Welcome to Happily Inc, California—the ultimate destination for weddings, second chances, and quirky small-town charm. Spun off from Susan Mallery's legendary Fool's Gold universe, this delightful contemporary romance series focuses on a whimsical desert town built on a fabricated 1880s fairy-tale legend where love is always in the air. Featuring heartwarming stories, complex family dynamics, and Mallery’s signature humor (along with a pet giraffe named Millie), this series has enchanted romance fans worldwide. If you are looking for the perfect reading order to navigate these stories, you have come to the right place.
The Recommended Reading Order
To get the absolute best experience out of the series, we highly recommend reading the books in publication order. Because the town's community grows, relationships evolve, and characters from previous books frequently make guest appearances, reading them in order ensures you won't spoil any prior couples' happy endings. Here is the recommended path:
- You Say It First (2017) – Features Pallas Saunders and Nick Mitchell. This book introduces you to the wedding-destination business "Weddings in a Box" and the first of the Mitchell brothers. Pallas is trying to save her business, while Nick is a sculptor moonlighting as a carpenter who is reluctant to commit.
- Second Chance Girl (2017) – Features Mathias Mitchell and Carol Lund. This installment introduces the local animal preserve and the town's beloved giraffe, Millie. Mathias is a gamekeeper who prefers casual flings until his neighbor Carol challenges his "no pain, no promises" rule.
- A Very Merry Princess (2017, Novella) – Features Prince Leo of Bironia and Haley Quick (disguised as Beth Archer). A festive holiday novella about a princess disguised as a stable hand to care for a stallion, only to fall for rancher Cade Saunders.
- Why Not Tonight (2018) – Features Natalie Kaleta and Ronan Mitchell. The final Mitchell brother gets his story when Natalie, a gallery assistant, gets stranded at Ronan's mountain home during a severe rainstorm.
- Not Quite Over You (2018) – Features Silver Tesdal and Drew Lovato. A second-chance romance about high school sweethearts reunited when Silver applies for a business loan to expand her mobile bar, "AlcoHaul."
- Meant to Be Yours (2019) – Features Jasper Dembenski and Renee Grothen. A slow-burn, "fun without a future" arrangement between a wedding coordinator who has sworn off commitment and a military veteran turned thriller writer.
- Happily This Christmas (2020) – Features Wynn Beauchene and Garrick McCabe. A heartwarming holiday romance centered around neighborhood crushes, single parenthood, and family reconciliation as Wynn helps police officer Garrick prepare for his estranged daughter's visit.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
For the Happily Inc. series, publication order and chronological order are almost identical, with only one minor choice regarding the holiday novella. Because the books follow a linear timeline in the lives of the townspeople, reading them as they were released is the safest approach.
The Holiday Novella Choice
The only divergence is A Very Merry Princess (Book 2.5). Published in late 2017, it sits chronologically between Second Chance Girl and Why Not Tonight. You have two options for where to place it:
- Strict Chronological Order: Read it immediately after Second Chance Girl. This keeps you in the flow of the town's development heading into 2018's Why Not Tonight.
- Holiday Binge Order: Save it and read it alongside Happily This Christmas. In 2025, publisher HarperCollins re-released these two stories together in a single print volume titled Once Upon a Holidate, making them a perfect festive pairing.
The Fool's Gold Connection
If you are a fan of Susan Mallery, you likely know about her massive, fan-favorite Fool's Gold series. Happily Inc. is a direct spin-off from this universe, bridged by the Mitchell brothers (Del, Nick, Mathias, and Ronan). While Del Mitchell finds his happy ending back in Fool's Gold in the novel Thrill Me (Book 18 of that series), his younger brothers Nick, Mathias, and Ronan pack up and move to Happily Inc. to start fresh after a painful family betrayal.
You do not need to read all of the Fool's Gold books to enjoy Happily Inc. However, starting with Thrill Me can give you excellent background context on the Mitchell family dynamic and why the brothers are so guarded when they first arrive in their new desert home.
Inside the Series: Subseries and Themes
To help you navigate the shelf, the series can be broken down into distinct character-focused arcs and thematic duos:
The Mitchell Brothers Trilogy (Books 1, 2, and 3)
The first three entries focus on the brothers who moved from Fool's Gold. Their books deal heavily with healing from family trauma and learning to trust again:
- You Say It First: Focuses on Nick, a sculptor who moonlights as a carpenter to help Pallas Saunders save her wedding business. Both must overcome their fears of vulnerability and expectations.
- Second Chance Girl: Focuses on Mathias, a casual romancer who must change his ways to win over his neighbor Carol and help her lonely giraffe, Millie. The story is a deep dive into self-worth and learning to risk heartbreak.
- Why Not Tonight: Focuses on Ronan, a brooding glass artist whose defensive walls are chipped away by the optimistic Natalie Kaleta. This story explores how shared dreams and emotional support can rebuild a damaged heart.
The Standalone Romance Novels (Books 4, 5, and 6)
The later books branch out to other residents of Happily Inc. who are trying to build their own lives and businesses:
- Not Quite Over You: Follows Silver Tesdal, owner of the mobile bar "AlcoHaul", as she reunites with her banker ex, Drew Lovato, while keeping a deeply emotional past secret involving an unplanned teenage pregnancy and adoption.
- Meant to Be Yours: Focuses on Renee Grothen, a wedding planner who does not believe in marriage, and Jasper Dembenski, a military veteran and thriller writer dealing with PTSD. Their casual agreement evolves into a powerful emotional bond.
- Happily This Christmas: Features single mother Wynn Beauchene and local police officer Garrick McCabe as they navigate neighborhood crushes and family reconciliation, illustrating how a community comes together to heal old wounds.
What to Know Before You Start
Happily Inc. is located in the Southern California desert, designed entirely as a wedding destination town. The quirky backdrop means that the community is heavily invested in romance, festivals, and art. The town's legendary backstory—about 1880s mail-order brides finding instant love—is actually a fabricated marketing scheme, adding a touch of self-aware humor to the setting. If you enjoy contemporary romances that feature strong female friendships, healing from past emotional wounds, and adorable animal sidekicks (like Millie the giraffe), this series will be a perfect addition to your reading list. The books balance emotional depth with lighthearted fun, making Happily Inc. a cozy, comforting escape.