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Series · historical romance

The Talisman Ring

by Karen Hawkins

The Talisman Ring series by Karen Hawkins has 5 books and is best read in publication order, starting with An Affair to Remember (2002).

Books
5 books
First published
2002
Status
completed
Last checked

Start here: An Affair to Remember (2002) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of An Affair to Remember, the first book in The Talisman Ring

An Affair to Remember (2002)

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

  1. An Affair to Remember

    Novel

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  2. Confessions of a Scoundrel

    Novel

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  3. How to Treat a Lady

    Novel

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  4. And the Bride Wore Plaid

    Novel

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  5. Lady in Red

    Novel

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About The Talisman Ring

The Talisman Ring is Karen Hawkins' Regency-era series built around the fictional St. John family and a family ring said to guide its bearer to their true love. An Affair to Remember (2002) opens the series, followed by Confessions of a Scoundrel (2003) and How to Treat a Lady (2003) the same year, then And the Bride Wore Plaid (2004) and Lady in Red (2005) closing out the run. Each novel follows a different St. John relation navigating the ring's romantic reputation alongside the genre's expected marriage-mart maneuvering.

The recurring family thread and the talisman device itself give the five books a lighter, more whimsical connective tissue than a shared estate or curse plot, letting Hawkins move fluidly between siblings, cousins and in-laws while keeping the family's superstition about the ring as an ongoing joke running through the series.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in The Talisman Ring series?

Five: An Affair to Remember (2002), Confessions of a Scoundrel (2003), How to Treat a Lady (2003), And the Bride Wore Plaid (2004), and Lady in Red (2005).

What is the talisman ring?

A family ring belonging to the St. John family, reputed to guide its wearer to their true love -- a running thread that connects the otherwise standalone courtships across the series.

Do I need to read The Talisman Ring books in order?

Not strictly -- each book follows a different St. John family member with its own self-contained romance, though publication order shows the family's cast expanding across the series.

Is The Talisman Ring connected to Hawkins' other series?

No -- it's a standalone series, unconnected to her MacLean Curse, Hurst Amulet or Abduction and Seduction books.

Is a sixth Talisman Ring book planned?

None has been announced as of August 2026; the series appears complete.

Reading order last verified .