What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Kissing Booth
Vince Marcello · Film · 2018
If you loved The Kissing Booth, start with The Kissing Booth 3 (Vince Marcello, 2021) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Kissing Booth across media.
You loved The Kissing Booth because of the messy, high-stakes collision between long-standing friendships and the thrill of forbidden, transformative romance.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Kissing Booth 3
Vince Marcello · Film · 2021
Books on the same thread
Red, White & Royal Blue
Casey McQuiston · Book · 2019
Explores: enemies to lovers, public vs private life, royal duty.
Just like the secret relationship in The Kissing Booth, this story captures the tension of a high-profile romance that threatens to upend everything the protagonists hold dear.
The Chase
Elle Kennedy · Book · 2018
Explores: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Roommates to Lovers.
If the complicated brother's best friend dynamic in The Kissing Booth kept you hooked, this romance delivers that same intense proximity and chemistry in a new setting.
Matched
Ally Condie · Book · 2011
Shares a thread with The Kissing Booth: Forbidden Love.
While more dystopian, this novel mirrors the forbidden love at the heart of The Kissing Booth, focusing on the struggle to follow your heart against strict external expectations.
Problematic Summer Romance
Ali Hazelwood · Book
Shares a thread with The Kissing Booth: Romantic comedy.
This story captures the same feeling of complicated, boundary-crossing romance found in The Kissing Booth, proving that even the most unexpected connections can spark a life-changing summer.
Series on the same thread
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
Yang Hui-seung · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with The Kissing Booth: First Love, Romantic Comedy.
Fans of The Kissing Booth will recognize the familiar emotional stakes of navigating childhood friendships alongside the confusing, exciting emergence of a first romantic love.
Boys Over Flowers
Yoon Ji-ryun · Series · 2009
Shares 3 threads with The Kissing Booth: Forbidden Love, Romantic Comedy, High School Drama.
This drama perfectly recreates the forbidden love trope from The Kissing Booth, pitting a social outsider against a powerful clique to find a genuine, life-altering connection.
Sex Education
Laurie Nunn · Series · 2019
Explores: Sexual Awakening, Teenage Angst, Social Awkwardness.
Like the messy high school dynamics in The Kissing Booth, this show masterfully blends teenage angst with the complicated reality of balancing secrets and blossoming romantic relationships.
Heartstopper
Alice Oseman · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with The Kissing Booth: First Love.
This series captures the authentic, heart-fluttering exploration of first love that defined The Kissing Booth, focusing on the delicate transition from best friends to something much more.
Podcasts on the same thread
Just For Girls
Podcast
Explores: Dating, Relationships, Female Friendship.
If the girl-talk and relationship drama in The Kissing Booth resonated with you, this podcast offers that same relatable, conversational look at navigating the complexities of modern dating.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
The Ringer · Podcast · 2026
Explores: banter, insider access, celebrity culture.
While different in format, the focus on close-knit social circles and internal group dynamics will feel familiar to anyone who enjoyed the loyalty tests in The Kissing Booth.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Kissing Booth a standalone movie?
No, The Kissing Booth is not a standalone film. It is the first installment in a series that includes a third entry titled The Kissing Booth 3, released in 2021, which continues the story of Elle and her experiences following the events of the original 2018 movie.
What order should I watch The Kissing Booth movies in?
To follow the narrative arc correctly, you should watch the films in their release order. Start with the 2018 movie titled The Kissing Booth, which introduces Elle and her forbidden romance, and then proceed to the subsequent sequels, including The Kissing Booth 3, to complete the story.
How long is the series starting with The Kissing Booth?
The series consists of at least three films. It begins with the 2018 release of The Kissing Booth, which depicts the start of Elle's forbidden romance, and concludes for the purpose of this list with the 2021 sequel titled The Kissing Booth 3.
Should I watch The Kissing Booth 3 after the first movie?
Yes, you should watch The Kissing Booth 3 after viewing the original 2018 film, The Kissing Booth. The third movie serves as a continuation of the story involving Elle, her high school romance, and the complexities of her friendships established in the first installment.