Nerds of Happy Valley Books in Order

The Nerds of Happy Valley books are where Holmberg sets the magic aside and keeps the heart. Published under C. N. Holmberg, this series is contemporary romance about geeky adults who bring their hobbies, fandoms, and awkwardness with them into everyday life. The scale is smaller than in her fantasy novels, but the emotional wiring is familiar. These are still books about people trying to be brave enough to want what they want.

You're My IT starts with Blaine, a roller-derby regular who has spent a long time building up the nerve to tell Lysander, the quiet IT guy from work, how she feels. She has a plan. Life has another one. The story leans into workplace awkwardness, self-esteem, superhero fandom, and the particular comedy of trying to look confident while quietly panicking. Lysander's own struggles with worth and visibility give the book more weight than its bright setup might suggest.

Two-Damage My Heart shifts to Rue Thompson, whose old heartbreak never really stayed in the past. The boy who once wrote her letters and then disappeared suddenly turns back up, without even recognizing her. That second-chance setup runs through live-action roleplaying, friend-group banter, and the odd freedom that comes from putting on a costume and getting to be bolder than you feel. Landry has a lot to make up for, and the book knows it.

What ties the series together is not just the crossover cast. It is the way these novels treat nerd culture as a real social language. Dice, office tech jokes, comics, foam swords, and fandom references are not decoration. They are how the characters connect, hide, flirt, and test whether someone feels safe. Holmberg writes those details with affection rather than irony, which helps the books feel warm and open instead of smug.

These stories have lower stakes than her fantasy series, but they are not shallow. The real problems are insecurity, miscommunication, old hurt, and the fear of being seen clearly. The books know that a person can joke about capes one minute and protect a very real bruise the next. That balance gives the series its charm.