Welcome! This month we have a couple trying to save their respective businesses by working on the wedding of a shared ex, college lesbians coming together in a complicated relationship, and two middle school students finding a friend in each other.
These titles may be available in other formats or languages. Check our catalog for availability.
DISCLAIMER: We do not review books by author request.
Happy reading!
Title/Author: Our Ex's Wedding by Taleen Voskuni
Reviewer: Laura B.
Summary: Ani and Raffi meet for the first time when working on a wedding that could save both of their businesses. But their instant connection is challenged by his playboy reputation...and by the fact that one of the brides turns out to be their shared ex!
Series/Standalone: Standalone, but it exists within the same universe as Voskuni’s other books
Genre/Sub-Genre: Contemporary
Book Format: Physical Book
Length: 398 pages
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Bisexual
HEA/HFN: HEA
Content Warnings: No major content warnings.
Ratio of Sex/Plot: 95% plot, 5% sex
Well-Written/Editor Needed: Well-written
Would I Recommend it?: Yes
Personal Thoughts: I enjoyed this a lot! It did feel a little bit more like a fiction book with a strong romance subplot than an actual romance novel, but I still think romance readers will enjoy it.
I thought the premise of Ani and Raffi both discovering that one of the brides was their shared ex after they had already agreed to the wedding was fun, particularly since neither of them spent much time pining over her within the story. If Raffi wasn’t already over her and Ani hadn’t gotten over her early in the book, I think it could have been hard to root for their relationship. I also liked that Ani and Raffi both needed the job, but for different reasons: Ani financially, and Raffi to prove something to his father. Them both needing the job added to the stakes, but it would have felt boring if they both had the same problem with their business.
As always with Voskuni’s books, I also really appreciated they way she spreads Armenian culture throughout the story. That really elevates this from just another romcom into something unique and helps make the characters and their community feel more fleshed out.
Overall, I think this is a good entry point into romance for people who are just dipping their toes into the genre, because it doesn’t have a ton of sex but still follows the romance tropes and rules. I also think romance readers will enjoy it because of the great characters and engaging plotlines!
Title/Author: How Do We Relationship? (vols. 1-13) by Tamifull
Reviewer: Tali
Summary: College freshmen Miwa and Saeko decide to try dating when they realize that they are the only lesbians they know. They go on to develop a complicated relationship throughout their time in college, with lots of joys, mistakes, and growth along the way.
Year of Publication: 2020-2026
Genre: Yuri/GL manga, coming-of-age, romance
Format & Length: Paperback, 13 volumes (14th and final volume to be published in English in April 2026)
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Lesbian main characters; bi, ace, and questioning side characters
Content Warnings: Homophobia (incl. internalized homophobia), bullying, situations of ambiguous consent, discussions of sexual trauma (in a later volume), on-page nudity and sex
Ratio of Sex/Plot: Sex is treated as an important aspect of relationships but isn’t the sole focus. There’s about one sex scene per volume, and they are generally tasteful and not too graphic.
Well-Written/Editor Needed: Very well-written. Nuanced characterization and thoughtful, realistic storylines. (Bear with it through the first couple chapters – it gets better after a slightly rocky start.)
Art/Illustrations: I really liked the art style. Simple but expressive, with distinctive and charming character designs.
Would I Recommend?: Yes!
Personal Thoughts: How Do We Relationship? (HDWR) makes the unique choice to start where most yuri series end: at the beginning of the relationship between the two main characters. The conflict and interest in HDWR come not from a trite “will-they-won't-they" dynamic, but from the process of Miwa and Saeko learning how to relate to each other and navigate the world. Throughout the story, they are confronted with a host of real and relatable problems: when do you know if you're ready to have sex with a new partner? How do you get over someone you never even dated? What does it look like to stay friends with an ex in a healthy way? How do you handle being lesbian and gender non-conforming in a conservative society? By avoiding pining or fake-dating tropes and jumping right into the main relationship, HDWR dives deeper into lesbian life and relationship issues than many other titles.
Tamifull writes and draws with a keen eye for detail, nuance, and realism. Because these characters jump off the page so vividly, the experiences they go through strike an intense emotional chord with readers. (At least for me, there were more than a few moments where I had to set the book down to process and feel and think about what I had just read because it was so real.) This series would be a great discussion piece for a manga book club, because different readers can draw so many interpretations and connections from the shades of gray in a given situation. At a moment when yuri manga, and indeed a lot of Western romance novels and literary fiction, are tending toward flat, tropey, and predictable storytelling, the nuance in HDWR is a breath of fresh air.
This thoughtful storytelling extends to HDWR’s treatment of sexuality. Where a lot of yuri tends to stumble into one of two pitfalls – either chaste and platonic on one hand, or pornographic and objectifying on the other – HDWR threads the needle to tastefully portray sex as one aspect among many in a relationship. Questions of sexual compatibility, comfort, and desire come up organically throughout the narrative. Simply put, I think this manga gets the spice level just right. (Though this manga is shelved in the library’s teen section and rated “Older Teen” by the publisher, it may be a better fit for adult readers due to explicit sexual content and mature themes, so I encourage readers to consider their comfort level before picking it up.)
Whether you are a longtime manga fan or have never given the medium a shot, How Do We Relationship? is a fantastic read that raises the bar for authentic, nuanced, and relatable sapphic storytelling. With the final volume about to be published in English, now is a great time to catch up on this series.
Title/Author: Linus and Etta Could Use a Win by Caroline Huntoon
Reviewer: Ana
Summary: Linus, a trans boy, decides to “go stealth” at his new school after a dramatic coming-out the year before. Fed up with eighth grade, Etta plans to coast until she becomes eligible to transfer to an alternative school. Despite their differences, the two quickly become close. After a snide remark from an ex-friend, Etta makes a bet that she could get anyone elected class president…even the new boy.
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre/Sub-Genre: Middle grade fiction
Book Format: eBook
LGBTQ+ Orientation: Trans
Content Warnings: Misgendering, microaggressions, menstruation, past friendship breakup
Well-Written/Editor Needed: Well-written
Would I Recommend?: Yes
Personal thoughts: This is such a cute book! Linus is adorable and Etta is such a genuinely cool person. She comes across as realistic but not annoying, which seems a difficult line for writers to walk. I enjoyed watching Linus learn to stick up for himself – I’m still bad at that even in my 30s, which makes it all the more admirable. While I didn't care for his romance subplot, it's always nice when authors write about crushes in true-to-life ways, awkward blushing and all.
The part about Linus listening to see if his parents would correct his grandma's misgendering is incredibly relatable. He describes it as feeling like they're “guilty by association” and that's exactly how I feel in my own life too. It made me so happy to see them grow, though! There are some really great adults in this book. I love Etta's mom and, despite his faults, Linus's dad. I love how much grace they're willing to give their kids and how they don't seem patronizing.
All in all a very sweet story, and I hope we continue getting more trans middle grade stories like this!
Add a comment to: Queer Lit Review: March 2026