Steffanie Holmes Books in Order (Updated April 28, 2026)

Steffanie Holmes writes paranormal romance, gothic romance, cozy fantasy mystery, dark academy romance, shifter romance, and why-choose romance.

Her books work best when separated by world. Some series share continuity, but the whole catalogue is not one single reading timeline.

The most important connection is the Nevermore Bookshop world. Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries, Grimdale Graveyard Mysteries, and The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven are linked. The rest of her series should usually be treated as separate shelves.

Start Here

1. For cozy fantasy mystery with spice, begin with A Dead and Stormy Night.
2. For the wider Nevermore world, read Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries first, then Grimdale Graveyard Mysteries, then The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven.
3. For gothic paranormal romance, begin with The Castle of Earth and Embers.
4. For shifter romance, begin with Art of Cunning if you want the broader Crookshollow path.
5. For dark academy romance, begin with Shunned, Ghosted, or My Stolen Life, depending on which sub-series appeals to you.

Nevermore Bookshop World Reading Path

This is the cleanest order for the connected Nevermore setting.

1. A Dead and Stormy Night (2019): Mina Wilde discovers that Nevermore Bookshop is not just a bookshop, beginning the cozy fantasy mystery series with literary villains, murder, magic, and a blind heroine.
2. Of Mice and Murder (2019): Mina’s strange new life continues as the bookshop’s curse brings another mystery and deeper trouble with her fictional men.
3. Pride and Premeditation (2019): The series leans into literary parody and murder mystery as Mina’s romantic and magical complications grow harder to separate.
4. How Heathcliff Stole Christmas (2019): A Christmas novella that fits after the third book and gives the series a lighter seasonal side story.
5. Memoirs of a Garroter (2019): Mina faces another bookish murder plot while the ongoing Nevermore relationships and curse mythology continue to build.
6. Prose and Cons (2020): The bookshop’s dangerous literary magic keeps expanding, making this a middle-series entry rather than a starting point.
7. A Novel Way to Die (2020): Mina’s mysteries become more tangled as the series moves closer to the larger Nevermore-world crossover point.
8. Much Ado About Murder (2022): This book overlaps in timing with the first Grimdale Graveyard Mystery, so it matters for readers following the shared world closely.
9. Crime and Publishing (2023): The Nevermore storyline continues after the crossover period, with Mina still balancing murder, magic, and the men tied to the shop.
10. Plot and Bothered (2024): The ninth main Nevermore book pushes the series toward its late-stage consequences and should not be read before the earlier books.
11. The Plot Thickens (scheduled for May 28, 2026): The tenth Nevermore Bookshop entry is listed as a villain-POV return to the world and should be read after the first nine books.

Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries in Order

1. A Dead and Stormy Night (2019): The first Mina Wilde book introduces the magical bookshop, the curse, and the literary men who become central to the series.
2. Of Mice and Murder (2019): The second book continues Mina’s adjustment to Nevermore and adds another mystery inside the bookshop’s strange rules.
3. Pride and Premeditation (2019): The third book keeps the literary-mystery structure while deepening Mina’s relationships and the series mythology.
4. How Heathcliff Stole Christmas (2019): This novella belongs after book three and works as a holiday interlude, not as an entry point.
5. Memoirs of a Garroter (2019): The fourth full novel continues the central arc and should be read after the first three books.
6. Prose and Cons (2020): A mid-series mystery that relies on the established Nevermore cast and romantic structure.
7. A Novel Way to Die (2020): Another full Nevermore mystery, placed before the Grimdale crossover period.
8. Much Ado About Murder (2022): The seventh book shares timeline relevance with Grimdale book one, so readers of both series should keep this placement in mind.
9. Crime and Publishing (2023): The eighth book continues Mina’s late-series Nevermore arc.
10. Plot and Bothered (2024): The ninth book is the latest completed main entry before the announced tenth book.
11. The Plot Thickens (scheduled for 2026): A return to Nevermore Bookshop that should be saved until after the existing main series.

