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Quick answer: If you loved Me Before You, try After You, Still Me, The Fault in Our Stars, The Notebook, One Day and It Ends with Us. Each one is an emotional romance with laughter and tears, unlikely couples and big life choices.
Jojo Moyes's 2012 bestseller follows Louisa Clark, a quirky young woman in an English town who takes a job caring for Will Traynor, a wealthy former adventurer left quadriplegic after an accident. Will is bitter and plans to end his life, and Lou sets out to show him that life is still worth living. Readers love its humor, its romance and its heartbreak. These books share its emotion and its unlikely love. Note that the novel deals with assisted dying.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| After You | Jojo Moyes | Low | readers who want the sequel |
| Still Me | Jojo Moyes | Low | readers who want the third book |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | Low | readers who like tearjerkers |
| The Notebook | Nicholas Sparks | Low | readers who like lifelong love |
| One Day | David Nicholls | Low | readers who like years-long love |
| It Ends with Us | Colleen Hoover | Medium | readers who like emotional romance |
| P.S. I Love You | Cecelia Ahern | Low | readers who like grief and love |
| The Time Traveler's Wife | Audrey Niffenegger | Medium | readers who like impossible love |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | None | readers who like quirky heroines |
| Five Feet Apart | Rachael Lippincott | Low | readers who like YA hospital romance |
| The Light We Lost | Jill Santopolo | Medium | readers who like what-ifs |
| Everything, Everything | Nicola Yoon | Low | readers who like YA love stories |
| Love, Rosie | Cecelia Ahern | Low | readers who like near misses |
| The Giver of Stars | Jojo Moyes | Low | readers who want more Moyes |
| Things We Never Got Over | Lucy Score | High | readers who want lighter romance |
1. After You by Jojo Moyes
Lou tries to rebuild her life after Will.
Best for: readers who want the sequel.
2. Still Me by Jojo Moyes
Lou moves to New York.
Best for: readers who want the third book.
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Two teens with cancer fall in love.
Best for: readers who like tearjerkers.
4. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
An old man reads to his wife.
Best for: readers who like lifelong love.
5. One Day by David Nicholls
Two friends meet on the same day each year.
Best for: readers who like years-long love.
6. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
A woman faces a painful pattern.
Best for: readers who like emotional romance.
7. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
A widow receives letters from her late husband.
Best for: readers who like grief and love.
8. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A woman loves a man who slips through time.
Best for: readers who like impossible love.
9. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A lonely woman learns to connect.
Best for: readers who like quirky heroines.
10. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
Two teens with cystic fibrosis fall in love.
Best for: readers who like YA hospital romance.
11. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
A woman looks back on a love.
Best for: readers who like what-ifs.
12. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
A girl allergic to the world falls in love.
Best for: readers who like YA love stories.
13. Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern
Two friends keep missing their moment.
Best for: readers who like near misses.
14. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Women deliver library books in Kentucky.
Best for: readers who want more Moyes.
15. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
A runaway bride meets a grumpy local.
Best for: readers who want lighter romance.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Me Before: 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 Me Before. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Continue with After You and Still Me. For another tearjerker, The Fault in Our Stars and One Day are popular. If you loved Lou's humor, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is perfect. P.S. I Love You blends grief and love beautifully.
Related: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Me Before You about?
A young carer falls for her quadriplegic employer, who plans to end his life.
Is Me Before You sad?
Yes. Most readers cry at the ending.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. After You and Still Me.
Is there a movie?
Yes. The 2016 film starred Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin.
Why was it controversial?
Some disability advocates criticized its portrayal of disability and assisted dying.
Is it spicy?
No. The romance is gentle.
What should I read next?
After You.