Jeneva Rose writes twist-heavy suspense across a few clearly separated lanes: a main line of standalone thrillers, one direct sequel pair, and a separate detective duo published under the pen name J.R. Adler.

The only “wrong” way to read her is mixing those lanes without realizing they’re different continuities.
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The shelf labels (so you don’t accidentally spoil yourself)
Read in order (direct sequel):
- Perfect novels: The Perfect Marriage → The Perfect Divorce
Separate continuity (pen name, detective series):
- Detective Kimberley King novels (as J.R. Adler): Dead Woman Crossing → Last Day Alive
Everything else:
- Standalones or one-off projects you can read whenever you like.
Where to start, depending on what you want tonight
- One tight binge with a guaranteed follow-up: The Perfect Marriage (2020)
- A standalone getaway-thriller feel: You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023)
- A family-return story with secrets baked in: Home Is Where the Bodies Are (2024)
- A page-turning “rich circle implodes” setup: One of Us Is Dead (2022)
The Perfect books (read in this order)
- The Perfect Marriage (2020): A defense attorney is forced to defend her husband after a murder accusation, and the case becomes a test of what marriage protects, and what it hides.
- The Perfect Divorce (2025): Years later, a new marriage and a new scandal collide with old evidence, turning the original case into a second, more personal trial.
Continuity note: This is the one place in Rose’s bibliography where reading out of order can blunt reveals.
Standalone novels (publication order)
- The Girl I Was (2021): A young woman’s past refuses to stay buried, and the story turns on what she did to survive versus what she’s willing to admit now.
- Edition note: A revised/expanded trade edition was later released; it’s the same core novel, not a separate sequel.
- One of Us Is Dead (2022): A wealthy social circle fractures under suspicion and status games, and every relationship becomes a potential motive.
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023): A needed break in a remote town shifts from charming to threatening as the “welcome” starts to feel like a trap.
- Home Is Where the Bodies Are (2024): Siblings return to a family home and confront what they were taught to ignore, as the past stops being metaphorical and becomes evidence.
- Dating After the End of the World (2025): A genre-bending survival romance with comedic bite, where the threat is external, but the relationship dynamics still carry the tension.
Co-written and special-format releases (Optional)
These don’t affect the continuity of the novels above.
- #CrimeTime (2023) (Audio Original, with Drew Pyne): A social-media-fueled mystery built for listening, where the case unfolds through chaos, humor, and sharp turns.
- It’s a Date (Again) (2023): A romance-forward, holiday-season relationship story that’s best treated as its own lane if you’re primarily here for the thrillers.
Detective Kimberley King series (Separate continuity, as J.R. Adler)
Read these in order; they share the same lead and ongoing personal context.
- Dead Woman Crossing (2020): A detective relocates with her daughter to a small town hoping for a reset, and immediately lands in a brutal case that proves the town’s “quiet” is curated.
- Last Day Alive (2021): A new investigation tightens the pressure around Kimberley’s fresh start, forcing her to choose between local peace and the truth that disrupts it.
Chronological order
There’s no single timeline across all Jeneva Rose books, because the bibliography splits into separate continuities. If you want the smoothest “timeline-feel” experience, treat it as three independent tracks:
- Perfect track: 2020 → 2025
- Main standalone track: 2021 → 2025 (any order is fine)
- Kimberley King track (as J.R. Adler): 2020 → 2021
Latest release status
- Newest novel-length release: Dating After the End of the World (2025)
- Newest “Perfect” entry: The Perfect Divorce (2025)
- Most clearly listed upcoming release: Sometimes I Scare Myself (2026) (announced as a collection)
FAQs
Is The Perfect Marriage the same book as the later collector’s edition listings?
Yes. Some later editions add bonus material, but it’s still the same story for reading-order purposes.
Do I have to read The Girl I Was before the 2022–2024 thrillers?
No. It’s not part of the “Perfect” continuity, and it doesn’t gate the later standalones.
Is the Kimberley King series part of the same universe as the main thrillers?
Treat it as separate. It’s published under J.R. Adler and reads like a distinct detective line.
Best starting point
If you want the clearest, least-complicated entry that also gives you a sequel option, start with The Perfect Marriage (2020), then continue to The Perfect Divorce (2025) whenever you’re ready.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.

