There are some books, you understand, that settle into your heart like a contented cat upon a sunny windowsill—books that remind us the world contains far more wonder and kindness than we sometimes dare to believe. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is precisely such a book, and if you have finished it (perhaps whilst dabbing at your eyes with a handkerchief), you are undoubtedly hungry for more.
Fear not, dear reader, for we have assembled a collection of similarly enchanting tales—stories brimming with found families, gentle magic, and the sort of heartwarming moments that make one grateful to be alive. Shall we begin?
1. The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown
If you adored the found family dynamics of The House in the Cerulean Sea, then permit us to introduce you to The Wendy, a Peter Pan retelling that reimagines the classic tale with such wit and warmth that readers have called it “a classic in its own right.”
Here we find Wendy Darling not as a child whisked away to Neverland, but as a determined young woman in 1780s England who dreams of commanding her own ship—a notion her society finds quite impossible for her gender. Yet Wendy, with her extraordinarily expressive eyebrows and a mouth hiding a secret kiss, refuses to accept what she will or will not become.
The writing style has been described as “wonderfully witty,” with a narrator whose charm and humour feel reminiscent of J.M. Barrie’s original whilst remaining utterly fresh. Readers have praised how the story “remained light and whimsical while still pushing a strong female protagonist and fast-paced adventure.” One reviewer declared Wendy “close to the pinnacle of perfectly-created strong female heroines—both soft and feminine, as well as tough, witty, self-aware, moral, hard-working, and tenacious.”
Like Klune’s beloved orphanage children, this Wendy gathers a crew of loyal friends—John, Michael, and faithful Nana among them—forming a found family as heartwarming as any you’ll find. The complete trilogy (The Wendy, The Navigator, and The Captain) is now available, with readers reporting they “couldn’t put it down” and immediately purchased the sequels upon finishing.
2. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Now here is a tale that asks: what if an orc warrior—after a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed—simply wished to open a coffee shop? Viv, our battle-weary protagonist, hangs up her sword to introduce the unsuspecting city of Thune to the wonders of coffee, aided by a succubus named Tandri and a rather talented rattkin baker who invents something quite like cinnamon rolls.
The novel bears the delightful tagline “high fantasy, low stakes,” and delivers precisely what it promises—a cozy story of reinvention where the most pressing concerns involve attracting customers and perfecting recipes rather than defeating dark lords.
3. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Mika Moon has always followed the rules governing witches in Britain: hide your magic, keep your head down, stay away from other witches. Then an unexpected message begs her to travel to the mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their powers.
What awaits her is a found family to rival any—elderly caretakers, a retired actor, and one prickly yet handsome librarian who would do anything to protect the children. Emily Henry called it “one of my coziest reads.”
4. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
Should you wish to remain in Klune’s capable hands, this tale follows Wallace Price, a thoroughly unpleasant man who discovers, upon attending his own funeral, that he might be dead. Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help Wallace cross over—but Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived.
By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale explores grief and hope with Klune’s signature warmth and humour. You will laugh. You will cry. Your heart will melt to marshmallow mush.
5. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
In a world where robots long ago gained self-awareness and wandered into the wilderness, a tea monk named Sibling Dex sets out on a journey seeking something they cannot name. In the wild, they encounter Mosscap, a robot who has volunteered to ask humanity a single question: what do people need?
This Hugo Award-winning novella has been described as “like getting a gentle hug”—a meditation on purpose and connection that leaves one with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.
6. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde arrives in a remote Scandinavian village determined to complete the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. Unfortunately, she is quite hopeless with people—a situation not improved by the arrival of her infuriating (and troublesomely handsome) colleague, Wendell Bambleby.
Formatted as Emily’s journal entries, this cozy fantasy blends academic intrigue with enchanting atmosphere and a delicious slow-burn romance, perfect for snuggling under blankets.
7. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Young Rosemary Harper is running from a nasty family secret when she joins the crew of the Wayfarer, a wormhole-building ship with a wonderfully diverse, multispecies crew. What follows is pure found family—a beautiful examination of humanity in all its wonder, mess, triumphs, and heartbreaks.
This is a book where the journey matters infinitely more than the destination, and the cozy, warm atmosphere transforms the vastness of outer space into something like home.
8. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
What happens to the children after they return from Narnia, from Wonderland, from worlds that felt like home? Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children provides sanctuary for such young people, each longing for their door to reopen.
This Nebula and Hugo Award-winning novella is a love letter to anyone who has ever felt out of place—a story of magical misfits finding understanding and community.
9. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Between life and death, Nora Seed discovers a library where each book represents a different version of her life—paths not taken, choices unmade. With her old librarian as guide, Nora explores what might have been, searching for the life she truly wants.
Thought-provoking and surprisingly heartwarming, this philosophical tale reminds us it is never too late to change our lives.
10. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Ove is a curmudgeon—the sort of man who points at people he dislikes as though they were his own personal army of enemies. But when a chatty young couple with two chatty daughters moves next door (accidentally flattening his mailbox), Ove’s carefully planned isolation crumbles delightfully.
This heartwarming tale proves that the grumpiest exterior often hides the kindest heart.
11. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Le Cirque des Rêves—the Circus of Dreams—arrives without warning and opens only at night. Within its black-and-white striped tents, two young magicians engage in a competition neither fully understands, creating impossible wonders whilst falling impossibly in love.
Morgenstern’s prose is pure enchantment, the circus so vividly rendered you can smell the caramel apples and feel the magic crackling in the air.
12. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins discovers a mysterious book containing a story from his own childhood—a discovery that leads him to a secret underground library filled with stories and the people who protect them.
For those who believe libraries are magical places, this love letter to stories themselves will feel like coming home.
13. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
When a young boy escapes a murderer and toddles into a graveyard, he is adopted by its ghostly inhabitants and given a name: Nobody Owens. Raised by the dead, protected by a mysterious guardian, Bod must eventually face the living world.
Gaiman’s Newbery Medal-winning tale proves that family comes in the most unexpected forms.
14. The Black Veins by Ashia Monet
When magician anarchists kidnap her family, Blythe embarks on a road trip to enlist the help of six strangers—fellow Guardians whose magical abilities are unparalleled. What unfolds is a found family adventure full of heart, magic, and the discovery that belonging can be found in the most unlikely places.
There you have it, dear reader—fourteen books to fill the space in your heart left by The House in the Cerulean Sea. Each offers its own flavour of comfort, its own celebration of found families and gentle magic. We suspect, however, that you might wish to begin with The Wendy, for there is something quite irresistible about a heroine whose eyebrows alone could tell a story, and whose adventures remind us that we cannot say today what we might or might not do tomorrow.
Happy reading, and may your next book feel like coming home.
