Darcy Burke Books in Order (Updated March 25, 2026)

Darcy Burke writes in three distinct lanes: historical romance, contemporary romance, and historical mystery. That matters more here than with some authors, because not all of her books belong to one giant reading chain.

The cleanest way to approach her catalog is to separate the continuities. Her biggest historical-romance line runs through The Untouchables, then into The Spitfire Society, then into The Pretenders. Her contemporary books center on Ribbon Ridge, which now absorbs the former So Hot trilogy as books 8-10. Her mystery work sits apart in Raven & Wren, with Only Murders in the Square starting as a separate mystery series later in 2026.

Best Darcy Burke reading order for most readers

If you want the smoothest path without overthinking it, use this route:

1. Read the older historical romance series as separate blocks.
2. Treat The Untouchables → The Spitfire Society → The Pretenders as one connected historical sequence.
3. Read The Phoenix Club, Matchmaking Chronicles, Marrywell Brides, Love is All Around, and Rogue Rules as their own historical branches.
4. Read Ribbon Ridge separately from the historical books.
5. Read Raven & Wren separately from both romance continuities.

Continuity map

Main connected historical thread

1. The Untouchables
2. The Spitfire Society
3. The Pretenders

Separate historical romance continuities

• Secrets & Scandals
• Legendary Rogues
• The Phoenix Club
• Matchmaking Chronicles
• Marrywell Brides
• Love is All Around
• Rogue Rules
• Wicked Dukes Club (multi-author series; only some books are by Darcy Burke)

Contemporary continuity

1. Ribbon Ridge
2. So Hot (now folded into Ribbon Ridge as books 8-10)

Historical mystery

• Raven & Wren
• Only Murders in the Square

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The connected historical-romance route

This is the closest thing Darcy Burke has to a long internal reading chain.

The Untouchables

Start here if you want her signature long-form Regency world with recurring family and Society ties.

1. The Bachelor Earl (2020): A prequel-style romance that introduces key family and social context, but it also doubles as a later Matchmaking Chronicles entry.
2. The Forbidden Duke (2016): A self-isolated duke is pulled back into Society, opening the series with scandal, repair, and a strong “outsider among the elite” tone.
3. The Duke of Daring (2016): A fake-courtship style setup deepens the series’ interest in reputation, vulnerability, and strategic matches.
4. The Duke of Deception (2016): Hidden motives and emotional mistrust push the series toward a more openly guarded, conflict-heavy romance.
5. The Duke of Desire (2017): A protector-style dynamic raises the emotional intensity while keeping the peerage-centered continuity moving.
6. The Duke of Defiance (2017): Defiance against family and expectation keeps the series focused on characters who resist Society’s prescribed roles.
7. The Duke of Danger (2017): A more peril-tinged romance broadens the series into suspense-adjacent territory without leaving its Regency core.
8. The Duke of Ice (2017): A colder, more controlled hero shifts the tone toward emotional thaw and earned trust.
9. The Duke of Ruin (2018): Past damage and present desire collide, pushing the series further into redemption and difficult personal histories.
10. The Duke of Lies (2018): Secrets and strategic concealment drive a romance where honesty becomes the real turning point.
11. The Duke of Seduction (2018): Seduction, image, and social maneuvering move to the foreground in one of the later-series relationship battles.
12. The Duke of Kisses (2018): A lighter title on the surface, but still part of the larger series pattern of intimacy colliding with status and expectation.
13. The Duke of Distraction (2019): The last main Untouchables novel closes this branch while still feeding characters and momentum into the next series.

The Spitfire Society

Read this after The Untouchables. It follows directly enough that skipping ahead weakens the payoff.

1. Never Have I Ever with a Duke (2019): A bold heroine and a duke with strong continuity ties carry the world forward into a more explicitly linked follow-on series.
2. A Duke Is Never Enough (2019): The connected cast expands, with romance shaped by the aftermath of prior books and established social circles.
3. A Duke Will Never Do (2020): This closes the trilogy while acting as the bridge out of the Untouchables-adjacent era.

The Pretenders

Read this after The Spitfire Society for the clearest progression.

1. A Secret Surrender (2020): Disguise, hidden identity, and mission-based tension launch a trilogy that feels more covert and strategic than the duke-heavy books before it.
2. A Scandalous Bargain (2021): Bargaining, risk, and shifting loyalty deepen the trilogy’s connected world and personal stakes.
3. A Rogue to Ruin (2021): The final volume resolves the Pretenders line while paying off the larger continuity that began back in The Untouchables.

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Separate historical-romance series

These are easier to treat as self-contained blocks.

Secrets & Scandals

This is the earliest major Darcy Burke historical series and a solid starting point if you want to go back to the beginning.

