Jen Turano Books in Order: Every Series and Standalone
This guide organizes her books by series and explains where to begin. Upcoming books are listed separately so you can distinguish published titles from planned releases.
1. Ladies of Distinction Series in Order
The Ladies of Distinction series follows women navigating romance, social expectations, and unexpected life changes during the Gilded Age. These stories combine historical detail with humor, misunderstandings, and unconventional romantic situations.
The series begins with a novella, followed by four full-length novels.
0. Gentleman of Her Dreams (2012)
This e-book novella introduces the world of Ladies of Distinction through a shorter romantic story. It is a useful starting point if you want to experience the series from its earliest published installment.
Because it is a novella, it is shorter than the full-length books that follow. Readers who prefer to begin with the first major novel can start with A Change of Fortune instead.
1. A Change of Fortune (2012)
Beatrix Waterbury has a strong personality and a tendency to become involved in situations that cause concern for her family. When her mother sends her away for a change of scenery, Beatrix’s plans take an unexpected turn during a train journey involving Norman Nesbit, a gentleman devoted to his scientific research.
Their encounter leads to further complications, danger, and an attraction neither of them expected. The novel introduces the series’ blend of spirited heroines, historical romance, and amusing mishaps.
2. A Most Peculiar Circumstance (2013)
Arabella Beckett is passionate about helping women and supporting the suffrage movement. Her independent spirit repeatedly puts her at odds with Theodore Wilder, a private investigator whose work brings him into her orbit.
As their paths continue to cross, irritation gradually gives way to attraction. When trouble from Arabella’s travels follows her home, the pair must work together and reconsider their assumptions about each other.
3. A Talent for Trouble (2013)
Felicia Murdock has spent years trying to become the ideal minister’s wife. When the minister she hopes to marry does not return her feelings, she begins to question the life she has been preparing for herself.
Grayson Sumner, Lord Sefton, is asked to help lift Felicia’s spirits, but her adventurous personality soon makes his task more complicated than expected. Their growing relationship forces both characters to reconsider what they truly want.
4. A Match of Wits (2014)
Lady Eliza Sumner has lost her fortune and is determined to recover what was taken from her. Disguised as a governess, she pursues the man responsible for her financial troubles and crosses paths with Hamilton Beckett, a widower focused on his business and children.
Their shared problem brings them together, but Eliza’s determination and Hamilton’s responsibilities create plenty of complications. The novel concludes the main Ladies of Distinction series with another romance built around unexpected circumstances and personal growth.
2. A Class of Their Own Series in Order
A Class of Their Own follows women whose ambitions and personalities do not always fit society’s expectations. The series combines romantic comedy with characters who discover that the right relationship may arrive when they least expect it.
1. After a Fashion (2015)
Harriet Peabody dreams of opening a shop that sells redesigned gowns for working women. After a difficult encounter costs her a job, she becomes involved with Oliver Addleshaw, a businessman who needs help making the right impression on a potential business partner.
Their arrangement places Harriet in unfamiliar social situations and creates opportunities for romantic misunderstandings. The story explores ambition, social class, and the difficulty of pretending to be someone you are not.
2. In Good Company (2015)
Millie Longfellow wants to become an excellent nanny, but her enthusiasm and unusual methods have caused problems with previous employers. Everett Mulberry urgently needs someone to care for three children while he manages his own responsibilities and social ambitions.
When the two are brought together, neither expects the arrangement to work smoothly. Millie’s affection for the children and Everett’s growing understanding of family life help turn a difficult working relationship into something more meaningful.
3. Playing the Part (2016)
Lucetta Plum is an actress whose growing fame becomes dangerous when a fan’s interest turns threatening. She is sent away to stay at the estate of Bram Haverstein, an unusual gentleman with secrets of his own.
Lucetta initially intends to keep her distance, but strange occurrences at the estate draw her into Bram’s world. Their developing relationship combines mystery, humor, and the discovery that appearances can be misleading.
3. Apart from the Crowd Series in Order
The Apart from the Crowd series features characters who stand outside the social expectations of their time. Each story introduces a different couple while continuing the series’ focus on independence, romance, and unexpected connections.
The series also includes an introductory e-book novella.
Prequel: At Your Request (2017)
This short story introduces the wider world of Apart from the Crowd. It is an optional starting point for readers who enjoy reading connected stories in publication order.
Since it is a novella, it offers a shorter introduction than the main novels. You can also begin with Behind the Scenes if you prefer to read only the full-length books.
