Here are 100 books that Meet Me in the Margins fans have personally recommended if you like Meet Me in the Margins. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Book Lovers

Patricia Leavy Author Of Twinkle of Doubt

From my list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

There is a plethora of novels that feature writers, readers, bookstore owners, editors, and publishers. It’s no surprise that bookish themes are so appealing to both writers and readers. After all, writers love to write about writing, and readers love books. Bookish characters allow authors to write about what they know and readers to see themselves in the pages of the stories that captivate their minds and steal their hearts.

As a romance novelist, writing and love are my two greatest passions. From the beginning of my career, I have always tried to combine them. My debut novel was set in the publishing world, and ever since, my novels have favored the bookish.

Patricia's book list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters

Patricia Leavy Why Patricia loves this book

This enemies-to-lovers romance offers so much more than the trope would suggest.

Nora Stephens is a ruthless literary agent, and Charlie Lastra is a reserved editor. When they keep bumping into each other on vacation, the plot thickens. Is it possible for two people who have defined themselves the way they define genre books to rewrite their own stories?

As a romance fan, I thought the meta commentary on the romance genre made this book a standout. If you’re a romance fan who loves bookish characters like I do, you won’t be disappointed.

By Emily Henry ,

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Book Lovers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“One of my favorite authors.”—Colleen Hoover

An insightful, delightful, instant #1 New York Times bestseller from the author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Oprah Daily ∙ Today ∙ Parade ∙ Marie Claire ∙ Bustle ∙ PopSugar ∙ Katie Couric Media ∙ Book Bub ∙ SheReads ∙ Medium ∙ The Washington Post ∙ and more!

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming...

Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream…


If you love Meet Me in the Margins...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of The Dead Romantics

Patricia Leavy Author Of Twinkle of Doubt

From my list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

There is a plethora of novels that feature writers, readers, bookstore owners, editors, and publishers. It’s no surprise that bookish themes are so appealing to both writers and readers. After all, writers love to write about writing, and readers love books. Bookish characters allow authors to write about what they know and readers to see themselves in the pages of the stories that captivate their minds and steal their hearts.

As a romance novelist, writing and love are my two greatest passions. From the beginning of my career, I have always tried to combine them. My debut novel was set in the publishing world, and ever since, my novels have favored the bookish.

Patricia's book list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters

Patricia Leavy Why Patricia loves this book

Magical realism meets classic romance tropes in this quirky love story.

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a romance novelist. When a breakup causes her to stop believing in love, how is she supposed to write about it? As she’s struggling with writer’s block, Florence’s father dies, and she returns home for the funeral. What she never expects is to meet the ghost of her recently deceased editor, Benji. Can this unique romance help Florence come to terms with grief and loss so that she can find hope again?

As a romance writer, I’m always up for reading something a little out there, and this book fits the bill.

By Ashley Poston ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Dead Romantics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Notable Book of 2022!

The New York Times Bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club Pick!

"I LOVED this book! ...Funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem—after a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love.…


Book cover of The True Love Experiment

Patricia Leavy Author Of Twinkle of Doubt

From my list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

There is a plethora of novels that feature writers, readers, bookstore owners, editors, and publishers. It’s no surprise that bookish themes are so appealing to both writers and readers. After all, writers love to write about writing, and readers love books. Bookish characters allow authors to write about what they know and readers to see themselves in the pages of the stories that captivate their minds and steal their hearts.

As a romance novelist, writing and love are my two greatest passions. From the beginning of my career, I have always tried to combine them. My debut novel was set in the publishing world, and ever since, my novels have favored the bookish.

Patricia's book list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters

Patricia Leavy Why Patricia loves this book

Tropes aplenty make this a fun celebration of the romance genre itself, which is why I could not put it down.

Fizzy Chen is a successful romance novelist whose own love life is lackluster. She agrees to star in a reality show where she’ll meet men who embody classic romance tropes.

Fizzy meets Connor Prince, a producer working on the show. A grounded, single father, Connor doesn’t fit the fantasy romance narrative, but together, can they create their own romance story out of something real?

By Christina Lauren ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The True Love Experiment as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sparks fly when a romance writer and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the ultimate Hollywood love story—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the “divine” (Jodi Picoult) New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners.

Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been…


If you love Melissa Ferguson...

Book cover of The Last Whaler

The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves,

This book is an elegiac meditation on the will to survive. Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station in the Svalbard archipelago when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to…

Book cover of By the Book

Patricia Leavy Author Of Twinkle of Doubt

From my list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

There is a plethora of novels that feature writers, readers, bookstore owners, editors, and publishers. It’s no surprise that bookish themes are so appealing to both writers and readers. After all, writers love to write about writing, and readers love books. Bookish characters allow authors to write about what they know and readers to see themselves in the pages of the stories that captivate their minds and steal their hearts.

As a romance novelist, writing and love are my two greatest passions. From the beginning of my career, I have always tried to combine them. My debut novel was set in the publishing world, and ever since, my novels have favored the bookish.

Patricia's book list on contemporary romance novels with bookish characters

Patricia Leavy Why Patricia loves this book

I love a fresh take on a classic story, and this slow burn romance offers a modern spin on the classic Beauty and the Beast story.

