6 Reese's Book Club Picks That Have Sequels And Companion Novels To Read Next

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This article contains spoilers for "The Light We Lost" by Jill Santopolo,  "Heiress Takes All" by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, "Anatomy: A Love Story" by Dana Schwartz, and "Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean.

Book hangovers are real. Avid readers know the feeling of finishing a great book and immediately wishing they could stay in that universe just a little longer. Whether it's that character you grew to love with each page you turned or the immaculate vibes a setting gave you, some stories are just hard to leave behind. That emotional pull is exactly what Reese Witherspoon's Book Club picks are known for. A countless number of the club's iconic picks that everyone had to get their hands on have left readers wanting more, which explains why many of them go on to become movies and original series. 

But for readers who prefer to stay immersed through words, some of Reese's picks offer something even better than a film adaptation: Sequels and companion novels. Whether it's the continuation of the story you couldn't stop thinking about or exploring different corners of the same fictional world, authors of many of Reese's Book Club selections have graced readers with follow-up stories that give fans the chance to dive deeper into a world they fell in love with. From Jill Santopolo's emotional follow-up, "The Love We Found," to Taylor Jenkins Reid's sun-soaked companion novel, "Malibu Rising," these books are the perfect revisit to some of Reese's best picks. 

If Jill Santopolo's "The Light We Lost" completely broke your heart, "The Love We Found" will help mend it back together. Set 10 years after the events of "The Light We Lost," the sequel tells the story of Lucy as she continues her journey forward without Gabe. Released in 2025, we introduced the sequel as one of the best new release beach reads to add to your summer TBR. 

In the sequel, Santopolo leans into the emotional aftermath of Lucy's devastating loss, while diving into the power that memory, timing, and unexpected connections can have on the choices people make. Lucy's new chapter and her search for meaning will offer a sense of cathartic release that longtime fans of the first book will truly appreciate. Many readers loved the emotionally satisfying payoff of "The Love We Found," as many were left to wonder how Lucy's story would unfold. 

An Amazon reviewer gave the book five stars and said, "The sequel we needed to ['The Light We Lost']. I love hearing how Santopolo tells Lucy's story. The character and her life come to life on the pages. The story pulls at your heartstrings in so many ways. A satisfying wrap to Lucy and Darren and their family's story." Readers consistently praised Santopolo's beautifully aching storytelling and the depth and care she brings to take Lucy's journey full circle. 

It wasn't just the messy rock-and-roll romance or behind-the-scenes drama that made readers obsessed with "Daisy Jones & The Six," but also the lifestyle fantasy of a sun-soaked California in the '70s. If you were one of the readers who couldn't get enough of that endless golden-hour energy, you're going to want to dive into "Malibu Rising." Oprah Daily summed it up perfectly, writing, "If summer could somehow fit into a book, then you'd find it in ['Malibu Rising']."

Existing within the same fictional universe as "Daisy Jones & The Six," readers will find themselves smiling as they discover each and every crossover moment and come across familiar names that make the worlds feel even more interconnected. The story centers on Mick Riva's kids as they prepare for their legendary Malibu party to bid adieu to summer, but the night is anything but ordinary. It'll quickly spiral into chaos and expose all of the family secrets and tension they've avoided. Will the family survive the night?

Many readers find "Malibu Rising" to be the ideal summer read and one of Reid's most well-rounded novels. A five star Amazon reviewer said, "'Daisy Jones' was exciting and behind the scenes honest, 'Seven Husbands' mysterious and Hollywood-sexy. 'Malibu' has a bit of it all, with great atmosphere ... I love how Reid can expertly transport readers to another world — another time and place." If you're curious to know more about Mick Riva, then "Malibu Rising" deserves a spot on your TBR. 

The sequel to "The Last Thing He Told Me," "The First Time I Saw Him" was released in January 2026 and selected as Reese's Book Club's pick that same month. As the second installment in the Hannah Hall series, the novel returns to Hannah's story. Left with questions unanswered and unresolved threads from her past, Hannah's focus is on her stepdaughter and their new life together. But when she's led to new information that challenges everything she thought she knew, Hannah is pulled back into her past and the questions surrounding her husband's disappearance. 