1. Behind the Scenes (2017)
Miss Permilia Griswold has spent years on the fringes of New York high society. She writes anonymous society gossip under the name Miss Quill, allowing her to observe the people around her while maintaining a low profile.
When she overhears a threat against department-store owner Asher Rutherford, she attempts to warn him. Their first meeting does not go as planned, and the investigation draws them into unexpected danger as their relationship develops.
2. Out of the Ordinary (2017)
Wilhelmina Radcliff’s family has fallen on difficult financial times, leaving her far removed from the privileged life she once knew. Working as a social secretary, she unexpectedly encounters Edgar Wanamaker, a childhood friend whose earlier marriage proposal she rejected.
Their reunion forces Wilhelmina to confront her past choices and the feelings she may still have for Edgar. The story combines second chances with the challenges of changing circumstances and social expectations.
3. Caught by Surprise (2018)
Miss Temperance Flowerdew is unexpectedly taken from the street and sent on a train to Chicago. Gilbert Cavendish, a friend who is asked to help find her, soon discovers that the situation is more complicated than it first appears.
The pair must navigate misunderstandings, unwanted attention, and a growing threat. Their adventure challenges Temperance’s determination to remain independent and Gilbert’s desire to protect her.
4. American Heiresses Series in Order
The American Heiresses series follows women whose wealth, ambitions, or unusual circumstances bring them into complicated relationships. The stories use Gilded Age society as a backdrop for romance, humor, and personal discovery.
1. Flights of Fancy (2019)
Miss Isadora Delafield is an heiress, but her wealth does not give her control over her future. When her mother pressures her to marry an unsuitable duke, Isadora leaves the world she knows and unexpectedly finds herself working as a housekeeper.
Ian MacKenzie has built his success through hard work and is not prepared for the unconventional woman who enters his life. Their relationship develops amid strange events on the farm and secrets that threaten the people they care about.
2. Diamond in the Rough (2019)
Poppy Garrison is asked to take part in the New York social season to help resolve a financial problem affecting her family. She has little experience with the expectations of high society and finds herself in one awkward situation after another.
Reginald Blackburn, a duke’s younger son, has his own reasons for entering the social scene. When he becomes involved in helping Poppy navigate society, their arrangement creates opportunities for humor, attraction, and unexpected change.
3. Storing Up Trouble (2020)
Gabriella Goodhue has worked hard to leave her difficult childhood behind. When someone at her boardinghouse is accused of theft, Gabriella tries to help clear her friend’s name and unexpectedly encounters Nicholas Quinn, the man who once meant a great deal to her.
Nicholas has built a new life far removed from his troubled past, but his reunion with Gabriella brings old feelings and unresolved questions to the surface. Their investigation draws them into danger while giving them a chance to reconsider the relationship they once lost.
5. The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency Series in Order
This series brings together historical romance, investigation, hidden identities, and dangerous secrets. The characters use their intelligence and determination to uncover the truth, even when doing so places them at risk.
1. To Steal a Heart (2021)
Gabriella Goodhue’s past as a street thief returns to haunt her when a fellow boardinghouse resident is accused of stealing. While trying to uncover evidence that could clear her friend’s name, she encounters Nicholas Quinn, a man she once trusted.
Their shared history complicates the investigation, and the growing danger forces them to confront secrets they would rather leave behind. The story combines a mystery with a second-chance romance.
2. To Write a Wrong (2022)
Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer who also works behind the scenes for the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. She prefers solving problems from a safe distance, but that changes when Herman Henderson asks the agency to investigate repeated attempts on his life.
Herman is also a writer, though he would rather avoid the adventures that filled his parents’ lives. As the case becomes more dangerous, Daphne finds herself personally involved, and secrets threaten both their safety and their growing affection.
3. To Disguise the Truth (2023)
Eunice Holbrooke has spent years concealing her identity after fleeing the scene of her grandfather’s murder. When Arthur Livingston arrives at the inquiry agency searching for a missing heiress, Eunice realizes that her past may finally have caught up with her.
She tries to keep Arthur from discovering the truth while taking on another investigation. The overlapping mysteries force Eunice to confront the events she has tried to escape and decide whether revealing the truth could finally set her free.
6. The Matchmakers Series in Order
The Matchmakers series centers on people who help others find suitable partners, sometimes discovering that their own romantic lives are far less predictable than they expected.
