Dearest Books in Order

The Dearest books are connected new adult romances that start on and around the Boston University campus, then widen into the lives that grow out of that world. These are not high-concept, plot-heavy books. They are character-first love stories about smart, messy people in their early twenties, trying to figure out trust, sex, friendship, work, and the versions of adulthood they actually want.

It begins with Dearest Clementine, where Clementine Avery has good reason to keep people at arm's length. Gavin Murphy, the RA who volunteers to help her with a romance-writing assignment, is funny, patient, and a lot harder to resist than she expects. That first book sets the tone for the series, banter, chemistry, emotional bruises that have not healed cleanly, and a real sense that falling in love can feel both exciting and a little dangerous.

Then the circle widens.

Finding Dandelion shifts to Clementine's twin brother, Jax Avery, a college soccer star whose instant pull toward Dani Hart runs straight into reputation, secrecy, and pressure on and off the field. Kissing Madeline moves into the orbit of Maddie McDermott, an aspiring broadcast reporter who wants a serious career and does not need complications from NFL quarterback Daren Sloan. Together, the three books track one friend group and one extended social world as crushes, hookups, loyalties, and career plans start getting more complicated.

Boston matters here. The campus apartments, bars, practices, internships, and post-college career worries keep the series grounded in everyday life, even when the emotions run hot. Martin also likes layering in extra tension, whether that is the missing-student thread in the first book, the pressure of competitive sports, or the awkward reality of trying to build a future while everyone around you has opinions.

What carries the series from book to book is the overlap. Characters from earlier stories keep showing up, relationships continue in the background, and small moments in one book often hit harder if you already know the history. The novels can be read on their own, but this is one of those romance series where reading in order pays off. You get the jokes, the grudges, the loyalty, and the feeling that this whole group is stumbling toward adulthood together.