Sally Thorne
Sally Thorne has published 5 books across 2 series. The recommended reading order starts with The Hating Game (2016).
Sally Thorne is an Australian author of romantic comedies. By day, she navigates the world of funding submissions and contract drafting in Canberra, where she lives with her husband Roland, a pug, and a horse. After hours, Thorne escapes into the colorful fictional worlds she creates. Her debut novel, The Hating Game, arrived in 2016 and is credited by readers with breathing fresh life into the genre. The book became an international sensation, capturing an intensity and spark that fans had been craving, and was optioned by the director behind Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. Thorne's second novel, 99 Percent Mine, followed in 2019, continuing her exploration of romantic comedy with the same emotional punch. Thorne writes for readers searching for that elusive intensity in their next favorite book.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Standalone Novels
- TagsromanceDescriptionLucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every single day. They're executive assistants to co-CEOs at a newly merged publishing house, and they despise each other. It's not subtle. They play the staring game until one of them blinks. They mirror each other's movements like children. They weaponize HR complaints. Every interaction is a battle, and neither one will surrender first. Then a promotion opens up. Both their names are in the ring. The stakes skyrocket. But after yet another grueling sixty-hour week, something shifts in that elevator ride home. Joshua hits the emergency stop button, and Lucy braces herself—this is it, he's finally going to snap. Instead, he kisses her. And suddenly Lucy's entire world tilts sideways. Because if she doesn't actually hate Joshua Templeman, if this electric tension between them has been something else all along, then she's been lying to herself for months. The question becomes: is this real, or is it just another game he's playing to win?Publication dateAugust 9, 2016Amazon rating4.4/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherAvon
- Tagsliterary-fictionfantasyromanceDescriptionWhat happens when the one thing you've always wanted comes wrapped in the one person you can't have? Sally Thorne delivers a sharp, tender exploration of longing and belonging in this romantic comedy that aches as much as it delights. The atmosphere crackles with tension—not just the romantic kind, but the fraught push-pull of family loyalty, old wounds, and a crumbling inheritance that's more than just bricks and mortar. Our heroine is locked in battle with her twin brother over the family property, a fight that feels both petty and profound. Enter his best friend: off-limits, infuriatingly capable, and determined to renovate more than just the house. He's here to knock down walls, literal and metaphorical, and she's spent a lifetime building hers high. Thorne's wit is as sharp as ever, but there's a poignant undercurrent here—a story about what we inherit, what we protect, and what we're willing to risk for a chance at something real. The banter sizzles, the stakes feel personal, and the emotional payoff is earned. This is a romance that understands that sometimes the hardest person to fight is yourself.Publication dateJanuary 29, 2019Amazon rating4/5Print length368LanguageEnglishPublisherAvon
- TagsromanceDescriptionSally Thorne's Second First Impressions operates in the space between grief and renewal, charting the unlikely friendship between a young woman who has stopped living and the elderly residents who remind her how. Ruthie Midona has retreated to a retirement home at twenty-five, hiding from a world that took her parents too soon, content to fade into beige scrubs and predictable routines until two forces collide with her carefully constructed numbness: a tattooed, motorcycle-riding man doing community service and the sharp-tongued, glamorous residents of Providence Retirement Villa who refuse to let her waste her youth on them. What distinguishes this novel is Thorne's refusal to sentimentalize either age or loss—her elderly characters are vain, meddling, fully dimensional humans rather than wise archetypes, and her protagonist's depression is treated with clear-eyed tenderness rather than quirky charm. The romance unfolds slowly, almost incidentally, as Ruthie learns that second chances don't erase first losses but can coexist alongside them. Thorne writes with the precision of someone who understands that healing is less about dramatic breakthroughs than small, repeated acts of showing up—for others, for yourself, for the possibility that life might surprise you again. The result is a story that feels both intimate and expansive, a quiet argument for the radical act of letting people in.Publication dateApril 13, 2021Amazon rating4.1/5Print length352LanguageEnglishPublisherAvon
- TagsromancecrimemysteryDescriptionAngelika Frankenstein is not content to wait for love to find her—she's decided to build it from scratch, quite literally, using the same reanimation techniques her famous brother Victor has perfected. In the shadowy laboratory she shares with him, surrounded by lightning rods and surgical instruments, she's assembling her ideal man piece by carefully chosen piece, determined to create a companion who will adore her as fiercely as she's prepared to adore him. But when her handsome creation awakens with no memory of his former life and a gentleman's bearing that suggests he came from far more refined circumstances than a laboratory table, Angelika finds herself in unfamiliar territory. Her "perfect match" is polite, reserved, and maddeningly uncertain about whether he wants to stay with his creator or discover who he once was. As he begins to remember fragments of his past, Angelika must confront the unsettling possibility that the man she designed for herself might belong to someone else entirely—and that perhaps the most monstrous thing she's done isn't reanimation, but trying to claim another person's heart without earning it. Sally Thorne reimagines the Frankenstein legend as a witty, gothic romance where the real experiment isn't about conquering death, but about learning that love can't be engineered or controlled, only discovered in all its messy, unpredictable glory.Publication dateSeptember 6, 2022Amazon rating3.9/5Print length384LanguageEnglishPublisherAvon
