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The Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete--all except yokai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yokai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari's fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yokai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA...

The Companion by E.E. Ottoman

New York, 1948

After years of trying to break into New York City’s literary scene, Madeline Slaughter is emotionally and physically exhausted. When a friend offers her a safe haven as the live-in companion to reclusive, bestselling novelist Victor Hallowell she jumps at the chance to escape the city.

Madeline expects to find rest and quiet in the forests of Upstate New York. Instead, she finds Victor, handsome and intensely passionate, and Audrey Coffin, Victor’s mysterious and beautiful neighbor.

When Victor offers her a kiss and the promise of more Madeline allows herself to become entangled even as Audrey is also claiming her heart. The only problem is that Audrey and Victor are ex-lovers with plenty of baggage between them. As Madeline finds herself opening up and falling in love with both she starts to wonder, can there be a future for all three? 

PUBLISHER: Independently Published
YEAR: 2021
LENGTH: 172 pages
AGE: Adult
GENRE: Historical, Romance
RECOMMENDED: Highly

Queer Rep Summary: Lesbian/Sapphic Main Character(s), Bi/Pan Main Character(s), Trans Main Character(s).

THE COMPANION is a cozy historical MFF story where everyone is trans. It's intimate, which slowly turns into something erotic and sensual, but first and foremost Madeline feels safe, able to explore her companions and their desires along with the woods and fields. 

I love this, it's so nice to read something where no one has to explain what being trans means to each other, because, even though the historical setting means they don't use the terms I would use, they have this part of their identity in common. Victor and Audrey offer Madeline two kinds of support, and are open to building something together once she's ready to say that she wants something specific.

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Graphic/Explicit CW for sexual content.

Minor CW for sexism, sexual harassment, homophobia, transphobia, smoking/drug use.

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