Marilyn Brant Books in Order (Updated May 9, 2026)

Marilyn Brant writes contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, romantic comedy, Austen-inspired romance, romantic suspense, short fiction, and nonfiction.

Her catalog is not built around one single series. It is better read as several separate shelves: the Sweet romantic comedies, the Perfect Austen-inspired romances, the Mirabelle Harbor romances, her women’s fiction novels, her travel and suspense titles, and her short-story collections.

The best first book depends on what kind of Marilyn Brant story you want. Choose According to Jane for her Austen-flavored women’s fiction, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match for a lighter Austen-inspired romance, or Take a Chance on Me for the start of Mirabelle Harbor.

The Order at a Glance

Use this as the cleanest map:

1. Women’s fiction and standalones: Start with According to Jane.
2. Sweet series: Read On Any Given Sundae, Double Dipping, then Holiday Man.
3. Perfect series: Read Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, then Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet.
4. Mirabelle Harbor: Read in numbered series order.
5. Collections and boxed sets: Treat these as repackages unless they clearly include new material.

Marilyn Brant Books in Publication Order

1. According to Jane (2009): A modern woman receives dating advice from the spirit of Jane Austen, making this the author’s key Austen-connected debut and a natural first read.
2. Friday Mornings at Nine (2010): Three longtime friends begin questioning marriage, desire, and reinvention, placing this firmly on Brant’s women’s fiction shelf.
3. A Summer in Europe (2011): A travel-focused women’s fiction novel where a European trip becomes the route to self-discovery, romance, and a wider sense of possibility.
4. On Any Given Sundae (2011): The first Sweet romantic comedy centers on small-town reunion, food, old affection, and a second chance that begins the dessert-themed trilogy.
5. Double Dipping (2011): The second Sweet book continues the lighter romantic-comedy mode with another food-linked love story and a separate couple.
6. Holiday Man (2012): The third Sweet book closes the trilogy with a holiday-centered romance and should be read after the first two for the neatest series progression.
7. The Road to You (2013): A coming-of-age mystery and road-trip novel in which the search for answers carries more weight than the romance.
8. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (2013): The first Perfect book gives Pride and Prejudice a modern online-dating twist, with Beth Ann Bennet and Dr. William Darcy in the central roles.
9. The Sweet Temptations Collection (2013): A boxed set collecting the three Sweet stories, useful for convenience but not required if you own the individual books.
10. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet (2014): The second Perfect book follows a related modern Austen-inspired romance and should be read after The Perfect Match.
11. The Road and Beyond (2014): An expanded book-club edition of The Road to You, best treated as a fuller edition rather than a separate sequel.
12. All About Us (2014): A standalone Abbott Springs novella about identity, family expectations, and a past romantic encounter resurfacing.
13. The Perfect Pair (2014): A boxed set collecting Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match and Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet.
14. Wanderlust in Suburbia (2015): A nonfiction collection of essays and poems on motherhood, travel, home life, and restlessness.
15. Take a Chance on Me (2015): The first Mirabelle Harbor book introduces the Chicago-area setting through Chance and Nia’s opposites-attract romance.
16. The One That I Want (2015): The second Mirabelle Harbor book follows Julia as grief, memory, and several possible romantic futures complicate her return to dating.
17. Going For It (2016): A bonus crossover novella between Mirabelle Harbor and Erin Nicholas’s Sapphire Falls, placed chronologically in Year Two but listed as book seven by the author.
18. You Give Love a Bad Name (2016): The third Mirabelle Harbor book pairs radio DJ Blake with high-school French teacher Vicky in a romance built on mistrust and emotional risk.
19. Stranger on the Shore (2016): The fourth Mirabelle Harbor book follows Marianna away from Illinois to a Florida beach setting, where reinvention and family complications reshape her future.
20. One Night Love Affair (2017): The fifth Mirabelle Harbor book focuses on Sharlene and Declan, turning a no-strings encounter into a more serious romantic choice.
21. Coming Home (2017): The sixth Mirabelle Harbor book is a duet containing Rocket Man and Someone Like You, bringing the main series toward its conclusion through two linked homecoming romances.
22. The Knight Before Christmas (2019): A sweet holiday romance with Austen inspiration, best read as a standalone seasonal story.
23. When Life Imitates Art (2020): A short story that belongs with Brant’s shorter Austen-inspired and romance-adjacent fiction rather than with a continuing series.
24. The Secret Life of Maggie Blake (2022): A romantic spy comedy and modern reimagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel, separate from the Austen-inspired and Mirabelle Harbor books.
25. Love’s Fingerprints (2023): A short-story collection about love, family, friendship, divorce, first love, and self-discovery, including one novelette and twelve short stories.
26. Not Another Roman Holiday (2023): A Roman Holiday-inspired novella in which an American blogger and a European prince cross paths in Italy.

