5 books to read if you liked 'The Lady's Companion' on Netflix

Five books featuring companions, love triangles, and feminist themes for fans of 'The Lady's Companion' on Netflix.

‘A Lady’s Companion’ on Netflix

If Jane the Virgin and Bridgerton had a baby, it would bear striking resemblance to The Lady’s Companion on Netflix. Set in 1880s Madrid, The Lady’s Companion pops off the screen with vibrant costuming, a quirky soundtrack, telenovela voiceover, and a fourth wall-breaking heroine. I’ve been savoring each episode as a scrumptious interlude between Arthur and The Pitt—it’s a show just for me.

As a well-reputed lady’s companion, Elena Bianda straddles two worlds. She glides through glittering ballrooms to sniff out secrets and suitors for wealthy young ladies, but her position is precarious. She, like all lady’s companions, relies on her employers for shelter, food, and a small salary. The show makes it clear: if a companion fails to line up another job after making a match, she risks homelessness and penury. A lady’s companion dedicates her life to the wedded bliss of others, sacrificing her own security.

But Elena is not your average lady’s companion. She is flirty, funny, and she is hiding something behind her starched suits and stylish hats. Her past is sure to catch up with her as she finds husbands for the Mencía sisters: Cristina the highest priority bachelorette, Sara the aspiring doctor, and Carlota the mischievous youngest.

This show supplies juicy drama with effervescent wit. A love triangle, a secret affair, and a hidden pregnancy have me hooked. If you’re looking for a new period piece, Spanish-language Netflix show, OR a satisfying rom-com, check it out!

After you breeze through all eight episodes of The Lady’s Companion, I know you’ll crave more sassy, sexy stories featuring ladies’ companions, love triangles, or age gap romance. I’ve got you covered.

5 books to read after watching The Lady's Companion on Netflix

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera. After spending time in late 19th century Madrid, armchair travel to the French Riviera. Like Sara (in the show), Aurora Montalban Wright eschews convention to train as a doctor. She runs an underground women’s clinic, where the Duke of Annan steps in to offer his protection. She can’t say no to his services (ahem…) and the duke falls hard for Aurora, but he needs a respectable wife by his side, not a secret doctor. With danger around every corner, can Apollo convince Aurora they will be stronger, safer, and happier together?

Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas. A year ago, I went through a period of all Kleypas backlist in my earbuds, all the time. The Hathaways series makes for great binge-listening, but be aware of some dated content (it was published in the early 2000s). In the fourth Hathaways novel, we get an enemies-to-lovers romance full of class tensions, secrets, and temptation. Catherine serves as paid companion to the Hathaway sisters, which is a pretty cushy job except for their insufferable older brother Leo. They fight. They kiss. It’s classic.

How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long. I’m tearing through Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series and loving every minute. Marquess Dryden picks the perfect wife in Lisbeth Redmond, but then he falls in love-at-first-banter with Lisbeth’s lady’s companion?! Put it in my veins.

Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy. Lady Delilah Chambers is a chaperone, not a paid companion, but when she accompanies her stepdaughter to meet a potential suitor she realizes…oops, I slept with that guy! The Duke of Huntington knows he should pursue the stepdaughter as intended, but he can’t help falling for Delilah after their shared night of passion.

A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian. This sapphic novella about a thieving lady’s maid and a puritanical companion mirrors a side plot in the Netflix show. Molly Wilkins is ready to lead a crime-free life of cleaning, but Alice Stapleton catches her eye and inadvertently leads her back to bad behavior—for revenge.

Have you watched The Lady’s Companion yet? I would love to hear your thoughts on the show or additional recommendations in the comments.

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