This week’s Sapphic Book Bingo post features sapphic books with an established couple, meaning the main character needs to already be in an established romantic relationship at the beginning of the book.
There aren’t that many “established couple” books within the romance genre because, by definition, the plot of a romance novel revolves around two (or more) characters falling in love. The central question is whether they’ll end up with getting their happily ever after. But while the “happily ever after” is the end of a romance novel, it’s not the end of the couple’s story. Sometimes, readers would love to see how the couple handles problems life throws at them or whether they start a family.
So for this category, read a book in which the characters are already together at the start of the book. The book can be part of a series, with the characters getting together in an earlier book, or it could be a novel that isn’t a romance at all.
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15 sapphic books featuring an established couple
Here are my recommendations for sapphic books featuring an established couple:
Next of Kin by Jae
For years, ambitious Deputy District Attorney Kade Matheson has taken case files and law books, not lovers, to bed, ignoring her personal life in favor of her career. When she finds herself with a stalker, she tries to handle the situation the way she always does: on her own.
Lieutenant Del Vasquez has admired the standoffish lawyer for a while, and she’s determined to protect her at all costs.
When Kade’s stalker situation escalates and she and Del have to hide at her mother’s, Kade is finally forced to face her attraction to women for the very first time.
Suddenly, she’s no longer sure which one is more dangerous—the threat to her life or to her heart?
Available at:
Miracles by Serena J. Bishop
After three years together, Aurora and Leela have settled into a cozy life. The only complaint is their lack of quality time together. When the opportunity arises for a trip to paradise, they can’t turn it down. A week of romance among Hawaii’s natural wonders is exactly what they need to reconnect. When they return home, their relationship is the strongest and most stress-free it’s ever been.
Then, Aurora learns she’s pregnant.
There was no infidelity. There was no assault. There’s no logical explanation for the conception, but the pregnancy is undeniable. And it feels right to Aurora.
Aurora and Leela debate whether a scientific or spiritual reason is the cause, but the mystery takes a backseat as maternal instincts take over. Aurora’s connection ranges from the ordinary to psychic, but her experiences are nothing compared to Leela’s. A new, primal voice from within directs her to do whatever is necessary to protect their child.
Can they keep the cause of the pregnancy and the psychic connection to their child a secret? Can they come to terms with the uniqueness of their child and the circumstances around her conception? And can they accept the grandest miracle of them all?
Available at:
A Lover’s Mercy by Fiona Zedde
Mai Redstone prowls Atlanta as its hero, Mercy, trying to save people from themselves and each other. With her newly discovered, stronger powers, she acts as if she’s invincible. To those who know her though, she’s as delicate as a cobra lily.
Xóchitl is the complete opposite. Violence comes naturally to her. Hard-hearted and thick-skinned, the softest thing about her is her love for Mai. As part of an elite law-enforcement team in the secret Meta community, Xóchitl hunts and punishes anyone who dares to break their rules.
But when Mai is in danger from her own powerful family, Xóchitl’s soft underbelly is exposed. How can she protect Mai when she can’t even tell allies from enemies? For the first time in her life, Xóchitl feels as threatened as the vulnerable humans Mai protects.
Xóchitl is used to being the strongest one in the room, but when she suddenly isn’t, will she allow herself to surrender to her lover’s mercy?
Available at:
Covenant by Ann McMan
COVENANT continues the beloved saga of the residents of Jericho, a sleepy town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Six weeks have passed since the fateful unfolding of events at the town Fourth of July celebration. Questions swirl about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the town nemesis, Gerald Watson. Was it an accident, or was Watson murdered? As the scorching summer gives way to an early autumn, suspects in the potential homicide abound, and everyone seems to be keeping secrets.
Throughout it all, bonds of love and fealty are stretched and tested as the endearing residents of this once-idyllic community weigh the covenants they keep against the secrets that threaten to tear them apart.