Series and Category Reading Order

Sweet Series

1. On Any Given Sundae (2011): A small-town romantic comedy with dessert, old ties, and a second-chance setup.
2. Double Dipping (2011): A separate romantic comedy in the same sweet-food lane, best read after the first book for series flow.
3. Holiday Man (2012): A holiday romance that completes the trilogy’s light, dessert-themed structure.

Perfect Series

1. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (2013): A modern Pride and Prejudice romance built around online dating, first impressions, and a contemporary Darcy-and-Bennet pairing.
2. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet (2014): A companion romance that follows the first book and completes the Perfect pair.

Mirabelle Harbor Series

The author notes that the full Mirabelle Harbor series takes place over roughly two years. Each book can be read on its own, but the numbered order is still the easiest path because the community and family connections build in the background.

1. Take a Chance on Me (2015): Chance Michaelsen and Nia Pappayiannis begin the series with a romance shaped by fitness, family businesses, and clashing assumptions.
2. The One That I Want (2015): Julia’s story deals with widowhood, old loves, new possibilities, and the question of whether there can be more than one great love.
3. You Give Love a Bad Name (2016): Blake and Vicky’s romance turns on personality clashes, school events, and whether a man surrounded by love songs actually believes in love.
4. Stranger on the Shore (2016): Marianna’s story moves part of the action to Sarasota, where a beachside reset brings new friendships, family trouble, and unexpected attraction.
5. One Night Love Affair (2017): Sharlene and Declan’s story starts with a single-night premise and develops into a test of whether casual desire can become lasting commitment.
6. Coming Home (2017): This duet includes Abby and Rick’s story in Rocket Man and Chandler and Jaleina’s story in Someone Like You, closing the main Mirabelle Harbor arc.
7. Going For It (2016): This bonus crossover novella follows Trevor and Tina Marie and connects Mirabelle Harbor with Erin Nicholas’s Sapphire Falls world.

Mirabelle Harbor Chronological Order

For strict internal chronology, use the author’s two-year timeline:

1. Take a Chance on Me (2015): Set in April and May of Year One, making it the opening point for the Mirabelle Harbor community.
2. The One That I Want (2015): Set in June, July, and August of Year One, continuing the first summer of the series.
3. Stranger on the Shore (2016): Also set in June, July, and August of Year One, overlapping the same summer period from a different character angle.
4. You Give Love a Bad Name (2016): Set in September and October of Year One, moving the series into autumn.
5. Going For It (2016): Set in June of Year Two and functioning as a bonus crossover rather than a main-series climax.
6. One Night Love Affair (2017): Set in July of Year Two, following Sharlene’s story after the first-year books.
7. Coming Home (2017): Contains Rocket Man, set in October of Year Two, and Someone Like You, set in December of Year Two.

For most readers, publication order is simpler. Chronological order is useful only if you care about the exact month-by-month movement of Mirabelle Harbor.

Standalone Novels and Novellas

1. According to Jane (2009): A romantic women’s fiction novel with a paranormal Austen-advice premise and stronger adult content than Brant’s sweet romances.
2. Friday Mornings at Nine (2010): A women’s fiction novel about three friends reassessing marriage and identity at midlife.
3. A Summer in Europe (2011): A travel-centered story about reinvention during a European tour.
4. The Road to You (2013): A mystery-tinged road novel about buried answers, memory, and a journey across the American landscape.
5. All About Us (2014): A standalone romantic novella originally tied to the Abbott Springs anthology context.
6. The Knight Before Christmas (2019): A G-rated holiday romance with Austen flavor and a seasonal standalone structure.
7. The Secret Life of Maggie Blake (2022): A romantic spy comedy inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, separate from Brant’s Austen and small-town romance lines.
8. Not Another Roman Holiday (2023): A short Italian-set romance that reverses the classic Roman Holiday setup with an American blogger and a European prince.

Collections, Boxed Sets, and Expanded Editions

1. The Sweet Temptations Collection (2013): Collects On Any Given Sundae, Double Dipping, and Holiday Man.
2. The Perfect Pair (2014): Collects Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match and Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet.
3. The Road and Beyond (2014): An expanded edition of The Road to You, not a new sequel.
4. All I Ever Wanted (2014): A multi-author anthology that includes All About Us.
5. Pride and Prejudice: The Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote (2014): A multi-author Austen collection, best treated as optional related material.
6. Second Chances (2017): A Romance Writers of America anthology that included Brant’s short story When Life Imitates Art.
7. The Mirabelle Harbor Series Boxed Set: Books 1-4 (2019): Collects the first four Mirabelle Harbor stories.
8. The Mirabelle Harbor Series Boxed Set: Books 5-7 Plus Bonus Romance (2019): Collects the later Mirabelle Harbor material and bonus romance content.
9. Love’s Fingerprints (2023): A short-story collection containing one novelette and twelve short stories.

