Rebecca Serle Books in Order (Updated 2026)

Rebecca Serle writes emotionally driven fiction that often blends romance with speculative questions about time, fate, and choice. Her bibliography falls into two clear lanes, early young adult novels (including one true duology) and later adult standalone novels.

There is no single shared universe across her career, but order matters inside the YA duology. Everything else can be read independently.

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How to choose where to begin

• Most readers today start with: In Five Years
• If you want her most reflective, grief-centered novel: One Italian Summer
• If you want the newest direction: Expiration Dates
• If you want to read everything cleanly: follow publication order, split by YA → adult

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Adult novels (standalones, read in any order)

These books are completely self-contained. Each line below is an original, reader-facing summary.

1. The Dinner List (2018): A woman attends a birthday dinner where every guest, alive or dead, forces her to confront unresolved love and regret.
2. In Five Years (2020): A meticulously planned life is shaken when a woman glimpses a future that doesn’t match the one she chose.
3. One Italian Summer (2022): After her mother’s death, a grieving daughter finds herself face-to-face with a younger version of the woman she lost.
4. Expiration Dates (2024): A woman who knows exactly when each relationship will end must decide whether certainty is a gift or a trap.

Continuity note: These novels do not overlap in characters or plot. Any order works.

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Young adult novels (publication order recommended)

Standalone YA novels

1. When You Were Mine (2012): A modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet told from the perspective of the girl left behind.
2. The Edge of Falling (2014): A friendship and a near-tragedy collide, forcing two teens to question blame, loyalty, and truth.

Famous in Love duology (read in order)

This is the only place where strict order matters.

1. Famous in Love (2016): A regular girl is cast in a blockbuster film and pulled into fame, romance, and public scrutiny all at once.
2. Truly, Madly, Famously (2017): Success raises the stakes as love, ambition, and identity collide under a spotlight that won’t dim.

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Publication order (everything, start to finish)

If you prefer a single, tidy list:

1. When You Were Mine (2012)
2. The Edge of Falling (2014)
3. Famous in Love (2016)
4. Truly, Madly, Famously (2017)
5. The Dinner List (2018)
6. In Five Years (2020)
7. One Italian Summer (2022)
8. Expiration Dates (2024)

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Recommended reading paths

If you only want two books

• In Five Years → One Italian Summer
  This pairing shows her emotional range without repetition.

If you want the full adult arc

• The Dinner List → In Five Years → One Italian Summer → Expiration Dates
  This preserves the shift from conceptual to more reflective storytelling.

If you’re YA-first

• When You Were Mine
• The Edge of Falling
• Famous in Love → Truly, Madly, Famously

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FAQs

Do Rebecca Serle’s adult novels connect to each other?
No. Each one stands alone with new characters and premises.

Is Famous in Love required reading for her adult books?
No. The YA novels are a separate lane.

Which book is the safest first try?
In Five Years is the most commonly recommended entry point because it balances romance, structure, and emotional payoff.

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Final takeaway

Rebecca Serle’s catalog is best approached by lane, not chronology.
If you’re reading her adult novels, pick the premise that speaks to you and start there. If you’re reading the YA books, keep the Famous in Love duology in order, and everything else stays flexible.