Ellie Dean books

Ellie Dean is a Sunday Times bestselling author of WWII historical fiction, best known for the Cliffehaven series set in a wartime boarding house. Find all 35 of her books in reading order.

Beach View Boarding House/Cliffehaven Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
There’ll Be Blue Skies 2011 Buy
Far from Home 2012 Buy
Keep Smiling Through 2012 Buy
Where the Heart Lies 2013 Buy
All My Tomorrows 2014 Buy
Always in My Heart 2014 Buy
Some Lucky Day 2014 Buy
While We’re Apart 2015 Buy
Sealed with a Loving Kiss 2015 Buy
Sweet Memories of You 2016 Buy
Shelter from the Storm 2016 Buy
Until You Come Home 2017 Buy
The Waiting Hours 2018 Buy
With a Kiss and a Prayer 2018 Buy
As the Sun Breaks Through 2018 Buy
On a Turning Tide 2019 Buy
With Hope and Love 2019 Buy
Homecoming 2020 Buy
A Place Called Home 2023 Buy
Love Will Find a Way 2024 Buy
With Promises to Keep 2025 Buy

Oceana Trilogy Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Lands Beyond the Sea 2007 Buy
A Kingdom For The Brave 2008 Buy
Legacy 2009 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Matilda’s Last Waltz 1999 Buy
Jacaranda Vines 2001 Buy
Windflowers 2002 Buy
Summer Lightning 2002 Buy
Undercurrents 2004 Buy
Dreamscapes 2005 Buy
Ocean Child 2010 Buy
Savannah Winds 2011 Buy
Firestorm 2012 Buy
Echoes From Afar 2015 Buy
Spindrift 2017 Buy

Ellie Dean is the pen name of Tamara McKinley, and under this name she writes historical fiction set primarily during and around the Second World War. Her Cliffehaven series, which follows evacuees and residents of the Beach View Boarding House in a fictional English coastal town, has sold over a million copies and been translated into more than 15 languages.

Before launching the Cliffehaven series in 2011, Dean published several standalone novels set in Australia, including Matilda’s Last Waltz and Jacaranda Vines. These earlier books, written between 1999 and 2010, explore family sagas across generations in Australian settings. The Oceana Trilogy (2007-2009) also draws on Australian history and landscape.

Dean’s strength is in writing about ordinary people coping with wartime upheaval — rationing, separation, air raids — while maintaining close family and community bonds. Her Cliffehaven books have built a loyal readership among fans of wartime sagas by authors like Daisy Styles and Nancy Revell.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Ellie Dean written?

Ellie Dean has written 35 books across three series.

What was Ellie Dean's first book?

Ellie Dean’s first book is Matilda’s Last Waltz, published in 1999.

Is Ellie Dean a pen name?

Yes, Ellie Dean is the pen name of Tamara McKinley, a bestselling author who also writes under her real name. She uses the Ellie Dean name for her WWII-era fiction, particularly the Cliffehaven series, which has sold over a million copies worldwide.

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