Pepper Basham Books in Order (Updated March 30, 2026)

Pepper Basham writes both contemporary and historical romance, often with Appalachian settings, British connections, humor, and faith-forward storytelling. Her bibliography is not one single continuity. The cleanest way to read her is by choosing a lane first: contemporary small-town romance, epistolary rom-com, historical Appalachia, historical mystery, or her earlier historical trilogy.

Her official site groups her books into contemporary romance, historical romance, novellas, and young adult, with named shelves including Mitchell’s Crossroads, Pleasant Gap, the Edgewood/Skymar books, Blue Ridge romances, Penned in Time, and Freddie and Grace Mysteries.

Where to begin depends on what you want most

1. For a classic contemporary starting point, begin with:
   A Twist of Faith (2016): This opens Mitchell’s Crossroads and gives you Pepper Basham’s small-town contemporary voice in one of her earliest series starts.
2. Readers who want the most visible recent rom-com line should try:
   Authentically, Izzy (2022): This starts the Skymar series and introduces her epistolary, bookish, more overtly rom-com side.
3. If historical Appalachia is the main draw, go with:
   Laurel’s Dream (2019): This is the first Blue Ridge/Appalachian novel and the best place to enter her mountain-set historical fiction.
4. Those who want historical mystery first should pick:
   The Mistletoe Countess (2021): This opens the Freddie and Grace Mysteries and is the right choice if you want a married sleuthing pair with strong series continuity.
5. Want a completed historical trilogy instead of a long mixed backlist? Start at:
   The Thorn Bearer (2015): This begins the Penned in Time trilogy and is the clearest route if you want to read one fully defined early sequence straight through.

For small-town contemporary romance, take the Mitchell’s Crossroads road first

This is one of Pepper Basham’s foundational contemporary series and a strong place to start if you want family, town life, and a faith-centered romance structure.

1. A Twist of Faith (2016): The series opens with a teacher, a local football coach, and a romance rooted in home, healing, and community.
2. Charming the Troublemaker (2017): The second book keeps the small-town setup going while shifting to a more opposites-attract kind of relationship.
3. A Match for Emma (2019): The trilogy closes with Emma’s story, giving the Mitchell’s Crossroads arc its final romantic payoff.

If you want British charm mixed with Blue Ridge warmth, read Pleasant Gap next

Pleasant Gap is a shorter contemporary shelf, but it is one of the clearest examples of Basham’s “Britallachian” blend of Appalachia and UK elements.

1. Just the Way You Are (2017): A single mom heads to England to research a family secret and finds romance with a reformed actor, opening the series with both mystery and transatlantic charm.
2. When You Look at Me (2018): Henry and Julia’s quieter, music-centered romance continues the Pleasant Gap setting and works best after book one.

The most bookish modern entry point: the Skymar series

These are among Pepper Basham’s best-known recent contemporary books, and they are especially good for readers who like letters, texts, emails, and rom-com energy.

1. Authentically, Izzy (2022): Izzy’s epistolary romance launches Skymar with a bookish, charming setup that became one of Basham’s breakout recent titles.
2. Positively, Penelope (2023): Penelope’s story continues the same broad world with another mostly letter-and-message-driven romance.
3. Loyally, Luke (2024): Luke’s book rounds out the current Skymar run with a more trope-aware, behind-the-scenes hero.

For readers who want one-off contemporary novels instead of a series

These can be read on their own without needing the other contemporary shelves first.

• Jane by the Book (2018): A jilted heroine, Bath, England, and a historical-detective hero turn this into one of Basham’s clearest Jane Austen-flavored standalone romances.
• Some Like It Scot (2025): A travel writer and a reclusive Scot collide in a Highlands manor running an Edwardian immersive experience, making this a strong recent standalone option.

Her Appalachian historical shelf is best read in sequence

Pepper Basham’s site presents these Blue Ridge books together, and later commentary on her site explicitly describes The Heart of the Mountains as a sequel to Laurel’s Dream.

1. Laurel’s Dream (2019): A British teacher enters the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1918, opening Basham’s Appalachian historical line with culture clash, mountain life, and romance.
2. The Heart of the Mountains (2022): This follow-up returns to the same broader mountain world and is best read after Laurel’s story.
3. Hope Like Wildflowers (2024): Kizzie McAdams’s story continues the Appalachian line and is the newest book currently grouped on that historical shelf.

If you want her earlier historical trilogy, read Penned in Time straight through

This is one of the easiest Pepper Basham sequences to follow because it is a closed trilogy with a clear internal order.

1. The Thorn Bearer (2015): The trilogy begins with historical romance and the first movement of the series’ larger emotional and spiritual arc.
2. The Thorn Keeper (2016): The second book deepens the world and should be read after the opener rather than alone.
3. The Thorn Healer (2016): The trilogy closes here, making this the natural finish to Basham’s earliest named historical series.

