Looking for Jennifer Lynn Barnes books in order? This guide breaks down her bibliography by series, including The Inheritance Games, The Naturals, and more, so you can find the best place to start and read each set of books in the right order.
Because Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written across multiple series, thrillers, paranormal YA, and standalones, the easiest way to navigate her catalog is by grouping the books by series instead of forcing everything into one long author timeline.
Jump to:
- Where to Start?
- Jennifer Lynn Barnes Books in Order by Series
- Jennifer Lynn Barnes Standalone Novels
- Who is Jennifer Lynn Barnes?
- Jennifer Lynn Barnes Books FAQ
Where to Start?
Start with The Inheritance Games if you want the series most new readers know first. Start with The Naturals if you want Barnes at her most thriller-driven. And if you’d rather try a standalone before committing to a full series, The Lovely and the Lost is a strong place to begin.
You don’t need to read one Jennifer Lynn Barnes series before any other. The important thing is simply to stay in order once you choose a lane.
I was first introduced to Barnes through The Inheritance Games, but my favorite of her series has got to be The Naturals, hands down.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes Books in Order by Series
Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written across several series, duologies, trilogies, and standalones. The easiest way to read through Barnes’s books is by series and then follow publication order inside each section.
The Golden Series
The Golden series is pair of contemporary YA novels centered on friendship, identity, and the social pressures that come with popularity and status. Compared to Barnes’s later mystery-heavy books, these lean more into relationships and coming-of-age drama.
The Tattoo Series
The Tattoo series is a shorter supernatural duology with magic, fate, and cursed-power elements running through both books. It comes from the earlier part of Barnes’s catalog, but it is still an easy way to sample her fantasy-leaning side without taking on a long series.
The Squad Series
Teen drama and undercover-style plotting shape this early Barnes series. Secret identities, performance, and hidden agendas all play a role, giving it a very different feel from The Inheritance Games while still tapping into some of the same interest in deception.
- Perfect Cover (2008)
- Killer Spirit (2008)
Raised by Wolves Trilogy
This trilogy sits on the paranormal side of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s backlist, with werewolves, pack politics, loyalty, and romance all playing a major role. It has a very different feel from her mystery-heavy books, but the tension, shifting relationships, and emotional stakes are still very much there.
- Raised by Wolves (2010)
- Trial by Fire (2011)
- Taken by Storm (2012)
The Naturals Series
is one of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s best-known thriller series, built around gifted teens, FBI investigations, and increasingly dangerous cases. It has a darker, more suspense-driven feel than The Inheritance Games, with profiling, secrets, and high-stakes crime solving at the center of the story.
- The Naturals (2013)
- Killer Instinct (2014)
- All In (2015)
- Bad Blood (2016)
- Twelve (2017) (Novella)
- Dangerous Impulses (2026)
The Fixer Series
Power, scandal, and damage control drive this pair of books. Instead of puzzle-heavy mystery or paranormal drama, this series leans into Washington politics, family influence, and the kind of secrets that can ruin careers if they come out.
- The Ruling Class (originally published as The Fixer in 2015)
- Lessons in Power (originally published as The Long Game in 2016)
The Debutantes Duet
The Debutantes Duet shifts into Southern wealth, secrets, and messy family drama. It still has that Jennifer Lynn Barnes love of twists and buried truths, but the vibe is more high-society scandal than murder-board thriller.
- Little White Lies (2018)
- Deadly Little Scandals (2019)
The Inheritance Games Saga
This is the main Hawthorne story, starting with Avery Grambs and the original trilogy before branching into the closest companion books tied to that same world. So if you want the core Inheritance Games experience first, this is where to begin.
- The Inheritance Games (2020)
- The Hawthorne Legacy (2021)
- The Final Gambit (2022)
- The Brothers Hawthorne (2023)
- Games Untold (2024) (Story Collection)
- The Same Backward as Forward (2025) (Prequel Companion)
The Grandest Game Series
This is the newer spinoff set in the same world, but it is not part of the original Avery trilogy. Once you finish the main Hawthorne books, this is the next place to go if you want to stay in the world and keep the puzzles, competition, and family drama going.
- The Grandest Game (2024)
- Glorious Rivals (2025)
- The Gilded Blade (2026)
If you’d like a deeper look at the Hawthorn Saga, check out my dedicated Inheritance Games Books in Order guide.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes Standalone Novels
These are the easiest books to pick up if you do not want to commit to a full series right away. They are all separate stories, so you can jump in wherever the premise sounds most interesting to you.
- Every Other Day (2011)
- Nobody (2013)
- The Lovely and the Lost (2019)
Who is Jennifer Lynn Barnes?
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five acclaimed young adult novels. According to her publisher bio, she is also a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, earned her PhD from Yale in 2012, and spent many years as a professor of psychology and professional writing.
That background helps explain why so many of her books revolve around pattern recognition, secrets, mind games, social dynamics, and characters trying to outthink one another. Even when the subgenre changes, that sharp, puzzle-minded energy tends to stay.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes Books FAQ
What is the best Jennifer Lynn Barnes reading order?
The best way to read Jennifer Lynn Barnes is by series, not as one giant start-to-finish author marathon. Pick the part of her catalog that fits your taste, then read that section in order.
Is there a Jennifer Lynn Barnes adaptation?
Yes. The Inheritance Games is in television development at Lionsgate Television, but there is no release date yet.
Are Jennifer Lynn Barnes books young adult?
Yes. Her publisher bio specifically describes her catalog as young adult novels.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.