7 Feel-Good Novels We All Desperately Need

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With dire news and dark weather, it can be hard to stay positive. Luckily, the following fiction has you covered with fun, upbeat, escapist reads that will warm your heart through the coldest months of the year. Featuring steamy romances, family feuds, self-discovery, and French getaways, these books will make you smile, think, feel, and be totally transported. After all, it’s hard not to have a pep in your step when you’ve got the latest Tia Williams novel waiting on your bedside table. As for the news and the weather? We’re on our own.

Love, Me, by Jessica Saunders

Remember that old high school or college boyfriend and all those photos you took together? Maybe they’re in a box in your garage. Maybe your parents still have them somewhere. But what would happen if that certain someone became totally famous? And not you—certainly not you—but someone took those photos and sold them to a tabloid, ruining your life as a regular lawyer just minding your own business? How would your (only slightly boring) marriage, and (only slightly tedious) maternal duties look under the bright lights of your newfound spotlight? That’s the premise of this hilarious, light, page-turning debut from a bright new talent.

The Good Part, by Sophie Cousens

Fast-forwarding to the “good parts” of life sounds pretty appealing. Why not avoid the more difficult times, like when your roof is leaking, all your friends are succeeding except you, and you keep dating the worst of the worst? In the latest novel from the author of This Time Next Year, 26-year-old Lucy Young gets the chance to do just that when she stumbles upon a conveniently located wishing machine, puts in a coin, and makes her request: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life. But when she wakes up as the 40-something version of herself with kids she doesn’t recognize, a husband she’s supposed to be in love with, a house she has to manage, and a dream job she feels ill-equipped for, she wonders if perhaps this was a bad call. The best parts of this story are the slapstick interactions between mom and son, the zany cast of characters in both timelines, and the bigger questions time travel asks: Would you push ahead knowing you’d be losing time with others you love?

Main Character Energy, by Jamie Varon

In her debut novel, the author of the breakout self-help book Radically Content pairs her bestselling insights on achievement with a French Rivieran escape, an unforgettable narrator, and a whole lot of heart. Poppy writes lists for a popular online website, her dream of becoming an author abandoned long ago. But when her aunt dies and gives Poppy the opportunity to escape to a writer’s retreat in the South of France, she can’t resist the lure of her dormant ambitions. Any aspiring author will be able to relate to this tale of dashed hopes, writer’s block, the power of the writing community, and taking chances when they come your way. Layered onto this story is how it feels to be a slightly larger body navigating the world, especially when a couple of men catch your eye.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, by Tia Williams

A bit of magical realism finds its way into Tia Williams’s sixth novel, this one about a daughter who is the black sheep of her Atlanta society family and really just wants to open a flower shop and live her own independent existence. When a brownstone basement in Harlem becomes a possibility, how can Ricki refuse? But what else will the brownstone bring? Could it be…love?! Moving between the Harlem Renaissance and the present, between the butterfly-inducing early days of a crush to the slow-burning intimacy of a deep connection, the Seven Days in June author’s latest will have you rationing out the final chapters.

This Could Be Us, by Kennedy Ryan

Parenting autistic kids comes with its own set of obstacles and protocols, including even how to describe the diagnosis itself. (Does your son have autism or is he autistic?) So does long-term marriage. But in the second installment in her acclaimed Skyland romance series, Kennedy Ryan brings refreshing levity to both. When two families intersect at an office holiday party, relationships are set in motion that take on a life of their own. Ryan effortlessly writes from multiple perspectives in her latest work, capturing the voice of a stressed-out father of twin autistic boys trying to navigate his divorce and a love-starved mom of three girls who is sure her husband is up to no good. When these two meet, sparks fly. A sensitive look at parenting and desire, This Could Be Us really could be about any of us.

The Last Love Note, by Emma Grey

Kate is a bit of a mess. For example, while grieving the loss of her husband from early onset Alzheimer’s, she barely pays attention when her son presents her with what she assumes to be one of his dad’s model military grenades, only to realize minutes later that the grenade could, in fact, be real. Being real is at the heart of Emma Grey’s story of the friends who show up when loss knocks you off your feet—from the hot next-door neighbor with the motorcycle to the boss who she just happens to get stranded with on the Australian coast. Kate’s voice is relatable, hilarious, and charming, making this read hard to put down. A book to make you laugh and cry.

Days of Wonder, by Caroline Leavitt

Everything is going just fine for Ella and her teenage love, Jude, until Ella gets accused of trying to kill Jude's father and is sentenced to 25 years in prison. When she realizes she’s pregnant while behind bars, she has no choice but to put her baby up for adoption. But when she gets out of prison, she’s desperate to find her child again—without much to go on. Who remembers what really happened? Ella hides her identity to reclaim her family until she runs into some obstacles in this propulsive and heartwarming story about the lengths a mother will go to to clear her name and save her loved ones. A true escape to look forward to this spring.

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