Lory Lilian Books in Order (Updated May 9, 2026)

Lory Lilian writes Jane Austen-inspired romance, especially Pride and Prejudice variations centered on Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Her work is known in the JAFF community for romantic, emotionally direct Darcy-and-Elizabeth stories, including several “Hot Mush” titles intended for readers who want a warmer romance tone.

This is not one long continuous series. Most Lory Lilian books are alternate versions of Pride and Prejudice, so each one usually resets the story and gives Darcy and Elizabeth a different path to happiness.

The main exception is Rainy Days and The Rainbow Promise. Those should be read together, because The Rainbow Promise is a sequel to Rainy Days.

Read This First

1. For the cleanest first read, start with Rainy Days. It is one of Lory Lilian’s best-known Pride and Prejudice variations and gives a clear sense of her romantic style.
2. For a second choice, read His Uncle’s Favorite if you want a London-centered variation after the Netherfield Ball.
3. For readers who want a sequel to canon rather than a changed version of canon, choose The Perfect Match.

A Note on Dates

Lory Lilian’s bibliography has several reissued books. Some catalogue pages list the newer Kindle or revised edition year, while older reader and catalogue records show earlier publication dates.

The dates below use the earliest confirmed or commonly listed publication year when it can be identified. When a title is mainly visible through a later revised edition, the current catalogue year is used.

Core Lory Lilian Reading Order

This order keeps the major Pride and Prejudice variations together, places the direct sequel after its parent book, and keeps collections separate from individual novels.

1. Remembrance of the Past (2009): Elizabeth meets Darcy again in London before the planned Lakes tour, creating a second-chance variation with Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and an important old friend in Darcy’s circle.
2. Rainy Days (2009): Elizabeth and Darcy are forced into closer conversation during a rainstorm before the Netherfield Ball, changing their understanding of each other much earlier than in canon.
3. His Uncle’s Favorite (2013): Jane and Elizabeth go to London after Netherfield’s party leaves, where Gracechurch Street brings them into contact with Darcy’s family connections.
4. The Perfect Match (2014): A sequel set after Pride and Prejudice, following the Darcys and Bingleys as married life, London society, and a first major ball test the couples’ happiness.
5. Sketching Mr. Darcy (2015): After the Netherfield Ball, Darcy’s attempt to leave Hertfordshire is interrupted by Elizabeth’s danger and by a forgotten connection from their past.
6. The Rainbow Promise (2016): The sequel to Rainy Days follows Elizabeth and Darcy from the cottage connection into a London Season and onward toward Pemberley.
7. A Man With Faults (2017): After Elizabeth rejects Darcy and refuses his explanation, a later London meeting forces both of them into a painful, romantic path of guilt, help, and renewed hope.
8. Ardently Loved (2018): Beginning after Lady Catherine’s visit, this variation focuses on Elizabeth’s private realization of her love for Darcy and the emotional movement toward their final happiness.
9. Bitterness of Spirit (2018): A Pride and Prejudice variation about love and redemption, using familiar Darcy-and-Elizabeth conflict with new twists, new characters, and changed circumstances.
10. Torn (2019): A high-angst variation in which Darcy and Elizabeth recognize their love too late and must struggle with promises, duty, and the damage caused by anger and misunderstanding.
11. The Benefits of Extensive Reading (2020): Elizabeth and Darcy are locked together in Netherfield’s library, giving them the conversation and privacy that canon never allowed at that early point.
12. The Mistress of All (2021): A darker Pride and Prejudice variation involving Elizabeth, power, marriage, and danger, best saved for readers comfortable with heavier emotional stakes.
13. The Painting (2021): After Hunsford, Darcy discovers a secret connected to Lady Anne’s past, which sends him toward Brighton and brings him back into Elizabeth’s path.
14. Unsent Letters (2023): Darcy writes private letters to Elizabeth at Rosings, never intending them to be found, until Elizabeth discovers one and must reconsider everything she believed about him.
15. No Expectation of Pleasure (2023): Before Jane’s illness at Netherfield, Darcy is already fighting his attraction to Elizabeth, and a forced interval in a woodland cabin accelerates their understanding.
16. A Trifling Cold (2023): A cold, a storm, and danger around the Netherfield period bring the Bennets, Bingley, Darcy, Wickham, and others into a changed chain of events.
17. A Blissful Marriage (2023): The Darcys’ married life begins with passion, London society, and new threats, collecting and reshaping material previously published as three Hot Mush novellas.
18. To the Advantage of Both (2023): An outspoken admiral connected to Darcy’s family helps alter events before the Netherfield Ball, leading Darcy and Elizabeth toward an arranged marriage that grows into love.
19. Pemberley Heat (2024): Elizabeth visits Pemberley after Hunsford and encounters Darcy in an unexpectedly intimate summer setting, forcing both to confront desire, regret, and changed feelings.
20. Honour, Decorum & Prudence (2025): Lord Matlock’s connection to Mr Bennet and an old family secret disrupt the usual Meryton dynamics and places Darcy’s pride under new pressure.
21. A Bit of Pride, A Bit of Prejudice (2025): A younger Elizabeth first meets Darcy in Brighton, where danger and rescue create a past connection before they reunite years later at Netherfield.
22. Every Savage Can Dance (2025): Wickham’s arrival in Meryton becomes part of a wider plot, leaving Darcy injured at Longbourn and bringing the Bennets and Darcys into closer contact.
23. Superior Connections (2025): Co-written with Layla Johnson, this variation gives the Bennets a powerful relative whose pride and protection change Jane and Elizabeth’s prospects in London.
24. Sketching Mr. Darcy (2026 revised edition): Current catalogues list a 2026 edition, but the story itself appears in earlier publication records, so readers should not treat it as a wholly new continuity step if they already own it.

