Windham Sisters Books in Order

How to Read the Windham Series: Recommended Paths

When diving into the sprawling Regency-era world of the Windham family created by Grace Burrowes, readers generally choose between two primary paths: publication order or chronological order. While both approaches have their merits, following the author's recommended chronological sequence provides the smoothest narrative flow, letting you experience the family's history from its origins.

The Author's Recommended Chronological Order

If you prefer to read the series chronologically, you will start with the prequel novellas that detail the romance of the Duke and Duchess of Moreland before moving on to the love stories of their children. Here is the chronological path:

1. The Courtship (Prequel Novella 0.1) - Explores how Percival Windham, the Duke of Moreland, first met and courted Esther Himmelfarb.
2. The Duke and His Duchess (Prequel Novella 0.2) - Follows the early years of the Duke and Duchess's marriage, establishing the foundation of the large household.
3. The Heir (Book 1) - The story of Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven and heir to the dukedom, and Anna Seaton.
4. The Soldier (Book 2) - Follows Devlin St. Just, the Duke's illegitimate but beloved eldest son, and his romance with breeding-farm owner Megan Windham.
5. The Virtuoso (Book 3) - Focuses on Valentine Windham, a gifted pianist recovering from a devastating hand injury, and Ellen Lacey.
6. Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (Book 4) - The first of the Windham Sisters books, where Sophie finds love while snowbound with a stranger and an abandoned baby.
7. Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal (Book 5) - Follows Maggie Windham as she uncovers mysteries of her past alongside investigator Benjamin Hazlit.
8. Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight (Book 6) - Louisa finds love during the holiday season with Sir Joseph Carter.
9. Morgan and Archer (Novella) - Follows Archer Portmaine and Morgan James as they investigate a Crown conspiracy.
10. Lady Eve's Indiscretion (Book 7) - The story of the spirited Eve Windham and her complicated romance with Lucas Denning.
11. Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait (Book 8) - Blends festive cheer with a heartfelt romance between the artistic Jenny Windham and Elijah Harrison.
12. Jonathan and Amy (Novella) - Follows widower Jonathan Dolan and governess Amy Ingraham, taking place shortly after the events of Lady Eve's book.

The Publication Order Path

If you want to read the series exactly as it was released to the public between 2010 and 2014, follow this list. This path lets you see the universe expand organically from the initial brothers' trilogy into the daughters' stories:

• The Heir (2010)
• The Soldier (2011)
• The Virtuoso (2011)
• Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish (2011)
• Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal (2012)
• Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight (2012)
• The Courtship (2012)
• Morgan and Archer (2013)
• Lady Eve's Indiscretion (2013)
• The Duke and His Duchess (2013)
• Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait (2013)
• Jonathan and Amy (2014)

Understanding the Windham Subseries & Collections

The broader Windham family saga is divided into smaller, digestible story arcs. Understanding these subseries helps clarify who is who in the massive family tree of Percival and Esther Windham, the Duke and Duchess of Moreland, who adopted and raised ten children total, including their illegitimate siblings.

The Duke's Obsession (The Windham Brothers)

The series initially launched as a trilogy focusing on the three eldest surviving sons of the Duke of Moreland. The Heir introduces Gayle, the dutiful heir who is searching for a quiet life away from matchmaking schemes. The Soldier highlights Devlin, the Duke's illegitimate son who served in the Peninsular War and carries deep emotional scars. The Virtuoso tells the story of Valentine, whose musical talents and personal life are shattered before he finds healing. These three books lay the groundwork for the family's deep bond and humorous camaraderie.

The Duke's Daughters (The Windham Sisters)

Following the massive success of the brothers' trilogy, Burrowes expanded the world to tell the stories of the five spirited Windham daughters: Sophie, Maggie, Louisa, Eve, and Jenny. These novels, starting with the award-winning Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish, blend emotional depth with holiday themes and high-society intrigue. The daughters are fiercely independent, and their romances often challenge the strict societal standards of Regency London.

The Windham Ducal Novellas & Companion Pieces

To fill in the gaps of the timeline, Burrowes wrote several novellas. The prequels, The Courtship and The Duke and His Duchess, are essential for readers who want to understand the deep, enduring romance of the parents who orchestrate many of the siblings' matches. Meanwhile, novellas like Morgan and Archer and Jonathan and Amy follow secondary characters connected to the family and resolve subplots introduced in the main novels.

Spin-Offs and the Connected Universe

Once you finish the main Windham family books, the journey does not end. Burrowes has written multiple spin-off series set in the same Regency universe, featuring cameos and familial ties that delight long-term readers.

The Windham Brides Series

This four-book follow-up series focuses on the next generation and extended branches of the Windham family finding love, written between 2016 and 2018. It is best read in publication order:

1. The Trouble with Dukes (2016)
2. Too Scot to Handle (2017)
3. No Other Duke Will Do (2017)
4. A Rogue of Her Own (2018)

Connection to the Lonely Lords Series

The Lonely Lords series is a highly interconnected offshoot. Characters from both series make frequent cross-appearances. For example, the character Darius from the Lonely Lords series appears in The Virtuoso, and several Windham family members show up to offer advice or assistance to the Lonely Lords. While they can be read independently, true completionists often interlace the two series based on chronological guidelines, as some Lonely Lords books actually take place prior to the main Windham books.

What to Know Before You Start

Grace Burrowes is famous for her lush, character-driven storytelling, emotional complexity, and realistic historical details. The Windham family is exceptionally close-knit, and you will frequently see characters from previous books showing up in later installments. Because of this, reading the books out of order can lead to minor spoilers regarding who ends up with whom. While each romance has a self-contained happy ending and can technically be enjoyed as a standalone, the rich experience of watching the family grow, heal, and support one another is best appreciated by starting with either The Heir or the prequel novellas.