Christine Merrill Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Christine Merrill has spent nearly two decades writing warm, witty Regency romances for Harlequin Historical — marriages of convenience, mistaken identities, disgraced ladies and reformed rakes. Because she works in linked mini-series rather than one long saga, the "right" order depends on which family you want to follow. Here is every Merrill sequence sorted out, plus the easiest place for a newcomer to jump in.
Does the order matter? Only a little. Each Christine Merrill book is a complete standalone romance, so you will never be lost picking one up cold. But she loves to seed friends and siblings across a handful of connected titles, and those cameos pay off best when you read a mini-series in sequence. Below, the books are grouped by series in the order they were written.
The Radwells
Merrill's earliest connected books, and the ones that established her marriage-of-convenience specialty.
- The Inconvenient Duchess (2006) — Her debut. A hasty wedding to a reclusive duke turns into an unexpectedly tender love story.
- An Unladylike Offer (2007) — A woman with a scandalous past bargains her way toward a second chance.
- A Wicked Liaison (2007) — A gentleman thief and the lady who catches him in the act.
Ladies in Disgrace
A trio of interlinked stories about well-bred women whose reputations have slipped — lighter and funnier than the Radwells books.
- Lady Folbroke's Delicious Deception (2011) — A neglected wife poses as her husband's mistress. A perfect starting point.
- Lady Drusilla's Road to Ruin (2011) — A sensible spinster chases her runaway sister and finds trouble of her own.
- Lady Priscilla's Shameful Secret (2012) — An estranged couple forced back together, with a secret between them.
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The Sinner and the Saint
Two brothers, two very different reputations — one of Merrill's most emotional pairings.
- The Greatest of Sins (2013) — A physician and a woman from his past, with a family secret between them. Many readers' favourite Merrill.
- The Fall of a Saint (2014) — A duke with a scandalous double life must win the trust of the woman he has wronged.
Those Scandalous Stricklands
Her more recent linked Regencies, following a family of jewellers-turned-gentry.
- A Kiss Away from Scandal (2018) — A shopgirl and a viscount hunting for a missing heiress.
- How Not to Marry an Earl (2018) — A bluestocking and the earl she is convinced is a fraud.
Merrill has also written a long run of connected and standalone Harlequin Historicals beyond these — including the Belston & Friends books that open with Miss Winthorpe's Elopement — but the four series above are the clearest way in.
Where to start
If you want Merrill at her most emotional, begin with The Greatest of Sins. If you would rather be charmed and amused, start with Lady Folbroke's Delicious Deception and read the Ladies in Disgrace trilogy straight through. Completists who like watching an author grow can go all the way back to The Inconvenient Duchess, her 2006 debut. Any of the three works as a front door — that is the joy of a Harlequin Historical backlist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read Christine Merrill's books in order?
No. Almost every book is a self-contained Regency romance. Her titles cluster into small linked series, so read each mini-series in order if you want the returning characters, but you can dip in anywhere.
What is the best Christine Merrill book to start with?
The Greatest of Sins is a strong entry point. Readers who prefer a lighter, wittier tone often start with Lady Folbroke's Delicious Deception.
What was Christine Merrill's first book?
Her debut was The Inconvenient Duchess (2006), a marriage-of-convenience story that opens The Radwells sequence.