Alicia Hunter Pace is the shared pen name of Alabama authors Stephanie Jones and Jean Hovey. Together, they write contemporary romance with Southern settings, close families, professional athletes, small-town gossip, second chances, and characters whose past choices rarely stay private.
The bibliography is more interconnected than it first appears. Love Gone South introduces Merritt, Alabama. Brothers of Beauford Bend moves to Beauford, Tennessee. Crossroads then brings characters from those two communities together.
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Nashville Sound and Good Southern Women form separate sports-romance groups, although later short fiction creates additional links through hockey players and their partners.
Most books follow a new couple and provide a complete romantic ending. Reading in order is still worthwhile because siblings, friends, former couples, children, and community relationships continue across the series.
The Shortest Correct Reading Answer
Readers who want the broadest small-town continuity should follow this route:
- Love Gone South
- Brothers of Beauford Bend
- Crossroads
- Readers interested primarily in hockey romance should begin with Face Off: Emile.
- Readers wanting the authors’ newer work should begin Good Southern Women with Sweet as Pie.
- Readers who prefer a short family series can begin Brothers of Beauford Bend with Forgiving Jackson.
The safest overall starting point is Sweet Gone South. It introduces Merritt and establishes the warm, interconnected Southern community style that carries through much of the bibliography.
How the Main Small-Town Books Connect
Love Gone South and Brothers of Beauford Bend begin as separate town-based series.
Love Gone South follows residents of Merritt, Alabama. Brothers of Beauford Bend centers on the Beauford family and people connected to their Tennessee home.
Crossroads later unites the two locations. Its books involve relationships between characters from Merritt and Beauford, so it should be read only after both earlier series.
This creates a more useful continuity order than a strict author-wide publication list.
Love Gone South Books in Order
Love Gone South is set in Merritt, Alabama, where family reputations, old relationships, class differences, and community gossip shape each romance.
The principal sequence contains four novels and one novella. Santa Gone South is a later holiday return to Merritt.
1. Sweet Gone South
Sweet Gone South (2013): Chocolatier Lanie Heaven grows close to widowed judge Luke Avery and his young daughter, but Luke’s grief and Lanie’s private loss make their rapidly forming family more fragile than it appears.
This book introduces Merritt, the Avery family, and several people who remain important throughout the series.
2. Scrimmage Gone South
Scrimmage Gone South (2013): Lawyer Tolly Lee is forced to face former football star Nathan Scott, whose professional future was changed after he learned she had lied about her age during their earlier relationship.
Their second chance unfolds through school football, an orphaned teenager, lingering guilt, and the scrutiny of a town that remembers Nathan as a local hero.
2.5. Slugger Gone South
Slugger Gone South (2013): New York baseball player Marc MacNeal arrives in Merritt for a charity event and encounters former fiancée Bailey Watkins, reopening the betrayal and misunderstanding that ended their engagement.
This novella fits between Scrimmage Gone South and Simple Gone South. It adds another athlete to the Merritt circle without carrying the full weight of the town’s principal storyline.
3. Simple Gone South
Simple Gone South (2013): Brantley Kincaid returns to Merritt burdened by the family tragedy he believes he caused and becomes involved with interior designer Lucy Mead, the childhood friend who once loved him without being seen.
The romance asks whether Brantley is choosing Lucy for love or using her as another refuge from unresolved grief.
4. Secrets Gone South
Secrets Gone South (2014): Furniture craftsman Will Garrett discovers that Dr. Arabelle Avery returned to Merritt with the son he never knew existed, forcing both of them to confront class differences, secrecy, and the choices made after one emotional night.
The book brings several Avery family relationships together and works best after Sweet Gone South.
5. Santa Gone South
Santa Gone South (2020): A Christmas return to Merritt places familiar residents, family expectations, and a new holiday romance inside the community established by the original books.
This later installment is best read after the four principal novels and Slugger Gone South. It assumes that readers are comfortable with the town and its established couples.
