Looking for Susan Wiggs books in order? You’re not alone. With so many novels across multiple series and standalones, it can be tough to know where to start or what to read next.
This guide organizes Susan Wiggs’ books in a clear, easy-to-follow order so you can quickly find the right starting point for your reading style. Whether you want to read her most popular series first or jump into a standalone, you’ll have a complete list to help you keep track.
Jump to:
- Susan Wiggs Standalone Books in Order
- Susan Wiggs Books in Order by Series
- Other Susan Wiggs Books
- Susan Wiggs Adaptations
- About Susan Wiggs
Susan Wiggs Standalone Books in Order
Standalones are how Susan Wiggs cut her teeth as an author. Her debut novel, Texas Wildflower, is a classic historical western romance novel featuring a fiery female lead character, a rogue Texas outlaw, and a forced marriage.
While you can read these books in any order since they’re standalones, there are certain benefits to reading them in order of publication. The first is to ensure that you don’t accidentally miss one of the titles since there are so many. The second reason is particularly important for big fans of Susan Wiggs, and that is to follow her growth and evolution as an author.
- Texas Wildflower (1987)
- Briar Rose (1987)
- Embrace the Day (1988)
- Winds of Glory (1988)
- Moonshadow (1989)
- The Raven and the Rose (1991)
- Lord of the Night (1993)
- A Fairytale Christmas (1996) — Novella
- Miranda (1996)
- The Lightkeeper (1997)
- The Drifter (1998)
- The You I Never Knew (2001)
- Passing Through Paradise (2002)
- Home Before Dark (2003)
- Summer by the Sea (2004)
- Table For Five (2005)
- Lakeside Cottage (2005)
- Just Breathe (2008)
- The Borrowed Bride (2010)
- The Goodbye Quilt (2011)
- The St. James Affair (2014) — Novella
- Island Time (2016) (Novella)
- Map of the Heart (2017)
- Between You and Me (2018)
- The Oysterville Sewing Circle (2019)
- Welcome to Beach Town (2023)
- The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (2023)
- Wayward Girls (2025)
Susan Wiggs Books in Order by Series
Women of War Books
The Women of War books are connected through common themes of battle, love, and honor. Each book also involves the enemies-to-lovers trope. However, the two books follow different couples, so you can choose to read whichever book first.
The Lily and the Leopard is the original title of the first book before it was reissued as The Mistress of Normandy. Meanwhile, The Mist and the Magic was later reissued as well under the title The Maiden of Ireland.
- The Lily and the Leopard / The Mistress of Normandy (1991)
- The Mist and the Magic / The Maiden of Ireland (1993)
Tudor Rose Books
Like the previous Susan Wiggs books in order, the Tudor Rose novels were also reissued with different titles. Below we have included the original title first, then the new title. The books are connected through themes and characters with each book following a new member of the de Lacey family as they find love in unlikely circumstances.
- Circle in the Water / At the King’s Command (1994)
- Vows Made in Wine / The Maiden’s Hand (1995)
- Dancing On Air / At the Queen’s Summons (1996)
Discovery Books
This series spans multiple generations and begins with Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas. Each book follows new characters but centers around themes of romance, intrigue, and a grand voyage.
You can read these books in any order you choose, but the publication order matches the chronological order, so that is the best reading order. This series is now out of print, but second hand copies are available.
- October Wind (1994)
- Jewel of the Sea (1994)
- Kingdom of Gold (1994)
Heart of the West / Bachelor Auction Books
This next book by Susan Wiggs was originally published as part of a larger category romance series by multiple authors. It has since been reissued with the title The 10-Year Reunion.
It follows Twyla McCabe, a young widow with a six-year-old child who desperately wants to show up to her high school reunion with an impressive date. Her well-meaning clients at the beauty salon set her up with Rob Carter, but Twyla thinks the match is far too unlikely to be believable.
Calhoun Chronicles Books
The next series in our list of the Susan Wiggs books in order follows different members of the same family, the Calhouns, spanning generations. Each book takes place in a very different setting, from the high seas to a White House gala. It is not necessary to read the books in order of publication to enjoy the love story, but if you intend to read all the books in the series, then publication order is the best way to approach these books.
- The Charm School (1999)
- The Horsemaster’s Daughter (1999)
- Halfway to Heaven (2001)
- Enchanted Afternoon (2002)
- A Summer Affair (2003)
Great Chicago Fire Trilogy
Against the backdrop of the same terrifying night, October 8, 1871, three different love stories unfold. While each book begins during the same night, the paths of Deborah Sinclair, Kathleen O’Leary, and Lucy Hathaway take very different paths. The books share common themes, but it is not necessary to read these books in order of publication.
- The Hostage (2000)
- The Mistress (2000)
- The Firebrand (2000)
The Us Books
The Ocean Between Us was originally a standalone before Susan Wiggs returned to the world by diving into the story that came first. Despite this, it is still best to read these books in order of publication to maintain some of the mystery and intrigue surrounding the character development in the book.
