The Recommended Reading Order
For readers diving into the work of this versatile storyteller, the recommended starting point depends entirely on what kind of adventure you are seeking. The author wrote her cozy, lighthearted romantic suspense novels under the name C.A. Belmond, and her richer, larger-scale historical fiction under her other pen name, Camille Aubray.
If you prefer a light mystery series with continuing characters and a slow-burn romance, you should read the Penny Nichols series in order. If you prefer rich historical details, glamour, and drama, you should pick up her standalone novels in any order, starting with her breakout historical fiction hit, Cooking for Picasso.
1. The Penny Nichols Series (Writing as C.A. Belmond)
This series should be read in publication order because it follows a continuous storyline, charting the personal growth, professional research, and romantic development of the main character, Penny Nichols, and her charming English cousin, Jeremy Laidley.
- A Rather Lovely Inheritance (2007): The series begins when Penny Nichols, an American historical researcher, inherits a villa in the South of France. She must team up with Jeremy to search for the hidden treasures and secrets of her ancestors.
- A Rather Curious Engagement (2008): Following the events of the first book, Penny and Jeremy tackle a new mystery involving a stolen treasure tied directly to Ludwig van Beethoven, moving the setting to Vienna and the lush Austrian countryside.
- A Rather Charming Invitation (2010): The duo returns for a third adventure that centers around a missing bridal tapestry, taking them from the French Riviera to the historic streets of Paris and the English countryside.
- A Rather Remarkable Homecoming (2011): In the final installment of the series, the newlyweds settle down in a cozy village in Cornwall, only to be swept up in a final mystery involving a Shakespearean riddle.
2. Standalone Historical Fiction (Writing as Camille Aubray)
After completing the Penny Nichols series, the author transitioned to writing sweeping historical fiction under the name Camille Aubray. These novels are entirely standalone and can be read in any order. They feature deep research, glamorous settings, and strong female protagonists facing major life turning points.
- Cooking for Picasso (2016): Set on the French Riviera, this dual-timeline novel follows Ondine, a young French chef who cooks for Pablo Picasso in 1936, and her modern-day American granddaughter, Céline, who travels to France to uncover family secrets and a lost Picasso painting.
- The Godmothers (2021): This family saga spans Greenwich Village from the 1930s to the 1950s. It follows four women—Filomena, Amie, Lucy, and Petrina—who marry into a prosperous Italian family. When their husbands leave during World War II, the women must take control of the family business, crossing paths with historical figures like Lucky Luciano.
- The Girl from the Grand Hotel (2024): Set during the fateful summer of 1939, this novel follows Annabel Faucon, a young American woman working at the Grand Hotel in Cannes during the inaugural Cannes Film Festival. She becomes caught in a web of Nazi spies, Hollywood stars like Marlene Dietrich, and a quest to disrupt a secret communications network on the eve of World War II.
What to Know Before You Start
The most important detail for readers to understand is the dual-identity of the author. If you search for her books, you will find two distinct styles. The C.A. Belmond books are breezy, light, romantic cozy mysteries focusing on art, literature, and European travel. In contrast, the Camille Aubray novels are more dramatic, historically grounded, and feature deeper character development with higher stakes, such as the looming threat of World War II or organized crime.
While the Penny Nichols books must be read sequentially to understand the character dynamics and the overarching romantic plot, the Camille Aubray books require no prior knowledge of each other and can be enjoyed individually.