Ranches book series in reading order

by Amanda Renée

by Beth Williamson

Diana Palmer is the pen name of Susan Kyle, born Susan Spaeth on December 11, 1946, an American novelist publishing romance since 1979. Kyle spent sixteen years as a journalist under the name Susan Spaeth before turning to fiction, and has also written as Diana Blayne, Katy Currie and Susan Kyle, with a science fiction novel as Susan S. Kyle. The catalogue lists 199 books from 1979 to 2026, opening with titles such as Dream's End and Sweet Enemy and reaching Blaze of Glory (2026). Wyoming Men, Soldiers of Fortune, Men of Medicine Ridge and Morcai Battalion are among the series, and Long, Tall Texans is a listed grouping. Diamond Girl became a 1998 television film. Subjects name ranchers, cowboys, Texas, Wyoming and western romance.

Vicki Lewis Thompson, born 11 October 1950, is an American romance novelist who has also published as Cory Kenyon and, with Mary Tate Engels, as Corey Keaton. The catalogue holds 174 books from Mingled Hearts (1984) to When a Cowboy Falls Hard (2026), including Promise Me Sunshine (1984), When Angels Dance (1985) and The Fix-It Man (1986). Sons of Chance, McGavin Brothers, NERDS, Rowdy Ranch, Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Buckskin Brotherhood, Wild About You and Hex are among the series. Cowboys, westerns, Harlequin Blaze, paranormal romance and werewolves appear in the subjects.

Cowboys, ranchers and ranch life run through Linda Lael Miller's 134 catalogued books, in historical, contemporary and western romance alike. Miller's families and places include the McKettricks, the Montana Creeds, Stone Creek, Springwater Seasons, Painted Pony Creek and the Brides of Bliss County, with a Tremayne vampire sequence off to one side. Desire and Destiny (1983) is the earliest title and The Silver Hills Boarding House the newest.

Maisey Yates is the author of 184 catalogued books, from His Virgin Acquisition (2010) to First Witches Club (2026), with Challenging Her Cowboy scheduled for 2027. Subject headings cover contemporary and western romance, cowboys, ranchers, Oregon, princes and princesses. Series include Gold Valley, Gold Valley Vineyards, Copper Ridge, Four Corners Ranch, Jasper Creek, Mustang River, Deacons of Bourbon Street and Once Upon a Seduction. A Mistake, a Prince and a Pregnancy (2010), The Argentine's Price (2011) and A Royal Without Mercy (2012) are early titles.

Julia London

68 books• 18 series

Julia London writes historical romance, Regency England, the Scottish highlands, nobility and marriage plots, with a contemporary strand beside it. The Rogues of Regent Street, the Highland Grooms, Desperate Debutantes, the Cabot Sisters, Secrets of Hadley Green, Lake Haven and Pine River are among her series. Sixty-seven catalogued books run from The Devil's Love (1998) to Rules for Aging and Larceny in 2026.

Lois Greiman writes historical romance and mystery. The catalogue lists 45 books published between 1993 and 2018, from Surrender My Heart (1993) to Unsweetened (2018). Chrissy McMullen is the recurring figure in A Chrissy McMullen Mystery; other series include Men Of The Mist, Witches of Mayfair, Sedonia, Hope Springs, SD, Heart on the Run and Home in the Hills. Subjects record Scotland, manners and customs, women sleuths, psychotherapists and women ranchers.

Cathy Gillen Thacker is an American romance novelist. The catalogue lists 153 books published from 1982 to 2025, from Island of Desire to Stand-In Texas Dad. Texas appears among the subjects, alongside cowboys, ranchers, physicians, single fathers and single mothers, and the romance is tagged as both contemporary and western. Family series under the Thacker name include McCabes of Texas, McCabe Multiples, Lockharts of Texas, Deveraux Legacy and Texas Legacies: The Carrigans.

Soraya M. Lane has 55 books in the catalogue, from Rodeo Daddy and Soldier on Her Doorstep (2011) to The Underground Sisters (2026). Subjects on file include romance, veterans, soldiers, military families, ranches, Texas and the Second World War. Series include Lost Daughters, Heroes Come Home, Texas Kings, River Ranch and Soldiers' Homecoming. The Navy SEAL's Bride (2012) and Montana Homecoming (2013) are among the earlier titles.