As of the last week of January 2026, the book ranked No. 6 on Amazon's New Releases list for literature and fiction. More than half of the 3,000+ Amazon reviewers gave the book five stars. Many readers even felt the sequel was better executed than its predecessor. A five star reviewer noted, "The brilliance of this book — what makes it better than the first, if we're being bold — is how deeply it digs into the psychology of secrecy, the erosion of trust, and the complexity of familial loyalty. We get alternating perspectives, finally hearing Owen's side of things, which honestly should come with a stress warning." Both Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner, who stars as Hannah Hall in the Apple TV adaptation of the book, gave the book five stars in a video introducing the book as Reese's Book Club's January pick. 

If you were one of the readers who found Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka's "Heiress Takes All," a YA mystery and thriller read that even adults can enjoy, impossible to put down, you'll be excited to know Olivia Owens's journey doesn't end there. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka continue Olivia's story in the second book of the Heiress Heists series, "Heiress Among Thieves." Be prepared, because readers who enjoyed the first book found the sequel even more fast-paced and filled with unpredictable twists.

Although there were a lot of hiccups, Olivia Owens successfully pulled off her elaborate revenge heist at her father's extravagant wedding in "Heiress Takes All." In the second story, it's time for Olivia to take on another high-stakes challenge. When a new opportunity pulls her back into a glittering world of secrets, risky moves, and some seriously bold deception, nothing unfolds quite the way she expects. 

An Amazon reviewer described the overall series as the perfect read for fans of the "Mission: Impossible" movie series and gave the sequel five stars, writing, "This book went out of its way to outdo the first book and it certainly succeeded. The heist got better. You got to see more character growth and some of the twists you will not see coming." Another reviewer didn't expect much and thought it'd be similar to any "predictable sequel," but the "ending was enough to prove this book was worth its own stars." 

"Anatomy: A Love Story" by Dana Schwartz was Reese's Book Club's December 2022 pick, and the historical fiction captivated readers with its eerie gothic setting and slow-burn romance between Hazel Sinnett and Jack Currer. By the end of the novel, Hazel proves just how far she's willing to go for the one she truly loves, even if it means bending the natural rules of life and death. 

The second book, "Immortality: A Love Story," picks up in the aftermath of the decision that may have saved her lover's life, but forced Hazel to confront far more dangerous questions. The story follows Hazel as she continues to dig deeper into forbidden territory, where every new discovery comes with heavier consequences than the last. The more Hazel learns, the more she realizes she may be risking more than she ever intended to. 

Many readers were eager for a second book as they wanted to see Hazel and Jack's story reach a more satisfying resolution. A Goodreads reviewer gave the sequel four stars, noting that a follow-up was "desperately needed" and finally provided the closure the characters deserved. While some felt the sequel didn't live up to the first book, there were also many readers who felt it exceeded their expectations. A five star Goodreads reviewer noted, "So, remember how I loved 'Anatomy'? Well, this sequel somehow managed to be even better. It's rare to find a follow-up that not only matches the magic of book one but elevates it entirely. But Dana did just that."

Of all the Reese's Book Club picks our writer read, the club's summer 2021 young adult pick, "Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean, remains her absolute favorite. The vivid, realistic portrayal of Tokyo woven into a modern Cinderella storyline makes it the perfect book to read when you want to feel completely transported into another world. Reading about Izumi's journey as she tries to blend in with her Japanese family, while balancing her identity as a Japanese American, added so much emotional depth to the fantasy. 

If you loved the book as much as our writer, you probably weren't ready to say goodbye to Izumi's dreamy Tokyo life. The good news is "Tokyo Dreaming" raises the bar. The story expands on Izumi's new life in Tokyo as a princess. Our writer got strong vibes of "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," especially in the way Izumi navigates her new role, living up to expectations and romance, all while trying to remain true to herself, much like Mia Thermopolis. 

An Amazon reviewer gave the book five stars because they loved that the author gave readers the chance "to see Izumi experience heartbreak, triumph, personal growth, and ultimately, we get to see her find her place in Japan." While readers also appreciated the open-ended nature of the sequel in hopes of more books in the future, they were quite satisfied with how Izumi's story wrapped up in "Tokyo Dreaming."