Darcy Burke Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Darcy Burke is a USA Today bestselling American author of historical and contemporary romance and, since 2024, historical mystery. A native of Oregon, she began publishing in 2012 with the Regency-set Secrets & Scandals series and has since written more than sixty books, almost all of them self-published, at a pace of six to eight titles a year. Her historicals are Georgian and Regency-set and lean on fake courtships, marriages of convenience, forced proximity and secret identities. She also wrote the contemporary Ribbon Ridge small-town series for Avon between 2013 and 2017. Her books have been translated into German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch, and she has co-written two shared-world series with Erica Ridley.
Do you have to read Darcy Burke in order?
Darcy Burke writes in self-contained series and every book is a complete romance, so you can start with any series opener - she says as much herself. Three connections are worth knowing. First, The Untouchables, The Spitfire Society and The Pretenders form one continuous world: The Untouchables comes first and the other two follow on from it with returning characters. Second, the prequel novellas (The Bachelor Earl for The Untouchables, Invitation for The Phoenix Club, The Legend of a Rogue for Legendary Rogues) were all written after the main series and read better as extras than as starting points. Third, the Raven & Wren mysteries are the one set that genuinely must be read in order, because the investigation and the central relationship carry across all seven books.
Genres and eras: Three genres. (1) Historical romance - the bulk of the catalogue, Georgian and Regency-set England, eleven series from 2012 to the present. (2) Historical mystery - Raven & Wren (2024- ) and the new Only Murders in the Square (2026- ), both Regency-set amateur-sleuth mysteries rather than romances. (3) Contemporary romance - the ten-book Ribbon Ridge family saga set in small-town Oregon, published 2013-2017 and later retitled and reissued. Only the first category belongs on a historical romance reading list, though the mysteries share the same period setting.
Secrets & Scandals in order (2012-2014)
Her debut series, Regency-set London.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Her Wicked Ways | 2012 |
| 2 | His Wicked Heart | 2012 |
| 3 | To Seduce a Scoundrel | 2012 |
| 4 | To Love a Thief | 2013 |
| 5 | Never Love a Scoundrel | 2013 |
| 6 | Scoundrel Ever After | 2014 |
Legendary Rogues in order (2014-2020)
Georgian and Regency treasure-hunt adventures. Book 1 was first published in 2014 as The de Valery Code in a series then called Regency Treasure Hunters; both book and series were later renamed. The prequel was published last, in 2020.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of a Rogue novella | 2020 | |
| 1 | Lady of Desire | 2014 |
| 2 | Romancing the Earl | 2015 |
| 3 | Lord of Fortune | 2018 |
| 4 | Captivating the Scoundrel | 2019 |
The Untouchables in order (2016-2020)
Twelve of Society's most eligible and elusive bachelor peers. Her longest and best-known historical series. The prequel novella The Bachelor Earl was published in 2020, after the twelve numbered books, and is also filed as book 3 of the Matchmaking Chronicles.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| The Bachelor Earl novella | 2020 | |
| 1 | The Forbidden Duke | 2016 |
| 2 | The Duke of Daring | 2016 |
| 3 | The Duke of Deception | 2016 |
| 4 | The Duke of Desire | 2017 |
| 5 | The Duke of Defiance | 2017 |
| 6 | The Duke of Danger | 2017 |
| 7 | The Duke of Ice | 2017 |
| 8 | The Duke of Ruin | 2018 |
| 9 | The Duke of Lies | 2018 |
| 10 | The Duke of Seduction | 2018 |
| 11 | The Duke of Kisses | 2018 |
| 12 | The Duke of Distraction | 2019 |
Wicked Dukes Club in order (2019)
A six-book shared-world series co-written with Erica Ridley and released fortnightly in 2019. Burke wrote the even-numbered books; Ridley wrote 1, 3 and 5 (One Night for Seduction, One Night of Passion, One Night to Remember), which are NOT Burke titles and are excluded from the count. Positions below are positions in the full series.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | One Night of Surrender | 2019 |
| 4 | One Night of Scandal | 2019 |
| 6 | One Night of Temptation | 2019 |
Love is All Around in order (2019)
Three Regency-set retellings of classic Christmas stories, featuring three siblings in a cosy village. All three are novellas.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Red Hot Earl novella | 2019 |
| 2 | The Gift of the Marquess novella | 2019 |
| 3 | Joy to the Duke novella | 2019 |
The Spitfire Society in order (2019-2020)
Independent women who have decided they do not need a husband. Follows on from The Untouchables and shares characters with it.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Never Have I Ever With a Duke | 2019 |
| 2 | A Duke is Never Enough | 2020 |
| 3 | A Duke Will Never Do | 2020 |
The Pretenders in order (2020-2021)
A trio of siblings who excel at being something they are not. Set in The Untouchables world and follows directly on from it.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Secret Surrender | 2020 |
