Read every series in the right order
Debutantes Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Read the duet in this order (it’s both publication and in-universe): Little White Lies (2018) → Deadly Little Scandals (2019). U.S. trade paperback specs list 416 pages for Book 1 and 352 pages for Book 2; audiobook runtimes land at ~9h54m and ~8h57m, respectively. Age guidance is 12–18 depending on retailer/publisher listings. A TV adaptation of Little White Lies is in development at independent studio Wiip.
Introduction
If you like your YA mysteries dressed in satin gloves and sharper claws, Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s two-book Debutantes sequence is a perfect weekend binge. In Book 1, Sawyer Taft—a grease-under-the-nails auto mechanic—signs a six-figure contract to enter debutante season with her estranged grandmother, hunting the truth about her biological father behind a forest of orchids and polite smiles. Book 2 drags old money’s bones out of even older closets: secret societies, long-buried crimes, and the kind of social capital that buys silence.
This Books in Chronological Order guide gives you the Debutantes Books in Chronological Order, quick facts (pages, read time, content notes), a no-spoiler buy-now table, format/edition advice, adaptation status, and a librarian’s view of the series timeline and character arcs so you get every reveal as intended.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | Debutantes (2-book YA mystery/thriller duet) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes |
| Primary Genre | YA mystery/thriller; society drama; investigative contemporary |
| Ideal Age Range | 12+ to teen (retailers list “12 years and up” and “13–17”; publisher positions as Teen/YA). |
| Reading Difficulty | Moderate: brisk chapters, dual timelines, interlaced secrets |
| Approx. Pages (US print) | Little White Lies trade PB 416 pp; Deadly Little Scandals HC 352 pp (trade PB also listed at 352). |
| Estimated Read Time | ~7.5–9.5 hours for Book 1; ~6.5–8 hours for Book 2 (average YA reading pace) |
| Audiobook Lengths & Narration | Little White Lies ~9:54:41, narrated by Katherine Littrell; Deadly Little Scandals ~8:57:07, also Katherine Littrell. |
| Content Warnings | Blackmail, kidnapping, assault threats, alcohol, teen pregnancy themes, references to adult–teen boundary violations (off-page), generational secrets. (Curated from publisher copy and reviewer advisories.) |
| Media Adaptations | TV in development: Wiip acquired Little White Lies for series development (Feb 2024). No release date announced. |
Debutantes About the Debutantes Book Series
Barnes builds thrillers like a cognitive scientist (because she is one), tuning stakes and secrets to maximize curiosity and reward close reading. The Debutantes duet pairs a classic fish-out-of-water premise (blue-collar teen in magnolia-scented high society) with a layered mystery about identity, power, and the curated realities of the ultra-wealthy. These are not “glamour tourism” books. They’re moral puzzles in ball gowns—where alliances, leverage, and lies determine who gets to keep their reputation intact.
Debutantes Books at a Glance
| Title | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|
| Little White Lies (Debutantes, 1) | Buy On Amazon |
| Deadly Little Scandals (Debutantes, 2) | Buy On Amazon |
(Edition specs and page counts confirmed via the publisher’s Little, Brown Books for Young Readers pages.)
Debutantes Chronological Reading Order
1) Little White Lies (2018)
Where it starts: When her formidable grandmother knocks with a six-figure contract for the debutante year, Sawyer Taft says yes—for one reason: to unmask her biological father among the silk-gloved elite. Behind the matching pearls and charity brunches, a different economy hums: secrets, favors, and blackmail files that never see daylight.
What this book does best
- Voice & velocity. Chapters fly, but details matter. The humor cuts the tension without deflating dread.
- Dual timelines. Interrogation-style present interleaves with the glittering chaos of the social season.
- Social mechanics. How institutions reward silence; how rules bend for the well-connected.
Good to know: U.S. trade PB lists 416 pages; audiobook runs ~9h54m with a magnetic performance by Katherine Littrell. Suggested reading age begins around 12–13 depending on source.
2) Deadly Little Scandals (2019)
Where it goes next: The debutante year solved one mystery and uncovered two more. Sawyer and her cousin Lily are pulled toward the White Gloves, an elite secret society with a taste for hush-hush philanthropy—and the power to bury reputations. A discovery near the family’s lake house detonates a decades-spanning scandal, forcing Sawyer to decide which truths the town deserves and which ones will only burn the people she loves.
What this book does best
- Intergenerational intrigue. The present snaps into focus only when the past is re-interviewed.
- Ethical gray. Barnes refuses tidy endings: justice for whom, and at what collateral cost?
- A clean “duet” landing. Threads tie back to Book 1 without re-litigating its reveals.
Good to know: The LBYR hardcover lists 352 pages; audiobook clocks ~8h57m (also narrated by Katherine Littrell).
Series Timeline & Character Development
- Sawyer Taft (POV): Starts as a skeptic leveraging “society” to run a DNA-adjacent investigation; evolves into a strategist who understands leverage, optics, and how to draw ethical lines while using a system built to erase them. Her voice remains mordantly funny even as the stakes shift from personal identity to communal rot.
- Lily & the deb circle: Not “mean girls” caricatures—Barnes gives them motives rooted in family dynamics, inheritance pressures, and the rituals that keep their social ecosystem intact.