1. Her Wicked Ways (2012): A double-life hero and a woman under pressure open Burke’s historical catalog with secrecy, rescue, and class-based strain.
2. His Wicked Heart (2012): Emotional damage and guarded affection keep the series centered on wounded heroes and sharp heroines.
3. To Seduce a Scoundrel (2012): Adventure and danger broaden the series beyond ballroom tension into a more quest-driven romance.
4. To Love a Thief (2013): Theft, trust, and uneasy partnership push the line toward faster-moving conflict.
5. Never Love a Scoundrel (2013): A warning-title romance built on risk, attraction, and the question of whether a scoundrel can truly reform.
6. Scoundrel Ever After (2014): The finale brings the series back to payoff, commitment, and emotional closure.

Legendary Rogues

This one blends adventure and treasure-hunt energy into the historical romance framework.

1. The Legend of a Rogue (2018): A prequel that sets up the adventurous tone, secret-history flavor, and larger series premise.
2. Lady of Desire (2018): The main series begins with a heroine-forward adventure romance built around pursuit and danger.
3. Romancing the Earl (2018): The sweep of the series widens through title, rank, and a more overtly romantic central pairing.
4. Lord of Fortune (2019): Treasure, luck, and ambition keep the adventure line moving while preserving the connected cast feel.
5. Captivating the Scoundrel (2019): The final volume leans into charm, danger, and the redemption of a harder-to-trust hero.

The Phoenix Club

This is one of Burke’s longer historical series, but it is separate from The Untouchables chain.

1. Invitation (2021): A prequel that establishes the club itself as the social and emotional engine of the series.
2. Improper (2021): A rule-bending opening novel that frames the club as a haven for misfits, scandal, and second chances.
3. Impassioned (2021): Heightened feeling and layered attraction continue the club-centered pattern of intimate, socially risky romance.
4. Intolerable (2021): Conflict sharpens here, with stronger friction and less patience for polite convention.
5. Indecent (2022): Impropriety becomes part of the romantic pressure, not just a backdrop.
6. Impossible (2022): Emotional and practical obstacles drive a romance that initially feels unworkable by design.
7. Irresistible (2022): Attraction becomes the engine of the story, with the series increasingly focused on earned surrender.
8. Impeccable (2022): A polished public image collides with private vulnerability and club-world intimacy.
9. Insatiable (2023): The last currently released Phoenix Club book centers the club’s owner and gives the series a strong culmination point.

Matchmaking Chronicles

This is a separate historical line, but one book overlaps with The Untouchables.

1. Yule Be My Duke (2023): A prequel novella that introduces the matchmaking premise in a lighter, seasonal form.
2. The Rigid Duke (2022): The series proper starts with a tightly controlled duke facing a romance that disrupts his order.
3. The Bachelor Earl (2020): This book sits here officially, but because it also works as an Untouchables prequel, many readers place it before The Untouchables instead.
4. The Runaway Viscount (2022): Flight, pursuit, and social pressure make this one more kinetic than the earlier entries.
5. The Make-Believe Widow (2023): A false-widow setup closes the series with deception, reinvention, and emotional risk.

Marrywell Brides

A short, clean historical series and one of the easier Burke entries to read quickly.

1. Beguiling the Duke (2023): A duke-centered opener built around attraction complicated by intention and status.
2. Romancing the Heiress (2023): Money, inheritance, and emotional hesitation drive a romance shaped by practical stakes.
3. Matching the Marquess (2023): The final book turns the series toward social compatibility, strategy, and a last matchmaking payoff.

Love is All Around

A compact holiday historical series.

1. The Red Hot Earl (2019): A Christmas-set romance that opens the trilogy with warmth, familiarity, and a festive community setting.
2. The Gift of the Marquess (2019): Holiday generosity and emotional reconsideration shape the middle entry.
3. Joy to the Duke (2019): The trilogy closes with another seasonal pairing built for comfort, family, and celebration.

Rogue Rules

This is the most current major historical-romance series on Burke’s official romance side.

1. If the Duke Dares (2024): An arranged-marriage and forced-proximity opener starts the series with women determined not to be trapped by scoundrels.
2. Because the Baron Broods (2024): A broodier hero shifts the tone toward restraint, resistance, and emotional excavation.
3. When the Viscount Seduces (2024): Seduction becomes the active conflict, with the series leaning harder into deliberate temptation.
4. As the Earl Likes (2024): The fourth book keeps the “rules versus desire” premise alive while widening the friend-group continuity.
5. Until the Rake Surrenders (2025): A rake finally forced toward sincerity gives the series one of its clearest reform arcs.
6. Since the Marquess Demands (2026): The newest released Rogue Rules book pushes desire and emotional self-protection into direct conflict.

Wicked Dukes Club

This is a multi-author shared series. Only the even-numbered books are Darcy Burke’s.

1. One Night of Surrender (2019): Burke’s first entry in the shared club setting uses a one-night premise to plug into the larger collaborative world.
2. One Night of Scandal (2019): A scandal-driven middle contribution that works best if you already know the setting.
3. One Night of Temptation (2019): Burke’s final contribution closes her side of the shared-world arc.

