Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lady Thief | 1981 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 2 | Return Engagement | 1982 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 3 | Mask of Passion | 1982 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 4 | Breathless Surrender | 1982 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 5 | Taken by Storm | 1983 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 6 | On Wings of Magic | 1983 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 7 | Elusive Dawn | 1983 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 8 | Kissed by Magic | 1983 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 9 | C.J.’s Fate | 1984 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 10 | Something Different | 1984 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 11 | Illegal Possession | 1985 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 12 | Larger Than Life | 1986 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 13 | Belonging to Taylor | 1986 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 14 | Rebel Waltz | 1986 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 15 | Time After Time | 1986 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 16 | Summer of the Unicorn | 1988 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 17 | The Wizard of Seattle | 1993 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 18 | The Haunting of Josie | 1994 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 19 | Amanda | 1995 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 20 | After Caroline | 1996 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 21 | Finding Laura | 1997 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 22 | Haunting Rachel | 1998 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 23 | Enchanted | 2003 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
| 24 | Elusive | 2004 | Kay Hooper | Buy |
Kay Hooper’s 24 standalone novels trace her full career arc. The earliest titles, starting with Lady Thief in 1981, are category romances written for the Loveswept imprint. Books like Return Engagement, On Wings of Magic, and C.J.’s Fate are brisk, character-driven love stories typical of the early 1980s romance market.
Through the late 1980s and 1990s, her standalones grew darker and more suspenseful. The Wizard of Seattle (1993) and Summer of the Unicorn (1988) added fantasy elements, while Amanda (1995), After Caroline (1996), and Haunting Rachel (1998) pushed further into psychological suspense. Her later standalones, Enchanted (2003) and Elusive (2004), reflect the paranormal thriller style she developed in the Bishop/SCU series.