Judith McNaught Books in Order: The Historical Romances

A quick note before the lists: McNaught writes in two lanes. Her historical romances — the ones covered here — are set largely in Regency and Georgian England. She also wrote a beloved run of contemporary romances (the Paradise series), which we mention at the end so you do not accidentally pick one up expecting a duke. Within the historicals, her books connect through recurring families and cameos, but each one is a complete, standalone love story.

The Westmoreland saga in order

McNaught's most famous historical thread follows the Westmoreland family. Confusingly, the first book she published, Whitney, My Love, is not the earliest in the family's timeline. Most readers prefer the story's internal chronology:

1. A Kingdom of Dreams (1989) — Royce Westmoreland, "The Wolf," is a feared warrior; Jennifer Merrick is the highborn captive who refuses to be cowed. A sweeping medieval romance and a perennial reader favourite. Chronologically the earliest Westmoreland story.
2. Whitney, My Love (1985) — The book that made McNaught a household name. Whitney Stone returns from Paris transformed, only to be bargained into marriage with the proud, magnetic Clayton Westmoreland. A landmark of the genre and its lightning-rod reputation.
3. Until You (1994) — Stephen Westmoreland, weary of women who want his title, collides with Sheridan Bromleigh, an American governess who wakes with no memory of who she is. Mistaken identity, slow-burn tenderness, and one of McNaught's best heroines.
4. Miracles (1994) — A shorter Westmoreland story, a Christmas-set novella that reunites the family. Best read after the novels above, as a warm coda.

Publication years above are for the original US editions. Because McNaught published Whitney, My Love before writing the chronologically earlier A Kingdom of Dreams, you will see both "publication order" and "chronological order" lists online — we have given the chronological reading order most fans recommend.

The Sequels series in order

The Sequels series is a trio of connected Regency and Georgian romances whose characters cross paths with the wider McNaught universe. Read them in publication order:

1. Once and Always (1987) — A Regency romance between an American heiress and a British lord, sparks and misunderstandings included.
2. Something Wonderful (1988) — A rakish duke, a betrothal gone sideways, and one of McNaught's signature redemption arcs.
3. Almost Heaven (1990) — Elizabeth Cameron and Ian Thornton, a scandal-torn courtship, and an epic grovel that romance readers still cite as a gold standard.

A note on her contemporary romances

McNaught also wrote a run of contemporary romances, most famously the Paradise series — Paradise, Perfect, Night Whispers, Someone to Watch Over Me and Every Breath You Take. They are excellent, but they are modern-set, not Regency, so we have kept them separate from the historical reading order above. If you loved her period romances and want the same emotional intensity in a present-day setting, that series is the place to go.

Where to start

Two safe first picks. If you want the book that defines her, read Whitney, My Love — big, sweeping, and unmistakably McNaught. If you want the most beloved among longtime fans, start with A Kingdom of Dreams, which also puts you at the chronological head of the Westmoreland saga. Prefer a standalone with a legendary grovel? Almost Heaven from the Sequels series is the reader favourite. You truly cannot go wrong — every one of these works on its own.