Here Are 15 Books That Have The Same Vibes As These Widely Beloved TV Shows

If a TV show is going to haunt me, I better have a bunch of books to protect myself.

Whenever I dig my claws into my newest favorite TV show obsession, I crave a book to fill the void. I need to wrap myself in a blanket of books that remind me of Ted Lasso, The Witcher, Bridgerton, The Gilded Age, and Shadow and Bone. Below you'll find some really great titles that match the aesthetic, mood, and tone of these widely beloved TV shows.

1. If you love Ted Lasso, try A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria

Apple TV+ / Via youtube.com, Avon Books

Why you should read it: If you love it when the grumpy jock falls for the bubbly hot friend, then Gabe and Michelle are the perfect solution to your Roy/Keeley related problems. Ted Lasso’s favorite couple gives that grumpy/sunshine trope between Roy, a retired footballer, and the team’s brilliant model-turned-publicist, Keeley.

Like Ted Lasso, A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria follows a couple resisting their emotions for each other. Gabe puts on a grumpy façade only to drip vulnerability and softness towards Michelle. Years ago, Gabe left his high school friend to start a new life. Now, he asks Michelle to set up a marketing campaign for the celebrity gym he’s opening. Alexis Daria knows how to write a healthy sex positive relationship that rivals even the legendary Ted Lasso. A Lot Like Adiós brings more sighs than Roy Kent’s growl.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

2. If you love Outlander, try A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

Starz / Via youtube.com, Harper Voyager

Why you should read it: Bring me into the romantic mists of Scotland so I can live out my life surrounded by herbs, ancient castles, and chonky wool. Outlander, a portal fantasy set in 18th-century Scotland, features a romance between a Scottish warrior and a healer.

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross charms with a folkloric Scottish fantasy set by the sea. What you’ll find in both is a mystery plot and court intrigue with a slow-burn romance simmering at its core. If you love rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, soft masculinity, polite gentility, ancient Celtic lore, bards singing for their Laird, and feral girls, then please do yourself a favor and read this gem of a book.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

3. If you love The Witcher, try The Widow Queen by Elzbieta Cherezińska

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Forge Books

Why you should read it: "Toss a coin to your Witcher" sounds just about right. Every time a new season of The Witcher releases, it leaves fans desperate for more. Set in a Polish medievalist inspired world with mages and elves, the intricate Netflix hit reworks Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy books for viewers.

Chances are you’ve already gobbled up Andrzej Sapkowski’s entire series. Now that you’re staring at your dusty shelf, you’re probably asking yourself, "Where else can I find gothic castle vibes, ravenous religious speculations, and Polish royalty going absolutely feral?" The Widow Queen by Elzbieta Cherezińska has those aesthetics. Set in the 11th century, it follows Polish queen, Swietoslawa and the predatory court politics of Duke Mieszko’s court. This ruthless and aggressive royal family rivals even that of the Queen Calanthe of Cintra.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

4. If you love The Haunting of Bly Manor, try Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Wednesday Books

Why you should read it: Gothic nerds, this one is for you. If you want more of the intimate relationships and gothic vibes of Bly Manor, Within These Wicked Walls bleeds romance and bonds that go deeper than its eerie walls. 

An Ethiopian re-imagining of Jane Eyre, Lauren Blackwood introduces Andromeda, an exorcist hired to cleanse the young heir’s gothic halls. You’ll love Lauren Blackwood’s fresh voice. Imagine Mr. Rochester as a dramatic feral cat desperate for the love of one very darling exorcist. Dear reader, it’ll cause you such deep brutal feelings that you’ll be crawling up publishing’s icy towers for more.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

5. If you love The Gilded Age, try The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe

HBO Max / Via youtube.com, Avon

Why you should read it: The Gilded Age has me swooning like the wicked romantic that I am. Okay, so we’re all in love with old New York elites, bustles for days, and power hungry social climbers. If you want those aesthetics with an emphasis on romance, then meet Joanna Shupe. A well-known historical romance author, many of Shupe’s books take place smack dab in the center of Gilded Age New York.

