Vanessa Riley Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide

Do you need to read Vanessa Riley's books in order? Each novel is a standalone romance with its own couple and its own happily ever after, so you can begin almost anywhere. But she writes in connected series where friends, sisters, and rivals recur from book to book, so reading each series in publication order is the most rewarding path. Here is the full map.

Advertisements for Love in order (Georgian)

Riley's early series of Georgian-set romances, where lonely hearts place newspaper advertisements and find far more than they bargained for. Witty, tender, and a great introduction to her voice.

1. The Bittersweet Bride (2018) — A widow advertises for a husband to protect her farm and is answered by the very man she once loved and lost. Second-chance romance with real ache.
2. The Bashful Bride (2018) — A biracial heiress and a famous actor strike a marriage bargain that turns unexpectedly real. Marriage of convenience, beautifully done.
3. The Butterfly Bride (2018) — A woman fleeing a dangerous suitor turns to a devoted friend for a marriage of protection.
4. The Bewildered Bride (2019) — A wife who believed her husband dead discovers he is very much alive. Emotional, high-stakes, and a strong series finale.

Rogues and Remarkable Women in order (Regency)

Riley's beloved Regency series, built around The Widow's Grace — a secret society of widows who help mistreated women reclaim their fortunes, their children, and sometimes true love. Founded by the ton's most ingenious countess.

1. A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby (2020) — A West Indian heiress disguises herself as a nanny to reclaim her own child from a grieving duke. Charming, clever, and the perfect place to start.
2. An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler (2021) — A once-blind physician and the woman he thought lost at sea, reunited over a mystery and a small child.
3. A Duke, the Spy, an Artist, and a Lie (2022) — An artist and a spy, a masquerade of identities, and a romance that upends them both. A dazzling series close.

Betting Against the Duke in order (her newest Regency)

Riley's most recent Regency series follows a lively family of sisters and the wagers, schemes, and dukes that upend their lives. Read in order to follow the sisters' interlocking stories.

1. A Gamble at Sunset (2024) — The series opener: a sister determined to protect her family strikes a risky bargain, and finds love where she least expects it.
2. A Wager at Midnight (2025) — A brilliant heroine with dreams of her own and the man whose wager tangles with her heart.
3. A Deal at Dawn (2026) — The forthcoming next chapter in the sisters' story. Check Riley's official site for the latest release details.

Her historical fiction

Beyond romance, Riley writes acclaimed historical fiction about real and imagined women of the Black diaspora — sweeping, emotional standalone epics rather than romances.

• Island Queen (2021) — The remarkable life of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, born enslaved, who became one of the wealthiest women in the colonial West Indies.
• Sister Mother Warrior (2022) — Two women at the heart of the Haitian Revolution.
• Queen of Exiles (2023) — The exiled queen of Haiti building a new life in Europe.

Where to start

For most readers, begin with A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby — it is Riley's most popular romance, a warm and witty introduction to The Widow's Grace, and it stands perfectly on its own. If you would rather start at the very beginning of her romance career, The Bittersweet Bride opens the Georgian Advertisements for Love series. And if you want her newest, freshest series, jump into A Gamble at Sunset. Whichever door you choose, expect sharp banter, big hearts, and a Regency world that finally makes room for everyone.