Stephanie Perkins Books in Order (Updated: February 27, 2026)

Stephanie Perkins is best known for YA contemporary romance set around an international boarding school, and for later YA thrillers. She also has an adult romance novel releasing in 2025. Most of her books are standalones, but one trio shares a setting and recurring cameos that read best in a specific order.

This page is organized by what changes your experience (continuity, cameos, and tonal lanes), not by a single long master list.

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Reading order cheat sheet

Want the classic YA romance lane (shared setting, light continuity)?
Read the “Paris/boarding school” companion novels in publication order: Anna → Lola → Isla.

Want thrillers (no shared characters required)?
Read either thriller first; order doesn’t matter.

Want her new adult romance?
Start with Overdue (2025); it’s in a separate lane from the YA books.

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Continuity snapshot

• Anna and the French Kiss / Lola and the Boy Next Door / Isla and the Happily Ever After: companion novels at the same school and social orbit. You can read them standalone, but publication order preserves introductions and small reveals.
• There’s Someone Inside Your House / The Woods Are Always Watching: separate YA thrillers; no required order.
• My True Love Gave to Me / Summer Days and Summer Nights: multi-author anthologies she edited (and contributed to); optional and not tied to her novels’ continuity.

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The YA companion novels at the boarding school (recommended order)

1. Anna and the French Kiss (2010): A reluctant move to a Paris boarding school turns into a slow-building first love, forcing Anna to choose honesty over the safer version of “almost.”
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door (2011): A stylish, stubborn heroine collides with a boy from her past, forcing Lola to separate the relationship she wants from the one she’s been performing.
3. Isla and the Happily Ever After (2014): A long-held crush becomes real at last, forcing Isla to find her footing when romance stops being imaginary and starts requiring choices.

Why this order helps: characters and events from earlier books show up later as cameos, and reading out of order can quietly spoil who ends up with whom.

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YA thrillers (either order)

1. There’s Someone Inside Your House (2017): A new life in small-town Nebraska turns dangerous when a killer begins targeting students, forcing Makani to face what she’s been running from while the circle closes.
2. The Woods Are Always Watching (2021): Two best friends on a weekend hike are hunted by something human and merciless, forcing survival decisions that permanently change what they know about each other.

Edition note: you may see different years depending on format; the hardcover/ebook release is commonly listed before later paperback releases.

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Adult romance (separate lane)

1. Overdue (2025): A librarian’s carefully managed routine collides with unexpected connection, forcing her to admit what she wants instead of scheduling her life around what feels “safe.”

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Anthologies she edited (optional, separate continuity)

These are not “Stephanie Perkins novels,” but they’re often searched alongside her fiction.

1. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (2014) [editor]: A holiday anthology gathers multiple romance-forward stories, offering a seasonal sampler rather than a single linked plot.
2. Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories (2016) [editor]: A companion summer anthology delivers standalone romances by multiple authors, built for dipping in anywhere.

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A practical “first-time reader” path

If you want one clean route with no regret:

1. Anna and the French Kiss (2010)
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door (2011)
3. Isla and the Happily Ever After (2014)
4. Then choose your lane: There’s Someone Inside Your House (if you want a slasher-style YA thriller) or The Woods Are Always Watching (if you want survival horror).
5. Add Overdue (2025) whenever you want an adult romance that isn’t tied to the YA continuity.

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FAQs

Are the “Paris/boarding school” books a trilogy you must read in order?

They’re companion novels, not a single continuous plot, but order improves the experience because later books assume you’ve already met certain characters and couples.

Are the thrillers connected to each other?

No. Treat them as separate standalones and pick by premise.

Do I need the anthologies to understand her novels?

No. They’re optional multi-author collections she edited, not required story material.

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The simplest choice

If you want the most “Stephanie Perkins” starting point for YA romance, begin with Anna and the French Kiss (2010) and continue in order. If you’re here specifically for suspense, start with whichever thriller premise fits your mood.