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue, the first in the Uptown Girls series, is all about the glitz and glam of those rich Gilded Age daughters and social climbing boys. Charming lawyer Frank Tripp and socialite rebel Mamie Greene have what the Russells have but with an extra dose of happily ever after. But like Marian Brook, Mamie wants to do something good with her life. With Frank’s help, Mamie hopes to be like a Gilded Age-esque Robin Hood. Oh, and that pool table scene certainly makes this glittering romance blush-worthy. Pick this up if you’re desperate for a feminist slow burn romance and for a little more of what you’ve discovered in HBO Max’s new period drama.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

6. If you love Gilmore Girls, try You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

the CW / Via youtube.com, G.P Putnam's Sons

Why you should read it: Everybody loves a Gilmore Girls high drama situation. Emily Gilmore imbues a flair for the dramatics. When her daughter leaves home with her newborn daughter, she strives to create a distance from that of her mother’s privileged world. But when Lorelai meets diner owner, Luke, Emily causes a wedge between the two.

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle is for every person wanting a happy ever after for Luke and Lorelai. Love-to-hate-to-love is undeniably the superior trope in romance. Naomi and Nicholas are determined to make the other call off their engagement. Nicholas’ mother caused a dramatic split between the two, resulting in a simmering hatred between the couple. A game of pranks, treachery, and destruction ensues. The problem? They’re both secretly starting to realize they want to spend the rest of their lives with the other.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

7. If you love The Last Kingdom, try Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Titan Books

Why you should read it: We all love a red-soaked revenge plot. Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon raised by the Vikings, seeks revenge and a reclaiming of his ancestral home in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom. The bloody politics between the Saxons and the Danes are what makes this show so enthralling.

H.M. Long takes that revenge plot but adds taste to the mix. Hessa, a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, rages at the massacre of her people. Burning for revenge, her journey reveals the Viking gods are dying, and Hessa must be the one to trust her goddess. Long’s writing is dark, eerie, and sprinkled with nature. Brambles, berries, icy lakes, and deep woods surround a misty world of Viking culture and traditions. If you love the intimate details of The Last Kingdom, you will be impressed with H.M. Long’s Hall of Smoke.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

8. If you love Jane the Virgin, try You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

the CW / Via youtube.com, Avon

Why you should read it: Let’s all agree that slow burns should be with the fire on high. Jane the Virgin, inspired by the telenovela (Juana la Virgen), is the satirical story of Jane, a romance writer looking for true love.

You’ll be hard pressed to find anything with the same vibes as Jane the Virgin than You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. Ashton and Jasmine, Puerto Rican soap opera actors on a new Latinx-led show, both have the shared language and magnetic chemistry that Jane and Rafael do. The importance of family, honest consent talks, and discussions of mental health will give that similar feminist spark for Jane the Virgin fans.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

9. If you love Game of Thrones, try Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

HBO / Via youtube.com, Avon

Why you should read it: What happens when a celebrity romance meets fandom? Game of Thrones has some of most addictive storylines and character arcs. That ending still hurts, something we all took as a personal affront. Still, fans make reaction videos, fanfiction, and Twitter threads piecing together the intricacies of Sansa Stark, Jaime Lannister, and Theon Greyjoy. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade is for all the fans that got burned.

If you love the idea of two Game of Thrones-esque fanfic writers falling in love, Spoiler Alert will hit the spot. Marcus Caster-Rupp, the star of Gods of the Gates, moonlights as a fanfiction writer, an outlet for the frustration he feels at the show’s creators. After a troll infestation, he asks April Whittier, a Lavinia fan, on a date. The honest communication about disabilities, mental health, and body positivity makes this a feminist rom-com that will have romance and fantasy nerds flailing.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

10. If you love Shadow and Bone, try A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Wednesday Books

Why you should read it: Grab your darling for a mythological beast hunt. For sure, we’re all very impressed by the Netflix adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, Shadow and Bone. Set in a Russian inspired land, known as Ravka, it follows a young woman with the magical ability to summon the light from darkness.

Much like Shadow and Bone, A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft features a land consumed by anti-immigration and antisemitic thought. At its core is a tradition: a hunt for a magical beast. For anyone wanting a romantic fantasy storyline, this one is between a sharpshooter and an alchemist.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

11. If you love Bridgerton, try Bombshell by Sarah MacLean

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Avon

Why you should read it: Darlings of the ton! Looking for more bubbly regency in your life? Look no further than Sarah MacLean’s bombastic romance, Bombshell.

Bright star and total scandal, Sesily Talbot’s feminism will remind you of Eloise Bridgerton. After finding her name on all the gossip papers, Sesily takes things into her own hands. Away from the expectations of her gender, she commands the freedom she’s always wanted. If you’re searching for an unrequited lover's romance with the fantabulous fashion, the histrionic dramatics, and overall frothiness of Bridgerton, then you’ll be swooning in no time.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

12. If you love The Haunting of Hill House, try Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Tor Nightfire

Why you should read it: Imagine living out your dreams in a glamorous haunted mansion. Instead of a New England gothic mansion, the haunting takes place in a Heian-era abandoned Japanese mansion.

Sitting on the bones of a bride, its walls are layered with the remains of the girls sacrificed for her entertainment. Exchange the enigmatic Crains for a wedding party and a ghost bride for the lovely couple. Cassandra Khaw takes the most integral moments amongst five friends, fitting the most rich character development in such a small amount of time with such flawlessness. If you love how the atmospherics of The Haunting of Hill House escalates tension, chew on Nothing But Blackened Teeth.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

13. If you love Castlevania, try A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Netflix / Via youtube.com, Nyx Publishing

Why you should read it: Do I need to explain this beyond "vampires are sexy?" Castlevania imagines a dark medieval world of Slavic folkloric monsters. A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson follows that similar aesthetic with a Queer polyamorous reimagining of the desires, bloodlust, and gothics of Dracula’s brides.

Constanta, a medieval peasant, is saved by an undying king. The dramatic aristocrat, Dracula, draws her into his world of glamor, passion, and deceit. Over the centuries, they travel to romantic destinations. Disease, war, and revolution surround them as new courtly brides are welcomed into their lives. This is the gothic-flavored serotonin you’ve been waiting for.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

14. If you love The Wheel of Time, try The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

Amazon Prime / Via youtube.com, Orbit Books

Why you should read it: Sure, you could read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, but if you want something more recent, The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter has many similarities.

Like the show, Evan Winter’s epic fantasy is set in a world where women have power. In this world, queens rule the land, and women call down dragons. Tau, determined to avenge his father, trains to become the greatest swordsman his people have ever known. Read this for the intricate court politics, complicated feelings, and African-inspired fantasy.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.

15. If you love Pushing Daisies, try The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

ABC / Via youtube.com, Berkley

Why you should read it: Cozy romance and magic match each other so well. It is impossible to think of another show more deserving of a revival than Pushing Daisies. The whimsically romantic and deadly magical show has that perfect confection of comfortable fantasy vibes. It encourages a relaxing hour of tea, cozy blankets, and delicious cherry pie. Spending time with a little murder, a bit of romance, and a sprinkle of magic seems like perfection.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton provides a similar but unique, cheerful yet deadly romantic tone. Imagine if Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett wrote a rom-com together. That’s what this feels like. Those satirical fantasy vibes with English propriety take place in an alternate world where witches clean up problems and proper ladies enter piratical societies. This is a true enemies-to-lovers romance between two pirates that actually try to kill each other but end up falling in love instead.

Get it from Bookshop or from your local indie via Indiebound here.