| 2 | A Scandalous Bargain | 2020 |
| 3 | A Rogue to Ruin | 2021 |
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The Phoenix Club in order (2021-2023)
London's most exclusive club for the disreputable and the second-chance set. Eight numbered books plus the prequel Invitation, which the author lists first.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation novella | 2021 | |
| 1 | Improper | 2021 |
| 2 | Impassioned | 2021 |
| 3 | Intolerable | 2021 |
| 4 | Indecent | 2022 |
| 5 | Impossible | 2022 |
| 6 | Irresistible | 2022 |
| 7 | Impeccable | 2022 |
| 8 | Insatiable | 2023 |
Matchmaking Chronicles in order (2020-2023)
Five house-party novellas. The positions below are the author's own ordering on her printable booklist, which is NOT publication order - the publication sequence is The Bachelor Earl (2020), The Rigid Duke (2022), The Runaway Viscount (2022), The Make-Believe Widow (2023), Yule Be My Duke (2023). The Bachelor Earl is also the prequel to The Untouchables and is counted only once.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yule Be My Duke novella | 2023 |
| 2 | The Rigid Duke novella | 2022 |
| 3 | The Bachelor Earl novella | 2020 |
| 4 | The Runaway Viscount novella | 2022 |
| 5 | The Make-Believe Widow novella | 2023 |
Marrywell Brides in order (2023)
Set at the annual May Day Matchmaking Festival in Marrywell, England. These three books are also books 1, 3 and 5 of the seven-book Lords in Love shared-world series co-written with Erica Ridley; Ridley wrote Taming the Rake, Defying the Earl, Chasing the Bride and Undressing the Duke, which are not Burke titles.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beguiling the Duke | 2023 |
| 2 | Romancing the Heiress | 2023 |
| 3 | Matching the Marquess | 2023 |
Rogue Rules in order (2024-2027)
Her current historical romance series: after one of their number is ruined, a group of friends vow never to be taken in by a scoundrel again. Book 7 is announced for 7 January 2027 and is not yet published.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | If the Duke Dares | 2024 |
| 2 | Because the Baron Broods | 2024 |
| 3 | When the Viscount Seduces | 2024 |
| 4 | As the Earl Likes | 2024 |
| 5 | Until the Rake Surrenders | 2025 |
| 6 | Since the Marquess Demands | 2026 |
| 7 | What the Scoundrel Desires forthcoming | 2027 |
Raven & Wren in order (2024-2026)
Regency-set historical MYSTERY, not romance: Miss Matilda Wren and Hadrian Becket solve crimes across a continuing case arc, so this is the one Burke series that must be read in order. Book 7 is announced for 22 December 2026 and is not yet published.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Whisper of Death | 2024 |
| 2 | A Whisper at Midnight | 2024 |
| 3 | A Whisper and a Curse | 2025 |
| 4 | A Whisper in the Shadows | 2025 |
| 5 | A Whisper of Secrecy | 2025 |
| 6 | A Whisper in Darkness | 2026 |
| 7 | A Whisper of Fate | 2026 |
Only Murders in the Square in order (2026-)
A second Regency-set historical mystery series. Book 1 was published on 8 September 2026, the day after this check, so it is listed but not counted.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | In the Midnight Hour | 2026 |
Ribbon Ridge in order (2013-2017)
CONTEMPORARY romance - a family saga set in small-town Oregon, originally published by Avon Impulse. Every book has been retitled for the author's own reissues; the original title is given first and the current title in brackets. Books 8-10 were originally a spin-off series called Ribbon Ridge: So Hot. The years given are the original first-publication years, not the 2024-2025 reissue dates on the author's current booklist.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Where the Heart Is (Let Go) | 2013 |
| 2 | Only In My Dreams (Get Lucky) | 2015 |
| 3 | Yours to Hold (Sparks Fly) | 2015 |
| 4 | When Love Happens (Fall Hard) | 2015 |
| 5 | The Idea of You (Can't Stop) | 2015 |
| 6 | When We Kiss (Break Free) | 2016 |
| 7 | You're Still the One (Hold Me) | 2016 |
| 8 | So Good (Turn On) | 2016 |
| 9 | So Right | 2017 |
| 10 | So Wrong (This Love) | 2017 |
Where to start with Darcy Burke
The Forbidden Duke
Opens The Untouchables, her longest and most popular historical series, and the gateway to two follow-on series.
Improper
The first full-length Phoenix Club novel and the best sample of her recent Regency writing.
If the Duke Dares
Starts Rogue Rules, her current historical romance series, with nothing to read first.
A Whisper of Death
The first Raven & Wren book, if you want her Regency mysteries rather than her romances.
Frequently asked questions
Do Darcy Burke's books need to be read in order?
Not across the catalogue - each series stands alone and each book is a complete romance. Burke has said readers get the most out of reading a series in order, and two cases matter more than the rest: The Untouchables, The Spitfire Society and The Pretenders share a world in that sequence, and the Raven & Wren mysteries carry a case arc across all seven books.
What order should I read The Untouchables series?
