5 Diverse Romance Books To Broaden Your Reading Horizons

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As each year passes by, you realize just how important it is to continue broadening your horizons. Luckily, with every new day comes an opportunity to learn something new, see the world through another lens, and challenge the very beliefs you may have once held with certainty. One of the most accessible ways to do that is through reading. 

The romance genre creates space for readers to explore different perspectives that tell stories about people and relationships that move beyond the traditional and familiar love narratives. There are so many different kinds of love, each with its own unique stories. By making room for these narratives and fresh perspectives, romance novels allow them to be represented, heard, and treated with the same emotional depth and care. 

In 2026, if your goal is to not only read more books but also broaden your reading horizons, seeking out love stories that spotlight diverse voices can be a meaningful way to accomplish both of those things. If you're not sure where to start, as always, we've done what we do best and curated a selection of diverse romance books that are definitely worth adding to your TBR. From a successful career woman on the autism spectrum navigating love on her own terms to stories centering LGBTQ+ relationships and POCs, these romance novels celebrate the many ways love can look and how it can be experienced.

Helen Hoang's "The Kiss Quotient" was deemed one of the 50 Most Notable Works of Fiction by The Washington Post in 2018, and it's easy to see why — the novel offers a refreshingly different take on the plain ol' romance genre we've come to know. The story follows Stella Lane, a successful career woman with Asperger's, who excels at solving math problems but struggles with romance and physical intimacy. That's when Stella decides to approach her love life just as she does anything else, with logic, structure, and a fail-proof plan. What begins as a practical and planned arrangement slowly unfolds into the most unconventional love story that challenges the very rules and expectations Stella has always lived by. 

The first book of a three-part series, "The Kiss Quotient," was described by bestselling author Roxane Gay as 'a fun read and it's also quite original and sexy and sensitive.' A 5-star Amazon reviewer said, "This book was like a breath of fresh air for the romance community. It was so uniquely beautiful. Taking this journey with Stella, a heroine with Asperger's Syndrome as she takes risks to pursue love was so enlightening, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once." For many readers, entering into the novel with little prior knowledge of autism and learning that the author has Asperger's herself made the story feel especially eye-opening and memorable. 

Before she took up writing as a full-time profession, Cat Sebastian was a lawyer and teacher, both of which shaped her approach to writing emotionally rich and historically grounded romance stories. In "We Could Be So Good," Sebastian brings that depth to a 1950s setting, crafting a beautiful, slow-burning queer love story between two men working at the same newspaper. 

In an interview with POPSUGAR, Sebastian described her 2023 novel as 'very cozy and domestic,' noting that it marked a shift in setting and time frame from her earlier work, which focused on much earlier historical periods like London during the Regency era. Readers found Nick and Andy's love story even more touching, as it's set in a time not often associated with queer joy. 

A five-star reviewer said, "This is a core memory if I've ever had one. Nick and Andy will live in a cozy part of my brain, rent-free, of course, for life," and added, "[the book] is an incredibly realistic look at the struggles of queer men in the 1950s/1960s." For longtime fans of the Sebastian, "We Could Be So Good" stands out as one of the author's most heartfelt and resonant works. A Redditor dedicated a post to writing a review about the book, and explained that they absolutely loved Sebastian's writing, "I was blown away by the prose. It was emotional, but not sappy or corny. I don't know how to describe it, but the story touched something deep inside me with its beautifully haunting style." 

"Get a Life, Chloe Brown" is the first book of 'The Brown Sisters' series, which also includes "Take a Hint, Dani Brown," widely swooned over for introducing one of the best book boyfriends of the 2020s. In the first book, the author of the series, Talia Hibbert, writes about Chloe Brown, a woman struggling with fibromyalgia, which the author also has. After a near-death experience, Chloe begins to think of how she's been living, and creates a list of things she has to accomplish to reclaim her joy and independence. 

