A new year, new lesbian books, and a new reading challenge!
Here at Ylva, we love a challenge—and we love great women-loving women books, so we are jumping into the Sapphic Book Bingo, created by our best-selling author Jae.
Check out the rules of the Sapphic Book Bingo 2022 on Jae’s website, and then populate your bingo card with some Ylva books.
To help you cover all the categories, we put together a list of our books and what bingo squares they fit.
Happy reading!
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO CATEGORIES
FAVORITE ROMANCE TROPE:
A sapphic book that contains your favorite romance trope, e.g., ice queen character, enemies-to-lovers romance, age-gap romance, or whatever is your book catnip! Here are some Ylva books for the most popular romance tropes:
Ice queen character:
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought
Cheyenne Blue: A Heart This Big; Code of Conduct; Party Wall
A.L. Brooks: A Heart to Trust; Chasing Dreams
Quinn Ivins: The Love Factor
Jae: Under a Falling Star; Paper Love; Next of Kin; True Nature
Olivia Janae: The Loudest Silence (out in July 2022)
Lola Keeley: A Roll in the Hay; The Music and the Mirror; Major Surgery; Slammed
Georgette Kaplan: Scissor Link
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman; The Taste of Her
Andi Marquette: If Looks Could Kill
Faith Prize: The Fifth Surgeon
Roslyn Sinclair: The X Ingredient; The Lily and the Crown; Truth and Measure (out in April 2022); Above All Things(out in May 2022)
Rachael Sommers: Never Say Never
Emily Waters: Honey in the Marrow (out in September 2022)
Lee Winter: The Red Files, Under Your Skin, Requiem for Immortals, Shattered, The Brutal Truth, Breaking Character, Changing the Script, Hotel Queens; The Awkward Truth
KD Williamson: Drawing the Line; Blurred Lines
Fiona Zedde: House of Agnes
Chris Zett: Irregular Heartbeat
Fake-relationship romance:
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought
Alison Grey: Contract for Love
KL Hughes: The Wrong McElroy
Jae: Just for Show; Something in the Wine; Backwards to Oregon; The Roommate Arrangement
Georgette Kaplan: Face It
Lola Keeley: Her Royal Happiness
Alex K. Thorne: Chasing Stars
Lee Winter: Breaking Character
Enemies-to-lovers romances:
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought
A.L. Brooks: A Heart to Trust; Up on the Roof; Chasing Dreams
Cheyenne Blue: Code of Conduct; Party Wall; All at Sea
Shaya Crabtree: You’re Fired
Jae: The Roommate Arrangement; True Nature; Second Nature; Paper Love
Olivia Janae: The Loudest Silence (out in July 2022)
Lola Keeley: Major Surgery; A Roll in the Hay; Her Royal Happiness
Jody Klaire: In Fashion
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman; Looking for Trouble
Faith Prize: The Fifth Surgeon
Roslyn Sinclair: The Lily and the Crown
Wendy Temple: Defensive Mindset
KD Williamson: Drawing the Line
Lee Winter: Breaking Character; The Red Files; The Brutal Truth; Changing the Script; Shattered; Hotel Queens
Fiona Zedde: The Power of Mercy; House of Agnes
Chris Zett: Heart Failure
Age-gap romance:
Cheyenne Blue: Party Wall
Andrea Bramhall: Just My Luck
A.L. Brooks: The Long Shot
Lois Cloarec Hart: Coming Home
Quinn Ivins: The Love Factor; Worthy of Love
Jae: Wrong Number, Right Woman; Next of Kin
Georgette Kaplan: The Woman at the Edge of Town; Scissor Link
Lola Keeley: The Music and the Mirror
Catherine Lane: Heartwood
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman; Looking for Trouble
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in May 2022)
Roslyn Sinclair: The X Ingredient; The Lily and the Crown; Truth and Measure (out in April 2022); Above All Things(out in May 2022)
Rachael Sommers: Never Say Never
Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (out in July 2022)
Lee Winter: The Red Files; Under Your Skin; The Brutal Truth; Breaking Character
Fiona Zedde: House of Agnes
Slow-burn romance:
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought
