Mary Monroe Reading Order

2 books (2018–2025)

6 books (2000–2012)

Mary Monroe's God Don't Like Ugly series comprises six complete novels published between 2000 and 2012. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with God Don't Like Ugly and continuing through God Still Don't Like Ugly, God Don't Play, God Ain't Blind, God Ain't Through Yet, and concluding with God Don't Make No Mistakes. This African American fiction series follows interconnected characters and their evolving stories across its six-book span.

Start with God Don't Like Ugly, the first of 6 books in the God Don't Like Ugly series.

#	Title
1	God Don't Like Ugly 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	God Still Don't Like Ugly 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	God Don't Play 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	God Ain't Blind 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	God Ain't Through Yet 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	God Don't Make No Mistakes 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2022–2026)

The Lexington, Alabama / Wiggins series by Mary Monroe consists of six books published between 2022 and 2026, with the series still ongoing. These interconnected novels should be read in publication order, beginning with Empty Vows and continuing through Mrs. Wiggins, Love, Honor, Betray, Double Lives, Bent But Not Broken, and Bad Seeds. The series explores the lives and relationships of characters in Lexington, Alabama across multiple perspectives and interconnected storylines.

Start with Empty Vows, the first of 6 books in the Lexington, Alabama / Wiggins series.

#	Title
1	Empty Vows 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Mrs. Wiggins 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Love, Honor, Betray 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Double Lives 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Bent But Not Broken 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Bad Seeds 2026Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2016–2017)

Mary Monroe's Lonely Heart, Deadly Heart series comprises four complete novels published between 2016 and 2017. Read in publication order, beginning with Can You Keep a Secret? and continuing through Every Woman's Dream, Never Trust a Stranger, and concluding with The Devil You Know. This interconnected series should be approached sequentially to fully experience the interconnected narratives across all four installments.

Start with Can You Keep a Secret?, the first of 4 books in the Lonely Heart, Deadly Heart series.

#	Title
1	Can You Keep a Secret? 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Every Woman's Dream 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Never Trust a Stranger 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Devil You Know 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (1986–2013)

Mary Monroe's Mama Ruby series consists of three complete novels published between 1986 and 2013. The books should be read in publication order, beginning with The Upper Room, followed by Mama Ruby and concluding with Lost Daughters. This multi-generational family saga spans decades and explores themes of family bonds, secrets, and resilience through interconnected narratives.

Start with The Upper Room and read in order.

#	Title
1	The Upper Room 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Mama Ruby 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Lost Daughters 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2018–2020)

Mary Monroe's Neighbors series comprises three standalone yet interconnected novels published between 2018 and 2020. The series is complete and should be read in publication order: One House Over, Over the Fence, and Across the Way. Each book explores the complicated relationships and secrets shared among neighbors in close-knit communities, with overlapping characters and storylines that deepen across the trilogy.

Start with One House Over and read in order.

#	Title
1	One House Over 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Over the Fence 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Across the Way 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2006–2006)

#	Title
1	Borrow Trouble 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

12 books (2002–2021)

Mary Monroe's collection of twelve standalone novels spans from 2002 to 2021, beginning with Gonna Lay Down My Burdens and concluding with Once in a Lifetime. Though each book functions as an independent story, readers should follow the publication order to experience Monroe's evolving storytelling across two decades. The series appears to be complete, offering a comprehensive look at the author's body of work across contemporary fiction themes.

Start with Gonna Lay Down My Burdens, the first of 12 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Gonna Lay Down My Burdens 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Red Light Wives 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	In Sheep's Clothing 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Deliver Me From Evil 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	She Had It Coming 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Company We Keep 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Family of Lies 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Bad Blood 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Remembrance 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Right Beside You 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Gift of Family 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Once in a Lifetime 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible