So you're here because your heart is broken after watching One Day too, right?
And you want to repair it (or make it worse) with another slow burn romance, right?
Right.
David Nicholls' One Day is an emotional whirlwind from beginning to end. It follows the story of Dex and Em (played by The White Lotus' Leo Woodall and This Is Going to Hurt's Ambika Mod), who meet on the same day, every year, for two decades.
And it is one show that left us... inconsolable.
While we think it is much too soon for you to get into another series (give yourself time to grieve!), but if you think you're ready (please share your tips), then here are our top six recommendations for slow-burn romances that are like One Day.
Normal People — Stan.
If you watched One Day because you like to torture yourself, we have your next watch all lined up.
Much like One Day, Normal People follows Connell (Paul Mescal), who is one of the popular kids at school, and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones), one of his wealthy peers who is shunned by her classmates.
The pair fall in love but don't make it. Or do they?
The pair's on-and-off romance is heart-wrenchingly good and is based on the book of the same name by Sally Rooney.
Normal People is streaming on Stan.
Conversations With Friends — Prime Video.
Based on Sally Rooney's novel of the same name, Conversations With Friends follows the relationship between exes and university students Bobbi (Sasha Lane) and Frances (Alison Oliver), who get involved in a relationship with older couple Nick (Joe Alwyn) and Melissa (Jemima Kirke). It's about as twisted as it sounds.
While your heart might be on the floor by the end of Conversations With Friends, this series is quite possibly the most slow-burn romance you could ever hope for (or loathe, could go either way).
Conversations With Friends is streaming on Prime Video.
Heartstopper — Netflix.
If you want a classic coming-of-age-slash-queer-rom-com, look no further. Heartstopper is based on the webcomic by Alice Oseman and follows teenage boys Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) as they navigate school, friendships and their own identities and sexuality.
Charlie is a gay high school student who has a crush on rugby player Nick (who he assumes is straight), and the series has more than one queer love story, but they're all interwoven, leaving us guessing at the end of every episode. It's not exactly like One Day, but considering that wretched ending, we'd argue that's a good thing. (Still too soon, I'm sorry.)
All two seasons of Heartstopper are streaming on Netflix.
Modern Love — Prime Video.
Okay, okay, I admit, this is a little less 'slow burn' than my other recs. But it's so good, it couldn't not go on the list. Modern Love is based on The New York Times column of the same name, and explores various love stories in New York City. Each episode delves into a different romantic tale, based on the stories sent in to the column, with a star-studded cast including Dev Patel, Anne Hathaway and Tina Fey.
You truly don't know what's going to happen next, which is what makes Modern Love a must-watch series.
All two seasons of Modern Love are streaming on Prime Video.
The Flatshare — Paramount+.
Based on the novel of the same name by Beth O'Leary, The Flatshare follows the lives of witty journalist Tiffany (Jessica Brown Findlay) and hospice nurse Leon (Anthony Welsh), who end up sharing not just an apartment... but a bed in said apartment. The catch? They've never met before, and they don't ever plan to, either. You can just see that this is going to get messy in the very best, rom-commy way, can't you?
All six episodes of The Flatshare are streaming on Paramount+.
Love Life — Stan.
An anthology series, the first season of Love Life stars Anna Kendrick as unlucky-in-love New Yorker Darby through her various relationship ups and downs. Season two's timeline picks up somewhere in the middle of season one's story and veers sideways, taking deeper dive into the love life of another of the characters.
It's a (mostly) feel-good series with a lot of heartfelt twists and turns along the way — oh, and if you needed any more convincing to watch this show, the whole saga is narrated by The Crown's Lesley Manville.
All two seasons of Love Life are streaming on Stan.
Lovesick — Netflix.
When Dylan Witter (Johnny Flynn) is informed he has chlamydia, he reaches out to all of his previous sexual partners to let them know. In the process, he revisits all of his past relationships —and along the way, he finds out what worked and what went wrong. Of course, he has no idea that his housemate Evie (Antonia Thomas) is in love with him. So there's that.
Lovesick is the perfect show to watch if you want to be left on the edge of your seat asking, "Will they or won't they?!" And if you want to fill the pain in your One Day-heart-shaped hole, this might be the series to do it.
All three seasons of Lovesick are streaming on Netflix.
Feature Image: Netflix.
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