Melissa Foster writes contemporary romance in a large, character-crossing umbrella most readers know as Love in Bloom, a network of family-and-friends subseries where cameos and relationship outcomes carry forward. You can read many books as standalones, but the cleanest experience comes from following the author’s subseries order and a couple of key continuity rules. (Harborside Nights, in particular, is meant to be read before The Steeles at Silver Island.)
This guide is set up like a bookshelf plan: pick a lane, then read straight down that lane.
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Three practical ways to read Melissa Foster
Plan A: “Start at the beginning” (max continuity).
Read Snow Sisters → Bradens (Weston) → Remingtons → Bradens (Trusty) → Bradens (Peaceful Harbor), then keep going through the later coastal and “after dark” branches.
Plan B: “Pick one hometown and stay there” (minimal crossover noise).
Choose Seaside Summers, Bayside Summers, Sugar Lake, Harmony Pointe, or Silver Harbor and read only that mini-world.
Plan C: “One-and-done sampler.”
Try Hot Mess Summer or The Mr. Right Checklist (these are presented as standalone entries in the broader ecosystem).
Love in Bloom universe (subseries order)
Snow Sisters (read in order)
- Sisters in Love: Two sisters stumble into life-changing romances while family loyalty keeps tugging at every decision.
- Sisters in Bloom: A new season of commitment arrives, and the couple(s) must choose growth over comfort.
- Sisters in White: A wedding-centered arc forces honest conversations about what forever actually requires.
The Bradens (Weston) (read in order)
- Lovers at Heart, Reimagined: A small-town bond deepens when attraction stops being the easy part and trust becomes the work.
- Destined to Love: A steady, protective romance grows as two people decide they’re done doing life alone.
- Friendship on Fire: A friendship crosses the line into love, and nobody gets to pretend it’s “no big deal” anymore.
- Sea of Love: A beach-tinged connection turns serious when the past refuses to stay quiet.
- Bursting with Love: A big-feelings romance where family expectations collide with the life the couple actually wants.
- Hearts at Play: A slow-build relationship becomes undeniable once both characters stop bargaining with their feelings.
The Remingtons (read in order)
- Game of Love: A playful spark turns real when two people realize they’re not playing the same game anymore.
- Stroke of Love: A driven heroine and a persistent hero learn that ambition and intimacy can coexist, if they let it.
- Flames of Love: A high-heat romance where chemistry feels easy and commitment feels terrifying.
- Slope of Love: A relationship slides from “fun” to “serious” the moment consequences show up.
- Read, Write, Love: A creative, tender romance where emotional honesty becomes the true love language.
- Touched by Love: A deeper, softer connection forms when both leads stop hiding what they need.
The Bradens (Trusty) (read in order)
- Taken by Love: A protective hero meets a heroine who won’t be rescued, she wants partnership instead.
- Fated for Love: A “meant to be” pull becomes meaningful only after both characters face their fears head-on.
- Romancing My Love: A romantic, steady burn where loyalty is proven in everyday choices, not grand speeches.
- Flirting with Love: Light teasing turns into real vulnerability when feelings grow past the safe, flirty phase.
- Dreaming of Love: A hopeful romance that asks whether the future can be built without rewriting the past.
- Crashing into Love: When life knocks everything sideways, love becomes the place they land, and the risk they take.
The Bradens (Peaceful Harbor) (read in order)
- Healed by Love: Two people carrying old wounds find relief in each other before they find confidence.
- Surrender My Love: A control-vs-heart romance where surrender means choosing intimacy on purpose.
- River of Love: A steady relationship grows when the couple commits to honesty even when it’s inconvenient.
- Crushing on Love: A crush turns serious when both leads stop pretending it’s “just attraction.”
- Whisper of Love: Quiet devotion and slow trust-building carry the romance through external pressures.
- Thrill of Love: High chemistry meets real stakes, forcing the couple to decide what they’re willing to risk.
Braden World novellas (optional, best read after the main Bradens where they fit)
- Promise My Love: A wedding-focused novella that adds emotional closure and family payoff.
- Daring Her Love: A brisk romance that spotlights a couple’s leap from hesitation to commitment.
- Our New Love: A baby-centered chapter that shows how love changes once it becomes family logistics.
- Story of Love: A relationship milestone novella built around proving “us” in public and private.
- Love at Last (Braden Flirt): A flirty bridge story that works like a palate cleanser between bigger arcs.
- A Very Braden Christmas: A holiday ensemble that rewards readers who already know the family dynamics.
