Cat Sebastian Books in Order

Where to Start with Cat Sebastian’s Books

If you are new to Cat Sebastian’s beautifully crafted queer historical romances, the best place to start depends heavily on your preferred era and tone. The author herself offers two distinct entry points for readers looking to dip their toes in:

• For Cozy Mid-Century Nostalgia: Start with We Could Be So Good. This 1950s friends-to-lovers story set at a bustling New York newspaper captures the warmth, slow-burn romance, and domestic comfort that Sebastian is widely celebrated for.
• For Classic, Tropey Historical Fun: Start with The Ruin of a Rake (the third book in The Turner series). It features a delightful grumpy-meets-sunshine, redemptive romance that works perfectly as a standalone introduction to her Regency style.
• For the Chronological Traditionalist: Start with The Soldier’s Scoundrel. As her debut novel, it launches her Regency-era Turner series and establishes the class-conscious, deeply empathetic, and witty tone that defines her entire bibliography.

The Turner Series (Regency England)

Set in early 19th-century England, The Turner series is Cat Sebastian’s debut collection of queer romances. The books focus on class divisions, family dynamics, and overcoming personal trauma. While they are written as standalones, characters from earlier books cross over, making publication order the recommended path:

1. The Soldier’s Scoundrel (2016): Introduces Oliver Anson, a former soldier turned investigator, and Jack Turner, a street-smart rogue who helps people in trouble.
2. The Lawrence Browne Affair (2017): Follows Lawrence Browne, a brilliant but reclusive duke struggling with his mental health, and Georgie West, the clerk hired to organize his estate.
3. The Ruin of a Rake (2017): Focuses on the notorious rake Julian Medlock and the respectable, grumpy Lord Courtenay.
4. A Little Light Mischief (2019): A charming companion novella centering on a lady’s maid and a thief who team up to exact revenge on a cruel lord.

Seducing the Sedgwicks (Regency England)

This series centers on the three sons of a radical, scandalous poet. Each book is a standalone romance that highlights emotional vulnerability, healing, and subversion of societal expectations:

1. It Takes Two to Tumble (2017): A heartwarming, vicar-and-captain romance heavily inspired by The Sound of Music, following a vicar trying to wrangle a house full of rowdy children and their stern father.
2. A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (2018): Follows Sam Kelly, a former free black sailor who runs a London pub, and Hartley, a fragile gentleman recovering from a traumatic past.
3. Two Rogues Make a Right (2020): A slow-burn, childhood friends-to-lovers romance featuring two deeply codependent, sickly young men who seek refuge in a rustic cottage.

The Regency Impostors (Regency England)

This trilogy plays with identity, gender expression, and class boundaries in Regency society. These stories are witty, feminist, and push the traditional boundaries of historical romance:

1. Unmasked by the Marquess (2018): Features Alistair, a cynical bisexual marquess, and Robin, a nonbinary protagonist masquerading as a maid and a valet. It was named one of Library Journal’s Best Romances of 2018.
2. A Duke in Disguise (2019): Centers on Verity, an independent printer, and Ash, an illustrator who discovers he is the heir to a dukedom.
3. A Delicate Deception (2019): A lovely, reclusive romance between Sydney, a neurodivergent, grumpy veteran, and Amelia, a novelist seeking peace.

London Highwaymen Series (Georgian England)

Set in the mid-18th century (the 1750s), this duology introduces a grittier, highly entertaining world of rogues, highwaymen, and heists. The books are interconnected and best read in order:

1. The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (2021): Follows a retired highwayman turned coffeehouse owner and a spoiled lord who hires him to pull off a robbery.
2. The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes (2022): Explores the romance between a duchess who shot her husband and a charming blackmailer, written as a delightful, high-stakes caper.

Page & Sommers Series (Post-WWII England)

Stepping away from traditional historical romance, this duology blends cozy murder mystery with romance. Set in postwar England, it features a slow-burn romance between two veterans carrying the invisible scars of World War II:

1. Hither, Page (2019): Introduces Leo Page, a weary spy, and James Sommers, a country doctor and shell-shocked veteran, as they investigate a murder in a quiet village.
2. The Missing Page (2022): The duo reunites in a country house setting to solve another puzzle while solidifying their partnership and love.

The Cabots Series (Mid-Century America)

Moving across the Atlantic, the Cabot series explores the lives and loves of a wealthy, politically prominent American family during the mid-20th century. The books trace the family’s journey from the 1950s through the 1970s:

1. Tommy Cabot Was Here (2021): A short, emotional novella focusing on the secret reunion of a math teacher and a political heir in 1959. (Originally published in the He's Come Undone anthology).
2. Peter Cabot Gets Lost (2021): A summer 1960 road-trip romance that follows Peter Cabot and Caleb Murphy as they drive from Boston to Los Angeles.
3. Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots (2022): Set in 1973 New York, following a free-spirited Daniel Cabot who finds a sense of belonging in a community garden and with his best friend.

Note: The standalone baseball novella Luke and Billy Finally Get a Clue (2023) is frequently cataloged as Cabot #3.5 because of its publication window, though the author has noted it contains no character crossovers from the main Cabot novels.

Midcentury NYC / Chronicle Series

Set in the 1950s, this series captures the workspace and cultural shifts of postwar New York City. The books focus heavily on found family, professional ambitions, and soft, domestic love:

1. We Could Be So Good (2023): The story of Nick, a working-class reporter, and Andy, the publisher's son, finding comfort and connection in the newsroom.
2. You Should Be So Lucky (2024): Follows a grieving writer, Mark Bailey, who is sent to profile a struggling baseball star, Eddie O'Leary. Mark makes a brief appearance in the previous book.

Chronological Caveats and Reading Advice

Almost all of Cat Sebastian's books are designed as standalones, meaning you can pick up any novel that catches your eye. However, because she loves writing cameos and updating readers on the lives of past couples, reading in publication order within a specific series is highly recommended. The only major exception is her standalone novels and anthologies, which can be read at any time without any context. If you want to follow the progression of her writing and the evolution of her historical universes, sticking to the order listed above will provide the most satisfying experience.