Best Love Gone South Order
Read the series as follows:
- Sweet Gone South
- Scrimmage Gone South
- Slugger Gone South
- Simple Gone South
- Secrets Gone South
- Santa Gone South
Some older collections stop after Secrets Gone South because Santa Gone South was published several years later.
Brothers of Beauford Bend Books in Order
Brothers of Beauford Bend follows men connected to the wealthy and complicated Beauford family in Tennessee.
The series combines family estrangement, inherited responsibility, damaged reputations, illness, military service, and holiday reunions. The books change couples but continue the same family history.
1. Forgiving Jackson
Forgiving Jackson (2014): Jackson Beauford returns to the family world he left behind and must seek forgiveness while rebuilding a relationship damaged by pride, old choices, and the Beauford name.
The novel establishes Beauford Bend and introduces the brothers whose stories follow.
2. Nickolai’s Noel
Nickolai’s Noel (2014): Nickolai faces a Christmas romance complicated by family expectations, old loyalties, and the question of whether he can create a home that feels different from the one that shaped him.
This holiday novella or shorter novel belongs directly after Forgiving Jackson. It expands the family without beginning a separate continuity.
3. Reforming Gabe
Reforming Gabe (2015): Gabe’s reputation for charm and irresponsibility is tested when he meets a woman who expects more from him than an easy smile and a temporary relationship.
His story develops another branch of the Beauford family while showing how earlier family changes affect the remaining brothers.
4. Redeeming Rafe
Redeeming Rafe (2015): Rafe attempts to repair the damage created by his past while pursuing a relationship that requires honesty, responsibility, and a willingness to accept consequences.
This book continues the series’ pattern of men confronting identities that their family and community have already defined for them.
4.5. Heath’s Hope
Heath’s Hope (2015): Heath receives a shorter romance centered on hope, recovery, and the possibility of belonging within the Beauford family circle.
Read it after Redeeming Rafe. It is usually treated as a companion story rather than a full numbered novel.
5. Healing Beau
Healing Beau (2016): Beau’s physical or emotional wounds place healing at the center of a romance that also brings the Beauford family’s long-running conflicts toward resolution.
The book closes the principal Brothers of Beauford Bend sequence and benefits from familiarity with every earlier sibling and partner.
Brothers of Beauford Bend Reading Order
The complete route is:
- Forgiving Jackson
- Nickolai’s Noel
- Reforming Gabe
- Redeeming Rafe
- Heath’s Hope
- Healing Beau
Do not skip directly to Healing Beau when family continuity matters. The earlier romances change the relationships surrounding him.
Crossroads Books in Order
Crossroads is the bridge series between Merritt, Alabama, and Beauford, Tennessee.
Its characters and family relationships draw from both Love Gone South and Brothers of Beauford Bend. Readers can understand the main romances without every earlier book, but the crossover recognition is the principal reason the series exists.
1. Misbehaving in Merritt
Misbehaving in Merritt (2016): A relationship brings the Beauford and Merritt communities into direct contact, where family reputations and behavior judged by two different towns complicate the couple’s future.
This book opens the crossover and should be read after Healing Beau and Secrets Gone South.
2. Misunderstood in Merritt
Misunderstood in Merritt (2016): A character whose motives or reputation have been misread receives a romance that forces the people around them to reconsider long-held assumptions.
The story continues the Beauford and Merritt connection while revealing the established outcomes of the first Crossroads romance.
3. Mistletoed in Merritt
Mistletoed in Merritt (2016): A Christmas romance reunites characters from the connected towns and uses holiday obligations, family gatherings, and small-town interference to complete the trilogy.
Read it last. The festive setting includes relationship developments from both earlier Crossroads books.
The Complete Merritt and Beauford Continuity
For every crossover in context, follow this order:
- Sweet Gone South (2013): Lanie, Luke, and Emma begin the Merritt family network.
- Scrimmage Gone South (2013): Tolly and Nathan confront a painful football-related past.
- Slugger Gone South (2013): Marc and Bailey receive a baseball-centered second chance.
