Books

The Book You Should Read Next, Based on Your Favorite Rom-Com Movie

written by HANNAH CARAPELLOTTI

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book recommendations"
book recommendations
Graphics by: Aryana Johnson
Graphics by: Aryana Johnson

As a lifelong reader, a bookseller, and a general lover of love, I spend a lot of time around rom-coms—either on my TV screen or in the pages of a book. Whenever I don’t know what to read or watch next, romance is one of the first genres I go to, and if you’re anything like me, a book that reminds you of your favorite movies is usually a good sign. This list has book recommendations inspired by a mix of classic rom-coms and newer flicks and will give you plenty of reading material for whatever your heart desires. I will admit, I’m cheating a little bit—some of these books are either retellings of these movies or are directly marketed to fans—but I promise, they’ll leave you just as satisfied on the page as they do on the screen.

1. If you love The Proposal

Emily Henry
Book Lovers

Nora Stephens is not a romantic lead. She’s a shark for her clients as a literary agent, and the only person she’s ever had a soft spot for is her little sister, Libby. When the two girls take a month-long vacation in the small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, Libby creates a small-town bucket list to help Nora see herself as the heroine she is. But things become complicated when Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra, her unspoken literary rival. With characters that work in publishing and a “city girl goes to small town” storyline, fans of The Proposal will surely fall in love with Book Lovers.

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2. If you love Sweet Home Alabama

Ashley Herring Blake
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

When Delilah Green begrudgingly returns to her hometown to photograph her stepsister Astrid’s wedding, she finds herself reconnecting with Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s best friends. They couldn’t be less alike—Delilah belongs in New York and never sleeps alone, while Claire is a single mother who doesn’t like surprises—and they don’t get along despite knowing each other for years. But after being thrown together multiple times while preparing for the wedding, they’ll discover that there might be something more than annoyance between them. Sweet Home Alabama is another iconic city girl/small town rom-com with one of the best enemies-to-lovers storylines, and Delilah Green Doesn’t Care takes these tropes to the next level.

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3. If you love 13 Going On 30

Sophie Cousens
The Good Part

Fed up with bad dates, lazy roommates, and not being taken seriously at work, 26-year-old Lucy wishes to skip to “the good part” of her life. But when she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself in her 40s and married with two kids. As she adjusts to her new environment, a part of her can’t help wondering what she missed by jumping ahead. The Good Part may not be advertised as a 13 Going On 30 retelling, but it’s hard not to see the similarities between the two. If this is one of your favorite rom-coms, you’ll have a great time reading this book.

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4. If you love You’ve Got Mail

Uzma Jalaluddin
Hana Khan Carries On

Hana Khan wants nothing more than to tell stories. She’s an intern at the city radio station and has her own podcast, which she uses like a diary—and she even forms a relationship with one of her listeners. Hana also waitresses part-time at her mother’s struggling halal restaurant, which becomes even more threatened when a competing restaurant is about to open nearby. As she tries to balance helping her family with pursuing her own dreams, the last thing she needs is to start falling for Aydin, the other restaurant’s owner… Fans of You’ve Got Mail will fall in love with this 21st-century reimagining.

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5. If you love Crazy Rich Asians

Jesse Q. Sutanto
Dial A For Aunties

Dial A for Aunties has it all: luxurious weddings, complicated family dynamics… and murder. Meddy Chan’s family runs a successful wedding business, but when she accidentally kills her blind date and calls on her aunties to help her get rid of the evidence, their reputation is thrown into jeopardy when the body gets sent to a high-profile client’s venue instead. To make matters even worse, Meddy’s first love returns amidst all the chaos, and she’s not sure she ever got over him. If you want something to tide you over until we hear more news about a Crazy Rich Asians sequel (just me?), look no further!

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6. If you love When Harry Met Sally

Kate Goldbeck
You, Again

Josh and Ari hate each other when they first meet—partly because they have nothing in common but also because they discover that they’ve both been sleeping with the same woman. As their paths keep crossing, their hatred for each other begins to soften until it’s hard to tell whether they’re just friends or something more. You, Again is a deliberate When Harry Met Sally retelling, but it still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Josh and Ari take turns narrating, which adds to their chemistry, and the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers storyline hits just like its on-screen source material.

