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series Reading Order

Bachelor Chronicles Books in Order

9 Books
2005 – 2015 Published
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Reading order

Where to Start the Bachelor Chronicles

For the absolute best experience, readers should begin the Bachelor Chronicles in publication order. While each story features a self-contained romance with a satisfying happily-ever-after, the characters are deeply interconnected, and the overarching plot threads—especially the mysteries surrounding the Duke of Hollindrake and the gossip compiled in the girls' scandalous guide—unfold sequentially.

If you prefer a shorter commitment, you can also start directly with the Widows of Standon trilogy, a beloved subseries within the larger chronicles that starts with How I Met My Countess. However, reading from the very beginning with Something About Emmaline ensures you catch every cameo and recurring joke.

Bachelor Chronicles Book List in Publication Order

Here is the complete publication order for the series, which is also the recommended chronological reading path:

  1. Something About Emmaline (2005) – Baron Alexander Denford creates a fictitious wife to avoid society's matchmakers, only for a real woman claiming to be Emmaline to show up on his doorstep.
  2. This Rake of Mine (2005) – Lord Jack Tremont and Miranda Mabberly find themselves entangled in a fake engagement after a compromising mistaken kiss.
  3. Love Letters from a Duke (2007) – Felicity Langley has been writing passionate letters to the Duke of Hollindrake, but when she meets a handsome man she mistakes for a footman, class boundaries blur.
  4. Confessions of a Little Black Gown (2009) – Schoolgirl Thalia "Tally" Langley matches wits with Lord Larken, a master spy masquerading as a quiet country cousin.
  5. Memoirs of a Scandalous Red Dress (2009) – The widowed Lady Philippa "Pippin" Knolles gets a second chance at love with her long-lost pirate captain, Thomas "Dash" Dashwell.
  6. How I Met My Countess (2009) – The first book in the Widows of Standon subseries, following the first Hollindrake widow, Lady Lucy, as she meets her match in the new heir.
  7. Mad About the Duke (2010) – The second Widows of Standon novel, focusing on Lady Elinor and her unexpected romance with the imposing Duke of Standon.
  8. Lord Langley Is Back in Town (2011) – The final Widows of Standon book, featuring Lady Minerva and a dashing spy who returns from the dead.
  9. Mad About the Major (2015) – A spin-off novella (often numbered as Book 8.5) following Lady Arabella "Birdie" Tremont's London escapades with Major Kingsley.

Subseries: The Widows of Standon

Three of the novels (books 6, 7, and 8) form a distinct trilogy known as the Widows of Standon. These books follow three young widows who were all once married to successive heirs of the Hollindrake dukedom. Because their lives and the mystery of the dukedom's inheritance are so tightly linked, these three books must be read in order: How I Met My Countess, Mad About the Duke, and Lord Langley Is Back in Town.

Spin-offs and Connected Universes

While the Bachelor Chronicles is a standalone series, Elizabeth Boyle's Regency romances exist in a shared literary universe. Characters from the series occasionally make cameos in her Danvers Family series, and the author's later Rhymes With Love series serves as a spiritual successor. However, you do not need to read these other series to fully enjoy the Bachelor Chronicles.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the recommended starting point for the Bachelor Chronicles?

The recommended starting point is the first book, Something About Emmaline. Reading in publication order allows you to follow the development of the shared universe and the recurring characters.

QCan I read the Widows of Standon books as a standalone trilogy?

Yes. The Widows of Standon trilogy (How I Met My Countess, Mad About the Duke, and Lord Langley Is Back in Town) can be read independently, though they are technically books 6, 7, and 8 of the Bachelor Chronicles.

QWho wrote the Bachelor Chronicles?

The series was written by the New York Times bestselling historical romance author Elizabeth Boyle.

QWhat is the premise of the "Bachelor Chronicles" within the books?

The series gets its name from a fictional guide created by three schoolgirls at Miss Emery’s Establishment to track and rate eligible bachelors in London society, serving as an alternative to the stuffy Debrett’s Peerage.

QIs Mad About the Major a full-length novel?

No, Mad About the Major is a novella published in 2015 that acts as a companion piece to the main series, focusing on Lady Arabella Tremont and Major Kingsley.