Cathy Lamb Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Cathy Lamb

Cathy Lamb writes emotionally resonant women's fiction that beautifully balances heavy life challenges—such as trauma, abuse, family dysfunction, and loss—with lighthearted humor, eccentric characters, and deep sisterly or female bonds. If you are new to her work, you have a couple of excellent starting points depending on your reading preferences:

• The Debut Classic: Start with her debut novel, Julia’s Chocolates (2007). It perfectly encapsulates her signature style: a strong woman fleeing a toxic situation, finding solace in a quirky small town, surrounded by supportive female friends, and healing with a touch of chocolate.
• The Fan Favorite: Henry's Sisters (2009) is widely considered one of her most beloved and emotional books. It dives deep into family secrets, sisterhood, and unconditional love as three sisters return home to rally around their mother and brother.
• The Multi-Generational Family Saga: If you prefer reading a connected series rather than standalones, start with her first official series opener, Ten Kids, Two Lovebirds, and a Singing Mermaid (2024).

The Deauville Street Families Series

For most of her career, Cathy Lamb wrote strictly standalone novels. That changed with the launch of the Deauville Street Families series, which is inspired by her own childhood memories of growing up on a lively street in Huntington Beach, California.

• Ten Kids, Two Lovebirds, and a Singing Mermaid (2024): Set primarily during the nostalgic summer of 1979, the story follows two neighboring families—the O'Briens and the Rossis. Told from the perspective of Jesse O'Brien looking back from 2019, the novel charts the chaos of divorcing parents, a new family moving in next door, and a quirky aunt who believes she is a mermaid.

Lamb has noted on her official website that she plans to write subsequent books in this series, exploring the lives of the other neighborhood kids as they grow up.

Cathy Lamb Standalone Novels in Publication Order

Aside from her Deauville Street series, Cathy Lamb's novels are standalone stories. While they do not share characters or continuities, reading them in publication order lets you watch her style evolve from cozy, food-centric healing stories to complex historical mysteries and psychological self-discoveries.

1. Julia's Chocolates (2007): A runaway bride finds a new beginning, eccentric friendships, and healing through chocolate in small-town Oregon.
2. The Last Time I Was Me (2008): Following a public breakdown, a woman retreats to a quiet town to rebuild her identity and face her past.
3. Henry's Sisters (2009): The Bommarito sisters return to Oregon to deal with their family's chaotic dynamics, secrets, and an ailing brother.
4. Such a Pretty Face (2010): A protagonist who has recently lost significant weight navigates the emotional challenges of how the world—and she herself—views her body.
5. The First Day of the Rest of My Life (2011): Three friends face life-altering turning points and help each other find the strength to start over.
6. A Different Kind of Normal (2012): An exploration of grief, resilience, and reclaiming joy after experiencing devastating personal loss.
7. If You Could See What I See (2013): A talented lingerie designer with a traumatic past hides out in a quirky apartment building, learning to trust again.
8. What I Remember Most (2014): A woman accused of a crime she didn't commit flees to a small town in Oregon, working as a glass artist while trying to piece together her memories.
9. My Very Best Friend (2015): A story of lifelong friendship, secret letters, and the lengths two women will go to protect one another.
10. The Language of Sisters (2016): Weaving in Russian ancestry and historical research, this novel follows four unique sisters dealing with family mysteries and modern struggles.
11. No Place I'd Rather Be (2017): A professional cook escapes to her family's ancestral home, uncovering dark historical secrets while whipping up gourmet meals.
12. The Man She Married (2018): After a devastating car accident leaves her with amnesia, a woman must decide if she can trust her husband and piece together the truth of her life.
13. All About Evie (2019): Set in the Pacific Northwest, a quirky woman with a mysterious past and a highly sensitive nature tries to find her place in the world.
14. Ruthie Deschutes O'Hara has Ulterior Motives (2024): A vibrant story about a woman named Ruthie who navigates complex family dynamics and life secrets with her trademark wit and ulterior motives.
15. I'm Not Yours (2025): Though published in a novel format, this book compiles two of Lamb's previously published romance novellas: The Apple Orchard and June's Lace.
16. Bellini's Christmas Burlesque Show (2025): A festive standalone novel following a children's book author who returns to Montana to help her mother run a local bar and organize a wild holiday pageant.

Holiday Novellas and Short Story Collections

Cathy Lamb has contributed several short stories and novellas to multi-author holiday anthologies. For years, readers had to track down individual paperbacks to read these stories. Fortunately, in 2025, Cathy Lamb compiled these shorter works into dedicated collections.

The Compilation Collections

• Wanted: Christmas Miracles (2025): This collection brings together three of Lamb's classic holiday stories: Christmas in Montana (a band manager returns home to find her ex-boyfriend has bought her family home), Suzanna’s Stockings (a woman in a coma experiences holiday magic as an invisible spirit), and A Very Merry Christmas (a bed and breakfast owner manages chaotic kids and a handsome rancher).
• I'm Not Yours (2025): As noted above, this book collects The Apple Orchard (a romance set in a family orchard) and June's Lace (a wedding dress designer going through a divorce who finds love with the songwriter next door).

Original Anthology Appearances

If you are looking for the original, multi-author anthologies where these stories first appeared, you can read them in this order:

• Comfort and Joy (2007) / aka Sleigh Bells: Contains Suzanna's Stockings.
• Almost Home (2009): Contains Whale Island.
• Holiday Magic (2010): Contains A Very Merry Christmas.
• Beach Season (2012): Contains June's Lace.
• You're Still the One (2013): Contains The Apple Orchard.
• Our First Christmas (2014): Contains Christmas in Montana.

What to Know Before You Start: Themes and Style

Cathy Lamb is famous for writing late at night under the light of the moon, which seems to infuse her books with a dreamy, intimate atmosphere. Her novels feature female protagonists who are often highly creative—chocolatiers, bakers, wedding dress designers, glass blowers, and writers. While her stories look like lighthearted beach reads, they routinely address serious, heavy topics like domestic violence, childhood trauma, and mental illness, handling them with sensitive realism and a comforting dose of humor. Almost all of her stories are set in the scenic landscapes of Oregon and Montana, which serve as beautiful backdrops for her characters' healing journeys.