Book Girlfriend

What is a book girlfriend?

A female book character a reader desires

A "book girlfriend" is a female fictional character a reader becomes emotionally attached to, similar to the "book boyfriend" term. The term developed as a natural spin-off of "book boyfriend," which gained traction in online reading communities in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

As fandom culture expanded on platforms like Tumblr, Goodreads, Twitter, and later BookTok, readers began using “book girlfriend" to celebrate compelling female characters they admired, crushed on, or felt deeply connected to. It’s especially common in romance, fantasy, and young adult (YA) circles, but the term applies to any genre with a standout heroine.

Today, people may use "book girlfriend" on social media, review sites, and group chats where readers gush about their latest fictional obsession. They typically use it in a playful and self-aware way, not in any serious manner, but you may come across a person every once in a while who wants to transport themselves into the pages.

Example

have you finished the trilogy yet?
yeah, and now i’m emotionally attached
to the plot or to her?
definitely to her. she’s my new book girlfriend

Reader spending time with his book girlfriend

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Updated February 12, 2026

Book girlfriend definition by Slang.net - The Slang Dictionary

This page explains what the slang term "Book girlfriend" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been manually compiled and written by the Slang.net team.

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