Anne Gracie Books in Order (Updated March 30, 2026)

Anne Gracie is an Australian historical romance author known for Regency romances built around family groups, close social circles, and recurring supporting characters who later become leads.

Her books are easiest to read series by series, because later installments often reveal earlier couples’ endings and assume you already know the surrounding cast.

Where to Start

The two best entry points are:

• The Perfect Rake (2005): the clearest starting place if you want Anne Gracie’s best-known early series and her classic family-centered style.
• The Autumn Bride (2013): a strong alternative if you want a later, very approachable series with a found-family setup.

If you want one simple rule, start with The Perfect Rake and then keep going in series order.

If you like family-centered Regency romance, start from The Merridew Sisters

This is one of Anne Gracie’s best-known series and still the safest first stop for most readers.

1. The Perfect Rake (2005): Prudence Merridew’s story opens the series with humor, family chaos, and a romance that sets the tone for the books that follow.
2. The Perfect Waltz (2005): A different sister takes the lead in a romance shaped by social expectations, emotional caution, and growing trust.
3. The Perfect Stranger (2006): This book widens the family world with a more unsettled hero and stronger hints of danger from the past.
4. The Perfect Kiss (2007): The final Merridew novel closes the sisters’ sequence and works best after the earlier books have established the family dynamics.

If you want a slightly more adventurous thread, move on to The Devil Riders

This series has stronger action and travel elements, but it still depends on the same relationship-driven continuity that rewards reading in order.

1. The Stolen Princess (2008): A runaway princess and a protective hero begin the series while introducing the Devil Riders circle and its shared loyalties.
2. His Captive Lady (2008): Suspicion, captivity, and emotional restraint shape the central romance while deepening the group’s connections.
3. To Catch a Bride (2009): This installment expands the series with a broader setting and keeps building the bonds among the Riders.
4. The Accidental Wedding (2010): A marriage-of-convenience setup shifts the series toward more domestic and emotional consequences.
5. Bride by Mistake (2012): Mistaken identity and family complication drive a book that lands better once the earlier Devil Riders stories are in place.
6. A Bride For Marcus (2026): Marcus finally gets his own novel, making this the payoff book for a thread that has been developing across the series.

If you want the easiest modern-feeling entry point, try The Chance Sisters

This is one of Anne Gracie’s most accessible series because the central household setup is immediately clear and the emotional arc carries neatly across all four books.

1. The Autumn Bride (2013): A found-family premise, a precarious household, and a strong opening romance make this one of her best places to begin.
2. The Winter Bride (2014): The second book builds directly on the shared-home dynamic, so it is best read with the first still fresh in mind.
3. The Spring Bride (2015): Another sister takes center stage as the series continues to develop marriage, status, and household loyalty.
4. The Summer Bride (2016): The quartet closes by resolving the last major sister’s story and finishing the emotional shape of the group.

For readers who like practical marriages and tighter four-book runs, choose Marriage of Convenience

This series is compact, easy to follow, and a good fit for readers who want a later Anne Gracie series without starting at the very beginning of her career.

1. Marry in Haste (2017): A practical marriage arrangement begins the series with family duty, guardianship concerns, and slowly earned affection.
2. Marry in Scandal (2018): Reputation and past choices sit at the center of a romance with more public social pressure.
3. Marry in Secret (2019): Hidden history and private motives shape a story that benefits from knowing the family network established earlier.
4. Marry in Scarlet (2020): The final book closes the series with another emotionally layered romance built on the first three books’ connections.

If you prefer her newer work, begin with The Brides of Bellaire Gardens

This later series stands on its own, so it works well for readers who want Anne Gracie’s more recent books first.

1. The Scoundrel’s Daughter (2021): The series opens by establishing Bellaire Gardens as a new social setting where family secrecy and status matter.
2. The Rake’s Daughter (2022): The second novel builds on that world through inherited reputation, family history, and another connected romance.
3. The Heiress’s Daughter (2024): Money, identity, and expectation shape this installment while earlier character ties deepen the setting.
4. The Secret Daughter (2024): The final Bellaire Gardens book closes the sequence with concealed identity and family truth at the center.

The best reading order for most people

Anne Gracie is best read in series publication order, not by trying to force every title into one grand chronology.

