20+ Books to Read After The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion
If you have a bit of an obsession with The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion series like I do, and need some ideas on what to read next – this list has more than 20 ideas! Pop in your email address below and I’ll send it right to your inbox.
If you’ve been following along on Instagram this year, you may have seen that I have absolutely fallen in love with The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion.
I’ve been hearing about this series for a year or more and I snagged the first book on Kindle Unlimited, read about 30% of it and then set it aside because it felt slow to me (which. . . .most people had warned me about).
Then, six months later, I picked it back up on a vacation, started back at the beginning and read the whole book in one sitting. This time, it didn’t feel nearly as slow to me because I was expecting it and I read books 2 and 3 in the next few days as well.
Book 4 is where I really started getting into the series and Book 5 is where I was completely hooked.
So much so that when I finished Book 8, I immediately started over at Book 1 and read it straight through again until the end of the series.
It has been a long time since I’ve felt this sucked into a fandom and it is an absolute delight.
Every time I’ve mentioned it, people have asked what to read next (in fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever had more people tell me that Emma has ruined them for all other books – it is hard to find something that compares!).
I asked for recommendations for books like Emma M Lion and here were the most popular book suggestions (the MOST popular suggestion wasn’t a book title but instead to just “sit in a stupor for a month.” Also a solid option!).
I will say that I think one of the reasons that people love The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion so much is that they feel very different from other books and series. So finding a perfectly aligned readalike is a tall order.
And often I’ve found that when I really love a book or series, it works better for me to read something totally DIFFERENT instead of trying to find something very similar because it almost always falls flat (like trying to read a bunch of middle grade fantasy after Harry Potter!)
All that said, I hope some of these books will help you ease the pain left behind by Emma M Lion!
I’ve put the books I’ve read at the top of the list and then marked when it moves into books I HAVEN’T read:
20+ Books to Read After The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion
Edenbrooke by Julianna Donaldson
Marianne is invited to visit Edenbrooke by her twin sister who intends to marry into the family that owns the country estate and Marianne, mourning the loss of her mother and lonely in Bath with her grandmother, quickly agrees. She has no interest in romance herself, but is very anxious for a change of scenery. Lucky for her, she’s going to get both. I especially loved the snappy dialogue in this one. (Full review here).
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
I love Katherine Center (her books have snagged Summer Reading Guide spots on multiple occasions) and I think this might be my new favorite of hers about a woman who gets hired to help rewrite a screenplay with her screenwriter idol. Will sparks fly? OF COURSE THEY WILL.
Beauty by Robin McKinley
My mom read this Beauty and the Beast retelling aloud to us and I woke up in the middle of the night to see her reading it in the hallways because she couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out! I love that this one gives you way more backstory for Beauty’s family and I really love her sisters and their sweet relationship. It has such great character development and it’s just a delight all around.
Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
This is by the same author as Anne of Green Gables and I loved this trilogy as a young reader even MORE than Anne. There are a lot of similarities in these books – extensive journal writing, multiple love interests, tricky and beloved family members, dead parents, and a community full of funny goings on. Lots of people also recommended her book The Blue Castle!
The Secrets of Ormdale series by Christina Baehr
I just read the first one (delightful!) and my 12 and 14 year olds have loved them too! When Edith and her family inherit an old abbey in Yorkshire – what they didn’t expect to find were dragons on the property! This one has the slower classic feel of Emma M Lion but in a YA series with a touch of fantasy.
And here are the books recommended as readalikes for The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion that I have NOT read!
The Electra McDonnell Series by Ashley Weaver
It’s WWWI and when Uncle Mick’s locksmith business can’t pay the bills, he and Electra start making money by breaking into the homes of England’s wealthy upper class and breaking into their safes. After being caught doing a “job”, they are recruited by by the government to retrieve papers critical to the British war effort. When the safe that was supposed to contain those paper ends up empty with a dead body, will they play by the rules to find out who did it and where the bad guys got their information?
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
It’s the 1920s and four proper English women, previously unknown to one another, decide to rent an Italian villa for month after responding to a newspaper advertisement. In one month’s time, the four women become fast friends, they fall for the enchanting Italian countryside, and of course…companionship.
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
In this Sherlock Holmes continuation series, an audacious teenage girl, Mary Russell, impresses Holmes while he is studying honeybees during his retirement. It doesn’t take long for this remarkable pair to start solving mysteries.
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
To save her family from destitution, Kitty Talbot needs a fortune and quick. She heads to London to take on the challenge of finding a suitably rich husband. When Lord Radcliffe sees Kitty for the cunning fortune-hunter that she is, he is determined to stop her.
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Father Tim, a 60-year-old priest, lives for his work in his small North Carolina town of Mitford. And his sometimes difficult congregation provides more adventure than he often bargains for. A little romance, stolen food, and even hidden jewels.. this series is never short of surprises. (This is a 14 book series, so there is plenty to keep you busy if you love it!)
The Q by Beth Brower
I have heard this book (also written by the author of the Emma M Lion) is the perfect book to read while waiting for the next installment of Emma. Spanning 4 seasons in 19th-century Rhysdon, bold and brilliant Quincy St. Claire is fighting to save her great-uncle’s printing business, The Q. And it ends up meaning far more to her than just keeping control. It has it ALL – opposites-attract romance, witty banter, and a cozy cast of characters!