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7. If you love 27 Dresses

Amal Awad
Courting Samira

As an assistant at a bridal magazine, Samira Abdel-Aziz knows a thing or two about weddings. She’s been on more first dates of her own than she can count, but nobody has ever lived up to her standards—much to the chagrin of her traditional Muslim family. It doesn’t help that her cousin (and nemesis) Zahra is about to be married before her. But when Samira meets Menem at a work retreat, she finds herself wanting to know more—and the chaos continues when she ends up in a love triangle with him and her childhood best friend, Hakeem. Courting Samira has all the wedding drama we love about 27 Dresses, with a Muslim twist.

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8. If you love Notting Hill

Elissa Sussman
Funny You Should Ask

Chani Horowitz gets the chance of a lifetime when she’s hired to write a profile of famous actor Gabe Parker. When a simple interview over drinks turns into a whirlwind weekend, she’s got plenty of good material to use in her story—so much so that even 10 years later, all anyone wants to talk to her about is Gabe. But Chani’s changed a lot since being in her 20s and wants to focus on her more recent writing… until Gabe’s PR team wants a reunion interview. As these two reconnect, it’s hard for either of them to ignore the feelings they still have. Funny You Should Ask does the “celebrity falls for a regular person” fantasy right, and will surely resonate with fans of Notting Hill.

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9. If you love Anyone But You

Nisha Sharma
Tastes Like Shakkar

Bobbi Kaur couldn’t be more excited to plan her best friend’s wedding. The only problem? The groom’s best friend, Benjamin “Bunty” Padda, is the chef helping her with the menu. Oh, and somebody’s trying to sabotage the wedding. Bobbi’s job is on the line if the night isn’t a total success, and Bunty has a lot on his own plate (pun intended). When these two have to team up to save the day, they’ll discover something deeper, bringing them together. Tastes Like Shakkar is another Much Ado About Nothing retelling just like Anyone But You, and it’s in perfect company alongside all the other iconic rom-coms based on Shakespeare’s plays.

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10. If you love How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

Devon Daniels
The Rom Con

After going through an awful breakup, writer Cassidy Sutton decides to turn a 1950s dating guide called “125 Tips to Hook a Husband” into an article about “what not to do” while dating for the popular women’s magazine Siren. Secretly using her nemesis, Jack Bradford, as the man to test the tips on is just an added bonus. But what happens when the article’s advice actually works, and her fake relationship with Jack starts to feel real? The Rom Con is openly marketed to fans of How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days and will make you laugh and swoon all the same.

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11. If you love My Best Friend’s Wedding

Naina Kumar
Say You’ll Be Mine

Meghna Raman realizes she’s in love with her best friend Seth at the worst possible time—when he gets engaged to someone else. To top it all off, Seth asks her to be his best man, and she says yes. Wanting to move on, she lets her parents introduce her to a potential match, Karthik Murthy, who’s only agreed to be set up to make his mother happy. A fake engagement is the best option for both of them—it’ll help Meghna feel better as Seth’s wedding approaches, and it’ll keep Karthik away from more matchmaking attempts. But as they grow closer, it becomes harder to tell what’s real and what’s not. Say You’ll Be Mine has a similar premise to My Best Friend’s Wedding and will check all the right boxes if you love this movie.

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12. If you love Dirty Dancing

Carley Fortune
Meet Me at the Lake

Ten years ago, Fern Brookbanks and Will Baxter spent 24 hours together, which could only be described as magical. They explore their city and share secrets, but when they made a pact to meet up again a year later, Will never shows up. Now, as Fern runs her mother’s vacation resort, she has plenty of her own troubles—the biggest one being that she swore she’d never go back. The last thing she needs is Will’s reappearance. But when he shows up ready to help her revive the resort, both of them have to face what they left behind. Dirty Dancing fans will love the lakeside setting of this book, and there are plenty of references to the movie, too.

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