This page lists Katherine Center books in publication order, plus standalone reading paths, short stories, and related titles.
Quick Index
- Scope: Katherine Center novels, short stories, and related anthology work
- Default Order: Publication order
- Best Starting Point: The Bodyguard
- Order Matters: Mostly no, except character-linked bonus stories
- Main Format: Standalone contemporary romance and women’s fiction
- Latest Release Included: The Shippers, 2026
Reading Paths
Publication Order
Recommended for first-time readers who want a complete catalog sequence.
- The Bright Side of Disaster
- Everyone Is Beautiful
- Get Lucky
- The Lost Husband
- Happiness for Beginners
- How to Walk Away
- The Girl in the Plane
- Things You Save in a Fire
- What You Wish For
- The Guy at the Wedding
- The Bodyguard
- Hello Stranger
- The Rom-Commers
- The Love Haters
- Everybody’s Favorite Guy
- The Shippers
Katherine Center’s official books page lists her current backlist, including The Shippers, The Love Haters, The Rom-Commers, Hello Stranger, The Bodyguard, both short stories, and earlier novels.
Character-Link Order
Best for connected bonus-story placement.
- How to Walk Away
- The Girl in the Plane
- Things You Save in a Fire
- Happiness for Beginners
- The Guy at the Wedding
Beginner Path
Best for core modern Katherine Center reading.
- The Bodyguard
- Hello Stranger
- The Rom-Commers
- The Love Haters
- The Shippers
- Things You Save in a Fire
- Happiness for Beginners
Novels-Only Path
Best for readers skipping short fiction.
- The Bright Side of Disaster
- Everyone Is Beautiful
- Get Lucky
- The Lost Husband
- Happiness for Beginners
- How to Walk Away
- Things You Save in a Fire
- What You Wish For
- The Bodyguard
- Hello Stranger
- The Rom-Commers
- The Love Haters
- The Shippers
Publication Order Master List
- The Bright Side of Disaster (2007) – Novel – Standalone
- Everyone Is Beautiful (2009) – Novel – Standalone
- Get Lucky (2010) – Novel – Standalone
- The Lost Husband (2013) – Novel – Standalone
- Happiness for Beginners (2015) – Novel – Standalone
- How to Walk Away (2018) – Novel – Standalone
- The Girl in the Plane (2019) – Short story – Related to How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire
- Things You Save in a Fire (2019) – Novel – Standalone with character connection
- What You Wish For (2020) – Novel – Standalone
- The Guy at the Wedding (2021) – Short story – Related to Happiness for Beginners
- The Bodyguard (2022) – Novel – Standalone
- Hello Stranger (2023) – Novel – Standalone
- The Rom-Commers (2024) – Novel – Standalone
- The Love Haters (2025) – Novel – Standalone
- Everybody’s Favorite Guy (2026) – Short story – Amazon Original Stories
- The Shippers (2026) – Novel – Standalone
Macmillan lists The Girl in the Plane as a July 23, 2019 audio short story featuring Cassie Hanwell, and The Guy at the Wedding as a July 20, 2021 audio short story. Amazon lists Everybody’s Favorite Guy as a March 17, 2026 Amazon Original Stories short story.
Related Works and Where They Fit
The Girl in the Plane
- The Girl in the Plane (2019) – Short story – Audio-first short fiction
- Placement: Read after How to Walk Away and before Things You Save in a Fire for character-link continuity.
The Guy at the Wedding
- The Guy at the Wedding (2021) – Short story – Audio-first short fiction
- Placement: Read after Happiness for Beginners as a related bonus story.
Everybody’s Favorite Guy
- Everybody’s Favorite Guy (2026) – Short story – Amazon Original Stories
- Placement: Optional. Not required before The Shippers.
Anthology and Essay Contributions
Katherine Center has also contributed essays and short nonfiction to anthology projects. These are optional and are not required for the novel reading order.
Dependencies & Notes
- Katherine Center’s main novels are standalones.
- Publication order is the cleanest default order for a full bibliography.
- The Girl in the Plane is best treated as bonus fiction tied to How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire.
- The Guy at the Wedding is best treated as bonus fiction tied to Happiness for Beginners.
- The Shippers was released on May 19, 2026, according to the author’s official book page and Macmillan listing.
- The Rom-Commers was published in 2024, The Love Haters in 2025, and The Shippers in 2026.
FAQs
What Katherine Center book should I read first?
Start with The Bodyguard for her modern rom-com style. Start with The Bright Side of Disaster for strict publication order.
Do Katherine Center books need to be read in order?
No. Most Katherine Center books are standalones. Read short stories near their related novels for better context.
Is Happiness for Beginners part of a series?
No. It is a standalone novel, but The Guy at the Wedding is related bonus fiction.
Is Things You Save in a Fire connected to How to Walk Away?
Yes, there is a character-link connection. Read How to Walk Away, then The Girl in the Plane, then Things You Save in a Fire for the clearest related sequence.
What is Katherine Center’s latest book?
The latest included full-length novel is The Shippers, released in 2026.
Change Log
- Last checked: June 13, 2026
- What changed: Added Everybody’s Favorite Guy and The Shippers to the current reading order
- Most recent known release included: The Shippers, 2026