Tess Thompson Books in Order (Updated March 30, 2026)

Tess Thompson writes contemporary and historical romantic women’s fiction, and her catalog is wide enough that a single flat list is not the most helpful way to approach it. Her official site currently organizes the books into major series such as Emerson Pass Historicals, Emerson Pass Contemporaries, The Mystery Matchmaker of Ella Pointe, Crescent Moon Ranch, The Parent App, Sugarville Grove, Blue Mountain, Cliffside Bay, River Valley, Legley Bay, and Castaway Christmas.

The simplest way to read Tess Thompson is to choose the kind of series you want first:

• historical family saga
• modern small-town romance
• seasonal romance
• a shorter completed older series
• a currently active newer series

Your Best First Tess Thompson Series

1. A strong first stop for most readers is The School Mistress, because Emerson Pass Historicals is one of the author’s best-known series and the official site describes it as a complete eight-book family saga.
2. Readers who want something modern instead of historical usually do well with The Sugar Queen, because Emerson Pass Contemporaries follows descendants of the historical Emerson Pass families and works nicely once you know the earlier branch.
3. For a newer ongoing contemporary line, Second Dance is a good opening move, since The Parent App is one of the author’s current active series and had at least three books released by March 2026, with another upcoming.
4. If ranch-set small-town romance is the priority, begin with Mama Moon, the first book in Crescent Moon Ranch.
5. Anyone wanting a historical line that is separate from Emerson Pass can start with A Match for a Bookish Bride, the opener to The Mystery Matchmaker of Ella Pointe.

If You Want the Signature Historical Series

Emerson Pass Historicals

This is one of the clearest “read in order” series in the catalog. The official site describes it as a Barnes family saga that begins around 1910 and reaches World War II, so later books carry more weight if you know the family first.

1. The School Mistress (2020): A new teacher arrives in a Colorado mountain town, opening the Barnes-family world and setting the emotional tone for the full historical saga.
2. The Spinster (2021): A wartime-shadowed romance that deepens the family story and broadens the emotional stakes after the opener.
3. The Scholar (2021): A marriage-of-convenience style historical romance that continues the Barnes-centered continuity and works best after the first two books.
4. The Problem Child (2021): A stronger mid-series family installment where prior familiarity with the town and siblings starts to matter more.
5. The Seven Days of Christmas (2021): A holiday novella that fits best after the earlier Emerson Pass books because it works more as a family-side visit than a fresh starting point.
6. The Musician (2022): A later historical romance that keeps the generational sweep moving and benefits from the established family context.
7. The Wordsmith (2022): Another deep-in-series entry where the family saga structure is now fully in place.
8. The Rebel (2024): The eighth Emerson Pass Historical book, carrying the series farther into the next stage of the Barnes family story.

If You Want the Follow-On Modern Series

Emerson Pass Contemporaries

This series is directly tied to the historical books. The official site says these books feature descendants of the original Emerson Pass families, which means this is one of the clearest places in Tess Thompson’s catalog where earlier reading genuinely adds something.

1. The Sugar Queen (2021): The contemporary Emerson Pass opener, introducing the modern descendants and the small-town emotional style of this branch.
2. The Patron (2022): A second contemporary entry that expands the next-generation cast and works best after book one.
3. The Pet Doctor (2022): A continuation of the same community, keeping the family-linked small-town thread going.
4. The Correspondent (2023): A later Emerson Pass romance where established town and family knowledge makes the emotional shorthand land more easily.
5. The Innkeeper (2023): The fifth main book, completing the currently listed core run of the contemporary Emerson Pass line.

Start Here for Historical Romance with a Different Flavor

The Mystery Matchmaker of Ella Pointe

This series is historical, but it is not the same kind of family saga as Emerson Pass. The official site describes it as clean and wholesome historical romance with murder mystery, family drama, and matchmaking on Whale Island, so it has a slightly more high-concept hook.

1. A Match for a Bookish Bride (2023): The opener, setting up the matchmaker premise and the island-based historical world.
2. A Match for a Reluctant Bride (2023): A direct continuation that builds the series’ matchmaking rhythm and should not be used as a first sample.
3. A Match for a Willful Bride (2023): A doctor-and-nurse style historical pairing that continues the same ongoing family-and-island structure.
4. A Match for a Disgraced Bride (2023): A later entry where the series’ blend of social pressure, healing, and matchmaking is fully established.
5. A Match for a Bubbly Bride (2023): Another island-centered romance that belongs in the same series flow.
6. A Match for a Matchmaker Bride (2023): The sixth book, turning the series toward the people who helped orchestrate the earlier matches.

For Readers Who Want Ranch Romance

Crescent Moon Ranch

This is a newer small-town contemporary ranch series and one of the easiest current entry points if you want an active, accessible run without the historical backstory.

1. Mama Moon (2023): The opening ranch romance, introducing the family setting and the tone of the series.
2. Swoony Moon (2023): A friends-to-lovers style continuation that builds directly from the family and town dynamics established in book one.
3. Harvest Moon (2023): A chef-centered ranch romance that keeps the series’ warm-community structure going.
4. Haven Moon (2024): A protective, refuge-style romance that lands best once the ranch family is already familiar.
5. Grumpy Moon (2024): A grumpy-rancher entry that stays firmly inside the existing family setup.
6. Clashing Moon (2025): The sixth book in the series and the latest currently listed Crescent Moon title.

If You Prefer the New Beach-Town Series

The Parent App

This is one of Tess Thompson’s newer contemporary lines. It is a smaller active series and a good choice if you want to catch up quickly rather than commit to a long backlist.

1. Second Act (2025): A prequel novella that sets the stage for the series but is optional for readers who want to jump straight to the first full novel.
2. Second Dance (2025): The real starting point for most readers, opening the Willet Cove setting and the second-chance family-romance setup.
3. Second Pairing (2025): The next main entry, continuing the series’ matchmaking and healing themes.
4. Second Bloom (2026): The third full book, adding another Willet Cove romance while keeping the shared-series backdrop intact.
5. Second Song (2026): An upcoming Parent App title that extends the series beyond the first three novels.

If Christmas Romance Is the Main Goal

Sugarville Grove

This is one of the more seasonal corners of the Tess Thompson catalog, and it has grown fast. The official site lists the series as active, while current release pages indicate it extends into 2026.

1. Sweet Surprises (2024): The opener, establishing Sugarville Grove as a holiday-friendly small-town setting.
2. Unexpected Gifts (2024): A guardian-and-small-town Christmas romance that continues the same community.
3. Sweet Surrender (2024): A later seasonal romance that stays inside the same holiday-town framework.
4. Christmas Promises (2025): A post-betrayal holiday romance that keeps the series momentum going.
5. Christmas Treasures (2025): Another festive small-town entry in the growing Sugarville Grove line.
6. Savoring Christmas (2025): A chef-centered holiday romance that continues the series’ warm-town seasonal approach.
7. Christmas Encore (2025): A later-entry reunion-style holiday romance that works best once you know the series tone.
8. Unscripted Christmas (2026): A June 2026 release that shows Sugarville Grove is still actively expanding.

If You Want an Older Completed Contemporary Series

Blue Mountain

This is one of Tess Thompson’s earlier contemporary series and a practical place to start if you want a finished set that is not as long as Cliffside Bay.

1. Blue Midnight (2015): The opening Blue Mountain novel, introducing the family and mystery-tinged emotional tone of the series.
2. Blue Moon (2015): A second small-town romance that strengthens the shared-community structure.
3. Blue Ink (2019): A later installment that returns to the family and old-mystery threads already seeded in the series.
4. Blue String (2020): Another Blue Mountain continuation where the family backdrop matters more than it did at the start.
5. Blue Twilight (2021): The fifth book, bringing second-chance romance and long-buried history back into the center of the series.

River Valley

This is another older contemporary set, useful for readers who want a shorter early Tess Thompson run.

1. Riversong (2013): The first River Valley book and the right place to meet the tone and setting of the series.
2. Riverbend (2013): A second contemporary romance that develops the same emotional and community lane.
3. Riverstar (2013): A later trilogy entry that builds on the established River Valley world.
4. A River Valley Christmas: Tommy’s Wish (2014): A holiday novella best read after the earlier books.
5. Riversnow (2017): A later revisit to the River Valley setting, best saved until the original books are behind you.

Legley Bay

This is a very short older series and easy to read straight through.

1. Caramel and Magnolias (2014): The opener, centered on love, family strain, and emotionally difficult choices.
2. Tea and Primroses (2014): The follow-up, continuing the same intimate, emotional-contemporary style in Legley Bay.

The Longest Small-Town Contemporary Run

Cliffside Bay

This is one of the author’s biggest contemporary series. Goodreads describes it as a world built around a friend group and says the books are intended to work as sweet standalones, but reading in order still gives the strongest sense of the town and recurring cast.

1. Traded: Brody and Kara (2018): The opener, introducing the Cliffside Bay friend-group world through a heroine hiding from a dangerous past.
2. Matched
3. Locked
4. Mended
5. Blamed
6. Missed: Rafael and Lisa (2020): A later entry built on the existing Cliffside Bay network.
7. Kissed
8. Tossed
9. Jilted: Nico and Sophie (2020): Another deep-in-series romance that benefits from knowing the friend group already.
10. Teased
11. Enticed
12. Cliffside Bay Christmas: A holiday add-on for established readers of the series.

A note of caution here: Cliffside Bay is one of the areas where title-by-title verification is a little messier across retailer and reader-database pages than on the newer series, so the safest practical rule is still to follow the official Cliffside Bay series page order.

The Two-Book Historical Side Series

Castaway Christmas

This is a short historical holiday series, and the official site confirms it currently has two books.

1. Come Tomorrow (2020): A 1906-set historical Christmas romance with coming-of-age and rags-to-riches threads.
2. Promise of Tomorrow (2021): A 1910-set continuation that revisits elements from the first book and works best second.

One Clean Reading Plan

If you only want the most useful route, do this:

1. Start with The School Mistress if you want the fullest Tess Thompson experience.
2. Move to Emerson Pass Contemporaries after the historicals if you like connected descendants and family continuity.
3. Choose Crescent Moon Ranch or The Parent App for newer contemporary reading.
4. Use The Mystery Matchmaker of Ella Pointe if you want another historical lane without committing to Emerson Pass first.
5. Save Sugarville Grove for seasonal reading.
6. Use Blue Mountain, River Valley, or Legley Bay when you want older completed contemporary sets.

Newest Release Status

As of March 30, 2026, the most recent Tess Thompson books I could verify include Second Bloom in The Parent App and Unscripted Christmas in Sugarville Grove, with Second Song listed as an upcoming Parent App title and the official upcoming-releases page showing a June 18, 2026 release slot. The official site also still presents Clashing Moon as the latest visible Crescent Moon Ranch title.

Final Recommendation

1. If you want one decisive answer, start with The School Mistress.
2. If you want something more current and easier to catch up on, start with Second Dance.
3. If holiday romance is the reason you are here, start with Sweet Surprises or Come Tomorrow, depending on whether you want contemporary Christmas or historical Christmas.