I’m looking for book recommendations that touch on real problems and are character driven with enough plot to keep me engaged. Not interested in books with overly slow plots or dark themes/disturbing characters. More information in description!

I tend to like character-driven, emotional stories, especially about women navigating life changes, relationships, or personal growth. Some books that I’ve enjoyed include The Restoration of Celia Fairchild by Marie Bostwick, Hope on the Inside by Marie Bostwick, Maame by Jessica George, All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin, The Apology Project by Jeannette Escudero, Never Meant to Meet You by Alli Frank, A Likely Story by Leigh McMullan Abramson, Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London, and It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant. These all felt realistic, engaging, and had some kind of emotional payoff or sense of growth.

I’m also open to romance and have enjoyed books like The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood and Funny Story by Emily Henry, but I’ve realized romance can sometimes feel a bit stale or overly tropey for me. I usually prefer romance when it’s combined with other themes or part of a larger story.

I enjoy historical fiction when it’s immersive but still character-focused, like The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen, The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan, and Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff.

On the other hand, I don’t really enjoy thrillers anymore. They were fun when I was first getting back into reading, but I’m trying to move away from books that are just entertaining in the moment without much deeper meaning. I also don’t enjoy unsettling reads like The Push by Ashley Audrain and This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkaud, or books with gimmicky plots like In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. Some lighter, cozier, or slower-paced books also didn’t land for me, like The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan, The Banty House by Carolyn Brown, and Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell.