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historical romance
Series · historical romance
Waverley Women
The Waverley Women series by M. C. Beaton has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The First Rebellion (1989).
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 1989
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Romance, Historical Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: The First Rebellion (1989) — 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:
The First Rebellion
The First Rebellion (1989) opens the Waverley Women trilogy at 224 pages, following the eldest Waverley sister's refusal to accept an arranged marriage -- originally published under the Marion Chesney byline.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The First Rebellion - Book 2:
Silken Bonds
Silken Bonds followed the same year at 208 pages, continuing the trilogy with a different Waverley sister testing how much independence a Regency woman can claim before it costs her the match she actually wants.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Silken Bonds - Book 3:
The Love Match
The Love Match closes the trilogy in 1990, matching Silken Bonds at 208 pages as the last Waverley sister claims both independence and a happy match on her own terms, closing out Marion Chesney's tighter, three-book take on the family-of-sisters structure.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Love Match
About the Waverley Women series
The three-book Waverley Women series follows sisters from the Waverley family as each pushes back, in her own way, against the narrow expectations Regency society sets for well-bred young women -- beginning with The First Rebellion, in which the eldest sister's refusal to simply accept the marriage arranged for her sets the tone for the siblings who follow. Across the trilogy, the Waverley sisters test how much independence a Regency woman can claim for herself before it costs her the match, and the happiness, she actually wants, with each book resolving in a romance that lets its heroine have both on her own terms.
Written under the Marion Chesney name in the late 1980s, the series is a tighter, more focused set than some of Beaton's larger sister sextets, giving each of its three heroines more room within her single volume while keeping the family's shared theme of quiet rebellion against convention running through all three books.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in M.C. Beaton's Waverley Women series?
Three, published in 1989 and 1990: The First Rebellion, Silken Bonds, and The Love Match.
What is the Waverley Women series about?
Three Waverley sisters who each push back against the narrow expectations Regency society sets for young women, and find romances that let them do so on their own terms.
What order should I read the Waverley Women books in?
Publication order: The First Rebellion, Silken Bonds, then The Love Match.
Is Waverley Women connected to Beaton's other sister series, like Six Sisters?
No shared characters -- it's a separate, shorter trilogy from the same Marion Chesney Regency period.
Were these books originally published under a different name?
Yes, originally as Marion Chesney; later editions have been reissued under the M.C. Beaton byline.
If you like the Waverley Women series
Reading order last verified .