Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Promise of Marriage | 1990 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 2 | Hometown Hero | 1991 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 3 | Two to Tango | 1992 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 4 | The Right Man For Loving | 1992 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 5 | To the Rescue | 1993 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 6 | The Man Behind The Magic | 1993 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 7 | A Man Like Jake | 1994 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 8 | Daniel’s Gift | 1996 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 9 | Ryan’s Return | 1996 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 10 | Ask Mariah | 1997 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 11 | One True Love | 1998 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 12 | The Sweetest Thing | 1999 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 13 | Almost Home | 2000 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 14 | Just the Way You Are | 2000 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 15 | Some Kind of Wonderful | 2001 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 16 | Love Will Find a Way | 2002 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 17 | Summer Secrets | 2003 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 18 | Golden Lies | 2004 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 19 | The Cuzzian Horse | 2004 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 20 | All She Ever Wanted | 2004 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 21 | Don’t Say a Word | 2005 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 22 | Patrick Michael O’Reilly’s 13th Summer | 2007 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 23 | Sweet Somethings | 2017 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 24 | All the Pretty People | 2022 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 25 | Last One to Know | 2022 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 26 | The Other Emily | 2023 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
| 27 | Nothing Breaks Like a Heart | 2025 | Barbara Freethy | Buy |
Barbara Freethy’s standalone novels span from 1990 to 2025, covering 27 books that chart her development as a writer. Early titles like Promise of Marriage and Two to Tango were category romances, while mid-career books like Summer Secrets and Golden Lies showed her moving toward longer, more complex stories with suspense elements.
Her more recent standalones have leaned further into psychological suspense. All the Pretty People from 2022 and The Other Emily from 2023 are darker works that still feature romantic relationships but prioritize mystery and thriller elements. Nothing Breaks Like a Heart in 2025 continues this trend. The standalones give a clear picture of how Freethy’s writing has expanded from straightforward romance into a hybrid of romance and suspense.