Rainy Days Books in Order

This is the only Lory Lilian sequence where a direct parent-book relationship matters.

1. Rainy Days (2009): A storm before the Netherfield Ball gives Darcy and Elizabeth the private conversation that changes the original course of their relationship.
2. The Rainbow Promise (2016): The story continues after Rainy Days, following Darcy and Elizabeth through London, passion, tension, and the movement toward Pemberley.

You should read Rainy Days first. The Rainbow Promise is not the best place to begin because it is written as a continuation.

Pride and Prejudice Sequels and Married-Life Stories

These titles are especially useful for readers who want to see Darcy and Elizabeth after marriage or after the main canon conflict has already shifted.

1. The Perfect Match (2014): A post-canon sequel about the Darcys and Bingleys approaching their first wedding anniversary while facing society, marriage expectations, and private anxieties.
2. A Blissful Marriage (2023): A married-Darcy-and-Elizabeth story that follows the couple from the wedding day into London society and new dangers.
3. Ardently Loved (2018): A late-canon variation beginning after Lady Catherine’s visit, with Elizabeth’s emotional recognition of Darcy at the center.

These can be read separately, but readers who prefer a gradual route should read one or two courtship variations before starting the married-life material.

Hot Mush and Mature-Romance Titles

Several Lory Lilian books are described by the author or catalogues as warmer romance, sometimes with mature scenes. These are still Pride and Prejudice variations, but the tone is more sensual than in many traditional Austenesque books.

1. A Blissful Marriage (2023): A married-life romance built from earlier Hot Mush novella material, centered on the Darcys’ intimacy, London position, and protective generosity.
2. No Expectation of Pleasure (2023): A shorter, mature-leaning variation where Darcy and Elizabeth are trapped together before the Netherfield Ball.
3. Unsent Letters (2023): A Rosings novella driven by Darcy’s private desire and Elizabeth’s accidental discovery of his true feelings.
4. Winter of Passion (2025): A romantic Netherfield-set story where Darcy and Elizabeth reconnect after canon’s usual timing, moving from hidden courtship toward a forced-marriage situation both actually want.
5. A Bit of Pride, A Bit of Prejudice (2025): A longer variation with an early Brighton meeting, later Netherfield reunion, and mature romantic material after marriage.