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Contemporary books in order

Ribbon Ridge

Ribbon Ridge is Darcy Burke’s contemporary family saga. The important update is that the old So Hot trilogy now appears on her site as Ribbon Ridge books 8-10, so the safest modern order is to read all ten together.

1. Let Go (2014): The contemporary world opens with family, return-home tension, and the small-town emotional architecture that defines the series.
2. Get Lucky (2015): The town and family network deepen as romance and personal history start to overlap more visibly.
3. Sparks Fly (2015): Attraction and unresolved baggage keep the series focused on connection inside a familiar community.
4. Fall Hard (2015): Emotional risk moves to the foreground in a story built around resisting a relationship that feels too important.
5. Can’t Stop (2015): Momentum and longing drive a romance that depends on whether the characters can finally quit avoiding what is obvious.
6. Break Free (2016): A freedom-versus-security romance that pushes the family saga toward a more transitional stage.
7. Hold Me (2016): The original Ribbon Ridge run closes with commitment, support, and the pull of staying connected.
8. Turn On (2025; formerly So Good, 2016): Now folded into Ribbon Ridge, this winery-centered romance restarts the contemporary line with the Westcott branch of the world.
9. So Right (2025; originally So Right, 2017): A guarded heroine and a vineyard manager continue the Westcott side of the small-town continuity.
10. This Love (2025; formerly So Wrong, 2017): A hookup, a local mystery, and family fallout bring the repackaged contemporary arc to its current endpoint.

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Historical mystery books in order

Raven & Wren

This is a different reading experience from Burke’s romances and should be kept separate.

1. A Whisper of Death (2024): A Victorian investigation introduces Matilda Wren and Hadrian Becket, combining murder-solving with a slow-burn partnership.
2. A Whisper at Midnight (2024): The duo’s working rhythm and personal tension deepen as the mystery line becomes more character-driven.
3. A Whisper and a Curse (2025): Suspicion, danger, and the paranormal edge of the series grow more central.
4. A Whisper in the Shadows (2025): The investigation thread turns darker while the slow-burn bond keeps tightening.
5. A Whisper of Secrecy (2025): Tilda’s father’s murder and buried history pull the series toward a more personal conspiracy.
6. A Whisper in Darkness (2026): A missing-heiress case looks set to continue the same investigative partnership and series-wide unresolved tensions.

Only Murders in the Square

A new and separate mystery line.

In the Midnight Hour (2026): A murder in a Regency London square launches a new investigative pairing built around suspicion, broadsheets, and reluctant alliance.

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Recommended starting points

Choose based on what you want from Burke:

1. Start with Her Wicked Ways if you want to begin at the start of her historical-romance catalog.
2. Start with The Forbidden Duke if you want the biggest long-form connected historical sequence.
3. Start with Improper if you want a self-contained long historical series without Untouchables continuity baggage.
4. Start with Let Go if you want her contemporary family saga.
5. Start with A Whisper of Death if you want mystery first.

Do you need chronological order?

Usually no.

Darcy Burke is much easier to read by series order than by one giant publication list. The major exception is the Untouchables → Spitfire Society → Pretenders chain, where continuity actually matters. The second exception is Ribbon Ridge, where the former So Hot books now make the most sense read as books 8-10, not as a detached trilogy.

Latest release status

As of March 25, 2026, Since the Marquess Demands is the newest released major historical romance on Burke’s official site. On the mystery side, A Whisper in Darkness is listed as Raven & Wren book 6 with a July 21, 2026 publication date, and In the Midnight Hour is listed as Only Murders in the Square book 1 with a September 8, 2026 publication date.

FAQ

What is the best Darcy Burke series to read first?

For most historical-romance readers, The Untouchables is the best first series. It is long, central to her catalog, and feeds directly into later connected series.

Should I read The Bachelor Earl before The Untouchables?

That is a reasonable choice. It functions as an Untouchables prequel, even though it is also officially placed inside Matchmaking Chronicles.

Are The Spitfire Society and The Pretenders standalones?

Not really. They are better read after The Untouchables because the character and world continuity carry through.

Is So Hot separate from Ribbon Ridge?

Not anymore in the way the official site now presents it. Those books are currently folded into Ribbon Ridge as books 8-10.

Are Raven & Wren and Only Murders in the Square connected to the romance series?

No. They are separate historical-mystery continuities.

Final answer

For a full Darcy Burke read, the clearest path is:

Secrets & Scandals → Legendary Rogues → The Bachelor Earl + The Untouchables → The Spitfire Society → The Pretenders → The Phoenix Club → Matchmaking Chronicles → Marrywell Brides → Love is All Around → Rogue Rules → Ribbon Ridge → Raven & Wren → Only Murders in the Square.

If you only want the single safest entry point, start with The Forbidden Duke.