Where to Start with Annie Rains
If you are new to Annie Rains' heartwarming contemporary romance novels, you have two excellent entry points depending on your preferred subgenre. If you enjoy military romance featuring resilient service members, veterans, and the supportive communities surrounding them, begin with Welcome to Forever, the debut novel that launched her career and the Hero's Welcome series. If you prefer cozy, festive small-town dynamics with second-chance love stories, start with Christmas on Mistletoe Lane, which introduces her highly popular Sweetwater Springs series.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
Annie Rains' books are highly episodic, focusing on a new couple in each installment. While the characters in a given town know each other and frequently cameo in later books, the main romance in each book is self-contained. For this reason, you can read them in any order without getting lost. However, to see secondary characters grow and to avoid spoilers about who ends up with whom, reading in publication order within each series is highly recommended.
The Major Romance Series
Hero's Welcome Series
Set in the fictional coastal community of Seaside, North Carolina, this series features Marines, military families, and the emotional journey of healing and finding love. The main titles in the publication order are:
- Welcome to Forever (2015)
- Welcome Home for Christmas (2016)
Note: The broader series also includes mid-series novellas like "Welcome to Forever, Starting Today" and "Aloha, Cowboy," as well as full-length entries like "Welcome Home, Cowboy" and "Welcoming the Bad Boy" which flesh out the Seaside community.
Blushing Bay Series
This series centers around the scenic coastal escape of Blushing Bay, North Carolina, blending family drama with lighthearted, passionate romance. The recommended reading order is:
- Forbidden Kisses (2017)
- Stolen Kisses (2017)
- Kissing in the Rain (2018)
- One Last Kiss (2018)
Sweetwater Springs Series
Sweetwater Springs is a cozy North Carolina town known for holiday traditions and close-knit neighbors. This nine-book series is best read in order to watch the town's social circle evolve:
- Christmas on Mistletoe Lane (2018)
- A Wedding on Lavender Hill (2019)
- Springtime at Hope Cottage (2019)
- Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs (2019)
- Snowfall on Cedar Trail (2019)
- Starting Over at Blueberry Creek (2020)
- Sunshine on Silver Lake (2020)
- Season of Joy (2020)
- Reunited on Dragonfly Lane (2021)
Somerset Lake Series
Moving slightly inland, this series explores love, family secrets, and healing in a picturesque lake town. The books should be read in this sequence:
- The Summer Cottage (2021)
- The Christmas Village (2021)
- A Forever Home (2021)
- The True Love Bookshop (2022)
- The Good Luck Cafe (2023)
Love in Bloom Series
This newer series transport readers to the charming town of Bloom, North Carolina, beginning with a focus on local community spaces:
- The Finders Keepers Library (2024)
Standalone Novels and Anthologies
Outside of her primary interconnected series, Annie Rains has written several standalones and contributed to seasonal collections:
- The Matchbreaker Summer (2022) — A sweet young adult camp-themed romance.
- Through the Snow Globe (2023) — A unique, emotional holiday time-loop story about second chances.
- The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle (2024) — A story focused on deep female friendships, healing, and a long-lost charm bracelet.
- Something Blue (2022) — A romance anthology featuring a contribution from Rains.
What to Know Before You Start
Annie Rains' stories balance emotional weight (such as coping with grief, PTSD, or the stress of military life) with hopeful, comforting resolutions. While some books feature holiday settings, they can be read and enjoyed at any time of the year. If you enjoy the works of Susan Mallery, Jill Shalvis, or RaeAnne Thayne, you will feel right at home in Rains' cozy North Carolina settings.