Willow Aster is an American romance author whose catalog includes emotional standalone novels, small town family series, sports romance, dystopian fiction, and several collaborations.
Most of her romance series follow a different couple in each book. Those novels can often be understood individually, but recurring families, friendships, and earlier relationships make publication order the better choice.
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The Quick Reading Decision
- Safest starting point for Willow Aster: True Love Story, her first published novel.
- Best starting point for a complete modern series: Unforgettable, the first Landmark Mountain book.
- Best starting point for sports romance: Mad Love, the opening book in The Single Dad Playbook.
Main rule: Choose one series, then read that series in numbered publication order. There is no confirmed requirement to combine every Willow Aster series into one continuous timeline.
Her collaborations with Tarryn Fisher and Laura Pavlov belong to their own distinct series and should be treated separately.
Willow Aster Series at a Glance
| Series | First Book | Continuity |
|---|---|---|
| End of Men | Folsom | Connected dystopian series |
| Kingdoms of Sin | Downfall | Connected royal romance series |
| La Jolla | Miles Apart | Main story plus optional novella |
| G.D. Taylors | Wanted Wed or Alive | Interconnected family romances |
| Landmark Mountain | Unforgettable | Interconnected small town romances |
| The Single Dad Playbook | Mad Love | Interconnected sports romances |
| Windy Harbor | Take This Heart | Interconnected small town romances |
| Harrington Ranch | Savage Heart | Separate series beginning in 2026 |
Willow Aster Books in Publication Order by Series
End of Men Books in Order
Written with Tarryn Fisher under the Fisher and Aster collaboration.
- Folsom (2018)
- Jackal (2018)
Included: Both novels.
Continuity note: This is a connected dystopian storyline rather than a collection of independent contemporary romances. Read both books in order.
Separate continuity: The End of Men is not part of Willow Aster’s small town romance worlds.
Kingdoms of Sin Books in Order
- Downfall (2019)
- Exposed (2020)
- Ruin (2020)
- Pride (2020)
Some catalogs also list Conquer as a later Kingdoms of Sin title. However, it does not appear in the author’s current recommended reading order. Its exact status should therefore be treated as uncertain until it is clearly confirmed by the author.
Included: Books 1 through 4.
Continuity note: Publication order preserves character introductions and the intended development of the royal world.
La Jolla Books in Order
- Miles Apart (2019)
- Miles Ahead (2019), novella
Miles Apart has also appeared in third party catalogs under the title 5,331 Miles. Readers should check the description and author details before purchasing to avoid acquiring the same story twice.
Included: Miles Apart.
Optional: Miles Ahead.
The novella belongs after the main novel. Reading it first may remove context from the central relationship.
G.D. Taylors Books in Order
Written with Laura Pavlov.
- Wanted Wed or Alive (2021)
- The Bold and the Bullheaded (2021)
- Another Motherfaker (2021)
- Don’t Cry Over Spilled MILF (2021)
- Friends with Benefactors (2022)
Included: All five numbered novels.
Optional: Falling in Eden, a related free novella listed by the author.
Each main book focuses on a different romance within the same family circle. Publication order is recommended because couples and family developments carry forward.
Landmark Mountain Books in Order
- Unforgettable (2023)
- Someday (2023)
- Irresistible (2023)
- Falling (2024)
- Stay (2024)
Included: All five novels.
Landmark Mountain is an interconnected small town romance series centered on close relationships and recurring family characters. Each couple receives a primary story, but later books can reveal the outcomes of earlier romances.
Start with Unforgettable for the cleanest introduction to the setting and cast.
The Single Dad Playbook Books in Order
- Mad Love (2024)
- Secret Love (2024)
- Reckless Love (2025)
- Wicked Love (2025)
- Crazy Love (2025)
Included: All five novels.
This series combines small town romance, professional football, single fathers, friendship, and found family. The books feature different central couples, but the players and their personal lives overlap.
Publication order is the recommended order because it preserves relationship updates and the development of the group.
Windy Harbor Books in Order
- Take This Heart (2025)
- What It Takes (2026)
- All for Love (2026)
- Endless Summer Nights (2026)
- Now and Forever (scheduled for 2026)
Included: Books 1 through 4 as released by July 2026.
Upcoming: Now and Forever.
Windy Harbor is described as an interconnected series of standalone romances. Each book has its own lead couple, but the shared family, resort, and community create continuing background storylines.
Readers should begin with Take This Heart. Starting later is possible, but it may reveal which earlier characters are together.
Harrington Ranch Books in Order
- Savage Heart (scheduled for October 2026)
Separate series: Harrington Ranch begins a new series and should not be inserted into Windy Harbor or Landmark Mountain unless the author later confirms a direct crossover.
Because Savage Heart had not been released as of July 24, 2026, its final series position may still be updated.
Willow Aster Standalone Books in Publication Order
These books are not currently presented as numbered entries in the author’s major series:
- True Love Story (2013)
- In the Fields (2013)
- Maybe Maby (2014)
- Fade to Red (2015)
- Lilith (2017)
- Summertime (2022)
- Autumn Nights (2023)
The first five can be read independently.