- Simple Gone South (2013): Brantley returns home and reconnects with Lucy.
- Secrets Gone South (2014): Will discovers the truth about Arabelle and their child.
- Forgiving Jackson (2014): Jackson opens the Beauford family sequence.
- Nickolai’s Noel (2014): Nickolai’s Christmas romance expands the family.
- Reforming Gabe (2015): Gabe confronts his reputation and the possibility of commitment.
- Redeeming Rafe (2015): Rafe attempts to repair his past.
- Heath’s Hope (2015): Heath receives a shorter companion romance.
- Healing Beau (2016): Beau’s story completes the main Beauford Bend arc.
- Misbehaving in Merritt (2016): The two town continuities begin to overlap directly.
- Misunderstood in Merritt (2016): A second crossover romance develops between the connected communities.
- Mistletoed in Merritt (2016): Christmas brings the Crossroads trilogy to its conclusion.
- Santa Gone South (2020): A later holiday return revisits Merritt after the original interconnected run.
This is the recommended reading route for readers interested in the authors’ Southern small-town universe.
Nashville Sound Books in Order
Nashville Sound follows professional hockey players connected to a Nashville team. The series combines sports careers with family pressure, injuries, public scrutiny, forbidden attraction, and men whose physical strength does not protect them from emotional damage.
Each book follows a new player. Team relationships and appearances by earlier couples make publication order preferable.
1. Face Off: Emile
Face Off: Emile (2017): Hockey player Emile faces a romance in which professional expectations, personal loyalty, and the emotional cost of his career make commitment more difficult than attraction.
The novel introduces the Nashville team and the player network supporting the rest of the series.
2. Slap Shot: Bryant
Slap Shot: Bryant (2017): Bryant and the woman he wants carry deep emotional scars into a relationship complicated by pain, family boundaries, and feelings they may believe are forbidden.
This second novel expands the team’s private lives and assumes readers already know the people around Bryant.
3. High Stick: Jarret
High Stick: Jarret (2018): Jarret’s hockey career and personal reputation collide with a romance that demands greater honesty than the public image he has learned to maintain.
Previous Nashville Sound couples remain part of the team circle, so the book belongs third.
4. Body Check: Thor
Body Check: Thor (2018): Thor’s physical presence and hockey identity conceal vulnerabilities that become unavoidable when a relationship forces him to choose between emotional safety and a more permanent future.
The fourth book completes the principal Nashville Sound sequence.
Nashville Sound Reading Rule
Use this order:
- Face Off: Emile
- Slap Shot: Bryant
- High Stick: Jarret
- Body Check: Thor
The romances are complete, but the team develops as a continuing ensemble.
Good Southern Women Books in Order
Good Southern Women is Alicia Hunter Pace’s most recent principal series. The books focus on Southern women who appear polished, capable, or socially secure while carrying private wounds and complicated romantic histories.
Professional hockey connects the series to the Alabama Yellowhammers, but it is not a continuation of Nashville Sound.
1. Sweet as Pie
Sweet as Pie (2021): A Southern woman whose life appears controlled and familiar becomes involved in a romance that tests family expectations, personal history, and the version of herself others believe they know.
The novel introduces the central women and establishes the series’ combination of Southern community and professional sports.
2. Smooth as Silk
Smooth as Silk (2022): Another woman in the connected circle faces a relationship that looks effortless from the outside but requires both partners to confront insecurity, reputation, and the risks hidden beneath polished appearances.
Earlier characters return, so it is best read after Sweet as Pie.
3. Shine Like Silver
Shine Like Silver (2022): A woman accustomed to presenting strength and composure meets a romantic challenge that forces her to recognize the difference between appearing resilient and allowing someone to share her burdens.
This third novel continues the Alabama Yellowhammers and Good Southern Women social circle.
Highland Proposal
Highland Proposal (2024): Rookie hockey goalie Dietrich Wingo plans to propose to free-spirited Piper Morgan at a Scottish Highlands wedding, but pre-wedding chaos and Piper’s insecurity threaten his carefully prepared moment.
