Feel Good Fiction

New and recommended books with an uplifting message or an upbeat tone.

Updated October 6, 2025
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Miss Eliza's English kitchen : a novel of Victorian cookery and friendship
Abbs, Annabel
Paper Book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick * A Country Living Best Book of Fall * A Washington Post Best Feel-Good Book of the Year * One of the New York Times's Best Historical Fiction Novels of Fall In a novel perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor's A Memory of Violets...
Happy medium
Adler, Sarah
Ebook
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "The perfect alchemy of romance, humor and quirky originality."--Sophie Cousens, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year and The Good Part A clever con woman must convince a...
Good material : a novel
Alderton, Dolly
Ebook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK * From the best-selling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love: a story of heartbreak and friendship and how to survive...
Chef's kiss : a novel
Alexander, T. J.
Paper Book
"Like a dish of comfort food you'll want to devour." --The Washington Post "It's hard to say which aspect of TJ Alexander's novel is sweeter: the slow-burn romance or the drool-worthy desserts." --Time A high-strung pastry chef's professional...
Other birds
Allen, Sarah Addison
Paper Book
The New York Times Bestseller From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home. Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of...
The cemetery of untold stories : a novel
Alvarez, Julia
Audiobook
Literary icon Julia Alvarez, the international bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, returns with a luminescent novel about storytelling that reads like an instant classic. Alma Cruz, the celebrated writer at the...
Summers at the Saint
Andrews, Mary Kay
Ebook
"Andrews perfectly balances the second chance-romance with the twisty mystery against a beachy backdrop that will please any armchair traveler." --Publishers Weekly "A fun, heart-warming, and intriguing summer read. For readers who'd enjoy a blend of friendships (old and new),...
The Book Haters' Book Club
Anthony, Gretchen
Paper Book
"This sparkling novel starts with high energy and unique characters that move from one surprise to another." --Ann Garvin, USA TODAY bestselling author  All it takes is the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover... That was what Elliot--the beloved...
What you are looking for is in the library : a novel
Aoyama, Michiko
Ebook
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER  *  A TIME BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR  *  A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF YEAR What are you looking for? So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian. For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her...
When I think of you
Ariel, Myah
Ebook
In this sweeping second chance romance from debut author Myah Ariel, the unexpected spark of two former flames may force them to choose between their dreams and each other. Kaliya Wilson has paid her dues. But all the years behind the reception desk at a flashy film studio have...
Legends & lattes : a novel of high fantasy and low stakes
Baldree, Travis
Paper Book
No two persons
Bauermeister, Erica
Audiobook
Peg and Rose solve a murder
Berenson, Laurien
Paper Book
Murder, She Wrote meets The Golden Girls in the award-winning author's brand-new series! Two cantankerous septuagenarians, opposites in every way, put aside their differences to stop a killer... if they don't throttle each other first! Rose Donovan looks for the...
Yinka, where is your huzband?
Blackburn, Lizzie Damilola
Paper Book
"Yinka is a lovable and relatable disaster--which is to say, she isn't actually a disaster at all...I adore her."--Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers "Feel good, funny, and clever, it's got smash-hit written all over it!" -Josie...
The collected regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
Audiobook
The waters : a novel
Campbell, Bonnie Jo
Audiobook
A master of rural noir returns with a fierce, mesmerizing novel about exceptional women and the soul of a small town. On an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp--an area known as "The Waters" to the residents of nearby Whiteheart, Michigan--herbalist and eccentric Hermine...
A proposal they can't refuse
Can?a, Natalie
Paper Book
"Utterly charming... A Proposal They Can't Refuse is a surefire winner!" --Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man Natalie Caña turns up the heat, humor and heart in this debut rom-com about a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller...
Hello stranger
Center, Katherine
Ebook
The glorious novel from the beloved author whose bright, hopelessly romantic New York Times bestsellers have been called "My perfect 10 of a book" (Emily Henry) and cheered for their "speedy pacing and sexual tension for miles" (People). Love may be blind. But what if...
Death by bubble tea
Chow, Jennifer J.
Paper Book
When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide. Not only that, but her father thinks it's a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Their bubble tea, in particular, is a huge hit....
A deadly inside scoop
Collette, Abby
Paper Book
Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family s ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Wyn is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavours. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season...
Community board
Conklin, Tara
Audiobook
Just haven't met you yet
Cousens, Sophie
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you picked up the wrong suitcase and fell head over heels for its mystery owner?   Hopeless romantic and lifestyle reporter Laura...
Birding with benefits
Dubb, Sarah T.
