Given that my latest book The Summer We’ve Had has a strong mental health theme, with the two main characters having depression and Dissociative Identity Disorder, I knew I had to mark World Mental Health Day somehow. Ami Spencer is currently hosting an event on their own blog, where a selection of authors and readers of Sapphic fiction are sharing what mental health means to them. I’ve contributed to that – my post is out today, in fact, so head to Ami’s website to find it. And I’ve also put together a list. A list of Sapphic fiction books that feature mental health conditions.
It’s not a comprehensive list. I have read but a handful of these books. Thus, my categorisation is based (for the most part) on what I could deduce from the blurbs of the books, and their Amazon/Goodreads reviews. As such, I will have missed many books that didn’t make it clear – I am only one person, after all. If there are any inaccuracies, please let me know!
Apropos to that point, these books may not always have mental health conditions as a main feature, but they all contain or tackle them in some way, shape or form. I must thank TB Markinson and Miranda McLeod from I Heart SapphFic for the BookFinder function on their website, without which I wouldn’t have had a clue where to start. Also, while I know that autism, ADHD and addiction are not necessarily mental health conditions, they are comorbid with them, so I decided to include them anyway.
Final disclaimer: I am not financially affiliated with any of the authors I have mentioned. I’m featuring them purely because I’ve found their book to have a mental health condition included within it. (Authors, if you would like to be taken OFF the list, please let me know!)
Anyway! On with the main event, which I have split into sections according to condition. (I apologise in advance to your TBR if for you, like me, books about mental health make your heart sing.)
If you are worried about your mental health, or that of someone around you, here are some helplines you may find useful.
ADDICTION:
· Burn It Down by K. Aten
· Diving Into Her by Alyson Root
· The Doctor And Her Veterinarian by Emily Hayes
· The Woman Who Tried To Be Normal by Anna Ferrara
· Beware by Adrian J. Smith
· Score by MJ Williamz
· Shimmer & Other Stories by Lori L. Lake
· Fireflies by Lise Gold
· Pomegranate by Helena Elaine Lee
· Admissible Affair by Adrian J. Smith
· Twisted Images by Blair Sterne
· Part Of Her Plan by Catherine Peace
· All up in Knots by Rosie Williams
· The Outside by Ada Hoffman
· Minotaur by J. A. Rock
· Candy, Sweat and Regret by Ash Gray
ADHD:
· Out On The Ice by Kelly Farmer
· Worthy Of Love by Quinn Ivins
· Curious Minds by Rachel Gold
· Truly Enough by J.J. Hale
· These Thin Lines by Milena McKay
AGORAPHOBIA/SOCIAL ANXIETY:
· Homebound by Hayley Anderton
· Forever Is Now by Mariama J. Lockington
· Rooting For You by Roz Alexander
ANXIETY:
· Broken by Ami Spencer
· Surprised By Her by Chelsea M Cameron
· The Secret of Matterdale Hall by Marianne Ratcliffe
· Sour Grapes by Eliza Lentzski
· The Art Of Growing by Jacqueline Ramsden
· Inside These Halls by Adrian J. Smith
· Sweet Nothings And Other Confections by Sula Sullivan
· Shattered Paradise by C. L. Cattano
· Love, Morgan by Jacqueline Ramsden
· Must Love Silence by Lucy Bexley
· Come Away With Me by Rachel Lacey
· Leveled by Serena J Bishop
· Free Flight by Bel Blackwood
· The Immeasurable Depth Of You by Maria Ingrande Mora
· In The Ring by Sierra Isley
· Of Books and Paper Dragons by Vaela Denarr and Micah Iannandrea
· Secrets and Rivalry by C. L. Cattano
· Good Vibes by Cara Malone
· Twice Upon A Train by K. A. Moll
· Camp Rewind by Meghan O’Brien
· Once More With Chutzpah by Haley Neil
· Heart Of The Pack by Jenny Frame
· Bianca Torre Is Afraid Of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans
· Amy’s Crush by Jenna Kent
AUTISM:
· Fitting In by Amanda Radley
· Sculpting Her Heart by Annette Mori
· Sprinkled In The Stars by Violet Morley
· Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton
· The Face Of It by Rosie Williams
· The Executive Liaison by Anna Stone and Hildred Billings
· Fluid Bonding by Sienna Eggler
· A Marine Awakening by Jax Meyer
· Carving A New Shape by Rhiannon Grant
· Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West
· A Marine Discovery by Jax Meyer
· Chainsaw Heart by Kiernan Kelly
· Beyond Any Experience by Anne. E. Terpstra
· The Rules of Love by Cara Malone
· The Business Of Love by Charley Clarke
BIPOLAR:
· Training For Love by Amanda Kabak
· Sleepwalking by Cara Malone
· No Experience Required by Kimberly Cooper Griffin
· Safe Haven by Ellen Hoil
DEPRESSION:
· The Storm Within Her by Ami Spencer
· If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude
· Guarding Evelyn by Erin Zak
· Catch Lili Too by Sophie Whittemore
· Round Trip by D.A. Hartman
· Escape & Freedom by Claire Highton-Stevenson
· Someday, Maybe by Addison Clarke
· The Politics Of Love by Jen Jensen
· Pining & Loving by Emma Sterner-Radley
· Pax Victoria by Cameron Darrow
· The Origins Of Heartbreak by Cara Malone
· Worth Waiting For by Teresa Purkis
· The Bartender’s Pride by TJ Dallas
· Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole
EATING DISORDER(S):
· In The Mirror by Lise Gold and Madeline Taylor
· Far From Home by Lorelie Brown
OCD:
· The Gift Of Your Love by Kayla Bashe
· Mind Games by Cara Malone
· Captivated by Annette Mori
· Just For Show by Jae
· The Revenge Plot by Sienna Waters
PTSD:
· A Burden of Happiness by Luc Dreamer
· Broken Not Shattered by Rita Potter
· Monstersona by Chloe Spencer
· Don’t Call Me A Hero (series) by Eliza Lentzski
· Broken by Kayt Peck
· Cowgirl Up by Ali Spooner
· Forever Faithful by Isabella
· Taking A Chance On Love by Catherine Maiorisi
· When Angels Fall by Sherryl D. Hancock
· Faithful Valor by Isabella
· The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox
SCHIZOPHRENIA:
· Fragmented by Eliza Lentzski
· Against All Odds by Cara Malone
SUICIDE:
· A Breathless Place by Harper Bliss
· Living by Lise Gold
· Death By Society by Sierra Elmore
· The Woman Who Made Me Feel Strange by Anna Ferrara
· The Playlist by Nat Christo
· Letters I’ll Never Send by Nicole Zelniker
· Bringing Me Dreams by KG MacGregor
OTHER:
· Silent Night by Lily Seabrooke (auditory processing disorder)
· A Silent Song by Helen West (mutism)
· The Disappearance of Lindy James by Catherine Maiorisi (psychosis)
· Riley the PI by Hayden Quinn (self-harm)
· The Summer We’ve Had by Katherine Blakeman (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
Thank you to my Twitter and Bluesky followers for their suggestions, and thank you once again to I Heart SapphFic for their wonderful BookFinder.
I am currently accepting submissions for guest articles on my blog, Katherine’s Corner. If you’re interested, click here to find out more!