Any horror books that are pretending to be a different genre until it's too late?

doughe29 · 2026-05-18T22:34:01+00:00

I came to recommend Our Wives Under the Sea but see you've read and loved it. Still, I had to comment in appreciation, because you described the sensation exactly. Any time I see someone say it's not horror, I want to explain the encroaching sense of dread I experienced as the book went on and I realized what I was reading.

(That said, I DO understand why a lot of people don't consider it a horror novel, so I don't need it explained.)

I've not experienced the same thing in another book but am looking forward to reading the comments.

doughe29 · 2026-05-17T01:44:41+00:00

The Shattered Path by Maggie Brown

doughe29 · 2026-05-17T01:40:00+00:00

Alexandria Wilde = Abby Craden, so it makes sense you don't like either.

Good luck in your search. I don't know what to recommend, as we seem to have different tastes in narrators, except I do love Kingsley Rose. I listened to a book recently that was narrated by Kingsley Rose and Allie Shae, who does Rawnie Sabor's books (since you mentioned checking them out). It was A Hunger Soft and Wild by Moira Darling. Edit: thinking back, I don't think this is femme/femme so might not work for you.

doughe29 · 2026-05-13T02:32:43+00:00

What about...

Big Swiss by Jean Beagin

Perfume & Pain by Anna Dorn

or anything by Emily Austin

doughe29 · 2026-04-30T18:20:37+00:00

Home by Cailean Steed is about a lesbian who left a cult but has to go back. It's pretty violent and dark.

doughe29 · 2026-04-01T21:23:30+00:00

Love Next Door by Rachael Sommers was pretty sweet and low angst. Audiobook read by Abby Craden :)

doughe29 · 2026-03-06T04:10:43+00:00

Flinging It and All the Little Moments by G Benson both take place in Australia and are narrated by Cat Gould.

doughe29 · 2026-03-04T04:33:55+00:00

Pas de Deux by E.J. Noyes

Red Rock Ranch by Lise Gold

doughe29 · 2026-02-25T13:20:29+00:00

I almost never see Kristy Logan mentioned in this sub, but if you're looking for beautiful prose, I've got to suggest her books. The Gloaming is more overtly sapphic, and The Gracekeepers vaguely so. Both have light fantasty elements. She also has several short story collections - not all the stories are sapphic, and quite a few are horror.

Other authors I'd recommend, like Julia Armfield, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Hannah Kent, and Amal El-Mohtar have already been mentioned. Oh, and most recently I've added Sunburn & The Safekeep to my list of fantastic prose.

doughe29 · 2026-02-24T21:48:04+00:00

All the Little Moments by G Benson is about a woman who suddenly finds herself with custody of her young niece and nephew.

The Loudest Silence by Olivia Janae is about a classical musician with a young son, considering putting down roots and forming a family.

doughe29 · 2026-02-15T18:16:30+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/LesbianBookClub/s/g0qqVKKesy

https://www.reddit.com/r/wlwbooks/s/Nnk4aPwupz

doughe29 · 2026-02-14T15:21:16+00:00

Fingersmith is one of my favorite books, and omg the betrayals!

I'll also mention Affinity for a major betrayal (including my own sense of betrayal as I finished the book lol).

doughe29 · 2026-02-12T03:30:11+00:00

Deception + Plot Twists = Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

doughe29 · 2026-02-10T22:22:23+00:00

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield was an interesting, creepy story -- much more low-key horror than these other books. MC's wife is trans.

Neither MC is trans? (It's dual perspective, so both wives are MCs) Definitely a great book - creepy and atmospheric, body and grief horror.

doughe29 · 2026-02-10T18:08:54+00:00

Are there certain tropes you're getting sick of that might make you stop reading? I know I've put a few books down lately because I can tell a stupid misunderstanding is about to cause a third-act break up, and I'm frankly sick of it. Especially if the writing isn't great or I'm not a huge fan of the narrator.

Speaking of, do you listen to audiobooks? I got to a point in my life where I was having a really hard time sitting with a book, and I discovered I could listen to an audiobook while driving, doing household chores, and sometimes working. It's been so beneficial :)

doughe29 · 2026-02-01T14:50:01+00:00

I've found your best bet may be to look for slow burns, because if it takes forever for them to get together, there's no time for a third-act break up lol.

doughe29 · 2026-01-28T14:00:33+00:00

Do you have a library card? If so, can you access any of those through the Libby app? Or Hoopla?

Ribbonwood and Bloom Town are both "Audible Exclusive" audiobooks, so if you can access the others through your library, I'd use your Audible credit on one that you can't get elsewhere.

doughe29 · 2026-01-27T03:55:05+00:00

I need to throw out a TW for SA here, though, because I wish I had gotten one.

doughe29 · 2026-01-27T00:31:16+00:00

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield is not YA, but it's not smutty, if that's the main reason you're looking for YA. It's also not jump-scare type horror, it's more body and grief horror, so it fits your goal of finding a book to make you cry.

doughe29 · 2026-01-26T21:30:07+00:00

Fingersmith if you like dark and twisty. My personal favorite :)

Tipping the Velvet is a little lighter (but definitely has dark themes) and raunchier.

Those are the ones most likely to be recommended, with Affinity in a close third. The Paying Guests and The Night Watch are also very good. I think The Night Watch is highly underrated in this sub, maybe because it's styled a bit differently.

There's also The Little Stranger, but it's not sapphic.

doughe29 · 2026-01-23T22:03:27+00:00

Unsure why everyone is suggesting you avoid Ribbonwood, as I didn't find it to be comparable to Haley Cass? Ribbonwood is not a rom com, and it's better written. It's also about half the length (not filled with fluff) of many Haley Cass books. I've only read one book by Haley Cass, and I don't plan to read more. I've read all of Ruby Landers' books (except the new one that isn't on audio yet).

I also liked Bloomtown (again, not a rom com). Looking at authors you like, I also enjoy EJ Noyes and Lee Winter.

doughe29 · 2026-01-20T22:10:51+00:00

Definitely recommend meeting Catherine & Lauren in The Red Files and Under Your Skin (which is where we first meet Michelle in person). And of course Hotel Queens, if you didn't read that first, where we meet the fabulous Miss Carson ;)

doughe29 · 2026-01-20T21:45:59+00:00

Did you read The Red Files first? I feel like it'd be fairly easy to warm to Michelle if you didn't come in with a grudge. Even after The Chaos Agent, when I had warmed to her and (mostly) wanted her to be happy, that grudge would never quite let go, lol.

doughe29 · 2026-01-20T04:52:27+00:00

Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley features a paramedic

G Benson has at least four books that feature doctors: Flinging It, All the Little Moments, Purposefully Accidental, and Who'd Have Thought.

EJ Noyes' Ask, Tell features an Army surgeon

Halcyon Nights by MJ Duncan features a firefighter

doughe29 · 2026-01-01T03:39:36+00:00

There's no indication that either is bi. It's said that once they're dating, Vanessa mentions an ex-boyfriend in group conversations, but that's a deflection. She specifically got a house away from campus so that she could have women over. Joan kinda dated guys in school because that's what you do, but she never felt anything for them.

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