Katie Cotugno writes contemporary YA romance, YA mystery, adult romantic fiction, and children’s chapter books.
Her reading order is not difficult, but it is easy to mix the categories. The 99 Days books should be read in order. The Liar’s Beach books should also be read in order. Her adult novels and standalone YA books can be read separately.
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For most readers, the best first book is How to Love if you want her early YA work, 99 Days if you want a connected YA romance, Birds of California if you want adult romance, or Liar’s Beach if you want mystery.
Fast Reader Routing
Use this order depending on what you want:
- For YA romance: Start with How to Love, then read the standalones and the 99 Days duology.
- For adult romance: Start with Birds of California, then read Meet the Benedettos and Heavy Hitter.
- For YA mystery: Start with Liar’s Beach, then read Hemlock House.
- For younger readers: Start with Penelope Positano Sees It All.
- For future suspense: Watch for Daisy, currently scheduled for 2027.
99 Days Books in Order
- 99 Days (2015): Molly Barlow returns home for the summer after a painful scandal involving two brothers, making this the start of Cotugno’s messiest connected YA romance arc.
- 9 Days and 9 Nights (2018): Molly is in Europe after trying to rebuild her life, but the past returns and forces her to confront what she has and has not outgrown.
Read these two in order. 9 Days and 9 Nights is a direct sequel and depends on Molly’s history from 99 Days.
Liar’s Beach Books in Order
- Liar’s Beach (2023): Linden arrives in a wealthy Martha’s Vineyard world where privilege, secrets, and murder pull him into Holiday Proctor’s sharp-edged investigation.
- Hemlock House (2024): Linden and Holiday return in an Ivy League setting after a suspicious campus death suggests that old secrets and new danger are connected.
Read Liar’s Beach before Hemlock House. The second book brings back the same central detective dynamic and follows the earlier murder case.
Penelope Positano Books in Order
- Penelope Positano Sees It All (2026): Seven-year-old Penelope notices details other people miss, beginning a chapter-book series for younger readers.
- Penelope Positano and the Super-Secret Pen Pal (2026): The second listed Penelope Positano book continues the chapter-book series and should be read after the first.
This series is separate from Cotugno’s YA and adult books. It is written for a much younger audience.
Katie Cotugno Standalone YA Books in Order
- How to Love (2013): Cotugno’s debut follows Reena and Sawyer through first love, pregnancy, absence, and the difficult return of someone who changed everything.
- Fireworks (2017): Two friends enter the world of late-1990s pop stardom, where ambition and fame strain loyalty.
- Top Ten (2017): Gabby and Ryan look back on their complicated friendship, asking whether their bond can survive different needs, expectations, and romantic confusion.
- Rules for Being a Girl (2020): Co-written with Candace Bushnell, this YA novel follows Marin after a trusted teacher crosses a line and she begins pushing back against the rules used to silence girls.
- You Say It First (2020): A cross-country phone-bank connection turns into a politically charged YA romance between two teens with very different lives.
These can be read in any order. They do not share one continuing plot.
Katie Cotugno Adult Books in Order
- Birds of California (2022): A former teen star and her old co-star reconnect years after fame, scandal, and withdrawal reshaped both of their lives.
- Meet the Benedettos (2023): A modern Pride and Prejudice-inspired adult novel about a famous family of sisters and the movie star who moves next door.
- Heavy Hitter (2024): A pop star and a baseball player become unlikely romantic partners after both are pushed off balance by fame, image, and personal disappointment.
These are adult novels, not YA continuations. Read them separately from Cotugno’s teen books.
Katie Cotugno Books in Publication Order
- How to Love (2013): Reena and Sawyer’s past and present unfold together in a YA romance about first love, motherhood, and unresolved hurt.
- 99 Days (2015): Molly Barlow’s return home becomes a summer of guilt, judgment, and unfinished feelings between two brothers.
- Fireworks (2017): A friendship is tested inside the manufactured glamour and pressure of a girl-group career.
- Top Ten (2017): Two best friends revisit the highs and lows of their relationship while trying to understand what they mean to each other.
- 9 Days and 9 Nights (2018): Molly’s sequel moves the emotional fallout of 99 Days into a European travel setting.
- Rules for Being a Girl (2020): Marin’s story turns a personal violation into a broader challenge to sexism, authority, and reputation.
- You Say It First (2020): A political phone call starts a long-distance connection between two teens who argue, flirt, and test each other’s assumptions.
- Birds of California (2022): Cotugno’s first adult novel focuses on former child actors, fame damage, and second chances.
- Liar’s Beach (2023): A YA murder mystery reimagines classic detective fiction through wealth, privilege, and teenage secrets.
- Meet the Benedettos (2023): A contemporary adult Pride and Prejudice remix places sisterhood, celebrity, and romance in Los Angeles.
- Heavy Hitter (2024): Cotugno’s adult romance pairs a pop star with a baseball player after both are forced to rethink the stories they tell about themselves.
- Hemlock House (2024): The second Liar’s Beach mystery moves Linden and Holiday into a college-campus murder investigation.
- Penelope Positano Sees It All (2026): Cotugno begins a younger chapter-book line about an observant child solving everyday mysteries.
