Cat Cahill Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Cat Cahill

For readers diving into Cat Cahill's wholesome historical romance world, the absolute best place to start is with The Gilbert Girls series, beginning with her debut novel, Building Forever. This series established her signature style of writing independent, strong-willed women finding love and hope in the 19th-century American West. Starting here gives you a solid foundation in her character writing and introduces family lines that cross over into her other solo work.

After completing The Gilbert Girls, you should move on to the Brides of Fremont County series, which features direct character connections, and then dive into the Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides series, a direct spin-off. Her numerous collaborative series contributions can be enjoyed at any time as they consist of standalone stories.

The Gilbert Girls Series

Inspired by the real-life historical "Harvey Girls"—women who went west to work as waitresses along the expanding Santa Fe Railway—this series is set in a Colorado mountain valley. It follows determined women seeking independence, adventure, and romance while working at a railway hotel restaurant.

The recommended reading order is the publication order:

1. Building Forever (2019)
2. Running From Forever (2019)
3. Wild Forever (2019)
4. Hidden Forever (2019)
5. Forever Christmas (2019)
6. On the Edge of Forever (2021)

Brides of Fremont County Series

Set in Cañon City, Colorado during the 1880s, this five-book series explores love, redemption, and healing on the frontier. It connects directly to The Gilbert Girls; the first book, Grace, follows Grace Daniels, who is the youngest sister of Emma from Building Forever.

Caveat on Book 1: Grace was originally published in 2020 under the title Confused in Colorado as part of the multi-author Yours Truly: The Lovelorn series. Cat Cahill later reclaimed and rebranded the book to kick off her own Fremont County saga. The chronological and publication order is:

1. Grace (2021) [originally Confused in Colorado]
2. Molly (2021)
3. Ruthann (2022)
4. Norah (2022)
5. Charlotte (2022)

Crest Stone Mail-Order Brides Series

This series serves as a direct spin-off of the Gilbert Girls universe, focusing on women who journey to the wild railroad town of Crest Stone, Colorado, as mail-order brides. Each book is a sweet, clean standalone romance, but reading them in order helps you track recurring side characters:

1. A Hopeful Bride (2021)
2. A Rancher's Bride (2021)
3. A Bartered Bride (2022)
4. A Sheriff's Bride (2022)
5. A Smitten Bride (2023)
6. An Expectant Bride (2024)
7. A Wishful Bride (2024)
8. An Outlaw Bride (March 2025)

Understanding the Collaborative Multi-Author Series

Cat Cahill is a prolific contributor to shared-world romance series. These series are collaborative projects where different authors write standalone stories set in a single shared universe, town, or theme. Because the books are standalones, you do not need to read the entire series to understand Cat's books. You can read them in any order or focus solely on her contributions.

The Blizzard Brides

Set in Last Chance, Nebraska, after a devastating freak blizzard in 1878 leaves many local women widowed, the town's women advertise in the Matrimonial Times for new husbands. Cat Cahill contributed two books to this massive project: A Groom for Celia (Book 3) and A Groom for Faith (Book 17).

The Proxy Brides

A series focused on women who contract proxy marriages to men they have never met. Cat Cahill is a key contributor to this long-running collection, which includes her titles A Bride for Jeremiah, A Bride for Clay, and A Bride for Nathan.

Keepers of the Light

A collaborative series centered around lighthouses in the Pacific Northwest. Note that book 4, Finding the Runaway, was written by Cinnamon Worth (an independent Regency author often co-listed alongside Cat Cahill), but the rest of the series features contributions from Cahill and other romance writers.

Winning His Devotion

A sweet historical romance series launched in 2024. Cat Cahill contributed Simon's Honor (published as Book 11 in the wider series, and tracked as Book 9 in local listings). Other books in the series, such as the opener Matthew's Redemption, were written by authors like Cheryl Wright.

Other Collaborative Series Contributions

Cat Cahill has also contributed individual books to the following shared worlds:

• Yours Truly: The Lovelorn: Features Confused in Colorado (later rewritten as Grace).
• The Matchmaker's Ball: Set in Creede, Colorado. Cat Cahill wrote Waltzing with Willa (Book 12).
• The Broad Street Boarding House: A series centered on working women in a boarding house.
• Westward Home and Hearts Mail-Order Brides: Wholesome Western romance stories.
• Last Chance Brides, Mail-Order Brides' First Christmas, Matchmaker's Mix-Up, and The Sheriff's Mail Order Bride: Wholesome historical collections.

What to Know Before You Start: Screen Adaptations

Fans of The Gilbert Girls have an exciting screen adaptation to look forward to! In late 2025, Netflix Canada announced an eight-episode television series adaptation of the books titled The Granville Girls. Produced by Shaftesbury (the production team behind Murdoch Mysteries) and led by showrunner Adriana Maggs, the series transplants the story to the Canadian Rockies during the building of the transcontinental railway. Production is scheduled to begin in mid-2026, making it the perfect time to read the books before they hit the screen.