Grimdale Graveyard Mysteries in Order

This series is set in the same world as Nevermore Bookshop and can be read separately, but book one crosses timelines with Much Ado About Murder.

1. You’re So Dead to Me (2023): Bree Mortimer sees dead people and becomes entangled with three ghostly men, beginning the Grimdale Graveyard storyline with paranormal mystery and romance.
2. If You’ve Got It, Haunt It (2023): Bree’s ghost-filled life continues after the first book’s setup, so it should be read second.
3. Ghoul as a Cucumber (2023): The third Grimdale book keeps the spooky mystery structure while pushing Bree’s relationship and ghost problems forward.
4. Not a Mourning Person (2024): The fourth book closes the currently listed Grimdale sequence and should be read after the first three.

Older reading lists may show the first book as You’ll Be the Death of Me. Current major listings use You’re So Dead to Me.

The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven in Order

This series is set in the Nevermore world about eight years after the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries.

1. Fangs for Nothing (2024): A vampire-centered cozy paranormal romance that begins the book-coven spin-off after the original Nevermore era.
2. A Grave Mistake (2026): The second book follows another supernatural romance inside the book-coven world and should be read after Fangs for Nothing.

These are interconnected standalones, but the shared town, book club, and timeline make publication order the safest route.

Some Kind of Monster Books in Order

Co-written with Katie May, this is a separate why-choose monster-hunting series.

1. Welcome to My Nightmare (2024): A dark, monster-hunting why-choose romance about a heroine pulled into danger with possessive men and supernatural secrets.
2. Bad Moon Rising (2023): A prequel novella that gives earlier context for the series but is best read after you understand the main setup.
3. Season of the Witch (date uncertain): Listed as the second main Some Kind of Monster book on Holmes’ reading-order materials, but current publication details should be checked before placing it firmly.

For a first read, start with Welcome to My Nightmare, then use Bad Moon Rising as extra background.

Briarwood Witches Books in Order

Briarwood Witches is a why-choose paranormal romance series set before the Crookshollow Gothic Romance books.

1. The Summer Court (prequel novella): A short prequel that gives earlier background to the Briarwood world, best read after you know you want more context.
2. The Castle of Earth and Embers (2018): Maeve arrives at an ancient castle and enters a world of grief, magic, secrets, and five mysterious men.
3. The Castle of Fire and Fable (2018): The second book continues Maeve’s bond with the castle and the men around her while the magical danger grows.
4. The Castle of Water and Woe (2018): The third book deepens the castle’s mysteries and should not be read before the first two.
5. The Castle of Wind and Whispers (2018): The fourth book raises the emotional and supernatural stakes as Maeve’s past and future become harder to separate.
6. The Castle of Spirit and Sorrow (2018): The fifth book concludes the Briarwood Witches sequence and resolves the main arc.

Crookshollow Gothic Romance Books in Order

This series follows after Briarwood Witches in the broader Crookshollow setting.

1. Art of Cunning (2015): Alexandra Kline enters the village of Crookshollow and becomes entangled with Ryan Raynard, an artist with a dangerous shifter secret.
2. Art of the Hunt (2015): Alex and Ryan’s story continues, so this should be read after Art of Cunning.
3. Art of Temptation (2015): The third Alex and Ryan book completes their central Crookshollow arc.
4. The Man in Black (2015): The series shifts to Elinor and Eric, keeping the same gothic paranormal village atmosphere.
5. Watcher (2016): Belinda and Cole’s story begins, adding another linked paranormal romance inside the Crookshollow world.
6. Reaper (2016): Belinda and Cole’s story continues and should be read after Watcher.

Wolves of Crookshollow Books in Order

These books are set after Crookshollow Gothic Romance and feature overlapping-world paranormal romance, but each couple has its own story.

1. Digging the Wolf (2016): Anna and Luke’s werewolf romance opens this Crookshollow shifter branch.
2. Writing the Wolf (2017): Rosa and Caleb’s story continues the village’s paranormal-romance setting with a new couple.
3. Inking the Wolf (2017): Bianca and Robbie’s romance adds another linked werewolf story.
4. Wedding the Wolf (2017): Willow and Irvine’s book closes the listed Wolves of Crookshollow sequence.

