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Casey McQuiston writes queer romantic comedies across two main lanes: adult romance and young adult. The good news is that these books are not a numbered series, so you don’t need a strict continuity checklist.
The only time order matters is when you care about spoilers in tone and reveals (especially in the YA mystery setup) or you want to watch their themes and style develop over time.
The simplest way to choose your first book
- For adult romance with politics and big public stakes: start with Red, White & Royal Blue.
- For adult romance with NYC found family and a twist of time: start with One Last Stop.
- For YA rivalry + mystery energy: start with I Kissed Shara Wheeler.
- For a newer adult romance built around travel, food, and messy feelings: start with The Pairing.
Adult novels in publication order
- Red, White & Royal Blue (2019): A political PR disaster forces a fake friendship between the First Son and a British prince, until it stops being fake.
- One Last Stop (2021): A cynical New Yorker falls for her subway crush, then learns the woman she wants is literally out of time.
- The Pairing (2024): Two bisexual exes collide on the same European food-and-wine tour and turn their awkward tension into a reckless competition.
Reading note: These stand alone, so you can swap the order without missing plot context.
Young adult novel in publication order
- I Kissed Shara Wheeler (2022): After kissing her perfect rival, a determined senior follows a trail of clues to find the girl who vanished first.
Spoiler note: This one is best read “cold,” because its surprises work best when you know as little as possible going in.
Short fiction and contributions
These are separate from the novels and can be read whenever.
- “Bloody, Lovely” (2022): A teen’s Bloody Mary dare becomes a strange, tender romance that turns fear into self-recognition.
Recommended reading order
If you want a smooth, no-stress path
- Red, White & Royal Blue
- One Last Stop
- The Pairing
- I Kissed Shara Wheeler
- “Bloody, Lovely” (optional)
If you’re here mainly for YA
- I Kissed Shara Wheeler
- Pick any adult novel based on premise (they don’t connect)
Chronological order
There isn’t a meaningful “timeline” order across these books. For practical purposes, chronological = publication order.
Latest release status
- Latest novel: The Pairing (2024).
- Next title: no later book title is reliably confirmed in the sources I checked, so I’m not listing an “upcoming” entry here.
FAQs
Do Casey McQuiston books share a universe?
Not in a way that requires reading them in sequence. Each novel is built to stand on its own.
Will I spoil anything if I start with The Pairing?
No major plot spoilers for other books. You’ll mostly be choosing based on vibe and premise.
What’s the best “try one” book?
If you want the broadest sense of their adult-romcom style, Red, White & Royal Blue is the most straightforward starting point.
Bottom line
If you want the cleanest “in order” experience, read the adult novels by publication date, then add the YA novel whenever you’re in the mood for a sharper mystery-romcom structure.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.