Sophie Barnes Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide

Barnes has built a comforting, interconnected Regency universe over the years. Each novel stands alone with its own couple and happy ending, but the supporting cast overlaps, so a hero's best friend or a heroine's sister often headlines the next book. Below are her most popular series in reading order, starting with the one newcomers love most.

The Diamonds in the Rough series in order

Her most popular series follows a family whose fortunes are transformed overnight, forcing them to navigate the ton, and love, from an outsider's position. It is class-crossing Regency catnip.

1. A Most Unlikely Duke (2017) — A former bare-knuckle fighter inherits a dukedom and needs the lady next door to teach him how to belong.
2. The Duke of Her Desire (2017) — A duke charged with sponsoring an unconventional young woman finds his good intentions tested.
3. The Illegitimate Duke (2018) — A doctor-turned-duke and the ruined heroine who needs his help.
4. The Infamous Duchess (2019) — A scandal-shadowed widow and the man determined to clear her name.
5. The Forgotten Duke (2020) — A secret past, a daring rescue, and a slow-building trust.
6. The Formidable Earl (2020) — A guarded earl meets a heroine who will not be managed.
7. Her Scottish Scoundrel (2021) — A charming rogue and the lady he cannot resist.
8. The Dishonored Viscount (2021) — A tarnished reputation and a second chance at love.
9. The Roguish Baron (2022) — A satisfying later entry that keeps the family's stories going.

The Secrets at Thorncliff Manor series in order

If you love a closed-setting, everyone-under-one-roof romance, this four-book series unfolds at a grand country estate during an extended house party.

1. Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires (2015) — A well-behaved lady and a scandalous attraction she cannot ignore.
2. The Earl's Complete Surrender (2015) — A guarded earl, a mystery to solve, and a courtship neither planned.
3. His Scandalous Kiss (2016) — A stolen moment that upends two carefully ordered lives.
4. Christmas at Thorncliff Manor (2017) — A cosy, festive finale to the house-party saga.

More from Sophie Barnes

Beyond these two, Barnes has written further connected Regency series and standalone stories, including earlier series that introduce families who reappear later. Every book is self-contained, so you can follow whichever premise appeals, an unlikely duke, a house-party scandal, a marriage of convenience, without needing to have read the rest first.

Where to start

Begin with A Most Unlikely Duke and read the Diamonds in the Rough series in order; it is Barnes at her most popular, blending fish-out-of-water charm with genuine emotion. If you prefer a shorter, self-contained series with a strong sense of place, start instead with Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires and the Secrets at Thorncliff Manor books. Both showcase her gentle, comforting voice, mainstream Regency romance with plenty of heart and a guaranteed happy ending.