Small Town Romance Books To Read if You Dream of Living in Stars Hollow

Tabitha Garrison always dreamed of her wedding day. But not like this. Not looking into the eyes of the man who betrayed her. But when her nephew’s guardianship is contested, she decides she’ll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy. She swore she would never forgive Rhys Dupris. But that was before she knew the man behind the mask. The one who’s fierce and protective. The one who’s gentle and patient. The one who shows up for them when they need him most.

Hazel Hart was a successful romance novelist until a breakup drove her straight into writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees to tiny Story Lake, PA. Upon her arrival, she discovers the house is a wreck, and the town is struggling after its biggest employer shut down. There’s only one thing to do: Hire grouchy contractor Campbell and his equally gorgeous brothers to renovate her new house. She’s finally writing again, but the town she’s falling in love with faces bankruptcy, and growly Cam insists he can’t live happily ever after.

It’s been years since Meena separated from her husband, Nikhil, and years since she felt true happiness. Now, a high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill, ready to move on with another successful lawyer, Meena has returned to small-town Texas to finally obtain a divorce. But there’s one thing Meena didn’t account for: a hurricane forcing her and Nikhil to hunker down in the home they built together. Suddenly, she finds herself trapped amid gale-force winds and pelting rain with the man she once loved. But will her windswept heart make the right choice once the eye passes over and the storm settles?

Amy, a semicloseted queer baker and bartender in mid-2010s Oklahoma, has spent a lifetime putting other people’s needs before her own. Until she’s fired from her job at a bakery and turns her one-off gig subbing in for a bridesmaid into a full-time business. Between her new job and meeting Charley, the attractive engineer who’s just moved to Tulsa, suddenly Amy’s found something—and someone—she actually wants. But when her deep desire to please kicks into overdrive, Amy’s precarious balancing act strains her relationships to the breaking point, and she must decide what it looks like to be true to herself.

Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. The last thing she needed was to run into her ex and his new girlfriend at Amerie’s favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play astronaut Vincent’s doting partner in front of his family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house. What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull.

In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: teenage hell-raiser, sister of superstar Gabe Parker, and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. Dealing with her grief over the loss of her husband, Spencer, has slowly revealed that she’s adrift in her own life. Her rebellious spirit spurs her to dive headfirst into her desire, but when a sexy encounter becomes something more, Lauren finds herself balancing old roles and new possibilities.

Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to make it in the culinary world. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend. When an unexpected disaster collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities—and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Now, she’s stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak. They form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them? There’s no way Daphne would actually fall in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

Justin has a curse; every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When he meets a woman with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, but it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up. It’s supposed to be a quick fling, but what if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Prudence is content living in a charming tourist town, working at her father’s gas station, writing poetry, and caring for her mother with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. But she feels her world slipping further out of control. When the enigmatic wanderer, Milo, rolls into town, she can’t help but strike up an unlikely friendship with him, leading to a sexy agreement. But as their temporary arrangement blossoms into something deeper, they discover taking a leap together is something else entirely.

Camille Ashwood was going to get married so she could secure her daughter’s future and finally start building her own life in small-town Meadowlark, Wyoming. But when her groom doesn’t show up, her life is turned upside down—she doesn’t even have a place to live. That is until she finds out the house she’s always loved is available. There’s only one problem: the neighbor. Dusty Tucker has spent nearly all of his adult life running from Cam. But now she’s single and living next door. Nearly 10 years after they first met, Dusty and Cam begin to wonder if their first love can also be their last.

As a student at a prestigious art school, Ramona Riley dreamt of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to return to Clover Lake to take care of her younger sister. 12 years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café. But when a movie comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star. Before long, both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their dreams or extinguish their light.

Sammy Espinoza’s life is a raging dumpster fire. She’s in hot water at work, and she has one last chance before her editor cuts her column. Luckily, Sammy has a plan. Rumor has it that Max Ryan, the former rock god, is secretly recording his first-ever solo album years after he quit performing. Right before Max got his big break, he and Sammy spent an unforgettable night together. Exclusive access to Max’s new music would guarantee Sammy’s professional comeback. But Max lives in Ridley Falls, Washington, and Sammy has history there as well: a family that never wanted her and a million unanswered questions.

Shelly didn’t think taking over her mom’s dream bed-and-breakfast in Copper Run, Vermont, after her divorce would be easy, but it’s proving to be even harder than she thought. Apparently, her scones belong in the garbage with her small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff, her small-town golden boy next-door neighbor. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard. But she’s only in town for three months, so why can’t she stop thinking about kissing him?