Jenny Han Books in Order (Updated April 10, 2026)

Jenny Han has not written one giant interconnected universe. She has written two major solo trilogies, two standalone middle grade/young YA novels, and one coauthored trilogy with Siobhan Vivian. That means the easiest way to read her work is not by forcing everything into one timeline. It is by choosing the right lane, then staying in that lane until you finish it.

For most readers, that choice comes down to this: start with The Summer I Turned Pretty if you want wistful summer romance, or start with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before if you want the cleanest first-love trilogy. Save Burn for Burn for later if you want a darker, more revenge-driven series.

The fastest way to choose your starting point

1. Start with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before if you want Jenny Han at her most accessible and widely recognizable.
2. Start with The Summer I Turned Pretty if you want the moodiest, most nostalgic entry into her work.
3. Start with Shug only if you want to begin at the very start of her published career.
4. Start with Burn for Burn only if you specifically want the coauthored, sharper-edged trilogy rather than her better-known romance-first books.

Jenny Han books in publication order

1. Shug (2006): Jenny Han’s debut is a standalone coming-of-age novel about friendship, family, and first crushes, and it reads more like an early emotional blueprint than the start of a larger universe.
2. The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009): The first Summer book introduces Belly, Cousins Beach, and the central emotional triangle that shapes the whole trilogy.
3. It’s Not Summer Without You (2010): The second Summer novel deepens the grief, instability, and relationship fallout, so it works best directly after book one.
4. Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (2011): A separate middle grade standalone, this sits outside Jenny Han’s YA trilogies and can be read at any point without continuity concerns.
5. We’ll Always Have Summer (2011): The third Summer novel closes Belly’s main trilogy arc, making it the required final stop for that series.
6. Burn for Burn (2012, with Siobhan Vivian): This coauthored opener begins a darker revenge-driven trilogy and should be read before the rest of that sequence.
7. Fire with Fire (2013, with Siobhan Vivian): The second Burn for Burn book escalates the consequences of the first, so it is not a good entry point on its own.
8. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2014): The first Lara Jean novel starts Jenny Han’s other major solo trilogy with fake dating, secret letters, and a softer contemporary-romance setup.
9. Ashes to Ashes (2014, with Siobhan Vivian): The final Burn for Burn novel resolves that trilogy’s revenge arc and belongs last in its own continuity.
10. P.S. I Still Love You (2015): The second Lara Jean book follows immediately from book one’s emotional setup and should not be skipped if you want the full trilogy.
11. Always and Forever, Lara Jean (2017): The third Lara Jean novel closes the To All the Boys trilogy and works best after the first two, especially for the emotional payoff of Lara Jean’s senior-year decisions.

Jenny Han series in order

The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy

1. The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009): Belly’s summer world changes for good, and the series starts by establishing why Cousins Beach matters so much to everyone in it.
2. It’s Not Summer Without You (2010): The middle book is more fragile and grief-shaped, which is why publication order matters here.
3. We’ll Always Have Summer (2011): The final book brings the trilogy to its long-delayed emotional choice and should always be read last.

Burn for Burn trilogy

Coauthored with Siobhan Vivian.

1. Burn for Burn (2012): Three girls join forces around revenge, and the trilogy begins with a setup that keeps widening in scale.
2. Fire with Fire (2013): The second book pushes the alliance into more dangerous territory once the first plan starts creating consequences.
3. Ashes to Ashes (2014): The trilogy finale cashes out the darker supernatural and revenge threads, so it only lands properly after the first two.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy

1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2014): Lara Jean’s private letters become public, launching the trilogy’s core romantic and family dynamic.
2. P.S. I Still Love You (2015): The second book tests what the first book built, making it essential rather than optional.
3. Always and Forever, Lara Jean (2017): The trilogy ends with future-planning, change, and the question of what first love can actually survive.

Recommended reading order

For most readers, this is the best overall path:

1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Start here for the easiest, clearest introduction to Jenny Han’s voice.
2. P.S. I Still Love You: Continue straight into book two so the emotional progression stays intact.
3. Always and Forever, Lara Jean: Finish the Lara Jean trilogy before switching tone or age category.
4. The Summer I Turned Pretty: Move next to the other major solo trilogy.
5. It’s Not Summer Without You: Read immediately after book one, because this trilogy depends heavily on emotional continuity.
6. We’ll Always Have Summer: Finish the Summer trilogy before moving to side lanes.
7. Shug: Circle back to Han’s debut if you want to see the earlier standalone that came before the bigger series.
8. Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream: Read here if you want the separate middle grade title without interrupting the YA trilogies.
9. Burn for Burn: Start the coauthored trilogy once you are ready for a darker shift.
10. Fire with Fire: Continue directly to keep the trilogy’s momentum.
11. Ashes to Ashes: Finish the Burn for Burn arc last.

This order works because it keeps the two best-known solo trilogies intact, avoids jumping between tones too early, and leaves the coauthored trilogy for a point when you already know what parts of Jenny Han’s writing you respond to most.

Do Jenny Han books need to be read in order?

Not across her entire bibliography.

You do need to read each trilogy in order. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Burn for Burn, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before are all structured as proper sequences, not loose companion books. But Shug and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream are standalones, so they can be read whenever you like.

Is there a chronological order?

There is no separate chronology that improves on publication order inside the series.

For Jenny Han, publication order is already the right order whenever a book belongs to a trilogy. The emotional reveals, relationship changes, and tonal shifts are built that way. A so-called chronological order would mostly just create confusion without improving the reading experience.

Standalones and separate continuity

Standalones

• Shug
• Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream

Separate coauthored continuity

• Burn for Burn
• Fire with Fire
• Ashes to Ashes

That coauthored trilogy belongs in the same bibliography, but it should still be treated as a distinct lane from Han’s solo romance trilogies.

Latest release status

The most recent core prose book in Jenny Han’s main bibliography remains Always and Forever, Lara Jean from 2017. Public reporting also shows that To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is being adapted into a graphic novel scheduled for May 5, 2026, but that is a separate adaptation rather than a new prose novel by Han, so it does not change the main reading order here.

FAQ

What is the best Jenny Han book to start with?
Start with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before for the broadest and safest entry point.

Should I read The Summer I Turned Pretty before To All the Boys?
Not necessarily. They are separate trilogies, so the better choice is the one whose premise appeals to you more.

Do I need to read Burn for Burn?
Only if you want Jenny Han’s coauthored darker trilogy. It is not required for her solo series.

What are Jenny Han’s standalones?
Shug and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream are the clear standalones in her bibliography.

What is Jenny Han’s newest book?
In her main book bibliography, the newest core prose title remains Always and Forever, Lara Jean. The 2026 graphic novel version of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is an adaptation, not a new mainline prose entry.

Conclusion

Jenny Han is easiest to read when you stop thinking “master list” and start thinking “best lane.” Read To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in order for the most accessible trilogy, read The Summer I Turned Pretty in order for the most nostalgic one, keep Shug and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream as standalones, and save Burn for Burn for when you want a darker coauthored detour.