Jess Michaels Books in Order: All 100 Titles
Jess Michaels is an American author of Regency-set historical romance and a ten-time USA Today bestselling author who has published more than a hundred novels and novellas since the mid-2000s. She began writing full-time in 1999, sold her first novella in 2003, and published her first full-length historical romance, Scandalous, as Jenna Petersen in 2005. She was traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain before going fully independent in 2015, since when she has released four to six Regency titles a year through her own imprint, The Passionate Pen, LLC. She writes at the high end of the heat scale, in tightly connected series of three to ten books, and her best-known series is the ten-book 1797 Club. She lives in Oregon.
Do you have to read Jess Michaels in order?
Every Jess Michaels series is self-contained and every book inside a series resolves its own romance, so there is no wrong entry point across the catalogue: pick a series and read that one in order. Within a series the order matters more than usual for indie Regency, because she writes tightly linked casts and the couples from earlier books appear throughout the later ones. The 1797 Club is the exception worth planning for, because ten heroes are introduced in book one and the pleasure of the run is watching them pair off in sequence. The four Jenna Petersen series are earlier, traditionally published, and slightly less explicit than the Jess Michaels books, but they need no prior reading.
Genres and eras: Regency-set historical romance almost throughout, at the sensual end of the market, under two names: Jess Michaels for the erotic historicals and, from 2005 to 2011, Jenna Petersen for the Avon historical romances. She has also written three contemporary romances (two as Jess Michaels, one as Veronica Albright) and a body of urban fantasy as Jesse Petersen; none of that is historical romance and none of it is counted here.
Pen names: Jess Michaels — Her main name and the one this bibliography is built around: steamy Regency-set historical romance, indie-published since 2015 and traditionally published before that by Samhain, Berkley Heat, HQN and Avon Red.; Jenna Petersen — Her name for the historical romances she wrote for Avon/HarperCollins between 2005 and 2011 - The Lady Spies, Stoneworth and The Billingham Bastards series plus four standalones. These ARE historical romance and her own website lists them alongside the Jess Michaels books, so they are included here.; Jesse Petersen — Her name for urban fantasy and zombie comedy, including the Living with the Dead series. Not historical romance; deliberately excluded from this bibliography.; Veronica Albright — A newer name for contemporary romance. Not a Love Song (2021) is credited on her own site as the debut by Veronica Albright. Contemporary, so excluded from the historical count.
The Comerford Courtesans in order (2025-2026)
Her current series, marked complete on her own site.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Once Upon a Courtesan | 2025 |
| 2 | When the Earl Was Wicked | 2026 |
| 3 | The Trouble With Seduction | 2026 |
| 4 | Caroline's Courtesan | 2026 |
About An Earl in order (2024-2025)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wallflower List | 2024 |
| 2 | The Hellion's Secret | 2024 |
| 3 | The Accidental Countess | 2025 |
| 4 | The Courtesan's Protector | 2025 |
| 5 | The Lady Once Known As | 2025 |
Theirs in order (2023-2024)
A menage series. The first and last entries are novellas.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Their Marchioness novella | 2023 |
| 2 | Their Duchess | 2023 |
| 3 | Their Countess | 2023 |
| 4 | Their Bride | 2024 |
| 5 | Their Viscountess novella | 2024 |
The Kent's Row Duchesses in order (2023)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No Dukes Allowed | 2023 |
| 2 | Not Another Duke | 2023 |
| 3 | Not the Duke You Marry | 2023 |
Regency Royals in order (2021-2022)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | To Protect a Princess | 2021 |
| 2 | Earl's Choice | 2021 |
| 3 | Princes Are Wild | 2021 |
| 4 | To Kiss a King | 2022 |
| 5 | The Queen's Man | 2022 |
The Three Mrs in order (2021)
Three women who discover they were all married to the same man.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Unexpected Wife | 2021 |
| 2 | The Defiant Wife | 2021 |
| 3 | The Duke's Wife | 2021 |
The Duke's By-Blows in order (2020)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Love of a Libertine | 2020 |
| 2 | The Heart of a Hellion | 2020 |
| 3 | The Matter of a Marquess | 2020 |
| 4 | The Redemption of a Rogue | 2020 |
The Shelley Sisters in order (2020)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Reluctant Bride | 2020 |
| 2 | A Reckless Runaway | 2020 |
| 3 | A Counterfeit Courtesan | 2020 |
The Scandal Sheet in order (2019)
