If you have tumbled headlong into the delicious world of Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey—that wine-soaked tale of a sunshine-bright gardener and her gloriously grumpy professor—you shall find yourself quite unable to climb back out again. And why should you wish to? The vineyards of Napa Valley, the secret admirer letters, the banter that crackles like a fireplace on a winter’s eve—these are the elements that make a heart sing.
But what happens, dear reader, when you have turned the final page and find yourself positively bereft? Fear not, for we have gathered the most splendid collection of read-alikes to keep your romantic spirits aloft.
1. Falling Down Under by Errin Krystal
Here is a tale that shall wrap around you like the warmest of blankets—a second-chance romance set amongst the sun-drenched vineyards of rural Australia, where a former London socialite must learn that the truest riches cannot be counted in pounds or followers.
Georgia Bailey has lost everything: her father, her inheritance (snatched away by a wicked stepmother), and the rockstar boyfriend who proved himself thoroughly unworthy of her heart. With nothing left but her wits and wounded pride, she returns to her grandparents’ struggling vineyard, where she must work as a waitress and face the one person she never expected to see again—her teenage sweetheart, now the vineyard’s magnificently grumpy chef.
The chemistry between these former lovers fairly crackles off the page. Other readers have called it “the ultimate second-chance romance” with “beautiful and natural character growth.” We call it delightful. The Australian setting proves utterly authentic—complete with a kangaroo who has taken to sunbathing in the car park—and the found family atmosphere at the vineyard will leave you feeling positively warm and gooey inside. This is grumpy-sunshine perfection with a heroine who ultimately uses her social media skills for good and, perhaps, to save her own wounded soul.
First in the Seven Sisters Vineyard series, each book is a complete, standalone novel with no cliffhangers.
Read a sample of Falling Down Under
2. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
In the hallowed halls of Stanford University, a most peculiar experiment begins when PhD candidate Olive Smith plants an impulsive kiss upon the lips of one Adam Carlsen—a professor so fearsome that graduate students speak his name in whispers.
What follows is a fake-dating arrangement that transforms, as such arrangements inevitably do, into something far more genuine. The academic setting sparkles with wit, the slow-burn romance satisfies completely, and the grumpy-sunshine dynamic rivals anything Tessa Bailey has conjured. One might say it proves a most delightful hypothesis indeed.
3. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora Stephens is a literary agent who adores New York City with every fibre of her being—so naturally, her beloved sister drags her to the small town of Sunshine Falls for a month of wholesome country living.
But instead of meeting charming farmers or handsome veterinarians, Nora keeps colliding with Charlie Lastra, a brooding book editor who has never found her the least bit charming. Their banter cuts like the finest blade, their chemistry builds like a gathering storm, and Emily Henry proves once more that enemies-to-lovers never grows tiresome when written with such evident delight.
4. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
If you adored Secretly Yours, then Bailey’s tale of Piper Bellinger—a Hollywood socialite banished to a tiny fishing town—shall enchant you thoroughly. She is all champagne bubbles and designer heels; Brendan the sea captain is all gruff silences and calloused hands.
Their opposites-attract romance unfolds against the Pacific Northwest coastline with all the wit and warmth that makes Bailey’s writing so thoroughly addictive. Readers have compared it favourably to Schitt’s Creek, and they are not wrong to do so.
5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman share an office, a mutual loathing, and an upcoming promotion that only one of them can win. Their workplace rivalry has become the stuff of legend—games within games, each trying to unravel the other.
But hatred, as any student of literature knows, is merely love with its coat turned inside out. The moment they share a kiss in an elevator, everything changes, and readers find themselves quite unable to stop turning pages until the satisfying conclusion.
6. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
After a near-death experience, Chloe Brown creates a most ambitious list: enjoy a drunken night out, ride a motorcycle, go camping, and—importantly—do something bad. To accomplish these feats, she requires a teacher.
Enter Redford Morgan, her building’s handyman, who possesses tattoos, a motorcycle, and the patience to help this wonderfully prickly heroine discover that life, properly lived, is quite the adventure. The grumpy-sunshine dynamic here is absolutely splendid, with Chloe as the grump and Red as the patient sunshine coaxing her into joy.
7. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
When a prank forces figure skater Anastasia Allen and hockey captain Nathan Hawkins to share ice time, their initial animosity melts faster than a zamboni can resurface a rink.
This BookTok sensation delivers forced proximity, golden retriever energy from our hero, and a romance that builds steadily without resorting to third-act heartbreak. For those who enjoy their grumpy-sunshine with an athletic twist, this proves utterly irresistible.
8. Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
Margot Noble has just taken the helm of her family’s Napa Valley winery when she has a perfectly lovely one-night encounter with a charming stranger at her favourite bar. The next morning, she discovers he is her newest employee.
This vineyard romance offers the wine country setting fans of Secretly Yours crave, along with the delicious complications of a boss-employee dynamic that both parties are far too professional to pursue. Until, of course, they aren’t.
9. The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
When Catalina Martín tells her family she is bringing her boyfriend to her sister’s wedding in Spain, she neglects one small detail: said boyfriend does not exist. Her only option? Aaron Blackford, the infuriating colleague who has made her work life positively unbearable.
The fake-dating premise unfolds with tremendous charm, the Spanish setting enchants, and the enemies-to-lovers tension builds to a most satisfying crescendo.
10. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Stella Lane, a brilliant economist on the autism spectrum, decides to hire escort Michael Phan to teach her the art of intimacy. What begins as a simple transaction transforms into something neither expected.
This romance handles its premise with tremendous grace, featuring characters of remarkable depth and chemistry that builds with exquisite patience. The sunshine hero and emotionally guarded heroine make for a delightful inversion of the usual dynamic.
11. Exes and O’s by Amy Lea
Tara Chen has decided to reconnect with her ex-boyfriends in search of a second chance at love. Her firefighter roommate Scott thinks this plan is absolutely mad—and he may not be entirely wrong.
What follows is a delightfully chaotic journey through past relationships while the perfect match has been beside her all along. The found family of firefighters adds tremendous warmth to this friends-to-lovers gem.
12. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
When food poisoning strikes an entire wedding party, two people remain standing: the bride’s sister Olive and the groom’s brother Ethan. These sworn enemies must now pretend to be newlyweds to avoid wasting a Hawaiian honeymoon.
The forced proximity and fake-marriage elements create tremendous tension, while the tropical setting provides the perfect backdrop for hatred to transform into something far more interesting.
Finding Your Next Vineyard Romance
For readers enchanted by the wine country atmosphere of Secretly Yours, the books featuring vineyard settings—Falling Down Under and Drunk on Love—shall prove particularly satisfying. Those drawn to the grumpy-sunshine dynamic will find endless delights throughout this list (including Falling Down Under), whilst fans of the small-town charm might begin with Book Lovers or It Happened One Summer.
Whatever path you choose, dear reader, may your next romance prove intoxicating.
