Berkeley-Falkner Books in Order

The Berkeley‑Falkner novels are among Lisa Kleypas’s earliest historicals, steeped in high drama and old‑school romance tropes. Set largely in Regency‑era England, they follow two powerful aristocratic families whose fortunes—and love lives—are deeply entangled.

Where Passion Leads introduces Rosalie Belleau, a genteel but penniless young woman who believes herself to be a simple lady’s companion. When notorious rake Lord Randall Berkeley abducts her from a carriage, assuming she is a courtesan, he sets off a chain of events that pulls Rosalie into the dangerous glamour of his world. As Randall slowly realises how badly he has misjudged her, pride, desire and past sins collide.

In Forever My Love, the focus shifts to Alec Falkner, Duke of Hamilton, and Mireille "Mira" Germain. Having grown up in poverty as the daughter of a French prostitute, Mira accepts a highly unconventional arrangement: she will pose as elderly Lord Sackville’s mistress, offering him cover for a secret he is desperate to hide. At a hunting party she meets Alec, who sees past the scandalous façade and finds himself drawn to a woman he believes is already spoken for.

Both books feature masquerades of identity, simmering sexual tension and plots thick with blackmail, murder and social disgrace. The tone is more melodramatic and bodice‑ripper‑leaning than Kleypas’s later work—something readers either relish or approach with caution—but you can already see her interest in class divides, intense family loyalty and emotionally guarded heroes who are undone by unexpected love.

While the Berkeley‑Falkner stories are not tightly linked to the Wallflowers or Hathaways, they share a similar world of ducal households, country estates and London gossip. For readers curious about Kleypas’s development as a writer, this short series offers a look at where some of her favourite themes began, wrapped in sweeping, high‑angst romance.