Julie Garwood books in order

Julie Garwood (1944-2023) was an American author of historical romance and romantic suspense, born Julie Murphy in Kansas City, Missouri, on 26 December 1944, whose novels include The Bride (1989) and The Secret (1992); she died in Leawood, Kansas, on 8 June 2023.

The sixth of seven children in a family of Irish descent, she trained as a nurse before switching to a double major in history and nursing. Her writing career gathered pace once her youngest child started school. Her first historical romance, Gentle Warrior, appeared in 1985, and she also wrote two young adult books, among them A Girl Named Summer (1986). Honor's Splendour (1987), The Lion's Lady (1988) and The Bride (1989) followed. The Bride won a RITA Award in 1990.

Her historical series include Crown's Spies, Lairds' Brides, Highlands' Lairds and Clayborne of Rosehill. Other titles from these years are The Secret (1992), Saving Grace (1993), For the Roses (1995), The Wedding (1996) and Ransom (1999). For the Roses was adapted as a television feature, Rose Hill. With Heartbreaker (2000) she began the Buchanan and FBI series of romantic suspense. Her official site puts her books at more than 40 million copies in print, and Wikipedia credits her with at least 24 New York Times bestsellers.

For collectors

Collectors focus on her early historical romances from 1985 to 1989, starting with her debut Gentle Warrior (1985), and on The Bride (1989), her RITA Award winner.