Witches of the Woods Books in Order

• Witch Hunter (2015): A historical/paranormal witch story set around curse, danger, and survival.

This is separate from Briarwood Witches unless a later edition or author note says otherwise. Treat it as an early standalone-style witch entry.

Kings of Miskatonic Prep Books in Order

This is a dark paranormal bully reverse-harem romance series with Lovecraftian influence.

1. Shunned (2019): Hazel Waite enters Miskatonic Prep and becomes trapped in a dark academy world of bullying, secrets, and dangerous boys.
2. Initiated (2019): Hazel’s story continues after the first book’s revelations, making this a direct sequel.
3. Possessed (2019): The third book pushes the paranormal and romantic stakes further into the series mythology.
4. Ignited (2020): The fourth book completes the Kings of Miskatonic Prep arc.

Read these in order. The series is cumulative and not built for random entry.

Manderley Academy Books in Order

Manderley Academy is a dark gothic academy romance with a Cinderella-retelling shape.

1. Ghosted (2020): Faye de Winter arrives at Manderley Academy and becomes drawn into a gothic mystery involving music, danger, and complicated men.
2. Haunted (2020): The second book continues Faye’s Manderley story and depends on the relationships introduced in Ghosted.
3. Spirited (2021): The final book closes the Manderley Academy arc and should be read after the first two.

Stonehurst Prep Books in Order

Stonehurst Prep is a contemporary dark reverse-harem bully romance series with mafia elements.

1. My Stolen Life (2020): The series begins with a heroine whose life is upended by secrets, power, and dangerous boys at Stonehurst.
2. My Secret Heart (2020): The second book continues the emotional and power struggles from My Stolen Life.
3. My Broken Crown (2021): The third book escalates the Stonehurst conflict and should be read after the first two.
4. My Savage Empire (2021): The fourth book completes the main Stonehurst Prep sequence.
5. Poor Little Rich Girl (2023): A later Stonehurst-linked title, best treated as bonus or expanded-world reading after the main four books.

Dark Academia Books in Order

This series is connected to Stonehurst Prep but can be read as its own dark romantic suspense sequence.

1. Pretty Girls Make Graves (2021): A dark university romance involving secret societies, dangerous rituals, and buried sins.
2. Brutal Boys Cry Blood (2021): The second Dark Academia book continues the same dangerous campus atmosphere and relationship tension.
3. Fallen Stars Burn Bright (2023): A later Dark Academia entry that should be read after the first two because it belongs to the same connected mood and setting.

Stonehurst Prep Elite Books in Order

This is a second-generation Stonehurst Prep series. It follows children of earlier characters but can be read on its own.

1. Poison Ivy (2022): The Elite sequence begins with a new Stonehurst generation and a dark bully-romance setup.
2. Poison Flower (2022): The second book continues the new-generation conflict and should follow Poison Ivy.
3. Poison Kiss (2022): The third book completes the currently listed Stonehurst Prep Elite sequence.

Standalone Novel

• Poison Malice Twisted (2021): A dark fae gothic romance about forbidden attraction, redemption, and strange architecture, separate from the main series continuities.

Shared-World and Anthology Appearances

These are optional and should not interrupt the main series reading path.

1. Hollow (2017): Steffanie Holmes’ contribution to The Isa Fae Collection, best read as a shared-world side story.
2. Hungry for More: A Harem of Recipes (2018): A multi-author collection item for completists rather than a continuity-essential book.
3. Brutal Boys on Devils Night (2021): An anthology appearance tied to darker romance themes, optional for series readers.
4. Seduced by Magic (2021): A multi-author paranormal/fantasy romance anthology, separate from the main series order.

