6 Netflix Romance Dramas Better Than Virgin River

Netflix Published Sep 25, 2026, 3:01 PM EDT Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The immense success of Netflix’s Virgin River has been exciting for the romance genre, but there are other romantic shows on the platform that shine brighter. Since premiering in 2019, Virgin River has been a hit for the streaming platform in ways that Netflix likely didn’t anticipate. Based on Robyn Carr’s popular novel series, Virgin River has regularly been a part of the platform’s top ten titles around its seasonal releases. Following nurse practitioner Mel Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) and former Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), the show navigates broad themes of love, loss, and family in a picturesque small-town setting. While Virgin River has mass appeal as viewers know that diving into the series will give them a fairly low-drama look at heartfelt romance in an idyllic setting, it’s far from the only drama series on Netflix. Though the show’s formula has worked well as it's continued, other romances have popped up to continue propelling the genre forward on the streaming platform. While Virgin River is one of Netflix’s most reliable comfort shows, other romances have built different worlds for viewers to live within, running the gamut from historical epics to contemporary love stories, each show pulls on the heartstrings. 6 Outlander A sweeping historical romance that follows a World War II nurse who’s transported to the 1700s, Outlander juggles many elements in order to make its story work. Based on Diana Gabaldon’s novels, the series focuses on Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe) as she’s ripped from 1945 and finds herself in the Scottish Highlands in 1743. The show watches as she falls in love with Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) over the course of various wars, several centuries, and through different continents. Through 8 seasons and just over 100 episodes, Claire and Sam’s love story faces consistent separation and intense upheaval. While Outlander brings in elements of historical drama that help move its story forward, its a true romance at its core. A show like Virgin River excels at comforting, small-town romance, but a show like Outlander is an entirely different beast. With a far grander, more ambitious love story at its core, Outlander sees Claire and Jamie’s relationship develop over decades, giving viewers the chance to invest deeply in their romance in a way that TV viewers aren’t traditionally able to. By combining higher stakes, heavy world building, and a romance that constantly feels like its evolving, Outlander is iconic. Release Date 2014 - 2026-00-00 Network Starz Showrunner Matthew B. Roberts Cast Jack Tarlton Kenny Lindsay John Sessions Arthur Duncan Directors John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand Writers Toni Graphia, Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Luke Schelhaas, Anne Kenney, Karen Campbell, Shannon Goss, Joy Blake, Richard Kahan, Jennifer Yale, Megan Ferrell Burke, Ira Steven Behr, Diana Gabaldon Creator(s) Ronald D. Moore 5 One Day An adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel, One Day revisits the same pair on the same day over the course of decades, bringing a sprawling and heartbreaking love story to life. Starring Ambika Mod as Emma Morley and Leo Woodall as Dexter Mayhew, One Day begins on the night of the characters’ graduation from university in 1988, and continues annually as they grow and change. With their relationship sprawling over the next stretch of years, One Day doesn’t focus on whether or not Emma and Dexter’s relationship status, but instead explores the importance of timing and circumstance in a romantic relationship. The emotional realism of One Day is what sets it apart from other romance TV shows, and ultimately what makes it an incredible series. While other romantic dramas like Virgin River often rely on dramatic twists and outside obstacles to create issues for the romance as a whole, One Day uses everyday tragedy to define the relationship between Emma and Dexter. Creating stakes that allow the characters to feel like lived-in, fully realized people with lives that continue when they’re not together, One Day relies on the devastation of everyday life rather than sweeping tragedy to create its love story. Release Date 2024 - 2024-00-00 Directors Molly Manners Writers David Nicholls Creator(s) Nicole Taylor, David Nicholls 4 Too Much Created by Lena Dunham, Too Much stars comedy icon Meg Stalter as Jessica, who moves from New York to London after a heart wrenching breakup and finds a whole new life. As Dunham’s first major TV project after the run of HBO’s Girls, Too Much had a similar charm while sitting firmly in the camp of being a romantic comedy. As Stalter’s Jessica searches for a fresh start, she unexpectedly meets musician Felix (Will Sharpe), and the pair begin a messy, complicated relationship that sees both of them investing in each other while sorting through their own heavy emotional baggage. While the series brings a non-traditional relationship to live, the show’s deep exploration of a romance from the very beginning offers a fascinating look at two