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Pride month is the perfect time to celebrate LGBTQ+ characters and the ways they find love, community and a deeper understanding of their own identities. 

These six books feature bisexual characters who are forging their own path and learning that their identity doesn’t need to be validated by who they date. Whether they’re road tripping through India, walking red carpets in Los Angeles, or connecting during the filming of a romantic comedy in New Hampshire, each love story is unique to the people who are finding each other. Their bisexuality isn’t something that has to be explained, but it’s something they can have open conversations about.

“Isn’t It Obvious?� by Rachel Runya Katz. Katz’s books explore the layered lives of her characters, including their joy and healing, and “Isn’t It Obvious?� is no exception.

The book follows Yael, who works as a high school librarian while secretly hosting a podcast where she provides commentary on high school reading lists. To keep her identity private, Yael goes by Elle on the podcast.

She hires Kevin, a freelance editor and producer, to help her edit it. Little does she know that Kevin, who goes by Ravi offline, is also volunteering at the queer book club she runs at school. After a less-than-ideal first encounter, Yael initially despises Ravi when she meets him in person. But in their “Not Work� email thread, they are falling for each other, complete with witty banter and conversations about family dynamics and what queerness looks like for both of them.

“Playing for Keeps� by Alexandria Bellefleur. Poppy and Rosaline are rival publicists for Lyric and Cash, a famous pop star and football player couple (sound familiar?) who will protect their clients no matter what gets thrown at them — including their growing feelings for each other.

Cash is an openly bisexual athlete for the Portland Pathfinders football team, and being a visible queer role model to young athletes is important to him and Poppy. The book also explores some of the double standards on Lyric, a Black pop star who is judged more harshly for her relationships.

Through interludes of X threads, news releases and text conversations, the story is told from a variety of angles.

“Going Bicoastal� by Dahlia Adler. In “Going Bicoastal,� Natalya must decide if she wants to stay at home in New York City with her dad or spend time with her estranged mom in L.A. and intern at her marketing firm.

Instead of choosing one timeline, the book alternates between Natalya spending her summer in both cities. In New York, she spends time with her dad, repairing her relationship with her mom from a distance and mustering up the courage to spend time with her crush, Elly. In L.A., she grows closer to her mom and is surprised by her growing feelings for Adam, who’s interning at the same firm.

On each side of the coin, Natalya is staying true to her identity as someone who’s Jewish and bisexual.

“Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar� by Anahita Karthik. If you love a road trip romance that’s just as heartwarming as it is romantic, this one’s for you.

This young adult pick features Krishna, who’s spending her last summer before college in India. After narrowly missing out on her first kiss with her crush, Amrit, and finding out that her flight back home has been rescheduled, Krishna decides to follow Amrit, who has left for a wedding out of town in Goa. Evidently, love can show up in unexpected places, and Krishna starts to fall for Rudra, the person she recruited to give her a ride.

The book is a love letter to India that also explores the importance of friendships, as evidenced by Krishna rekindling her relationship with her cousin Priti, who’s along for the ride, over the course of the road trip.

“Futbolista� by Jonny Garza Villa. If you’ve been enjoying recent hockey romances a la “Heated Rivalry� and "Off Campus" but are in a soccer mindset for the World Cup, “Futbolista� has the best of both worlds.

Perfect for those who like friends-to-lovers stories that explore identity, the book follows Gabi Piña, a freshman goalkeeper for his university’s soccer team. Along the way, Gabi starts to develop feelings for Vale, his philosophy classmate who offers to tutor him.

Gabi learns to define masculinity and his sexuality on his own terms, especially as a Mexican American athlete.

“Dream On, Ramona Riley� by Ashley Herring Blake. Clover Lake, N.H., isn’t a place where a lot of things change, that is until it becomes the filming site for a queer romantic comedy.

The film’s star, Dylan, is desperately in need of a new image, and the movie might just be a way to change her reputation and become America’s sweetheart. To help her prepare for her role as a waitress, Dylan works with Ramona, a real waitress in town. After putting her own needs on the back burner for many years to fulfill her responsibilities as a sister and daughter, Ramona is now putting her dreams first again and hopes to get on the radar of the movie’s head designer. 

As the book progresses, Ramona and Dylan must learn to navigate falling for each other and following their dreams.