1. A Match in the Making (2022)
Gwendolyn Brinley accepts a temporary companion position for the Newport summer season. What begins as a pleasant opportunity becomes more complicated when she is asked to help arrange suitable matches for other people.
Walter Townsend is searching for a wife who can help care for his children, but his expectations do not make the task easy. As Gwendolyn works to find him a suitable match, she begins to realize that the right person may be closer than either of them expects.
2. To Spark a Match (2023)
Adelaide Duveen has spent years believing that marriage is unlikely to be part of her future. Her love of books and cats offers comfort, but an unexpected encounter with Gideon Abbott draws her into a world of intrigue.
Gideon is involved in a dangerous investigation, and Adelaide becomes caught up in the consequences of his work. Their growing connection is tested by the threat surrounding them and the challenge of deciding whether love is worth the risk.
3. Meeting Her Match (2024)
Camilla Pierpont is a well-known matchmaker who has sworn off marriage after a painful experience in her younger years. When Owen Chesterfield asks her to help his sister prepare for society, Camilla finds herself leaving familiar surroundings and traveling to West Virginia.
Owen’s straightforward manner challenges Camilla’s expectations, and their relationship develops in ways neither planned. As danger threatens their plans, Camilla must decide whether she can recognize her own perfect match.
7. Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies Series in Order
Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies follows the people connected to an unusual finishing school. The series combines historical romance, eccentric characters, humorous adventures, and mysteries that interfere with the school’s plans.
1. A Lesson in Propriety (2025)
Drusilla Merriweather’s privileged life falls apart after her fortune is stolen and her fiancé abandons her. Left with few options, she decides to open a finishing school in an unusual castle she has inherited from her aunt.
Rhenick Wittenbecker, an architect, becomes involved as Drusilla attempts to protect her plans from people who want control of the property. Strange occurrences and dangerous interference complicate their relationship, creating a mix of mystery, humor, and romance.
2. In Pursuit of Civility (2026)
Annaliese Merriweather temporarily takes charge of the academy while her sister is away. She soon discovers that managing the school is harder than she expected, especially when two troublesome students disappear during an outing.
Annaliese turns to Seth McCormick, an eccentric inventor, for help. When a pirate map and the search for treasure add further complications, their adventure leads to danger, unexpected discoveries, and a developing romance.
3. A Dash of Decorum (scheduled for January 5, 2027)
Seraphina Livingston returns to the United States after spending ten years abroad. She discovers that her inheritance depends on marrying or reaching the age of twenty-five, while her scheming stepmother is determined to prevent her from receiving the fortune.
Seraphina takes a position as a decorum instructor at the Merriweather Academy and makes an arrangement with Harrington Dashwood. She will help him improve his manners, and he will pose as her fiancé while escorting her to New York. The planned third installment continues the series’ mix of fake engagement, social complications, and romantic comedy.
This book is scheduled for release in January 2027, so readers should check for any changes to the publication date.
8. Finding Margo
Finding Margo (2024)
Finding Margo is a standalone novel rather than part of one of Turano’s numbered historical romance series. It follows a different storyline from the Gilded Age romances that make up most of her bibliography.
Readers who want to explore Turano beyond her connected historical series can try this book as a separate reading experience. It does not need to be placed between installments of the other series.
9. Other Jen Turano Stories and Novellas
Alongside her full-length novels, Turano has written shorter stories and contributed to collections.
Grand Encounters (2016)
This novella appears in the Serving Up Love collection, which features stories by several Christian historical romance authors. Turano’s story follows a society woman seeking a new direction in life and is set against the backdrop of the American West.
It can be read independently and does not need to be inserted into the numbered sequence of a full-length series.
Gentleman of Her Dreams (2012) and At Your Request (2017) are also worth including when building a broader reading list. Both are shorter works associated with her series rather than full-length standalone novels.
What Is the Best Order for Jen Turano’s Connected Books?
You do not need to read every Jen Turano book in one long sequence. Most of her series introduce new central couples, so you can select one and follow its publication order.
If you want to read by series, here is a simple plan:
- Ladies of Distinction: Begin with Gentleman of Her Dreams if you want the novella, then read A Change of Fortune, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, A Talent for Trouble, and A Match of Wits.
- A Class of Their Own: Read After a Fashion, In Good Company, and Playing the Part.
- Apart from the Crowd: Read At Your Request, followed by Behind the Scenes, Out of the Ordinary, and Caught by Surprise.