Summertime and Autumn Nights form a closely associated pair. The author describes them as a standalone duet that preceded her later small town series.
Summertime and Autumn Nights Reading Order
- Summertime
- Autumn Nights
Read these in publication order. They are associated stories rather than entries in Landmark Mountain, although they mark the beginning of Willow Aster’s stronger focus on small town romance.
Willow Aster Novellas and Shorter Works
The confidently identified companion novellas are:
- Miles Ahead, read after Miles Apart
- Falling in Eden, associated with the G.D. Taylors books
Both are optional. Neither should replace a numbered series novel.
Willow Aster has also contributed to multi author anthologies and collections. Those appearances are best treated as bonus material unless a specific story is later confirmed as essential to a continuing series.
Collections, Anthologies, and Boxed Sets
Boxed sets generally collect books already listed above. They do not create a new reading order.
A Single Dad Playbook box set, for example, should be read internally in the same order as the individual novels:
- Mad Love
- Secret Love
- Reckless Love
- Wicked Love
- Crazy Love
Anthologies containing a Willow Aster story are optional and may include work by several authors. They should not be inserted into the main reading sequence without a confirmed series connection.
Is There a Chronological Order?
No separate chronological order is needed for most Willow Aster books.
Within each interconnected series, publication order already provides the clearest progression. Reading by an inferred fictional timeline would offer little advantage and could expose established relationships before their original stories.
The End of Men duet is also best read in publication order because it follows one developing speculative storyline.
Recommended Willow Aster Reading Order
Readers do not need to work through the entire bibliography from 2013 onward. A series based approach is more practical.
For the Broadest Author Journey
- True Love Story
- In the Fields
- Maybe Maby
- Fade to Red
- Lilith
- Miles Apart
- Miles Ahead
- Folsom
- Jackal
- Kingdoms of Sin in numbered order
- G.D. Taylors in numbered order
- Summertime
- Autumn Nights
- Landmark Mountain in numbered order
- The Single Dad Playbook in numbered order
- Windy Harbor in numbered order
- Harrington Ranch as released
This route follows the author’s development across standalone romance, speculative fiction, collaborations, and later small town series.
For Contemporary Romance Readers
- Summertime
- Autumn Nights
- Unforgettable
- Complete Landmark Mountain
- Mad Love
- Complete The Single Dad Playbook
- Take This Heart
- Continue Windy Harbor in order
This sequence gives readers a direct path into Willow Aster’s more recent interconnected romance catalog.
For Readers Who Want Only One Series
Begin with one of these:
- Unforgettable for family centered small town romance
- Mad Love for football and single dad romance
- Take This Heart for the Windy Harbor community
- Folsom for dystopian fiction
- Wanted Wed or Alive for the collaborative G.D. Taylors family series
Finish the selected series before moving to another. This avoids unnecessary switching between unrelated casts and settings.
Latest Willow Aster Book
As of July 24, 2026, the newest released Willow Aster novel is Endless Summer Nights, book 4 in the Windy Harbor series. It was released in July 2026.
The author’s website had not yet fully updated its latest release page at the time of review, but the book’s official preview identifies it as Windy Harbor book 4.
Upcoming Willow Aster Books
The following titles were listed for later in 2026:
- Savage Heart, Harrington Ranch, scheduled for October 2026
- Now and Forever, Windy Harbor book 5, scheduled for November 2026
Future titles and dates can change. Readers should confirm the final publication information near release.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Willow Aster’s first book?
Willow Aster’s first published novel was True Love Story, released in 2013.
Do Willow Aster’s books need to be read in order?
Her standalone novels do not. Her interconnected series should be read in numbered publication order to preserve introductions, relationship outcomes, and recurring character developments.
Are Landmark Mountain and The Single Dad Playbook the same series?
No. They are separate series with different central casts and premises. Each should be read independently in its own numbered order.
Are the Windy Harbor books standalones?
They are interconnected standalones. Each novel focuses on a different romance, but shared characters and family developments continue across the series.
Can I start with Mad Love?
Yes. Mad Love is the correct first book in The Single Dad Playbook and one of the clearest starting points for readers who prefer sports romance.
Should Miles Ahead be read before Miles Apart?
No. Read Miles Apart first, then treat Miles Ahead as an optional companion novella.
Did Willow Aster write books with other authors?
Yes. She wrote the End of Men books with Tarryn Fisher and the G.D. Taylors series with Laura Pavlov.
Is Conquer part of Kingdoms of Sin?
Some book catalogs list Conquer after Pride, but it is absent from Willow Aster’s current official reading order. Its status is therefore uncertain and it should not be treated as required reading without further confirmation.
What is the best Willow Aster series for a new reader?
Landmark Mountain is the most straightforward completed starting point. Begin with Unforgettable and continue through Stay.
Conclusion
The simplest way to read Willow Aster is to select a series and follow its publication order. Begin with Unforgettable for a completed small town series, Mad Love for sports romance, or Take This Heart for the ongoing Windy Harbor sequence.
Readers exploring her complete catalog can start with True Love Story. Her collaborations, dystopian books, novellas, and newer romance worlds should remain in their own clearly separated reading groups.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.