Loretta Chase Books in Order

Order matters differently in each Chase series. The Carsington books share a family, so cameos accumulate; the Dressmakers share a shop and a sisterhood, so the business plot builds across books; and the Scoundrels books are loosely linked standalones — which is why so many people read book three first without ever noticing. Let's take them one at a time.

The Carsington quartet in order

Four books, four sons of the exasperated Earl of Hargate — plus a fifth book that catches up with two scene-stealing characters years later.

1. Miss Wonderful (2004) — Wounded war hero Alistair Carsington is sent to the countryside and meets a practical woman with zero patience for his beautiful waistcoats.
2. Mr. Impossible (2005) — In Egypt, a widowed scholar hires the family's most cheerful troublemaker as muscle; adventure-romance at its absolute best.
3. Lord Perfect (2006) — The impeccable heir and a scandalous widow chase their runaway children across England, falling ruinously in love en route.
4. Not Quite a Lady (2007) — A quiet, secret-haunted heroine and a scientific-minded hero in the gentlest, most tender book of the quartet.
5. Last Night's Scandal (2010) — Olivia and Peregrine, the irrepressible children from Lord Perfect, are grown up and headed to a crumbling Scottish castle; a fan-favourite next-generation sequel.

The Dressmakers series in order

Three sisters — descendants of aristocrats and con artists in roughly equal measure — run London's most ambitious dressmaking shop and marry spectacularly upward.

1. Silk Is for Seduction (2011) — Marcelline Noirot sets out to dress the future Duchess of Clevedon and instead catches the duke.
2. Scandal Wears Satin (2012) — Sister Sophy and a bluff, unimaginative earl team up to contain a scandal and combust instead.
3. Vixen in Velvet (2014) — Leonie, the numbers sister, makes a wager with a too-beautiful lord that neither of them can win with their dignity intact.
4. Dukes Prefer Blondes (2016) — A society beauty with a wasted brilliant mind and a coldly logical barrister; the series' sharpest pairing.

The Scoundrels series — and where Lord of Scoundrels fits

Here is the answer to the question that brought half of you to this page: Lord of Scoundrels is book three of the Scoundrels series, and no, you do not need to read the first two. Each book stands fully alone; they are connected by a shared world and recurring characters rather than one continuing plot. For completists, the order is:

1. The Lion's Daughter (1992) — A swashbuckling adventure that sweeps from Albania to England, and the series' wildest ride.
2. Captives of the Night (1994) — A murder mystery wrapped around a slow, wary romance between an artist's widow and an enigmatic spy.
3. Lord of Scoundrels (1995) — Jessica Trent versus the Marquess of Dain: the glove scene, the pistol, and quite possibly the most beloved historical romance of all time.
4. The Last Hellion (1998) — Dain's fellow hellion meets a crusading journalist who refuses to be scandalised by him.

There is also a linked novella, The Mad Earl's Bride, set in the same world for readers who want every last page of it.

Where should you start with Loretta Chase?

Start with Lord of Scoundrels — it is the consensus pick for a reason, and it needs no setup. If you want a full series to settle into afterwards, go to Mr. Impossible (yes, you can start the Carsingtons at book two; readers do it constantly) or begin the Dressmakers with Silk Is for Seduction. Chase's superpower is heroines who out-think everyone in the room, so wherever you start, you are in confident hands.