Not Over Little Women? The March Sisters Series is Your Next Binge
A modern Little Women retelling in two books. Get The March Sisters reading order, quick book summaries, tropes, and which one to read first.
The March Sisters Series Guide: Virginia Kantra Books in Order + What Each Book Is About
Welcome back to Romance Rewind, where we spotlight finished book series that are perfect for a satisfying binge. If Little Women is one of your forever classics (same), Virginia Kantra’s The March Sisters series is a warm, contemporary take that keeps the heart of the original… family, sisterhood, growing pains, and love, while translating the characters into a modern world that feels real.
This is a two-book completed duology, so it’s ideal when you want that “series immersion” feeling without committing to ten installments.
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What is The March Sisters series about?
Inspired by Little Women, this modern duology follows the March sisters as adults, through their careers, relationships, identity shifts, and the complicated reality of coming home when life forces a reset. The books keep that signature cozy, heart-forward tone: the family orbit matters, the sisters matter to each other in messy ways, and romance shows up as part of the larger story of becoming who you are.
Series vibes: cozy + heartwarming, family-centered, holiday/community feel, emotional growth, sister dynamics front and center.
March Sisters books in order (reading order)
To read my full thoughts, click each book title.
Why we recommend each book (what it’s about + why it works)
Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra
If Little Women is one of your forever favorites, this one feels like coming home-but in a way that actually works in a modern setting. And here’s what surprised me: I went in ready to be Team Jo (as always)…and I ended up gravitating toward Meg. Her storyline hit that very real “I did everything I was supposed to do…so why do I feel stuck?” nerve, and watching her grow was genuinely compelling.
What you’re getting: the March sisters as adults, with Jo’s NYC life wobbling hard (journalism career crash → gig economy survival → prep cook/secret food blogger era), and Meg realizing the “perfect life” can still feel like a rut. When their mom’s illness brings everyone home to North Carolina for the holidays, the sisters have to rally-because of course they do.
Tropes: modern Little Women retelling, home for the holidays, sisterhood-first, life reset, marriage-in-a-rut, career crash
My vibe check: heartwarming, cozy, and honestly? A perfect seasonal read (Thanksgiving through Christmas energy) and Winter comfort read.
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Beth & Amy by Virginia Kantra
Okay, real talk, this one is complicated for me because Little Women feelings are lifelong, and I’m still…not at peace with the Amy/Laurie situation. So if you’re also salty, I see you. That said, once I got past my personal ragey moments, there’s a lot here that’s genuinely great, and Virginia Kantra really does capture the cozy March family atmosphere so well.
What you’re getting: Amy is an ambitious NYC designer who’s determined to stop living in her sisters’ shadows, until Jo’s wedding forces her home and makes her face what she actually wants (and a mistake that could change everything). Beth is touring as a singer-songwriter, pushing through anxiety, and dealing with the toll that road life takes on health and love. Meanwhile, the March women are doing what they do best: showing up for each other while life throws curveballs.
Tropes: modern Little Women retelling, wedding homecoming, ambitious heroine, sisters in conflict + repair, music/tour life, fashion world, family rallying together
My vibe check: the Beth storyline (including disordered eating themes) and the inclusion of addiction were handled with care, and I loved the glimpses into the parents’ love story. Even when Amy was taking up a lot of page space, the family core is what made this book worth it for me.
Together, these two books are the retellings you didn’t know you needed, cozy, modern, and still completely built around the power of sisterhood.
If you love these, read The March Sisters
If you love Little Women adaptations, cozy family-centered stories, sister dynamics that feel real (the good, the bad, the “why are we like this”), and romances that support the larger emotional arc instead of taking over the whole book, The March Sisters series is a deeply satisfying two-book binge, especially when you’re in the mood for heart, home, and reinvention.
Final thoughts
What Virginia Kantra gets right here is the thing that makes Little Women endure: the March family feeling, warmth, friction, loyalty, and love that shows up in the everyday. These are retellings that understand the emotional legacy of the original, then give the sisters modern lives that still feel true to who they are.
If you want a cozy, character driven duology with romance, holidays, and sisterhood at the center, this is absolutely worth the read.
Are you ready for more binge reading? Check out even more finished book series you can dive into.
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