Morgan Elizabeth Books in Order (Updated March 25, 2026)

Morgan Elizabeth writes contemporary romance and romantic comedy, with her catalog split between earlier small-town and beach-town series, the breakout revenge rom-coms, and a newer run of interconnected seasonal and summer books.

The books are usually readable on their own, but series order still helps because friend groups, family networks, and tonal callbacks land better when you read in sequence.

The cleanest way to read Morgan Elizabeth

There are three easy entry lanes, depending on what you want.

1. If you want the books most readers start with now, begin with Seasons of Revenge.
2. If you want her newer, more polished small-town rom-com lane, begin with Evergreen Park.
3. If you want to see the catalog from the beginning, start with Springbrook Hills.

For most new readers, the safest overall route is:

1. ’Tis the Season for Revenge
2. Cruel Summer
3. The Fall of Bradley Reed
4. Ick Factor
5. Then move to Evergreen Park
6. Then branch into Holly Ridge or Down the Shore

Best starting point for most readers: Seasons of Revenge

This is the series that best captures Morgan Elizabeth’s current reputation: high-concept rom-coms, revenge energy, strong banter, and couples who start in messy situations and turn them into something real.

1. Big Nick Energy (2023): A holiday novella about a newly divorced heroine, her two daughters, and the cowboy dad who starts showing up to create Christmas magic for them. Optional, but it fits best after book 1 if you want the extra family thread.
2. ’Tis the Season for Revenge (2022): A Christmas revenge romance where Abbie, freshly dumped and remade, sets out to punish her ex and instead gets tangled up with a grumpy New York lawyer.
3. Cruel Summer (2023): Camile takes her dream job at a beach club and tries to stop sabotaging every connection, only to find that revenge is easier than vulnerability.
4. The Fall of Bradley Reed (2023): Olivia, left at the altar, starts plotting against her ex and ends up pulled into a fake-dating, FBI-adjacent revenge spiral.
5. Ick Factor (2024): Kat agrees to a fake engagement with her boss’s son under a seven-date deal, only to discover that her usual instinct to run may finally be failing her.

Recommended order: Read in publication order. Put Big Nick Energy between books 1 and 2 or after the full series if you want a smoother main-line read.

New-reader alternative: Evergreen Park

If you want a more obviously interconnected friend-group rom-com setup, Evergreen Park is a strong entry point. It has a cleaner modern feel than the earliest series and is easy to binge.

1. Passenger Princess (2024): Ava accidentally wins Miss Americana and gets sent on a national press tour with Jaime, the grumpy bodyguard assigned to keep her under control.
2. If This Was a Movie (2024): Jules reconnects with the man she blocked after a New Year’s Eve almost-romance when his daughter decides Jules is her Christmas wish.
3. Never Been Worse (2025): Harper’s ruined reputation and a disastrous prank lead to a marriage-of-convenience proposal from her longtime crush, rockstar Wes.

Why this series works so well: it balances holiday warmth, celebrity and public-image pressure, and a friend-group structure without becoming hard to follow.

Early catalog: Springbrook Hills

This is Morgan Elizabeth’s first main series and still the best place to start if you want her publishing history in order. The books are more traditional small-town contemporary romances, with each entry centered on a different couple.

1. The Distraction (2021): Hannah tries to protect her heart when the standoffish uncle of the children she nannies comes to stay for the summer.
2. The Protector (2021): Luna turns to her older brother’s best friend, Tony, when a stalker threat brings old feelings and unfinished history back into her life.
3. The Substitution (2021): An office romance that shifts the series toward workplace chemistry while keeping the same small-town relationship web.
4. The Connection (2022): Dean steps in to help Kate and her son after a school incident, turning a protective impulse into a single-mom romance.
5. The Playlist (2023): Zoe’s childhood bucket list sends her on a road-trip romance with Zander, the best friend’s brother who has been waiting for his chance.

Best use of this series: read it straight through if you want the foundation of Morgan Elizabeth’s voice before the later rom-com breakout.

Ocean View

This three-book series sits between the early small-town books and the bigger, splashier later rom-coms. It is beachy, close-knit, and slightly looser in structure.

1. The Ex Files (2022): Cassandra runs a matchmaking business built on spotting red flags, then meets a mechanic who wants to prove he is worth trusting.
2. Walking Red Flag (2022): Gabi lands in Dr. Vic’s orbit and ends up in a brother’s-best-friend romance that mixes sexual self-discovery with comic chaos.
3. Bittersweet (2022): Lola tries to rebuild her life while clashing with Ben, the grumpy tattoo artist who keeps getting dragged into protecting her.

Read this if: you want beach-town contemporary romance without needing a long series commitment.

Mastermind Duet

This is the outlier in the catalog: lighter mafia romance rather than straight rom-com. It is short and should be read in order.

1. Ivory Tower (2022): Delilah goes undercover as a dancer to strike back at the family that hurt hers, only to get pulled toward the dangerous orbit of Dante Romano.
2. Diamond Fortress (2023): The fallout from book 1 becomes a deeper fake-marriage, loyalty, and survival story as the mafia-family stakes tighten.

Order rule: definitely read these in sequence. This is the least standalone-friendly corner of the current catalog.

Atlas Oaks

This is currently a one-book series branch tied to the world of a rock band and celebrity life.

