Elizabeth O’Roark Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Elizabeth O’Roark

If you are new to Elizabeth O’Roark, your entry point depends heavily on your preferred romance subgenre. O’Roark is highly celebrated for two distinct styles: modern contemporary office/grumpy romance and emotional, high-stakes time-travel romance. Here are the two best starting paths:

• For Contemporary Romance Fans (Recommended): Start with A Deal with the Devil, the first book in her popular Grumpy Devils series (also known as The Devils). It showcases her signature style of sharp banter, slow-burn tension, and the grumpy-meets-sunshine dynamic.
• For Sci-Fi and Time-Travel Romance Fans: Start with Parallel, the opening volume of her four-book Parallel saga. This series is a perfect fit if you enjoy deep mystery, fated mates, and complex, multi-era timelines.

The Grumpy Devils (The Devils) Series

This contemporary series is O’Roark's most famous and consists of four main books. Each novel is a standalone story centering on a different couple, but they are all set in the same social and professional circles. Reading them in publication order is highly recommended as characters from previous books make cameo appearances and their stories interconnect.

1. A Deal with the Devil (2021) – Follows Tali and Hayes. An enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity office romance where a struggling writer becomes the temporary assistant to a notoriously difficult plastic surgeon.
2. The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (2022) – Follows Amelia and Drew. A forbidden, slow-burn romance set during a family vacation where Amelia finds herself stuck with her ex-boyfriend's grumpy older brother.
   • Note: The companion short story "The Devil Goes to Maui" is associated with this book and offers bonus content.
3. The Devil You Know (2022) – Follows Gemma and Ben. An office rivalry romance featuring two competitive lawyers who have traded insults for years before being forced to share an apartment.
4. The Devil Gets His Due (2022) – Follows Keeley and Graham. A second-chance romance about a former nanny and her wealthy, distant boss who are forced back into each other's orbits.

The Parallel Series

This time-travel romance series is a continuous saga that must be read in order. While the overall narrative spans all four books, the series is divided into two distinct duologies, each focusing on a different couple trying to overcome time itself to be together.

Arc 1: Quinn and Nick

• Parallel (2019) – Introduces Quinn, a woman who has dreamed of another man her entire life, and Nick, the lawyer she meets in the real world who matches those dreams.
• Intersect (2019) – Concludes Quinn and Nick's turbulent journey across timelines.

Arc 2: Sarah and Henri

• Across Time (2019) – Shifts focus to Sarah, Quinn's best friend, who is thrown back to 19th-century France and meets the mysterious Henri.
• Across Eternity (2020) – Resolves the mysteries of Sarah and Henri's cross-era connection.

The Summer Series

The Summer Series is an emotionally intense, angsty contemporary romance collection. The books are interconnected standalones, meaning each tells a complete story about a different couple, but characters from previous novels cross over. Reading them in order helps you track these recurring friendships and family dynamics.

1. The Summer We Fell (2023) – A second-chance, forbidden romance featuring Jax and Juliet, filled with angst, family secrets, and years of unresolved tension.
2. The Summer I Saved You (2023) – Follows Caleb and Becky in a protective, healing, and emotionally charged slow-burn romance.
3. The Summer You Found Me (2024) – Centers on a complex emotional journey and a deep connection forged through shared healing.
4. The Summer I Destroyed You (2024) – A high-angst, emotional rollercoaster featuring complex character motivations and relationship choices.
5. The Summer I First Saw You (2024) – Concludes the seasonal themes with a focus on trust and rebuilding after trauma.

The Favorites Series

Published throughout 2025, The Favorites series is a contemporary trilogy focused on witty dialogue, modern dating dilemmas, and high-chemistry setups.

1. My Favorite Bad Decision (May 2025) – An opposites-attract, forced-proximity story centering on roommate dynamics and unexpected chemistry.
2. My Favorite Lost Cause (August 2025) – A romance about fixing what's broken, blending O'Roark's trademark humor and emotional depth.
3. My Favorite Fake Romance (December 2025) – A classic fake-dating trope execution packed with banter, boundaries, and slow-burn attraction.

The Langstrom Brothers

One of O’Roark’s earliest popular series, this duology deals with collegiate sports, personal redemption, and intense emotional barriers. They are standalone companion novels but are best read in order to understand the family backdrop.

• Waking Olivia (2016) – Follows college track coach Will Langstrom and Olivia Finnegan, a talented runner battling sleepwalking and past trauma. This book won the IBPA Gold Medal for Romance.
• Drowning Erin (2017) – Follows Brendan Langstrom and Erin, who must confront their long-standing animosity and hidden feelings.

Standalone Novels and 2026 Releases

O’Roark has also written standalone books that sit outside of any established series, including her debut work and her latest 2026 releases:

• Undertow (2013) – Her debut romance novel, featuring a classic friends-to-lovers story with a second-chance twist.
• No One But Us (2018) – Originally published under the title Bloom, this novel was later rewritten and re-edited into a dual point-of-view contemporary romance.
• Good at Being Alive (June 2026) – O’Roark's mid-2026 release. It features a grumpy/sunshine, fake-newlyweds-on-a-honeymoon trope where Rebecca "Bex" Daniels and her late father’s reserved British business partner, Theo Porter, travel across Europe for a reality TV show while managing their grief.

Chronological vs. Publication Order Caveats

Because Elizabeth O'Roark's contemporary romance series (The Devils, The Summer Books, The Favorites, and The Langstrom Brothers) exist in separate standalone universes, there is no master chronological reading order. Readers are free to jump between these series in any order. However, within each series, it is highly recommended to follow the publication order to avoid spoilers and to fully appreciate the character growth and background cameos. The only exception is the Parallel series, which is a sci-fi time-travel story and must be read strictly in order (from book 1 to book 4) to make sense of the plot.