Books On Board
series Reading Order

Annabelle Archer Books in Order

19 Books
2005 – 2023 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

To fully enjoy the character development, evolving friendships, and the slow-burn romance between wedding planner Annabelle and Detective Reese, we highly recommend reading the series in story order. This matches the publication timeline, with one major chronological exception: To Love and To Perish.

The To Love and To Perish Rights Mystery

If you look at digital retailers or library databases, you will often find To Love and To Perish listed as Book 10 (with a 2018 publication date). In reality, it is the third book in the story timeline, originally published in 2007 by Avon. When the series went on a ten-year hiatus, the publisher retained the rights to Book 3, forcing the author to "write around it" when she returned as an indie publisher in 2017. Once Laura Durham successfully reclaimed the rights and re-released it in 2018, the reissue timeline led databases to list it out of order. For the best experience, you should read it third!

Annabelle Archer Books in Chronological Story Order

  • Better Off Wed (2005) - The Agatha Award-winning debut. Start here to meet Annabelle, assistant Kate, caterer Richard, and hairdresser Fern.
  • For Better or Hearse (2006)
  • To Love and To Perish (2007 / Reissued 2018) - Chronologically Book 3, despite being listed as Book 10 in modern stores.
  • Review to a Kill (2017) - The series returns after a decade-long hiatus.
  • Dead Ringer (2017) - A bridal show jewelry heist novella.
  • Death on the Aisle (2017)
  • Night of the Living Wed (2017) - A Halloween-themed cozy mystery novella.
  • Eat, Prey, Love (2018)
  • Groomed for Murder (2018)
  • Wed or Alive (2018)
  • Marry and Bright (2018) - A festive, holiday-themed mystery.
  • The Truffle with Weddings (2019)
  • Irish Aisles are Smiling (2019)
  • Godfather of the Bride (2019)
  • Claus for Celebration (2020) - A winter holiday novella featuring a missing Santa.
  • Bride or Die (2020)
  • Slay Bells Ring (2020) - A snowed-in Christmas holiday novella.
  • Jewel of the Aisle (2021)
  • Day of the Wed (2023)
  • Aisle's Well That Ends Well (2024) - The 20th book in the series, featuring a high-stakes New Year's Eve wedding.

Frequently Asked

QWhere is the best place to start reading the Annabelle Archer series?

You should start with the series debut, Better Off Wed (2005). It won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and establishes the core cast and setting.

QWhy is To Love and To Perish listed as Book 10 in some places?

Originally published in 2007 as Book 3, the publisher retained the rights during the series' long hiatus. When author Laura Durham returned to self-publish the series in 2017, she had to skip it until she successfully reclaimed and reissued the book in 2018, causing it to be labeled as Book 10 in newer databases.

QHow many books are in the Annabelle Archer series?

As of late 2024, the series contains 20 books, which includes a mix of full-length novels and shorter holiday-themed novellas.

QIs the author of the series a real wedding planner?

Yes! Author Laura Durham spent over two decades planning luxury society weddings in Washington, D.C., and uses her real-life industry experiences to fuel the humor and settings in the books.

QAre the holiday novellas required reading to understand the main story?

No, the novellas (like Dead Ringer and Slay Bells Ring) are quick, fun side stories. While they are great for character building, they are not strictly necessary to follow the main plot.

QWhat is the latest book in the Annabelle Archer series?

The most recent release is Aisle's Well That Ends Well, which was published in November 2024 and features a New Year's Eve wedding mystery.