Lisa Kleypas Reading Guide: The Ultimate Breakdown of Her Books

Francesca Author Profile 2026ByFrancesca Updated
Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

You’ve found Lisa Kleypas and want to know where to start? Great decision. Kleypas is one of the must-read authors in romance, known for her swoon worthy heroes, independent heroines and deeply emotional love stories. She writes mainly historical romance, but she’s also dabbled in contemporary romance. Her first book in five years, Queen of Lombard Street comes out October 20, 2026. So if you’re looking for a structured reading order and recommended place to start, this guide will walk you through every series and standalone.

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Where to Start Reading Lisa Kleypas?

New to Lisa Kleypas? Pick the path that fits you best.

Publication Order (for longtime fans and completists)

Best for readers who want to watch the evolution of Lisa Kleypas as a writer. Starting with her earliest books and moving forward. This also mixes historical and contemporary.

Historical Chronological Order (for readers who like history in a timeline)

This is perfect if you want to have an accurate time period experience, from the early 1800s to late Victorian England.

  • Vallerands series (early 1800s, Creole New Orleans)
  • Bow Street Runners series (early 1800s, England’s first police force)
  • Capitol Theatre series (set in London’s theatre world)
  • The Gamblers series (Regency, self-made men and high stakes romance)
  • The Wallflowers series (early Victorian, 1840s aristocratic matchmaking)
  • The Hathaways series (early Victorian, late 1840s to 1850s, aristocracy and Romani culture)
  • The Stokehursts series (Victorian England, Russian intrigue, past life elements)
  • The Ravenels series (late Victorian, 1870s to 1880s, industrial change and the next generation of Wallflowers)
  • Queen of Lombard Street (London, 1880, standalone)

Series Based Order (my recommendation)

Best for new readers who want an experience without jumping around.

  • Start with the Wallflowers. It’s a great introduction to her writing and style.
  • Move to The Hathaways, which connects loosely to the Wallflowers and brings in self made heroes.
  • Read The Ravenels, set later in the Victorian era with ties back to the Wallflowers.
  • Close out this historical run with Queen of Lombard Street.
  • Now pick up her contemporaries! Start with the Travis Family.
  • After that pick up Friday Harbor series.
  • Then go back to her earlier series and standalone historicals for more classic Kleypas.

Best for New Readers (pick and choose the most popular books first)

A lot of Lisa Kleypas books are totally fine to be read as standalone, even when they are part of a series.

  • Dreaming of You because Derek Craven is an all-time favorite hero.
  • The Devil in Winter because it’s one of the most famous historical romances of all time. I do think this is best read in the series reading order.
  • Marrying Winterborne, a great romance with a self-made hero.
  • Blue-Eyed Devil, the second in the Travis Family. This one is emotional and healing.

After these, you can go back and start whichever series you loved most and in order.

You can check out our author interview with Lisa Kleypas back in 2012 when she was celebrating the release of Dream Lake.

Lisa Kleypas Historical Romance Series

Lisa Kleypas is best known for her Regency and Victorian romances, full of rakes, aristocrats, self made men and fiercely independent heroines.

The Wallflowers Series (Early Victorian England)

Four women who keep ending up as wallflowers at every ball become close friends and make a pact to help each other find love.

Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: friends to lovers, marriages of convenience, and rakes turned devoted husbands.

The Hathaways Series (connected to The Wallflowers)

Follow the unconventional Hathaway siblings in a series with Romani representation and a charming found family dynamic.

The Hathaways series by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: strong family bonds, class differences and brooding heroes.

The Ravenels Series (the next generation of Wallflowers in late Victorian England)

Aristocrats and self made heroes in a Victorian England that’s changing fast.

ravenels by lisa kleypas

Best for readers who love: aristocracy meets working class, with strong heroines and modern themes in a historical setting.

For more on the Ravenels series, check out the guide I’ve put together with a fantasy cast, books in order and more.

The Gamblers Series

Gritty, intense romances featuring outcasts and self-made men.

The Gamblers series by Lisa Kleypas
  1. Then Came You (Lily & Derek)
  2. Dreaming of You (Sara & Derek) [Read our review]

Best for readers who love: dark pasts, rogues with soft hearts, and high-stakes drama.

Bow Street Runners Series

Romances with mystery, intrigue, and London’s first police force, the Bow Street Runners.

Bow Street series by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: mystery, suspenseful romance, and protective heroes.

Capitol Theatre Series

Regency romance with a bit of dramatic flair set in London’s theatre scene.

Capitol Theatre series by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: forbidden romance, actors in disguise, and theatrical drama.

The Vallerands Series

Set in New Orleans, this series follows the powerful, passionate Vallerand family in an era of duels and Creole society.

The Vallerands series by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: American historical settings, morally gray heroes, and intense drama.

The Stokehursts Series

A Victorian duology featuring English aristocrats and Russian intrigue.

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Stokehursts series by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: historical romance with mystery, Russian nobility, and unconventional plot twists.

Standalone Historical Romances

Standalone books by Lisa Kleypas

Best for readers who love: one book stories with rich character development.

Early Kleypas: The Out of Print Books

Before the Wallflowers, before Derek Craven, Lisa Kleypas was a 21 year old fresh out of Wellesley publishing her first historical romance. Her earliest books came out in the late 80s and early 90s and a few of them never made it back into print. No ebooks either, so that means you have to get lucky if you’re hunting estate sales or used bookstores, or buy them from a reseller for a pretty penny.

