The Seven Sisters Series by Lucinda Riley: My Guide to the Books

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If you’ve been around The Lit Bitch for a while, then you probably already know how much I love Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series. I started reading these books way back in 2015, I’ve reviewed the entire original series here on the blog, and I even went back and reread several of them on audio.

So yes, you could say I’m a fan.

The series follows the adopted D’Aplièse sisters, who were raised by their mysterious billionaire father, Pa Salt, at their home on Lake Geneva. After his death, each sister is given a clue that could lead her to her biological family and the story of where she came from.

From there, Lucinda Riley takes us all over the world.

One of the things I’ve always loved about these books is the combination of historical fiction, romance, family mystery and contemporary fiction. Each sister gets her own story and setting, usually with a historical storyline running alongside the modern one. At the same time, there’s a larger mystery unfolding across the entire series involving Pa Salt, the sisters themselves and, eventually, the mysterious seventh sister.

Some books are definitely stronger than others for me, but this remains one of my favorite series and one I continue recommending years after reading it.

If you’re wondering where to start—or just want to compare notes on the sisters—here’s my spoiler-light guide to the Seven Sisters books in order.

1. The Seven Sisters

This is Maia’s story and the book that started my obsession with the series.

Maia’s search for her past takes us to Brazil, and right from the beginning I loved the way Riley blended the present-day mystery with the historical storyline. I remember finishing this one and being genuinely sad that it was over.

I’ve gone back and reread it since that first reading, and it remains one of my favorites in the series. It’s also obviously where I recommend starting. While many of these books can stand reasonably well on their own, there are so many little pieces of the larger family story that I think you’ll get more out of the series by reading them in order.

Read my full review of The Seven Sisters →

2. The Storm Sister

The second book follows Ally, the professional sailor of the family, and takes her story to Norway.

This one is SAD. When I originally read it, I was so caught up in Ally’s tragedy that it overshadowed parts of the historical storyline for me.

Interestingly, when I went back and listened to it again a few years later, knowing what was coming actually helped. I was able to appreciate the historical story much more the second time around.

That’s one of the things I love about this series. There is so much packed into these books that going back to them can give you an entirely different reading experience.

Read my review of The Storm Sister →

3. The Shadow Sister

Poor Star. Somehow I managed to completely skip her book the first time I read the series!

I didn’t realize I’d missed it until I was already engrossed in CeCe’s story in The Pearl Sister, so I just kept going and eventually came back to Star when I was revisiting the series on audiobook.

And I’m glad I did because this one ended up being a bit of a hidden gem for me.

Star is quieter than some of her sisters, and her story has a different feel from some of the others. That’s also something this series does particularly well. The books all belong together, but the sisters have very different personalities and their individual books reflect that.

Read my review of The Shadow Sister →

4. The Pearl Sister

If you’re going to make me pick a favorite, this is probably it.

CeCe wasn’t even one of my favorite sisters going into her book. In fact, I found her pretty bratty in some of the earlier books. But Riley has this incredible ability to take a sister you’re not sure you like and completely change your perspective once you get her story.

CeCe’s journey takes her from Thailand to Australia as she searches for her origins, and I loved watching her grow and come alive throughout the book.

I also loved the historical storyline involving Kitty—and let’s just say the romance worked VERY well for me.

I enjoyed this book so much that I later went back and listened to it on audio, and it held up. Of all the Seven Sisters books, The Pearl Sister is the one that has continued to stand out most for me.

Read my original review of The Pearl Sister →

Read my Take Two audiobook review →

5. The Moon Sister

Next we get Tiggy, the more spiritual sister, whose journey eventually leads to Spain and a family history connected to flamenco.

I didn’t necessarily identify with Tiggy as much as I did with some of the other sisters, but somehow I still really liked her.

That’s another recurring theme for me with these books. Riley created seven women with very different personalities, and I didn’t always expect to connect with the sister whose story I was about to read. Then I’d get completely wrapped up in her life anyway.

The settings are also a huge part of the appeal of this series for me. Reading the Seven Sisters books can feel a little like traveling around the world without ever leaving home.

Read my full review of The Moon Sister →

6. The Sun Sister

And then we have Electra.

Electra was easily my least favorite of the sisters before I started her book, and if I’m being honest, she’s still not my favorite.

She’s a famous model living a glamorous life in New York, but underneath all of that she’s struggling with addiction, grief and everything happening around her.

This book is HUGE, and while it wasn’t my favorite installment in the series, Riley still managed to keep me reading. I also appreciated getting to understand Electra better even if I never completely warmed to her the way I did some of the other sisters.

The romance also didn’t have quite the same chemistry for me as some of the earlier books.

Still, a less-favorite Seven Sisters book is very different from a book I didn’t enjoy. I gave this one four stars and had a hard time putting it down. And that ending certainly made sure I was ready for the next book.

Read my full review of The Sun Sister →

7. The Missing Sister

By the time The Missing Sister came out, I had spent years wondering about the seventh sister.

Was there actually another sister? Where was she? How was Riley going to bring all of these threads together?

This book finally sends the six D’Aplièse sisters searching for the woman they believe could be the missing seventh sister, and I was VERY ready for answers.

What I’ve always loved about this series was still here: the sweeping story, alternating timelines, historical elements and the larger mystery surrounding Pa Salt.

But I went into this one expecting it to finally answer all those lingering questions.

Instead, I finished with MORE QUESTIONS.

Thankfully, we now know there was another book coming to complete Pa Salt’s story, but at the time? That was quite a cliffhanger after years of reading this series!

Read my full review of The Missing Sister →

8. Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

And here’s where I have to admit something:

I haven’t read Atlas yet.

So I’m not going to pretend I have thoughts about it just to complete this list.

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt completes the series and finally turns the focus to the man whose mystery has been running through all of these books from the beginning.

Considering how many years I’ve spent reading about the D’Aplièse sisters and wondering about Pa Salt, I clearly need to fix this hole in my Seven Sisters reading history!

Once I finally read it, I’ll come back and update this guide with my thoughts.

Do You Need to Read The Seven Sisters Books in Order?

Technically, I think many of the individual sisters’ stories work surprisingly well on their own. I should know—I accidentally skipped The Shadow Sister the first time around and survived!

But now that I’ve read the series, I absolutely recommend reading them in order.

Each sister has her own self-contained story, but there’s a much larger narrative unfolding in the background. You get little details about Pa Salt, the other sisters and the family’s mysteries along the way, and those details become increasingly important as the series progresses.

If you’re going to invest the time in this series, start at the beginning and enjoy the whole journey.

Which Seven Sisters Book Is My Favorite?

This is hard because I’ve changed my mind about characters and books over the years, especially after rereading some of them.

But if you’re forcing me to choose, The Pearl Sister is probably my favorite overall, with the original Seven Sisters right up there too.

The Pearl Sister surprised me because I didn’t particularly love CeCe going into her story. By the end, Riley had completely won me over, and I loved the Australian setting and historical romance.

On the other end, The Sun Sister is probably my least favorite. A lot of that comes down to Electra simply not being my favorite character. Even then, I still gave the book four stars, which should tell you something about how much I enjoy this series as a whole.

Is The Seven Sisters Series Worth Reading?

For me, absolutely.

I’ve been reading and talking about these books for more than a decade now, and they’re still among the first books I think of when someone asks me for a sweeping historical fiction series with romance.

Some installments are stronger than others, and everyone seems to have a different favorite sister. But that’s part of the fun.

You get historical fiction, contemporary stories, romance, family secrets, mysteries, beautiful settings all over the world and one enormous story connecting everything together.

It’s exactly the kind of series you can completely disappear into—which is probably why, all these years later, I’m still recommending it.

Now I want to know: if you’ve read The Seven Sisters, which sister and book were your favorite?