Joana Starnes Books in Order (Updated May 9, 2026)

Joana Starnes writes Austen-inspired historical romance, especially Pride and Prejudice variations centered on Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Her books are best understood as standalone alternate versions, not as one continuous series.

The easiest starting point is The Falmouth Connection if you want a classic Darcy-and-Elizabeth variation with travel, danger, and Hunsford avoided. Choose From This Day Forward first only if you specifically want a sequel set after Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage.

At-a-Glance Reading Guidance

• Best first Joana Starnes book:
  The Falmouth Connection
• Best post-marriage starting point:
  From This Day Forward
• Best early-marriage premise:
  Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter
• Most recent confirmed novel:
  Snowbound

Do the books need to be read in order?
No. Most Joana Starnes novels are separate Pride and Prejudice variations. Publication order is useful, but not required.

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Joana Starnes Novels in Publication Order

1. From This Day Forward (2013): A sequel to Pride and Prejudice that follows Elizabeth and Darcy after their marriage, using Pemberley, family pressure, and later Christmas seasons to test their new life together.
2. The Subsequent Proposal (2013): A crossover involving Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, where Darcy’s emotional confusion after Elizabeth leads him into a wider Austen web of broken hearts, rivals, and second chances.
3. The Second Chance (2014): A Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility variation where Darcy tries to walk away from Elizabeth after the Netherfield ball, only for his decisions to deepen everyone’s heartache.
4. The Falmouth Connection (2014): A Hunsford-avoidance variation where Elizabeth is summoned to Cornwall, drawing Darcy after her into family secrets, danger, and a courtship far from Hertfordshire.
5. The Unthinkable Triangle (2015): A love-triangle variation where Darcy’s rival for Elizabeth’s heart is not Wickham or a stranger, but someone much closer and more painful to oppose.
6. Miss Darcy’s Companion (2016): A Georgiana-centered setup in which Elizabeth becomes Miss Darcy’s companion, allowing Darcy and Elizabeth to know each other in the private world of Pemberley rather than through Meryton misunderstandings.
7. Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter (2016): An early-marriage variation where distressing news from Longbourn forces Elizabeth to accept Darcy before love is secure, turning the story into a slow movement from duty to trust.
8. The Darcy Legacy (2018): A Pemberley-and-family-secrets variation where old mysteries, Mr Bennet’s altered circumstances, and an unexpectedly tolerable assembly reshape Darcy and Elizabeth’s courtship.
9. The Journey Home to Pemberley (2019): A later-encounter variation where Elizabeth meets Darcy again in the North, then makes a painful choice that leaves her trying to recover both truth and love.
10. A Timely Elopement (2020): A Hunsford interruption variation where Darcy’s first proposal is stopped by news of an elopement, forcing him and Elizabeth into prolonged proximity under urgent family pressure.
11. Twists of Fate (2021): An accidental-compromise and early-marriage variation where Mr Collins’s behavior, rumor, misunderstanding, and old secrets make marriage the beginning of the crisis rather than the solution.
12. Snowbound (2023): A Pemberley-set variation where a broken bridge and heavy snow trap Elizabeth at Darcy’s home before Hunsford can happen, giving him a rare chance to court her while difficult guests and an old secret complicate the stay.

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Best Joana Starnes Reading Order for New Readers

Because these books are not one connected saga, the recommended order is about range rather than continuity. This order gives a new reader a strong sample of her main recurring story shapes.

1. The Falmouth Connection (2014): Start here for a clear, active variation that avoids the Hunsford proposal and sends Darcy and Elizabeth into a more dramatic courtship.
2. Miss Darcy’s Companion (2016): Read next for the Pemberley/private-household version of the romance, with Georgiana giving the story a softer emotional center.
3. Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter (2016): Move here for one of Starnes’s important early-marriage premises, where affection has to grow after an unwanted acceptance.
4. The Journey Home to Pemberley (2019): Read this after the early-marriage and companion setups because it uses separation, regret, and concealment more heavily.
5. A Timely Elopement (2020): Add this for a high-pressure Hunsford variation driven by elopement news and enforced cooperation.
6. Twists of Fate (2021): Read later because it revisits the early-marriage structure with darker misunderstandings and more emotional strain.
7. Snowbound (2023): Save this for a more contained Pemberley variation, where the physical confinement gives Darcy and Elizabeth time they do not normally get.

After those, return to the remaining novels by premise: From This Day Forward for post-canon married life, The Subsequent Proposal and The Second Chance for crossovers, The Unthinkable Triangle for rival-romance tension, and The Darcy Legacy for mystery and family complications.

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Pride and Prejudice Variations

These are the core Darcy-and-Elizabeth variations and are the safest group for most Joana Starnes readers.