Laura Wright writes paranormal and contemporary romance, with catalogue subjects that include vampires, princes, ranchers, brothers and inheritance. The catalogue lists 40 books, from 2002 to 2021: Cinderella and the Playboy, Baby and the Beast and Hearts Are Wild are the 2002 titles, and The Duke (2021) is the newest. Series include Mark Of The Vampire, Cavanaugh Brothers, Llandaron, No Ring Required, Wicked Ink Chronicles and Spurs & Stripes. The catalogue marks Wright as dormant.

Sherryl Woods is an American writer of romance and mystery, born July 23, 1944, in Arlington, Virginia, who has also used the pen names Alexandra Kirk and Suzanne Sherrill. The Chesapeake Shores novels became a six-season Hallmark Channel series, and Netflix's Sweet Magnolias is based on Woods' books, with Woods as an executive producer. The catalogue lists 157 titles from Restoring Love (1982) to Starlit Secrets (2024). Other named series include Calamity Janes, Devaney Brothers and the Amanda Roberts and Molly DeWitt mysteries.

William Wallace Johnstone, October 28, 1938 to February 8, 2004, was an American author of westerns, horror and survivalist fiction. The Devil's Kiss opened the run in 1981, followed by The Last of the Dog Team (1981), Out of the Ashes (1983) and Anarchy in the Ashes (1984). Series filed under the name include Ashes, First Mountain Man, Smoke Jensen, Last Gunfighter, Blood Bond and Duff MacCallister, and subjects include outlaws, frontier and pioneer life, revenge and Texas. The catalogue carries 544 titles under the Johnstone name dated 1981 to 2026, well past the 2004 death date, and 400 of them carry a William W. Johnstone credit.

Montana features in the names of B.J. Daniels's series, including Cahill Ranch/Montana Cahills, Buckhorn, Montana, Beartooth, Montana, Montana Hamiltons, Cardwell Ranch: Montana Legacy and the Whitehorse, Montana sets. B.J. Daniels writes romantic suspense and western romance, with 150 books catalogued from Outlawed (1995) to Calling His Bluff (2026). Colt Brothers Investigation is another series. Subject tags include cowboys, sheriffs, murders and mystery.

Elizabeth Lowell is one of the names used by American writer Ann Maxwell, born April 5, 1944, who also writes as A.E. Maxwell. Alone and with co-author and husband Evan, Maxwell has produced more than 50 novels and one non-fiction book, spanning science fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery and suspense. The Elizabeth Lowell catalogue lists 52 books from 1983 to 2015, from To the Ends of the Earth / The Danvers Touch (1983) to Perfect Touch (2015). Series include St. Kilda, Rarities Unlimited, Donovans and MacKenzie-Blackthorn.

Linda Ford writes Christian historical romance, and the catalogue counts 125 books from The Heart Seeks a Home (2000) to Christmas in Golden Valley (2026). Cowboys, ranchers, widows, orphans and Montana are among the recorded subjects. Series include Big Sky Country, Glory, Montana, Montana Mail-Order Brides, Stagecoach to Golden Valley, Wagon Train Romance, Cowboys of Eden Valley and Dakota Brides. Early titles include Crane's Bride (2001) and Darcy's Inheritance (2007).

The westerns of Dusty Richards fill a catalogue of 58 books from 1992 to 2025. Noble's Way (1992) opens the list, followed by By the Cut of Your Clothes and From Hell to Breakfast (both 1994). Lawless Land and Servant of the Law date from 2000, and The Abilene Trail from 2003. Rambling Down the Range (2025) is the newest title. Series include Byrnes Family Ranch, Brandiron, Frank Brothers, O'Malleys of Texas, Texas Badge Mysteries, Battling Harrigans of the Frontier and Rodeo Riders. Ranch life, cattle drives, outlaws, sheriffs, Texas Rangers and Arizona appear in the subject tags.

The Amish and Christian inspirational romance appear in the subject headings for Patricia Davids, with widows, Christmas stories and Love Inspired also named. Davids was born in rural Kansas and worked as a nurse. The catalogue holds 48 books from 2006 to 2022, starting with Love Thine Enemy, Prodigal Daughter and His Bundle of Love (all 2006) and reaching Christmas on His Doorstep (2022); the listing is now dormant. Series include Brides of Amish Country, North Country Amish, Amish Bachelors, Amish of Cedar Grove, Matchmakers of Harts Haven and Mounted Color Guard.