If you love vintage romance, these are a fun look at where she started, Just know going in that they’re very much a product of their era. Kelypas herself has said a forced seduction scene in her first book made her so uncomfortable that she had the hero apologizing for the rest of it.

Francesca with vintage Lisa Kleypas paperbacks
  • Where Passion Leads (1987): her debut, and book one of the Berkley-Falkner duology.
  • Forever My Love (1988): book two of the Berkley-Falkner duology.
  • Give Me Tonight (1989): a standalone with a time travel twist, which makes it one of the most unusual books she’s written.
  • Only in Your Arms (1992): the original version of the first Vallerands book. She later rewrote it as When Strangers Marry.

Still in print from this era: Love, Come to Me (1988) is back in print, and it’s part of Ripped & Ravished, our vintage romance book club.

Best for readers who love: vintage romance, collecting rare paperbacks, and seeing how a favourite author found her voice.

Lisa Kleypas Contemporary Romance Books

Lisa Kleypas also writes contemporary romances set in Texas and the Pacific Northwest, featuring powerful, protective men and strong willed heroines.

The Travis Family Series

Travis Family series by Lisa Kleypas
  1. Sugar Daddy (Liberty & Gage/Hardy): Love triangle [Read our review]
  2. Blue-Eyed Devil (Haven & Hardy): Toxic ex + healing romance [Read our review]
  3. Smooth Talking Stranger (Ella & Jack): Single-mom trope [Read our review]
  4. Brown-Eyed Girl (Avery & Joe): Wedding planner & billionaire [Read our review]

Best for readers who love: Intense emotions, protective heroes, and strong female leads.

For more on the series, check out the Travis Family series guide. Set in Texas, with a focus on a wealthy and messy family.

The Friday Harbor Series

Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
  1. Christmas with Holly originally Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (Mark & Maggie) [Read our review]
  2. Rainshadow Road (Lucy & Sam)
  3. Dream Lake (Zoe & Alex) [Read our review]
  4. Crystal Cove (Justine & Jason) [Read our review]

Best for readers who love: magical realism, small town settings, and slow burn romance.

For more on the series, check out the Friday Harbor series guide. A small town romance, set in the Pacific Northwest, with touches of magical realism.

Why We Love Lisa Kleypas

Lisa Kleypas is a storytelling icon. Whether she’s writing historical rakes and rogues or contemporary billionaires and bad boys, her books deliver deep emotional connection and unforgettable characters (heroes and heroines) that are full of heart. Here’s some of my reasons why she’s a must read.

Her Heroes Are the Blueprint for Swoon Worthy Romance

She’s written rakes turned devoted lovers like Sebastian, Derek and Hardy, but also brooding protectors like Kev and Ethan). Kleypas writes men who fall hard and love fiercely. They come with emotional wounds and watching them soften for their heroines is just peak romance.

While my favorite is always a toss up in the air depending the day you ask me, here’s my ranking of Lisa Kleypas heroes so you can find your top book boyfriend.

Her Heroines Are Strong, Smart, and Unapologetic

Kleypas heroines are bold, independent and never boring. They can be wallflowers scheming or modern women finding their voice, but they always bring intelligence, resilience and warmth to every story.

And the same goes for heroines, it’s a toss up on which I love on a day to day basis. But here’s my ranking of Lisa Kleypas heroines with my top 10.

Every Book Has That One Scene You’ll Never Forget

Kleypas writes iconic moments. Heated declarations, rescues, the scene you reread on a bad day: they stay with you long after the last page and bring you comfort every time you crack them open.

She Blends Emotion, Humor, and Sensuality Perfectly

Her books hit every emotion. You’ll laugh, swoon and probably cry. She balances the big emotional moments with witty banter, real chemistry and strong family connections and friendships.

Her Series Have That “Family Saga” Feel

No matter if it’s a Hathaway sibling, a friend in the wallflowers group or a stranger in Friday Harbor, her books feel like stepping into a living room full of people you know and love. It’s a breathing world and you are now part of it.

Author Lisa Kleypas

About Lisa Kleypas

Lisa Kleypas is a New York Times bestselling author known for her historical and contemporary romance novels. Since publishing her first book at 21, she has written over 40 novels and won multiple RITA Awards. Her books blend emotion, passion, and unforgettable characters, making her a favorite among romance readers worldwide.

I might be biased because I absolutely love her stories. But if you want to know what are my top ten favorite books Lisa Kleypas has ever written, check out the best books by Lisa Kleypas in our opinion.

Upcoming Lisa Kleypas books

Kleypas’s first new book since Devil in Disguise is a Victorian standalone set in London in 1880 called Queen of Lombard Street. Reina Martin is a brilliant economist and the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother. She’s building Britain’s first all-women’s bank with her mentor, the powerful banker William Farlow. The she finds out her butler, John Pembroke, is an undercover police detective, and he’s there to investigate Farlow. At home, her household staff are recently paroled prisoners who’ve become her found family.

The book is inspired by real women like Mary Paley Marshall, Britain’s first female economist, and the financier Hetty Green. I’ve seen this called historical fiction, but in my opinion you can expect a historical romance like the Ravenels with just a bit more world building but with the classic love story and characters that mark every Kleypas book.

What’s your favourite Lisa Kleypas book? Let’s chat in the comments!

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Lisa Kleypas Author Reading Guide
Francesca Author Profile 2026

I'm Francesca, the reader behind Under the Covers, recommending romance since 2011. Paranormal and urban fantasy at heart, historical and dark in heavy rotation. Honest opinions over hype, always.

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