Zoe Matthews Books in Order
This reading order guide provides the complete list of Zoe Matthews books in order, from the first to the latest, and is always updated so you won’t miss anything!
Zoe Matthews is a romance author whose stories come from the heart—and perhaps from a different time, too. She began writing when she was just a teenager, scribbling down love stories and adventures in notebooks long before she ever dreamed of publishing them. What started as a creative outlet in her youth slowly grew into a lifelong passion. Today, Zoe is known for her heartfelt historical romances, time travel adventures, and emotionally rich characters who remind us all what it means to love deeply and live fully.
One of the most beautiful things about Zoe’s writing is how she blends history and romance in a way that feels both timeless and refreshing. She’s the author of several beloved series, including Orphan Train Romances and Mail Order Bride Time Travel Romances. These books invite readers into a world where love always finds a way, even when the odds seem impossible. Her stories are known for their warmth, charm, and memorable characters who stay with you long after the final page.
Zoe has a soft spot for the landscapes of the high mountain deserts in the Western United States. She often spends her summers at her family’s rustic cabin, where inspiration flows as freely as the fresh mountain air. It’s there—surrounded by nature, family, and quiet moments—that she writes many of her novels. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys hiking the trails near her cabin, painting watercolors of the scenery, and taking photos of the desert skies. She also treasures spending time with her grandchildren, who bring laughter and love into her daily life.
Her debut novel An Unexpected Family launched the Orphan Train series and captured readers’ hearts with its emotional depth and historical setting. The story follows Amanda, a resilient widow in Texas, who opens her heart to an orphan girl in need of a family. The tale is filled with emotional decisions, second chances, and the quiet beauty of finding love again. The relationships in Zoe’s stories—whether romantic, familial, or friendships—feel genuine, and that’s part of what makes her work so relatable.
Another fan-favorite is Touched by Time, the first novel in the Mail Order Bride Time Travel series. In this imaginative story, a modern-day trauma nurse named Kimberly finds herself swept back to 1892 after responding to a mysterious newspaper ad. It’s a tale of courage, transformation, and the wild, unpredictable journey of love across centuries. Zoe’s time travel romances are filled with nostalgic charm and always ask the deeper questions—about identity, belonging, and the choices that shape our lives.
What makes Zoe Matthews unique as an author is how much of her real life seeps into her fiction—not just the locations she loves or the history she’s fascinated by, but the emotional truths she understands so well. She writes women who are strong, vulnerable, and real. Her male leads are caring, respectful, and not without flaws, making the love stories feel grounded yet swoon-worthy. And her settings—small towns, open plains, or dusty train depots—are always vivid and full of atmosphere.
Zoe writes with a clear, simple style that’s easy to follow but still rich with feeling. Whether you’re a lifelong romance fan or someone just discovering the genre, her books offer comfort, adventure, and hope. It’s no surprise that readers return to her stories again and again, drawn by the heartwarming plots and the timeless message that love is always worth the risk.
If you’re new to Zoe Matthews, you’re in for a treat. Her stories are more than just romances—they’re emotional journeys set against the backdrop of a different time, a different pace of life, and always a chance for something beautiful to begin.