Jill Mansell Books in Order (Updated February 27, 2026)

Jill Mansell is a British romantic-comedy novelist whose books are mostly standalones. That means you can read almost any title in any order without continuity problems. The only “order” that really matters is publication order, if you want to watch her style evolve from early 90s classic romcom into her newer, bigger-cast, multi-POV feel-good stories.

A small note on editions: a few early titles (especially Solo) are listed with different first-publication years in different databases and reprint histories. The order below reflects the most commonly cited original-era sequencing.

---

Quick picks

If you want the newest: Just One Look At You (2026)
If you want a modern mid-career “typical” Jill Mansell: Maybe This Time (2019) or It Started With a Secret (2020)
If you want an early classic: Fast Friends (1991)

---

Publication order

(Each entry is standalone unless noted.)

Early novels

1. Fast Friends (1991): A warm, slightly sharper-edged early romcom that establishes her fondness for friendship chaos and romantic near-misses.
2. Solo (1991/1992): An early, more dramatic-leaning romance where attraction and bad judgement collide, showing a grittier side than her later books.
3. Kiss (1993): A romantic tangle built around impulse decisions and fallout, with comedy coming from miscommunication and timing.
4. Sheer Mischief (1994): A high-spirited “everything snowballs” story where small lies and big feelings create escalating complications.
5. Open House (1995): A fresh-start setup that uses a new living arrangement to force unlikely connections and reveal what people really want.
6. Two’s Company (1996): A relationship-maths romcom where partnership, jealousy, and independence all compete for the lead’s attention.
7. Perfect Timing (1997): A fate-and-second-chances style romance that hinges on missed moments and the cost of waiting too long.
8. Head Over Heels (1998): A fast-moving romantic comedy where infatuation outruns common sense and consequences arrive on schedule.
9. Mixed Doubles (1998): A classic ensemble of crossed signals and shifting loyalties, with romance driven by rivalry and attraction.
10. Miranda’s Big Mistake (1999): A “one decision changes everything” plot where the heroine’s choices ripple through friendships and romance.

2000s

11. Good at Games (2000): A playful deception-and-desire story where confidence games turn into real emotional risk.
12. Millie’s Fling (2001): A flirtation that won’t stay casual, pushing the characters from fun into honesty they didn’t plan on.
13. You and Me, Always (2001): A relationship story shaped by long familiarity, where comfort and romance start competing.
14. Nadia Knows Best (2002): A big-personality heroine drives a romance that keeps swerving between self-sabotage and brave vulnerability.
15. Staying at Daisy’s (2002): A community-and-family setup where returning to a familiar place forces hidden truths into daylight.
16. Falling for You (2003): A slow-burn attraction with steady escalation, built around the tension between what’s safe and what’s real.
17. The One You Really Want (2004): A “wrong person, right lesson” romantic comedy where clarity arrives only after a few expensive mistakes.
18. Making Your Mind Up (2006): A decisive turning-point story that centres on choosing a life, not just choosing a partner.
19. Thinking of You (2007): An emotionally richer romance that leans into longing and consequence, with humour as the pressure valve.
20. An Offer You Can’t Refuse (2008): A temptation-driven plot where opportunity and romance collide, forcing grown-up choices.
21. Rumour Has It (2009): A social-circle story where gossip moves faster than truth, and romance has to survive public noise.

2010s

22. Take a Chance on Me (2010): A bold-step romance where risking embarrassment is the only way the heroine gets the life she wants.
23. To the Moon and Back (2011): A warm, high-stakes emotional arc that mixes family ties and romance into one tangled decision.
24. A Walk in the Park (2012): A charming, community-forward story where new routines (and new people) reshape what “home” means.
25. Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (2013): A life-interruption premise that pulls multiple characters into orbit and makes secrets harder to keep.
26. The Unpredictable Consequences of Love (2014): A cascading-romance plot where one change triggers several, sometimes published under the alternate title The Unexpected Consequences of Love.
27. Three Amazing Things About You (2015): A connection story built around noticing and being noticed, with romance growing out of small, specific kindnesses.
28. You and Me, Always (2016): A later-era ensemble romance that balances friendship loyalty with the risk of wanting more than you’re “supposed” to.
29. Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay (2017): A coastal reset with big-cast energy, where the setting becomes the engine for reinvention and romance.
30. This Could Change Everything (2018): A turning-point story where the characters’ “ordinary” lives tilt into new possibilities faster than expected.
31. Maybe This Time (2019): A modern, multi-thread romance with secrets and second chances, built for readers who like a busy, interlinked cast.

2020s

32. It Started With a Secret (2020): A secret-at-the-centre story where one hidden truth affects multiple relationships across the ensemble.
33. And Now You’re Back (2021): A return-and-reckoning romance where past feelings re-enter the present and force overdue honesty.
34. Should I Tell You? (2022): An ensemble dilemma about what to reveal and what to protect, with romance shaped by timing and trust.
35. Promise Me (2023): A fresh-start-with-strings story where a new role in a new place becomes a chance to rebuild from the ground up.
36. The Wedding of the Year (2024): A big-event ensemble where one public moment rearranges several private lives at once.
37. An Almost Perfect Summer (2025): A seasonal reset full of proximity, new work rhythms, and attractions that complicate “easy” plans.
38. Just One Look At You (2026): A travel-and-secrets setup in Venice where one trip becomes the catalyst for romantic and personal truths surfacing.

---

Do you need a chronological order?

No. There isn’t a series timeline to follow here. If you want the smoothest experience, read by publication year, but it’s not required.

---

Recommended reading order

If you want a simple, low-regret path without committing to decades of backlist:

1. Maybe This Time (2019): A strong modern entry that reflects her current ensemble style.
2. It Started With a Secret (2020): Keeps the same “busy cast, big heart” feel while staying fully standalone.
3. The Wedding of the Year (2024): A big set-piece novel that shows her later-career confidence with interconnected storylines.
4. Just One Look At You (2026): Jump to the newest once you know you like the tone.

If you’d rather start vintage and move forward:

1. Fast Friends (1991): The clearest “start of career” doorway.
2. Rumour Has It (2009): A bridge into her later style.
3. Maybe This Time (2019): A clean step into the modern era.

---

Collections and other items

• Jill Mansell’s A-Z of Happiness (2014): A short-form collection for readers who want a sampler rather than a full novel.

---

Latest release status

Most recent book (as of February 27, 2026): Just One Look At You (2026).

---

FAQs

Are any Jill Mansell books part of a series?

They are generally published and read as standalones. You won’t be “starting in the middle” in the usual series sense.

Which book feels most “classic Jill Mansell”?

Many readers find her 2010s-2020s novels the most representative of her modern style: larger casts, more interlinked subplots, and a steadier emotional warmth.

Why do I see different years for some early books?

Reprints and market editions can muddy “publication date” listings. For early titles, treat the order as more important than the exact year printed on a particular edition.