A clean first-time path

1. The Perfect Rake (2005): Start here for the clearest introduction to Anne Gracie’s style and one of her strongest-known openers.
2. The Perfect Waltz (2005): Continue directly so the shared family tensions and sister dynamics stay intact.
3. The Perfect Stranger (2006): Read third to keep the expansion of the Merridew world in order.
4. The Perfect Kiss (2007): Finish the series here for the full family payoff.
5. The Stolen Princess (2008): Move next to the Devil Riders for a fresh connected group with more adventure in the setup.
6. His Captive Lady (2008): Stay in order because the Riders’ shared history matters.
7. To Catch a Bride (2009): Read third to preserve the growing group context.
8. The Accidental Wedding (2010): Continue in sequence for the strongest emotional continuity.
9. Bride by Mistake (2012): Best read after the earlier Devil Riders books rather than on its own.
10. A Bride For Marcus (2026): Save Marcus for last in this sequence because it works as a delayed payoff.
11. The Autumn Bride (2013): Start the Chance Sisters when you want a very reader-friendly quartet with a strong shared premise.
12. The Winter Bride (2014): Continue directly to keep the household dynamic moving naturally.
13. The Spring Bride (2015): Read third for the strongest sense of accumulated character development.
14. The Summer Bride (2016): Finish the Chance Sisters here.
15. Marry in Haste (2017): Begin Marriage of Convenience when you want a later and tighter four-book run.
16. Marry in Scandal (2018): Continue in order for the best social and family context.
17. Marry in Secret (2019): Read third to preserve the internal buildup of the series.
18. Marry in Scarlet (2020): Finish the sequence here.
19. The Scoundrel’s Daughter (2021): Start Bellaire Gardens when you want Anne Gracie’s newer work.
20. The Rake’s Daughter (2022): Continue in order as the setting and relationships deepen.
21. The Heiress’s Daughter (2024): Read third for the strongest continuity.
22. The Secret Daughter (2024): End with the final Bellaire Gardens novel.

Do you need a chronological order?

Not really.

Within each series, publication order already gives the best reading experience. A strict timeline across Anne Gracie’s wider bibliography does not add much for most readers, while series order preserves reveals, recurring-character appearances, and relationship payoffs more naturally.

For completionists: the optional extras

These titles are better treated as side reading than as part of the core path through Anne Gracie’s main Regency series.

• The Laird’s Vow: A shorter historical romance piece best treated as optional rather than essential.
• The Mistletoe Bride: A seasonal novella or anthology-related story that works as an extra, not a required series stop.
• Mistletoe Kisses: Another holiday-themed side read that fits best after you already know her main work.

Books to keep separate from the main series order

These are usually best handled as separate works rather than inserted into the central Regency series reading path.

• Gallant Waif: An earlier historical romance that sits outside the later core series structure.
• Tallie’s Knight: Another separate earlier title, not part of the main Regency-family sequence.
• How the Sheriff Was Won: A non-core title outside the principal Anne Gracie historical romance runs.
• An Honorable Thief: Best treated as a separate historical romance rather than folded into the major series order.
• The Virtuous Widow: A distinct earlier romance that does not need to be read with the later interconnected series.
• Sizzle, Seduce & Simmer: A collection-format title rather than a normal stop in series continuity.
• The King, The Queen, and the Mistress: A separate historical work that should be shelved apart from the main reading path.

The latest Anne Gracie book

The newest confirmed Anne Gracie novel is A Bride For Marcus (2026), which returns to The Devil Riders. For readers following current releases, that makes the Devil Riders series active again even after the later Bellaire Gardens books.

Common questions readers ask

Which Anne Gracie book should I read first?

For most readers, The Perfect Rake is still the best first Anne Gracie book. It introduces her voice, her family-driven storytelling, and one of her best-known series.

Is Anne Gracie better read by series or by date?

By series. That keeps recurring characters in the right order and avoids spoiling earlier couples.

Can I start with The Chance Sisters?

Yes. The Autumn Bride is one of the easiest and most welcoming Anne Gracie entry points.

Can I start with The Brides of Bellaire Gardens?

Yes. That series stands well enough on its own for readers who want to begin with her more recent books.

Do I need to read the optional novellas?

No. They are extras for completionists, not essential parts of the main reading order.

The simplest way to read Anne Gracie

1. If you want the safest answer, begin with The Perfect Rake (2005) and read The Merridew Sisters straight through. After that, continue by series publication order.
2. If you would rather start with a later, especially accessible quartet, begin with The Autumn Bride (2013) and read The Chance Sisters in sequence. Either route works, but the core advice stays the same: choose one Anne Gracie series and finish it before moving to the next.