Monica McCarty Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide

McCarty writes lush, meticulously researched Scottish romance grounded in real history. Her earliest books come in tidy trilogies — the MacLeods of Skye and the Campbell Trilogy — while her flagship Highland Guard series is a sprawling twelve-book saga set during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Every novel is a complete love story, but the Highland Guard in particular is best read in order because the war and its warriors carry across the whole series.

The MacLeods of Skye trilogy in order

McCarty's debut trilogy, set among the clans of the Isle of Skye. A great low-commitment entry point if a twelve-book series feels daunting.

1. Highlander Untamed (2007) — a MacLeod chief and a MacDonald bride caught between feuding clans. The book that launched her career.
2. Highlander Unmasked (2007) — a warrior on a secret mission and the woman who complicates it beautifully.
3. Highlander Unchained (2007) — a marriage plot turned inside out, closing the trilogy on a high.

The Campbell Trilogy in order

A darker, more intense set built around the rivalry between the Campbells and their enemies.

1. Highland Warrior (2009) — enemies-to-lovers with a scarred hero and a heroine caught on the wrong side of a blood feud.
2. Highland Outlaw (2009) — a second-chance romance thick with divided loyalties.
3. Highland Scoundrel (2009) — a reunion romance that settles old scores and closes the trilogy.

The Highland Guard series in order

McCarty's masterwork: an elite, secret band of warriors assembled by Robert the Bruce, each book named for the specialist at its centre. Read these in order — the fight for Scottish independence is a continuous thread.

1. The Chief (2010) — Tor MacLeod and the woman he is ordered to wed. The series opener and a perfect starting point.
2. The Hawk — the Guard's seafarer, and a fisherman's daughter who is not what she seems.
3. The Ranger — the scout, and a forbidden match across enemy lines.
4. The Viper — the Guard's deadliest fighter meets a heroine with royal complications.
5. The Saint — a marriage of convenience with a hero far less holy than his name.
6. The Recruit — a young warrior proving himself, and a spymaster's daughter.
7. The Hunter — a tracker escorting a woman who would rather not be found.
8. The Raider — a border romance charged with old grievances.
9. The Arrow — the Guard's legendary marksman finally gets his story.
10. The Striker — a second-chance romance many fans rank among her very best.
11. The Rock — the steadfast one, tested by a heroine who upends his certainty.
12. The Ghost (2016) — the final novel, closing the saga.

Two linked e-novellas, The Knight and The Rogue, are set within the Highland Guard world and slot in alongside the main run for readers who want every scene.

Where to start

Start with The Chief. It opens the Highland Guard — McCarty's most celebrated series — and needs no prior reading, dropping you straight into the band of warriors and the war they are fighting. If a twelve-book commitment feels like a lot, warm up with the three-book MacLeods of Skye trilogy beginning with Highlander Untamed, then graduate to the Guard. Either way, read each series in its own order and let the Scottish history build.