Melissa Ferguson writes clean romantic comedies (and, more recently, a rom-com with cozy-mystery flavor) that are built to read as standalones. There isn’t a numbered series you have to follow.
The real “reading order” issue with this author is packaging: a couple of her Christmas novellas show up in multiple collections, so it’s easy to buy the same story twice if you don’t know what’s inside.
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This article may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Quick navigation for readers who don’t want homework
Best one-book starting point (classic romcom energy):
Meet Me in the Margins (2022): A junior editor hides her secret manuscript, then gets pulled into anonymous notes and real chemistry that force her to risk being seen.
If you want enemies-to-lovers with big escalation:
The Cul-de-Sac War (2020): A neighbor feud turns into competitive chaos, forcing two stubborn people to admit what the “war” is really covering up.
If you want the newest release (romcom + mystery angle):
Without a Clue (2026): A writers’ cruise becomes a clue-filled mess, forcing a bookish heroine to untangle danger and feelings before the ship docks.
Do any of these connect?
No ongoing storyline connects the novels in a way that requires order. Read by premise.
Exception (format, not plot): the holiday novellas are sometimes reissued inside different bundles.
Main novels in publication order
- The Dating Charade (2019): Two exhausted daters fake confidence until real responsibilities land on their doorstep, forcing them to decide whether the relationship can survive honesty.
- The Cul-de-Sac War (2020): A prank war between neighbors spirals into mutual obsession, forcing rivals to face the thin line between irritation and attraction.
- Meet Me in the Margins (2022): Secret writing and workplace anonymity collide, forcing a hidden-romance author to claim her voice before someone else defines it.
- Famous for a Living (2023): A fallen influencer hides out in a national park, forcing her to rebuild identity without the internet, and without winning over a man who hates her world.
- How to Plot a Payback (2024): A Hollywood-adjacent grudge turns into a strategic reset, forcing a heroine to choose whether revenge is worth the life she could build instead.
- The Perfect Rom-Com (2025): A ghostwriter trapped inside other people’s happy endings faces career and heart pressure at once, forcing her to write the truth she’s avoided.
- Without a Clue (2026): A cruise meant for writers turns into a puzzle with real stakes, forcing a heroine to follow the evidence while her feelings complicate every decision.
Holiday and shorter fiction
These are optional and can be read anytime, but the collections overlap.
Standalone holiday collections (publication order)
- This Time Around (2021) [multi-author novella collection]: A set of second-chance romances includes Melissa Ferguson’s “Pining for You,” where a Christmas tree farm weekend forces old heartbreak into a practical, grown-up choice.
- On the Way to Christmas (2022) [multi-author novella collection]: Three holiday novellas share a “trip to Christmas” theme, and later editions/spin-offs can cause duplicate purchases if you don’t check contents.
- Snowy Serendipity (2023) [two-novella collection]: Two sweet holiday novellas, “Dashing Through the Snow” and “Pining for You”, package stories that also appear in other collections.
- Dashing Through the Snow (2025) [digital-original novella]: A breakup triggers a solo Christmas train trip, forcing a heroine to reclaim her worth while the ride keeps offering unexpected companionship.
Duplicate-warning, said plainly
- If you buy Snowy Serendipity, you are already getting “Dashing Through the Snow” and “Pining for You.”
- “Pining for You” is also inside This Time Around.
- “Dashing Through the Snow” is also tied to On the Way to Christmas branding and later appears as its own digital novella.
Other lane: children’s book
- Our Friendly Farmhouse (2025) [children’s picture book]: A family farmhouse storybook shifts the author into a kidlit format, separate from the adult fiction lineup.
A “no-duplication” reading plan
If you want everything but don’t want repeats:
- Read the main novels in publication order (2019 → 2026).
- Choose one way to get the holiday novellas:
- Pick Snowy Serendipity (2023) or pick This Time Around (2021) + Dashing Through the Snow (2025), but don’t buy all three unless you’re fine with duplicates.
- Treat Our Friendly Farmhouse (2025) as separate, only if you want her children’s book.
FAQs
Do Melissa Ferguson’s novels share characters or a required timeline?
They’re intended as standalones, so you can jump in anywhere without missing setup.
Why do the Christmas books feel confusing to collect?
Because the same novellas can be repackaged in different bundles, and sometimes later released on their own.
What’s the best “first book” if I’m unsure?
If you want workplace romance, start with Meet Me in the Margins (2022); if you want the newest style with a mystery edge, start with Without a Clue (2026).
Bottom line
Read the novels in any order, publication order is only for readers who like watching an author’s style evolve. For the holiday material, choose your collection carefully so you don’t accidentally rebuy the same novellas.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.