20 Incredible Must-Read Books Like Downton Abbey For 2023
Have you seen the trailer for the newest Downton Abbey movie? It is so spectacular, that it reopened the hole in my heart from when the series first ended… which means it must be time to dive into some books like Downton Abbey.
If, like me, you miss the likes of Mary, Cora, Robert, Anna, Bates, Matthew (RIP), Branson and so many other characters we hope the books below will bring you comfort.
As you learn about class divides, the benefits, and struggles of being an aristocrat, and how war can change everything, you will be reminded of the social and historical lesson Downton taught us.
The series takes place from the Progressive Era, when the titanic sunk, through WWI, and into the Jazz Age. And now, it’s headed down to the French Riviera! The books like Downton Abbey below are separated by era or subject, so you can pick which books you like the best.
If you love Julian Fellowes newest period drama, The Gilded Age, you will love this Gilded Age Book list.
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Books like Downton Abbey Set in the Progressive Era
The Heiress Gets a Duke
Author: Harper St. George
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Romance
More info: Gilded Age Heiresses #1
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Taking place in the Gilded Age ballrooms of London, this new historical romance series is filled with steamy scenese and the fun exploits of the upper crust. When American heiress, August Crenshaw heads to England at her parent’s insistence, she is reluctant to allow them to force her younger sister to marry unless she’s in love. Meanwhile, Evan, the Duke of Rothschild needs to marry an American heiress to get her dowry to help restore his estates to their former glory, so he very much wants to be in the running for her little sister’s hand.
Why Kirsten loves it
Like most of the rest of the world, I binged Netflix’s Bridgertons on Christmas Day. The regency romantic drama ended and I needed more! I immediately turned to this book to fill my need for a historical romance. It was steamy and funny and I think I have a new favorite historical romance series!
Find this book in: Gilded Age Books / Best Historical Romance Novels / Books Like the Crown / Harper St. George Books in Order / Books like Bridgerton / Books Like Downton Abbey
American Duchess
Author: Karen Harper
Year: 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This particular biographical fiction book spans the same time period at Downton Abbey. It too features an American Heiress wed in London society to infuse a ducal estate with much-needed funds.
Unlike Lady Cora, the heroine of this story is a real historical figure. Consuelo Vanderbilt’s wedding to the Duke of Marlborough was considered the wedding of the century at the time, but their marriage left something to be desired.
Why Kirsten loves it
In the story, Consuelo is forced to take up the mantle of duty for her estate and title, and in doing so, she finds her inner strength. I really connected with this powerhouse woman who is responsible for keeping her husband’s family afloat.
Find this book in: Biographical Fiction Novels / Gilded Age Books / Books Like the Crown / Books Like Downton Abbey
The American Heiress
Author: Daisy Goodwin
Year: 2011
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Goodwin’s debut novel about Cora Cash, an American Heiress on the hunt for a titled husband and a big estate. But once she gets everything she wished for, she needs to decide if it’s what she wants after all.
Why Kirsten loves it
When I first saw Downton Abbey, I had to look to see if this was the same Cora from the show. I thought for a brief moment that this book must have been a sort of prequel to the show. I was incorrect, but it is certainly the perfect book for Downton fans today. You can clearly see that Goodwin would go on to great things with this fantastic debut.
Find this book in: The Gilded Age / Books Like Downton Abbey
Seven Days in May by Kim Izzo
Like the movie Titanic, the characters are made up; however, the events surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania are true. The story is centered around two sisters who go aboard the ship and a third who works with the government receiving messages intercepted from Germany.
I think of this boat book in my head as a movie that is somewhere between The Hunt For Red October and the Titanic. This book would be a fantastic movie!!!! It moved quickly, kept me on my toes, and had a love story as well.
Books like Downton Abbey Set During WWI
Plot
This is an incredible novel about the women of Smith College who went to help French war victims on the war front. The band of 15 women in this novel is based on the 18 real-life heroes of Smith College.
These ladies started from scratch to help those ravaged by war only to have the war come back and destroy the lands around them again. But they never faltered in their quest to help the war-torn villages of women and children impacted by the war.
The book gives a well-rounded feeling of what these women needed to do to save the lands and the people and is an emotional pick from books about friends.
Why Kirsten loves it
This historical fiction is based on real events and had me captivated from the first page. I love the bravery and camaraderie of these amazing women.
Why Jackie loves it
The role of women is so often overlooked and so this story about the women of Smith College was enlightening. I loved the characters and the story, but the fact that it was based on real events of WWI made it even better.
