Around A Table. Academic Feast, #1

Around A Table: Colorful RomanceA groundbreaking novel that educates while it captivates-over twenty interconnected love stories spanning the full spectrum of gender and sexuality. When Rain, a confident non-binary student, walks into Professor Li's poetry class, neither of them realizes their connection will spark a journey of self-discovery that ripples through an entire campus community. As Li questions a gender identity they've never had words for, Rain opens a door to a vibrant world of diverse identities, relationships, and ways of loving.
From archaeological digs beneath starlit skies to intimate conversations in campus coffee shops, Around A Table weaves together a community of unforgettable characters:Dr. Elena Martinez never imagined that at fifty-two she'd discover she was attracted to women-or that Lora, her brilliant trans archaeology student, would help her understand everything she never had words for. Casey, Alex, and Sage discover that love doesn't follow the rules when polyamory and demisexuality reshape everything they thought they knew about relationships.
Tair, an Indigenous Two-Spirit professor, and Quinn, a graduate student whose stargender identity connects to the cosmos, navigate culture, tradition, and what it means to belong to someone. Blain and Zoe find that romance and desire don't always travel together-and that an asexual-spectrum love can be its own kind of complete. Around them, a wider circle navigates coming out later in life, transition, disability and attraction, reconciling faith with identity, neurodivergence, and the radical act of building chosen family.
Each romance is a window into authentic experience. The characters reflect the beautiful diversity of human life-across race, culture, age, ability, and identity-all united by their search for love, acceptance, and understanding. This isn't just a romance novel. It's a compassionate, wide-ranging exploration of gender and sexuality, delivered through compelling storytelling and intimate relationships.
Perfect for readers seeking authentic LGBTQ+ stories, allies wanting to understand diverse identities, educators looking for accessible resources, or anyone who believes love stories can change the world. Because sometimes the best way to understand is through the heart. Around A Table is the first book in The Academic Feast Series.