny Matchmakers, from USA Today bestselling author Tamie Dearen!This heartwarming, rockstar romance is the second of the Underground Granny Matchmaker romantic comedy series. Lighthearted, fun-filled stories of finding love with a little help from grandma!

Miss-Match


Erica Lawson - 2013
    According to her aunt, she is as good as dead. Minerva Goldberg has used all her matchmaking wiles to make a conventional match for Clancy. Now it is time to use an unconventional one. Fashion editor, Carmen Pratka does Minerva a favor by going on a blind date with Clancy. Clancy refuses to acknowledge what the rest of the world knows. Carmen makes it her personal mission to not only convince Clancy that she is a lesbian and she, is the right woman for her.A not to be missed romantic comedy by award winners Erica Lawson and A.C. Henley.