Available at:
Crossing Lines by KD Williamson
Nora Whitmore has been through the ringer both professionally and personally. Now, her life is more than she ever thought it could be, especially with Kelli McCabe in it. The walls have come down, and she is open to new people and experiences.
Kelli McCabe watched all the broken pieces of her life come together. The situation with her family settled down, and she’s right where she wants to be back at work and in Nora’s arms.
For both of them, this quiet time is just the devastating calm before the massive storm hits and brings with it the violence of a vengeful enemy and the reality of drug abuse. The chaos surrounding them exposes old wounds and individual vulnerabilities that seem to multiply when they are together. Is it too much for them to withstand? Or is what they have strong enough to overcome it all?
Available at:
Under Your Skin by Lee Winter
What do a stolen food-delivery robot, a woman from the past, and a bizarre scheme to microchip military veterans have in common?
The infamous Caustic Queen, DC bureau chief Catherine Ayers, would love to find out but she has a lot on her plate right now. She and her fiancée, reporter Lauren King, are busy meeting the family and wedding planning in Lauren’s home town in Iowa.
That means facing a lot of beefy mechanic brothers, a haughty cat, and the sharp-tongued Meemaw. Catherine’s sure she can play nice with everyone. Well, pretty sure. How hard can it be, anyway?
Available at:
Almost-Married Moni by Cheyenne Blue
Three years ago, lawyer Sue Brent proposed to doctor Moni Kratzmann in the corridor of the Royal Flying Doctor Base. Now, their wedding is on. As friends and family from near and far gather at Jayboro Outstation in outback Queensland, Australia, Moni and Sue strive to keep their wedding plans—and their lives—on track.
Between well-meaning families, ex-girlfriends, and a community that just wants to party, their wedding is set to be bigger than Moni’s home state of Texas. But is that what they want?
It’s a simple outback wedding. What could possibly go wrong?
Available at:
Forever Home by Ali Spooner
Nat, Marissa, and Maggie survived their first winter by the ocean, and spring brings new growth and perils. Unwelcome visitors to the homestead leave Maggie and Luna wounded. An enraged Nat hunts the invaders down seeking justice. Tom and Smithy join Nat for the bison hunt they have waited on for months and begin building their future cabins. A successful proposal brings Ruth and Tom together as newlyweds Nat and Marissa’s tiny community continues to grow and prosper.
Available at:
Graffiti Red Murder (A Monica Spade Novel) by Alexi Venice
Recharged from a romantic spring break, Attorney Monica Spade is hired to represent a plastic surgeon whose patients are being murdered and spray-painted with a sinister message.
An impending deadline forces Monica to take matters into her own hands, so she dives into the serial murder case, dissecting clues from surgeries, chasing down leads from smarmy nightclubs, and drawing criticism from the police for interfering.
In her personal life, Monica discovers her fiancée, Shelby St. Claire, hanging out with a former flame, Coco Rivelli, the yogi sensation. Can Monica keep a lid on her hot temper when provoked by Coco?
Fighting for life and love during a pandemic, Monica transforms her legal practice into an action-packed, killer ride through the lake country north of Apple Grove, Wisconsin.
Available at:
On the Fence by Cade Haddock Strong
After a Mercedes rear-ends Wallace Mahar, her annoyance evaporates the moment the offending driver steps out of the car. Much to her dismay, the stunning woman hands her $10,000. Then disappears.
Ellen Church hoped throwing money at the woman she rear-ended would make her go away, but when she sees her at a bar, she realizes Wallace may be a bigger complication than she first thought. Ellen doesn’t have time for relationships, even if she is attracted to the cute swim coach. She has her eyes on a bigger prize—a Warhol painting with something very special hidden in the frame.
Reformed art thief Mattie Pearson is trying to live on the straight and narrow. After their failed heist at the Schuyler House, she married Alex Holland and the two women couldn’t be happier. But when Mattie’s old friend Ellen shows up with a big-payday proposal, the lure of her old life proves too strong to resist.