Izzy Marlowe is an editorial assistant who aspires to higher levels in publishing. Beau Towers is a reclusive former child star. When Izzy goes to Beau’s mansion to try to get his memoir, she has no idea she’ll end up staying to help him write it.

In the process, the two find love and self-worth in a world that isn’t always kind, and a publishing industry that shatters as many dreams as it fulfills.

By Jasmine Guillory ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked By the Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From New York Times best-selling author Jasmine Guillory comes the much-anticipated second book in the Meant to Be collection inspired by the classic fairy tale stories we all know and love, perfect for adult readers who crave contemporary, escapist rom-coms.

Sometimes to truly know a person, you have to read between the lines.

Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing after college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, still living at home, and one of the few Black employees at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself,…


Book cover of By Any Other Name

Tracie Banister Author Of Straight from the Hart

From my list on heroines who make a love connection on the job.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an author, I run my own business and have a hand in all aspects of my product, from creation to promotion. My work is my passion, so I love to write (and read!) books about women who have that same dedication to their careers. I enjoy seeing these ladies strive for success and how they handle challenges along the way. And, of course, since RomComs are my genre, those challenges often involve a man because where else is a workaholic going to find her soulmate? The witty banter, sizzling sexual tension, snort-laugh moments, and surprising plot twists on the pages of all these books, including mine, are guaranteed to entertain you.

Tracie's book list on heroines who make a love connection on the job

Tracie Banister Why Tracie loves this book

This charming, deeply romantic tale about an editor whose big promotion is contingent on her helping a popular author overcome a terrible case of writer’s block reminded me of all the reasons I adore reading and writing love stories.

Working with this author leads Lanie to question her long-cherished beliefs about what she wants (and needs) in a romantic partner. She opens her heart to new ideas and experiences as well as to love, and her journey, both personally and professionally, culminates in such an epically swoon-inducing way that you will be hard-pressed not to shed happy tears (I did!).

Like the book’s heroine, Lauren Kate clearly reveres the written word, and this story is a beautifully composed valentine to all bibliophiles.

By Lauren Kate ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked By Any Other Name as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From # 1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about an editor, her bestselling author, and one life-changing secret.

What she doesn't know about love could fill a book.
 
With a successful career as a romance editor, and an engagement to a man who checks off all ninety-nine boxes on her carefully curated list, Lanie's more than good. She's killing it. Then she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to work with world-renowned author and her biggest inspiration in love and life—the Noa Callaway. All Lanie has to do is cure Noa's writer's block…


Book cover of The Secrets We Kept

Serena Burdick Author Of A Promise to Arlette

From my list on novels that will transport you to the 1950s.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a writer who has spent my entire reading life emersed in the past, reading everything from Russian literature, to nineteenth-century English, to early modern American. It’s no surprise I became a historical fiction novelist. The 1950s is one of my favorite eras to write about because of its complexity. The glamour of the Golden Age and the dark truths it represents make for compelling reads. I hope you love the list below as much as I do.     

Serena's book list on novels that will transport you to the 1950s

Serena Burdick Why Serena loves this book

Being a huge fan of Dr. Zhivago, this was an easy one. The theme hooked me, a secretary plucked from the CIA secretarial pool to secretly distribute Pasternak’s banned novel in Russia during the Cold War. The story swings between the novelist’s epic love story with his mistress and muse—the real inspiration for his protagonist in Dr. Zhivago—and an American female spy working for the CIA.

I’m a sucker for a tragic, complicated love story, add impeccable historical detail, a book within a book, female spies risking their lives, and the proof that art can change the world, and you’re left with perfection.

By Lara Prescott ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Secrets We Kept as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice—inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago • A HELLO SUNSHINE x REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK

At the height of the Cold War, Irina, a young Russian-American secretary, is plucked from the CIA typing pool and given the assignment of a lifetime. Her mission: to help smuggle Doctor Zhivago into the USSR, where it is…


If you love Meet Me in the Margins...

Book cover of White Picket Fences

White Picket Fences by Kyle Ann Robertson,

Tina Edwards loved her childhood and creating fairy houses, a passion shared with her father, a world-renowned architect. But at nine years old, she found him dead at his desk and is haunted by this memory. Tina's mother abruptly moved away, leaving Tina with feelings of abandonment and suspicion.

Raised…

Book cover of Something from Tiffany's

Nicky Abell-Francis Author Of Rekindling Connections: A Bittersweet Journey of Lust, Love and Choices

From my list on good old romance and humorous escapades.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love a little humor from romantic trysts or tales of woe of that one love that got away. Divulged conversations and gossip on the therapy couch can be fascinating (massage work relaxes the body and mind). Clients worldwide find choosing their ideal partner a lottery. Inspiration struck me to look more closely at how marriage choices are made through the heart or the mind. We all search for the perfect soul mate. Learning how others met was intriguing by chance or manipulated. Clearly showing, fate did seem to be at play in most cases. I love creating escapism to let your wild romantic dreams be a possibility.