The Forbidden Duke, The Duke of Daring, The Duke of Deception, The Duke of Desire, The Duke of Defiance, The Duke of Danger, The Duke of Ice, The Duke of Ruin, The Duke of Lies, The Duke of Seduction, The Duke of Kisses, The Duke of Distraction. The prequel novella The Bachelor Earl was written last and can be read at any point.
How many books has Darcy Burke written?
74 titles had been published under her name as of September 2026: 58 historical romances, 6 Regency-set mysteries and 10 contemporary romances. Three more were scheduled for late 2026 and January 2027.
Which Darcy Burke series should I start with?
The Untouchables is the usual recommendation - twelve Regency novels about eligible bachelor peers, and the entry point to the linked Spitfire Society and Pretenders series. If you would rather start with something current, Rogue Rules began in 2024 and requires no prior reading.
Are The Spitfire Society and The Pretenders connected to The Untouchables?
Yes. Both follow directly on from The Untouchables and bring back characters from it. They still work as standalone trilogies, but reading The Untouchables first gives you the context.
Does Darcy Burke write contemporary romance too?
Yes. The ten-book Ribbon Ridge series, published between 2013 and 2017, is a contemporary family saga set in small-town Oregon. Every book has since been retitled for her own reissues, so the same story can appear under two names.
What is the Wicked Dukes Club and did Darcy Burke write all of it?
No. Wicked Dukes Club is a six-book series co-written with Erica Ridley and released fortnightly in 2019. Burke wrote One Night of Surrender, One Night of Scandal and One Night of Temptation; Ridley wrote the other three. The same arrangement applies to the Lords in Love series, of which Burke's three books are also sold as the Marrywell Brides trilogy.
How this list was counted
This guide lists 76 titles — 76 across 14 series. One title appears in two series and is counted once. 74 distinct titles published under the name Darcy Burke on or before 7 September 2026: 58 historical romance novels and novellas (across eleven series), 6 historical mysteries (Raven & Wren) and 10 contemporary romances (Ribbon Ridge). The Bachelor Earl is counted once, although it appears in two of her series lists. Excludes the three Wicked Dukes Club and four Lords in Love books written by Erica Ridley; excludes all boxed sets and the two 'series starter' bundles (It Started With a Highwayman and It Started With a Duke), which reprint books already counted; excludes titles announced for after this date - What the Scoundrel Desires (Rogue Rules 7, January 2027), A Whisper of Fate (Raven & Wren 7, December 2026) and In the Midnight Hour (Only Murders in the Square 1, 8 September 2026, one day after this check). Including those three gives 77.
How this list was built and where it is uncertain. The spine is Darcy Burke's own printable booklist on darcyburke.com, cross-checked against orderofbooks.com and, for the co-written series, Erica Ridley's site. (1) Novel-vs-novella typing is the weakest field here. Verified as novellas: the three Love is All Around titles and the five Matchmaking Chronicles titles (The Bachelor Earl is explicitly described as a novella). The three prequels - The Bachelor Earl, Invitation and The Legend of a Rogue - are typed novella on the strength of being labelled prequels on the author's own list, which is an inference, not a confirmed word count. To Love a Thief is typed as a novel but is shorter than the rest of Secrets & Scandals in some listings. Everything else is typed novel. (2) Years on the author's current booklist are sometimes REISSUE dates, not first publication. This affects Ribbon Ridge most severely: her booklist dates all ten books to 2024-2025, when the originals were published by Avon Impulse between 2013 and 2017 under different titles. The original years from orderofbooks.com are used here. Lady of Desire is likewise a retitling of The de Valery Code (2014). (3) The Bachelor Earl appears in two of her series lists (Untouchables prequel and Matchmaking Chronicles book 3); it is one book and is counted once. Any page that lists both series will show it twice. (4) Matchmaking Chronicles numbering is disputed: the author's site orders it Yule Be My Duke, The Rigid Duke, The Bachelor Earl, The Runaway Viscount, The Make-Believe Widow, while Goodreads numbers The Bachelor Earl as #2 and orderofbooks.com as #1. The author's own ordering is used, with publication years given so a reader can choose. (5) Marrywell Brides and Lords in Love are the same shared world: Burke's three books are sold both as the Marrywell Brides trilogy on her site and as books 1, 3 and 5 of the seven-book Lords in Love series on Ridley's. Do not double-count. (6) orderofbooks.com lists several multi-author boxed sets and anthologies under Burke's name (Tis the Season 2013, A Duke's Desire 2017, 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Collection 3 2018, A Very Highland Christmas 2020, Romancing the Past 2021, From Rakes to Riches 2024, A Season of Romance 2025). None appears on her own booklist and I could not verify whether any contains original Burke content, so none is counted; if any does contain an original novella, the total would rise. (7) Three announced titles are listed but excluded from total_titles: In the Midnight Hour (8 September 2026), A Whisper of Fate (22 December 2026) and What the Scoundrel Desires (7 January 2027). (8) No title was invented or reconstructed; every title here appears on at least two of the sources listed.