Find this book in: Friendship Books / Books About Sisters and Sisterhood / Books Set in France / Best Book Club Books / WWI Books / Ultimate Beach Reads 2021 / Best Books of 2021
Last Christmas in Paris
Author: Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Year: 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This book is written entirely in letter form between two friends during WWI. You will fall in love with the characters as they fall for each other. Evie is struggling to find a way to help out during WWI, while Thomas, her brother’s best friend, is struggling with the realities of battle.
Why Kirsten loves it
I just recently started reading WWI books and this one is high on the list. It is such a wonderful holiday book, it truly captures the essence of wartime romance and how love can bloom in the darkest of times.
Find this book in: WWI Books / Best Christmas Books Of All Time/ Books Set in Paris / Epistolary Novels / Best Romance Novels / Christmas Book Club Books
Books Like Downton Abbey Set in the Jazz Era
Hotel Portofino
Author: J.P. O’Connell
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Hotel Portofino #1
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
I was thrilled to have read this charming story of a Hotel in Portofino, Italy, during the years just after WW1.
In it, the new British owners of the Hotel Portofino settle into running a hotel with their adult children. The guests are eccentric, there is a mystery around a piece of stolen art, and some romantic relationships come together and fall apart.
Trigger Warnings
Rape
Why Kirsten loves it
It reminded me of the second Downton Abbey movie in which the Crawleys headed to the south of France for a vacation! It’s got all the family drama I look for in books like these.
Find this book in: Books set in Italy / Hotel Novels / Seaside Books / Books Like Downton Abbey
The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey
Set in the dual timeline of 1925 and 1936, this story is perfect for fans of Sybil and Branson’s love story. In 1936, Alice is stuck at her stuffy grandparent’s estate while her parents are abroad.
Her mother, Selina, sets her on a treasure hunt through the grounds, to reveal her own childhood adventures. But back in 1925, we see her falling in love with a man that is below her station.
Why We Like it: This heartbreaking love story is an epic novel worth enjoying over a long weekend.
Find this book in 1920s Novels / Books like Downton Abbey
The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull
Lady Thelma Furness was the woman before Wallis Simpson. History remembers Wallis as the woman for whom King Edward VIII giving up his throne. In this book, we get to see King Edward’s relationship with Thelma and why it unraveled leading him into Wallis’s arms.
Thelma is herself the aunt of Gloria Vanderbilt and a great-aunt to Anderson Cooper. There was a lot of juicy info in this historical fiction. It is one of my favorite books about royals.
Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Are you a fan of Rose’s storyline from Downton Abbey? Well, our swinging-dancing, jazz-loving, rebellious debutante would be perfectly happy inside Fitzgerald’s famed novel.
The book might take place in America, but the same ideas of the class divide and resistance to change in the most opulent of settings could be felt in England too.
Daisy and Gatsby’s story still seems so relevant today too. This tragic love story is a classic for a reason.
Find this book in Books set in New York / Classic Books / 1920s Novels
Downstairs Books Like Downton Abbey
Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict
First off look at this COVER! I loved this biographical novel but I’m sad my copy is an ebook because now I think I need to get the hardback version.
The story revolves around Andrew Carnegie’s housemaid and their fictional relationship. It was fascinating to learn about life in Pittsburg during the 1860s. This story particularly focuses on the different social classes of the American Industrial Revolution.
The Parting Glass by Gina Marie Guadagnino
Set in NYC this is the story of Lady’s maid Mary and her employer, wealthy New York socialite, Charlotte. Charlotte is a society darling carrying on a secret affair with a stable groom, who happens to be Mary’s brother.
Mary hides her true identity as an Irish lass who finds love in the arms of a prostitute. Soon both of their secrets begin to unravel and Mary must decide exactly where her loyalty lies.
I like this look at society life from the perspective of the “staff” it feels very below the stairs at Downton. If you are a Thomas Barrow fan, you’ll like this book.
The Downstairs Girl
Author: Stacey Lee
Year: 2021
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
More info: Late Summer 2021 YA Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Age Range: 14+
Plot
This is a story of a lady’s maid turned advice columnist (under a pseudonym). Her column becomes very popular and she uses her pen to try and fight against the things she does not like in society. As people try and figure out who she is, she begins to draw unwanted attention.
Jackie’s Thoughts
Some YA historical fiction books are incredibly appealing to adult readers, and other YA stories fall flat. Unfortunately, the latest Reese’s Book Club pick falls into
Find this book in: YA Historical Fiction Books / Reese Witherspoon 2021
More Fiction Books like Downton Abbey
Our Kind of People
Author: Carol Wallace
Year: 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
This is a family drama set in gilded age NYC. The family loses and then regains their fortune in transit speculation when their girls are becoming debutantes. There are love stories but it’s really about how society was changing at the time with the old money vs. the newly rich.
