Candace Camp Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Candace Camp

With over 60 novels spanning several decades and written under multiple names, Candace Camp is a master storyteller of historical romance. For new readers, we recommend starting with one of her three signature entry points depending on your favorite tropes:

• For Family Sagas and Hidden Secrets: Begin with So Wild a Heart, the first book in the Aincourt's Hearts trilogy. It is a perfect introduction to her emotional depth, character development, and Regency setting.
• For Romance with a Touch of Mystery and Magic: Start with Mesmerized, the first book of the fan-favorite Mad Morelands series. This series blends classic historical romance with light paranormal and psychic elements.
• For Classic, Witty Regency Romance: Pick up The Marriage Wager to start the Matchmakers series, featuring clever matchmakers helping independent heroines navigate the strict rules of high society.

The Mad Morelands Series

The Mad Morelands is perhaps Camp’s most celebrated series, focusing on the eccentric, closely knit Moreland family. Although originally conceived as a four-book series ending in 2005, the overwhelming popularity of secondary characters led Camp to expand the family tree with four more books starting in 2018. To follow the family relationships and recurring subplots, they should be read in order:

1. Mesmerized (2003)
2. Beyond Compare (2004)
3. Winterset (2004)
4. An Unexpected Pleasure (2005)
5. His Sinful Touch (2018)
6. His Wicked Charm (2018)
7. Her Scandalous Pursuit (2020)
8. His Improper Lady (2021)

Aincourt's Hearts Trilogy

This emotional Regency trilogy centers on the noble but financially struggling Aincourt family. As they work to restore their fortunes and navigate the demands of society, they discover unexpected love. The reading order is straightforward:

1. So Wild a Heart (2002)
2. The Hidden Heart (2002)
3. Secrets of the Heart (2003)

The Matchmakers Series

Blending lighthearted humor, witty banter, and society politics, this series focuses on matchmakers helping lovers overcome obstacles. Follow these books in publication order:

1. The Marriage Wager (2007)
2. The Bridal Quest (2008)
3. The Wedding Challenge (2008)
4. The Courtship Dance (2009)

Willowmere Trilogy

The Willowmere series follows four American sisters who, after their stepfather tries to sell them off, flee to London to claim their heritage as the granddaughters of the Earl of Stewkesbury. They must adjust to British high society while finding romance along the way:

1. A Lady Never Tells (2010)
2. A Gentleman Always Remembers (2010)
3. An Affair Without End (2011)

Legend of St. Dwynwen Trilogy

Inspired by Welsh legends, this series is filled with scandals, secrets, and redemptive love. The stories are connected through the Stafford family and their friends:

1. A Winter Scandal (2011)
2. A Summer Seduction (2012)
3. The Marrying Season (2013)

Secrets of the Loch Trilogy

Set in the early 19th-century Scottish Highlands, this trilogy mixes historical romance with treasure hunting and local mystery. The books are:

1. Treasured (2014)
2. Pleasured (2015)
3. Enraptured (2016)

Stonecliffe Series

One of Candace Camp’s most recent Regency romance series, Stonecliffe pairs enemies-to-lovers dynamics and investigative plotlines with rich suspense. The recommended order is:

1. An Affair at Stonecliffe (2022)
2. A Rogue at Stonecliffe (2023)
3. A Scandal at Stonecliffe (2024)

Other Notable Series & Standalones

Camp has written several other duologies and short series across her career, including:

• Lost Heirs / Montford Heirs: A trilogy focusing on lost fortunes and secret identities, starting with A Stolen Heart (2000), followed by Promise Me Tomorrow (2000) and No Other Love (2001).
• A Little Town in Texas: A contemporary western duology featuring Hard-Headed Texan (2001) and Smooth-Talking Texan (2002).
• Tyrell's Lilies: Rain Lily (1993) and Flame Lily (1994).
• Stone's Sky Saga: An early historical series written in the early 1980s, consisting of The Golden Sky (1981), The Sapphire Sky (1981), Summer Sky (1982), and The Amber Sky (1983).
• Turner's Rainbows Saga: Composed of The Rainbow Season (1979) and The Rainbow Promise (1989).

Understanding Her Pseudonyms and Multi-Author Series

Early in her career, Candace Camp wrote under several names, including Lisa Gregory (her early historical standalones like Bonds of Love), Kristin James (mostly contemporary and Western romances), and Sharon Stephens. Today, many of these titles have been reissued under her real name, Candace Camp.

Readers navigating her backlist should note that the Greatest Texas Love Stories of All Time is a collaborative, multi-author reprint collection published by Silhouette/Harlequin. While database sites list all 41 books under her name, Camp only wrote the first book, Satan's Angel (1988), under the pseudonym Kristin James. The remaining books in that line are written by other authors, such as Marie Ferrarella and Stella Bagwell, and do not connect to Camp's work.

Reading Advice: Publication vs. Chronological Order

Within her individual series, you should stick strictly to publication order. Characters age, get married, and recurring subplots (especially the mysteries in the Stonecliffe and Mad Morelands books) develop sequentially. However, because her series do not share a single overarching universe or crossover characters, you can read the series themselves in any order you choose. Most of her books work well as standalone reads, but you will get the most satisfaction by reading each individual family saga in its intended sequence.