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new adult romance
Series · romance
Romancing the Clarksons
The Romancing the Clarksons series by Tessa Bailey has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Too Hot to Handle (2016).
- Books
- 5 known books (4 novels + 1 novella)
- Published
- 5
- First published
- 2016
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Romance
- Last checked
Start here: Too Hot to Handle (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Too Hot to Handle
Too Hot to Handle (2016, 336 pages) opens Romancing the Clarksons: chef Rita Clarkson, still living in her celebrated late mother's shadow, falls for Hurley local Jasper Ellis while her three siblings wait out their broken-down car's repairs on the family's cross-country trip to honor their mother's dying wish.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Too Hot to Handle - Book 2:
Too Wild to Tame
Romancing the Clarksons continues with Too Wild to Tame, the second entry, released in 2016, turning to another Clarkson sibling's romance as the road-trip-stalled family works through old resentments and shared grief.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Too Wild to Tame - Book 3:
Too Hard to Forget
Published in 2017, Too Hard to Forget is the third installment of Romancing the Clarksons (336 pages), continuing the Clarkson siblings' individual romances as their promise to their late mother runs underneath each book.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Too Hard to Forget - Book 4:
Too Close to Call
Too Close to Call, a shorter 132-page novella, slots in between the third and fourth Clarkson novels, continuing the road-trip framework that gives Romancing the Clarksons a stronger throughline than most of Bailey's other series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Too Close to Call - Book 5:
Too Beautiful to Break
Too Beautiful to Break is the fourth and final full-length book in Romancing the Clarksons, published in 2017 at 244 pages, closing out the siblings' cross-country journey and the promise they made their mother.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Too Beautiful to Break
About the Romancing the Clarksons series
Romancing the Clarksons follows four estranged siblings honoring their late mother's dying wish: road-tripping together from California to New York to jump into the Atlantic Ocean off Coney Island on New Year's Day, just as she once did with the real-life Coney Island Polar Bear Club. When their car breaks down in the small town of Hurley, New Mexico, the trip stalls out -- and each Clarkson sibling, in turn, falls for someone they meet along the way or back home. It opens with Too Hot to Handle, in which chef Rita Clarkson, still living in her celebrated mother's shadow, falls for Hurley local Jasper Ellis while her siblings wait out the car repairs.
Published by Forever between 2016 and 2017, the four full-length novels are joined by one shorter novella, Too Close to Call, which slots in partway through the run. The road-trip framework gives the series a stronger throughline than most of Bailey's other series -- the siblings' shared grief, old resentments, and the promise they're keeping to their mother run underneath each individual romance. Readers who enjoy Bailey's blunt, physical chemistry wrapped around real family stakes and a slow-healing sibling relationship will find this an easy series to binge.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in Romancing the Clarksons?
Five entries: four full-length novels (one per Clarkson sibling) plus the novella Too Close to Call, published 2016-2017.
What is Romancing the Clarksons about?
Four estranged siblings road-tripping from California to New York to fulfill their late mother's dying wish -- jumping into the Atlantic off Coney Island on New Year's Day -- with each sibling finding romance along the way.
What order should I read Romancing the Clarksons in?
Publication order: Too Hot to Handle, Too Wild to Tame, Too Hard to Forget, Too Close to Call (novella), Too Beautiful to Break.
Do I need to read the Too Close to Call novella?
No, it's optional, but it's short and fills in a supporting couple's story between books three and four.
Is Romancing the Clarksons a complete series?
Yes, all four Clarkson siblings are paired off across the four novels, and the series is complete.
If you like the Romancing the Clarksons series
Reading order last verified .