Tag Archives: L.V. Peñalba

Happy Aromantic Visibility Day 2026!

Young Adult

Shapes of Love by L.V. Peñalba

When nineteen-year-old Sasha’s first album throws her into stardom, her fans become obsessed with discovering who inspired her love songs. Except, Sasha is aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual), and she’s not interested in romance (unless it comes in the shape of a slowburn enemies-to-lovers book or a star-crossed-lovers manga). Her music is all about her favorite love stories, not her own.

After running into Kai, her estranged best friend who she hasn’t seen in two years, pictures of them together leak, and everyone assumes he’s Sasha’s muse, the “boyfriend” who broke her heart. Pressured by her label and fearing fan backlash, Sasha agrees to a PR relationship with Kai for six months – but her sense of self is put to the ultimate test. Where does she fit in a society that equates happiness with romantic love? One where even her closest friends prioritize their partners over her?

Under the guise of their faux romance, Sasha and Kai get a chance to rebuild their platonic bond and heal the wounds of their past. But when actor Asher Grish enters the scene, threatening to shake the foundation of Sasha’s PR relationship, she finds herself at a crossroads. Either she loses herself, or her career.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading Happy Aromantic Visibility Day 2026!

New Releases: May 19, 2026

This post is sponsored in honor of Soon By You by Dahlia Adler, out today from St. Martin’s Griffin! (Soon By You is a spicy m/f romance with an MMC on the ace spectrum.)

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | The Ripped Bodice | Lovestruck Books | The Last Chapter | The Well Red Damsel

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Picture Books

Our Guncle by Steven Rowley and Eda Kaban

After the loss of their mom, siblings Grant and Maisie have come to visit their Guncle who they call GUP (for Gay Uncle Patrick) in Palm Springs. GUP can’t bear how sad they all feel, and he tries everything he can think of to make them happy. But swimming pools and milkshakes and new animal friends are only temporary fixes. It isn’t until one quiet night, under the stars, that they come to realize what they’ve been searching for has been with them all along.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading New Releases: May 19, 2026

Happy Asexual Visibility Day 2026!

Today on the site we’re celebrating Asexual Visibility Day (aka International Asexuality Day) as we do, with books starring asexual main characters or about asexuality! For even more recs, check out last year’s post.

Children’s

Love Looks Like Lola by Cody Daigle-Orians and Siân Coules-Milne (August 21, 2026)

What does love look like? Is it holding hands? Sharing kisses? Getting married? When Claire spends the weekend with her amazing Aunt Lola, she discovers love can look like many things.

While watching her parents’ wedding video, Claire wonders why Aunt Lola never got married. Lola explains that she’s aroace – asexual and aromantic -which means she’s complete just as she is and loves people through friendship, care, and connection. Through their time together, Claire meets the friends, neighbours, and chosen family who make up Lola’s community and realises that love isn’t only about romance or marriage, but about kindness, respect, and belonging.

Love Looks Like Lola introduces asexual and aromantic identities and helps children see that love isn’t one-size-fits-all. With warmth, humour and heart, it invites readers to explore the many ways love can look and reminds us that every kind of love is worth celebrating.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Continue reading Happy Asexual Visibility Day 2026!