Essex Sisters
The story of four Scottish sisters and the bonds they make.
Reading Order
| Series Description | Reader Questions | Series Extras
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Book 1
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Book 2
Read • Buy
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Book 3
Read • Buy
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Book 4
Read • Buy
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Book Companion Guide
Buy
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Novella
Read • Buy
About the Essex Sisters Series
After writing about the bond between women friends in The Duchess Quartet, I wanted to turn to a relationship that can be even deeper: that of sisters. My sister is very dear to me. But I didn't want to depict a relationship that was all sweetness and light. After all, I still have my 5th grade diary, with my sister's mocking annotations covering up my heartfelt pages!
This series begins with the story of four Scottish sisters, orphaned and sent to England to be wards of a duke (Much Ado About You). Each novel stands on its own, following the story of one sister. Yet the thread of Imogen's story winds through the first three novels. One new challenge for me was to show Imogen maturing and changing through several books, while staying a minor character. It's been interesting to see how readers who dislike her in Kiss Me, Annabel grow to love her in The Taming of the Duke.
Each of these books stands out in my mind as having particular virtues: the hero of Much Ado About You (Lucius) is wonderful in his wounded, quiet, king-of-the-universe fashion, and Kiss Me, Annabel's road trip to Scotland, involving a kissing game, is, quite simply, delicious. The Taming of the Duke brings my darling, drunken Rafe into sobriety and marriage in an undercover, hilarious fashion, and Pleasure for Pleasure allows sharp-tongued, plump Josie to triumph over everyone in the ton who labeled her the "Scottish Sausage." She's Cinderella - without losing an inch of her lush figure!
Two final notes on connections in this series…the Earl of Mayne, who first appeared in Your Wicked Ways (the Duchess Quartet), appears in every one of these four novels and finally marries in Pleasure for Pleasure. Also, Lucius Felton (hero of Much Ado About You) first appears in the novella "A Fool Again".
Reader Questions about the Essex Sisters Series
- The Earl of Mayne appears in a lot of your books. Did he ever get his own story?
- What IS the Essex Sisters Companion Guide, exactly?
- Why should I order the Companion?
- Is the Companion only in eBook? Will there be a print version eventually?
Essex Sisters Series Extras
- The Essex Sisters Family Tree
- Inside Much Ado About You
- Inside Kiss Me, Annabel
- Inside The Taming of the Duke
- Inside Pleasure for Pleasure
- Inside A Gentleman Never Tells
- With the Help of Jane Austen…
- On Creating a Less-than-Perfect Heroine
- Stepback for Much Ado About You
- Stepback for Kiss Me, Annabel
- Stepback for The Taming of the Duke
- Stepback for Pleasure for Pleasure
- Readers Dream Up a Wife for Lucius Felton
- Dreaming Up Gabriel
- Josie and Mayne in the Hot Seat
- A Glorious Table of Contents for the Essex Sisters Companion Guide
- Essex Sisters Series Crossword Puzzle
- Essex Sisters Collectible Card
- Mea Culpa, Kiss Me, Annabel
- Mea Culpa, Much Ado About Yo
- Mea Culpa, The Taming of the Duke
- Mea Culpa, Pleasure for Pleasure