Find Your Next Sapphic Read
We spend a lot of time thinking about how to help you find your next sapphic read.
To make it easier to find exactly what you are looking for we categorise books into a number of different subsections. Here they are in a way that can hopefully help you find what you want a lot faster.
Click on the category to see all the books we have reviewed for that section.
This is a hierarchy of the categories so you can see main and sub categories.
The highlighted categories are links to that category.
The site is built to only show a handful of reviews per page, so to see older reviews you need to use the link at the bottom of the page that says Previous.
We also have a sapphic fiction advanced search/book finder where you can look for books based on multiple categories.
Highly Recommended Books
One of the best things about TLR is that we do the reading for you. This means you are much more likely to find excellent books, avoid the book blues and get just the right read.
These are books that we think are awesome
Legendary: Books with six or more reviewer favourite badges
Hall Of Fame Books: Books with four or more reviewer fave badges
Best Of The Best Books: Books that get two reviewer favourite badges
Highly Recommended Books: Books with a reviewer favourite badge
Best of Lists
Special Categories
Anthology: A published collection of writings.
Audiobooks: These are audiobooks that we have reviewed.
Series: These books are part of a series.
Short Story/Novella: A story that is 45,000 words or less.
Joint review: These are reviews done by two or more reviewers.
How Hot is the Book?
Did you know? We were the first to include heat levels so that you can find just the right read for you? We are paving the way to a better reader experience.
How much graphic intercourse/relations is there in this book?
No Graphic Physical Relations: Fade to black or no scenes involving physical relations.
Euphemistic / Tame Physical Relations: On page descriptions but tame or euphemistic descriptions.
Medium Heat Physical Relations: 2 or 3 graphic scenes of physical relations intended to titillate.
Hot Physical Relations: Lots of on page and graphic descriptions intended to titillate.
Physical Relations Includes BDSM: includes bondage, discipline, spanking and all the sub categories that falls under the BDSM banner
Physical Relations With Toys: Toys are used in a graphic manner
Books by Main Character
All of these categories apply to the women or non binary main characters or strong secondary characters.
Age of Main Character
Young Adult (15-18) Lead: This is generally aimed at the teen market and most often doesn’t have sex or has fade to black sex, depending on the age of the characters.
New Adult (18 – 24) Lead: This is aimed at the older teen and young 20s market. The stories are generally more sophisticated and include sex scenes.
25-39 Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is 25-39 years old.
40+ Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is over 40.
Careers / Hobbies
Accountant / CFO: A main character who does accounting or is a chief financial officer and oversees the financial management of a company.
Actor: An actor in any kind of acting.
Amateur Detective: A detective who is not being paid by the police department and has no official training in police work.
Architect / Builder: An architect or builder as a career or hobby.
Artist: Someone who paints, draws, sculpts or does anything artistic as a career or a significant hobby.
Author / Writer: A writer/author as a serious hobby or for a living
Bartender: A bartender as a serious hobby or for a living
Celebrity: A celebrity of any kind like authors, film stars, sports people or YouTubers.
CEO: A Chief Executive Officer (CEO), director or other high ranking executive in a large business.
Chef / Foodie: Someone who loves food and either makes it for fun or for a living.
Cop: Anyone who works as a police officer.
Criminal: A criminal as a career or hobby
Dancer: A dancer as a career or hobby
Equestrian / Horse Breeder: Someone who owns a ranch, breeds horses, races or otherwise works with horses.
Farmer: A main character who is a farmer.
Firefighter: A career or volunteer firefighter.
Flight Attendant: Someone who works as a flight attendant.
Lawyer / Judge: A main character who practices law.
Medical Professional: Doctor, nurse, anaesthesiologist, dentist, physical therapist, any kind of medical professional.
Military Professional: Anyone who works in the military including Army, Navy, Marines, Airforce and Coast Guard.
Musician: Either professional or amateur musician.
Pilot: A person who flies airplanes, helicopters or spaceships for a living or for pleasure.
Politician: A person in politics.
Private Investigator: A story that revolves around a formal or informal PI. For example a journalist who ends up solving a case can also be considered a PI.
Rancher: A person who works on or owns a ranch.
Realtor / Property sales: Someone who sells houses to clients, stages houses or otherwise works with property sales.
Royalty: Anyone who is has a royal title – from the queen all the way to some minor duchess or second cousin to a duchess.
Scientist: Anyone who works in sciences.
Sex Worker: Someone who exchanges money for sexual services or performances.
Small Business Owner: The owner of a coffee shop, book store or other small business and employs a handful of people or works alone as something like a graphic designer or baker.
Social Worker: A Social Worker helps people of all ages to cope with the problems caused by poverty, unemployment, illness, antisocial behaviour and other social inadequacies. They work for the government.
Sports Player: A person who plays sport as a hobby or as a professional.
Baseball / Softball: Someone who plays or coaches softball or baseball.
Basketball: Someone who plays basketball.
Cheerleader: Someone who does or coaches cheerleading.
Golf: Someone who plays or coaches golf.
Hockey: Someone who plays or coaches hockey.
Olympics: Someone who enters or coaches for the Olympics.
Racing: Someone who or coaches or races in any form including cars, bikes, horses, humans running.
Soccer / Football: Someone who plays or coaches soccer/football.
Surfer: Someone who surfs or teaches surfing.
Tennis: Someone who plays or coaches Tennis.
Student: Someone who is currently studying part time or full time.
Teacher / Professor: Someone who teaches anything from school to university or even yoga.
Tech Specialist: Someone who specialises in any kind of technology eg, IT, hacking, website design.
Veterinarian: A trained medical professional who handles animals.
Character Themes
Bildungsroman / Coming of Age: A novel dealing with one’s formative years, spiritual education or coming to terms with oneself and growing up.
Coming Out: A story of someone coming out at any age.
Divorcee: A divorcee main character
Girl Next Door / Sunshine Character: A main character who is sweet and charming and everyone likes.
Ice Queen / Beast / Grump: A main character who is nasty, prickly or grumpy. The ice queen main character in a thawing the ice queen romance.
Lead With a Physical Disability: A main character with a physical disability.
Neurodiverse Lead: A main character who is neurodiverse.
Pet Parent: A main character or strong secondary character who has a pet or gets a pet and it’s a significant part of the story.
Living as A Man: A person who was assigned female at birth and lives as a man in order to pass for one. Not necessarily a butch character (but often is). This is often a case of having to pass as a man in order to survive or be safe, not always a trans man, or non binary person but can sometimes be on that path.
Recluse: A main character who doesn’t like people and prefers their own company. Often lives in remote places or rarely ventures out into public.
Reluctant Hero: A hero who is reluctant to step up. An average person who doesn’t believe they can be the hero
Single Parent: A main character or strong secondary character who is an unattached mother or parent and raising the child predominately alone. Someone can also be a single parent if they are divorced but have custody of the child or if the other parent is involved but not as often.
Widow: A main character or strong secondary character with a deceased spouse or long time life partner.
Country / Culture of Main Character
American Lead: A main character or strong secondary character from America
Asian Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is Asian or partially Asian decent
Australian Lead: A main character or strong secondary character from Australia.
Black Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is black or colored for those in the USA.
British Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is from England.
Canadian Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is from Canada.
European Lead: A main character from Europe (excluding the UK).
Indigenous Person Of America: A main character or strong secondary character who is an Indigenous Person of America, known formerly as native Americans.
Irish Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is from Ireland.
Jewish Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is Jewish.
Latinx Lead: A main character or strong secondary character who is from any Latin American country or with family roots from a Latin American country.
Multiracial Lead: A main character who is multiracial.
New Zealand Lead: A main character or strong secondary character from NZ.
Identity/Gender presentation of Main Character
Asexual / Aromantic: A main character or strong secondary character who is on the asexual or aromantic spectrum
Bisexual / Pansexual: A main character or strong secondary character who is bisexual, pansexual or omnisexual.
Chapstick: A lesbian main character who is somewhere between the femme and butch presentation. Sometimes she will be sporty and she may occasionally wear feminine clothing but predominantly wears jeans.
Femme: A main character or strong secondary character who identifies as a femme (think lipstick, nails, dresses, heals).
Lesbian: A main character or strong secondary character who is a lesbian.
Masculine Presenting: A main character or strong secondary character who prefers to present as more masculine, including butch and stud.
Non-Binary: A main character or strong secondary character who is non-binary.
Transgender Woman: A main character or strong secondary character who is a trans woman.
Speculative Fiction and Fantasy Characters
Magic User: A main character or secondary character that uses magic
Mermaid: A main character or strong secondary character who is a mermaid
Pirate: A main character or strong secondary character who is a pirate
Psychic: A main character or strong secondary character who is psychic
Shifter: A main character or strong secondary character who is a shifter
Superhero: A main character or strong secondary character who is a superhero
Vampire: A main character or strong secondary character who is a vampire
Genres
Action Novels: A genre in which the protagonist or protagonists end up in a series of challenges that typically include violence, close combat, physical feats, and frantic chases.
Adventure Novels: Adventure novels are exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales. Adventure stories are very similar to the action genre, in that they are designed to provide an action-filled, energetic experience for the reader.
Comedy / Humour Novels: Comedy ranges from ridiculous humour to physical humour to satire. These books are created to make you laugh.
Dark Academia: Dark Academia is an aesthetic and subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof with undertones of the darker, hidden aspects of the culture. It’s about obsession with truth, obsession with perfectionism, obsession with death and beauty. The search for knowledge and uncovering a hidden truth comes at a cost.
Drama: Stories that focus on intense conflict, emotional struggles, and often feature tragic or painful resolutions. These novels typically delve into the complexities of human relationships, particularly within family units, and explore themes of conflict, loss, and personal growth.
Erotic: A story that deals substantially with erotic subject matter.
Light and Fluffy Warm Hug: Books that are super cute, light and fluffy. They make you feel like you got a warm hug. Also referred to as chicklit.
Literary Fiction: Literary fiction is also known as serious fiction, high literature, or artistic literature. It encompasses stories that are more character-driven than plot-driven and often examine the human condition.
Romance
Find romance novels based on the kind of romance, the pairing or the theme.
Kind of Romance
Romantic Subplot: A romance that is connected with but less important than the main plot in a story. A secondary part of the story and not the main focus. (Choose this if it is only a small plot point)
Sweet Romance (with little angst): Do they break up and feel miserable? If yes then it’s a dramatic romance. If no then it’s a sweet romance.
Dramatic Romance (with lots of angst): Do they break up and feel miserable? If yes then it’s a dramatic romance. If no then it’s a sweet romance.
Slow Burn Romance : A romance where the attraction and getting together takes the entire book to develop. It’s slow, sometimes painfully so.
Erotic Romance: A romance where there is a lot of sex but it is key to the story of falling in love and the sex scenes develop the romance.
Romantic Comedy: A romantic comedy is a piece of fiction that focuses on a romance story in a lighthearted way with the idea that true love can overcome anything. This is part of the comedy genre and is light and funny.
Romantic Suspense: Romantic suspense is any genre of romance that features a prominent mystery, suspense or thriller plot.
Romantic Pairing
Age Gap (May / Dec): Leads with a significant age difference. 10 years or more. Or they at very different phases of their lives, for example one is still studying and the other is a successful career woman.
Masc / Masc: Two masculine presenting main characters, for example butch characters or stud characters fall in love.
Masc / Femme: A masculine presenting and feminine presenting character fall in love, for example a butch and femme or stud and lipstick.
Enemies to Lovers: The main theme of the romance is how they go from an antagonistic relationship to falling in love.
Femme / Femme: Two feminine presenting characters fall in love.
Friends to Lovers: A story where friends finally realise that they were meant to be together and fall in love.
Grumpy / Sunshine: A couple where one is sullen or grumpy or aloof and one is a bright, happy, sunshine person.
Polyamorous: A romance between three or more sapphic characters.
Rich / Poor: Two main characters fall in love even though they are from vastly different financial backgrounds.
Romance Theme
Fated Love / Soulmates: Two people who are meant to be together. The author will mention soul mates or the feeling that they are meant to be. People who share a spiritual, emotional and physical connection.
Fake Relationship: Also known as a Marriage of Convenience or Fauxmance is when two people pretend to be married or in a relationship so that they can attain something they couldn’t without the relationship and then they realise that they are actually madly in love with one another.
One Night to Forever: A one night stand turns into a real relationship.
Opposites Attract: Sometimes people who are complete opposites in personality, status and/or beliefs can balance one another and ultimately become a perfect match as they compensate for the other.
Second Chance: They broke up a long time ago and meet up again only to realise that the chemistry has never gone away.
Straight to Gay: A main character that goes from a straight life to a not straight life as a result of falling in love. This trope is also known as a Toaster Oven trope which is based on the old joke about someone winning a toaster oven for “Converting a Heterosexual” to sapphic ways.
Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction is also known as specfic. It is a combination of several genres of books that are not based in reality such as fantasy, science fiction and supernatural.
Alternate History
Events other than what we have lived which brings about a different kind of life.
Alternate History: Focusing on historical events if they happened differently with implications on the present.
Cyberpunk: Stories about a world where technology evolved differently.
Steampunk / Dieselpunk: Science fiction that generally has a historical setting and features machines that are powered by steam or diesel.
Dystopian / Post Apocalypse: A story set in a time where everything is bad, often a totalitarian environment.
Fantasy
Fairytale / Myth / Legend: A retelling of a fairytale, Greek mythology or historical legends all fall into this category.
Fantasy Of Manners : This is the fantasy equivalent of a Comedy of Manners, which focuses on or satirises the manners and affectations of a social class. This book gives fantasy elements to a story that is set in an otherwise specific cultural setting.
Magical Realism: Magic Realism or magical realism is a style of fiction that depicts fantastical story elements in an often mundane or real-world setting. It often blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.
Sword and Sorcery: The most common type of fantasy novel. Often it will include magic, sword play and fantastic creatures like dragons.
Urban Fantasy: A fantasy story with an urban setting. This can be historical or modern.
Horror: A book which intends to scare, disgust or startle the reader.
Gothic Horror: A subset of horror in which the creepy elements come more from the overall atmosphere. It’s less gruesome and more oppressive in atmosphere than typical horror.
Paranormal: Stories about entities that are unexplained by science such as aliens and ghosts.
Science Fiction
Science Fiction: Fiction based on future scientific and/or technological advances. There are often large social and environmental changes. Science fiction also often revolves around space or time travel and life on other planets.
Space Opera: A sub-genre of science fiction. It tends to be over the top and often emphasises warfare, adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, and risk-taking with melodramatic flare.
Supernatural: Supernatural beings can present as human but have extra powers or abilities. These include Vampires, Shapeshifters, and Werewolves. Supernatural beings exist outside the known laws of nature, often associated with inhuman powers like super strength or immortality.
Tentacles: Books with themes of squid, octopus, jellyfish or other tentacled creatures.
Mystery, Suspense and Thrillers
Love a good whodunnit? Want to read about killers, thieves or grannies who solve crime? This is the section for you.
Find all our mystery, suspense and thrillers here.
Mystery
Mystery: A genre that involves something that needs to be solved. It could be anything from mysterious death to a piece of art that has been stolen and needs to be recovered.
Cozy Mystery: A sector of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.
Missing Person: A story with a significant plot about a missing person.
Police Procedural: A sub-genre of detective fiction that focuses on the investigation process of a police officer.
Thrillers and Suspense
Thriller Novels: Thriller novels are a genre of fiction that contains suspense, excitement, and anticipation. It is often involving a protagonist facing a dangerous or threatening situation.
Crime Thriller: A thriller that combines the pacing and storytelling of a thriller with a crime plot.
Espionage: Also known as spy fiction. CIA, secret agents, Bourne etc. Spying at its best.
Historical Thriller: Thrillers set before 1960s in a specific time period that is accurately represented.
Legal Thriller: The main theme of this thriller is around the law and usually a courtroom.
Medical Thriller: A story that revolves around something medical like a race to uncover who is selling organs on the black market or stopping a terrorist from letting a disease free in a city.
Military Thriller: This thriller is set in the military.
Psychological Thriller: This story revolves around a battle of minds and wills. They are often darker and focus on emotional trauma
Supernatural Thriller: These thrillers blend the fast paced plot of a thriller with supernatural elements like magic, psychics or ghosts.
Techno Thriller: Technology focused thrillers for example, the main character needs to stop a criminal from unleashing the world’s biggest computer virus and wiping out all defence systems.
Setting
Academia / Education: The story takes place in an academic environment or one of the leads is a teacher, professor etc.
Boats and Ships: Books where boats play an important role in the story
Reality Show: A book where an important part of the plot takes place on a reality show.
Small Town: A story set in a small town and the setting is central to the story.
Trapped Together: This trope is also known as Forced Proximity or Just One Bed. Two people are stuck together unexpectedly and discover that they have feelings for one another.
Vacation: A story that takes place while a main character is on vacation/holiday. Such as finding love while on a cruise, at a ski resort or in a mountain cabin. Or being in a life or death situation when your cruise ship hits an ice berg.
Workplace: A story set in a workplace
Time Frame
Contemporary: Contemporary novels are set in present day in our timeline.
Futuristic: A story set in the future but not necessarily science fiction.
Historical: A story that is set in the past and uses true characteristics of the time. Generally set quite far back in history and not within the last 50 years.
Period Piece: A book that is set is a specific time in history. This can be as recent as the 90s or as far back as cavewoman times. It represents the era well and often nostalgically.
Multiple Timeline: These are stories that take place over one or more timelines. They include Time Jump stories, Time Tavel stories, stories that span Across Time or Time Slips.
Christmas: Christmas stories and stories set around the Christmas holidays.
Halloween: Stories set around halloween
Hanukkah: A story set around Hanukkah.
Valentines Day: A story set around Valentine’s Day.
War: A story set against the backdrop of war. Any war, regardless of the other themes, so a real war or a fictional war.
Western / Historic USA: Stories that revolve around The Wild West or traveling across the US to populate the country or are set in the 19th century frontier America.
Looking for books we haven’t reviewed yet or other interesting things?
Check out our Listings, New releases and Spotlights/Zines
New Releases: These are books that have been released recently. These change every 4 weeks.
Listings: A back catalogue of our New Release listings.
Zines/Spotlight: Ebook style magazine pdfs.
Articles: A bunch of articles related to sapphic topics of interest.
Podcasts: Our Podcast archives
Non Fiction Reviews
Find all our non-fiction reviews here
Biography / Memoir / Autobiography: The real life telling of someone done as a biography, memoir or autobiography.
Diary / Letter: The real life telling of someone thought their diary entries or letters.
19th Century Non-Fiction: Non-Fiction that took place anytime from 1801 – 1900
20th Century Non-Fiction: Non-Fiction that took place anytime from 1901-2000.