
The long-awaited fourth season of Netflix’s Virgin River continues the adaptation of Robyn Carr’s long-running book series. If you’ve already watched through the new season and read Carr’s books, you might be on the lookout for a new book series to get lost in. We’ve got plenty of recommendations for books that will give you the same cozy, small-town, romantic vibes as Virgin River—put some (or all!) of these on your to-be-read list.
The Sweet Magnolias
Another small-town romantic series that has been adapted by Netflix, Sherryl Woods’s The Sweet Magnolia series spans 11 books so far. In a small Southern town, three best friends navigate the ups and downs of life, love, motherhood, betrayal, and loss. The series starts with Stealing Home, focused on newly-divorced mom Maddie and her son’s baseball coach, Cal, and like Virgin River, the series expands the universe in each book while still keeping track of your old favorites.
Destiny
Similar to Virgin River, Toni Blake’s Destiny series starts out with a successful woman returning to her small hometown after something shakes up her life. With her marriage destroyed by her ex’s cheating, Jenny decides to spend a summer in her Ohio hometown of Destiny. While there, she crosses paths with Mick, the town’s resident “bad boy,” and sparks definitely fly—but he’s got a secret that could ruin everything. The series currently has seven books, each centering different denizens of Destiny.
Cedar Cove
In the small town of Cedar Cove, family judge Olivia makes some major waves when she makes a surprising ruling in a young couple’s divorce. The attention of her friends and family—not to mention the new-to-town journalist, who might be interested in her more than just professionally—raises new questions for her, and the lives and loves of the various townspeople weave together over the course of 12 books so far in Debbie Macomber’s hit series.
Chesapeake Shores
Adapted by Hallmark into an ongoing drama series, the Chesapeake Shores series by Sherryl Woodsstarts like many similar series: a woman returning to her small hometown after many years. Abby has a successful Wall Street career, but when her sister sends out an SOS, Abby heads back to her small Maryland hometown. As she tries to mend fractures in her family and save her sister’s dream of owning an inn, she also comes face to face with Trace, the man she left behind a decade ago.
Blessings
Beverly Jenkins is one of the icons of the romance genre, and Virgin River fans will love her small-town-set Blessings series. Spanning 11 books so far, the series is set in the historically Black town of Henry Adams, Kansas, where the town is literally put up for sale when the coffers run low. When a wealthy woman puts in a bid, the town is thrown into upheaval—and her life is, too. Over several years, the series expands to tell the stories of several generations and unique lives in Henry Adams.
Fool's Gold
Susan Mallery has written a whopping 20 entries in this California-set series so far, so there’s plenty of romance and drama to go around. The series kicks off with the arrival of Charity Jones, an ambitious city planner who falls in love with the small town of Fool’s Gold. As she tries to solve some of the town’s biggest problems, she also finds herself drawn to one of the residents, a former champion cyclist, and learns to open her heart to the charms of the town and its people.
The Blue Heron Series
Kristan Higgins starts her small-town series with Faith, who ran as far as she could from her small hometown after being left at the altar. Now, years later, she’s back to help run her family’s Blue Heron Winery. Her peaceful return is a little more stressful when she crosses paths with Levi, her ex’s best friend and the local police chief. Over the course of five books so far, the series follows the Holland family and their friends as they navigate all the romantic drama life throws their way.
Catalina Cove
Brenda Jackson’s series takes the small-town vibe and relocates it to Louisiana, where the denizens of Catalina Cove find plenty of love, drama, and scandal. The series starts with Vashti, who returns reluctantly to the hometown she left after a tragic teen pregnancy. She’s back to take over her late aunt’s B&B, but a budding relationship with town sheriff Sawyer may not be enough to keep her afloat when a devastating secret comes to light.
Lucky Harbor
Those Pacific Northwest small-town vibes are at the heart of Jill Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series, with 12 books and counting. After a breakup and losing her job, Maddie leaves LA for Lucky Harbor, where she takes over her late mother’s run-down inn. As Maddie tries to convince her half-sisters to join her, she also finds some sparks flying with the handsome contractor hired to help renovate the inn.
Shelter Bay
Like Virgin River‘s Jack, Sax, the hero of the first book in JoAnn Ross’s small-town-Oregon series, is a veteran haunted by memories of his deployment. Upon returning home, he’s hailed as a hero, but he doesn’t feel much like one. As he uncovers secrets from the past, he also bonds with Kara, the woman who he’s cared about for a long time, but one shocking discovery could threaten their second chance at love.