Feel Good Fiction

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

Updated October 6, 2025
Rochester Public Library RPL Staff
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Feel Good Fiction

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

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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
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
Literary icon and great American novelist Julia Alvarez, 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. ...
Summers at the Saint
Andrews, Mary Kay
Paper Book
"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
Paper Book
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER  *  A TIME BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR  *  A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF YEAR For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, a charming, internationally bestselling Japanese novel about how the perfect book...
Legends & lattes : a novel of high fantasy and low stakes
Baldree, Travis
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2022 A Library Reads Pick An Indie Next Pick A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee The much-beloved BookTok sensation, Travis Baldree's novel of high...
No two persons
Bauermeister, Erica
Paper Book
One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister's No Two Persons is "a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives."* That was the beauty of books, wasn't it? They took you...
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...
Libby lost and found
Booth, Stephanie
Paper Book
Libby Lost and Found is a book for people who don't know who they are without the books they love. It's about the stories we tell ourselves and the chapters of our lives we regret. Most importantly, it's about the endings we write for ourselves. Meet Libby Weeks, author of...
The collected regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
Paper Book
USA Today Bestseller * Best Book of 2023 by NPR "This weird, lovely and sweetly satisfying novel [is] engaging and accessible...Clover's emergence from a shuttered life is moving enough to elicit tears, and Brammer's take on death and grieving is profound...
Mastering the art of French murder
Cambridge, Colleen
Paper Book
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child, will adore this magnifique new mystery set in Paris and starring Julia Child's (fictional) best friend, confidante, and fellow American. From the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall, this...
The waters : a novel
Campbell, Bonnie Jo
Paper Book
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 "Herself" Zook has healed the local women of their ailments for generations. As stubborn as her tonics are powerful, Herself inspires...
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...
We need no wings : a novel
Cardinal, Ann Da?vila
Paper Book
"We need more novels that deepen our understanding of these later stages of a woman's life and put wings of hope on our hearts. The book soars, her best so far, a transcendent read." --Julia Alvarez, internationally bestselling and award-winning author To be free, we must learn...
Hello stranger
Center, Katherine
Paper Book
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...
The enchanted hacienda
Cervantes, J. C.
Paper Book
Don't miss J.C. Cervantes's next book The Anatomy of Magic coming March 2025 "This summer's sweetest confection is J.C. Cervantes's The Enchanted Hacienda. This book is like dipping your brain into a jar of serotonin." --New York Times Book Review
The other side of disappearing
Clayborn, Kate
Paper Book
From the acclaimed author of Georgie, All Along and Love Lettering, a pitch-perfect, radiantly transporting love story about an unexpected road trip, true crime obsessions, and hard won vulnerability... "Poignant, observant, tender, and deeply romantic. Clayborn takes...
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
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics delivers a wise, timely, big-hearted novel of unplanned isolation and newly forged community. Where does one go, you might ask, when the world falls apart When the immutable facts of your life--the...
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.
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
#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
Paper Book
​"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)
Paper Book
A young librarian and an old curmudgeon forge the unlikeliest of friendships in this charming uplit novel about one misfit book club and the lives it changed along the way. Because books have a way of bringing even the loneliest of souls together... Sloane...
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
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * 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...
The women
Hannah, Kristin
Paper Book
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times! From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women--at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a...
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
Paper Book
#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
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. In the war-torn London of...
The five-star weekend
Hilderbrand, Elin
Paper Book
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...
The Kamogawa food detectives
Kashiwai, Hisashi
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
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,...
Tangled up in you
Lauren, Christina
Paper Book
A witty and deeply romantic modern reimagining of Disney's Tangled, by the New York Times bestselling author duo Christina Lauren, part of the acclaimed and bestselling Meant to Be collection. "I dare you to not fall wildly in love with Ren and Fitz! Christina Lauren as a...
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...
My roommate is a vampire
Levine, Jenna
Paper Book
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! A September Indie Next Pick One of Amazon's Best Romances of September One of Apple's Best Books of September True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy. Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist...
Same as it ever was
Lombardo, Claire
Paper Book
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...
Pony confidential
Lynch, Christina
Paper Book
An NPR "Book of the Day" In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humor, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he's ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn't commit. Pony has been passed from owner to owner for...
The booklover's library : a novel
Martin, Madeline
Paper Book
"A must-read for booklovers." --Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The...
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
McBride, James
Paper Book
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the...
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...
Lula Dean's little library of banned books : a novel
Miller, Kirsten
Paper Book
"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
Paper Book
Benefits of a summer romance: it's always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken. There aren't enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris's life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn't worn pants with a zipper in longer than she...
Someone else's shoes
Moyes, Jojo
Paper Book
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else's shoes?
Sandwich : a novel
Newman, Catherine
Paper Book
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...
Sunshine nails
Nguyen, Mai
Paper Book
A Real Simple Must-Read Book of Summer 2023 "Mai Nguyen has proven herself to be a real standout." --Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author A tender, humorous, and page-turning debut about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do...
You are here : a novel
Nicholls, David
Paper Book
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 vulnerables : a novel
Nunez, Sigrid
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER  NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR, HARPER'S BAZAAR, VOGUE, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICE, THE IRISH TIMES, NEW REPUBLIC AND KIRKUS REVIEWS The New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend and...
The mostly true story of Tanner & Louise
Oakley, Colleen
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that's what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She's ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on - and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named...
The celebrants
Rowley, Steven
Paper Book
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...
The dead guy next door
Score, Lucy
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is. Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card...
The Hazelbourne ladies motorcycle and flying club : a novel
Simonson, Helen
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK from the author of the GEEK GIRL series, now on NETFLIX!  "Fascinating...witty...self-deprecating...We meet Cassandra on the worst day of her life. She's getting fired, her boyfriend dumps her, and her roommates hate her. On that same day, she...
Murder marks the page
Smith, Karen Rose
Paper Book
In the first of a charming new series spin-off of Karen Rose Smith's Daisy's Tea Garden Mysteries, Daisy's daughter Jazzi Swanson has opened her own tea and book shop, providing a variety of literature and flavored beverages for a rural New York community. But Jazzi hasn't just inherited her...
Vera Wong's unsolicited advice for murderers
Sutanto, Jesse Q.
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants of Sunset Hall, a house share for the old and unruly in the sleepy English countryside. Although they have had some issues (misplaced reading glasses, conflicting culinary tastes, decreasing mobility, and unruly grandsons),...
Sipsworth : a novel
Van Booy, Simon
Paper Book
"Beautiful and enchanting"--Washington Post Sometimes a second chance comes in the most unexpected way.... Following the loss of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish...
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.
Paper Book
"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
Paper Book
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 . . . ...
More days at the Morisaki Bookshop : a novel
Yagisawa, Satoshi
Paper Book
In this charming and emotionally resonant follow up to the internationally bestselling Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa paints a poignant and thoughtful portrait of life, love, and how much books and bookstores mean to the people who love them. Set again in the beloved...
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