If you’re like us, you quickly fell in love with Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias when it dropped earlier this year. The romantic drama was based on Sheryl Woods’ books of the same name, following Maddie Townsend (played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher in the adaption) and her two best friends as they undergo some of life’s biggest challenges. But, in a town as small as Serenity we soon learn things don’t stay a secret for too long.
If you were obsessed with the books, and then the series, we’re with you. We’ve rounded up some of the best novels that share tales of female friendship, similar to that of Sweet Magnolias, as well as with a touch of humour, romance and self-discovery along the way. These great reads are sure to tide you over until season two drops (which author Woods hinted was quietly in the works!)
RELATED: 12 Netflix Shows To Watch After You’ve Binged ‘Sweet Magnolias’
City of Friends, Joanna Trollope
After losing her high-profile job, Stacey Grant begins to lean on the support of her friends, leading to an unsuspecting and devastating betrayal. In this novel, from acclaimed author Joanna Trollope, the reader is taken on a journey of true friendship and personal discovery.
The Weekend, Charlotte Wood
Four older women have a lifelong friendship of the best kind: loving, practical, frank, and steadfast. But when Sylvie dies, the ground shifts dangerously for the remaining three, leading them to reunite for one last, life-changing weekend in the beach house of their late friend. Wood’s novel explores growing old and growing up, and what happens when we’re forced to uncover the lies we tell ourselves.
Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty
While definitely more suspenseful than that of Woods’ Sweet Magnolias, the Australian author’s best-selling novel is nothing short of budding female friendships, complicated mother-daughter relationships and secrets, with a few added twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Once you’re done devouring the critically acclaimed book, the equally as gripping screen adaptation is waiting (if you haven’t already devoured that one already, too).
California Girls, Susan Mallery
The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week, but together they rebuild their lives while realising that defining yourself by the person you’re with isn’t worth anything if you aren’t at peace with yourself. In a tale of rebuilding and the incredible, unrelenting bond between three sisters, Malley also brings her usual laugh-out-loud humour to the page.
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, Lorna Landvik
Laughter is the glue that holds this group together, the foundation of a book group they call AHEB (Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons), an unofficial “club” that becomes something much more than any of them could have ever expected. The five women of Freesia Court each have different stories to tell, resulting in a tale that explores the power of forgiveness, broken hearts and shattered dreams.
The Group, Mary McCarthy
This 1963 best-selling novel chronicles the cliquey Vassar girls’ following their lives post-graduation, beginning with the marriage of one of the friends, Kay Strong, and ending with her funeral in 1940. Often hailed as the predecessors to works such as Sex And The City and Mean Girls, each character struggles with issues that are still relevant today, from sexism in the workplace to family crisis and sexuality, with McCarthy even exploring a queer romance in her critically-acclaimed work.
Friendship, Emily Gould
In Gould’s debut novel, Friendship, the author explores the relationship between two female friends, who despite having been best friends for years, have reached a crossroads in their thirties. In turn, it explores the complicated and infinitely complex relationships between women, and the inevitability that sometimes growing up might mean growing apart.
Into The Fire, Sonia Orchard
A year after her best friend died in a house fire, Lara can’t come to terms with the loss, and while logic says there was no more she could have done to save the mercurial and unhappy Alice, Lara can’t escape the feeling that she is somehow to blame for the tragedy. In her second novel, Orchard compelling explores the many ways, small or large, we betray one another and our ideals, telling a deep tale about power, guilt and womanhood.
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