Romance Book Recommendations: Gilmore Girls
What books are your favorite characters reading?
Welcome to the first newsletter from TBR: Romance Edition. There are hundreds of ways to get book recommendations right now from Reddit to Tiktok to just googling ‘what book should I read next’ and handing it over to the AI gods.
I wrote this newsletter mostly for myself. I found myself overwhelmed with the recommendations, having a hard time figuring out what I liked and sifting through a lot of books that weren’t a fit for me along the way. I wanted someone to do the work to recommend books that are fun, interesting and most importantly romantic. Each week, I’ll include a list of some book recommendations varying in sub-genre, spice level and popularity to hopefully give you a few solid additions to your TBR. I’ll try and give some insight into who might like the book, since not every book hits the same way for everyone. This week we are kicking off the newsletter with books you know your favorite Gilmore Girls characters are reading.
Taylor Doose
Recommendation: Lovelight Farms Series by B.K. Borison
Taylor Doose took all the fun out of reading romance novels by simply taking notes on the town events they hold. Taylor bought his Kindle, downloaded all the small town romance novels he could find and started bringing the ideas up at Town Meetings. He has sticky notes all over Doose's Market with new inspirational ideas regardless of their feasibility. Miss Patty had to eventually put her foot down on all the ideas that came from small town Alaska books. Taylor was inconsolable when he heard Woodbury created an adorable Christmas Tree Farm last season. He picked up Lovelight Farms hoping to find some inspiration and enact his revenge.
Why you might like it: Lovelight Farms is the first in a 4 book series all taking place near the fictional town Inglewild, Maryland. Lovelight is a friends to lovers story featuring an in-over-her-head FMC and her best friend who will do just about anything for her. It’s the equivalent to a warm hug in a book. The final book in the series was released this month. 🌶️🌶️
Babbett & Miss Patty
Recommendation: Desire in his Blood by Zoey Draven
Babbett and Miss Patty have capitalized on the romance book popularity and started their own bookclub. Hosted in the dance studio on Tuesday nights, they pick a new theme each month. Miss Patty’s only rule is there must be spice. Attendees vary but you’ll always see Lorelei, Sookie and Kirk in attendance. This months bookclub book is Desire in his Blood by Zoey Draven (Miss Patty is on a Dragon men kick).
Why you might like it: Desire in his blood is a surprisingly heartfelt enemies to lovers featuring a human FMC and an angry dragon MMC. If you like low-angst, steamy, forced proximity stories and dragons, you’re going to love this one. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Kirk
Recommendation: The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
Making everyone in town deeply uncomfortable, Kirk has started dressing and acting like the MMC in every book he reads. Since he’s been reading a lot of historical romance he has added ‘scoundrel’ and ‘my lady’ to his vocabulary. Luke has tried banning Kirk from the diner as a result but Lorelei keeps letting Kirk in when Luke isn’t looking. Kirk has secretly also started publishing his own romance novels under a pen name.
Why you might like it: The Governess Game is an adorable historical romance novel with forced proximity and cute kids. Featuring an FMC and MMC just trying to make the best of the life they’ve been given. 🌶️🌶️
Dave Ragalski
Recommendation: The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
In what can only be described as an accidental book swap, Dave cracked open The Boyfriend Project when his new significant other left the book at his house. Not typically a romance reader he picked up the book interested to learn about what his partner reads.
Why you might like it: The Boyfriend Project is one of those books that hooks you from the introduction. It sucks you in with fun female friendships and keeps you going with a slow-burn love story. If you like the boyfriend project you’ll be happy to know it is book one in a 3 book series. 🌶️🌶️
Liz Danes
Recommendation: Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Liz picked up Royal Holiday in a not so subtle attempt to become a real life princess and find royal love later in life. Captured by the magic of the royal weddings, Liz has started to talk about William, Kate, Megan and Harry as if they are her close personal friends. TJ simply refers to William and Harry as his ‘bros’, much to Luke’s dismay.
Why you might like it: Jasmine Guillory wrote a masterpiece series with Royal Holiday being book #4. If you like to read things in order, start with The Wedding Date. Although you don’t have to read them in order, you get the added benefit of getting to know the characters throughout the series if you do. If you are looking for the book version of ‘charming and heartwarming’, you’ll love this book. 🌶️🌶️
Finn and Colin
Recommendation: Kingmaker Chronicles by Amanda Bouchet
Finn and Colin absolutely did not read Kingmaker Chronicles. They read ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas). Finn and Colin became insufferable as they turned every party they threw into an ACOTAR themed party and tried to introduce everyone they knew to the series, despite being two of the last people on earth to read the books. They don’t care, they won’t hear it. For Finn and Colin they are the geniuses who discovered Sara J Maas. In an effort to try and provide a recommendation other than ACTOAR, I give you Kingmaker Chronicles.
Why you might like it: Kingmaker Chronicles has fantastic world-building in this divided kingdom fantasy series. There’s court drama, adventures and magic. The series features an incredibly strong FMC who hides her power and a warlord looking to solidify his control over his territory. This is a completed 3 book series. 🌶️🌶️
Lorelei Gilmore
Recommendation: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
Lorelei started reading enemies to lovers and couldn’t stop. Something about the constant bickering felt comfortable and familiar to her, so she’s been reading them ever since. Rory has also found every book her mother reads waiting in her mailbox for them to ‘read it together!’. Rory, who bought The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo because NPR recommended it, now just has a shelf full of romance novels from her Mom that’s she’s never read.
Why you might like it: You Deserve Each Other is a take on enemies to lovers not seen very often. Engaged couple Naomi and Nicholas find themselves stuck in their engagement until someone gives up and pays the wedding bill. Since neither will quit they resort to sabotage to see who can break first. It’s filled with miscommunication and frustration from everyone. If you found yourself skipping season 6 Gilmore Girls you may want to skip this rec too. 🌶️
Honorable Mentions:
Emily Gilmore has a Colleen Hoover book in her house and she has no idea how it got there.
Jess Mariano is trying to convince Hank Green to publish his next series under his publishing house in Philadelphia after reading An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.
Sookie St. James watches Sohla and Ham cook together on their NYT Cooking Channel and constantly talks about just ‘how cute they are!’.