- Penelope Positano and the Super-Secret Pen Pal (2026): The second listed Penelope Positano book continues the young-reader series.
- Daisy (2027): A forthcoming psychological suspense novel that reimagines Daisy Buchanan after the events of The Great Gatsby.
Recommended Katie Cotugno Reading Order
This order keeps connected books together while still showing Cotugno’s movement from YA romance into adult fiction, mystery, and children’s books.
- How to Love (2013): Start here for Cotugno’s earliest major style: emotional YA romance with complicated choices.
- 99 Days (2015): Move into her first connected story world with Molly Barlow’s scandal-driven summer.
- 9 Days and 9 Nights (2018): Finish Molly’s arc before reading the unrelated standalones.
- Fireworks (2017): Read next for friendship, ambition, and pop-culture pressure.
- Top Ten (2017): Continue with a quieter friendship-focused YA romance.
- Rules for Being a Girl (2020): Shift into Cotugno’s co-authored feminist YA novel.
- You Say It First (2020): Stay with YA, but move into a sharper political and long-distance romance setup.
- Birds of California (2022): Begin the adult novels with a fame-and-second-chances story.
- Meet the Benedettos (2023): Continue the adult shelf with a celebrity-family Austen remix.
- Heavy Hitter (2024): Read next for the adult sports-and-pop-star romance.
- Liar’s Beach (2023): Start the YA mystery series after finishing the romance-heavy books.
- Hemlock House (2024): Read immediately after Liar’s Beach.
- Penelope Positano Sees It All (2026): Add the children’s chapter-book series separately.
- Penelope Positano and the Super-Secret Pen Pal (2026): Read after the first Penelope book when available.
- Daisy (2027): Read last when published, because it belongs to Cotugno’s newer adult suspense direction.
Anthologies and Contributions
These are optional. They are not required for any series continuity.
- Three Sides of a Heart (2017): A YA anthology about love triangles that includes a Katie Cotugno contribution.
- Meet Cute (2018): A multi-author YA anthology about first meetings and romantic beginnings, with Cotugno included among the contributors.
- Battle of the Bands (2021): A multi-author YA anthology built around music, competition, and linked short stories.
- Game On (2022): A sports-themed YA anthology with multiple authors, including Cotugno.
- Meet Cute: Count Down to Valentine’s Day (2025): A themed anthology or repackaged collection connected to the Meet Cute concept.
Read these after the main novels unless you are specifically collecting Cotugno’s short fiction.
Chronological Order
There is no single chronological order for Katie Cotugno’s full bibliography.
The 99 Days duology has a clear sequence:
- 99 Days (2015): Molly’s summer at home comes first.
- 9 Days and 9 Nights (2018): Molly’s European sequel follows later.
The Liar’s Beach books also have a clear sequence:
- Liar’s Beach (2023): Linden and Holiday’s first major case.
- Hemlock House (2024): Their second case, set after the first.
The standalone YA novels, adult romances, children’s books, and anthologies should not be forced into one timeline.
Latest Katie Cotugno Book
As of this update, the latest released Katie Cotugno book is Penelope Positano Sees It All, published in April 2026.
Two future titles are currently listed:
- Penelope Positano and the Super-Secret Pen Pal (2026): The next listed Penelope Positano chapter book.
- Daisy (2027): A forthcoming adult psychological suspense novel inspired by The Great Gatsby.
Future publication details can change, so those titles should be treated as scheduled rather than final until release.
Do Katie Cotugno’s Books Need to Be Read in Order?
Only two groups need order.
Read 99 Days before 9 Days and 9 Nights.
Read Liar’s Beach before Hemlock House.
The adult novels, standalone YA books, anthologies, and children’s books can be chosen by mood, age range, or genre.
Where to Start
- Start with How to Love for early Katie Cotugno.
- Start with 99 Days for a connected YA romance.
- Start with Birds of California for adult romance.
- Start with Liar’s Beach for YA mystery.
- Start with Penelope Positano Sees It All for younger readers.
FAQ
What is Katie Cotugno’s first book?
How to Love is Katie Cotugno’s first novel, published in 2013.
What order should I read the 99 Days books?
Read 99 Days first, then 9 Days and 9 Nights.
Is 9 Days and 9 Nights a sequel?
Yes. 9 Days and 9 Nights is the sequel to 99 Days.
What order should I read the Liar’s Beach books?
Read Liar’s Beach first, then Hemlock House.
Are Katie Cotugno’s adult books connected?
No. Birds of California, Meet the Benedettos, and Heavy Hitter are separate adult novels.
Which Katie Cotugno book is Pride and Prejudice inspired?
Meet the Benedettos is the clearest Pride and Prejudice-inspired Katie Cotugno novel.
Which Katie Cotugno book is for children?
Penelope Positano Sees It All begins her chapter-book line for younger readers.
What is Katie Cotugno’s latest book?
The latest released book is Penelope Positano Sees It All from 2026. Daisy is scheduled for 2027.
Conclusion
Katie Cotugno’s books are easiest to follow by age range and continuity.
Read 99 Days before 9 Days and 9 Nights. Read Liar’s Beach before Hemlock House. After that, choose freely: YA romance, adult celebrity romance, mystery, children’s chapter books, or anthology stories.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.