LGBTQ+ romance audiobooks do something the page version sometimes can’t, which is give you the full emotional weight of a love story through voice alone. A skilled narrator can make the tension between two characters feel almost unbearable in the best way, and this genre has some of the most emotionally precise writing in romance right now. Casey McQuiston’s “Red, white & royal blue” is a good entry point if you want something fast and funny.

If you cry at weddings or root loudly for fictional couples, this shelf was built for you. These stories range from swoony contemporary romance to historical queer fiction that quietly rewrites what we thought we knew about the past. The narration often adds a layer of intimacy that makes already vulnerable stories feel like they’re being told just to you.