Denise Grover Swank Books in Order

Where to Start: The Rose Gardner Universe

If you are new to Denise Grover Swank, the absolute best place to start is the Rose Gardner Universe. Set in Henryetta, Arkansas, this massive series blends Southern cozy mystery, romantic suspense, and small-town charm. The universe is divided into three distinct phases: the original Rose Gardner Mysteries, the spin-off Neely Kate Mysteries, and the sequel series Rose Gardner Investigations.

To experience the character arcs and overarching town secrets correctly, you must read the original series first, followed by a combined, alternating chronological reading order of the companion spin-offs.

Phase 1: Rose Gardner Mysteries (The Original Series)

Start with Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. The original series runs for 14 entries, including key novellas that bridge major plot developments. Read them in this publication order:

• Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (2011)
• Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons (2012)
• Thirty and a Half Excuses (2013)
• Falling to Pieces (Novella #3.5 - 2013)
• Thirty-One and a Half Regrets (2014)
• Thirty-Two and a Half Complications (2014)
• Picking Up the Pieces (Novella #5.5 - 2014)
• Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans (2014)
• Rose and Helena Save Christmas (Novella #6.4 - 2014)
• Ripple of Secrets (Novella #6.5 - 2015)
• Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments (2015)
• Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies (2015)
• Thirty-Six and a Half Motives (2016)
• Sins of the Father (Novella #9.5 - 2016)

Phase 2 & 3: Combined Investigations & Neely Kate Reading Order

Once you finish the main mystery series, the timeline splits between Rose's private investigation career and her best friend Neely Kate's standalone adventures. Read these together in this recommended chronological order to avoid massive plot spoilers:

1. Family Jewels (Rose Gardner Investigations #1) (2016)
2. Trailer Trash (Neely Kate Mystery #1) (2017)
3. For the Birds (Rose Gardner Investigations #2) (2017)
4. Hell in a Handbasket (Rose Gardner Investigations #3) (2018)
5. In High Cotton (Neely Kate Mystery #2) (2018)
6. Up Shute Creek (Rose Gardner Investigations #4) (2018)
7. Come Rain or Shine (Rose Gardner Investigations #5) (2019)
8. Dirty Money (Neely Kate Mystery #3) (2019)
9. When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) (2020)
10. It All Falls Down (Rose Gardner Investigations #7) (2021)
11. Trouble Comes in Threes (Rose Gardner Investigations #8) (2024)

Note: You can also read the companion collection The Rose Journal: Rose Gardner Journal Entries (2020) at any point after completing Phase 1.

The Sweet Briar Crossover: Magnolia Steele & Darling Investigations

Another beloved corner of Swank's mystery catalog is set in Sweet Briar, Alabama. The Magnolia Steele Mystery series follows a woman returning home to confront her past, while the Darling Investigations series centers on Summer Butler, a private investigator. These two storylines officially collide in the crossover novel Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. For the best experience, read them as follows:

• Center Stage (Magnolia Steele #1) (2016)
• Act Two (Magnolia Steele #2) (2016)
• Call Back (Magnolia Steele #3) (2017)
• Curtain Call (Magnolia Steele #4) (2017)
• Deadly Summer (Darling Investigations #1) (2018)
• Blazing Summer (Darling Investigations #2) (2018)
• Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Crossover Novel / Magnolia Steele #5 / Darling Investigations #3) (2020)

Asheville Brewing & The Bad Luck Club (Rom-Coms)

Co-written with A.R. Casella, these romantic comedies are set in Asheville, North Carolina. While the Asheville Brewing series revolves around a local family-owned brewery, The Bad Luck Club is a companion spin-off focusing on support group members turning their lives around. You can read them in publication order or chronological order.

Chronological Reading Order (Recommended)

Starting with the prequel novella allows you to meet the characters before the brewery antics kick off:

1. All the Luck You Need (Prequel Novella) (2021)
2. Any Luck at All (Asheville Brewing #1) (2020)
3. Better Luck Next Time (Asheville Brewing #2) (2020)
4. Getting Lucky (Asheville Brewing #3) (2021)
5. Bad Luck Club (Asheville Brewing #4) (2021)
6. Luck of the Draw (Asheville Brewing #5) (2021)

The companion series, The Bad Luck Club, overlaps heavily with the later Asheville Brewing books and is best read alongside them or directly after. The order for these titles is:

• Love at First Hate (2021)
• Jingle Bell Hell (2021)
• Fraudulently Ever After (2021)
• Matchmaking Mischief (2022)
• Bringing Down the House (2022)

Urban Fantasy Series: The Chosen & Curse Keepers

For readers who prefer magic and myth, Swank has written two major urban fantasy series under the pen name D.G. Swank. Both have specific timeline nuances:

The Chosen Series

This series can be read in publication order or chronological order. The chronological order puts the prequel short stories first, which detail the backstory of the supernatural world:

1. Emergence (Prequel Short Story) (2012)
2. Middle Ground (Short Story) (2012)
3. Homecoming (Short Story) (2012)
4. Chosen (Book 1) (2011)
5. Hunted (Book 2) (2011)
6. Sacrifice (Book 3) (2012)
7. Redemption (Book 4) (2012)

The Curse Keepers

This series weaves Native American mythology with modern fantasy. The main trilogy is accompanied by the Curse Keepers Secret novellas, which provide essential character backstories:

• The Curse Keepers (2013)
• This Place is Death (Curse Keepers Secret #1) (2014)
• The Curse Breakers (2014)
• This Changes Everything (Curse Keepers Secret #2) (2014)
• The Curse Defiers (2014)
• This is Your Destiny (Curse Keepers Secret #3) (2015)

Other Contemporary Romance & Women's Fiction

If you prefer contemporary romance, New Adult fiction, or cozy women's fiction, Swank offers several standalone trilogies and long-running series:

• The Wedding Pact Series: Read in order: The Substitute (2014), The Player (2015), The Gambler (2015), and The Valentine (2016).
• Off the Subject Series: A college romance series. Read in order: After Math (2013), Redesigned (2013), and Business as Usual (2014).
• Bluebird Bay Series: Originally written under her own name and later continued under the pen name Christine Gael, this women's fiction series should be read from Book 1 to 12, starting with Finding Tomorrow (2019) and ending with Finding Closure (2022).
• Highland Hills Series: A contemporary romance series starting with Matchmaking a Billionaire (2022) through Matchmaking a Player (2024).