Vallerands Books in Order

The Vallerands books take Kleypas’s historical romance away from English ballrooms and into the charged, atmospheric world of early‑19th‑century Louisiana. Centred on the wealthy Creole Vallerand family, the stories mix plantation life, political tension and high‑seas adventure.

In When Strangers Marry (a revised version of her earlier novel Only in Your Arms), strong‑willed Lysette Kersaint is desperate to escape an abusive stepfather and an arranged marriage to a man she loathes. Her flight throws her into the path of Maximilien Vallerand, a widower and notorious rake rumoured to have murdered his unfaithful wife. Max plans to use Lysette as a pawn in a long‑running feud with her intended, but her courage and vulnerability challenge both his plans and his reputation.

Only with Your Love shifts the focus to Max’s twin sons and the Gulf of Mexico. Celia Vallerand is sailing to New Orleans to join her new husband’s family when pirates attack the ship. She is taken captive by the fearsome Dominic Legare, only to be "rescued" by a privateer known as Captain Griffin. Griffin is in fact Justin Vallerand, her brother‑in‑law, and their journey from hostage and captor to reluctant allies plays out against storms, taverns and the complicated honour codes of men who live by the sea.

The Vallerand novels are rich in setting details—Creole society, the tensions between French, American and Spanish interests in the region, and the stark contrast between glittering parlours and the violence of the gulf. They are also among Kleypas’s darker, more adventure‑heavy books, with kidnapping, revenge and moral grey areas woven through the romance.

Readers who enjoy pirate and privateer stories, or who want to see Kleypas write outside her usual English settings, will find this duology a vivid detour. It stands alone from her later interconnected series, but the focus on family loyalty, redemption and fiercely determined heroines will feel very familiar.