Netflix viewers claim this long-running drama is ‘way better’ than Virgin River. See why everyone’s obsessed

Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson

Virgin River has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits over the last few years.

So much so, millions of fans have devoured all six seasons and are constantly on the look out for similar shows to scratch their small-town romance itch.

The hit series follows nurse Mel Monroe (played by Alexandra Breckenridge) who moves to the idyllic hamlet in Northern California following a tragedy.

She quickly meets and falls for local bar owner and ex-Marine Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson) and they finally tied the knot last year in Virgin River’s most unpredictable season yet.

The cosy yet often scandalous and traumatic narrative of the series has kept fans hooked, but what’s the best show to start next if you’re all caught up on Mel and Jack’s adventures?

Cast of Chesapeake Shores

All six seasons are currently on Netflix in the UK 

In a recent Reddit thread, several fans agreed the Hallmark drama Chesapeake Shores, which is currently streaming on Netflix in the UK, is the perfect replacement.

Based on the novels by Sherryl Woods, this series follows Abby O’Brien (Meghan Ory) who’s compelled to move from New York back to her home town of Chesapeake Shores to help save her sister’s inn.

Meanwhile, her first love Trace Riley (Jesse Metcalfe) has also returned home after becoming a successful musician in Nashville.

At first, the pair don’t get along but they soon start to consider finding a second chance at love together.

When a Virgin River fan asked for recommendations for similar shows, one Redditor replied: “Love Chesapeake Shores (before the later seasons jump the shark like VR) and Hart of Dixie.”

Another agreed: “Chesapeake Shores is way better in my opinion.”

Jesse Metcalfe and Meghan Ory

Abby and Trace’s heartwarming romance is guaranteed to scratch the Virgin River itch

“I literally could watch Chesapeake Shores or Cedar Cove type shows and all their versions endlessly,” a third commenter said.

A fourth replied: “Chesapeake Shores is my main comfort show! Even more so than Virgin Rivers.”

A number of other fans also included it in their list of “similar” shows fans should check out.

With all six seasons currently on Netflix, Chesapeake Shores is a no-brainer for Virgin River fans who are missing Mel and Jack after that jaw-dropping cliffhanger.

Chesapeake Shores is available to stream on Netflix.

Related Posts

📸⚠️ The 2018 Wedding Photo Everyone Is Re-Examining: Was Tess Crosley ‘Marking Ownership’ of Lachie Neale From Day One?

They say a picture paints a thousand words, but this one screams “betrayal” so loudly that it feels almost unfair how clearly the truth was staring everyone…

😳📱 B!k!ni Photos, Blue Tick Fame, and a Broken Family — Critics Say Tess Crosley Is Profiting from the Lachie Neale Affair

In the cutthroat world of celebrity scandals and sports drama, where reputations are made and shattered in the span of a single Instagram post, the Lachie Neale…

✈️💔 It’s Sitting at #1 on Netflix Right Now — A Quiet Rom-Com About Two Friends, One Trip a Year, and the Love They Refused to Admit for 10 Years

If you’ve been scrolling Netflix lately, feeling exhausted by heavy dramas, twisty thrillers, or endless true-crime docs that leave you emotionally drained, then congratulations: the algorithm has…

🕯️👀 A Beautiful House, Three Women, and Too Many Secrets — What’s Really Happening Inside Penwood House?

Nestled on the eastern edge of Mayfair, where Grosvenor Square gives way to quieter, tree-lined streets, stands Penwood House—a four-storey Georgian townhouse of pale Portland stone whose…

💃✨ When a Bridgerton Falls for a Woman He Was Never Meant to Love — Bridgerton Season 4 Takes Romance to a New Level

On January 29, 2026, Netflix will once again fling open the gilded doors of the Bridgerton universe, inviting viewers back into the glittering, gossip-drenched world of Regency-era…

🌷🔥 More Romance. More Tears. More Secrets. Sweet Magnolias Season 5 Is About to Raise the Stakes

Sweet Magnolias Season 5 Is Coming: Prepare for the Most Romantic, Heart-Wrenching, and Dramatic Chapter Yet The quiet, sun-dappled streets of Serenity, South Carolina, are about to…