Elizabeth Camden Books in Order

Where to Start with Elizabeth Camden

If you are new to Elizabeth Camden’s rich Gilded Age historical romances, you have a few excellent entry points. While most of her books can be enjoyed as standalone reads, her interconnected series are best experienced in order to fully appreciate character development and overarching plots.

The Classic Entry Point: Start with her multi-award-winning standalone novel, Against the Tide (2012). It remains one of her most beloved books, winning the Christy Award, RITA Award, and Daphne du Maurier Award. Set in 1891 Boston, it features a translator heroine and a mystery that will instantly show you why Camden is a master of the Gilded Age historical romance genre.

The Best Series Entry Point: If you want to dive straight into a series, begin with The Spice King (2019), the first book in the Hope and Glory trilogy. This series is widely praised for its high-stakes drama and political intrigue in early 20th-century Washington, D.C.

The Contemporary Entry Point: If you prefer contemporary romance with a mystery twist, start with Summerlin Groves (2024). This is Camden's debut in contemporary romance, taking place on a historic Florida orange grove and incorporating a cold war mystery.

The Complete Book List in Publication Order

Reading Elizabeth Camden’s novels in publication order allows you to see how her style has evolved, from her debut in 2011 to her recent releases. Here is the chronological publication list of her full-length novels and major novellas:

• The Lady of Bolton Hill (2011)
• The Rose of Winslow Street (2012)
• Against the Tide (2012)
• Into the Whirlwind (2013)
• With Every Breath (2014)
• Beyond All Dreams (2014)
• Toward the Sunrise (2015) — Prequel Novella to Until the Dawn
• Until the Dawn (2015)
• Summer of Dreams (2016) — Prequel Novella to From This Moment
• From This Moment (2016)
• To the Farthest Shores (2017)
• A Dangerous Legacy (2017) — Empire State Book 1
• A Daring Venture (2018) — Empire State Book 2
• A Desperate Hope (2019) — Empire State Book 3
• The Spice King (2019) — Hope and Glory Book 1
• A Gilded Lady (2020) — Hope and Glory Book 2
• The Prince of Spies (2021) — Hope and Glory Book 3
• Carved in Stone (2021) — Blackstone Legacy Book 1
• Written on the Wind (2022) — Blackstone Legacy Book 2
• Hearts of Steel (2023) — Blackstone Legacy Book 3
• Christmas at Whitefriars (2023) — Empire State Book 3.5 Novella
• While the City Sleeps (2024) — Women of Midtown Book 1
• Summerlin Groves (2024) — Contemporary Standalone
• When Stars Light the Sky (2025) — Women of Midtown Book 2

Deep Dive Into Elizabeth Camden's Series

For readers who love following recurring characters, family sagas, and continuing settings, Camden has written several popular series. Here is the recommended reading order for each one:

The Blackstone Legacy Series

This series centers around the Blackstone family, dealing with industrial Gilded Age wealth, secrets, and romance.

1. Carved in Stone (2021) — Set in New York, focusing on lawyer Patrick O'Connor and heiress Gwen Blackstone.
2. Written on the Wind (2022) — Centers on Natalia Blackstone and Count Dimitri Sharonov. This book won the Carol Award.
3. Hearts of Steel (2023) — Focuses on Maggie Blackstone and industrialist Liam Vance as they navigate the steel industry and romance.

The Hope and Glory Series

Set in Washington, D.C., at the dawn of the 20th century, this series blends political intrigue, government departments, and romance.

1. The Spice King (2019) — Tells the story of botanist Gray Delacroix and Smithsonian research assistant Annabelle Larkin.
2. A Gilded Lady (2020) — Follows Caroline Delacroix and secret service agent Luke Fontaine.
3. The Prince of Spies (2021) — The Carol Award-winning finale focusing on Luke's colleague and Marianne Delacroix.

The Empire State Series

Navigating the changing landscape of late 19th-century New York, this series highlights telegraph offices, clean water engineering, and political struggles.

1. A Dangerous Legacy (2017) — Focuses on telegraph operator Lucy Drake and Sir Colin Beckwith.
2. A Daring Venture (2018) — Centers on biochemist Dr. Sibyl Meade and clean water engineer Nick Gentry.
3. A Desperate Hope (2019) — Focuses on Eloise Drake and Alex Duval in the Hudson Valley.
4. Christmas at Whitefriars (2023) — A companion Christmas novella (Book 3.5) focusing on Mary Beckwith in England.

From This Moment Series

This short series is set in early 20th-century Boston, focusing on the Boston Public Library and social reform.

1. Summer of Dreams (2016) — A prequel novella introducing Evelyn White and Clyde Brixton.
2. From This Moment (2016) — The main novel continuing the Gilded Age romance.

Until The Dawn Series

Set at the turn of the 20th century, this duology centers on the grand Dierenpark estate in New York's Hudson Valley.

1. Toward the Sunrise (2015) — A prequel novella focusing on Julia Broeder's quest to attend medical school.
2. Until the Dawn (2015) — The main novel following Sophie Vandermark and estate manager Quentin Bainbridge.

Women of Midtown Series

Set in early 20th-century New York, this series highlights professional women defying societal norms.

1. While the City Sleeps (2024) — Focuses on Katherine Schneider, a female dentist in 1913, and police lieutenant Jonathan Birch.
2. When Stars Light the Sky (2025) — Follows Inga Klein as a secretary in Berlin, Germany, on the eve of World War I.
3. Beyond the Clouds (2026) — Completes the trilogy, centering on the character Delia Byrne.

Standalone Novels and Collections

If you want to read standalone books that require no background knowledge, Elizabeth Camden has written several acclaimed novels:

• The Lady of Bolton Hill (2011) — Her debut novel, featuring a journalist and an industrialist in 1879 Baltimore.
• The Rose of Winslow Street (2012) — A story of a property dispute in 1880s Massachusetts.
• Against the Tide (2012) — The award-winning classic about a translator caught in a smuggling ring in Boston.
• Into the Whirlwind (2013) — Follows a woman rebuilding her watchmaking business after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
• With Every Breath (2014) — Set in a Washington, D.C. tuberculosis sanitarium, focusing on medical research and romance.
• Beyond All Dreams (2014) — Focuses on a map librarian at the Library of Congress in 1897.
• To the Farthest Shores (2017) — Follows an army nurse and a soldier dealing with the aftermath of the Spanish-American War.
• Summerlin Groves (2024) — A contemporary mystery romance set in a Florida citrus grove.

For short stories, Elizabeth Camden's prequel novella Toward the Sunrise was also published in print as part of the multi-author anthology collection All My Tomorrows (2018), alongside novellas by Karen Witemeyer and Jody Hedlund.

What to Know Before You Start

Before you begin reading, keep these tips in mind to enhance your experience:

• Historical Accuracy: As a professional research librarian, Camden infuses her Gilded Age romances with fascinating, lesser-known historical details, such as the inner workings of the Smithsonian, the development of municipal water systems, or early dentistry techniques.
• Clean and Inspirational: Her novels are clean romances with subtle, inspiring faith elements. They are suitable for readers who enjoy sweet, low-sensuality historical fiction with high emotional depth.
• Prequel Choices: For series like Until the Dawn and From This Moment, the companion novellas can be read either first as an introduction, or after the main novel to fill in historical backstories. Most readers recommend reading them in chronological order (prequels first) for the smoothest character arcs.