Why Kirsten loves it
The author wrote a non-fiction book that was used for reference with Downton so she knows her stuff. I loved it! This Gilded Age book made me remember how much I love to read historical fiction books set in this era.
Find this book in: Gilded Age Books / Books Like Downton Abbey
Belgravia by Julian Fellowes
We had to include a Julian Fellowes book on the list. He is the creator of Downton Abbey after all, but deciding which one was considerably harder. We decided to go with Belgravia because it had a little something of everything.
The class divide is strong but breaking, there is a star-crossed romance, a secret 25 years in the keeping, and descriptions that will dazzle the mind. I felt like I was swept into this world and I didn’t want to leave it.
The Lake House
Author: Kate Morton
Year: 2015
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Kate Morton’s sweeping novel is set a bit later than Downton Abbey, but the large home and noble family depicted could easily be the Crawleys. This story takes place in 1933 on the night of a Midsummer Eve party when a child goes missing.
Devastated by the loss, the Edevane family pack up their country estate and never returned. 70 years in the future, a local detective stumbles upon the case and figures out exactly what happened that fateful night.
Why Kirsten loves it
As always, Morton’s descriptions transported me into the story. The Edevanes and their estate come alive in this gripping gothic tale told as only Morton could tell it.
Find this book in: Lake Books / Books Like Downton Abbey / Kate Morton Books Ranked
Non-Fiction Books Like Downton Abbey
Plot
Natalie Livingstone laid out the rise of the Rothschild family through the lens of the women in the family. Each of the women profiled left an indelible mark on their legacy and success.
Why Kirsten loves it
Meticulously researched, and spanning two centuries, this non-fiction book had me yearning to watch Downton Abbey or another period drama to immerse myself in the various eras.
Find this book in: Books Like Downton Abbey / Gilded Age Books / Books like Bridgerton
The Season: A Social History of the Debutante
Author: Kristen Richardson
Year: 2020
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Range: 14+
Plot
I was looking for a non-fiction read when I stumbled across the gorgeous cover of this book. I’m a huge fan of the period romance and have read my fair share of coming-out parties, debutante balls, and other aristocratic functions.
I thought this book would help me understand more about the customs of the monied elite. Books like Bridgerton and like it are filled with references to the rules of society that his book explains.
Why Kirsten loves it
I learned all I would ever need to know on the topic. I found it to be interesting but at times a bit dry, still it gave me a better understanding of the crazy rules.
Find this book in: Books Like Downton Abbey / Gilded Age Books / Best Nonfiction Books / Books Like Bridgerton
Plot
Maiden Voyages looks at the ladies who worked Ocean Liners like the Titanic and the unbelievable challenges they faced. I was in awe as I listened to this story of ships being sunk by icebergs and wartime submarines.
Why Kirsten loves it
The stories of unruly passengers, hurricanes, and the sacrifices of leaving their families to help others were unbelievable. I was so engrossed that I kept forgetting the book was non-fiction. If you love women’s history, the history of travel, or stories about the Titanic, this is the book for you!
Find this book in: Books Set in the 1920s / Gilded Age Books / Books like Downton Abbey / Feel-Good Nonfiction / Boat Books
Empty Mansions
Author: Bill Dedman, Paul Clark Newell, Jr.
Year: 2013
Genre: Nonfiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 14+
Plot
The book outlines her life, her struggles, and the people who took advantage of her good nature. I couldn’t put it down! The splendor of her life reads like a soap opera and the photos of her homes included in the book are jawdropping.
Empty Mansions reads like a novel for sure. Huguette Clark’s life was one of opulence and riches, but she died a recluse with a $300 million dollar estate and a vast number of decrepit homes in her portfolio.
Why Kirsten loves it
If it’s the houses in the Gilded Age you are most interested in and it is definitely one of the books that will make you think about it long after you have finished it. It reminds me of the Downton Abbey house or the Russell’s house in The Gilded Age.
Find this book in: Books Like Downton Abbey / Gilded Age Books / Best Nonfiction Books / Thought-Provoking Books
I have to be honest here – I didn’t like Belgravia, and stopped reading it in the middle. It was missing the humanity and charm that including the “downstairs” characters gave Downton, and to tell the truth, I really didn’t care what happened to these characters. However, I’d add to this list, “A Well Behaved Woman” by Therese Anne Fowler, and “The Kennedy Debutante” by Kerri Maher, as well as “The Summer Country” by Lauren Willig. Come to think of it, “Meet Me in Monaco” by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb might also appeal!
I did like Belgravia, but I didn’t like the “downstairs” characters in it. I do agree with most of your other suggestions. They had later timeframes so I considered most but didn’t add them. I haven’t read The Well-behaved Woman yet; but it’s on my list!