All six published across a single year, roughly two months apart.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Return of Lady Jane | 2019 |
| 2 | Stealing the Duke | 2019 |
| 3 | Lady No Says Yes | 2019 |
| 4 | My Fair Viscount | 2019 |
| 5 | Guarding the Countess | 2019 |
| 6 | The House of Pleasure | 2019 |
The 1797 Club in order (2017-2018)
Her best-known series: ten friends who met at school in 1797 and are all destined for dukedoms. A separate 1797 Club 2nd Epilogue Collection (2025) gathers bonus epilogues and is not counted as a book.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Daring Duke | 2017 |
| 2 | Her Favorite Duke | 2017 |
| 3 | The Broken Duke | 2017 |
| 4 | The Silent Duke | 2017 |
| 5 | The Duke of Nothing | 2018 |
| 6 | The Undercover Duke | 2018 |
| 7 | The Duke of Hearts | 2018 |
| 8 | The Duke Who Lied | 2018 |
| 9 | The Duke of Desire | 2018 |
| 10 | The Last Duke | 2018 |
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Seasons in order (2016-2017)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Affair in Winter | 2016 |
| 2 | A Spring Deception | 2016 |
| 3 | One Summer of Surrender | 2016 |
| 4 | Adored in Autumn | 2017 |
The Wicked Woodleys in order (2015-2017)
The first series she published after going fully independent in 2015.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forbidden | 2015 |
| 2 | Deceived | 2015 |
| 3 | Tempted | 2016 |
| 4 | Ruined | 2016 |
| 5 | Seduced | 2016 |
| 6 | Fascinated | 2017 |
The Notorious Flynns in order (2015)
Books 4 and 5 are novellas and were also released together as a two-novella collection.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Other Duke | 2015 |
| 2 | The Scoundrel's Lover | 2015 |
| 3 | The Widow Wager | 2015 |
| 4 | No Gentleman for Georgina novella | 2015 |
| 5 | A Marquis for Mary novella | 2015 |
The Ladies' Book of Pleasures in order (2014-2015)
Published out of order: books 2 and 3 appeared in late 2014 and book 1 in July 2015. See notes.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Matter of Sin | 2015 |
| 2 | A Moment of Passion | 2014 |
| 3 | A Measure of Deceit | 2014 |
The Pleasure Wars in order (2013-2014)
Originally published by HQN. A feud between House Rothcastle and House Windbury.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taken by the Duke | 2013 |
| 2 | Pleasuring the Lady | 2013 |
| 3 | Beauty and the Earl | 2014 |
| 4 | Beautiful Distraction | 2014 |
Mistress Matchmaker in order (2012-2013)
Originally published by Berkley Heat.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Introduction to Pleasure | 2012 |
| 2 | For Desire Alone | 2012 |
| 3 | Her Perfect Match | 2013 |
The Jordans in order (2011)
Originally published as by Jenna Petersen writing as Jess Michaels; some editions carry both names.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Secrets of a Lady | 2011 |
| 2 | The Temptation of a Gentleman | 2011 |
| 3 | The Desires of a Countess | 2011 |
The Albright Sisters in order (2007-2010)
Her Avon Red erotic historicals. Rights are still held by HarperCollins, which the author notes on her own site; these are the only books of hers not available for subsidiary rights.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everything Forbidden | 2007 |
| 2 | Something Reckless | 2008 |
| 3 | Taboo | 2009 |
| 4 | Nothing Denied | 2010 |
The Lady Spies (as Jenna Petersen) in order (2006-2007)
Avon. Three women trained as agents of the Crown.
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From London With Love | 2006 |
| 2 | Desire Never Dies | 2006 |
| 3 | Seduction is Forever | 2007 |
The Billingham Bastards (as Jenna Petersen) in order (2009-2011)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What the Duke Desires | 2009 |
| 2 | The Unclaimed Duchess | 2010 |
| 3 | A Scoundrel's Surrender | 2011 |
Stoneworth (as Jenna Petersen) in order (2009-2011)
| Book | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Her Notorious Viscount | 2009 |
| 2 | Rogue for a Night novella | 2011 |
Jess Michaels: books outside the series
These sit outside the numbered series and can be read in any order.
| Title | First published | |
|---|---|---|
| — | Scandalous | 2005 |
| — | Undeniable novella | 2005 |
| — | Fallen Angel novella | 2006 |
| — | Lessons From a Courtesan | 2008 |
| — | Sin collection | 2009 |
| — | A Red Hot Valentine's Day novella | 2009 |
| — | Almost a Spinster novella | 2011 |
| — | A Christmas Kiss novella | 2015 |
| — | Lady Waverly's Lovers collection | 2015 |
| — | Mismatched Under the Mistletoe novella | 2020 |
| — | A Seduction in the Stars novella | 2021 |
| — | 100 Nights with the Duke | 2022 |
Where to start with Jess Michaels
The Daring Duke
Book one of the 1797 Club, her most popular and most complete series, and the book most readers are pointed to first.
Forbidden
The opening of The Wicked Woodleys, the first series she published as an independent author and a good sample of her current voice in six books.