The strongest “read in order” historical branch: Freddie and Grace Mysteries

This is the series where order matters most, because each book follows Frederick and Grace Astley into the next stage of their marriage and sleuthing partnership.

1. The Mistletoe Countess (2021): A historical romance with mystery elements introduces Freddie and Grace and starts the series in the proper place.
2. The Cairo Curse (2023): The sequel sends the series into a fresh mystery adventure and is explicitly presented by Barbour as following the first book.
3. The Juliet Code (2023): Their honeymoon-in-Italy mystery becomes another danger-filled case, and the site labels it book three.
4. The Highland Heist (2025): A murder accusation, family inheritance, and Scotland push the series forward again, and Pepper Basham’s page explicitly calls it a sequel to the first three books.
5. The Bachelor Spy (2026): Stephen Blake’s story is the newest listed Freddie and Grace mystery and appears to continue that wider circle into wartime espionage.

Standalone historical novels that belong on their own shelf

These are not main-series entries and are better treated as separate reads.

• Hope Between the Pages (2021): A dual-timeline historical romance built around books, belonging, and lives shaped by reading, and best handled as its own standalone.
• The Red Ribbon (2020): Part of Barbour’s True Colors line, this historical romantic suspense is a separate project rather than a Pepper Basham in-house series entry.

Novellas and shorter side reads

These are optional rather than core stops in the main series paths.

• Second Impressions (2017): A Jane Austen-flavored contemporary novella set in Bath that sits well beside Jane by the Book but does not need to be read before any major series.
• Facade (2018): A WWII espionage romance novella for readers who want a shorter historical suspense branch.
• Between Stairs and Stardust (2019): A Cinderella-inspired historical novella with Biltmore connections, best treated as a separate extra.
• Christmas in Mistletoe Square (2021): A novella collection, with Pepper Basham contributing The Christmas Clue to Finding You, so this is better classed as an anthology extra than a main-series stop.

The simplest reading path for most people

Pepper Basham is not an author you need to read strictly by overall publication date. The better approach is to choose the flavor that matches your taste and then stay inside that shelf until you finish it.

A strong all-around first route

1. Authentically, Izzy (2022): Start here if you want the most accessible recent Pepper Basham entry.
2. Positively, Penelope (2023): Continue the Skymar world while the tone and format are still fresh.
3. Loyally, Luke (2024): Finish the current Skymar sequence here.

A strong historical-first route

1. Laurel’s Dream (2019): Start here for Appalachian historical romance.
2. The Heart of the Mountains (2022): Continue with the sequel.
3. Hope Like Wildflowers (2024): Finish the current Blue Ridge historical run.

A strong mystery-first route

1. The Mistletoe Countess (2021): Begin Freddie and Grace here.
2. The Cairo Curse (2023): Keep the married-sleuth arc in order.
3. The Juliet Code (2023): Read third for continuity.
4. The Highland Heist (2025): Continue the core mystery line.
5. The Bachelor Spy (2026): Move into the newest listed extension of that circle.

Is there one complete chronological order?

Not really.

Pepper Basham’s catalog is too split between contemporary and historical shelves, and her own site already organizes the books by series and type rather than by one overarching chronology. The useful order is series order, not a forced timeline that tries to make Mitchell’s Crossroads sit beside Freddie and Grace or Penned in Time.

Latest Pepper Basham release status

The newest clearly listed Pepper Basham novel on her site is Some Like It Scot, released in April 2025. Her official site also has a dedicated page for The Bachelor Spy, which places it as the newest Freddie and Grace book and indicates that series remains active into 2026.

Questions readers usually ask

Which Pepper Basham book should I read first?

For many readers, Authentically, Izzy is the easiest first book because it is recent, accessible, and representative of her warmer contemporary-rom-com side.

What if I want historical romance instead?

Start with Laurel’s Dream for Appalachian historical romance or The Mistletoe Countess for historical mystery-romance.

Do the Skymar books need to be read in order?

Yes, that is the safer option. They are related books in the same series, and the later entries land better once you know the earlier characters and tone.

Are the novellas required?

No. Second Impressions, Facade, Between Stairs and Stardust, and anthology material like Christmas in Mistletoe Square are optional extras, not mandatory stops.

Which Pepper Basham series is most order-sensitive?

The Freddie and Grace Mysteries are the most order-sensitive because they follow the same couple and widening supporting cast from book to book.

The clearest way to read Pepper Basham

If you want one confident recommendation, start with Authentically, Izzy (2022) for contemporary romance or The Mistletoe Countess (2021) for historical mystery-romance. If Appalachian historical fiction is the reason you are here, begin with Laurel’s Dream (2019).