Portia MacIntosh Books in Order (Updated: February 27, 2026)

Portia MacIntosh writes romantic comedies that are designed to be picked up in almost any order. The two places where order genuinely helps are Marram Bay (a shared-setting mini-series) and Nicole Wilde (an early, linked rock-journalism storyline that’s been republished under multiple titles).

If you want to avoid confusion, the main thing to watch for is alternate titles. The same story can appear under a different name depending on edition or region.

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Where should you start

If you want the safest “first Portia” pick:
The Plus One Pact (2020): A repeat-plus-one arrangement turns into a real emotional test, setting the tone for her modern romcom style.

If you want a small-town mini-series (light continuity):
Start Marram Bay with Book 1 and read straight through.

If you want the early rock-tour era (linked story):
Start Nicole Wilde with the prequel novella, then read the main novel.

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Continuity map

• Marram Bay: A 3-book sequence; best read in order for setting continuity and small callbacks.
• Nicole Wilde: A short, linked storyline; best read in order, and especially useful if you want the original “music journalist” phase.
• Everything else here: Standalones. You can jump around by trope, setting, or vibe without missing required plot.

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Marram Bay books in order (shared setting)

1. Summer Secrets at the Apple Blossom Deli (2018) / also published as Falling for You: A fresh-start move to a seaside town becomes a messy new beginning, forcing the heroine to rebuild life and trust in public view.
2. Love and Lies at the Village Christmas Shop (2018) / also published as Snow Love Lost: A year-round Christmas shop and family friction create a pressure-cooker romance, pushing two sisters’ secrets into the open at the worst time.
3. Make or Break at the Lighthouse B&B (2020) / also published as Met Your Match: A forced return to a family B&B after an accident turns into a second-chance reset, raising the emotional stakes for love and belonging.

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Nicole Wilde books in order (linked storyline)

1. One Way or Another (2012) / also published as Between a Rockstar and a Hard Place: A missing rockstar turns a chaotic night into a high-speed rescue mission, introducing Nicole’s world and her boundary-testing friendships.
2. If We Ever Meet Again (2014) / also published as How Not to Be Starstruck (and later as Love On Tour): A music journalist’s private life becomes tabloid fuel, forcing Nicole to choose what she’ll sacrifice to keep control of her own story.

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Standalone novels in publication order

