Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Abduction & Seduction |
1995 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way Brides |
1999 |
Buy |
| One Hot Summer |
2007 |
Buy |
| More Than Words, Volume 6 |
2010 |
Buy |
Benedict Brothers Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Outcast |
2009 |
Buy |
| Invincible |
2010 |
Buy |
| Watch Out for My Girl |
2012 |
Buy |
| Unforgettable |
2014 |
Buy |
Bitter Creek Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Men of Bitter Creek: Two Complete Novels |
2004 |
N/A |
| The Cowboy |
2000 |
Buy |
| The Texan |
2001 |
Buy |
| The Loner |
2002 |
Buy |
| The Price |
2003 |
Buy |
| The Rivals |
2004 |
Buy |
| The Next Mrs. Blackthorne |
2005 |
Buy |
| A Stranger’s Game |
2008 |
Buy |
| Shattered |
2009 |
Buy |
| A Bitter Creek Christmas |
2013 |
Buy |
| Sinful |
2014 |
Buy |
| Shameless |
2015 |
Buy |
| Surrender |
2018 |
Buy |
| Sullivan’s Promise |
2019 |
Buy |
| Winter Magic |
2020 |
Buy |
Bitter Creek Collections Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Men of Bitter Creek: Two Complete Novels |
2004 |
N/A |
| The Cowboy |
2000 |
N/A |
| The Men of Bitter Creek |
2019 |
Buy |
| The Texan |
2001 |
N/A |
| The Loner |
2002 |
N/A |
| The Price |
2003 |
N/A |
| The Rivals |
2004 |
N/A |
| The Next Mrs. Blackthorne |
2005 |
N/A |
| A Stranger’s Game |
2008 |
N/A |
| Shattered |
2009 |
N/A |
| A Bitter Creek Christmas |
2013 |
N/A |
| Shameless |
2015 |
N/A |
| Surrender |
2018 |
N/A |
Bitter Creek: Mail-Order Bride Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Texas Bride |
2012 |
Buy |
| The Alien’s Mail-Order Bride |
2012 |
N/A |
| Wyoming Bride |
2012 |
Buy |
| Montana Bride |
2013 |
Buy |
| Blackthorne’s Bride |
2017 |
Buy |
| The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride |
2017 |
N/A |
Captive Hearts Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Captive |
1996 |
Buy |
| After the Kiss |
1997 |
Buy |
| The Bodyguard |
1998 |
Buy |
| The Bridegroom |
1999 |
Buy |
Frontier Brides Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Inheritance |
1995 |
Buy |
| The Alien’s Mail-Order Bride |
2012 |
N/A |
| Maverick Heart |
1995 |
Buy |
| Wyoming Bride |
2012 |
N/A |
| Montana Bride |
2013 |
N/A |
| The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride |
2017 |
N/A |
Hawk’s Way Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Little Time in Texas / Dallas |
1992 |
Buy |
| Lone Star Christmas |
1997 |
N/A |
| Hawk’s Way Rogues |
2001 |
N/A |
| Honey and the Hired Hand / Jesse |
1992 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way Bachelors |
2000 |
N/A |
| The Rancher and the Runaway Bride / Adam |
1993 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way: Faron & Garth |
2007 |
N/A |
| The Cowboy and the Princess / Faron |
1993 |
Buy |
| The Wrangler and the Rich Girl / Garth |
1993 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way: Carter & Falcon |
2009 |
N/A |
| The Cowboy Takes a Wife / Carter |
1994 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way Brides |
1995 |
N/A |
| The Unforgiving Bride / Falcon |
1994 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way: Callen & Zach |
2009 |
N/A |
| The Headstrong Bride / Callen |
1994 |
Buy |
| The Disobedient Bride / Zach |
1995 |
Buy |
| Hawk’s Way: Rebels |
2010 |
N/A |
| The Russia House |
1989 |
N/A |
| The Temporary Groom / Billy |
1996 |
Buy |
| The Virgin Groom / Mac |
1997 |
Buy |
| The Substitute Groom / Colt |
1998 |
Buy |
| Sisters Found |
2002 |
N/A |
| Sisters Found / Sisters / Breathless Seduction |
2002 |
Buy |
Mail-Order Brides Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Barefoot Bride |
1991 |
Buy |
| The Alien’s Mail-Order Bride |
2012 |
N/A |
| Outlaw’s Bride |
1993 |
Buy |
| Wyoming Bride |
2012 |
N/A |
| Montana Bride |
2013 |
N/A |
| The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride |
2017 |
N/A |
Short Stories/Novellas#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| One Simple Wish |
1993 |
Buy |
Short Story Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| To Have and to Hold |
1994 |
Buy |
| A Christmas Together |
1994 |
Buy |
| Outlaws and Heroes |
1995 |
Buy |
| Breathing In |
1997 |
Buy |
| Hot Pursuit |
1999 |
Buy |
| Spouse for Hire |
1999 |
Buy |
| Under the Mistletoe |
2006 |
Buy |
Sisters Of The Lone Star Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Frontier Woman |
1988 |
Buy |
| Comanche Woman |
1989 |
Buy |
| Texas Woman |
1989 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Loving Defiance |
1985 |
Buy |
| Colter’s Wife |
1986 |
Buy |
| Fit to Be Tied / Something New |
1988 |
Buy |
| Marriage by the Book |
1989 |
Buy |
| Sweetwater Seduction |
1990 |
Buy |
| Kid Calhoun |
1993 |
Buy |
| I Promise |
1996 |
Buy |
| Heartbeat |
1997 |
Buy |
| No Longer a Stranger |
2005 |
Buy |
| Taming the Lone Wolf |
2015 |
Buy |
Wolf Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing / Hazard Ranch |
1991 |
Buy |
| Never Tease a Wolf |
1991 |
Buy |
| Big Sky Country |
2004 |
Buy |
Joan Johnston has been writing romance novels since 1985, with a particular focus on stories set in the American West. Her career spans more than 100 books across numerous series, with the Texas-set Bitter Creek saga being her most extensive ongoing work. The Bitter Creek books follow the feuding Blackthorne and Creed families through generations of conflict, romance, and reconciliation, with 15 main novels plus additional collections and the Mail-Order Bride spin-off series.
The Hawk’s Way series, which ran from 1992 through the early 2000s, features the Whitelaw family and their Texas ranch. Each book pairs a different Whitelaw sibling with a romantic partner, following the classic category romance format while building a connected family story across 23 entries. Johnston’s earlier works include the Sisters Of The Lone Star trilogy, set in 1840s Texas, and the Captive Hearts series of historical romances.
Johnston also writes standalone novels, shorter fiction, and has contributed to various romance anthologies. Her Benedict Brothers series moves into contemporary romantic suspense, while collections like the Mail-Order Brides and Frontier Brides group her western-themed romances by shared elements. Her writing consistently returns to Texas landscapes, family loyalty, and the tension between independence and commitment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Joan Johnston written?
Joan Johnston has written 105 books across fourteen series.
What was Joan Johnston's first book?
Joan Johnston’s first book is A Loving Defiance, published in 1985.
What genre does Joan Johnston write?
Joan Johnston writes primarily western romance and romantic suspense. Many of her books are set in Texas and the American West, featuring ranchers, cowboys, and strong-willed heroines. Her Bitter Creek series adds family saga and suspense elements to the romance formula.