Kaira Rouda Books in Order (Updated 2026-02-06)

Kaira Rouda’s bibliography splits into two main reading experiences:

• Domestic suspense / psychological thrillers (where some books do connect)
• Earlier contemporary and romance series (readable anytime, but best in sequence within each series)

If you want the least confusing approach, follow the lists below one section at a time.

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Domestic suspense and psychological thrillers

The “Family Secrets” line (read in order)

These titles are directly connected.

1. Best Day Ever (2017): A husband narrates a weekend getaway with a chilling agenda he insists is “romantic.”
2. The Second Mrs. Strom (2024): A new wife steps into a marriage where the previous story is not finished with her.
3. What the Nanny Saw (2024): A household built on appearances starts cracking when the paid help notices too much.

The “Kingsleys” line (read in order)

A wealthy family saga with sharp-edged suspense.

1. Beneath the Surface (2023): A billionaire gathers his heirs on a yacht, and the weekend turns into a power contest with teeth.
2. Under the Palms (2024): The same family tries a luxury retreat, only to find the danger followed them off the boat.

Standalone suspense novels (read in any order)

These don’t require other books first.

• All the Difference (2012): A marriage shifts from stable to precarious when the past returns with leverage.
• The Favorite Daughter (2019): A family’s carefully managed image collapses as resentments finally speak out loud.
• The Next Wife (2021): A widow and a fiancée circle the same man’s memory, and the truth is not neutral.
• Somebody’s Home (2022): A return to a supposedly safe place becomes a reckoning with what was hidden there.
• The Widow (2022): Grief and suspicion overlap when a death leaves more questions than closure.
• The Goodbye Year (2016): A life that looks “fine” unravels as one woman starts noticing what she accepted for too long.
• Jill Is Not Happy (2025): A road trip becomes a private battle between spouses who are both hiding something.
• We Were Never Friends (2026): A glamorous reunion turns sour when the past refuses to stay “just memories.”

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Earlier contemporary novels (standalone)

These are not part of the thriller continuities and can be read anytime.

1. Here, Home, Hope (2011): A woman reassesses a comfortable life when “should be happy” stops feeling true.
2. In the Mirror (2014): A public-facing life and a private self collide, forcing a hard look at what’s real.

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Romance series backlist

Laguna Beach (read in order)

1. Laguna Nights: A glossy coastal romance where attraction clashes with reputation and ambition.
2. Laguna Heights: A second love story in the same world, with friendships and social pressure in the background.
3. Laguna Lights: A new couple navigates fame-adjacent attention and the cost of being seen.
4. Laguna Sights: A relationship deepens as trust becomes harder than chemistry.
5. Laguna Dreams: A later entry that leans into reinvention and the pull of a place that remembers you.

Indigo Island (read in order)

1. Weekend with the Tycoon: A getaway romance where money can’t buy emotional certainty.
2. Her Forbidden Love: Attraction sharpens when timing and boundaries both say “don’t.”
3. The Trouble with Christmas: A holiday reset that forces unfinished feelings into the open.
4. The Billionaire’s Bid: A high-stakes romance where commitment becomes the real gamble.

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Short fiction (optional)

• Reunited (short story): A compact, suspense-leaning look at what happens when the past walks back into the room.

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Best simple plan

If you’re here for suspense: start with Best Day Ever, finish that connected trio, then choose any standalone thriller.
If you’re here for romance: start with Laguna Nights (Laguna Beach) or Weekend with the Tycoon (Indigo Island) and read straight through.