- American Heiresses: Read Flights of Fancy, Diamond in the Rough, and Storing Up Trouble.
- The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency: Read To Steal a Heart, To Write a Wrong, and To Disguise the Truth.
- The Matchmakers: Read A Match in the Making, To Spark a Match, and Meeting Her Match.
- Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies: Read A Lesson in Propriety, In Pursuit of Civility, and then A Dash of Decorum when it is released.
This order keeps each series organized and helps you follow returning characters. You can read Finding Margo and Grand Encounters separately whenever you want a break from a series.
Which Jen Turano Book Should You Read First?
The best starting point depends on what you enjoy most about historical romance.
- For a classic Gilded Age romance: Start with A Change of Fortune. It introduces the humor and unconventional heroines that make the Ladies of Distinction series appealing.
- For stories about independent women: Choose Behind the Scenes. Its heroine has ambitions beyond society’s usual expectations and becomes involved in a mystery.
- For a lighthearted social-season romance: Try A Match in the Making. It combines matchmaking, family responsibilities, and unexpected attraction.
- For mystery and romantic suspense: Begin with To Steal a Heart or To Write a Wrong. Both bring investigations and hidden truths into the romantic storyline.
- For a finishing-school setting: Choose A Lesson in Propriety. It begins the Merriweather Academy series and introduces its unusual school and characters.
- For a shorter introduction: Read Gentleman of Her Dreams, a novella that provides an early look at Turano’s style.
If you are new to the author, starting with the first book in one series is usually the simplest approach. You can explore other series later without needing to read them all in a particular overall order.
Who Is Jen Turano?
Jen Turano is a USA Today bestselling author known for Christian historical romance, particularly stories set during America’s Gilded Age. Her novels often feature spirited heroines, ambitious plans, unexpected romantic encounters, and humorous situations that complicate life in high society.
Turano’s characters rarely follow the behavior expected of them. A woman who wants to build a career, an heiress caught in an unusual predicament, or a young lady who refuses to accept society’s rules can find herself at the center of a romance filled with surprises. Her writing combines historical settings with witty dialogue, emotional relationships, and faith-friendly themes.
Her bibliography includes several connected series, such as Ladies of Distinction, Apart from the Crowd, A Class of Their Own, American Heiresses, The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, The Matchmakers, and Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies. She has also written shorter stories and the standalone novel Finding Margo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jen Turano’s Books
How many books has Jen Turano written?
The exact number depends on whether you count novellas, collection stories, and upcoming books. Her bibliography includes several full-length series, shorter works, and standalone fiction. The list above covers her principal series and notable related stories through 2026, along with a planned 2027 release.
What is Jen Turano’s latest book?
In Pursuit of Civility, published in 2026, is the latest released installment in the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies series covered in this guide. The next planned installment is A Dash of Decorum, scheduled for January 5, 2027.
Do Jen Turano’s books need to be read in order?
You should generally read each series in publication order, particularly when you want to follow recurring characters and connected events. However, most series focus on different couples, so you can choose a series and enjoy it without reading every other book by the author.
What is the first Jen Turano book?
Gentleman of Her Dreams, published in 2012, is an early novella associated with Ladies of Distinction. A Change of Fortune, also published in 2012, is the first full-length novel in that series.
Are Jen Turano’s books Christian romance?
Yes. Her books are generally categorized as Christian or inspirational historical romance. They combine romantic relationships and historical settings with faith-related themes and are known for humor and unconventional characters.
Is Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies a completed series?
Not yet. A Lesson in Propriety and In Pursuit of Civility have been released, while A Dash of Decorum is scheduled for January 2027. The series may have further developments, so readers should check the author’s latest announcements for updates.
Can I read Finding Margo without reading Jen Turano’s other books?
Yes. Finding Margo is a standalone novel, so you do not need to read any of her historical romance series first.
Final Thoughts on Reading Jen Turano
Jen Turano’s books are a good choice for readers who enjoy historical romance with humor, spirited heroines, unusual situations, and relationships that develop amid social complications. If you want to explore her Gilded Age romances, start with Ladies of Distinction or A Class of Their Own. Readers who prefer mysteries alongside romance may enjoy The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, while The Matchmakers offers stories about people who discover that finding love can be much harder than arranging it for someone else. Her newer Merriweather Academy series adds a finishing-school setting and more eccentric adventures. Start with whichever series appeals to you, follow its publication order, and then explore the rest of Turano’s bibliography at your own pace.
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