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Quick answer: If you loved Legally Blonde, read Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary, then Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me, then Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, and Emily Henry's Beach Read and Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette. All are funny, feel-good stories about ambitious women.
Amanda Brown's 2001 novel Legally Blonde follows Elle Woods at Harvard Law. These picks share its comedy and heart.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridget Jones's Diary | Helen Fielding | Adult | readers who want the original |
| Bet Me | Jennifer Crusie | Adult | romantic humor |
| Something Borrowed | Emily Giffin | Adult | love triangle |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Adult | readers who want banter |
| Where'd You Go, Bernadette | Maria Semple | Adult | quirky family comedy |
| Bossypants | Tina Fey | Adult | readers who want laughs |
| Lessons in Chemistry | Bonnie Garmus | Adult | readers who like strong heroines |
| The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Ann Brashares | Teen | friend-group stories |
| Well Met | Jen DeLuca | Adult | quirky settings |
| Everything I Know About Love | Dolly Alderton | Adult | funny and honest |
| Good Material | Dolly Alderton | Adult | breakup comedy |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Adult | readers who like quirky heroines |
| Fleishman Is in Trouble | Taffy Brodesser-Akner | Adult | midlife satire |
| Pineapple Street | Jenny Jackson | Adult | comic family drama |
| Talking as Fast as I Can | Lauren Graham | Adult | TV fans |
1. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget records her love life, weight and work. The classic of the genre.
Best for: readers who want the original.
2. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
A romantic comedy about a bet and a diner full of friends. Not a mystery, but just as funny.
Best for: romantic humor.
3. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
A woman falls for her best friend's fiance. Light and easy.
Best for: love triangle.
4. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two writers who are rivals swap genres for a summer. Banter, grief and a happy ending.
Best for: readers who want banter.
5. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
A teenage girl searches for her missing, eccentric mother, an architect, in this funny novel told through emails and documents.
Best for: quirky family comedy.
6. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Fey writes about her career in comedy and life as a working mother. Funny, quick and clear-eyed.
Best for: readers who want laughs.
7. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in the 1960s, becomes a TV cooking star. Funny, angry and warm.
Best for: readers who like strong heroines.
8. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Four friends share a pair of jeans through one summer apart. A classic for friendship and growing up.
Best for: friend-group stories.
9. Well Met by Jen DeLuca
A woman helping her sister at a Renaissance faire clashes with a grumpy schoolteacher who plays a pirate. Feel-good and funny, with a theatrical setting.
Best for: quirky settings.
10. Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Alderton writes about friendship, love and growing up. Funny and tender.
Best for: funny and honest.
11. Good Material by Dolly Alderton
A comedian is dumped and tries to figure out why. Told from a male viewpoint, it is sharp, sad and very funny.
Best for: breakup comedy.
12. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor, a lonely office worker, slowly opens up to a kind colleague. Funny, sad and healing.
Best for: readers who like quirky heroines.
13. Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
A man's divorce is told partly through the eyes of a friend. Sharp on modern marriage and ambition.
Best for: midlife satire.
14. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Three women in a wealthy Brooklyn family navigate marriage, money and class in this funny social comedy.
Best for: comic family drama.
15. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
The Gilmore Girls star writes about her career and the revival. Warm, chatty and easy.
Best for: TV fans.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Legally Blonde: 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 Legally Blonde. 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 funny women, read Bridget Jones's Diary. For romance, try Bet Me. For office comedy, pick Something Borrowed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Legally Blonde?
Amanda Brown, in 2001.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2001 film with Reese Witherspoon.
What is it about?
A sorority girl at Harvard Law.
Which book here is best for TV fans?
Try Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham, which suits readers looking for TV fans.
Which book here is best for comic family drama?
Try Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson, which suits readers looking for comic family drama.
Which book here is best for midlife satire?
Try Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, which suits readers looking for midlife satire.
Which book here is best for readers who like quirky heroines?
Try Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which suits readers looking for readers who like quirky heroines.