Nicky's book list on good old romance and humorous escapades

Nicky Abell-Francis Why Nicky loves this book

Romance themes are easy for readers, but the escapism and scenarios are vast. This novel, set in the Big Apple, New York, hits the mark well. Some twists and turns, never knowing the final outcome. How random situations happen can make you think of serendipity at play.

Does fate have more control than you think? An intriguing concept. Thrown into the mix of engagements and weddings, tempers can flare. The stubbornness of characters with some excellent scenes where you feel the emotion and are in the midst of the story. Travels from the USA to Dublin, the story has a homely, feel-good vibe for romantic lovers. 

I found the writing tone tight and to the point in places, and I never quite knew how things would pan out for the key players.

By Melissa Hill ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Something from Tiffany's as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Doesn't every girl dream of getting... something from Tiffany's?

On 5th Avenue in New York City, two very different men are shopping for gifts for the women they love.

Gary is buying his girlfriend Rachel a charm bracelet. Partly to thank her for paying for their holiday-of-a-lifetime to New York. But mainly because he's left his shopping far too late.

Whereas Ethan's looking for something a little more special - an engagement ring for the first woman to have made him happy since he lost the love of his life.

But when the two men's shopping bags get confused, and…


Book cover of Attachments

Fearne Hill Author Of Two Tribes

From my list on romance books set in the 1990s.

Why am I passionate about this?

My life is one of two halves; I spent the first half living in the industrial West Midlands, at school and then training to become a doctor, and the second half living in rural bliss in the southwest of England. For the day job, I’m an anesthesiologist, but my true passion, thanks to my mother being an English teacher, is reading romance and writing my own. I am well-travelled and spend a quarter of each year in France, so my books often have characters from all over Europe as well as characters working in the medical profession or overcoming/ living with a variety of health conditions.

Fearne's book list on romance books set in the 1990s

Fearne Hill Why Fearne loves this book

I loved the uniqueness of this book, centred around the novelty of email in 1999. I love the idea of a nerdy guy whose job it is to read other folks' emails as he struggles with young adulthood approaching the dreaded Y2K. I loved how his POV is beautifully interspersed with cute epistolary exchanges.

By Rainbow Rowell ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Attachments as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wayward Son, Fangirl, Carry On, and Landline comes a hilarious and heartfelt novel about an office romance that blossoms one email at a time....

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now—reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to…


Book cover of Very Sincerely Yours

Jason B. Dutton Author Of How To Dance

From my list on choosing joy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have cerebral palsy, but the list of things that I absolutely can’t do is surprisingly short: I can climb a flight of steps or walk the length of a football field, for example, but those tasks are going to take a lot more time and energy for me than they would an able-bodied person. We all choose where to invest in life, but cerebral palsy makes that process much more deliberate, and I’ve been fascinated by it for a long time. I’m always on the hunt for stories that demonstrate that our choices shape our life, not our limitations, and I’m determined to choose joy.

Jason's book list on choosing joy

Jason B. Dutton Why Jason loves this book

This book is the most fun I’ve ever had reading a romantic comedy—and I’ve read a lot of them! As the title suggests, a lot of this story is told through correspondence between our main couple, and while many authors strive for banter that is funny and flirty, these letters actually were—which is not easy to do!

I had an absolute blast watching Teddy and Everett get to know each other in the midst of a well-formed plot about building a life around what is truly important to you.

By Kerry Winfrey ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Very Sincerely Yours as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A charming and heartwarming new romantic comedy by the acclaimed author of Waiting for Tom Hanks, Kerry Winfrey.

Teddy Phillips never thought she would still be spending every day surrounded by toys at almost thirty years old. But working at a vintage toy store is pretty much all she has going on in her life after being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend. The one joy that she has kept is her not-so-guilty pleasure: Everett’s Place, a local children’s show hosted by Everett St. James, a man whom Teddy finds very soothing . . . and, okay, cute.

Teddy finds…


If you love Melissa Ferguson...

Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of True to You

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a romance writer who moved around often as a child. Whenever I started a new school, I’d bring a book with me. Even now, I always run errands with a print book and my Kindle as I’m a writer, wife, and mother of four. Two of my children have medical conditions, and I’ve spent time in various doctor and hospital waiting rooms. I’ve taken books into MRI booths where I’d read while my daughter underwent an MRI. I gravitate toward emotional romances that keep me entertained while possessing a thread of humor or something unique about them so I can lose myself in their world anytime, anywhere. 

Tanya's book list on books to read anywhere, anytime (especially while waiting for your child, your parent, the person ahead of you in line)

Tanya Agler Why Tanya loves this book

I love books featuring strong chemistry between the two leads, and Nora and John’s chemistry leapt off the page. I also love series that have a strong family connection, and this is the first in a series with three sisters.

John enlists Nora’s help to uncover the identity of his birth mother, and this inspirational romance pulled on my heartstrings. I loved John, especially as he was the type of hero who was silent and impactful. The book was well-written and had enough scenes revolving around food to make me hungry. John and Nora’s story stayed with me long after I finished turning the last page. 


By Becky Wade ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked True to You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the 2018 Christy Award Book of the Year

After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the…


Book cover of Book Lovers
Book cover of The Dead Romantics
Book cover of The True Love Experiment

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