Jennifer Hartmann Books in Order: Every Standalone, Duet and Series From Claws and Feathers to Dead Things
Jennifer Hartmann writes emotional, character-driven romance, and her books are known for intense stories and unconventional love stories. Most of her novels stand alone, with a few paired series.
This guide lists every Jennifer Hartmann book in order, with notes on which ones are connected and where to start.
Jennifer Hartmann Books in Order of Publication
Jennifer Hartmann writes emotional, often dark contemporary romance. Many books deal with captivity, grief, forbidden love or trauma, so check the content notes on each before you start. Most are standalones, and the connected books are marked.
Claws and Feathers (2020)
Abigail Stone moves to a small town hoping for a fresh start but is abducted. Local cop Cooper McAllister searches for her, grows close to her and uncovers her past. It is a small-town romantic suspense.
Still Beating (2020)
Longtime rivals Cora and Dean wake up chained together in a captor’s basement and must work together to survive. The abductor’s plan changes their relationship. It carries a content warning for dark and triggering material and is the first of three interconnected standalones.
Aria (2020)
A rock band member tries to keep a waitress away from his lead singer, who she is dating, to protect the band’s future. When she confides her secrets to him, a deep and forbidden bond forms. It is the first book of the Duet.
Coda (2020)
The second Duet book follows a narrator who hit rock bottom six years earlier and pushed away the people closest to them. Now those same people are struggling after a tragedy. It concludes the story begun in Aria.
Lotus (2021)
Sydney has never fully recovered from the disappearance of Oliver, the boy she loved, on the Fourth of July. Twenty-two years later, he returns. It is the second of the interconnected Still Beating stories.
The Wrong Heart (2021)
On her fifth wedding anniversary, a woman loses her husband suddenly and learns that his heart now beats in another person. She seeks out the recipient and meets Parker, a withdrawn and intense man, in a grief support group. It is a love-after-loss story.
The Thorns Remain (2021)
Co-written with Chelley St. Clair, this is a revenge romance. A man whose life collapses because of his rival, Benjamin Grant, plans to seduce the rival’s wife, Josie, but unexpectedly falls for her.
Desire After Dark (2022)
A multi-author anthology that includes a story by Hartmann. It is optional reading for fans of her short work.
Entropy (2022)
Co-written with E.R. Whyte, this story follows Indie Chase, a bank manager whose rough Monday turns into a terrifying robbery. She is trapped with Dax Reed, a former pro hockey player trying to put his past behind him, and the two must rely on each other to survive.
June First (2022)
Brant’s life changed when he was six, after a choice his father made left him unable to be with the girl he loved. He stays deeply connected to June through the years, and tragedy strikes him three times. It is a long-form forbidden love story.
The Stars Are on Our Side (2023)
Two years after a serial killer known as the Matchmaker released her, the only victim he ever let go, Tabitha Brighton recounts her ordeal to a local writer. She heals with the help of Gabe, a new love. It is the third of the interconnected Still Beating stories.
An Optimist’s Guide to Heartbreak (2023)
Lucy buys a house where her childhood best friend once lived and takes a job at the auto shop run by the friend’s older brother, Cal. Lucy is drawn to him, but her own secret complicates things. It is the first book of the Heartsong Duet.
A Pessimist’s Guide to Love (2023)
The second Heartsong book picks up after the cliffhanger of the first and shows the story from Cal’s point of view. It concludes the Heartsong Duet.
Older (2024)
A forbidden age-gap romance in which a young woman who has been mistreated at home finds a new start. Their relationship is complicated by the fact that her best friend is his daughter. Readers should expect mature themes.
Catch the Sun (2024)
Ella, who left her hometown after childhood, returns for senior year and reconnects with her former best friend, Max. She now lives under the shadow of her brother’s infamous criminal case. New tragedy threatens to pull them apart.
Irreversible (2025)
Co-written with Chelley St. Clair, this dark romantic suspense follows a woman held captive in a black-market operation by a sadistic mastermind. Separated by a wall, she forms a fragile connection with Isaac, a volatile man driven by revenge.
Dream On (2025)
A woman with a settled life and a promised future meets Chase Rhodes, a wounded stranger, and begins writing music with him in secret. Their partnership becomes a global hit as the stakes around them rise.
Pieces of the Night (2026)
Her 2026 standalone release, and the newest addition to her catalogue of intense, character-driven romance. Like most of her books, it stands alone, so you do not need to read anything first.
Dead Things (2027)
Announced for 2027, this romantic suspense follows a forensic assistant who is pulled into the wilderness by Miller Banks, a former colleague presumed dead for two years and accused of murder. The tagline is “Dead bodies always tell the truth.”
Where to Start With Jennifer Hartmann
- If you want a paired story: Aria and Coda, or An Optimist’s Guide to Heartbreak and A Pessimist’s Guide to Love.
- If you want a standalone: any of the single titles, such as Lotus or The Stars Are on Our Side.
- If you want her earliest work: Claws and Feathers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jennifer Hartmann’s Books
What is Jennifer Hartmann’s first book?
Claws and Feathers, published in 2020.
Do I need to read her books in order?
Not for the standalones. Read the duets in order.
How many books has Jennifer Hartmann written?
Nineteen titles are listed here, published between 2020 and an announced 2027 release, including two duets, three co-written novels and one anthology contribution.
Does she write with other authors?
Yes. The Thorns Remain and Irreversible are co-written with Chelley St. Clair.
What should I read if I like Jennifer Hartmann?
Readers often like Colleen Hoover, Tillie Cole, Elle Kennedy, Lauren Asher and Penelope Douglas.
About Jennifer Hartmann
Jennifer Hartmann is the author of 19 books published between 2020 and 2027, mostly standalone romances. She also wrote the Duet and Heartsong series and contributed to an anthology.
My Take as a Reader
Because most books stand alone, choose by title and cover and check content notes before you start.
Final Note
Jennifer Hartmann’s catalog is easy to follow because so many books are standalones. Start where you like, read the duets in order and bookmark this page.
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