Ebook
A divorcee embarks on her "year of yes" and crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood. Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure...
Emily Wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries
Fawcett, Heather
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north in this "incredibly fun journey through fae lands and dark magic" (NPR), the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. "A darkly gorgeous...
This summer will be different
Fortune, Carley
Ebook
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A glorious and tantalizing escape from #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune. This summer they'll keep their promise. This summer they won't give into temptation. This summer will be different. ...
Family family : a novel
Frankel, Laurie
Ebook
​"Not all stories of adoption are stories of pain and regret. Not even most of them. Why don't we ever get that movie?" India Allwood grew up wanting to be an actor. Armed with a stack of index cards (for research/line memorization/make-shift confetti), she goes...
Lessons in chemistry
Garmus, Bonnie
Paper Book
#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD * Meet Elizabeth Zott: "a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention" (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a ...
The music of bees : a novel
Garvin, Eileen
Paper Book
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER! A Good Morning America BUZZ PICK | A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick | IndieNext Pick | LibraryReads Pick | Recommended by People ∙ The Washington Post ∙ Woman's World ∙ NY Post ∙...
Maame
George, Jessica
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! * A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick * A February 2023 Indie Next Pick "Sparkling." --The New York Times "An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys<...
The lonely hearts book club
Gilmore, Lucy (Romance fiction writer)
Audiobook
The Blackout Book Club : a novel
Green, Amy Lynn
Paper Book
"The Blackout Book Club is a fabulous novel that will warm the hearts of readers everywhere. Amy Lynn Green gives us a poignant look at life on the home front during WWII and how comfort and camaraderie can be found in the shared love of books. This will be a wonderful book...
The making of another major motion picture masterpiece
Hanks, Tom
Audiobook
From the legendary actor and best-selling author: a novel about the making of a star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film...and the humble comic books that inspired it. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, while also capturing the changes in America and American...
The women
Hannah, Kristin
Audiobook
Really good, actually : a novel
Heisey, Monica
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Every sentence of Monica Heisey's writing is a treat. No one makes me laugh like she does." --Dolly Alderton, New York Times bestselling author of Everything I Know About Love Recommended by Los Angeles Times * Washington Post * GQ * Elle * Good Morning America...
Funny story
Henry, Emily
Audiobook
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A shimmering, joyful novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry. A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2024 Named a Must-Read Book of 2024 by...
The secret book of Flora Lea : a novel
Henry, Patti Callahan
Ebook
When a woman discovers a rare book with connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood in the English countryside during World War II are revealed in this "beguiling blend of hope, mystery, and true familial love" (Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times...
The five-star weekend
Hilderbrand, Elin
Ebook
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hotel Nantucket: After tragedy strikes, food blogger Hollis Shaw gathers four friends from different stages in her life to spend an unforgettable weekend on Nantucket. Hollis Shaw's life seems picture-perfect. She...
The Kamogawa food detectives
Kashiwai, Hisashi
Ebook
The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. What's the one dish you'd do anything to taste just one more time? Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto...
Chorus : a novel
Kauffman, Rebecca
Paper Book
For readers of Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and Claire Lombardo, Chorus shepherds seven siblings through two life-altering events--their mother's untimely death, and a shocking teenage pregnancy--that ultimately follow them through their lives as individuals and as a family
Love & other disasters
Kelly, Anita
Paper Book
The first openly nonbinary contestant on America's favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as "an essential read." Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson...
The burnout : a novel
Kinsella, Sophie
Ebook
Sparks fly in this delightful novel about two burned out professionals who meet at a ramshackle resort on the British seaside--from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher. "I devoured The Burnout in one greedy gulp. It's funny, sad,...
Finding Dorothy
Letts, Elizabeth
Paper Book
This richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud. "A breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one...
Same as it ever was
Lombardo, Claire
Ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * NAMED A BEST BOOK BY PEOPLE AND PARADE * The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had ("wonderfully immersive...deliciously absorbing"--NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the...
The booklover's library : a novel
Martin, Madeline
Audiobook
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
McBride, James
Ebook
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
McCall Smith, Alexander
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma  Ramotswe--with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi--navigates her...
Savvy Sheldon feels good as hell
McCoy, Taj
Paper Book
"This feel-good, uplifting read is filled with positive messages about self-care and self-love. It is sure to please foodies, home-makeover buffs, and anyone looking for a light-hearted romantic read." -USA Today   A sexy romance about a plus-size sweetheart...