Seaside Summers (read in order)
- Seaside Dreams: A coastal fresh start turns romantic when the heroine stops outrunning what she wants.
- Seaside Hearts: A sweet, steady romance where the couple chooses each other despite outside noise.
- Seaside Sunsets: A warm, sunlit love story that grows deeper once both characters stop hedging.
- Seaside Secrets: A relationship tightens as secrets surface and the couple learns how to stay.
- Seaside Nights: Attraction turns lasting when the couple moves from chemistry to real-life compatibility.
- Seaside Embrace: A comfort-forward romance where trust is built through consistency.
- Seaside Lovers: A friends-and-community romance where the setting matters as much as the spark.
- Seaside Whispers: A quieter story where intimacy grows through small truths said out loud.
- Seaside Serenade (Seaside Summers Flirt): A flirt-to-commitment story that lands best after the earlier coastal books.
The Ryders (read in order)
- Seized by Love: A rugged-edges romance where devotion shows up as action, not talk.
- Claimed by Love: Two strong personalities collide until “mine” becomes a promise, not a threat.
- Chased by Love: A pursuit romance where the heroine makes the hero earn every inch of closeness.
- Rescued by Love: A protective bond forms as the couple learns rescue isn’t the same as control.
- Swept into Love: A sweeping finish that turns tension into commitment with full-family payoff.
Bayside Summers (read in order)
- Bayside Desires: A desire-driven romance that becomes serious once real life pushes back.
- Bayside Passions: Passion meets practicality, and the couple learns how to build something stable.
- Bayside Heat: High-temperature chemistry turns into deeper intimacy when they stop resisting.
- Bayside Escape: A getaway vibe becomes a turning point that changes what the couple expects from love.
- Bayside Romance: A classic romance arc where tenderness wins over fear.
- Bayside Fantasies: A fantasy-to-reality love story where “want” becomes “we choose this.”
Harborside Nights (continuity note: meant to be read before The Steeles at Silver Island)
- Catching Cassidy: A young-adult-leaning romance where a guarded heart finally stops running.
- Discovering Delilah: A tender LGBTQ romance where self-acceptance unlocks the relationship.
- Tempting Tristan: A higher-stakes LGBTQ romance where temptation becomes the courage to live openly.
The Steeles at Silver Island (read in order)
- Tempted by Love: A small-island attraction intensifies when secrets start pressing in from the edges.
- My True Love: A romance about choosing the person who feels like home, even when the timing is messy.
- Caught by Love: A relationship turns serious as the couple stops treating love like a temporary detour.
- Always Her Love: A steadfast romance where loyalty matters more than grand gestures.
- Wild Island Love: A bold love story that leans into risk, adventure, and decisive commitment.
- Enticing Her Love: A temptation-driven romance where intimacy grows once the masks come off.
The Silvers at Silver Island (read in order)
- Flirting with Trouble: A flirty setup turns earnest when the couple realizes the stakes are real.
- The Trouble with Flings: A “just a fling” story that collapses the moment the feelings stop cooperating.
Wild Boys After Dark (read in order)
- Logan: A billionaire-leaning romance where a strong heroine won’t be dazzled into surrender.
- Heath: A protective love story where patience becomes the most seductive trait.
- Jackson: A high-chemistry romance that forces the hero to grow up fast.
- Cooper: A devotion-forward romance where commitment becomes the plot twist.
Bad Boys After Dark (read in order)
- Mick: A rough-edged hero meets the one person who won’t be intimidated into silence.
- Dylan: A romance where charm meets consequence and the couple must choose maturity.
- Carson: Attraction grows into trust when both characters stop performing confidence.
- Brett: A satisfying payoff romance where steadfast love finally wins.
Dark Knights branches inside Love in Bloom
The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Peaceful Harbor (read in order)
- Tru Blue: A protective biker romance where devotion shows up early and stays loud.
- Truly, Madly, Whiskey: A deep-feelings story where love gets tested by loyalty and history.
- Driving Whiskey Wild: A fast, emotional ride where the couple chooses each other through chaos.
- Wicked Whiskey Love: A romance where danger and tenderness sit in the same room.
- Mad About Moon: A high-energy love story where stubbornness is half the attraction.
- Taming My Whiskey: A taming-the-untamable romance that proves softness can be strength.
- The Gritty Truth: A truth-and-consequences story where honesty becomes the turning point.
- In for a Penny: A romance about being chosen, fully, without conditions.
- Running on Diesel: A hard-edged love story where the hero’s loyalty becomes the safest place.
The Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls) (read in order)
- Embracing Her Heart: A comfort-forward romance where “let me in” becomes the real challenge.
- Anything for Love: A big-hearted story where sacrifice only counts if it’s matched with communication.
- Trails of Love: A grounded romance where healing happens through shared, ordinary days.
- Wild, Crazy Hearts: A high-emotion relationship that turns chaos into commitment.
- Making You Mine: A possessive-but-tender romance where the couple defines their own rules.
- Searching for Love: A “found you” story where the heroine stops settling for almost.
- Hot for Love: A sparks-heavy romance where attraction becomes a plan, not an accident.
- Sweet, Sexy Heart: A playful love story that surprises the characters with its depth.
- Then Came Love: A relationship grows serious when life forces the couple to choose priorities.
- Rocked by Love: A music-tinged romance where passion becomes partnership.
- Falling for Mr. Bad: A “bad reputation” romance where actions finally outweigh rumors.
The Bradens (Ridgeport) (read in order)
- Playing Mr. Perfect: A perfectionist’s plan collapses when love refuses to be optimized.
- Sincerely, Mr. Braden: A sincerity-first romance where vulnerability becomes the turning point.
The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside (read in order)
- A Little Bit Wicked: A dangerous flirtation turns real when the couple stops pretending it’s harmless.
- The Wicked Aftermath: Aftermath romance where consequences force the relationship into clarity.
- Crazy, Wicked Love: A high-heat story where chaos and devotion arrive as a package deal.
- The Wicked Truth: A truth-reveal romance where the couple decides what loyalty costs.
- His Wicked Ways: A “this is who I am” love story that dares the heroine to want it anyway.
- Talk Wicked to Me: A banter-forward romance where communication becomes foreplay and repair.
- Irresistibly Wicked: A pull-you-in romance where resistance is the least believable option.
- Love Me Wicked: A commitment romance where love is proven through consistent choosing.
The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch (read in order)
- The Trouble with Whiskey: A ranch-set romance where trouble is the catalyst for honesty.
- Freeing Sully (prequel to For the Love of Whiskey): A short character setup that frames the emotional stakes.
- For the Love of Whiskey: A love story where belonging is earned, not granted.
- A Taste of Whiskey: A romance that starts with temptation and ends with real accountability.
- Love, Lies & Whiskey: A relationship tests whether love survives deception when the truth finally arrives.
- My Whiskey Redemption: A redemption arc where the character proves change through sustained effort.
Standalones
- Hot Mess Summer: A playful small-town romance where a messy situation becomes the best thing that happens to them.
- The Mr. Right Checklist: A checklist-driven rom-com where the “perfect match” isn’t the one on paper.
Sugar Lake (read in order)
- The Real Thing: A small-town romance where authenticity beats image every time.
- Only for You: A devotion-forward story where choosing each other is the whole point.
- Love Like Ours: A love story built on history, with healing that happens in the present.
- Finding My Girl: A companion wrap-up that deepens the couple’s long-term payoff.
Harmony Pointe (read in order)
- Call Her Mine: A sweetly possessive romance where commitment becomes the safe choice.
- This Is Love: A relationship strengthens when the couple stops negotiating their feelings.
- She Loves Me: A heartfelt romance where love is proven through steadiness and showing up.
Silver Harbor (read in order)
- Maybe We Will: A will-they/won’t-they romance where timing finally starts cooperating.
- Maybe We Should: A second chance story where “should” becomes “we choose this.”
- Maybe We Won’t: A tension-heavy romance where the couple confronts what they’re afraid to admit.
Women’s fiction and other non-Love in Bloom titles (separate continuity)
These are not part of the Love in Bloom romance network.
- Chasing Amanda: A mystery-leaning women’s fiction story where the search for answers forces personal reinvention.
- Come Back to Me: A suspense-tinged emotional journey centered on loss, resilience, and return.
- Have No Shame: A historical romance with the weight of reputation and the pull of forbidden love.
- Megan’s Way: A literary-leaning story about identity, choices, and rebuilding from the inside out.
- Traces of Kara: A psychological-thriller-leaning story where truth arrives in unsettling pieces.
- Where Petals Fall: A suspense-forward women’s fiction novel where love and danger share the same shadow.
The safest starting point
If you want Melissa Foster at full “big-family, big-feelings” strength with the fewest continuity headaches, start at Sisters in Love and follow the subseries order above. If you want a low-commitment sample first, start with Hot Mess Summer or The Mr. Right Checklist, then decide which family branch you want next.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.