Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Megan’s Way | 2009 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
| 2 | Chasing Amanda | 2011 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
| 3 | Come Back to Me | 2011 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
| 4 | Traces of Kara | 2013 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
| 5 | Have No Shame | 2013 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
| 6 | Where Petals Fall | 2013 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
| 7 | Hot Mess Summer | 2023 | Melissa Foster | Buy |
Melissa Foster’s standalone novels show a different side of her writing from the interconnected Love in Bloom romance world. Her debut novel, Megan’s Way (2009), is an emotional story about friendship and loss, while Chasing Amanda (2011) and Traces of Kara (2013) blend suspense with family drama. Have No Shame (2013) tackles racial tension in 1960s Mississippi, and Where Petals Fall (2013) is a psychological thriller about repressed memories.
The collection spans from 2009 to 2023, with Hot Mess Summer marking Foster’s move into romantic comedy as a standalone. These books tend to be darker or more emotionally complex than her Love in Bloom romances, and they show the range of Foster’s interests as a writer. Readers who know Foster only from her beach-read romances may be surprised by the suspense and literary elements in her earlier standalone work.