Lula Dean's little library of banned books : a novel
Miller, Kirsten
Ebook
"Kirsten Miller has that rare ability to take a serious subject and make it very, very funny. I enjoyed this novel and you will too."--James Patterson The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of The Change,...
Summer romance
Monaghan, Annabel
Ebook
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER "A BINGEABLE FIVE-STAR READ." --ABBY JIMENEZ, #1 New York Times bestselling author "I loved it--brims with heart, wit, and longing."--CARLEY FORTUNE, #1 New York Times bestselling author The romantic and hilarious...
Someone else's shoes : a novel
Moyes, Jojo
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "Very few authors have the power to make you laugh on one page and cry on the next. Moyes is one of them." --The New York Times A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new...
Sandwich : a novel
Newman, Catherine
Ebook
Look for Wreck, the new novel by Catherine Newman--a deeply moving story of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn't go as planned--Coming October 2025.  INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed...
You are here : a novel
Nicholls, David
Ebook
THE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A Good Housekeeping "Book We're Most Looking Forward To" * An Independent Today "Best Fiction Books to Read" * A GQ Magazine (UK) "Best Book of 2024" * A Harper's Bazaar (UK) "Best Novels to Read" * A ...
The mostly true story of Tanner & Louise
Oakley, Colleen
Ebook
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick * A Marie Claire Book Club Pick for April * A Reader's Digest Book Club Pick for April * A LibraryReads Pick * One of Southern Living's Most Anticipated 2023 Releases * One of Today's Most Anticipated 2023 Releases An...
Yours cheerfully : a novel
Pearce, A. J.
Paper Book
From the author of the "jaunty, heartbreaking winner" (People) and international bestseller Dear Mrs. Bird comes a charming and uplifting novel set in London during World War II about a plucky young journalist and her adventures as wartime advice columnist. ...
Killers of a certain age
Raybourn, Deanna
Paper Book
They've spent their lives as assassins in a clandestine international organization, but at 60 years old, four women find they can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this book by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie...
The Paris novel
Reichl, Ruth
Ebook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A "mouthwatering" (The New York Times) adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris--from the bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious! "An enchanting and irresistible feast . . . As with a...
Fifth Avenue glamour girl
Rosen, Renée
Ebook
It's 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she's about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social...
The celebrants
Rowley, Steven
Ebook
New York Times Bestseller A TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises--especially to ourselves--by the bestselling and beloved author of The Guncle. It's been a...
West with giraffes : a novel
Rutledge, Lynda
Paper Book
An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes..." Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But...
A death in Door County
Ryan, Annelise
Paper Book
Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she's not tending the store, she's hunting cryptids - creatures whose existence is rumoured, but never proven to be real. It's a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she'll never give up on....
The Hazelbourne ladies motorcycle and flying club : a novel
Simonson, Helen
Ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "Historical fiction of the highest order . . . an absolute joy of a book, warm and romantic, and with so much to say about the lives of women in the years following World War I."--Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello Beautiful A timeless...
Cassandra in reverse
Smale, Holly
Audiobook
Vera Wong's unsolicited advice for murderers
Sutanto, Jesse Q.
Audiobook
A USA Today bestseller Edgar Award Winner for Best Original Paperback Audie Award Winner for Mystery Libby Award Winner for Best Mystery A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by...
The sunset years of Agnes Sharp
Swann, Leonie
Ebook
A quirky group of seniors attempts to solve one murder while covering up another--with the help of an enterprising tortoise--in this twisty, darkly funny mystery from the author of Three Bags Full. It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants...
Sipsworth : a novel
Van Booy, Simon
Ebook
Remarkably bright creatures : a novel
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Soon to be a Netflix Film A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today "Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately...
The Quintland sisters : a novel
Wood, Shelley
Paper Book
"A historical novel that will enthrall you... I was utterly captivated..." -- Joanna Goodman, author of The Home for Unwanted Girls AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER For fans of Sold on a Monday or The Home for Unwanted Girls, Shelley Wood's novel tells the story...
The excitements : a novel
Wray, C. J.
Ebook
"Irresistible...Filled with surprise, poignancy, and excitement, this is a surefire winner." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) A brilliant and witty drama about two brave female World War II veterans who survived the unthinkable without ever losing their killer instinct...or their joie...
Sylvia's second act : a novel
Yablon, Hillary
Ebook
Her husband's cheating on her. She hates Boca. Sylvia is mad and she isn't going to take it anymore. She's moving back north, to the city of her dreams--with her best friend, Evie, in tow. Think a screwball comedy featuring a sophisticated Thelma and Louise with martinis in hand . . . ...

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