Kara Louise Books in Order (Updated May 9, 2026)

Kara Louise is an Austenesque author best known for Pride and Prejudice variations, sequels, alternate timelines, and modern retellings. Her books often return to Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, but they do not all belong to one continuous series.

The main complication with Kara Louise is not continuity. It is editions. Two of her best-known books were first published under earlier titles and later reissued under different titles, so readers can accidentally buy the same story twice.

The Cleanest Reading Route

For most readers, start with Assumed Engagement if you want a Regency variation with a direct sequel.

1. Start with Darcy’s Voyage if you want one of her best-known Sourcebooks editions.
2. Start with Encounter to Remember if you prefer a shorter novella before committing to a full-length novel.

Do not read Pemberley’s Promise and Darcy’s Voyage as separate stories. They are versions of the same book.

Do not read Something Like Regret and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do as separate stories. They are versions of the same book.

Kara Louise Books in Publication Order

1. Drive and Determination (2006): A modern Pride and Prejudice variation where Elyssa Barnett, an aspiring interior designer, clashes with William Denton before later being forced to reconsider him after tragedy changes their lives.
2. Assumed Engagement (2007): A Regency variation beginning after Darcy’s failed Hunsford proposal, with a carriage accident and a misunderstanding at Pemberley creating the belief that Elizabeth and Darcy are engaged.
3. Master Under Good Regulation (2007): A retelling of Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of Reggie, Darcy’s dog, giving the original courtship a behind-the-scenes animal-observer frame.
4. Assumed Obligation (2007): The direct sequel to Assumed Engagement, following Darcy and Elizabeth after marriage as they settle at Pemberley and the story expands to Georgiana, Kitty, and Ramsgate.
5. Pemberley’s Promise (2007; later reissued as Darcy’s Voyage): A shipboard variation where Elizabeth and Darcy meet on a voyage to America, and illness leads Darcy to make a life-changing offer.
6. Something Like Regret (2009; later reissued as Only Mr. Darcy Will Do): A variation in which Mr. Bennet’s death sends Elizabeth into work as a governess, widening the social distance between her and Darcy.
7. Darcy’s Voyage (2010): The Sourcebooks reissue of Pemberley’s Promise, with Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship reshaped by an ocean crossing, illness, and a shipboard marriage arrangement.
8. Only Mr. Darcy Will Do (2011): The Sourcebooks reissue of Something Like Regret, centered on Elizabeth’s altered circumstances after Longbourn passes away from the Bennet family.
9. Pemberley Celebrations: The First Year (2011): A collection of short stories following Elizabeth and Darcy through holidays and special occasions during their first year of marriage.
10. Pirates and Prejudice (2013): A more adventure-driven variation where Darcy disappears near the London docks, is mistaken for an escaped pirate, and later crosses paths with Elizabeth in a dangerous seafaring plot.
11. Mr. Darcy’s Rival (2015): A Rosings variation where Darcy’s proposal is interrupted, his explanatory letter is lost, and a new rival threatens his chance with Elizabeth.
12. A Peculiar Engagement (2016): A companion-style story connected to Mr. Darcy’s Rival, focusing on the long-assumed engagement between Darcy and Anne de Bourgh.
13. Chance and Circumstance (2017): A variation where Bingley meets Elizabeth before Jane returns to the neighborhood, changing the expected romantic pairings and forcing Darcy to respond to a very different Netherfield situation.
14. Mr. Darcy’s Magpie (2018): A Pemberley-set variation where Elizabeth secretly remains at the estate after her uncle’s accident, learning more about Darcy while trying to avoid being discovered.
15. Encounter to Remember (2020): A novella in the Times and Seasons line where Elizabeth and Darcy meet in a London bookstore one year after the Hunsford proposal, only for a missed appointment to reopen old doubts.
16. Frosted Window Panes (2022): A modern Christmas Pride and Prejudice variation where Elizabeth runs a tutoring center and Will Darcy is a wealthy CEO whose values she questions after their first meeting.

Best Reading Order for New Readers

1. Assumed Engagement (2007): Begin here for a classic Kara Louise Regency setup with a clear continuation.
2. Assumed Obligation (2007): Read immediately after Assumed Engagement because it continues the same Darcy-Elizabeth marriage timeline.
3. Darcy’s Voyage (2010): Choose this edition rather than Pemberley’s Promise unless you specifically want the earlier self-published version.
4. Only Mr. Darcy Will Do (2011): Choose this edition rather than Something Like Regret unless you specifically want the earlier title.
5. Pirates and Prejudice (2013): Move here for a more adventurous variation with shipwrecks, danger, and a disguised Darcy.
6. Mr. Darcy’s Rival (2015): Read this before A Peculiar Engagement because the later book grows out of its Anne de Bourgh material.
7. A Peculiar Engagement (2016): Treat this as a companion to Mr. Darcy’s Rival, not as a standard Elizabeth-and-Darcy variation.
8. Chance and Circumstance (2017): Read here for a social rearrangement variation that changes who meets whom first.
9. Mr. Darcy’s Magpie (2018): Follow with this Pemberley-centered variation, where secrecy and observation drive much of the tension.
10. Encounter to Remember (2020): Use this as a shorter late-career novella with a second-chance Hunsford aftermath premise.
11. Frosted Window Panes (2022): End with the modern Christmas variation, which belongs outside the Regency run but fits well after the earlier modern and alternate-setting works.
12. Pemberley Celebrations: The First Year (2011): Read at any point after you are comfortable with married Darcy-and-Elizabeth stories.
13. Master Under Good Regulation (2007): Read separately when you want the original Pride and Prejudice reframed through Darcy’s dog.
14. Drive and Determination (2006): Read separately if you want a modern retelling rather than a Regency variation.