Recommended Marilyn Brant Reading Order

This order separates continuity first, then tone.

1. According to Jane (2009): Start here for Brant’s best-known Austen-connected women’s fiction.
2. Friday Mornings at Nine (2010): Continue with another women’s fiction title before moving into lighter genre shelves.
3. A Summer in Europe (2011): Read next for Brant’s travel-and-reinvention mode.
4. On Any Given Sundae (2011): Begin the Sweet trilogy.
5. Double Dipping (2011): Continue the Sweet series.
6. Holiday Man (2012): Finish the Sweet trilogy.
7. The Road to You (2013): Shift to mystery and coming-of-age material.
8. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (2013): Start the modern Austen-inspired Perfect series.
9. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet (2014): Finish the Perfect series.
10. All About Us (2014): Read this novella before the larger Mirabelle Harbor run.
11. Take a Chance on Me (2015): Begin Mirabelle Harbor.
12. The One That I Want (2015): Continue with the second Mirabelle Harbor romance.
13. You Give Love a Bad Name (2016): Read the third numbered Mirabelle Harbor book.
14. Stranger on the Shore (2016): Continue with book four.
15. One Night Love Affair (2017): Move to the fifth main Mirabelle Harbor romance.
16. Coming Home (2017): Finish the main Mirabelle Harbor sequence.
17. Going For It (2016): Read the crossover bonus novella after the main sequence if you want all related Mirabelle Harbor material.
18. The Knight Before Christmas (2019): Read as a standalone holiday romance.
19. When Life Imitates Art (2020): Add this short story if you are collecting Brant’s shorter fiction.
20. The Secret Life of Maggie Blake (2022): Read as a separate romantic spy comedy.
21. Love’s Fingerprints (2023): Read as a collection of short relationship-focused fiction.
22. Not Another Roman Holiday (2023): Read as a short travel romance and one of Brant’s newest original stories.

Latest Marilyn Brant Book

The latest original ebook releases I verified are Love’s Fingerprints and Not Another Roman Holiday, both from 2023.

A later print listing exists for Not Another Roman Holiday in 2025, but that appears to be a format release rather than a new story. I did not find a reliably confirmed new Marilyn Brant novel scheduled after that as of this update.

Do Marilyn Brant’s Books Need to Be Read in Order?

Only the series books benefit from order.

Read the Sweet trilogy in order. Read the Perfect pair in order. Read Mirabelle Harbor in numbered order unless you prefer the author’s internal chronology.

The standalone women’s fiction, travel fiction, romantic suspense, holiday stories, and short-story collections can be read independently.

FAQ

What is Marilyn Brant’s first book?

According to Jane is Marilyn Brant’s debut novel and the best starting point for readers interested in her Austen-inspired work.

What order should I read the Mirabelle Harbor books?

Read Take a Chance on Me, The One That I Want, You Give Love a Bad Name, Stranger on the Shore, One Night Love Affair, Coming Home, and then the bonus novella Going For It.

Are the Mirabelle Harbor books standalones?

Yes. The author identifies them as standalone stories, though they share a setting and overlapping community.

Is Going For It book seven or a bonus novella?

Both descriptions are useful. It is listed as Mirabelle Harbor book seven, but it is also a bonus crossover novella with Erin Nicholas’s Sapphire Falls series.

What is The Road and Beyond?

The Road and Beyond is the expanded book-club edition of The Road to You, not a separate sequel.

Which Marilyn Brant books are Austen-inspired?

Key Austen-inspired titles include According to Jane, The Knight Before Christmas, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet, and some Mirabelle Harbor entries with Austen references.

Which Marilyn Brant book should I start with?

Start with According to Jane for women’s fiction, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match for Austen-inspired romantic comedy, or Take a Chance on Me for Mirabelle Harbor.

What is Marilyn Brant’s latest book?

The latest original ebook titles I verified are Love’s Fingerprints and Not Another Roman Holiday, both released in 2023. Not Another Roman Holiday also has a later print-format listing.

Conclusion

Marilyn Brant’s books are easiest to read by shelf.

Start with According to Jane for her signature Austen-connected fiction. Move to the Sweet and Perfect books for romantic comedy, then read Mirabelle Harbor in series order for the connected small-town romances. Keep expanded editions, boxed sets, and anthologies separate so you do not mistake repackaged material for new continuity.