The Return of Lady Jane
Book one of The Scandal Sheet, a six-book run published across a single year, so nothing is left unfinished.
Frequently asked questions
Do Jess Michaels's books need to be read in order?
Across her whole catalogue, no - each series stands completely apart from the others. Within a series, order matters more than usual, because she writes closely linked casts and earlier couples appear all the way through the later books. Every individual book still ends with its own happy ending.
What is the 1797 Club reading order?
The Daring Duke (2017), Her Favorite Duke (2017), The Broken Duke (2017), The Silent Duke (2017), The Duke of Nothing (2018), The Undercover Duke (2018), The Duke of Hearts (2018), The Duke Who Lied (2018), The Duke of Desire (2018) and The Last Duke (2018). A separate 2nd Epilogue Collection released in 2025 adds bonus scenes only.
Is Jenna Petersen the same person as Jess Michaels?
Yes. Jenna Petersen is the name she used for the historical romances she wrote for Avon and HarperCollins between 2005 and 2011, including The Lady Spies, Stoneworth and The Billingham Bastards. Her own website lists those books alongside the Jess Michaels titles. She has also written urban fantasy as Jesse Petersen and contemporary romance as Veronica Albright.
How many books has Jess Michaels written?
Around a hundred historical romance titles under the Jess Michaels and Jenna Petersen names, published from 2005 to 2026, plus a small amount of contemporary romance and urban fantasy under other names. Her own biography page says over a hundred novels and novellas.
Which Jess Michaels series should I start with?
The 1797 Club is the usual recommendation: ten complete books about a group of friends destined for dukedoms, all published within two years. If you want something shorter, The Scandal Sheet is six books released across a single year, and The Wicked Woodleys is six books about one family.
Are Jess Michaels's books steamy?
Yes. She writes at the high end of the heat scale, and that is what her readers come to her for. Her Jenna Petersen historicals from the Avon years are somewhat less explicit than the books published under the Jess Michaels name.
Is Jess Michaels still writing?
Yes, and prolifically. The Comerford Courtesans ran through 2025 and 2026, with Caroline's Courtesan released in July 2026. Since going independent in 2015 she has published four to six Regency titles a year.
How this list was counted
This guide lists 100 titles — 88 across 21 series and 12 outside them. 100 historical romance titles published as Jess Michaels or Jenna Petersen, taken from the series pages on the author's own website and cross-checked against her sitemap. The figure counts novels, novellas and two short-story collections (Sin and Lady Waverly's Lovers), each once. It excludes: box sets, bundles and series collections that only repackage titles already counted (ten such pages exist on her site); the 1797 Club 2nd Epilogue Collection and the Graham: The Broken Duke illustrated edition; three contemporary romances (Watching Tessa 2011, Seven Nights 2011, and Not a Love Song 2021, the latter published as Veronica Albright); and all urban fantasy written as Jesse Petersen. The author's own biography page says she has published over a hundred novels and novellas, which this figure matches.
This bibliography is built from the twenty-six series pages on the author's own website plus her books sitemap, so the series groupings, orders and release dates are hers rather than a third party's. Cross-checks: Goodreads' series list, bookseriesinorder and Open Library agree with her site on the 1797 Club, The Wicked Woodleys, Seasons, The Scandal Sheet and The Notorious Flynns. Known gaps and uncertainties. (1) Novel-versus-novella typing is only partly documented on her site; titles marked novella here are ones her site or its reader quotes explicitly call novellas, or ones grouped under her Christmas Novellas and Other Novellas and Shorts headings. Some titles typed as novel may be shorter than full length. (2) The Ladies' Book of Pleasures is genuinely odd: her site dates A Matter of Sin, numbered book 1, to July 2015 while books 2 and 3 are dated October and December 2014. Either the series opener was written last or the 2015 date is a re-release; this could not be resolved and the site's dates are used as given. (3) Her biography says she sold her first novella in 2003, but her website's earliest listed title is Undeniable (January 2005), so a small number of 2003-2004 novellas are probably missing from her site and therefore from this file. (4) 100 Nights with the Duke (2022) has its own series page on her site but contains only that one book, so it is filed as a standalone here. (5) Sin (2009) and Lady Waverly's Lovers (2015) are collections of linked short stories rather than single novellas, and are typed as collections. (6) Deliberately excluded: ten box sets and series collections that only repackage counted titles; the 1797 Club 2nd Epilogue Collection (2025) and the illustrated edition Graham: The Broken Duke; the contemporaries Watching Tessa (2011), Seven Nights (2011) and Not a Love Song (2021, as Veronica Albright); and everything written as Jesse Petersen. Nothing in this file was reconstructed - every title comes from a page that exists on the author's own site.