Bitter Creek books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Bitter Creek series?"

"There are fifteen books in the Bitter Creek series, published between 2000 and 2020."

Q: "What is the first book in the Bitter Creek series?"

"The first book in the Bitter Creek series is The Men of Bitter Creek: Two Complete Novels, published in 2004."

Q: "What is the Bitter Creek series about?"

"The Bitter Creek series follows two powerful Texas families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, whose rivalry goes back generations. Each book focuses on members of these families who fall in love across family lines or deal with the consequences of the feud, mixing romance with family drama and suspense."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Men of Bitter Creek: Two Complete Novels	2004	Joan Johnston	N/A
2	The Cowboy	2000	Joan Johnston	Buy
3	The Texan	2001	Joan Johnston	Buy
4	The Loner	2002	Joan Johnston	Buy
5	The Price	2003	Joan Johnston	Buy
6	The Rivals	2004	Joan Johnston	Buy
7	The Next Mrs. Blackthorne	2005	Joan Johnston	Buy
8	A Stranger’s Game	2008	Joan Johnston	Buy
9	Shattered	2009	Joan Johnston	Buy
10	A Bitter Creek Christmas	2013	Joan Johnston	Buy
11	Sinful	2014	Joan Johnston	Buy
12	Shameless	2015	Joan Johnston	Buy
13	Surrender	2018	Joan Johnston	Buy
14	Sullivan’s Promise	2019	Joan Johnston	Buy
15	Winter Magic	2020	Joan Johnston	Buy

The Bitter Creek series by Joan Johnston is a Texas-set family saga that follows the Blackthorne and Creed families through decades of rivalry, betrayal, and romance. The Cowboy (2000) begins the series with a story that draws from the deep hostility between the two families, and each subsequent book introduces new members of the extended clans. The Texan (2001), The Loner (2002), and The Price (2003) build out the family trees and deepen the conflict.

As the series progresses through titles like The Rivals, The Next Mrs. Blackthorne, and A Stranger’s Game, Johnston adds suspense and thriller elements to the romance formula. Later books including Sinful (2014), Shameless (2015), and Surrender (2018) bring new generations into the feud while older characters deal with the consequences of past choices. Sullivan’s Promise (2019) and Winter Magic (2020) round out the series at 15 books.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Bitter Creek series?

There are fifteen books in the Bitter Creek series, published between 2000 and 2020.

What is the first book in the Bitter Creek series?

The first book in the Bitter Creek series is The Men of Bitter Creek: Two Complete Novels, published in 2004.

What is the Bitter Creek series about?

The Bitter Creek series follows two powerful Texas families, the Blackthornes and the Creeds, whose rivalry goes back generations. Each book focuses on members of these families who fall in love across family lines or deal with the consequences of the feud, mixing romance with family drama and suspense.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order