Cheyenne Blue: Code of Conduct; All at Sea; A Heart This Big
Andrea Bramhall: Rock and a Hard Place; Just My Luck
A.L. Brooks: The Long Shot; Miles Apart
Quinn Ivins: The Love Factor; Worthy of Love
Jae: Chemistry Lessons; Wrong Number, Right Woman; The Roommate Arrangement; Paper Love; Just for Show;Perfect Rhythm; Falling Hard; Heart Trouble; Something in the Wine; Under a Falling Star; Damage Control; Conflict of Interest; Next of Kin; Second Nature; True Nature; Backwards to Oregon; Hidden Truths; Shaken to the Core
Lola Keeley: Slammed
Jenn Matthews: Sing for My Baby; Reasons to Heal; Hooked on You; The Words Shimmer
Sheryn Munir: Falling into Place
Lee Winter: Changing the Script; Requiem for Immortals
Chris Zett: Heart Failure; Irregular Heartbeat
Medical romance:
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought; Flinging It; All the Little Moments
Jae: Heart Trouble; Manhattan Moon
Lola Keeley: Major Surgery
RJ Nolan: Wounded Souls; LA Metro; In a Heartbeat
Faith Prize: The Fifth Surgeon
KD Williamson: Blurred Lines; Crossing Lines; Between the Lines; Drawing the Line
Chris Zett: Heart Failure; Irregular Heartbeat
AWARD-WINNING SAPPHIC BOOK:
A sapphic book that won a literary award.
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought; All the Little Moments
A.L. Brooks: The Club; Miles Apart
Jae: Wrong Number, Right Woman; The Roommate Arrangement; Not the Marrying Kind; Paper Love; Just for Show; Perfect Rhythm; Falling Hard; Heart Trouble; Something in the Wine; Under a Falling Star; Departure from the Script; Just Physical; Conflict of Interest; Next of Kin; Second Nature; True Nature; Good Enough to Eat; Backwards to Oregon; Hidden Truths; Shaken to the Core; Beyond the Trail.
Wendy Hudson: Four Steps
Quinn Ivins: The Love Factor
Georgette Kaplan: Ex-Wives of Dracula
Lola Keeley: The Music and the Mirror; A Roll in the Hay
Emily O’Beirne: Here’s the Thing; A Story of Now
Astrid Ohletz & Jae: Don’t Be Shy; Wicked Things; Laid Bare
Astrid Ohletz & R.G. Emanuelle: Unwrap These Presents
Blythe Rippon: Barring Complications
Alex K. Thorne: Chasing Stars
Emma Weimann: Heart’s Surrender
Lee Winter: Hotel Queens; Shattered; Requiem for Immortals; The Red Files
Chris Zett: Irregular Heartbeat; Heart Failure
DISASTER:
A sapphic book in which a natural or man-made disaster plays an important role.
Wendy Hudson: The Island Between Us
Jae: Shaken to the Core; Beyond the Trail
SPORTS ROMANCE:
A sapphic book featuring a main character who’s an athlete or otherwise involved in a sport, e.g., a coach, physical therapist, etc. The sports setting needs to be essential to the book.
Cheyenne Blue: Code of Conduct
Andrea Bramhall: Rock and a Hard Place
A.L. Brooks: The Long Shot
C. Fonseca: Food for Love
Lola Keeley: Slammed
Catherine Lane: Romancing the Kicker; The Set Piece
Wendy Temple: Defensive Mindset
AUTHOR’S PICK:
Choose an author and have them suggest one of their books to you. We asked our authors which of their books they would have you read, and here’s their list of suggestions:
Cheyenne Blue: A Heart This Big
A.L. Brooks: Write Your Own Script
Alison Grey: Contract for Love
Wendy Hudson: The Island Between Us
Quinn Ivins: Worthy of Love
Jae: Perfect Rhythm
Olivia Janae: The Loudest Silence (out in July 2022)
Lola Keeley: The Music and the Mirror
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman
Faith Prize: The Fifth Surgeon
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in May 2022)
Rachael Sommers: Never Say Never
Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (out in July 2022)
Lee Winter: The Brutal Truth
Fiona Zedde: House of Agnes
Chris Zett: Irregular Heartbeat
FULL-TIME WRITER:
A sapphic book by an author who writes full-time. Here’s a list of the Ylva authors who manage to write full-time:
ESTABLISHED COUPLE:
A sapphic book that features an established couple—the characters already need to be together at the beginning of the book.