The Warhol job draws Wallace deep into the world of female art thieves, and even deeper into the dangers of romance with a woman who steals art—and hearts—for a living.
Available at:
Religious Experience by K’Anne Meinel
Marissa and Reanne, after years of invitro fertilization are finally having the baby they so desperately sought. There is a surprise though, there isn’t just one, there are three. The mothers-to-be happily look forward to telling their families about the impending births. Unfortunately, Marissa’s mother and father vehemently refuse to accept these extra children. They believe that multiple offspring are the work of the devil and they will stop at nothing to rid their misguided daughter and her wife of these unwanted offspring.
This is based on a true story.
Available at:
Sara’s Choice by Patty Schramm
Sara Hyatt knows what it is to be in love. She’s been there, done that twice in her life. The second time she was sure would be the last. She’d found the woman who owned her heart; except that woman chose to stomp on it instead.
Now Sara’s single again and attracting interest. Problem is, neither woman is Terry.
Terry Alexander moves herself and her daughter to Whitehorse, Canada, to live with her mom after realizing she couldn’t continue on her own in Quebec. She never expected she’d ever date again, much less fall in love. She never expected to meet Sara Hyatt. When she did, she fell hard. Until she was forced to break up with her. Now she sees her on every street corner and she aches to talk to her. But Sara isn’t exactly inviting her over for coffee.
Can she find a way to convince Sara that she still loves her and they should be together or will she end up spending the rest of her life alone?
Available at:
Shadow Dancers by Suzie Clarke
Security specialist Rachel Portola and her wife Claire have begun to rebuild their lives and hope for their future. Rachel has made a promise to stay far away from danger, but her loyalties are tested when two of her team go missing while searching for Eshee Yumiko, the woman who will stop at nothing to see Rachel suffer. Rachel must find a way to become the hunter rather than the hunted, and put an end to Eshee’s vendetta. But all Claire sees are Rachel’s broken promises, and her obsession to keep them all safe by putting herself in peril may be the very thing that tears them apart for good.
Available at:
Struggles in a Boston Marriage by Ellen M. Levy
Deborah and Miriam are two young women whose love has survived the many obstacles life has thrown their way in their first years together. Now they find themselves in Boston, raising a young child whose been diagnosed as a Mongoloid Idiot, in an era where little was known about how to care for such a child at home.
Deborah’s thrilled that her writing is due to become published and she also pleased to be part of a growing and thriving business. Despite having found the woman of her dreams, she finds herself irritable and untrusting of Miriam’s love.
Miriam has given her heart and soul to Deborah and feels fulfilled now that she has a child and has meaningful volunteer work. She is proud of all their accomplishments at the printing and publishing shop and with her own ability to stand firm in her beliefs, even when Deborah challenges her.
The world around them is changing. The Suffrage movement is trying to give women the freedom to vote and they feel guilty that they do not have enough time to continue their work for this cause. Also, people fear their country may go to war. During this time of uproar, Deborah and Miriam find their relationship becomes tested by an outsider. Will their love be strong enough to endure?
Available at:
The Real World by Kathleen Jowitt
Colette is trying to finish her PhD and trying not to think about what happens next. Her girlfriend wants to get married – but she also wants to become a vicar, and she can’t do both. Her ex-girlfriend never wanted to get married, but apparently she does now. Her supervisor is more interested in his TV career than in what she’s up to, and, of the two people she could talk to about any of this, one’s two hundred miles away, and the other one’s dead.
Welcome to…
The Real World.
Available at:
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The fantastic Hobbs series by Elena Graf has from #2 always established (and beloved) couples:
This is my body #2
Love in the time of corona #3
and so on.
RE Bradshaw’s Rainey series from #2 (thriller)
Most of the Alpennia series (Heather Rose Jones) would qualify – Barbara and Margerit get together in the first book, and remain as a couple through the rest of the series (so far!)
Carolyn Elizabeth’s series:
“Gallows Humor”
“Dirt Nap”
and “Zero Chill”