This short story is a follow-up to the Good Southern Women books rather than Book 4 of the main trilogy. Read it after Shine Like Silver.
Good Southern Women Reading Order
The recommended sequence is:
- Sweet as Pie
- Smooth as Silk
- Shine Like Silver
- Highland Proposal
Highland Proposal is supplemental and reveals an established relationship from the series.
Earlier Standalone and Short Romance Titles
Alicia Hunter Pace published several independent stories and anthology contributions between the major series.
Some were written for multi-author collections or themed projects. They should not be inserted into Love Gone South, Beauford Bend, Nashville Sound, or Good Southern Women unless a specific edition identifies a crossover.
Take Me Out
Take Me Out (2014): A sports-centered short romance brings attraction into conflict with competition, public pressure, or the demands surrounding an athlete’s career.
This title appears in a multi-author collection and is best treated as optional short fiction rather than a numbered series installment.
Tidings of Love
Tidings of Love (2015): A holiday romance uses Christmas expectations, family gatherings, and an unexpected emotional connection to challenge the central couple’s existing plans.
The story is independent of Nickolai’s Noel despite both using Christmas settings.
To Protect & Serve
To Protect & Serve (2016): A protector or public-service hero becomes personally involved with someone he is expected to keep safe, complicating the difference between duty and emotional commitment.
This is a standalone or themed-project romance rather than part of Brothers of Beauford Bend.
Sweet & Sexy
Sweet & Sexy (2017): A romantic connection develops through the contrast between a respectable public image and a more private attraction neither character can comfortably acknowledge.
The book can be read independently.
Sweet Tea & Sunshine
Sweet Tea & Sunshine (2017): A Southern setting, community ties, and a hopeful new relationship bring two people together while each is trying to create a more stable future.
This standalone reflects the authors’ usual Southern voice but does not continue Love Gone South.
The Boy Next Door
The Boy Next Door (2017): A familiar man from the heroine’s past becomes a romantic possibility when proximity reveals that the person she thought she understood has changed.
This title should not be confused with similarly named books by other romance authors. It is separate from the Merritt and Beauford series.
Works of Passion
Works of Passion (2017): Creativity, professional ambition, or artistic work brings a couple together while their personal involvement threatens the boundaries they rely on.
The story stands alone and requires no earlier Alicia Hunter Pace book.
And Baby Makes Three
And Baby Makes Three (2017): A child or unexpected pregnancy changes a couple’s relationship, forcing them to decide whether shared responsibility can become a genuine family.
This is a self-contained family romance rather than another Love Gone South secret-child installment.
Gridiron Love
Gridiron Love (2017): Football places a romantic relationship under pressure from competition, injury, public attention, or the expectations attached to an athlete.
The story is separate from Nathan Scott’s romance in Scrimmage Gone South.
Bases Loaded
Bases Loaded (2017): Baseball and a relationship reaching a decisive moment bring the central couple together when professional stakes and personal history are both difficult to ignore.
This title is independent of Slugger Gone South, although both use baseball romance.
Christmas Kisses
Christmas Kisses (2017): A holiday encounter or reunion turns seasonal affection into a relationship that may last after Christmas obligations end.
This is optional festive reading and not part of the Crossroads trilogy.
Designing Women
Designing Women (2018): Careers involving design, presentation, or carefully constructed lives place two people in conflict when attraction exposes what neither has been able to control.
The book is a standalone romance.
Secret Affairs
Secret Affairs (2018): A hidden relationship creates professional, family, or social consequences when the couple can no longer keep private feelings separate from public life.
No prior series reading is required.
Collections and Multi-Author Anthologies
Collections can create duplicate entries because the same short story may appear alone and inside a themed volume.
Readers should check the table of contents before purchasing a collection after buying its individual stories.
Take Me Out
Take Me Out (2014): This collection gathers sports-related romances, including Alicia Hunter Pace’s contribution about love complicated by athletics and competition.
