Order of Maddie Dawson Books

Maddie Dawson is an American author of women’s fiction novels. Maddie Dawson grew up in the South, surrounded by a family of wild storytellers who swore their most outrageous tales were true—from alligator attacks to a love-struck pilot buzzing the house in a stolen jet. With a childhood steeped in drama, humor, and everyday chaos, storytelling became second nature. Along the way, she worked a string of odd jobs—cat-sitter, Taco Bell taco-maker, medical typist—always dreaming up stories in the background. Though she dabbled in journalism, Maddie found her voice writing about the emotional truths of relationships, regrets, and the messiness of life. Now living in Connecticut, she spends her days crafting novels filled with vivid characters and echoes of the unforgettable stories that shaped her.

Maddie Dawson made her debut as a novelist in 2010 with The Stuff That Never Happened. Below is a list of Maddie Dawson’s books in order of when they were originally released:

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

If You Like Maddie Dawson Books, You’ll Love…

• Abby Jimenez
• Emily Henry
• Barbara O’Neal

Maddie Dawson Synopses: The Stuff That Never Happened by Maddie Dawson is a standalone title. Annabelle McKay has a seemingly perfect life—nearly 30 years of marriage, two grown children, and a devoted husband who schedules Wednesday morning lovemaking like clockwork. Other women envy her stability, but Annabelle isn’t sure she wants it anymore—because she’s still in love with someone else.

Years ago, she had a passionate affair with the one person who would devastate her husband most. Though she and Grant rebuilt their marriage and agreed never to speak of it again, the memory lingers. When a trip to New York to help her pregnant daughter leads to an unexpected reunion with her former lover, Annabelle must confront the life she chose and the one that got away.

Kissing Games of the World is a standalone novel by Maddie Dawson. Devoted and imaginative single mom Jamie McClintock is left reeling after the sudden death of her beloved landlord, Harris. Their unconventional arrangement—free rent in exchange for helping care for his adorable grandson Christopher, who happens to be her own son’s best friend—had raised a few eyebrows, but to Jamie, it was the perfect patchwork family. Now, in the wake of Harris’s death, Jamie finds herself grieving not just the man who became like family, but also fearing for Christopher’s future.

Things grow even more complicated when Nate, Harris’s estranged and wildly successful son, suddenly returns to reclaim his role as Christopher’s father. As Nate and Jamie collide over what’s best for the boy they both love, Jamie’s carefully balanced life threatens to spin out of control—until unexpected feelings begin to surface, and chaos just might give way to something more.

Let’s Pretend This Will Work is a standalone novel by Maddie Dawson. After countless disappointing dates, thirtysomething Mimi Perkins is still searching for the love and stability she craves. So when charming, divorced drama teacher Ren Yardley falls for her and proposes, she’s convinced this is the joyful turning point her psychic once predicted.

But just as their new life begins, Ren’s ex-wife is seriously injured in a car accident. Ren moves back into his former home to care for her and their daughters, and Mimi, ever hopeful and devoted, follows him to New Haven, Connecticut. As she builds a new life working at a quirky local daycare, Mimi begins to wonder if Ren’s past is becoming his future—and if she’s once again on the outside looking in. In this warm and wise story of love, resilience, and unexpected turns, Mimi discovers that the path to happiness might look nothing like she imagined.