These are the best Alaska romance books to enchant you with a magical, mysterious setting mixed with L-O-V-E. Alaska is possibly my favorite book setting of all, as the elements play such a huge role in the characters and plot. It’s so picturesque, yet also brooding to think about as you read along. Anything can happen in Alaska.
And while there are so many amazing books set in Alaska, I love taking a closer look at them with an eye toward love stories in this one-of-a-kind climate. My final list of the best Alaska romance books you can’t miss is a range of lighthearted romantic comedies to heavier historical fiction. There’s something for everyone!
The Best Alaska Romance Books
- The Great Alone: best for fans of emotional historical fiction
- The Simple Wild: best for fans of modern romance fiction
- The Snow Child: best for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing and The Giver of Stars
- The Tourist Attraction: best for fans of Gilmore Girls and romantic comedies
- The Unsinkable Greta James: best for fans of light romance mixed with personal issues
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Best for fans of emotional historical fiction
- #1 New York Times instant bestseller
- My top pick on this list of best Alaska romance books
The Great Alone, and its moody Alaska setting, make for an emotional love story. On numerous occasions, while reading, I Googled “Alaska 1970s” to get a clear picture of the beautiful state, the backdrop for 13-year-old Leni’s love life.
The Great Alone is a book of family, love, and survival set in a harsh climate. While young Leni’s family grapples with the PTSD of Leni’s father, Ernt, a POW in Vietnam, Leni befriends a local boy.
As the long and brutal winter approaches, Leni’s friendship blossoms into more, but her love story becomes a battlefield against nature in a series of dramatic and consequential events.
The Great Alone has stayed with me since I first read it, and I still often think about it. It is, without question, one of the best Alaska romance books. It’s simply a beautiful story about love and fighting for survival both figuratively and literally in the wilderness, which can be both beautiful and devastating.
I loved the 1970s Alaskan setting of The Great Alone so much that I created an entire blog post about The Great Alone with inspiration from the book.
The Simple Wild by K. A. Tucker
Best for fans of modern romance fiction
A Bookstagram favorite and a “Bookstagram made me do it” book
The Simple Wild is a book that everyone over on Bookstagram is loving and talking about. I was completely influenced to give it a shot.
Calla is a 26-year-old Toronto city girl reconnecting with her estranged, and very ill father in the Alaskan land on which she was born, in this beloved modern romance series.
While braving the wilderness in order to connect with her father, she meets Jonah, a quiet and brooding Alaskan pilot who operates her father’s charter plane company.
Jonah doesn’t think Calla can “handle” Alaska, but Calla becomes determined to prove him wrong. And as time passes, they form a bond. But Calla’s heart is in Toronto and Jonah’s heart is in Alaska, and Calla knows her parents failed in these exact circumstances years ago.
The wild is not so simple after all. This one will leave you wanting more from this series!
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Best for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing and The Giver of Stars
Pulitzer Prize Finalist
Snow always reminds me of The Snow Child, one of the best Alaska romance books and one of the best Winter books. Set in 1920, the Alaskan landscape has been harsh on Jack and Mabel, a childless couple drifting apart. As Jack crumbles under the weight of running their farm, Mabel feels isolated and lonely.
During the season’s first snowfall, they build a snow “child.” Although the snow child is gone by the next morning, a young blond girl of the wilderness, Faina, is seen running through the trees.
Faina seems to have appeared from the pages of a fairy tale, yet Jack and Mabel begin to love her as their daughter. Alaska can be both a violent and mysterious place, but Faina transforms them all.
I recommend this book particularly if you are a super fan of Where the Crawdads Sing, as it has a very similar character arc. It also shares the historical backdrop of women in The Giver of Stars.
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
Best for fans of Gilmore Girls and romantic comedies
Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Romance
The Tourist Attraction is a small-town romantic comedy series reminiscent of Gilmore Girls, with a quirky diner called The Tourist Trap and loveable characters — including a rogue moose.
Zoey is on her dream two-week vacation in Alaska when she visits Graham’s diner. He’s a grumpy local who’s unenthused about slinging grub for resort visitors.
But Zoey is just so sunny and kind as she humorously interacts with the locals that she just may change his heart.
It’s a lighthearted story that’s not too steamy and keeps you entertained with a unique Alaskan setting along the way. I loved it!
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
Best for fans of light romance mixed with personal issues
In The Unsinkable Greta James, music star Greta James has fallen apart on stage after the sudden death of her mother. Still, she agrees to go on an Alaskan cruise with her unsupportive father, which was supped to be a wedding anniversary celebration.
The trip ends up becoming a journey of discovery, as Greta befriends a handsome historian lecturing on The Call of the Wild while also managing his own personal issues. Ultimately, she must decide how to cope with her past and move forward in her future.
Despite sounding heavy, it’s fairly a light and realistic mix of life and love issues.
Those are all the best Alaska romance books.
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If you loved these Alaska romance novels, check out these posts:
- Best Christmas Romance Books (including one set in Alaska)
- Best Small Town Romance Books
- Best Love Stories of All Time
- Best Books Similar to Colleen Hoover