1. The Falmouth Connection (2014): Elizabeth’s unexpected summons to Cornwall prevents the usual Hunsford proposal and pulls Darcy into a more dangerous and secretive courtship.
2. The Unthinkable Triangle (2015): Darcy faces a rival whose closeness makes the romantic conflict unusually painful and morally difficult.
3. Miss Darcy’s Companion (2016): Elizabeth’s position as Georgiana’s companion lets her see Darcy as brother, master, and friend before romance can properly develop.
4. Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter (2016): Elizabeth marries Darcy under pressure from Longbourn’s distress, creating a marriage-before-love story with mature emotional stakes.
5. The Darcy Legacy (2018): Pemberley’s past and Mr Bennet’s altered household circumstances create a courtship shaped by old secrets and family interference.
6. The Journey Home to Pemberley (2019): Elizabeth and Darcy reconnect in the North, but her attempt to protect him leads to separation and difficult repair.
7. A Timely Elopement (2020): An elopement crisis interrupts Darcy at Hunsford, changing the timing of confession, trust, and family rescue.
8. Twists of Fate (2021): A compromised situation and forced marriage expose Darcy and Elizabeth to rumor, distrust, and consequences neither fully understands.
9. Snowbound (2023): Snow, a broken bridge, and unwanted houseguests trap Elizabeth at Pemberley before the Hunsford rupture, creating a more intimate courtship window.

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Austen Crossovers and Broader Austen Variations

These books use more than one Austen world or lean beyond a standard Pride and Prejudice variation.

1. The Subsequent Proposal (2013): Combines Pride and Prejudice with Persuasion, placing Darcy among other Austen characters whose romantic histories echo his own mistakes.
2. The Second Chance (2014): Blends Pride and Prejudice with Sense and Sensibility, using Darcy’s attempt to abandon his feelings as the trigger for a more tangled emotional route.

These are better after at least one straightforward Darcy-and-Elizabeth variation. They assume the reader enjoys Austen crossovers and is comfortable with characters from more than one novel sharing the same story space.

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Post-Canon Sequel

• From This Day Forward (2013): Follows Elizabeth and Darcy after marriage, focusing on Pemberley life, family challenges, and the emotional cost of building a lasting future together.

This is a separate kind of reading experience from Starnes’s variations. Read it first only if you prefer sequels to alternate-canon stories.

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Anthologies and Short Fiction

Joana Starnes has contributed to Quill Ink / Quill Collective Austen anthologies. These are optional and should not be treated as part of the main novel order.

1. The Darcy Monologues (2017): A multi-author anthology centered on Darcy’s point of view, useful for readers who want short Austenesque pieces rather than a single full-length Starnes novel.
2. Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues (2017): A multi-author anthology focused on Austen’s rogues and antiheroes, with Starnes included as one of the contributing Austenesque writers.
3. Rational Creatures (2018): A multi-author anthology focused on Austen’s women, designed around strength, independence, and untold female perspectives.
4. Yuletide (2018): A holiday-themed Austenesque anthology with Regency and contemporary Christmas-inspired stories.
5. Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl (2020): A multi-author anthology devoted to Elizabeth Bennet in different forms and reinterpretations.

Placement note: Read the anthologies whenever you want shorter pieces. They are not required before or after any Joana Starnes novel.

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Chronological Order

A strict chronological order is not recommended.

Most Joana Starnes books are alternate versions of Pride and Prejudice. One book might avoid Hunsford, another might begin after marriage, another might send Elizabeth to Cornwall, and another might trap her at Pemberley before canon has reached its usual breaking point.

For practical purposes:

1. Use publication order if you want to follow the author’s development.
2. Use recommended order if you want the most balanced introduction.
3. Use premise order if you already know which Austen scenario you prefer.

The only clearly post-canon novel is From This Day Forward, which belongs after the events of Austen’s original Pride and Prejudice in story time. That does not mean it must be read last.

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Latest Joana Starnes Book

As of May 9, 2026, the latest confirmed Joana Starnes novel is Snowbound, published in 2023.

I did not find a reliably confirmed newer full-length Joana Starnes novel with a publication date after Snowbound. Recent activity under her name includes Austen-related posts and group projects, but those should not be counted as new standalone novels unless formally published as books.

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FAQs

What Joana Starnes book should I read first?

Start with The Falmouth Connection. It gives a strong introduction to her Darcy-and-Elizabeth variation style without requiring you to understand any separate series order.

Are Joana Starnes’s books connected?

No. Her novels are mostly standalone Austen-inspired variations. You can move between them by premise.

Does Joana Starnes write only Pride and Prejudice variations?

Mostly, but not only in the narrowest sense. Several books center on Elizabeth and Darcy, while The Subsequent Proposal and The Second Chance bring in broader Austen crossover material.

Which book is best if I want Elizabeth at Pemberley?

Choose Miss Darcy’s Companion if you want Elizabeth at Pemberley through Georgiana’s household. Choose Snowbound if you want Elizabeth trapped at Pemberley by weather before the usual Hunsford rupture.

Which book is best for an early-marriage premise?

Choose Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter first. After that, read Twists of Fate for a more complicated forced-marriage version with heavier misunderstandings.

Should I read From This Day Forward first?

Only if you specifically want a sequel after Elizabeth and Darcy are already married. For most new readers, a variation such as The Falmouth Connection or Miss Darcy’s Companion is a better introduction.

Are the anthologies required?

No. The anthologies are optional short-fiction collections by multiple authors. They are useful extras, not core Joana Starnes novels.

What is Joana Starnes’s newest book?

The newest confirmed full-length novel I found is Snowbound.

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Conclusion

Joana Starnes does not require a single strict reading order. Her books are standalone Austen variations, so the best approach is to start with the type of Darcy-and-Elizabeth story you want.

For most readers, begin with The Falmouth Connection, then read Miss Darcy’s Companion, Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter, The Journey Home to Pemberley, A Timely Elopement, Twists of Fate, and Snowbound. Add From This Day Forward when you want married life after canon, and save the anthologies for optional short-form reading.