What audiobooks are like Asian Dramas? Here are some books that will give Asian Drama fans a fix while washing dishes or commuting to work. Shout out to my Discord buds! Probably you are the only ones reading this, bless you all. To the other 6 readers: Discord is a place where beautiful friendships are made, not the deviant hellscape the media have painted in recent months.

For many months I’ve been on a search for audiobooks that “listen” like the dramas I’ve been enjoying.  Again for my six readers, are you scratching your head? Google it – I’m not doing a long explainer. Let’s just say Western/American TV shows are no longer to my taste. I have no interest in the cynical undead, the emergency services of Chicago or deeply unlikeable rich people.  Plus everything is so, grey. Asian Dramas are plentiful, colorful and refreshing. If you are curious, watch this one and the algorithm gremlins in your streaming service will do the rest.

So gather ‘round my fellow Asian Drama fans; we have laundry to fold and dishes to do. We can’t live life in front of the TV, let’s get out the headphones, shall we?

I started with the intention of doing one long post, but with all the great stuff out there, I’m going to break it up. This is part one, starting with the ever popular genre ROM COMS!

Please note: these books are not works of great literature soon to be adapted by PBS. As with many ADs, most are meant to be fluff to distract the brain from whatever unpleasantness is going on in the world/your world/the world of your last drama.

Another heads up: what you won’t find in dramas but will in the occasional rom-com novel are sex scenes of varying steaminess, with all the traditional throbbing and pulsing. Because the gods are merciful audiobooks can be fast-forwarded to avoid (my) traditional cringeing. You will find the traditional drama-trauma in some books. If you have tender spots, check Goodreads for assorted warnings. That said, all the books listed are entertaining and that’s the important thing.  

And so we begin!

IF YOU LIKED - Dine With Love/Love In The Kitchen

 Take a listen to Suzanne Park’s “So We Meet Again,” which has a TRUCKLOAD of drama vibes and many that match DWL: we’ve got enemies-to-friends, Terrible Boss/Toxic Office, Retreat-To-Hometown (will she find herself? Oh the suspense.) There’s a swoony-AF-ML, a kooky/cute-Mom and of course food that makes you want to run to a restaurant. The list goes on I don’t want to spoiler too much. A really fun listen (and read I’m sure.)

Staying with Suzanne Park - who is super funny and enjoyable…

IF YOU LIKED- My Fair Prince

Check out “Loathe at First Sight” which lines up with this fluffy drama in many ways including the FL/ML age gap, intriguing intern character, and video-game industry setting. Ms. Park has a talent for creating charming female characters that you want to root for from the jump.

IF YOU LIKED Her Private Life

Take a listen to Alisha Rai’s “First Comes Like.” This is what we used to call a “beach read.” I’d put this as a local-day-trip-beach-read, not an expensive vacation-on-an-island beach read. I don’t usually go to the beach. BUT this little fluffy listen had such strong AD vibes and enough qualifying details that I had to put it on the list. It’s about an influencer (Hello, Nothing But You) AND a movie star in uncertain career circumstances (Greetings, Touch Your Heart) AND a wise old uncle…AND fake dating/rushed marriage? (Hi, Every Drama Ever.)

IF YOU LIKED Hometown Cha Cha Cha

Check out Roselle Lim’s confection “Natalie Tan’s Book of Love and Fortune.” Now you’ve got to work with me here. It’s more an overall theme/feeling thing than it is specifics. We’ve got a FL who’s bravely going full fish-out-of-water and a uniting the neighbors narrative. Plus the required romance, and a teeny bit of magical realism will make up for any Cha Cha Cha-ing that may be missing. And who doesn’t love San Francisco?

Conveniently, the next series of books I intend to write about, as one of a few that I think deserve special mention as Drama Rom Com-alikes, takes place in the Bay Area. But that will be for a future post. In the meantime, I recommend the app Libby to get free audiobooks from your local library. And thanks for sticking it out all the way to the end of the post. Happy listening!