Where to Start Reading Elaine Fox
If you are new to Elaine Fox, the single best entry point is her popular Guys & Dogs series. This contemporary romance series represents her signature style: lighthearted humor, relatable characters, small-town Virginia settings, and four-legged matchmakers who steal the show. While you can technically read them in any order, starting with the first book, Guys & Dogs (2006), allows you to see the community grow and spot recurring characters and their pets in the background.
If you prefer historical romance, your best starting point is her debut novel, Hand & Heart of a Soldier (1996), or her highly praised Pygmalion-inspired romance, Untamed Angel (1997).
The Guys & Dogs Series in Detail
The Guys & Dogs series is Elaine Fox's most famous and beloved work. It consists of four novels set in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where canine antics play a central role in bringing couples together.
- Guys & Dogs (2006): The book that started it all. It follows veterinarian Megan Rose and reclusive billionaire Sutter Foley, whose paths cross thanks to a wayward, mischievous puppy.
- Beware of Doug (2007): The second book centers on pilot Brady Cole and Lily Tyler, with a feisty French bulldog named Doug providing plenty of comedic chaos.
- Hello, Doggy! (2007): This story pairs a commitment-shy self-help guru with a clinical psychologist, proving that even the most stubborn skeptics can't resist a labradoodle named Barbra Streisand.
- Bedtime for Bonsai (2008): The final book in the series follows Penelope Porter as she attempts to make a fresh start in Virginia, aided by a charming dog named Mr. Darcy.
Elaine Fox's Standalone Novels
Before launching her contemporary canine romances, Elaine Fox wrote several standalone romances. These are divided into two distinct categories: historical/time-travel romances and contemporary romances. None of these books require any prior reading and can be enjoyed completely independently.
Historical & Time-Travel Romances
- Hand & Heart of a Soldier (1996): Fox's debut romance novel, which launched her writing career.
- Traveler (1996): A unique time-travel romance where modern-day businesswoman Shelby Manning discovers Carter Lindsey, a wounded Union soldier who has slipped through time, on a Civil War battlefield in Virginia.
- Untamed Angel (1997): A historical romance featuring Ava Moreland, who attempts to transform a rough drifter named Joshua Angell into a polished gentleman to save her family's reputation in New York society.
- Pray Love, Remember (1998): A historical romance centered on Julian Coletun, an aristocrat who loses his memory in a shipwreck and finds the truth with the help of a dedicated governess, Miss Travers.
Contemporary Standalone Romances
- The Impostor (1999)
- Compulsion (1999)
- Maybe Baby (2001)
- Man At Work (2002)
- If the Slipper Fits (2003)
- Hot Stuff (2004)
- Special of the Day (2005)
Anthology Contributions & Novellas
Over the years, Elaine Fox has contributed short stories and novellas to several multi-author anthologies. These are great for quick, cozy reads:
- Masquerade (1999): Features Fox's historical romance novella, "Love's Disguise," set in post-Napoleonic Venice.
- Four Dukes and a Devil (2009): Features the historical romance novella "The Duke Who Came to Dinner."
- Mirror, Mirror (2013): Features the fairy-tale-inspired story "Beauty, Sleeping."
- Down the Rabbit Hole (2015): Features the contemporary paranormal novella "iLove," where a smartphone-obsessed man gets literally sucked into his device and must navigate a digital landscape to win back his girlfriend.
Complete Publication Order List
For readers who want to follow Elaine Fox's development as an author, reading in publication order is a great option. This path shows her transition from historical romance to contemporary romance, and eventually to her dog-themed rom-coms.
- Hand & Heart of a Soldier (1996)
- Traveler (1996)
- Untamed Angel (1997)
- Pray Love, Remember (1998)
- The Impostor (1999)
- Compulsion (1999)
- Masquerade (1999) (Anthology)
- Maybe Baby (2001)
- Man At Work (2002)
- If the Slipper Fits (2003)
- Hot Stuff (2004)
- Special of the Day (2005)
- Guys & Dogs (2006)
- Beware of Doug (2007)
- Hello, Doggy! (2007)
- Bedtime for Bonsai (2008)
- Four Dukes and a Devil (2009) (Anthology)
- Mirror, Mirror (2013) (Anthology)
- Down the Rabbit Hole (2015) (Anthology)