Books Like Jessie Gussman: Sweet, Faith-Filled Small-Town Romance to Read Next

If you’ve raced through Jessie Gussman’s books and you’re standing at the end of the shelf wondering who could possibly fill the gap, come sit by me. I’ve read a great many of her novels myself, so this isn’t a list I pulled off the internet. These are the authors I reach for when I want that same warm, funny, faith-tinged feeling: sweet small-town romance, big loving families, and a happily-ever-after you never have to worry about handing to your mother.

Here are the best authors to read if you love Jessie Gussman:

• Kay Correll — for her sweet beach towns

• Shanna Hatfield — for her cowboys and her humor

• Debra Clopton — for ranch romance with a strong faith thread

• Valerie M. Bodden — for small-town stories with more feeling and faith

• Brooke St. James — for big, warm families and low-angst comfort reads

• Kristen Ethridge — for sweet coastal romance with hope and heart

• Elizabeth Marie — for a found-family beach town (that’s me)
  

Let’s find your next read.

What makes Jessie Gussman’s books so easy to love?

Before we match you up, it helps to name what we’re actually chasing. Jessie Gussman writes sweet, clean small-town romance with humor and heart, strong families, quirky neighbors, and a gentle ribbon of faith running through it all (she writes from her own farm in central Virginia, which is probably why the farm and cowboy stories feel so lived-in). Her stories come in two lovely flavors: beach, in series like Blueberry Beach and Strawberry Sands Beach, and cowboy and ranch, in series like Sweet Water Ranch, Sweet View Ranch, and Cowboy Crossing.

So the perfect read-alike depends a little on which Jessie you’re missing today, the salt air or the cowboy boots. I’ve noted both below.

1. Kay Correll — for the beach side of Jessie Gussman

Read this if you love: Blueberry Beach and Strawberry Sands Beach.

Kay Correll is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, clean small-town and beach romance, and she is my first suggestion for anyone missing Jessie’s seaside towns. Her books are gentle, family-centered, and full of the kind of community you wish you lived in, with returning characters and coastal settings you’ll want to move to. Start with her Lighthouse Point or Comfort Crossing series and settle in.

2. Shanna Hatfield — for the cowboys and the laughter

Read this if you love: Jessie’s cowboy heroes and her sense of humor.

If what you love most about Jessie Gussman is that she can make you laugh out loud on one page and sigh on the next, Shanna Hatfield is your author. She’s a bestselling writer of clean, wholesome romance “with a healthy dose of humor,” full of quirky small-town characters, real-feeling heroes, and strong women. Her sweet contemporary cowboy stories are a wonderful match. Start with the Rodeo Romance series (The Christmas Cowboy is book one).

3. Debra Clopton — for ranch romance with a strong faith thread

Read this if you love: Sweet Water Ranch and Sweet View Ranch.

Debra Clopton has sold millions of books writing sweet, clean, wholesome Christian cowboy romance, mostly set in small Texas towns (with the occasional Florida beach). If you want Jessie’s ranch feeling with the faith turned up a notch, this is your next stop. She has whole worlds to disappear into. Start with the New Horizon Ranch: Mule Hollow series or the Cowboys of Ransom Creek.

4. Valerie M. Bodden — for small towns with more feeling and faith

Read this if you love: Jessie’s small towns but want a little more heart-tug.

Valerie M. Bodden writes emotion-filled small-town Christian romance where, as she puts it, friends become family and faith heals hearts. Her long-running Hope Springs series is set on the shores of Lake Michigan (not to be confused with Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor), and each book is a complete romance about a different couple. These lean a touch more tender and faith-forward than Jessie’s lighter stories, so reach for them when you want a good happy cry. Start with Not Until Forever.

5. Brooke St. James — for big, warm families and low-angst comfort

Read this if you love: the family feeling and the easy, cozy pace.

Brooke St. James writes sweet, clean romance with a gentle, comforting tone and warm family casts you’ll want to keep visiting. If part of what keeps you turning Jessie’s pages is the low-drama, everything-will-be-okay feeling, Brooke St. James delivers exactly that. Perfect for a rainy afternoon and a pot of tea.

6. Kristen Ethridge — for sweet coastal romance with hope and heart

Read this if you love: Jessie’s beach settings with a hopeful, inspirational note.

Kristen Ethridge writes sweet, faith-filled coastal romance, and her Port Provident series is set in a Texas Gulf-coast town, with stories about rebuilding homes, communities, and hearts after the storm. Hopeful, clean, and full of heart, it’s a lovely fit for readers who want the beach and the faith together.

7. Elizabeth Marie — for a found-family beach town (that’s me)

Read this if you love: Jessie’s warmth and faith, by the sea.

I’ll be honest with you, because Jessie’s warmth is part of what made me want to write my own coastal towns in the first place. My Seacliff Shores series is small-town, faith-filled, and built around found family, harbor cottages, a café called the Seabean, and people learning that home isn’t a place you earn your way into but one where you’re already wanted. If that sounds like your kind of book, The Heart of Seacliff Shores is a free story and the loveliest place to begin. And there’s a new series on the way too, Hearts of Kaimana Valley, set in a fictional Hawaiian valley of lehua blossoms and old family inns. More on that soon.

Where should I start?

• Missing the beach? Start with Kay Correll or my own Seacliff Shores.

• Missing the cowboys? Start with Shanna Hatfield (for humor) or Debra Clopton (for faith).

• Want a deeper, more tender read? Start with Valerie M. Bodden.

• Just want cozy and low-stress? Start with Brooke St. James.
  

Frequently asked questions

Is Jessie Gussman a Christian author? Jessie Gussman writes sweet, clean romance with a gentle ribbon of faith running through her stories, and some of her series, like Sweet Water Ranch, lean more openly inspirational. Her books are wholesome and family-friendly throughout.

Are Jessie Gussman’s books clean? Yes. Her novels are sweet and clean, with no explicit content and no crude language, which is exactly why they’re so easy to recommend and share.

What order should I read Jessie Gussman’s books in? Each of her series stands on its own, so you can start anywhere. Within a series (such as Blueberry Beach, Strawberry Sands Beach, Sweet Water Ranch, or Cowboy Crossing), the books read best in order because you’ll enjoy the returning characters and the town growing over time.

Who writes sweet cowboy romance like Jessie Gussman? For sweet, clean cowboy romance in Jessie’s vein, try Shanna Hatfield (for humor) and Debra Clopton (for a stronger faith thread). Both write wholesome small-town western stories with happily-ever-afters.

What should I read when I’ve finished all of Jessie Gussman’s books? Start with the authors above, matched to your mood: Kay Correll or Seacliff Shores for the beach, Shanna Hatfield or Debra Clopton for cowboys, Valerie M. Bodden for a more tender, faith-forward read, and Brooke St. James for cozy comfort.

Looking for your next gentle, faith-filled read right now? Start with my free story, The Heart of Seacliff Shores, a warm welcome to the little town by the water where every story begins.

And if you loved this list, you might enjoy my guide to the best clean beach and coastal Christian romance series, too.