people coming together despite the odds. Unlike Virgin River, Too Much takes all of the funny, awkward, messy moments that are nuanced and not always comfortable and brings them to life. Jessica and Felix are complicated throughout the show’s run, and their decision-making isn’t always sound, but their sense of realism makes them all the more interesting as the series continues on. Too Much offers a far more realistic look at love and relationships. Release Date 2025 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Directors Lena Dunham Cast Megan Stalter Jessica Salmon Creator(s) Lena Dunham, Luis Felber 3 Bridgerton A Netflix original that’s taken the platform by storm since its 2020 debut, Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s popular novel series. Following the Bridgerton siblings in Regency-era London as they each come out in society and attempt to find matches, the romance series follows a different sibling every season as they fall in love and find their way. With a mix of romantic drama and sharp, sexy storytelling, Bridgerton has become the modern streaming era interpretation of a bodice ripper, creating a different style of romance on screen. With each season, Bridgerton becomes more popular and pushes the envelope. While the drama of Bridgerton typically resolves itself within the course of a season in the same way Virgin River’s does, the show is a higher-stakes look into love. With each season of Bridgerton unpacking a sweeping romance that still advances the larger family narrative standing behind it, the Netflix original has a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. Building chemistry between its leads within each Bridgerton season isn’t an easy feat, and creating romances that feel genuine, intriguing, and different with each story sets the long-running, continuously successful Netflix hit apart from its contemporaries. Release Date 2020 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Directors Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson Cast Luke Thompson Lady Violet Bridgerton Ruth Gemmell Benedict Bridgerton Writers Abby McDonald, Sarah L. Thompson, Daniel Robinson, Oliver Goldstick, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Azia Squire, Sarah Dollard, Eli Wilson Pelton, Janet Lin Creator(s) Chris Van Dusen 2 Sullivan's Crossing As the series that’s most closely related to Virgin River, Sullivan’s Crossing is also based on a series of novels by Robyn Carr. Starring Morgan Kohan as neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan, the series follows as she returns to her childhood home in rural Nova Scotia after dealing with a professional crisis that turns personal. Reconnecting with her father, Sully (Scott Patterson), and working with him at the family campground, Sullivan’s Crossing, Maggie also gets to know a newcomer to town, Cal Jones (Chad Michael Murray) as she sorts through her past. The pair’s romance is a massive part of Sullivan’s Crossing. With a similar low-stakes drama mentality and a picturesque small town setting, Sullivan’s Crossing is a lot like Virgin River, but the show’s ensemble cast makes the former a more interesting series. With the Maggie and Cal romance at the core of the series, the show has taken several seasons to figure out how to establish its main relationship and, at the same time, has moved through the paces of bringing in a strong ensemble to supplement other romances on screen. While Virgin River is of similar quality, Sullivan’s Crossing is all the better at balancing its romantic stories on-screen. Release Date March 19, 2023 Network CTV Directors Chris Grismer, April Mullen, Jonathan Wright, Martin Wood Cast Morgan Kohan Maggie Sullivan Chad Michael Murray Cal Jones Writers Robyn Carr Creator(s) Roma Roth 1 Nobody Wants This Credit: Netflix One of the most popular Netflix originals of the past few years, Nobody Wants This follows a couple as their relationship defies the odds of their existing lives. Starring Kristen Bell as Joanne, a cynical podcaster, the series watches as she meets Rabbi Noah Roklov, played by Adam Brody. Joanne, a WASP-y blonde with commitment issues, and Noah, who’s steeped in religion and the expectations that come from it, struggle to figure out a way to fight their connection, but also know that their relationship will never be easy. Nobody Wants This balances romantic comedy with a dramatic through line. While Virgin River may have the edge on low-stakes drama, the drama of Nobody Wants This consistently winds up being a benefit for the series overall. As one of the most satisfying shows on Netflix, Nobody Wants This doesn’t take itself too seriously, which means its drama is never melodramatic or intense. As a romantic comedy, though, the series does ensure that it’s not relying entirely on the comedic side of things. Instead, Nobody Wants This is able to blend its perfect cast with reliably interesting storylines to create one of the most realistic portrayals of romance available on screen. Release Date September 26, 2024 Network Netflix Showrunner Jenni Konner, Bruce Eric Kaplan Directors Greg Mottola, Lawrence Trilling, Oz Rodriguez, Hannah Fidell Writers Lindsay Golder, Jane Becker, Barbie Adler, Neel Shah, Niki Schwartz-Wright Creator(s) Erin Foster