Susan Elizabeth Phillips Books in Order (Updated 2026-02-05)

Susan Elizabeth Phillips writes contemporary romance that’s big on humor, flawed people, and happy endings that feel earned. Her two best-known worlds are Chicago Stars and Wynette, Texas.

Here’s the useful truth: the author treats these books as readable in any order, but reading in numbered order is still the easiest way to catch introductions and avoid “oh, they’re together now” moments.

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Start with one book, then decide if you want a whole world

If you want a single, low-commitment starting point:

• Sports romance with the full SEP “voice” on display: It Had to Be You
• Small-town Texas charm with recurring faces: Fancy Pants
• One-and-done standalone: Kiss an Angel

If you’re planning to read a series, start at book 1 of that series and go forward.

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Chicago Stars books in order

These revolve around pro football, celebrity chaos, and a long chain of connected side characters. Each book tells a complete romance, but later stories do nod back to earlier couples.

1. It Had to Be You (1994): An unlikely new owner inherits a football team and collides with the man determined to keep it from imploding.
2. Heaven, Texas (1995): A polished “fixer” drags a reckless sports legend home and discovers he’s harder to manage than her plan.
3. Nobody’s Baby but Mine (1997): A brilliant heroine makes a reckless choice about motherhood and gets tangled with the last man she wants.
4. Dream a Little Dream (1998): A young mother and a damaged hero circle each other while the town watches for the next disaster.
5. This Heart of Mine (2001): Old wounds and old loyalties resurface when a long-buried story refuses to stay buried.
6. Match Me If You Can (2005): A matchmaker meets the one client who turns her method into a personal hazard.
7. Natural Born Charmer (2007): A drifter and a woman with a complicated past fall into a romance that doesn’t care about timing.
8. First Star I See Tonight (2016): A driven woman and a high-profile man discover that competence doesn’t protect you from feelings.
9. When Stars Collide (2021): A famous athlete and a famous singer have to decide what’s real when everything is public.
10. Simply the Best (2024): A stubborn pair tries to keep their lives separate while attraction keeps rewriting the boundaries.
11. And the Crowd Went Wild (2026): The Chicago Stars return again, with a new romance built on the pressure of legacy and spotlight.

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Wynette, Texas books in order

This is SEP’s Texas setting: a town with long memories, strong opinions, and a habit of pulling outsiders into local dramas.

1. Fancy Pants (1989): A down-on-her-luck heroine lands in Texas and finds that reinvention comes with sparks and consequences.
2. Lady Be Good (1999): A woman with a carefully controlled life is forced into change by a man who won’t let her hide.
3. First Lady (2000): A woman tied to politics and expectations runs straight into a love story that refuses to be “appropriate.”
4. Call Me Irresistible (2011): A wedding scandal makes an outsider the town villain, until someone finally asks what really happened.
5. The Great Escape (2012): A runaway bride chooses chaos over safety and discovers her fresh start has teeth.

Note on overlap: Some readers shelve other SEP titles near Wynette because of tone and connections. When in doubt, follow the official series list above, then treat the rest as standalones unless a book is clearly numbered in a series.

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Standalone novels in publication order

These are not numbered as part of Chicago Stars or Wynette, so you can read them whenever you like.

• Hot Shot (1991): Two strong personalities collide in a romance where pride keeps ruining the obvious solution.
• Honey Moon (1993): A relationship built on impulse has to survive the slower work of real trust.
• Kiss an Angel (1996): A forced marriage turns into an unexpected partnership as the couple learns what commitment actually costs.
• Just Imagine (2001): A sweeping historical-leaning romance where duty and desire keep trying to win the same life.
• Breathing Room (2002): A controlled life breaks open when love arrives in the form of disruption, noise, and need.
• Ain’t She Sweet? (2004): A woman returns to the place that remembers her worst self, and meets someone unwilling to let her rewrite history cheaply.
• What I Did for Love (2009): A public scandal forces two people into proximity until performance turns into honesty.
• Heroes Are My Weakness (2014): A fresh start on an isolated island becomes a romance tangled up with secrets and self-protection.
• Dance Away with Me (2020): A reserved heroine and a larger-than-life hero build something steady from very uneven beginnings.
• Glitter Baby (2008 edition): A high-profile relationship and an unexpected child push two people into choices neither planned for.

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Out-of-print and revision notes

• Risen Glory (1984): Out of print; revised and re-released as Just Imagine.
• The Copeland Bride (1983): Out of print; originally written in collaboration under Justine Cole.

If you’re collecting everything, it’s worth knowing this so you don’t chase duplicates.

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A practical “best experience” reading approach

1. Pick Chicago Stars or Wynette, Texas and read that numbered list straight through.
2. Drop in standalones anywhere you want a change of setting.
3. Save the newest Chicago Stars books for last if you want the cleanest “legacy” feeling.

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Common questions readers ask

Do I have to read Chicago Stars in order?
You don’t have to, but it’s the cleanest way to meet characters as they’re introduced.

Is Wynette, Texas tightly serialized?
It’s more “same town, familiar faces” than one continuous plot, but order still helps with context.

What’s the latest release status?
The next Chicago Stars entry, And the Crowd Went Wild, is scheduled for February 10, 2026.

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Best default plan

If you want one dependable path: start with It Had to Be You, keep going through the Chicago Stars list in order, and use Kiss an Angel as your standalone “palette cleanser” whenever you want a break from the series world.