Bertrice Small Books in Order

Where to Start: The Two Best Entry Points

Bertrice Small was a pioneer of modern historical romance, famous for her fiercely independent heroines, complex multi-generational family trees, and unapologetically sensual storytelling. For readers new to her work, there are two primary paths depending on what kind of romance adventure you want to embark on first:

• The Skye O'Malley Path (Recommended): Start with Skye O'Malley (1980). This is Small's most famous and beloved novel, introducing an iconic Irish pirate queen who navigates multiple marriages, royal intrigue under Queen Elizabeth I, and adventures across Europe. This book kicks off her massive flagship universe.
• The Harem and Court Intrigue Path: Start with The Kadin (1978). As Small's debut novel, it tells the sweeping story of Janet Leslie, a Scottish noblewoman abducted and sold into the Ottoman Sultan's harem, where she rises to ultimate power as Cyra Hafise. It is followed by its direct sequel, Love Wild and Fair (1978).

The Flagship Universe: Skye O'Malley Saga & Skye's Legacy

The O'Malley saga is a massive, multi-generational epic. To understand the full family tree, you must read the original six-book Skye O'Malley Saga followed by the six-book sequel series, Skye's Legacy, which follows Skye's children and grandchildren.

Skye O'Malley Saga: Publication vs. Chronological Order

While the publication order is the most common way to read the series, there is a minor chronological disagreement involving books 3 and 4. This Heart of Mine was published in 1985 but takes place chronologically after the events of A Love for All Time (published in 1986). Reading chronologically prevents minor timeline spoilers regarding characters' marriages and children.

The Chronological Reading Order:

1. Skye O'Malley (1980)
2. All the Sweet Tomorrows (1984)
3. A Love for All Time (1986)
4. This Heart of Mine (1985)
5. Lost Love Found (1989)
6. Wild Jasmine (1992)

The Publication Reading Order:

1. Skye O'Malley (1980)
2. All the Sweet Tomorrows (1984)
3. This Heart of Mine (1985)
4. A Love for All Time (1986)
5. Lost Love Found (1989)
6. Wild Jasmine (1992)

Skye's Legacy Saga

Once you finish the main saga, you can transition directly to Skye's Legacy. This series shifts the spotlight to Skye's descendants, beginning with her granddaughter Jasmine in Darling Jasmine. These books should be read in publication order:

1. Darling Jasmine (1997)
2. Bedazzled (1999)
3. Besieged (2000)
4. Intrigued (2001)
5. Just Beyond Tomorrow (2002)
6. Vixens (2003)

Tudor Sagas: Wyndham and Friarsgate Inheritance

While separate from the O'Malley family tree, these two series are set during the Tudor period and share the same lush, court-intrigue-filled atmosphere that fans of Elizabethan romance love. They can be read independently of the O'Malley books.

Wyndham Saga

A short, two-book series focusing on the trials of the Wyndham family in Tudor England:

1. Blaze Wyndham (1988)
2. Love, Remember Me (1994)

The Friarsgate Inheritance Books

This series traces the history of Friarsgate manor and the strong women of the Bolton family who fight to inherit it, beginning with Rosamund Bolton during the reign of Henry VIII:

1. Rosamund (2002)
2. Until You (2003)
3. Philippa (2004)
4. The Last Heiress (2005)

Other Historical Sagas and Erotic Romances

Small also wrote several other historical series set in different eras and regions, as well as a modern erotic romance series.

The Border Chronicles

Set along the turbulent English-Scottish borderlands, this series features intense rivalries, political marriages, and passionate romances:

1. A Dangerous Love (2006)
2. The Border Lord's Bride (2007)
3. The Captive Heart (2008)
4. The Border Lord and the Lady (2009)
5. The Border Vixen (2010)
6. Bond of Passion (2011)

The Silk Merchant's Daughters

Set in late Byzantine Constantinople and Renaissance Italy, this series follows the lives and loves of a wealthy silk merchant's four daughters:

1. Bianca (2012)
2. Francesca (2013)
3. Lucianna (2013)
4. Serena (2014)

Channel / Pleasures Series

This is Small's contemporary erotic romance series, set around a fictional cable television network. Note that Guilty Pleasures is a collection that accompanies the main novels:

1. Private Pleasures (2004)
2. Forbidden Pleasures (2006)
3. Sudden Pleasures (2007)
4. Dangerous Pleasures (2008)
5. Passionate Pleasures (2010)
6. Guilty Pleasures (2011) [Collection]

World of Hetar: Erotic Fantasy Romance

If you want to read Small's unique blend of romance and portal fantasy, the World of Hetar series is the place to go. It follows Lara, a half-fae woman who travels between Earth and the magical realms of Hetar to save her people:

1. Lara (2005)
2. A Distant Tomorrow (2006)
3. The Twilight Lord (2007)
4. The Sorceress of Belmair (2008)
5. The Shadow Queen (2009)
6. Crown of Destiny (2010)

Standalones and Anthologies

For readers who want a complete story without committing to a long saga, Small penned numerous standalone novels. Notable standalones like Adora (1980), Unconquered (1981), and Beloved (1983) feature the same high-stakes political intrigue, captive tropes, and high sensuality as her series work, making them excellent taste-tests for her style.

What to Know Before You Start

Bertrice Small's writing is a product of the late 20th-century historical romance era, often referred to as 'bodice rippers.' Modern readers should note that her books feature high-intensity sensuality, themes of captivity, harem settings, and complex political arrangements that were groundbreaking in the 1970s and 1980s. Her heroines are characterized by their agency, resilience, and capacity to survive and thrive under historical patriarchy, making her a seminal figure in the evolution of the romance genre.