The anthology itself should not be counted as a separate full-length Alicia Hunter Pace novel.
Bodies in Motion: 10 Athletes to Adore
Bodies in Motion: 10 Athletes to Adore (2017): Ten sports-romance stories place athletes, coaches, and people in their professional circles at the center of separate relationships.
Only the Alicia Hunter Pace contribution belongs in an author-specific reading list.
Gridiron Love
Gridiron Love (2017): This football-themed collection presents romances shaped by the sport, its players, and the pressures surrounding competition.
A story available separately may also appear in the anthology.
Bases Loaded
Bases Loaded (2017): This baseball-romance collection gathers stories involving players, teams, and relationships affected by life around the diamond.
The collection is optional if the relevant Alicia Hunter Pace story is already owned.
Christmas Kisses
Christmas Kisses (2017): Holiday romances from multiple authors explore reunions, seasonal commitments, and relationships changed by Christmas.
It does not add another numbered Merritt or Beauford book.
Love Gone South: The Complete Series
Love Gone South: The Complete Series (2015): Collects Sweet Gone South, Scrimmage Gone South, Slugger Gone South, Simple Gone South, and Secrets Gone South in one edition.
The collection predates Santa Gone South, so it does not represent every later Merritt story.
Alternate Numbering and Catalog Conflicts
Alicia Hunter Pace’s bibliography has several numbering differences between retailers and reference sites.
Slugger Gone South is best placed as Book 2.5. Some lists label it the third item because it is the third story published.
Heath’s Hope is commonly placed between Redeeming Rafe and Healing Beau. Some catalogs call it Book 4.5, while others number every release consecutively.
Healing Beau may therefore appear as Book 5 or as the sixth total entry when the shorter stories are counted.
Highland Proposal is a Good Southern Women short. It is not a fourth full-length novel.
Crossroads is sometimes omitted from bibliography pages that list only longer or publisher-defined series. The three books remain a genuine crossover sequence between Merritt and Beauford.
Alicia Hunter Pace Books in Publication Order
The following list includes principal novels, short fiction, and clearly credited collections. Anthologies may duplicate stories available separately.
- Sweet Gone South (2013): Chocolatier Lanie forms a family-like bond with widowed judge Luke and his daughter.
- Scrimmage Gone South (2013): Tolly and former football star Nathan confront the lie that ended their first relationship.
- Slugger Gone South (2013): Baseball player Marc reunites with former fiancée Bailey during a charity event.
- Simple Gone South (2013): Grieving Brantley returns to Merritt and becomes involved with childhood friend Lucy.
- Secrets Gone South (2014): Will learns that Arabelle returned with the son he never knew existed.
- Take Me Out (2014): A sports-romance story places competition beside an unexpected emotional connection.
- Forgiving Jackson (2014): Jackson returns to Beauford Bend seeking forgiveness and a new future.
- Nickolai’s Noel (2014): Nickolai’s holiday romance expands the Beauford family circle.
- Reforming Gabe (2015): Gabe faces a woman unwilling to accept his charming but unreliable reputation.
- Redeeming Rafe (2015): Rafe attempts to repair the personal damage attached to his past.
- Heath’s Hope (2015): Heath receives a shorter romance about recovery and belonging.
- Tidings of Love (2015): Christmas creates an unexpected relationship during a season of family obligations.
- Healing Beau (2016): Beau’s emotional or physical healing completes the principal Beauford Bend series.
- To Protect & Serve (2016): Duty and attraction collide for a hero responsible for another person’s safety.
- Misbehaving in Merritt (2016): Merritt and Beauford characters meet in the first Crossroads romance.
- Misunderstood in Merritt (2016): Reputation and mistaken judgment drive the second crossover story.
- Mistletoed in Merritt (2016): A holiday relationship completes the Crossroads trilogy.
- Sweet & Sexy (2017): A respectable public image conflicts with a more private attraction.