Jae: Next of Kin; Natural Family Disaster; Hidden Truths; Beyond the Trail.
Cheyenne Blue: Almost-Married Moni
Blythe Rippon: Benched
KD Williamson: Crossing Lines
Lee Winter: Under Your Skin
Fiona Zedde: A Lover’s Mercy
FAKE RELATIONSHIP ROMANCE:
A sapphic book in which the two main characters pretend to be in a relationship with each other.
G Benson: Who’d Have Thought
Alison Grey: Contract for Love
KL Hughes: The Wrong McElroy
Jae: Just for Show; Something in the Wine; Backwards to Oregon; The Roommate Arrangement
Georgette Kaplan: Face It
Lola Keeley: Her Royal Happiness
Alex K. Thorne: Chasing Stars
Lee Winter: Breaking Character
FREE BOOK:
A sapphic book you got for free. You can download several free books in the Ylva webstore. Here’s a list of available free ebooks:
Joan Arling: Rich Girl
Lois Cloarec Hart: Yak
Alison Grey: For the First Time
KL Hughes: The Sea
Jae: A Place to Call Home; Nature of the Pack; Seduction for Beginners; Lessons in Love and Life; Dress-tease; The Morning After
Diane Marina: Landslide
RJ Nolan: The Wish; A Treat for Halloween Tricksters
KD Williamson: Erasing the Lines
Lee Winter: Flashbang
Anthologies: Connected Hearts; Gingerbread Hearts; Spread the Love
OUT OF YOUR READING COMFORT ZONE:
A sapphic book that you wouldn’t normally read, e.g., a trope or genre that you usually avoid or a format you haven’t tried before.
If you usually prefer novel-length works, read a short story.
If you usually read paperbacks or ebooks, try one of our audiobooks or our graphic novel, The Power of Mercy by Fiona Zedde.
If you usually stick to contemporary romances, check out our historical fiction, paranormal and supernatural fiction, fantasy, science fiction, or our mystery & crime novels.
MEET-CUTE:
A sapphic book in which the two main characters share a first meeting that is cute, hilarious, or unusual.
Alison Grey: Hot Line
Wendy Hudson: Four Steps
Jae: Wrong Number, Right Woman; The Roommate Arrangement; Just for Show; Something in the Wine; Under a Falling Star; Just Physical.
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in May 2022)
Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (out in July 2022)
Lee Winter: Changing the Script
NEWBIE AUTHOR:
A sapphic book by an author who has published no more than two novel-length books. Here are the Ylva authors who have published up to two novels at the start of the year. Some of them will even have their debut novel published in 2022!
UNUSUAL JOB:
A sapphic book featuring a main character with an unusual job.
Cheyenne Blue: Code of Conduct (tennis player & lineswoman); Party Wall (owner of a sex toy shop)
Alison Grey: Hot Line (sex hotline worker)
Wendy Hudson: The Island Between Us (teaches survival skills)
Jae: The Roommate Arrangement (door woman & stand-up comedian); Falling Hard (virtual assistant); Just Physical(stuntwoman); TBD (professional cuddler)
Olivia Janae: The Loudest Silence (cellist; out in July 2022)
Lola Keeley: Her Royal Happiness (princess; out in February 2022)
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman (runs a maritime museum)
Lee Winter: Shattered (superhero & tracker of heroes)
Fiona Zedde: House of Agnes (owns an escort agency)
POC CHARACTER:
A sapphic book featuring a protagonist who’s a person of color, written by a POC author.
