A long time ago Charlotte made a rec list of her favourite love confessions in LGBT books, and I decided it’s high time for me to make one as well. Let’s be honest, don’t we all read book just waiting for characters to make a beautiful romantic speech? Give us reasons to happy-cry!
Also, I just want to be clear that I absolutely agree with all of Charlotte’s choices (the ones from books I’ve read, that is), and especially The Pursuit Of… & Midnighter and Apollo. They would be on my list, as well, but I don’t wanna repeat her.
Related: Charlotte’s Favourite Love Confessions
The Thirty Names of Night
Zeyn Joukhadar
Goodreads
Rep: Syrian American trans gay mc, Syrian American gay li, Syrian sapphic mc, Syrian trans li, Syrian sapphic li, Black nonbinary character
TW: islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, violence, death, blood
Why Should I Read It?
Starting strong because actually, this whole book is like a love confession. I can’t possibly pin-point one scene where someone said (or thought) the most beautiful words, and it would be cruel to ask me to choose just a single one.
The Kingdoms
Natasha Pulley
Goodreads
Rep: half-Chinese gay mc, half-Spanish gay mc
TW: rape, murder, blood, violence, guns
Why Should I Read It?
You won’t know it, when you read it for the first time, but there’s actually a love confession in the beginning of the book and it’s heartbreaking. It only gets more & more heartbreaking as the story progresses. But like, in a good way. When he calls him his family?!
A Curse of Roses
Diana Pinguicha
Goodreads
Rep: mostly Portuguese cast & setting, lesbian mc, lesbian Muslim li, lesbian side characters
TW: religion-based self harm, homophobia, internalised homophobia, blood, murder, body horror
Why Should I Read It?
Absolutely obsessed with scenes where a character confesses their love for someone, and at the same time comes to terms with the fact they’re gay. Also, there might be some curse breaking involved with that? What more do you need?
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
Ashley Herring Blake
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mc, bi mc, bi side characters
Why Should I Read It?
I’m a sucker for when a character calls someone their home. Nothing is more romantic than that! Nothing makes me feel more feral! And when it’s a lesbian saying the words? Oh boy!
The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere
John Chu
Goodreads
Rep: Chinese gay mc, gay li
TW: abuse and homophobia from sibling
Why Should I Read It?
Technically I’m cheating with this one. It features a love confession without the character actually saying the words or properly admitting his feelings. But it’s still there for the other guy to see and feel. There’s something magical about it, despite how sad it might be.
Tipping the Velvet
Sarah Waters
Goodreads
Rep: sapphic mc & li, numerous sapphic characters
Why Should I Read It?
When both of the characters are convinced the other person doesn’t love them, or at least not enough to be with them, but then they finally use their words and the whole world starts literally blooming? Yeah, that’s the shit.
Cemetery Boys
Aiden Thomas
Goodreads
Rep: Latinx cast, Mexican-Cuban American gay trans mc, Colombian American gay li with ADHD, lesbian side character, trans side character
TW: deadnaming (name not on page), misgendering, transphobia, mentions of death of a parent, mentions of past gang violence, blood
Why Should I Read It?
Chapter twenty four, my guys, that’s all I’m gonna say. When he starts yelling in Spanish? I felt that in my bones, and I don’t even speak the language.
Reason Number One
Briston Brooks
Goodreads
Rep: gay Native American mc with a heart condition, bi li
TW: sexual assault, physical assault, blood, talk of past rape, abuse, internalized homophobia
Why Should I Read It?
You know when you want to give someone a personalised gift, but you love them so much, that love pours out of you without you even noticing, to the point that your gift might as well be a giant neon I LOVE YOU sign? That’s both of the guys here. It’s ridiculous.
The Weight of the Stars
K. Ancrum
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mc, mixed-race Black lesbian li, side achillean relationship, side interracial polyam relationship
Why Should I Read It?
Sometimes, it’s more important what you do than what you say. Sometimes your actions just scream that you love someone, scream so loud that the whole galaxy can hear it. Sometimes sending someone a message that “you’re coming” sounds like the most beautiful love confession.
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow
Natasha Pulley
Goodreads
Rep: achillean mc with synesthaesia, achillean Japanese mc
Why Should I Read It?
Yes, this is a second book by Natasha Pulley on this list. (And yes, it is a second book in a series, so you should probably read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street first.) I don’t know what to tell you guys! Apart from the fact that I literally remember the love confession from this book by heart, and it makes me cry every single time I think about it.
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