Who is Addison Cole?
Addison Cole is the sweet-romance pen name of New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster. Foster created the Cole pseudonym to satisfy readers who fell in love with the emotional storytelling, strong family bonds, and picturesque settings of her steamy Love in Bloom series but preferred to read romance without explicit content or harsh language. Under the Addison Cole moniker, she delivers the exact same characters, storylines, and settings, but edits out the graphic scenes and strong language to create a series of sweet, passionate, and clean contemporary romances.
The Core Reading Paths for Addison Cole
Because the books published under the Addison Cole name are adaptations of Melissa Foster's existing steamy romance series, they are organized into corresponding subseries. The recommended reading path is to read each subseries in its publication order, which also matches the chronological timeline within their respective communities. The primary entry point for readers is the Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers series, which introduces the Cape Cod setting and the core cast of characters.
Publication Order of Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers Books
Seaside Summers is Addison Cole's flagship series. Set in the beautiful, cozy coastal town of Wellfleet, Massachusetts, these stories follow a close group of friends who spend their summers together on Cape Cod. Each book can be enjoyed as a standalone romance, but reading them in order allows you to watch the friendships evolve and see familiar faces pop up as secondary characters. Here is the publication order, along with their steamy Melissa Foster counterparts:
- Read, Write, Love at Seaside (2014 / 2017) – Features Kurt Remington and Leanna Bray. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Read, Write, Love)
- Dreaming at Seaside (2017) – Features Luke Braden and Bella Abbas. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Dreams)
- Hearts at Seaside (2017) – Features Ryder Braden and Jenna Ward. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Hearts)
- Sunsets at Seaside (2017) – Features Lass Small and Jamie. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Sunsets)
- Secrets at Seaside (2017) – Features Tony Black and Amy Maples. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Secrets)
- Nights at Seaside (2017) – Features Sawyer Ryder and Sky Lacroux. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Nights)
- Seized by Love at Seaside (2018) – Features Blue Ryder and Lizzie. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seized by Love)
- Embraced at Seaside (2018) – Features Hunter Lacey and Jana. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Embrace)
- Lovers at Seaside (2018) – Features Grayson Lacroux and Parker. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Lovers)
- Whispers at Seaside (2018) – Features Matt Lacroux and Mira Savage. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Seaside Whispers)
Publication Order of Sweet with Heat: Bayside Summers Books
Bayside Summers is a spin-off set in the same Cape Cod region, showcasing a new set of loyal heroes and independent heroines. This series continues the tight-knit community feel, combining light humor with emotional growth. Read them in the following order:
- Sweet Love at Bayside (2018) – Features Drake and Serena Meara. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Bayside Desires)
- Sweet Passions at Bayside (2018) – Features Dean and Emery. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Bayside Passions)
- Sweet Heat at Bayside (2018) – Features Jax and Harley. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Bayside Heat)
- Sweet Escape at Bayside (2019) – Features Justin and Chloe. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Bayside Escape)
Publication Order of Sweet with Heat: Weston Bradens Books
Moving away from the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Weston Bradens series takes readers to the beautiful landscape of Weston, Colorado. The Bradens are a sprawling, passionate family, and their stories are filled with cowboy charm, small-town dynamics, and deep-seated family values. Follow this order to read their stories:
- A Love So Sweet (2018) – Features Treat Braden and Max. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Lovers at Heart)
- Our Sweet Destiny (2018) – Features Rex Braden and Jade Johnson, navigating a forty-year-old family feud. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Destined for Love)
- Unraveling the Truth About Love (2019) – Features Duncan Braden and Gemma. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Friendship on Fire)
- The Art of Loving Lacy (2019) – Features Dane Braden and Lacy Snow. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Sea of Love)
- Promise of a New Beginning (2019) – Features Jack Remington and Savannah Braden on a wilderness survival course. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Bursting with Love)
- And Then There Was Us (2019) – Features Hugh Braden and Brianna "Bree" Heart. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Hearts at Play)
Addison Cole Standalone Works
In addition to the main town-centered series, Addison Cole has written standalone stories that cross over into other branches of the wider universe. These standalones can be read at any point, though they contain minor character cameos that reward long-time readers:
- The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever (2019) – This novel belongs to the broader Bradens & Montgomerys branch. It follows a sweet romance between its main characters and serves as the sweet edition of a popular Melissa Foster book. (Melissa Foster counterpart: Embracing Her Heart)
What to Know Before You Start: Reading Advice
Before diving into Wellfleet or Weston, keep these guidelines in mind to get the most out of your reading experience:
Sweet vs. Steamy Choice: If you prefer explicit romance, do not read Addison Cole's versions. Instead, read the original Love in Bloom series by Melissa Foster. The plots, character dialogue, and emotional milestones are identical, meaning you won't miss any story context by choosing one version over the other. The Addison Cole versions are strictly for readers who want clean, PG-13 contemporary romance.
Standalone Flexibility: Every single book in the Sweet with Heat collection is written as a complete standalone novel with a happy ending. You do not need to read the previous books to understand the main romance. However, because characters from earlier books frequently appear as supportive siblings or friends, reading in publication order will prevent minor spoilers about who ends up with whom.
Crossover Connections: You will notice that characters from the Remington, Ryder, and Braden families cross over between Seaside Summers, Bayside Summers, and the Weston Bradens. This is because all these series exist in the same shared universe. If you want a seamless timeline experience, start with Seaside Summers, move to Bayside Summers, and then read the Weston Bradens.