Fiona Zedde: The Power of Mercy; A Lover’s Mercy; House of Agnes
Sheryn Munir: Falling into Place
KD Williamson: Pink; Between the Lines
COMING-OUT STORY:
A sapphic book in which the main character comes out as LGBT+ (to themselves and/or to others) during the course of the book.
Cheyenne Blue: Not-So-Straight Sue
A.L. Brooks: Dare to Love
Quinn Ivins: The Love Factor
Jae: Wrong Number, Right Woman; Not the Marrying Kind; Perfect Rhythm; Heart Trouble; Damage Control; Next of Kin; Hidden Truths
Blythe Rippon: Barring Complications
DIFFERENT SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY:
A sapphic book featuring a main character whose sexual orientation or gender identity differs from your own.
Asexual main character:
Jae: Perfect Rhythm
Bisexual or pansexual main character:
G Benson: Flinging It
Cheyenne Blue: A Heart This Big
A.L. Brooks: Dark Horse
Wendy Hudson: Four Steps
Jae: Paper Love; The Roommate Arrangement; Not the Marrying Kind; Chemistry Lessons
Olivia Janae: The Loudest Silence (out in July 2022)
Lola Keeley: The Music and the Mirror; A Roll in the Hay
Jenn Matthews: Hooked on You
Sheryn Munir: Falling into Place
Rachael Sommers: Never Say Never
Emily Waters: Honey in the Marrow (out in September 2022)
Lee Winter: The Awkward Truth
Ellen Simpson: The Light of the World
Lesbian main character:
Cheyenne Blue: The Number 94 Project; Party Wall; Code of Conduct; All at Sea; A Heart This Big
Andrea Bramhall: Collide-O-Scope; Rock and a Hard Place; Just My Luck; Under Parr; The Last First Time; Lost for Words
A.L. Brooks: Chasing Dreams; The Club Revisited; Never Too Late For Heroes; The Long Shot; Write Your Own Script
Alison Grey: Contract for Love; Hot Line
Wendy Hudson: The Island Between Us; Four Steps
Jae: Chemistry Lessons; Wrong Number, Right Woman; The Roommate Arrangement; Not the Marrying Kind; Paper Love; Just for Show; Perfect Rhythm; Falling Hard; Heart Trouble; Something in the Wine; Under a Falling Star; Departure from the Script; Damage Control; Just Physical; Conflict of Interest; Next of Kin; Second Nature; True Nature; Good Enough to Eat; Backwards to Oregon; Hidden Truths
Lola Keeley: Slammed; Major Surgery; A Roll in the Hay; Her Royal Happiness
Catherine Lane: Romancing the Kicker
Quinn Ivins: Worthy of Love; The Love Factor
Jess Lea: Looking for Trouble; A Curious Woman; The Taste of Her
Jenn Matthews: Hooked On You; The Words Shimmer; Reasons To Heal
Sheryn Munir: Falling into Place
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in August 2022)
Roslyn Sinclair: The X Ingredient; The Lily and the Crown
Rachael Sommers: Never Say Never; Fool For Love
Wendy Temple: Defensive Mindset
Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (out in July 2022)
Lee Winter: The Awkward Truth; Hotel Queens; Changing the Script; Requiem for Immortals; Shattered
Fiona Zedde: House of Agnes; The Power of Mercy
Chris Zett: Irregular Heartbeat; Heart Failure
NON-HUMAN CHARACTER:
A sapphic book about a main character who is not human, e.g., alien, vampire, werewolf, shape-shifter.
Jae: Second Nature; True Nature; Natural Family Disasters; Manhattan Moon; Good Enough to Eat
Georgette Kaplan: Ex-Wives of Dracula
Lee Winter: Shattered
CHARACTER WITH A DISABILITY:
A sapphic book featuring a main character who has a physical disability, a chronic illness, or a mental disorder.
A.L. Brooks: The Club Revisited
Jae: The Roommate Arrangement; Just Physical; Manhattan Moon
Olivia Janae: The Loudest Silence (out in July 2022)
Lola Keeley: The Music And The Mirror
Jenn Matthews: Hooked on You; Reasons to Heal; The Words Shimmer; Sing for My Baby
RJ Nolan: Wounded Souls
AC Oswald: Hold My Hand
Ellen Simpson: The Light of the World
EROTICA OR EROTIC ROMANCE:
A steamy sapphic book.
