Janna MacGregor Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
If you love a Regency romance with a big warm heart, a whip-smart heroine, and a hero who falls first and falls hard, Janna MacGregor is your next auto-buy author. She writes in tight, interconnected family series — so once you meet one Cavensham or one scheming widow, you will want the whole set. Here is every Janna MacGregor book in order, and exactly where to start.
MacGregor is a traditionally published historical romance author who debuted in 2017 and quickly earned a reputation for emotional, banter-heavy love stories with plenty of found-family warmth. Her books split cleanly into two Regency-set series. Each novel stands alone with its own couple and guaranteed happily ever after, but the families weave through one another's stories, so publication order rewards you with the best cameos and running jokes.
The Cavensham Heiresses in order (start here)
This is MacGregor's debut series and the best place to begin. The Cavensham Heiresses are strong-willed women determined to forge their own destinies — and the men clever enough to fall in love with them for exactly that reason.
- The Bad Luck Bride (2017) — Claire Cavensham has been jilted so many times the ton calls her cursed, until a marriage of convenience turns into the real thing. The series opener and a perfect entry point.
- The Bride Who Got Lucky (2017) — Emma is determined to avenge her friend's death, and the brooding marquess who tries to stop her ends up her most dangerous ally. Enemies-to-lovers with real stakes.
- The Luck of the Bride (2018) — March forges a banker's signature to keep her siblings fed; the banker in question is a duke who decides to court her instead of ruin her.
- The Good, the Bad, and the Duke (2018) — A second-chance romance between childhood sweethearts torn apart by a family feud. Aching and tender.
- Rogue Most Wanted (2019) — A resourceful heiress fighting to keep her land meets the man who has just inherited the title she expected. Sparks and stubbornness follow.
- Wild, Wild Rake (2020) — A widow with a scandalous reputation and the vicar-turned-viscount who never forgot her. The warm, witty send-off to the Cavensham world.
The Widow Rules in order
MacGregor's second Regency series is built on an irresistible hook: three women discover they were all married to the same duplicitous man, and instead of becoming rivals, they become the closest of friends. Then they each find real love.
- A Duke in Time (2021) — Katherine learns at her husband's funeral that she was one of three wives. His honourable brother, now the duke, sets out to make things right — and loses his heart doing it.
- Rules for Engaging the Earl (2022) — Widow number two, a shipping-minded heroine, tangles with an earl who is all wrong for her business and all right for her heart.
- How to Best a Marquess (2023) — The final widow gets her happily ever after opposite a marquess who has loved her longer than he will admit.
There is also a short prequel novella, Where There's a Will (2021), that sets up the Widow Rules trio — a nice bonus, though you can dive straight into A Duke in Time without it.
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Where to start with Janna MacGregor
Begin with The Bad Luck Bride. It introduces MacGregor's voice, her signature blend of humour and heart, and the sprawling Cavensham clan you will follow through six books. If you would rather test the waters with a single novel, The Luck of the Bride and A Duke in Time are both especially beloved standalones — one for the forbidden-banker romance, the other for that jaw-dropping three-wives opening. Read the Cavensham Heiresses first, then the Widow Rules, and you will have moved through her whole catalogue in the ideal order.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Janna MacGregor's books in?
Start with the Cavensham Heiresses, beginning with The Bad Luck Bride (2017). After all six, move to the Widow Rules trilogy, which opens with A Duke in Time. Each book is a standalone, but the families recur and read best in publication order.
Do Janna MacGregor's books need to be read in order?
No — every novel is a complete standalone with its own couple and happy ending. But characters reappear as friends and family in later books, so reading each series in order gives richer cameos and callbacks.
Are Janna MacGregor's books spicy or clean?
They sit in the warm mainstream middle: emotional, witty Regency romances with sensual rather than explicit love scenes — traditionally published historical romance in the vein of Julia Quinn or Sarah MacLean.