This order avoids duplicate editions and keeps the clearest continuity pairings together.

Duplicate Title Guide

Same story, different title

Pemberley’s Promise and Darcy’s Voyage are the same core story. Pemberley’s Promise was the earlier self-published version, while Darcy’s Voyage is the later Sourcebooks edition.

Something Like Regret and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do are the same core story. Something Like Regret was the earlier title, while Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is the later Sourcebooks edition.

For a simple bookshelf, choose Darcy’s Voyage and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do. For a completist collection, note the earlier titles but do not treat them as new installments.

Assumed Books in Order

1. Assumed Engagement (2007): A post-Hunsford accident causes Georgiana to believe Elizabeth and Darcy are engaged, drawing Elizabeth to Pemberley before she has fully settled her feelings.
2. Assumed Obligation (2007): Darcy and Elizabeth begin married life at Pemberley while Kitty and Georgiana’s friendship, Darcy’s school for the deaf, and Georgiana’s Ramsgate history expand the story.

Read these two together. This is the clearest direct continuity in Kara Louise’s catalogue.

Times and Seasons Books in Order

1. Encounter to Remember (2020): Elizabeth and Darcy meet again in a London bookstore one year after Hunsford, but a broken appointment threatens their fragile new understanding.
2. Frosted Window Panes (2022): A modern Christmas variation places Elizabeth in a community tutoring role and Darcy in a wealthy corporate world, using social difference as the main source of tension.

These are shorter, later works and can be read apart from the main novels.

Standalone and Companion Works

1. Drive and Determination (2006): A modern retelling using new names and a contemporary setting, best read separately from the Regency variations.
2. Master Under Good Regulation (2007): A dog-narrated Pride and Prejudice retelling that follows Darcy’s life and the original story from Reggie’s viewpoint.
3. Pemberley Celebrations: The First Year (2011): A married-life short story collection that follows Darcy and Elizabeth through holidays and family occasions.
4. Pirates and Prejudice (2013): A high-adventure variation where Darcy’s grief after Hunsford leads to mistaken identity, seafaring danger, and a dramatic reunion with Elizabeth.
5. Mr. Darcy’s Rival (2015): A Rosings-centered variation that adds a rival suitor and gives Anne de Bourgh a more unusual narrative role.
6. A Peculiar Engagement (2016): A companion to Mr. Darcy’s Rival that examines Darcy and Anne’s supposed engagement from Anne’s side.
7. Chance and Circumstance (2017): A variation that changes the early romantic map by having Bingley first favor Elizabeth while Jane and Darcy are absent.
8. Mr. Darcy’s Magpie (2018): A Pemberley variation built around Elizabeth’s hidden presence, Darcy’s confusion, and the small incidents that slowly expose the truth.

Chronological Order

A single chronological order does not work for Kara Louise’s full catalogue.

Most of the books are separate Pride and Prejudice variations. Each one resets Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship and changes the point where Austen’s original plot turns in a new direction.

The only true chronological pair is Assumed Engagement followed by Assumed Obligation. Beyond that, publication order or the recommended order is more useful than timeline order.

Are Kara Louise’s Books Connected?

Some are connected, but most are not.

• Directly connected: Assumed Engagement and Assumed Obligation.
• Companion connection: Mr. Darcy’s Rival and A Peculiar Engagement.
• Same story under different titles: Pemberley’s Promise and Darcy’s Voyage; Something Like Regret and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do.

Standalone variations: Most of the remaining books.

Readers should not expect one long Darcy-and-Elizabeth marriage saga across the entire catalogue.

Latest Release Status

The latest confirmed new Kara Louise book found in current listings is Frosted Window Panes (2022).

There are later updates connected to audio or reissue activity, including renewed attention to Something Like Regret, but those are not new novels in the main reading order.

No newer original Kara Louise novel after Frosted Window Panes was reliably confirmed during research.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first Kara Louise book?

The earliest listed Kara Louise novel is Drive and Determination (2006), a modern Pride and Prejudice variation.

What Kara Louise book should I read first?

Start with Assumed Engagement if you want a Regency variation with a direct sequel. Start with Darcy’s Voyage if you want one of her best-known reissued books.

Are Pemberley’s Promise and Darcy’s Voyage the same book?

Yes. Pemberley’s Promise is the earlier title, and Darcy’s Voyage is the later Sourcebooks edition.

Are Something Like Regret and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do the same book?

Yes. Something Like Regret is the earlier title, and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do is the later Sourcebooks edition.

Do I need to read Assumed Engagement before Assumed Obligation?

Yes. Assumed Obligation is a direct sequel, so read Assumed Engagement first.

Is A Peculiar Engagement about Elizabeth and Darcy?

Not in the usual way. It is more closely tied to Anne de Bourgh and the supposed Darcy-Anne engagement, with a connection to Mr. Darcy’s Rival.

Are Kara Louise’s books all Pride and Prejudice variations?

Most of her fiction is based on or inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Some are Regency variations, some are sequels, some are alternate points of view, and some are modern retellings.

Should I read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice first?

Yes. Kara Louise’s books rely on the reader knowing Austen’s characters, relationships, and original turning points.

Conclusion

The best Kara Louise reading order is not simply “every listed title in a row.” Read the direct sequel pair first, avoid duplicate editions, and then move through the standalone variations by publication order.

For the cleanest path, begin with Assumed Engagement, continue to Assumed Obligation, then read Darcy’s Voyage and Only Mr. Darcy Will Do using those later titles instead of buying the earlier duplicate versions. After that, the rest of Kara Louise’s catalogue can be read according to premise preference.