A.L. Brooks: The Club; The Club Revisited
Alison Grey: Hot Line
Amber Jacobs: Nights of Silk & Sapphire
Jess Lea: The Taste of Her
AJ Schippers: Shadow Haven
Emma Weimann: Heart’s Surrender
Don’t Be Shy (Vol 1 & 2): Edited by Astrid Ohletz and Jae
Laid Bare: Edited by Astrid Ohletz and Jae
NON-US & NON-UK SETTING:
A sapphic book that is set in a country other than the US or the UK.
Set in Canada
A.L. Brooks: Miles Apart
Lois Cloarec Hart: Stone Gardens; Bitter Fruit; Kicker’s Journey; Coming Home; Broken Faith; Walking the Labyrinth
Michelle L. Teichman: Rescue Me
Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (out in July 2022)
Set in Europe
Alison Grey: Hot Line (Germany)
Jae: Paper Love (Germany)
HP Tune: Rewriting the Ending (several countries)
Hazel Yeats: Bunny Finds a Friend (The Netherlands)
Set in India
Sheryn Munir: Falling Into Place
Set in Australia
Cheyenne Blue: All at Sea; A Heart This Big; Almost-Married Moni; Fenced-In Felix; Party Wall; Not-So-Straight Sue; Code of Conduct; The Number 94 Project
A.L. Brooks: Dark Horse
G Benson: Flinging It; All the Little Moments
C. Fonseca: Where the Light Plays; Food for Love
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman; Looking for Trouble
Emily O’Beirne: Here’s the Thing
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in May 2022)
Jane Waterton: Times of Our Lives
Lee Winter: Requiem for Immortals
Set in New Zealand
Lee Winter: Changing the Script
Set in Mexico
Fiona Zedde: A Lover’s Mercy
Set in other far-away places
Andrea Bramhall: Rock and a Hard Place (Patagonia)
Georgette Kaplan: Candice Cushing and the Lost Tomb of Cleopatra; Easy Nevada and the Pyramid’s Curse (The Sahara)
Lee Winter: Shattered (Socotra)
NOT A ROMANCE:
A sapphic book that is not a romance. It can have a romance subplot, but the romance shouldn’t be the main plot.
A.L. Brooks: Never Too Late for Heroes
Andrea Bramhall: Collide-O-Scope; Under Parr; The Last First Time
Paulette Callen: Charity; Fervent Charity
Karen Frost: Daughter of Fire—Conspiracy of the Dark; The Darkness Rising; Destiny’s Choice; Death’s Champion
Meg Harrington: The Lavender List
Lois Cloarec Hart: Beyond and Begone
Wendy Hudson: Four Steps
Jess Lea: A Curious Woman; Looking for Trouble
Charlotte Mills: Fair Game; Body of Work; Payback
Shaylynn Rose: Banshee’s Honor; Banshee’s Vengeance
Ellen Simpson: A Heist Story
Lee Winter: Shattered
Fiona Zedde: The Power of Mercy
BUTCH CHARACTER:
A sapphic book featuring a butch main character.
Andrea Bramhall: Lost for Words
A.L. Brooks: Dark Horse; The Club Revisited
Jae: Chemistry Lessons; Wrong Number, Right Woman; The Roommate Arrangement; Not the Marrying Kind; Falling Hard; Something in the Wine; Departure from the Script; Just Physical; Conflict of Interest; Next of Kin; Second Nature; Natural Family Disaster.
Jess Lea: Looking for Trouble
KD Williamson: Between the Lines
Lee Winter: Shattered; The Awkward Truth
Emma Weimann: Heart’s Surrender
ROMANTIC COMEDY:
A sapphic romcom—a light-hearted, humorous romance that is guaranteed to make you laugh.
