Sally MacKenzie Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide

Sally MacKenzie is a USA Today bestselling author whose Regency romances are famous for their light touch. Her books lean into banter, mistaken identities, meddling relatives, and slow-building attraction rather than brooding angst. The Naked Nobility series is her signature, but she has written two more connected sets since, so the "correct" order depends a little on which world you want to live in first. Below is the publication order for each, with a plain-English note on where a newcomer should jump in.

The Naked Nobility series in order

This is the series that made her name, eight books plus a couple of novellas, all built around the same tight-knit circle of aristocrats and their long-suffering friends. Read in order, the recurring characters and matchmaking payoffs land best.

1. The Naked Duke (2005) — A young woman wakes to find a very handsome, very unclothed stranger in her room. He turns out to be a duke, and the misunderstanding sets the comedic tone for the whole series.
2. The Naked Marquis (2006) — A marriage of convenience proposed by letter goes charmingly sideways when the parties actually meet.
3. The Naked Earl (2007) — A midnight bedroom mix-up (again) throws a resourceful heroine together with a reluctant earl.
4. The Naked Gentleman (2008) — A determined spinster and a man hiding a secret, with plenty of ballroom scheming.
5. The Naked Baron (2009) — Second chances and a house party where nothing goes to plan.
6. The Naked Viscount (2010) — Intrigue, a stolen document, and a courtship conducted mostly through arguments.
7. The Naked King (2011) — The grand, romp-filled finale for the central family, an ALA Booklist top-ten romance.
8. Bedding Lord Ned (2012) — A linked follow-up that opens the way to her next series; also an ALA Booklist favourite.

MacKenzie has also written short Naked Nobility novellas and Christmas stories over the years. They are lovely extras, but you never need them to follow the main arc, so start with the novels.

The Duchess of Love series

Spinning out of the Naked Nobility world, the Duchess of Love books follow the family of the ton's most enthusiastic matchmaker. They begin with the prequel novella The Duchess of Love, then run through Bedding Lord Ned, Surprising Lord Jack, and What to Do with a Duke-adjacent titles as the matriarch marries off her sons. If you loved the meddling-mama energy of the Naked books, this is the natural next step.

The Spinster House series

Her later Regency set follows three friends who are all vying for the same coveted "spinster house" — a rent-free cottage reserved for the village's resident unmarried woman. Naturally, the moment each one seems set to win it, a hero appears to complicate things. Read this trio in order:

1. What to Do with a Duke (2015)
2. How to Manage a Marquess (2016)
3. When to Engage an Earl (2017)

The Spinster House books are a great entry point if you want a self-contained, low-commitment series, three novels, one gentle running joke, and a satisfying set of happy endings.

Where to start

For the full MacKenzie experience, begin with The Naked Duke and read the Naked Nobility series in order; it is her funniest, most iconic work and the source of every later cameo. If you would rather test the waters with a shorter, standalone-feeling series, start with What to Do with a Duke from the Spinster House trilogy. Either way, expect comedy first and heat second: MacKenzie is mainstream, cheeky, and warm rather than explicit, which makes her a perfect gateway for readers who want their Regency romance to make them laugh.