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Quick answer: If you loved Dear John, read Cecelia Ahern's P.S. I Love You, then Renee Carlino's Before We Were Strangers, then Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride, and Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. All are tear-jerking romances.
Nicholas Sparks's Dear John (2006) is a love story between a soldier and a college student. These picks share its emotion.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| P.S. I Love You | Cecelia Ahern | Adult | readers who like letters |
| Before We Were Strangers | Renee Carlino | Adult | lost loves |
| Along for the Ride | Sarah Dessen | 13+ | readers who like slow summers |
| If I Stay | Gayle Forman | Teen | the closest match |
| Where She Went | Gayle Forman | 13+ | the sequel |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | 14+ | readers who want a cry |
| Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell | 14+ | readers who like quiet romance |
| Tuesdays with Morrie | Mitch Albom | Adult | readers who want nonfiction |
| The Light Between Oceans | M.L. Stedman | Adult | readers who like moral dilemmas |
| The Time Traveler's Wife | Audrey Niffenegger | Adult | readers who like romance |
| Atonement | Ian McEwan | Adult | moral weight |
| Still Alice | Lisa Genova | Adult | readers who like medical drama |
| Firefly Lane | Kristin Hannah | Adult | lifelong friendships |
| The Nightingale | Kristin Hannah | Adult | readers who want a big emotional story |
| Letters from Skye | Jessica Brockmole | Adult | readers who like romance |
1. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
A widow receives letters from her late husband. Sweet and emotional.
Best for: readers who like letters.
2. Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino
Two college sweethearts reunite after fifteen years when they reconnect through an old message. A bittersweet story of lost love and second chances.
Best for: lost loves.
3. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Auden spends a summer at the beach and learns to be young. Cozy and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like slow summers.
4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
After a car crash, Mia is in a coma and decides whether to live or die. Short, sad and hopeful.
Best for: the closest match.
5. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
The sequel follows Adam, three years later, when he and Mia meet again in New York. A bittersweet continuation told from his view.
Best for: the sequel.
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel and Augustus, two teens with cancer, fall in love and travel to Amsterdam. Funny and sad in equal measure.
Best for: readers who want a cry.
7. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Two misfits in 1986 Omaha fall in love over comics and mixtapes on the school bus. Honest and sweet.
Best for: readers who like quiet romance.
8. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
A journalist visits his former professor, who is dying of ALS, every Tuesday. A short, moving memoir.
Best for: readers who want nonfiction.
9. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife make a hard choice about a baby who washes ashore. Beautiful and sad.
Best for: readers who like moral dilemmas.
10. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Henry travels in time uncontrollably, and Clare waits. Romantic and sad.
Best for: readers who like romance.
11. Atonement by Ian McEwan
A girl's false accusation ruins lives. Precise, literary and devastating.
Best for: moral weight.
12. Still Alice by Lisa Genova
A professor is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Clear, moving and informative.
Best for: readers who like medical drama.
13. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Two best friends grow up together from the 1970s to the 2000s. Emotional and long.
Best for: lifelong friendships.
14. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters in occupied France take different paths of resistance. A moving bestseller.
Best for: readers who want a big emotional story.
15. Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
A poet and a young man exchange letters across two wars. Romantic and moving.
Best for: readers who like romance.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Dear John: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Dear John. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For romance, read P.S. I Love You. For weepies, try The Fault in Our Stars. For historical love, pick Atonement.
Related: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: Summary and Key Takeaways · Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Dear John?
Nicholas Sparks, in 2006.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2010 film with Channing Tatum.
Is it sad?
Yes, bring tissues.
Which book here is best for readers who like romance?
Try Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole, which suits readers looking for readers who like romance.
Which book here is best for readers who want a big emotional story?
Try The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which suits readers looking for readers who want a big emotional story.
Which book here is best for lifelong friendships?
Try Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, which suits readers looking for lifelong friendships.
Which book here is best for readers who like medical drama?
Try Still Alice by Lisa Genova, which suits readers looking for readers who like medical drama.