Readers who prefer low-heat Austenesque fiction should check editions carefully before choosing from this group.

Collections and Omnibus Editions

These are not separate continuity steps if you already own the individual books.

1. Rainy Days & The Rainbow Promise (2023): A combined edition of the Rainy Days story and its sequel, useful for readers who want the full two-book arc in one place.
2. Pride, Prejudice and Romance (2025): A collection of three previously published Pride and Prejudice variations, with no new continuity required for readers who own the individual titles.
3. Violently in Love (2026): A collection of three Pride and Prejudice variation stories, best treated as collected material rather than a new single-novel starting point.

Anthology Appearances

These are optional for continuity. Read them only if you are collecting Lory Lilian’s shorter or multi-author appearances.

1. The Darcy Monologues (2017): A multi-author Austen anthology focused on male points of view, useful for completists rather than required reading.
2. Dangerous to Know (2017): A multi-author anthology about Austen’s difficult or morally complicated men.
3. Rational Creatures (2018): A multi-author Austen anthology centered on female characters and women’s perspectives.
4. Yuletide (2018): A seasonal Jane Austen anthology that works best as optional holiday reading.
5. Elizabeth (2020): A multi-author anthology centered on Elizabeth Bennet and Elizabeth-focused variations.
6. In the Path of Jane Austen: Travels and Tales (2025): A 250th-birthday Austen anthology appearance, separate from the main Darcy-and-Elizabeth novels.

Recommended Lory Lilian Reading Path

This path is for new readers who want a practical order rather than a strict catalogue list.

1. Rainy Days (2009): Start here because it is a signature Lory Lilian premise and shows her approach to early Darcy-and-Elizabeth intimacy.
2. The Rainbow Promise (2016): Read immediately after Rainy Days because it is the direct sequel.
3. His Uncle’s Favorite (2013): Move here for a London variation that expands Darcy’s family and gives Elizabeth a different route to understanding him.
4. The Benefits of Extensive Reading (2020): Read next for a clean, contained Netherfield variation built around conversation and forced proximity.
5. To the Advantage of Both (2023): Continue with a larger arranged-marriage variation that introduces Admiral Pembroke and heavier family consequences.
6. The Painting (2021): Read here for a post-Hunsford story that combines Darcy’s grief, Lady Anne’s past, Brighton, and renewed contact with Elizabeth.
7. A Man With Faults (2017): Place this after a few gentler entries because it uses more guilt, conflict, and emotional difficulty after Hunsford.
8. Torn (2019): Read later, since its duty-versus-love structure makes it one of the more angsty Darcy-and-Elizabeth stories.
9. The Perfect Match (2014): Shift to post-canon married life after you have read several courtship variations.
10. A Blissful Marriage (2023): Follow The Perfect Match with a more mature married-Darcy story.
11. Pemberley Heat (2024): Return to a Pemberley-centered variation with stronger sensual tension and a lighter summer frame.
12. Every Savage Can Dance (2025): Read this for a Wickham-centered plot change that brings Darcy into Longbourn under unusual circumstances.
13. Superior Connections (2025): Read later because its new Bennet-family connection changes the social balance more aggressively than most early-canon variations.
14. A Bit of Pride, A Bit of Prejudice (2025): Save this for when you want a fuller alternate-history setup beginning years before Netherfield.
15. Sketching Mr. Darcy (2015/2026): Read near the end if you want another forced-marriage variation shaped by danger and a hidden past bond.

Chronological Order

A true internal chronological order does not work for Lory Lilian’s books because most of them restart Pride and Prejudice from a different point.