It is the story of Grace and Steve Bennett, a married couple with three children and a life of travel and adventure. But at some point in their marriage, Grace has lost her sense of self and as she confronts her discontent, duty puts an ocean between Grace and Steve. As they examine their faltering marriage, Grace is then left alone to face a Navy wife’s worst nightmare.
- The Ocean Between Us (2004)
- The Story of Us (2010) (Prequel Short Story)
Lakeshore Chronicles Books
The Lakeshore Chronicles take place in the same small town following different couples, but many are members of the Bellamy family. So, like many romance series, the love interests of a past or future book will be in the background as events unfold for one couple. So, the best way to read these Susan Wiggs books in order is by following the publication order to avoid any spoilers.
- Summer at Willow Lake (2006)
- The Winter Lodge (2007)
- Dockside at Willow Lake / Dockside (2007)
- Snowfall at Willow Lake (2008)
- Homecoming Season (2008) (Novella)
- Fireside (2009)
- Lakeshore Christmas (2009)
- The Summer Hideaway (2010)
- Marrying Daisy Bellamy (2011)
- Return to Willow Lake (2012)
- Candlelight Christmas (2013)
- Starlight on Willow Lake (2015)
Bella Vista Chronicles Books
These books take place in San Francisco and Archangel, California. Each book follows a new protagonist, but the stories are interconnected and flow organically and chronologically. Therefore, it is best to read these Susan Wiggs books in order of publication.
- The Apple Orchard (2012)
- The Beekeeper’s Ball (2014)
- The Lost and Found Bookshop (2020)
- Sugar and Salt (2022)
The Switchback, Vermont Books
The Key Ingredient is a short story that introduces the characters of Annie Rush and Martin Harlow and how they met. Then Family Tree jumps ahead into the future and follows Annie through betrayal and heartbreak as she reconciles the pain of the past with the promise of the future. You can skip the prequel short story if you wish, but it provides character development and exploration which will help the full-length novel be all the more impactful.
- The Key Ingredient (2016) (Short Story)
- Family Tree (2016)
Other Susan Wiggs Books
Children’s Book
While it is now out of print, there are still second-hand copies available of the children’s book that Susan Wiggs has published.
Non-Fiction Book
Susan Wiggs has also written a nonfiction book with her daughter about how the two of them planned her daughter’s wedding together.
- How I Planned Your Wedding (2011)
Anthologies
Finally, Susan Wiggs has contributed to several anthologies throughout her career. While most of these books have since gone out of print, links to second-hand copies have been included below.
- Tropical Chills (1988) (Out of Print)
- Irish Magic (1995) (Out of Print)
- Merry Christmas, Baby! (1996) (Out of Print)
- This Time… Marriage (1996) (Out of Print)
- Irish Magic II (1997) (Out of Print)
- That Summer Place (1998) (Out of Print)
- In Our Dreams (1998) (Out of Print)
- Cinderfella and Lady of the Night (2002) (Out of Print)
- It Happened One Christmas (2003) (Out of Print)
- More Than Words, Volume 3 (2006) (Out of Print)
- Summer Brides (2010)
- Hotel Angeline (2011)
- A Summer of Firsts (2017)
- The Summer It Begins (2019)
Susan Wiggs Adaptations
There is one movie adaptation of a Susan Wiggs book and that is the first book in the Bella Vista Chronicles: The Apple Orchard. It was announced that The Hallmark Channel had optioned the TV rights back in September 2016, and the TV movie premiered in September 2022.
The Secrets of Bella Vista is the name of the adaptation. It stars Rachelle Lefevre as Tess Delaney and Niall Matter as Damhnaic, or Dominic in the book. It also stars Helena Marie, Phoebe Miu, Nathalie Boltt, Donia Kash, and more.
Heather Hawthorn-Doyle was the director and Jamie Pachino wrote the script adapting Wigg’s novel.
About Susan Wiggs
Susan Wiggs grew up in the small town of Olean, New York before she moved away for her post-secondary education. However, her hometown features in her writing as The Lakeshore Chronicles books include inspiration from the old Olean library.
Wiggs obtained her bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her master’s degree from Harvard University before she became a teacher. She grew up in a family of readers and always dreamed of being a writer, but knew she had to find a more practical profession.
Her studies in math, French, and education have influenced her writing though. She still writes every first draft in longhand, which she says is a habit that has stuck from writing poetry in her French notebooks. After her first draft she will type, revise, and rewrite it into a word processing application.
However, because Wiggs writes her first draft in longhand, that means there is no back up. So, if she is in the process of typing up her manuscript, she will usually stick her handwritten notebook in the freezer to keep it safe if a tragedy like fire ever occurs.
Wiggs says that her hardest novel is always the one she is actively working on. But when she is not writing she enjoys skiing, boating, growing vegetables in her home garden, hiking, traveling, and doing yoga.
She currently lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington State.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more romance authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Romance Books in Order index.
One thought on “Susan Wiggs Books in Order: Complete Book List”
I love the order of these books and the short look into what they are about. Thanks