Susan Wiggs Books in Order: Complete Book & Series List

Looking for Susan Wiggs books in order? Her bibliography can be a little tricky because she has written historical romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction, holiday stories, novellas, and several long-running series.

I’ve grouped the Susan Wiggs books by series first, then standalones, novellas, children’s books, nonfiction, and anthology appearances. That makes it easier to choose a starting point without losing track of the older reissues and alternate titles.

If you’re reading for pleasure, you don’t need to overthink the entire list. Start with the series or style that sounds best to you, then follow each section in order.

Jump to:

• Where to Start with Susan Wiggs
• Susan Wiggs Books in Order by Series
• Susan Wiggs Standalone Books
• Other Susan Wiggs Books
• Susan Wiggs Adaptations
• About Susan Wiggs

Where to Start with Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs has written across several corners of romance and women’s fiction, so the best starting point depends on what you want first.

• Start with Summer at Willow Lake if you want her small-town contemporary romance series.
• Start with The Apple Orchard if you want the Bella Vista books and a family-secret story with a softer women’s fiction feel.
• Start with The Charm School if you want historical romance and the Calhoun family.
• Start with The Oysterville Sewing Circle or The Lost and Found Bookshop if you want her later women’s fiction style.
• Start with Wayward Girls if you want one of her historical women’s fiction novels.

Susan Wiggs Books in Order by Series

Many Susan Wiggs books are grouped into connected series. Some follow families, some share a setting, and some are tied together more loosely. I’d read each series in publication order, especially when characters or family history carry from one book to the next.

Women of War Books

The Women of War books are medieval romances connected by themes of battle, loyalty, and enemies-to-lovers tension. The titles below show the original title first, followed by the later reissue title.

1. The Lily and the Leopard / The Mistress of Normandy (1991)
2. The Mist and the Magic / The Maiden of Ireland (1993)

Tudor Rose Books

The Tudor Rose books follow members of the de Lacey family. These were also reissued under different titles, so I’ve kept the original title first and the later title second.

1. Circle in the Water / At the King’s Command (1994)
2. Vows Made in Wine / The Maiden’s Hand (1995)
3. Dancing on Air / At the Queen’s Summons (1996)

Discovery Books

The Discovery trilogy begins around Christopher Columbus’s voyage and then follows different characters through romance, danger, and exploration. These books are harder to find now, but used copies still turn up.

1. October Wind (1991)
2. Jewel of the Sea (1993)
3. Kingdom of Gold (1994)

Swept Away Books

The Swept Away books are a short historical romance series. They had been easy to mistake for standalones, but they are usually grouped together as a two-book series.

1. The Lightkeeper (1997)
2. The Drifter (1998)

Heart of the West / Bachelor Auction Books

This story was originally part of a multi-author category romance line and was later reissued as The 10-Year Reunion.

1. Husband for Hire / The 10-Year Reunion (1999)

Calhoun Chronicles Books

The Calhoun Chronicles follow different members of the Calhoun family across generations. You can read the individual romances on their own, but publication order gives the family history more room to build.

1. The Charm School (1999)
2. The Horsemaster’s Daughter (1999)
3. Halfway to Heaven (2001)
4. Enchanted Afternoon (2002)
5. A Summer Affair (2003)

Great Chicago Fire Trilogy

The Great Chicago Fire trilogy begins around the same devastating night in 1871, then follows different romances shaped by that disaster. The stories are connected by setting and event more than by one continuous couple.

1. The Hostage (2000)
2. The Mistress (2000)
3. The Firebrand (2001)

The Us Books

The Ocean Between Us came first, and The Story of Us later filled in earlier pieces of the same world. I’d still read them in publication order.

1. The Ocean Between Us (2004)
2. The Story of Us (2010) (Prequel short story)

Lakeshore Chronicles Books

The Lakeshore Chronicles take place around Willow Lake and often follow different members of the Bellamy family. The romances are usually self-contained, but background characters and relationships carry across the series.

1. Summer at Willow Lake (2006)
2. Homecoming Season (2006) (Novella)
3. The Winter Lodge (2007)
4. Dockside at Willow Lake / Dockside (2007)
5. Snowfall at Willow Lake (2008)
6. Fireside (2009)
7. Lakeshore Christmas (2009)
8. The Summer Hideaway (2010)
9. Marrying Daisy Bellamy (2011)
10. Return to Willow Lake (2012)
11. Candlelight Christmas (2013)
12. Starlight on Willow Lake (2015)

Bella Vista Chronicles Books

The Bella Vista books are connected through family, place, food, memory, and inherited secrets. Read them in publication order if you want the relationships and setting to unfold naturally.