- Sweet Tea & Sunshine (2017): A Southern community provides the setting for a hopeful new romance.
- The Boy Next Door (2017): Familiarity becomes attraction when a man from the past returns in a new role.
- Works of Passion (2017): Creative or professional ambitions complicate a developing relationship.
- And Baby Makes Three (2017): A child or pregnancy forces a couple to reconsider the meaning of family.
- Face Off: Emile (2017): Emile begins the Nashville Sound hockey sequence.
- Gridiron Love (2017): Football pressure shapes a romance involving an athlete or his close circle.
- Bases Loaded (2017): Baseball places professional ambitions beside a decisive personal relationship.
- Slap Shot: Bryant (2017): Bryant faces a relationship shaped by emotional scars and forbidden feelings.
- Christmas Kisses (2017): Holiday affection becomes a possible lasting commitment.
- Designing Women (2018): Professional control and carefully arranged lives are unsettled by attraction.
- High Stick: Jarret (2018): Jarret’s hockey identity and private vulnerabilities collide.
- Secret Affairs (2018): A hidden relationship creates consequences when secrecy becomes unsustainable.
- Body Check: Thor (2018): Thor closes the principal Nashville Sound sequence with a romance requiring emotional risk.
- Santa Gone South (2020): Christmas brings readers back to Merritt and its established community.
- Sweet as Pie (2021): Good Southern Women begins with romance, family expectations, and the Alabama hockey circle.
- Smooth as Silk (2022): A polished exterior conceals insecurity and emotional risk in the second connected romance.
- Shine Like Silver (2022): Strength and vulnerability shape the third Good Southern Women story.
- Highland Proposal (2024): Dietrich plans to propose to Piper during a Scottish wedding, but insecurity disrupts the plan.
Is There a Separate Chronological Order?
No alternate chronological arrangement improves the principal series.
Love Gone South, Brothers of Beauford Bend, Crossroads, Nashville Sound, and Good Southern Women all work best in publication order within their own groups.
The one useful adjustment is at the universe level. Complete Love Gone South and Brothers of Beauford Bend before Crossroads, even though their original publication periods overlap slightly.
Holiday novellas should remain after the books that establish their communities and couples.
Recommended Reading Routes
For Southern Small-Town Continuity
- Read Love Gone South through Secrets Gone South.
- Complete Brothers of Beauford Bend.
- Read the three Crossroads books.
- Finish with Santa Gone South.
This route gives the crossover characters and town relationships their fullest context.
For Sports Romance
- Read Scrimmage Gone South for football.
- Read Slugger Gone South for baseball.
- Complete Nashville Sound for professional hockey.
- Read Good Southern Women for the Alabama Yellowhammers.
- Add Highland Proposal after the trilogy.
The football, baseball, and hockey stories do not all share one strict sports universe.
For a Shorter Starting Commitment
Begin with Nashville Sound if you want four connected hockey romances.
Begin with Good Southern Women if you want the newest three-book sequence.
Begin with Love Gone South when you want the strongest introduction to the authors’ Southern small-town style.
Latest Alicia Hunter Pace Book
Highland Proposal (2024): Hockey goalie Dietrich Wingo intends to propose to Piper Morgan during a teammate’s wedding in the Scottish Highlands, but Piper’s doubts and a series of pre-wedding complications threaten the moment.
The short was published in July 2024 and is the latest reliably confirmed Alicia Hunter Pace release as of August 4, 2026.
It belongs after the Good Southern Women trilogy and should not be used as the series starting point.
Upcoming Alicia Hunter Pace Books
No later Alicia Hunter Pace book with a confirmed title and publication date could be reliably verified as of August 4, 2026.
Current bibliography records continue to identify Highland Proposal as the newest release. Unconfirmed retailer pages or inactive placeholders should not be treated as announced books.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Alicia Hunter Pace?
Alicia Hunter Pace is the joint pen name of Stephanie Jones and Jean Hovey.