In a feature interview with "Pulse Spikes," Hibbert explained that they know how important it is to have diverse love stories and to see someone like themselves represented in those stories. "I'm Black, I'm disabled, I'm queer. I think it's important for me to be able to write stories that are natural to me," they said. That's why writing and developing the character, Chloe Brown, came so naturally to the author. 

An Amazon reviewer gave the book four stars and described "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" as an 'adorable romcom,' highlighting its diverse cast of characters and a love story that thoughtfully explores differences in socioeconomic status and life experience. Another reviewer wrote, "With a little spice and a lot of empathy this book was a great introduction to this author for me." 

Named the best book of 2019 by multiple major publications such as VOGUE and NPR, "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston is perhaps the most creative and refreshing queer love story to emerge in the 2020s. The story follows a staged friendship between America's first son and British royalty that unexpectedly turns into a secret romance. McQuiston blends wit and humor with many heartfelt moments as they explore themes of identity and love. 

There are more than a million Goodreads ratings, and the book maintains an impressive 4.05 stars, highlighting just how many readers appreciate it. The book was so popular that it was adapted into a film in 2023 starring Nicholas Galitzine and Uma Thurman. Many readers of the LGBTQ+ community found that the book resonated deeply with them. One Goodreads reviewer said this book felt like it was coming 'from the very depths of your innermost thoughts,' and referred to Alex as a 'bisexual icon' that had experiences that mirrored their very own. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid described the book as being 'outrageously fun,' and 'romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling.'  In an interview with the Los Angeles Public Library, McQuiston explained, "The idea for this book came to me while I was following the 2016 presidential election and reading A Woman in Charge by Carl Bernstein and The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan at the same time. I was fascinated by the worlds of both of those books, so I wanted to do something fun inside them on the backdrop of an intense election year."

Sarina Bowen's "The Year We Fell Down" tells the story of an all-star hockey player whose life turns upside down after a spinal cord injury leaves her wheelchair-bound. As she learns to rebuild her sense of self, a tender romance emerges with a hockey player, who just might be able to help her rediscover hope, independence, and intimacy. 

The book is the first of a six-book series, ['The Ivy Years'], and Colleen Hoover left a Goodreads review for the book and said, "I really enjoyed this book. It was so good, I thought about plagiarizing it, but then I thought, 'Nah. Better not.'" On her official website, Bowen admitted that during her time in college, she read so many love stories about 'girls that were broken on the inside' with 'invisible scars' and she "wanted to write something a little different that dealt with body issues." This was the book she spent the most time researching, and spent most of it educating herself on spinal cord injuries to get it right. 

Based on reviews, it's clear Bowen's hard work paid off. One Amazon reviewer wrote, "I really admired Corey's strength and determination to remain positive after her injury. It was also great that Sarina Bowen made sure readers knew that the wheelchair did not define Corey's character and that she handled that aspect very respectfully." Another reviewer simply appreciated the story and Bowen for 'probing the truth that those with disabilities need love and romance too.'

Diversity, diversity, diversity. For this roundup, diversity was the guiding principle. We set out to highlight romance novels that tell stories of love in all its shapes and forms, centering voices and experiences that are often overlooked in mainstream romance. This list isn't limited only to books with LGBTQ+ representation; we also include stories led by characters with chronic illness, neurodiversity, and protagonists whose identities and lived experiences bring so much more depth to the genre. 

As usual, our research began by gathering a list of diverse romance novels. We worked to narrow this list by identifying the ones that resonated strongly with readers and drew positive reviews. In addition, we also wanted to make sure our list was balanced and offered a balanced mix of voices and identities, to give our readers a well-rounded selection. We absolutely loved "The Kiss Quotient" and "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" as both authors drew from personal experience to craft and develop characters and stories that feel authentic, nuanced, and also deeply human. 

Finally, we ensured that each book that made this list had a strong reader reception. They needed to have at least a 4-star rating from a significant portion of reviewers. So, if you're ready to broaden your horizons through reading, we hope you add these five books to your 2026 TBR.