To convince his new classmates of his real gender, Noah Byrd must be the perfect boy. The only way to do this, he realizes, is to join the school’s Borrow a Boyfriend Club. This secret society masquerades as an Italian Club to remain incognito. Their mission statement is to rent each other out for dates, which Noah is convinced is the only way to gain acceptance amongst the “bros” whose approval he craves.

After Noah bombs his interview for the club, he appeals to its grumpily attractive president, Asher, that, in exchange for helping them win the school’s talent show, he’ll get a second chance at demonstrating just how good a boyfriend he can be, even if it means romancing Asher himself. But now Noah’s under even more pressure than before to win. If he can’t prove himself as a real man by gaining Asher’s trust, everything he’s working so hard for will be shot to hell. Not to mention he’s already subconsciously breaking the first rule of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club: no “real” boyfriends allowed. But try telling that to Noah’s mounting feelings for Asher.

If M/M sports romance is your thing, look no further than Ancient History. Back in high school, Hutch, a closeted soccer star, fell in love with the self-described closeted nerd Amos. They had grand plans to make their relationship public at their senior prom, until Hutch got cold feet and backed out. Now, Amos is back at their old high school, teaching history and trying his hardest to put his own history, which is triggered by memories of Hutch at every turn, behind him. He never once thought that Hutch, now a professional athlete, would return to their hometown of Sourwood. But now he’s back coaching soccer at the high school, and despite how much Amos tells himself he’s over Hutch, he can’t help but feel drawn to the still-sexy soccer player. With Hutch leading the hometown team to victory again and Amos falling victim to stolen glances in the hallway again, are these two kindred spirits doomed to repeat ancient history, or rekindle a love story that was left unfinished?

Fifteen-year-old Spencer Harris is many things: a great big brother, a self-proclaimed nerd, and a Messi-in-training. He also happens to be transgender. Transitioning at his old school was a rough experience tainted by traumatic bullying, so he jumped at the chance to start over fresh at Oakley, Ohio’s most liberal private school. Spencer thrives there, getting a shot at a place on the soccer team, making new friends, finding acceptance from peers and teachers, and maybe even something more with one of his new friends.

The trouble is that Spencer has conveniently forgotten to mention to his new friends and classmates that he’s trans, since it’s easy for him to pass as a cisgender guy. Just as he’s starting to let himself feel the ground beneath his feet, a new discriminatory state law forces Spencer’s soccer coach to discover the “F” mark on his birth certificate and bench him from the team as a result. Now he has a choice to make: accept defeat and watch life from the sidelines, or come out as the proud trans guy he is, including to the guy he’s falling in love with.

Farzan Alavi has spent far too long being unlucky in love. With yet another ugly breakup under his belt, he decides to drown his sorrows at the latest wine bar to open in Kansas City. What he’s not expecting is to be mistaken for Frank Allen, the most influential food critic in town. Before he can get a grip on what’s happening, Farzan is whisked away to a VIP table for one, where he is doted on by a handsome sommelier with whom even Farzan can’t deny the sparks start to fly immediately.

The truth comes out only after Farzan and David spend the night together. Still, the worst part doesn’t end up being a case of mistaken identity: David isn’t looking for a relationship right now, since he’s devoted to his studies to become a master sommelier. When Farzan unexpectedly inherits his family’s bistro and has his hands full, he’s desperate for David’s help. David agrees only if Farzan will help him study, with nothing more between them. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to deny their feelings for each other.

Jordan Collins isn’t waiting for a boyfriend, since he’s too busy waiting for his favorite author to publish a new spicy supernatural romance novel. He’s also busy worrying that his romance book club is losing steam as he struggles to recruit new members, and he’s definitely tired of the bookstore employee who keeps teasing him for reading books written for “grandmas.” But when that employee, Rex Bailey, ends up the newest member of Jordan’s book club, Jordan isn’t exactly in a position to refuse new blood, especially not someone who can manage to be so blatantly obnoxious and strikingly handsome at the same time. When Rex offers to help Jordan continue resuscitating the book club, Jordan starts to learn how to experience life outside of the pages of a novel, and how wrong it can be to judge a book — literally or figuratively — by its cover.

In 2019, Moud is a gay teen struggling to reconcile his relationship with his distant Iranian father, Saeed. That’s not to mention he is trying to get his boyfriend to understand the burden of being queer in their culture. When Saeed gets news that his father is dying in Tehran, Moud accompanies him to Iran to say goodbye to his grandfather. What he doesn’t expect is to stumble into a new understanding of his own family history and culture that will change his outlook on everything, including his own view of himself.

In 1978, Saeed is an engineering student with a promising future. When his family discovers his involvement in protests relating to political unrest in Iran, they send him to live with the grandmother he never knew in America, a land he cannot stand.

In 1939, Bobby lands an MGM contract in Hollywood thanks to his toxic stage mother’s manipulations. But Bobby will soon learn the downside to being different in a time when that was a threat to his very existence. This intergenerational tale weaves together queer romances across history and cultures and demonstrates how, even now, queer love remains continuously at odds with itself.