1. Off the Record (2014): A chase for a headline turns into a personal scandal, forcing a hard choice between ambition and fallout.
2. Always the Bridesmaid (2014) / also published as Bad Bridesmaid: Wedding season chaos becomes a relationship turning point, pushing “plus one” convenience into something riskier.
3. Drive Me Crazy (2015): A dream trip starts unraveling fast, forcing a heroine to re-evaluate what she’s running toward, and what she’s running from.
4. Truth or Date (2016): A romantic gamble mixes honesty with disaster, forcing a heroine to confront how much truth she can handle at once.
5. It’s Not You, It’s Them (2016): Love gets complicated by family dynamics, forcing a couple to set boundaries before the relationship gets defined for them.
6. The Accidental Honeymoon (2017): A honeymoon plan goes wrong in public, forcing a heroine to decide whether embarrassment ends the story or starts a new one.
7. Never the Bride (2017) / also published as You Can’t Hurry Love (and in some editions as How Not to Be a Bride): A wedding-adjacent spiral turns into a wake-up call, forcing a heroine to stop living as someone else’s supporting act.
8. Here Comes the Ex (2019) / also published as The Time of Our Lives: An ex reappears at exactly the wrong moment, forcing old history into the present before anyone is ready.
9. Honeymoon for One (2019): A solo escape becomes an unexpected reset, forcing a heroine to rebuild confidence without a partner as a prop.
10. My Great Ex-Scape (2020): A getaway collides with past choices, forcing a heroine to confront what she never properly finished.
11. The Plus One Pact (2020): A practical plus-one deal becomes emotionally dangerous, forcing two people to admit what the arrangement is really doing to them.
12. Stuck On You (2020): A tiny office moment snowballs into a festive romance, forcing two coworkers to address what’s been left unsaid.
13. Faking It (2021): A “perfect life” performance starts cracking, forcing a heroine to choose reality over the version she sells to everyone else.
14. Life’s a Beach (2021): A sun-soaked setting can’t outrun old baggage, forcing a heroine to face the ex-shaped problem she hoped would stay buried.
15. Will They, Won’t They? (2021): A return to where it all began turns into a relationship crossroads, forcing a heroine to define what she actually wants next.
16. One Night Only (2021): The morning-after consequences refuse to stay small, forcing two people to decide whether it was “just one night” or a turning point.
17. No Ex Before Marriage (2022): Wedding plans collide with unfinished history, forcing a heroine to close a chapter before she can start the next one.
18. The Date Escape (2022): A movie-romance fantasy meets real-life complications, forcing a heroine to separate what looks good from what works.
19. Snow Place Like Home (2022): A festive setup turns into a relationship test, forcing a heroine to decide whether this season changes anything, or just repeats it.
20. Just Date and See (2022): A “keep it casual” plan escalates quickly, forcing a heroine to admit when the experiment stops being controlled.
21. Your Place or Mine? (2023): Two strangers sharing a home become a slow-burn problem, forcing boundaries to evolve into something real.
22. Better Off Wed (2023): A tight wedding timeline becomes a romance pressure-cooker, forcing a heroine to decide whether certainty is a feeling or a choice.
23. Long Time No Sea (2023): A seaside reset comes with inconvenient feelings, forcing a heroine to stop pretending the past is fully settled.
24. The Break-up Plot (2023): A breakup that isn’t quite a breakup turns into a messy arrangement, forcing two people to define what they are before everyone else does.
25. Trouble in Paradise (2024) / also published as Enemies to Lovers: Rival journalists clash on a sunny assignment, forcing professional competition to collide with fake-dating-level proximity.
26. One Wild Night (2024): Life on tour turns into a quick-hit romantic disaster, forcing a heroine to survive the chaos without rewriting her own rules.
27. Ex in the City (2024): A big-city backdrop meets old mistakes, forcing a heroine to face what she thought she’d outgrown.
28. The Suite Life (2024): A destination-wedding countdown becomes a dating scramble, forcing a heroine to stop treating love like a last-minute accessory.
29. It’s All Sun And Games (2024): A work trip heats up into romantic competition, forcing a heroine to choose between the crush and the reality.
30. Date and Switch (2024) / also published as One of the Boys: A summer switch-up spirals into triangle-level complications, forcing a heroine to confront what she’s actually choosing.
31. You Had Me at Chateau (2024): A writers’ retreat becomes a real-life romcom setup, forcing a heroine to live the plot she’s trying to write.
32. Wish You Weren’t Here (2025): A grudge-fueled getaway turns personal fast, forcing a heroine to decide whether revenge is worth the collateral damage.
33. Too Hot to Handle (2025): A villa-style setup creates instant friction, forcing attraction and rivalry into the same room with no clean exit.
34. Going Overboard (2025): A cruise becomes the worst possible place for a breakup, forcing a heroine to survive public humiliation and find her footing again.
35. Without a Hitch (2025): A high-stakes romantic setup hits real obstacles, forcing a heroine to keep her plans intact when life won’t cooperate.
36. A Lot to Unpack (2025): A dream job at the worst possible company turns into close-quarters tension, forcing a heroine to handle baggage without losing her spine.
37. A Shore Thing (2026): A reality-show casting job flips into on-camera chaos, forcing rivals to fake a romance while real sparks complicate the exit plan.

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Upcoming titles (confirmed)

• Wed or Alive (2026): A struggling writer gets pulled into someone else’s wedding momentum, forcing friendship, timing, and feelings into the same countdown.
• In the Same Boat (2026): A travel-based setup traps two people in shared space, forcing boundaries to bend until the truth is unavoidable.

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Reading-order shortcuts

• You only want one sequence: Read Marram Bay (3 books) in order.
• You want the “original era” connections: Read Nicole Wilde in order (prequel → main novel).
• Everything else: Pick any standalone by premise; you won’t break continuity.

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FAQ

Do I need to read the standalones in order?
No. They’re built to work independently, so you can start wherever the premise appeals.

Why do I see different titles for the same book?
Some editions are republished under alternate names. In this guide, those are shown on the same line as the primary title to help you avoid duplicates.

What’s the best “newer” starting point?
If you want the current vibe and pacing, The Plus One Pact (2020) is the cleanest entry point.

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Bottom line

If you want the simplest path: start with The Plus One Pact (2020), then jump by trope. If you specifically want a connected experience, read Marram Bay in order.