The authors write contemporary romance with a strong Southern voice, including small-town, family, holiday, football, baseball, and hockey stories.
What Is Alicia Hunter Pace’s First Book?
Sweet Gone South (2013): Chocolatier Lanie Heaven becomes part of widowed judge Luke Avery’s life after he moves above her Merritt candy shop.
Some databases list Scrimmage Gone South first because the two titles have closely related publication records. Sweet Gone South is the established first Love Gone South novel and the safest starting point.
Are Love Gone South and Beauford Bend Connected?
They begin as separate town-based series.
Crossroads later connects Merritt, Alabama, with Beauford, Tennessee. Read both earlier series before beginning Misbehaving in Merritt.
Where Does Slugger Gone South Belong?
Slugger Gone South belongs after Scrimmage Gone South and before Simple Gone South.
It is a novella commonly numbered Book 2.5.
Is Santa Gone South Part of Love Gone South?
Yes.
It is a later holiday return to Merritt and is usually listed as Book 5, although it was published six years after Secrets Gone South.
Should Brothers of Beauford Bend Be Read in Order?
Yes.
The romances change, but the brothers’ family relationships, reputations, and earlier partners continue throughout the series.
Is Heath’s Hope a Full Novel?
It is generally treated as a shorter companion story.
Place it after Redeeming Rafe and before Healing Beau.
What Is Crossroads?
Crossroads is a three-book crossover series linking Love Gone South with Brothers of Beauford Bend.
The books are Misbehaving in Merritt, Misunderstood in Merritt, and Mistletoed in Merritt.
Can I Start Crossroads Without Reading the Earlier Series?
The central romances can be followed, but it is not the recommended route.
Much of the appeal comes from recognizing families and communities established in Merritt and Beauford.
Are Nashville Sound and Good Southern Women Connected?
Both feature professional hockey, but they are presented as separate series.
Good Southern Women focuses on the Alabama Yellowhammers and a different connected social group.
How Many Nashville Sound Books Are There?
There are four:
- Face Off: Emile
- Slap Shot: Bryant
- High Stick: Jarret
- Body Check: Thor
Read them in publication order.
How Many Good Southern Women Novels Are There?
There are three principal novels:
- Sweet as Pie
- Smooth as Silk
- Shine Like Silver
Highland Proposal is a later short story.
Is Highland Proposal a Standalone?
Its immediate proposal plot can be understood independently, but it follows characters connected to Good Southern Women.
Read it after Shine Like Silver to avoid learning relationship outcomes early.
Does Love Gone South: The Complete Series Include Santa Gone South?
No.
The collection was issued before Santa Gone South and contains the original Merritt sequence through Secrets Gone South.
Are the Anthologies Required?
No.
Collections such as Take Me Out, Bodies in Motion, Gridiron Love, Bases Loaded, and Christmas Kisses are optional. They contain work by multiple authors and do not continue Alicia Hunter Pace’s main series.
What Is the Best Alicia Hunter Pace Book to Start With?
Begin with Sweet Gone South for small-town Southern romance.
Begin with Face Off: Emile for hockey romance. Choose Sweet as Pie when you want the authors’ newer series.
What Is Alicia Hunter Pace’s Latest Book?
Highland Proposal is the latest verified release.
It was published in July 2024 and follows Dietrich Wingo’s attempt to propose to Piper Morgan at a Scottish Highlands wedding.
Conclusion
The clearest Alicia Hunter Pace reading journey begins in Merritt with Sweet Gone South. Complete the original Love Gone South books, move to the Brothers of Beauford Bend series, and then read Crossroads to see the two communities meet.
Nashville Sound forms a separate four-book hockey sequence beginning with Face Off: Emile. Good Southern Women is the newer sports-connected series and should be read from Sweet as Pie through Shine Like Silver, followed by the short Highland Proposal.
The standalones and multi-author collections can be read at any time. They should not be inserted into the main continuity unless their edition explicitly identifies a Merritt, Beauford, Nashville Sound, or Good Southern Women connection.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.