Use these broad placement groups instead:

Early-Canon Variations

1. Rainy Days (2009): Begins before the Netherfield Ball.
2. The Benefits of Extensive Reading (2020): Begins during Elizabeth’s stay at Netherfield.
3. No Expectation of Pleasure (2023): Begins before Jane’s illness at Netherfield.
4. A Trifling Cold (2023): Uses the Netherfield and Christmas period.
5. Every Savage Can Dance (2025): Begins around Wickham’s arrival in Meryton.

Post-Netherfield or London Variations

1. His Uncle’s Favorite (2013): Moves Jane and Elizabeth into London after Netherfield.
2. To the Advantage of Both (2023): Begins shortly before the Netherfield Ball but quickly changes the social path.
3. Superior Connections (2025): Uses a new Bennet family connection to change the Netherfield-to-London arc.

Hunsford, Pemberley, and Later-Canon Variations

1. Unsent Letters (2023): Begins at Rosings.
2. The Painting (2021): Begins after the failed Hunsford proposal.
3. Pemberley Heat (2024): Begins around Elizabeth’s Pemberley visit.
4. Winter of Passion (2025): Takes place after Elizabeth’s feelings have changed and Jane is already married to Bingley.
5. Ardently Loved (2018): Begins after Lady Catherine’s visit.

Post-Canon or Married-Life Stories

1. The Perfect Match (2014): Set after Pride and Prejudice.
2. A Blissful Marriage (2023): Begins with Darcy and Elizabeth’s married life.
3. The Rainbow Promise (2016): Continues the Rainy Days timeline rather than canon.

Latest Lory Lilian Book

The latest current catalogue title is Violently in Love (2026), a collection of three Pride and Prejudice variation stories.

The latest current catalogue novel listing is Sketching Mr. Darcy (2026), but it appears to be a revised or reformatted edition of an older story rather than a brand-new continuity.

As of May 9, 2026, I did not find a reliably confirmed upcoming Lory Lilian novel with a future publication date.

Do You Need to Read Lory Lilian in Order?

Usually, no. Most books are standalone Pride and Prejudice variations.

You should read Rainy Days before The Rainbow Promise. That is the most important continuity rule.

For every other title, choose by premise: early Netherfield change, Hunsford regret, Pemberley reunion, married-life sequel, or warmer mature romance.

Best Lory Lilian Book to Start With

• Start with Rainy Days for the clearest introduction to Lory Lilian’s style.
• Start with His Uncle’s Favorite if you want London, family connections, and a less direct rainstorm premise.
• Start with The Perfect Match if you want Darcy and Elizabeth already married.
• Start with The Benefits of Extensive Reading if you want a clean, conversation-driven forced-proximity variation.

FAQ

Are Lory Lilian’s books connected?

Mostly no. They are mainly separate Pride and Prejudice variations. The clearest direct connection is Rainy Days followed by The Rainbow Promise.

What is Lory Lilian’s most important reading order rule?

Read Rainy Days before The Rainbow Promise. The rest can usually be read by premise.

Are the Hot Mush books required?

No. They are optional and tone-specific. Choose them if you want a warmer, more sensual Darcy-and-Elizabeth romance.

Is The Perfect Match a sequel?

Yes. It is a Pride and Prejudice sequel set after the events of Austen’s novel and focused on the Darcys and Bingleys in married life.

Should collections be counted as new books?

No, not if they only gather previously published material. Collections are convenience editions unless they include new stories not available elsewhere.

What is the newest Lory Lilian book?

The newest current catalogue title is Violently in Love (2026) as a collection. For novels, the newest current listing is Sketching Mr. Darcy (2026), though it appears to be a revised edition of an older story.

Conclusion

Lory Lilian’s books are best read as separate Pride and Prejudice variations, not as one continuous saga. Begin with Rainy Days, continue directly to The Rainbow Promise, and then choose between London variations, Hunsford regrets, Pemberley reunions, married-life stories, or warmer Hot Mush titles.

For most new readers, the simplest path is Rainy Days, The Rainbow Promise, His Uncle’s Favorite, and then The Benefits of Extensive Reading.