Andrea Bramhall: Just My Luck; Lost for Words
Shaya Crabtree: You’re Fired
KL Hughes: The Wrong McElroy
Georgette Kaplan: Face It; Scissor Link
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in May 2022)
L.T. Smith: See Right Through Me; A Work in Progress
BET OR DARE:
A sapphic book that involves a dare or a bet.
Alison Grey: Contract for Love
Lois Cloarec Hart: Bitter Fruit
Jae: Happily Ever After
Tiana Warner: From Fan to Forever (out in July 2022)
Lee Winter: The Brutal Truth
BOOK UNICORN CATEGORIES
The Book Unicorn bingo card represents harder-to-find themes and categories. Here’s a list of Ylva books that will help you cover all the Unicorn squares!
SECOND GENERATION:
A book with two generations of LGBT+ characters, e.g., the sapphic protagonist has a parent or a child who is LGBT+ too.
Jae: Hidden Truths
HISTORICAL EVENT:
A sapphic book that is based on a historical event.
Jae: Shaken to the Core; Backwards to Oregon
SAFER SEX:
A sapphic book in which the characters practice safer sex, e.g., they get tested for STDs before sleeping together, talk about safer sex, use dental dams or condom-covered sex toys, etc.
A.L. Brooks: Chasing Dreams
Alison Grey: Hot Line
Jae: Falling Hard
Lee Winter: Hotel Queens
Chris Zett: Heart Failure
CHARACTER OVER 50:
A sapphic book with at least one main character who is over 50.
A.L. Brooks: Never Too Late for Heroes; The Club Revisited
Jane Waterton: Times of Our Lives
LONGER THAN 400 PAGES:
A sapphic book with more than 400 pages.
Lois Cloarec Hart: Broken Faith; Kicker’s Journey
Jae: Hidden Truths; Second Nature; True Nature; Conflict of Interest
Shaylynn Rose: Banshee’s Vengeance
BOOK MENTION:
A sapphic book that mentions another sapphic book or a sapphic book that is mentioned in another sapphic book. For example, the characters are mentioned to be reading a sapphic book or they have it on their bookshelf.
A.L. Brooks: Up on the Roof (mentions Something in the Wine by Jae & All the Little Moments by G Benson); Write Your Own Script (mentions Backwards to Oregon by Jae)
Jae: Falling Hard; Something in the Wine; Next of Kin
BDSM ELEMENTS:
A sapphic book that contains elements of BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism).
A.L. Brooks: The Club Revisited
Jess Lea: The Taste of Her
AJ Schippers: Shadow Haven
MORE THAN 2 POINTS OF VIEW:
A sapphic book that is told from more than two point of views.
A.L. Brooks: Never Too Late for Heroes
Wendy Hudson: Four Steps
Jae: Hidden Truths
Jess Lea: Looking for Trouble
PERIOD:
A sapphic book that mentions the main character having her period.
Cheyenne Blue: The Number 94 Project
Jae: Paper Love
Liz Rain: Perks of Office (out in May 2022)
TWINS:
A sapphic book featuring a main character who has a twin sister or brother.
Wendy Hudson: Four Steps
KL Hughes: The Wrong McElroy
Quinn Ivins: TBD (out in November 2022)
Jae: Paper Love
Now pick your books and start reading!
If you can think of any Ylva book we forgot but that fits one of the Sapphic Book bingo squares, let us know in the comments!
[…] publisher, Ylva, also put together a list of Ylva Publishing books and how they fit into the squares of the two bingo […]
Thank you for all the suggestions! I’m a “newbie” doing this challenge that I’ve avoided over the years.
Your hard work of compiling these book suggestions for each category/bingo card is greatly appreciated!
Happy New Year!
Very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you for making this list, I am already planning my reading for this challenge accordingly. I wish I could just read ALL the books on the list but that will take me more than a year, ha ha 🙂
This is terrific! Thank you.
[…] Sapphic Book Bingo 2022 is live! (Here are some recommendations from Ylva Publishing.) […]
Can’t find anything in category „Faith“ and Therapy
And please Sapphic Classic
Hope you can help me🙏
Thanks
Renate
Unfortunately we don’t have any books in those categories…