Caroline Lee Books in Order

Where to Start with Caroline Lee

With over ninety novels spanning medieval Scotland, Victorian ballrooms, the American frontier, contemporary ranches, and even monster fantasy realms, Caroline Lee offers something for every romance fan. Because her books are written with a "gardener" style—allowing the characters to drive the story organically—they are packed with witty banter, heat, and unexpected plot twists. While almost all of her books can be read as standalones, they are heavily interconnected, with characters frequently popping up in neighboring series.

To get the most out of your reading experience, choose your favorite subgenre and start with its designated entry point:

• For Medieval Scottish Rom-Coms: Start with A Scot Mess, the first book in The Hots for Scots series. This introduces her trademark humorous style and provides the foundation for several follow-up series.
• For Victorian Regency Rom-Coms: Start with The Duke's Deceitful Governess to dive into the Surprise! Dukes series.
• For Sweet Historical Westerns: Begin with A Cheyenne Christmas, the opening novel of the Sweet Cheyenne Quartet. If you want a fairy-tale twist, start with Ella, the first book in the Everland Ever After series.
• For Sweet Contemporary Westerns: Start with the multi-author collaborative universe of River's End Ranch or Quinn Valley Ranch.
• For Steamier Monster Romantasy: Start with My Orc Next Door (Eastshore Isle) or Bred by the Orc (Stolen Harlots).

The Medieval Scottish Reading Path

Caroline's Scottish historical romances are divided into lighthearted romantic comedies and slightly more adventure-focused series, though all share a high level of wit and passion. The primary reading sequence flows across several connected series:

1. The Hots for Scots

This series introduces the Oliphant clan and their allies. These should be read in publication order to track the recurring family dynamics:

1. A Scot Mess (2020)
2. Scot on Her Trail (2020)
3. Getting Scot and Bothered (2020)
4. In Scot Water (2020)
5. Drop It Like It's Scot (2020)
6. Scot Under the Mistletoe (2020)
7. Scot to the Touch (2020)
8. Too Scot to Hold (2020)

2. Bad in Plaid

A direct spin-off and thematic sequel series to The Hots for Scots, featuring even more kilted hijinks and the introduction of the fictional catalog A Harlot's Guide to the Forbidden and Delightful Arts. The recommended order is:

1. Plaid to the Bone (2021)
2. Not Half Plaid (2021)
3. Ye Give Love A Plaid Name (2022)
4. Don't Give A Damn About My Plaid Reputation (2022)
5. A Plaid Case of Loving Ye (2022)
6. He Kens if Ye've Been Plaid or Good (2022)
7. Plaid Attitude (2023)

3. Kilty Pleasures

A newer addition to the medieval Scottish rom-com line-up, featuring more hilarious matchmaking and misunderstandings:

1. Kilty as Sin (2023)
2. Kilty Plea (2023)
3. Kilty by Association (2024)
4. Kilty Until Proven Innocent (2024)

4. The Sinclair Jewels & The Highland Angels

For readers who prefer a bit more historical adventure alongside their romance, these series focus on high stakes, family duty, and political intrigue. The Sinclair Jewels follows four sisters working to save their clan, while The Highland Angels details the exploits of Queen Elizabeth Bruce's secret female agents.

The Sinclair Jewels Order:

1. The Sinclair Hound (2019)
2. The Mackenzie Regent (2019)
3. The Sutherland Devil (2019)
4. The MacLeod Pirate (2019)

The Highland Angels Order:

1. The Bruce's Angel (2019)
2. The Highlander's Angel (2020)
3. The Laird's Angel (2020)
4. The Thief's Angel (2020)
5. The Pirate's Angel (2021)

Other notable Scottish series include the Highlands Happily Ever After series (a short 3-book series starting with The Lass Who Lost a Shoe) and Those Kilted Bastards (4 books beginning with The Duke's Virgin Sister).

The Victorian & Regency Rom-Coms

Caroline Lee’s Victorian novels balance period-typical class conflicts with modern, laugh-out-loud humor and banter. They are grouped into three main series:

1. Surprise! Dukes

Centering on unexpected heirs inheriting dukedoms and the chaotic romances that follow:

1. The Duke's Deceitful Governess (2022)
2. The Duke's Bartered Mistress (2022)
3. The Duke's Counterfeit Wife (2023)
4. The Yellow Polka-Dotted Bathing Costume (2023)
5. The Duke's Daring Bride (2023)
6. The Duke's Wicked Widow (2023)
7. The Duke's Mysterious Lover (2024)

2. Second Chance Manor

This series is a collaboration with authors Scarlett Scott and Merry Farmer. It features characters rebuilding their lives and finding love at a refuge for the societal elite. Caroline Lee's contributions should be read alongside the other authors' books, but her specific order is:

1. The Matchmaker and the Marquess (2021)
2. The Angel and the Aristocrat (2021)
3. The Scholar and the Scot (2021)
4. The Venus and the Viscount (2021)
5. The Buccaneer and the Bastard (2021)
6. The Doxy and the Duke (2021)

3. Surprised Heirs

A spin-off of the duke series, starting with Her Magnificent Mistake (2025).

Historical Westerns and Mail-Order Brides

If you prefer sweeping frontier landscapes and sweet romance, Caroline's historical Westerns offer the perfect cozy escape. Many of these are part of larger, multi-author collaborations.

1. The Sweet Cheyenne Quartet & Everland Ever After

The Sweet Cheyenne Quartet is a historical Western series starting with A Cheyenne Christmas. It features heartwarming holiday settings and family-focused plots. Meanwhile, Everland Ever After brings fairy-tale concepts into the wild frontier of Everland, Wyoming, with books like Ella and Little Red.

2. The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides & 12 Days of Christmas

The Alphabet Mail-Order Brides is a massive, multi-author 24-book project detailing the adventures of twenty-four brides moving west. Caroline Lee has written several of these volumes. The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides is a holiday-themed collaborative series consisting of 13 books.

Contemporary Ranch Series

Caroline Lee has written extensively in the sweet, contemporary western romance subgenre, primarily focusing on large, collaborative world-building projects. These series are highly interconnected and share common characters across books:

• Cowboys of Cauldron Valley: A 14-book series beginning with Bob's Bride.
• Calendar Girls' Ranch: A 13-book sequel series written alongside Kirsten Osbourne, starting with Joyful January and running through all twelve months, concluding with the special epilogue volume Besotted Bob.
• Quinn Valley Ranch: A massive 26-book collaborative series starting with Taco-Truck Tryst.
• River's End Ranch: An incredibly large, multi-author franchise consisting of 67 books, set around a destination ranch resort in Idaho.

Orc & Fantasy Romances

In a departure from traditional historical settings, Caroline Lee also writes steamy, fantasy-themed "orc romances" set in a fantasy version of the Scottish Highlands. These series are highly humorous, spicy, and explicitly reference the sexual antics of A Harlot's Guide:

• Eastshore Isle: A 4-book contemporary fantasy series starting with My Orc Next Door.
• Stolen Harlots: A 3-book series starting with Bred by the Orc.
• Tales of the Harlot's Guide: A 3-book series starting with His Perfect Princess.