If you loved
The Paper Palace
Miranda Cowley Heller · Book · 2021
If you loved The Paper Palace, you crave stories where idyllic settings mask deep-seated family secrets and long-buried emotional betrayals.
Films on the same thread
The Housemaid
Paul Feig · Film · 2025
Explores: Class Conflict, Gaslighting, Identity Theft.
Much like the unraveling lives in The Paper Palace, this story starts with the promise of a dream environment before descending into a dangerous, high-stakes game of hidden scandal.
Red, White & Royal Blue
Matthew López · Film · 2023
Explores: Forbidden Love, Enemies to Lovers, Royal Romance.
The Paper Palace excels at exploring the tension of complicated relationships, and this story mirrors that intensity by forcing rivals into a situation where their public facades begin cracking.
My Policeman
Michael Grandage · Film · 2022
Explores: homosexuality in the past, repressed desire, love triangle.
Readers drawn to the emotional weight and complex love triangles of The Paper Palace will appreciate how this narrative unearths decades of repressed desire and the cost of hidden truths.
People We Meet on Vacation
Film · 2026
Explores: opposites attract, long-distance friendship, emotional intimacy.
Just as The Paper Palace relies on the power of nostalgia and shared history, this story tracks the evolution of a long-term bond that finally reaches a critical turning point.
Series on the same thread
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with The Paper Palace: Family Secrets.
If the summer setting and family secrets of The Paper Palace kept you hooked, you will find a similar atmospheric pull in this exploration of coming-of-age and lost innocence.
Big Little Lies
David E. Kelley · Series · 2017
Explores: Secrets and Lies, Privilege, Female Friendship.
This series captures the same domestic unease found in The Paper Palace, showing how the lives of those who appear to have it all can suddenly unravel into tragic consequence.
Queen of Tears
Park Ji-eun · Series · 2024
Shares a thread with The Paper Palace: Family Secrets.
The Paper Palace thrives on the tension of marital crisis and family secrets, themes that drive this narrative as a couple navigates the difficult path toward a second chance.
Little Fires Everywhere
Liz Tigelaar · Series · 2020
Shares a thread with The Paper Palace: Domestic Drama.
Mirroring the focus on motherhood and privilege in The Paper Palace, this story examines how the intersection of two very different lives can expose the danger of carefully curated secrets.
Podcasts on the same thread
the memory palace
Nate DiMeo · Podcast · 2026
Fans of the evocative, nostalgic tone found in The Paper Palace will appreciate how this audio series mines the past to create a deep sense of place and personal history.
Bag Man
Rachel Maddow, MS NOW · Podcast · 2023
Explores: corruption, political scandal, accountability.
The Paper Palace is ultimately about the weight of what is hidden, and this investigation mirrors that obsession by uncovering systemic corruption buried beneath a polished veneer of political authority.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Paper Palace a Reese's Book Club pick?
Yes, The Paper Palace was selected as the Reese's Book Club pick for July 2021. Reese Witherspoon described the book as a deeply emotional love story that centers on the unraveling of secrets, lies, and a complex love triangle set at a summer beach house.
Was The Paper Palace a bestseller?
Yes, The Paper Palace is an instant number one New York Times bestseller. The book has achieved significant commercial success, with over one million copies sold worldwide since its publication in 2021 by author Miranda Cowley Heller.
What themes are explored in The Paper Palace?
The Paper Palace explores themes of secrets, love, and lies. The narrative is set at a summer beach house and focuses on a complex love triangle, which reviewers have described as a deeply emotional story that keeps readers engaged.
How do critics describe the reading experience of The Paper Palace?
Critics describe The Paper Palace as a nail-biting, deeply emotional love story. The narrative is noted for its focus on the unraveling of secrets and lies, with reviewers highlighting the compelling nature of the complex love triangle set at the titular summer beach house.