All My Love (2024): Riggins and Stella reunite seven years after the rockstar life wrecked their childhood-love story, forcing them to confront what really broke them.

Best expectation: treat this as a standalone with room to grow rather than a completed larger series.

Evergreen-to-holiday transition: Holly Ridge

Holly Ridge is one of Morgan Elizabeth’s newest active series, with a more openly cozy holiday-town identity.

1. The Bright Side of Christmas (2025): The series opener introduces Holly Ridge as a small town built around Christmas traditions and romance-driven second chances.
2. The Promise of Forever (2025): A single-dad, best-friend’s-brother winter romance that deepens the town’s family-first emotional pull.
3. The Lie of Having It All (2026): The third Holly Ridge book continues the small-town holiday thread and marks the series as an active current lane.

Who should start here: readers who want Christmas-town romance first and everything else second.

Summer lane: Down the Shore

This is the warm-weather counterpart to Holly Ridge and one of Morgan Elizabeth’s clearest current growth areas.

1. Tourist Trap (2025): Claire heads to Seaside Point for one carefree summer and gets dropped into a grumpy-sunshine beach-town romance.
2. Lucky Girl Summer (2026): The second book continues the shore-town line with another summer-centered rom-com setup.

Best reading note: read in order, but this is still early enough that it is easy to catch up fast.

Mavens

This is a newer branch that currently has one published book.

Maneater (2025): The opener launches a fresh rom-com lane and is best treated as a standalone until more books confirm the series shape.

Heartwood Hollow

Another new branch, currently announced rather than fully built out.

Meet Cute Magic (2026): A forthcoming Heartwood Hollow romance that signals Morgan Elizabeth is still expanding into new themed settings rather than only extending older series.

Publication order by series

Springbrook Hills

1. The Distraction (2021)
2. The Protector (2021)
3. The Substitution (2021)
4. The Connection (2022)
5. The Playlist (2023)

Ocean View

1. The Ex Files (2022)
2. Walking Red Flag (2022)
3. Bittersweet (2022)

Mastermind Duet

1. Ivory Tower (2022)
2. Diamond Fortress (2023)

Seasons of Revenge

1. Big Nick Energy (2023)
2. ’Tis the Season for Revenge (2022)
3. Cruel Summer (2023)
4. The Fall of Bradley Reed (2023)
5. Ick Factor (2024)

Atlas Oaks

All My Love (2024)

Evergreen Park

1. Passenger Princess (2024)
2. If This Was a Movie (2024)
3. Never Been Worse (2025)

Holly Ridge

1. The Bright Side of Christmas (2025)
2. The Promise of Forever (2025)
3. The Lie of Having It All (2026)

Down the Shore

1. Tourist Trap (2025)
2. Lucky Girl Summer (2026)

Mavens

Maneater (2025)

Heartwood Hollow

Meet Cute Magic (2026)

Recommended reading orders

If you want the most popular current experience

1. ’Tis the Season for Revenge
2. Cruel Summer
3. The Fall of Bradley Reed
4. Ick Factor
5. Passenger Princess
6. If This Was a Movie
7. Never Been Worse

If you want to read Morgan Elizabeth from the beginning

1. The Distraction
2. The Protector
3. The Substitution
4. The Connection
5. The Playlist
6. The Ex Files
7. Walking Red Flag
8. Bittersweet
9. Ivory Tower
10. Diamond Fortress
11. ’Tis the Season for Revenge

If you mostly want holiday and seasonal books

1. ’Tis the Season for Revenge
2. Big Nick Energy
3. If This Was a Movie
4. The Bright Side of Christmas
5. The Promise of Forever
6. The Lie of Having It All
7. Tourist Trap
8. Lucky Girl Summer

Do Morgan Elizabeth books need to be read in order?

Usually by series, yes. Across the whole catalog, no.

The earlier series like Springbrook Hills and Ocean View are fairly forgiving. Mastermind Duet really should be read in order. Seasons of Revenge, Evergreen Park, Holly Ridge, and Down the Shore are easiest to enjoy in publication order because the friend-group texture and recurring tone work better that way.

Latest release status

As of March 25, 2026, The Lie of Having It All is the newest confirmed Holly Ridge release, and Lucky Girl Summer is listed for May 2026. Meet Cute Magic is also listed as a 2026 Heartwood Hollow release, which shows Morgan Elizabeth is still expanding into new series rather than only extending existing ones.

FAQ

Where should I start with Morgan Elizabeth?
Start with ’Tis the Season for Revenge if you want the book most associated with her rise in popularity. Start with Passenger Princess if you want a newer interconnected rom-com series.

What is her darkest series?
Mastermind Duet is the least purely rom-com part of the catalog and has the strongest mafia angle.

What is the best completed series?
Springbrook Hills is the clearest completed early series, while Seasons of Revenge is the most widely appealing completed current one.

Are Holly Ridge and Down the Shore finished?
No. They look like active current branches.

Conclusion

The simplest Morgan Elizabeth reading order is to start with Seasons of Revenge, move into Evergreen Park, and then choose between Holly Ridge for cozy holiday romance or Down the Shore for beach-town summer romance. If you want the full development of her style, begin earlier with Springbrook Hills and read forward.