Beast of Ten by Beth Brower
I’ve heard not to judge this very loose Beauty and the Beast retelling by the cover. A man teeters on the edge of becoming the darkest, most powerful being alive, having sacrificed all goodness for wickedness and murder. Then the Lights send Ember, either the final step in his descent into the Beast of Ten, or the one who could redeem him. Is he too far gone? Or is there still hope?
Jeeves and Wooster Series by PG Wodehouse
If you love witty British humor, quirky characters, and laugh-out-loud dialogue, My Man Jeeves is a must-read! This 1919 short story collection introduces the iconic duo of Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, and friend Reggie Pepper.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Imagine being plucked from your quiet, rule-following life and dropped onto a magical island filled with six potentially world-ending children – including a wyvern, a were-Pomeranian, and, oh yeah, the Antichrist. I have heard this heartwarming and whimsical novel about finding family in the most unexpected places is one to add to your TBR list.
What Comes from Attending the Commoner’s Ball by Elisabeth Aimee Brown
Hester Flanders only went to the ball for the free food—she definitely didn’t expect a prince (or two) to keep showing up in her life. In this cozy, and whimsical Cinderella meets Howl’s Moving Castle, there is no shortage of royal intrigue, and one stubborn heroine who knows better than to accept favors… even if it’s cheese.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
If you are a fantasy lover, this adventure fantasy novel, with a hint of romance is for you! Professor Emily Wilde is an expert on the world of faeries and she’s working on completing her encyclopedia about them. She travels to a remote Scandinavian village filled with unwelcoming townsfolk, and her biggest rival Bambleby. Will she be able to work with Bambleby to find the faeries? Or will the two researchers cause the faeries to put the entire village in danger?
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
Kristin on my team read this one and raved about it! It tells Mary’s story, beginning during the events of Pride and Prejudice and carrying on into later years. It’s one of those that you find yourself relating to and rooting for Mary – hoping she will find her own happy ending.
Arabella by Georgette Heyer
What happens when a penniless but headstrong country girl impulsively claims to be an heiress – right in front of the wealthiest, most eligible bachelor in London? This Regency romance is filled with witty banter, mistaken identities, meddling high society, and a hero who underestimates just how much trouble (and charm) one impetuous young lady can bring into his life!
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
Left in the care of her relatives, the lively and resourceful Sophy Stanton-Lacy wastes no time turning their troubled household upside down with her bold schemes and unshakable confidence. But when she clashes with the stern and sensible Charles Rivenhall, sparks are bound to fly!
The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck
Written over the span of centuries, this historical fiction novel weaves together the lives of a Revolutionary War soldier, a loyalist’s daughter, a Hollywood actress, and a heartbroken screenwriter. And they are all connected by one thing…one powerful letter. When past and present collide, there is bound to be romance, love, loss, and the unexpected ways history can shape our future.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Kate Quinn always comes highly recommended for historical fiction novels. Embarrassingly, I haven’t yet gotten around to reading The Alice Network, about two women spies in both World War I and World War II.
Penn-Leiths Series by Nichole Van
Twenty years after Leah’s heart was broken by Captain Fox, he shows up on her doorstep proposing a marriage of convenience. With a difficult daughter, secrets from his time away, and a body covered in scars, after all these years will Leah rekindle her love for Fox?
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
Any other suggestions? Leave them in the comments!
I’m surprised that you haven’t read Jan Katon’s Mitford series! It is one of my favorites and everyone I know who has read those books adores them. I highly recommend!
Jan Karon, sorry about the typo!
Came here to say the same! It is one of my all time favorite series!
I did the same thing with the Emma books! As soon as I devoured Volume 8, I turned right around and read them again! I can’t believe Ms. Brower plans on writing 24 volumes! I’m #teamIslington all the way! I loved your Heyer recommendations, but my favorite is “The Black Sheep”. It’s so delightful. And I loved “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting”. Thank you for your blog and your recommendations.
I absolutely adore Emma M. Lion. Powering through the series in a couple of weeks was one of the most fun reading experiences I’ve had of late. I’m pretty sure I saw this recommendation from you (maybe on Insta since I didn’t see it listed here), but The Secrets of Ormadale series would appeal to most EML fans, I believe. This 5-book series has a wide age appeal – I’ve been hoarding them but would hand them over to my 9-year-old with no reservations. Emma and Ormdale’s heroine, Edith, give off similar vibes with their bookish, snappy dialogue, rogue hair, and independence. Ormdale is a cozy, gothic series about dragons, friendship, a little romance, and secrets. These are self-published like EML so harder to find at a library, but they’re quite cheap for Kindle and the Audible narration by Elizabeth Knowelden (who expertly voices Lady Hardcastle) is fantastic.
First I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for recommending the EML series! I loved it so much! Recently, I was reading a currently popular book (and it’s a long one). I got 75% in and I just couldn’t finish it. I hated everything the characters were doing and it was depressing me. I needed something to read that was light and joyful! Hoopla recommended a little book called Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy and it was just perfect! About an elderly woman who moves back to her childhood home of England and even though she goes there thinking her life is over, it begins again. Highly recommend!