Jessica and Cliff Books in Order

The Jessica and Cliff books are contemporary romances about falling in love when life is already full. Jessica Pierce is a single mother raising two very different children. Ben is a teenager with an old-soul streak, while twelve-year-old Matilde, or Mattie, is energetic, outspoken, and forever ready with a plan that may or may not help.

Jessica has enough on her plate before romance enters the picture.

In Lilac Time, Jessica's new job brings Cliff into her life. Their relationship has to find space around school schedules, family responsibilities, and the fact that Jessica's children have their own strong opinions about the adults around them. The book treats the family as part of the love story, not as background decoration. Ben and Mattie bring humor, friction, and a real sense of what it means for a relationship to affect more than two people.

The second book, Autumn Waltz, follows Jessica and Cliff after they have chosen to build a life together. That does not mean everything suddenly runs smoothly. Ben is looking toward college, Mattie is preparing for a school play, and the couple's already limited private time becomes even harder to find. When Jessica learns that the home she rents is being sold, the family faces a deadline that rattles everyone, especially Mattie.

Then someone from Cliff's past complicates matters further.

The series has a warm, domestic tone, but it does not pretend that family life is effortless. Jessica and Cliff have to talk through practical problems, protect their relationship, and make room for the kids as they grow. Mattie is often the source of comic mayhem, while Ben's transition toward adulthood gives the books a gentler, more reflective thread.

These are best read in order. Lilac Time introduces the family and the romance at its center, while Autumn Waltz lets readers spend more time with the household after the first rush of falling in love. It is a good choice for readers who like lesbian romance, single-parent stories, busy homes, and characters whose lives remain a little chaotic even after they find one another.