Field Party Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

The best way to experience the Field Party series is in its publication order. Because the characters are closely connected—often appearing as best friends, family members, or rivals in each other's books—reading them in order allows you to watch their relationships grow and see the overarching town drama unfold naturally. Reading out of order will spoil major relationship dynamics and plot points from previous books.

1. Until Friday Night (2015) — Focuses on West Ashby and Maggie Carleton.
2. Under the Lights (2016) — Focuses on Willa Ames, Gunner Lawton, and Brady Higgens.
3. After the Game (2017) — Focuses on Brady Higgens and Riley Young.
4. Losing the Field (2018) — Focuses on Tallulah Liddell and Nash Lee.
5. Making a Play (2019) — Focuses on Ryker Lee and Aurora McClay.
6. Game Changer (2022) — Focuses on Asa Griffith and Ezmita Ramos.
7. The Last Field Party (2022/2023) — The final installment reuniting the entire cast.

Understanding the World of Lawton, Alabama

The series takes place in the fictional, football-obsessed town of Lawton, Alabama. In Lawton, Friday night lights aren't just a sport—they are a way of life, and the local field parties are where the town's teenagers escape their struggles, find romance, and confront their deepest secrets. Author Abbi Glines, drawing inspiration from her own upbringing in small-town Alabama, captures the specific culture of Southern high school life, from pickup trucks and country music to tight-knit community gossip and high-stakes social expectations.

Rather than following a single couple, the series is structured as an anthology of interconnected stories. The boys of Lawton—West, Brady, Gunner, Nash, Ryker, and Asa—are all teammates and close friends. As you progress through the books, characters who played supporting roles in earlier entries step into the spotlight to tell their own emotional stories, allowing readers to view the same community from multiple distinct perspectives.

Detailed Book-by-Book Breakdown

1. Until Friday Night (2015)

The series opens with the story of West Ashby, Lawton's star football player, and Maggie Carleton, a new girl in town. West is secretly crumbling under the weight of his father’s terminal cancer, wearing a mask of popularity to hide his grief. Maggie has chosen selective mutism after witnessing her mother’s tragic murder at the hands of her father. When Maggie relocates to Lawton to live with her aunt and uncle (who happen to be West's family friends), she and West form a silent, profound connection. Bound by their shared, hidden pain, they help each other heal in a town that expects them both to stay strong.

2. Under the Lights (2016)

The second book shifts the focus to Willa Ames, a girl returning to Lawton to live with her grandmother after years away. Willa is determined to keep her head down and avoid the drama of her past, but she immediately finds herself caught in a complex emotional triangle between two childhood best friends: Gunner Lawton, the town’s brooding bad boy, and Brady Higgens, the golden-boy quarterback. As old secrets are revealed and new feelings emerge, the trio must navigate the delicate line between friendship, love, and forgiveness.

3. After the Game (2017)

This installment tackles heavier themes of resilience and redemption. Two years prior, Riley Young was forced to flee Lawton after accusing a wealthy local football hero of rape—an accusation that turned the entire town against her. Now, she has returned to care for her sick grandmother and is raising her young daughter, faced with the town's continued hostility. When Brady Higgens crosses paths with her, he begins to question the stories he was told and stands by her side, defying social expectations to find real connection and heal past wounds.

4. Losing the Field (2018)

Nash Lee is a star running back with a promising college future until a devastating injury threatens to derail his career and leaves him bitter. Tallulah Liddell has spent her life being bullied for her weight and has harborerd a secret crush on Nash. After undergoing a transformation over the summer, she returns to school with a newfound confidence but finds that Nash is facing his own dark place. As they interact, they must look past superficial changes to find support in one another.

5. Making a Play (2019)

Ryker Lee is a talented football player who feels the constant pressure of his reputation and family expectations. Aurora McClay is new to Lawton, deaf, and struggling to fit into a environment that doesn't always accommodate her. When Ryker is drawn to Aurora, their budding romance must contend with Ryker's wild reputation and prejudice from Aurora’s overprotective father. Their story explores trust, communication, and breaking down barriers.

6. Game Changer (2022)

Asa Griffith has always been the resident wild card, hiding a painful home life dominated by an abusive father. Ezmita Ramos is a hardworking girl with big dreams of leaving Lawton, though she is held back by her family's strict expectations. When their paths cross, they find in each other the strength to break free from their circumstances and pursue the futures they deserve. Note that while some databases list this book with a 2020 publication date, its wide release actually occurred in early 2022.

7. The Last Field Party (2022)

Serving as the grand finale to the series, this book brings back the entire ensemble cast. As high school comes to an end and the characters prepare to head off to college and adulthood, they gather for one final field party. The narrative alternates between multiple perspectives, giving readers closure on the couples they have followed throughout the years as they confront their pasts and step into the future together.

Publication Discrepancies and Chronological Notes

For the most part, the chronological order of the Field Party books aligns perfectly with their publication order. However, there are minor discrepancies in metadata across popular reading platforms. For example, Game Changer is sometimes cataloged as having a 2020 publication date due to early announcements and digital release shifts, though its official print publication and wide availability occurred in March 2022. Additionally, The Last Field Party was first released as an audiobook in November 2022, while its physical print editions followed in late 2023. Readers should follow the numerical order of the volumes rather than relying strictly on the copyright years listed inside the books.

What to Know Before You Start

Abbi Glines is well-known for writing interconnected companion series, such as her famous Rosemary Beach and Sea Breeze series, which are set in neighboring Alabama coastal towns. However, the Field Party series is a self-contained young adult contemporary romance saga. You do not need to read any of Glines’ other adult or new adult series to fully understand or enjoy the events in Lawton. The books are written in alternating first-person perspectives, allowing readers to get inside the heads of both lead characters in each novel, making the emotional stakes feel personal and immediate.