Queering Him

For fans of books by Sally Rooney and LUSTER by Raven Leilani. In this propulsive debut novel, QUEERING HIM, Katherine Wela Bogen chronicles the scalding-hot story of millennial enemies turned lovers Avra and Kieran.

Bullied by Kieran at high school, Avra begins to recognize something familiar in his threatening, but always lingering, gaze. What if he’s cruel not only because he fears her out queerness, but because he also secretly covets it for himself?

Mutual fascination slowly evolves into obsession, tethering Avra and Kieran to each other through early adulthood as they embark on a relationship both perilous and revelatory.

A heart-shattering tale of erotic yearning, QUEERING HIM is also a provocative contribution to social and psychological discourse about bisexuality, queer identity, and kink. Avra and Kieran will return in the second and third installments of this searing and tantalizing trilogy.

©2026 Katherine Wela Bogen (P)2026 Katherine Wela Bogen

An outstanding debut, raw and real.

Katherine Wela Bogen has created a raw and real cast of characters in Queering Him. Her beautiful, highly descriptive writing hooked me from the start. These characters are flawed, they make mistakes, they feel like REAL people. I related to Avra in so many ways as a queer woman, so many of the experiences she goes through were parallel to my own. I can’t wait for more of this story, the ending was devastating! The spicy scenes are abundant, but don’t feel forced into the story - they’re a big part of who Avra is, unapologetically herself, in tune with her sexuality and desires, and I found it very empowering. The way Bogen writes about submissiveness hit deep for me and her words will be a part of my memory for a long time. A truly excellent debut.

Devastating. Incredibly hot. Too real.

This author has left me wanting more. MORE. NOW. I appreciated how well she depicts how complex trauma can show up in relationships without ever directly naming it as such — just the raw experience of it through the eyes of the MC. How our experiences can become armor around us, inform our decisions…become a weapon. I appreciate how she illustrates the nuances and diversity in queer experiences and identity exploration, and how clearly she depicted experiences like the fetishization of bi women, the unprovoked projections and doubt hurled at bisexual folks, and the persistence of deranged entitlement to others’ bodies, regardless of gender and sexuality.

Avra is unapologetically herself, proud, strong, flawed, foolish, and intelligent; she has a wounded inner child, avoidant attachment issues, and the frustrating tendencies of a young person who knows so much yet also knows so little. A self saboteur who craves yet fears to be witnessed and loved.

We don’t get the direct perspective of Kieran as much as Avra outside of how she perceives him and what he and others communicate to her, but it’s easily understandable why their relationship is as complex and passionate and volatile as it is. My heart aches for him in bearing witness to the journey of his personal development. I found myself so frustrated with Avra yet able to empathize with the why behind her choices and thought process, even if they weren’t always the best ones.

The spice scenes? So hot; their attraction to each other is magnetic, their chemistry off the charts.

Overall: so very human, and real, and hot, and devastating, and just an absolute banger of a debut. More please!

Seen and Understood

You will see yourself in these characters. Bogen builds piece by piece, experience by experience a specific story that is universally felt. For me, it hit in a conversation about yearning and shame and unlocking joy. For you it could be a party or a dare, maybe a mistake you can’t help but make, or something you’re not supposed to want, but secretly NEED. Listening to this debut novel (SO evocative btw, read by the author so every gasp, moan, and plea is as intended) and feeling so seen and understood - I want to nestle in and feel hugged by every book that comes from this wonderful author.

undone

i am completely undone. broken hearted and bleeding. beautiful writing. words that literally took my whole breath