Best Steffanie Holmes Reading Order

For a reader who wants the strongest continuity experience, use this route:

1. A Dead and Stormy Night (2019): Start with the author’s best-known cozy fantasy mystery world.
2. Of Mice and Murder (2019): Continue Mina’s Nevermore setup.
3. Pride and Premeditation (2019): Read before the Christmas novella.
4. How Heathcliff Stole Christmas (2019): Add the holiday novella here.
5. Memoirs of a Garroter (2019): Return to the main Nevermore plot.
6. Prose and Cons (2020): Continue the core series.
7. A Novel Way to Die (2020): Read before the crossover-adjacent book.
8. Much Ado About Murder (2022): Read near Grimdale book one because the timelines cross.
9. You’re So Dead to Me (2023): Start Grimdale here if you want the connected-world route.
10. If You’ve Got It, Haunt It (2023): Continue Bree’s ghostly romance and mystery arc.
11. Ghoul as a Cucumber (2023): Keep going with Grimdale.
12. Not a Mourning Person (2024): Finish Grimdale.
13. Crime and Publishing (2023): Return to Mina’s Nevermore sequence.
14. Plot and Bothered (2024): Finish the currently completed main Nevermore run.
15. The Plot Thickens (scheduled for 2026): Read after the first nine Nevermore books.
16. Fangs for Nothing (2024): Move into the eight-years-later Murder Club spin-off.
17. A Grave Mistake (2026): Continue the Murder Club series.

After that, choose by subgenre: Briarwood Witches for gothic why-choose paranormal romance, Kings of Miskatonic Prep for dark paranormal academy romance, Stonehurst Prep for contemporary dark bully romance, or Crookshollow for shifters and gothic paranormal romance.

Chronological Notes

The Nevermore world has the clearest internal timeline.

Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries comes first. Grimdale Graveyard Mysteries can stand alone, but its first book crosses the same period as Much Ado About Murder. The Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven is set years after the original Nevermore series.

The Crookshollow world is also ordered: Briarwood Witches comes before Crookshollow Gothic Romance, which comes before Wolves of Crookshollow.

For Stonehurst-related books, read Stonehurst Prep before Dark Academia if you want the fullest background, then read Stonehurst Prep Elite. The later series can still work alone, but that order preserves the family and second-generation context.

Latest Release Status

A Grave Mistake (2026): The second Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven book was listed with a January 28, 2026 publication date.

The Plot Thickens (scheduled for May 28, 2026): The next Nevermore Bookshop Mystery is listed as book ten and should be read after Plot and Bothered.

Because release listings can shift, readers following the newest titles should check the author’s current store or newsletter before pre-ordering.

FAQ

What Steffanie Holmes book should I read first?

Start with A Dead and Stormy Night if you want the best entry into her most connected and popular world. Start with The Castle of Earth and Embers if you want gothic paranormal why-choose romance.

Are Steffanie Holmes’ books all connected?

No. The Nevermore books share one world, and the Crookshollow/Briarwood books share another. The academy, prep, monster-hunting, and standalone books are separate or only lightly connected within their own groups.

Where does Grimdale Graveyard fit?

Read Grimdale Graveyard Mysteries after the first six Nevermore Bookshop books, or around Much Ado About Murder if you want the crossover timing.

Is The Nevermore Murder Club a sequel series?

Yes, it is set in the same world as Nevermore Bookshop and takes place years later. It can be read for its own romances, but readers who know Nevermore first will catch more of the world context.

Should I read How Heathcliff Stole Christmas?

Yes, if you are reading the Nevermore Bookshop series completely. Place it after Pride and Premeditation.

Which Steffanie Holmes series is complete?

Several major sequences are complete or currently listed as complete, including Briarwood Witches, Kings of Miskatonic Prep, Manderley Academy, Stonehurst Prep, Grimdale Graveyard Mysteries, and Wolves of Crookshollow.

Conclusion

The safest Steffanie Holmes reading route begins with A Dead and Stormy Night and stays inside the Nevermore world before moving to spin-offs.

For gothic paranormal romance, use the Crookshollow path: Briarwood Witches, then Crookshollow Gothic Romance, then Wolves of Crookshollow.