Order of The Improbable Meet-Cute Books
- TagsromanceDescriptionRosie is stuck in a rut, watching her life drift by while everyone else seems to be moving forward. Then she meets the Dreamboat—a man so impossibly handsome, so effortlessly charming, that he doesn't seem real. And maybe that's the problem. Because in Sally Thorne's world, meet-cutes don't just happen—they collide, they combust, they turn your entire existence upside down with a single glance. This is a romance that knows exactly what it is: a fizzy, sharp-edged confection about the terror and thrill of letting someone in when you've spent years building walls. Thorne writes banter like a contact sport, all quick jabs and breathless rallies, and Rosie is the kind of heroine who fights herself as hard as she fights her feelings. The Dreamboat isn't just eye candy—he's a puzzle, a challenge, a mirror held up to everything Rosie thought she wanted. What sets this apart is Thorne's refusal to let the romance be easy. She digs into the messy, uncomfortable truth that falling in love means risking everything, and she does it with wit, warmth, and a keen eye for the small moments that undo us. This isn't just another meet-cute. It's the kind of story that reminds you why we read romance in the first place.Publication dateJanuary 23, 2024Amazon rating3.8/5Print length43LanguageEnglishPublisherAmazon Original Stories
Frequently Asked Questions about Sally Thorne
Sally Thorne writes both standalone novels and a series. The standalone novels include The Hating Game, published in 2016, followed by 99 Percent Mine in 2019, Second First Impressions in 2021, and Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match in 2022. She also writes The Improbable Meet-Cute Books series, with the first book, Rosie and the Dreamboat, released in 2024. Readers can start with any of her standalone novels as they do not require prior reading. If interested in the series, Rosie and the Dreamboat is the first book. Reading the standalone novels in publication order is one way to experience her work, or readers may choose to start with the series.
A good starting point for Sally Thorne's books is her debut novel, The Hating Game, published in 2016. This novel introduced readers to her characteristic blend of witty banter and romantic tension. Alternatively, readers might prefer to begin with Second First Impressions, published in 2021, which offers a charming enemies-to-lovers narrative set in a unique environment. Both of these novels, like her others, can be read independently of her other works. Rosie and the Dreamboat is the first book in her Improbable Meet-Cute Books series, and can also serve as a starting point for those interested in her series writing.
Sally Thorne's standalone novels do not need to be read in any particular order. Each standalone novel, such as The Hating Game, 99 Percent Mine, Second First Impressions, and Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match, tells a complete story with its own set of characters and plot. However, she also writes a series called The Improbable Meet-Cute Books. The first book in this series is Rosie and the Dreamboat, published in 2024. If you wish to follow the narrative of The Improbable Meet-Cute Books, it is advisable to read them in the order they are published.
Sally Thorne writes both standalone novels and series. Her standalone novels include The Hating Game (2016), 99 Percent Mine (2019), Second First Impressions (2021), and Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match (2022). She also writes The Improbable Meet-Cute Books series, beginning with Rosie and the Dreamboat in 2024. This means readers can enjoy her work as individual stories or follow a connected narrative within her series.
Sally Thorne has written five books published between 2016 and 2024. These include four standalone novels: The Hating Game (2016), 99 Percent Mine (2019), Second First Impressions (2021), and Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match (2022). She also writes The Improbable Meet-Cute Books series, with the first installment, Rosie and the Dreamboat, released in 2024. This count does not include any potential future releases.
The first book Sally Thorne wrote is The Hating Game, published in 2016. This novel introduced readers to her signature style of sharp dialogue and compelling romantic storylines. It set the foundation for her subsequent works, establishing her as a writer known for creating engaging contemporary romance narratives. The Hating Game remains a popular entry point for many readers discovering her books.
Sally Thorne's most recent book is Rosie and the Dreamboat, published in 2024. This novel is the first in her Improbable Meet-Cute Books series. It follows her standalone novels, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match (2022), Second First Impressions (2021), 99 Percent Mine (2019), and her debut, The Hating Game (2016).
Sally Thorne writes contemporary romance novels. Her books are characterized by witty banter, strong romantic leads, and engaging plots that often involve enemies-to-lovers or similar tropes. While primarily focused on romance, her stories also explore themes of personal growth and workplace dynamics within the romantic framework. Her writing style tends to be lighthearted and humorous, making her books enjoyable reads for fans of the genre.
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We verified the reading order for Sally Thorne's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: April 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “Sally Thorne Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/sally-thorne