- The matriarch (Grandmother): A study in velvet-gloved power; she’s less an antagonist than a gravitational force the plot orbits, embodying the ways tradition can both protect and endanger.
- White Gloves: A Southern-gothic device with modern teeth. It literalizes how philanthropy and reputation can launder bad behavior. (Book 2’s society pledge scenes are both satirical and chilling.)
Debutantes Books in Chronological Order (in-universe events)
- Little White Lies — Sawyer enters debutante season to solve a family mystery; the book toggles between interrogation present and season past, converging on a reveal. (Trade PB 416 pp.)
- Deadly Little Scandals — Immediately follows the season’s fallout; Sawyer and Lily confront the White Gloves, digging up a decades-old crime with current-day consequences. (HC/PB 352 pp.)
Chronology and publication align perfectly, so “read in order” is blissfully simple.
Novels Sorted by Publication
- Little White Lies — U.S. on-sale Oct 1, 2019 for the trade paperback (original HC launched Nov 2018); 416 pp (TP).
- Deadly Little Scandals — U.S. on-sale Nov 5, 2019; 352 pp (HC; TP also available).
Companion Works
While Debutantes is a self-contained duet, readers often jump to (or from) Barnes’s other YA thrillers:
- The Naturals sequence (profilers; FBI-adjacent teen unit),
- The Lovely and the Lost (search-and-rescue heart-pounder), and
- The Inheritance Games Saga (puzzle-box billionaire family).
Barnes’s own publisher pages regularly recommend Debutantes alongside those series—the stylistic through-line is clever plotting and moral calculus.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
Print & Collectability
- Little White Lies:
- HC (2018 Freeform/Disney imprint) ~400 pp per early listings;
- LBYR trade paperback (2019) 416 pp, widely available and shelf-matching with Book 2 TP.
- Deadly Little Scandals:
- LBYR HC (2019) 352 pp; trade PB also available.
There’s no official “collector’s sprayed-edge” run as of this writing, but cover designs coordinate nicely across the duet in TP, making them giftable as a DIY mini-set. (Retailer exclusives come and go; check current listings if you’re hunting special inserts.)
Audio
- Narrator: Katherine Littrell for both entries—consistent voice across the duet.
- Runtimes: ~9:54:41 (Book 1) and ~8:57:07 (Book 2). If you love plotty mysteries while commuting or cleaning, these are easy to binge in two or three sessions.
Why Read Debutantes Books in Chronological Order?
- Continuity of reveals. Book 2’s shocks recontextualize Book 1’s motives but don’t repeat its answers—reading out of order dulls those edge pieces.
- Character growth. Sawyer’s strategic maturity makes the White Gloves arc more satisfying when you’ve watched her learn the rules before breaking them.
- Thematic escalation. First: Who am I? Then: What did the last generation do—and who paid for it? The questions deepen in that order.
- Adaptation synergy. With a TV project in development at Wiip, expect buzz to flow back to Book 1 first; reading in order keeps you aligned with how a screen version is likely to roll out.
Author Spotlight
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and cognitive scientist (PhD, Yale, 2012; Fulbright Scholar). She’s penned more than twenty-five YA novels—including The Naturals, The Lovely and the Lost, The Inheritance Games saga, and this Debutantes duet—and taught psychology and professional writing for years. The Hachette/LBYR author page is a great hub for her backlist, news, and socials.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, radio)
- Status: In February 2024, independent studio Wiip acquired Little White Lies for TV series development. Trade coverage (Deadline, Kirkus) confirms the option; no release date or casting announced publicly yet.
- Scope: Announcements reference Little White Lies as the basis; given how tightly Deadly Little Scandals dovetails, a season-two path is obvious—but not yet confirmed. We’ll keep an eye on official studio/author updates.
FAQs
Do I have to read Little White Lies before Deadly Little Scandals?
Yes. It’s a duet designed to be read in sequence; Book 2’s premise (and payoffs) build directly on Book 1’s reveals.
Is there a boxed set?
Not an official one from the publisher (as of September 2025). Many retailers do offer both titles on one page, and the trade paperback spines match nicely if you want a tidy shelf aesthetic.
How long will each take to read?
At an average YA pace, expect 7.5–9.5 hours for Book 1 and 6.5–8 hours for Book 2; on audio: ~9:54 and ~8:57.
Age range?
Retailer listings suggest 12+ to 13–17; LBYR shelves the duet under Teen & Young Adult. Content includes blackmail, threats, alcohol, and mature family secrets, handled with restraint.
Any special/collector editions?
No widely distributed collectors with sprayed edges or bonus art at this time; check your preferred retailer for occasional exclusives or signed copies.
Is the TV adaptation official?
The property is in development at Wiip (rights acquired); development is not the same as greenlighted production. Follow trade press for updates.
Final Thoughts
For mystery readers who love society settings with teeth, the Debutantes duet is a tight, twisty two-step: first, Little White Lies lays down the rules of high-society survival and shows how power hides in etiquette; then Deadly Little Scandals pries up the floorboards to reveal the consequences of decades-old choices. Follow the Debutantes Books in Chronological Order so the emotional math (and the payoffs) land exactly as Barnes intends. If the TV project moves forward, you’ll be the person in the group chat saying, “the book laid that clue three chapters earlier.”