1. The Apple Orchard (2013)
2. The Beekeeper’s Ball (2014)
3. The Lost and Found Bookshop (2020)
4. Sugar and Salt (2022)

The Switchback, Vermont Books

The Key Ingredient is a short story that introduces Annie Rush and Martin Harlow. Family Tree is the full-length novel that follows Annie later.

1. The Key Ingredient (2016) (Short story)
2. Family Tree (2016)

Susan Wiggs Standalone Books

Susan Wiggs has also written many standalones. You can read these in any order, but publication order is useful if you want to see how her work moves from historical romance into contemporary fiction and women’s fiction.

1. Texas Wildflower (1987)
2. Briar Rose (1987)
3. Embrace the Day (1988)
4. Winds of Glory (1988)
5. Moonshadow (1989)
6. The Raven and the Rose (1991)
7. Lord of the Night (1993)
8. Miranda (1996)
9. The You I Never Knew (2001)
10. Passing Through Paradise (2002)
11. Home Before Dark (2003)
12. Summer by the Sea (2004)
13. Table for Five (2005)
14. Lakeside Cottage (2005)
15. Just Breathe (2008)
16. The Goodbye Quilt (2011)
17. Map of the Heart (2017)
18. Between You and Me (2018)
19. The Oysterville Sewing Circle (2019)
20. Welcome to Beach Town (2023)
21. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (2023)
22. Wayward Girls (2025)

Other Susan Wiggs Books

Susan Wiggs Novellas and Short Stories

A few Susan Wiggs titles first appeared as novellas or anthology stories before later reissues made them look like standalones. I’ve listed them here by their original appearance.

1. Cinderfella / A Fairytale Christmas (1996) (Novella)
2. The Borrowed Bride (1996) (Novella)
3. The St. James Affair (2003) (Novella)
4. Island Time (1998) (Novella)

Children’s Book

Susan Wiggs also published one children’s book. It is out of print, but used copies may still be available.

1. The Canary Who Sailed With Columbus (1989)

Nonfiction Book

Wiggs also wrote a nonfiction book with her daughter about planning her daughter’s wedding.

1. How I Planned Your Wedding (2011)

Anthologies and Contributor Works

Susan Wiggs has appeared in several anthologies and contributor projects. I’ve focused on original appearances and relevant contributor books rather than every later reprint bundle.

1. Tropical Chills (1988)
2. Irish Magic (1995)
3. A Purrfect Romance (1995)
4. Merry Christmas, Baby! (1996)
5. This Time… Marriage (1996)
6. Writing Romances (1996) (Contributor)
7. Irish Magic II (1997)
8. That Summer Place (1998)
9. In Our Dreams (1998)
10. Cinderfella and Lady of the Night (2002)
11. It Happened One Christmas (2003)
12. More Than Words, Volume 3 (2006)
13. Because I Love Her (2009)
14. Two of the Deadliest (2009)
15. Summer Brides (2010)
16. Hotel Angeline (2011)
17. A Summer of Firsts (2017)
18. The Summer It Begins (2019)

Susan Wiggs Adaptations

The Apple Orchard was adapted as the Hallmark-style TV movie The Secrets of Bella Vista. The movie stars Rachelle Lefevre and Niall Matter and uses the Bella Vista family-secret setup from Wiggs’s novel.

If you want to read first, start with The Apple Orchard, then continue with the Bella Vista books in order. The movie can stand on its own, but the book gives the family history and setting more room.

About Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs is an American author known for historical romance, contemporary romance, family stories, and women’s fiction. Her books have moved through many settings, from medieval Europe and Tudor England to small towns, lakeside communities, bakeries, bookshops, and coastal homes.

Before becoming a full-time novelist, Wiggs studied education and worked as a teacher. She has often talked about writing by hand, which is one reason her process sounds so different from many modern authors.

Wiggs has long been associated with Bainbridge Island, Washington. Her books often reflect her interest in family, friendship, second chances, community, and the emotional weight of old choices.

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.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• Debbie Macomber Books in Order
• Kristin Hannah Books in Order
• Virgin River Books in Order