Jillian Hart grew up on a family homestead near Carnation, Washington, raising cattle to pay for college and riding horses in the Cascade foothills. After an English degree from Whitman College, Hart travelled, worked in advertising, taught Sunday school and volunteered before turning to writing. The catalogue lists 113 books from 1998 to 2020, opening with Last Chance Bride and Hannah's Heart (1998), then Cooper's Wife, Jonah's Bride and Lissa's Cowboy (1999). Series include McKaslin Clan, McPhee Clan, Granger Family Ranch, Bluebonnet Bride, Buttons & Bobbins, Timber Valley Brides and Rose Hill Brides. Christian and historical romance, Montana, ranchers and mail order brides appear in the subject tags.

Donna Alward is a romance novelist who writes for Harlequin's Romance line. Alward earned an Arts degree in English Literature in 1994, finished a first full-length novel in 2001 and sold a first manuscript in 2006. That debut, Hired by the Cowboy (2006), took the 2008 Booksellers Best Award for Best Traditional Romance. The catalogue lists 82 books through 2025, with subjects including western, contemporary and billionaire romance, ranchers, cowboys, single fathers and Maine. Series include Cadence Creek Cowboys, Jewell Cove, Darling, VT, Crooked Valley Ranch and South Shore Billionaires.

Lauran Paine (1916-2001) was an American author of Western fiction, born Lawrence Kerfman Duby Jr. The catalogue holds 306 titles dated 1957 to 2022, opening with The Farthest Frontier and The Long Law Trail in 1957. Ranch life, cattle drives, outlaws and frontier settlement run through the subject list, with detective and suspense titles alongside. Paine also published as Mark Carrel, the name on Wagon Train (1957) and Case Of The Innocent Witness (1959). Books average 191 pages.

Rebecca Winters is one of the names used by Rebecca Brown Burton, a United States romance writer who lived from February 14, 1940 to February 15, 2023. Burton wrote more than 175 romance novels as Rebecca Burton, as Rebecca Brown Burton and, for Harlequin, as Rebecca Winters. The catalogue lists 167 books, beginning with The Loving Season (1979) under the Rebecca Burton name and ending with A Big Sky Cowboy (2023). Tags cover contemporary and western romance, ranchers, twins and veterans, and series include Lone Star Lawmen, Wind River Cowboys and Montanari Marriages.

Beth Williamson writes historical and western romance, with erotic romance also among the subjects. The Harder They Fall (2005) is an early catalogued title, followed in 2006 by The Bounty, The Gift, The Prize, The Reward and The Treasure. Subjects name Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado, ranches and widows. Series include Malloy Family, Circle Eight, Devils on Horseback, Plum Creek, Wicked Witches of the West and Modern Magic, and Modern Magic (2025) is the newest title.

Molly O'Keefe is an American contemporary romance author and a two-time winner of the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award. Crazy Thing Called Love won Best Contemporary Romance in 2014, and The Christmas Eve Promise won Best Romance Novella in 2010. The catalogue lists 48 books from Kiss the Cook (2004) to Second Chance At The Riverview Inn (2022). Series include Crooked Creek Ranch, Riverview Inn, Boys of Bishop, Into the Wild and Notorious O'Neills, with subjects such as single fathers, ranches and Arkansas.

Amanda Renée is an American romance novelist whose books are contemporary and western romances featuring cowboys, ranches and Texas. Welcome to Ramblewood and Saddle Ridge, Montana are the listed series. The catalogue holds 17 books from Betting on Texas (2013) and Home to the Cowboy (2013) to A Cowboy's Wish (2025). Other titles include Blame it on the Rodeo (2014), A Bull Rider's Pride (2016) and A Snowbound Cowboy Christmas (2017). Recorded subjects also include sisters, homecoming and first loves.

Horses and ranch life run through Laura Moore's catalogue: subjects record horse farms, stables, horsemen and horsewomen, ranches, the American West and Virginia, alongside contemporary romance. Moore's 11 books appeared between 2001 and 2017, from Chance Meeting and Ride a Dark Horse, both 2001, to Making Waves (2017). Two series are listed, Miller/Sheppard and the Rosewood Trilogy, and the run takes in Night Swimming (2003), In Your Eyes (2004), Believe in Me (2010), Trouble Me (2012), Once Tempted (2013), Once Tasted (2014) and Once Touched (2015).