Read every series in the right order
Maybe Someday Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Read them like this:
- Maybe Someday (2014) – start here for Sydney & Ridge’s story and the series’ musical foundation.
- Maybe Not (2015) – a Warren & Bridgette novella that deepens the roommate dynamics you meet in Book 1.
- Maybe Now (2022) – full-length finale that revisits the whole cast, with character-arc closure and new Griffin Peterson songs woven into the text.
This is both publication order and in-universe order, so following Maybe Someday Books in Chronological Order is easy and preserves every reveal and emotional payoff.
Introduction
Colleen Hoover’s Maybe Someday series blends balcony-born chemistry, complicated loyalties, and a literal soundtrack that threads through the narrative. What begins with Sydney hearing her neighbor Ridge’s guitar every evening turns into a story about boundaries, betrayal, disability, chronic illness, and the way music can bridge what words struggle to say. Reading Maybe Someday Books in Chronological Order matters because the characters’ choices echo across all three installments—especially when Book 2 reframes side characters you met in Book 1, and Book 3 asks everyone to confront what lasting love actually looks like.
The series also has a rare meta flourish: original songs by Griffin Peterson that you can listen to while reading—an experience Hoover and Peterson designed from the start. It’s a romance you hear as much as you read, and it lands best if you follow the intended sequence.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Maybe Someday (3-book series) |
| Core Books | Maybe Someday (384 pp), Maybe Not (novella, 160 pp), Maybe Now (≈432 pp; some e-editions list 428 pp) |
| Estimated Total Read Time | ~17–19 hours at ~250 wpm (Book 2 ~2 hours; Books 1 & 3 longer) |
| Reading Difficulty | Easy–Moderate (emotional themes; contemporary/NA romance) |
| Primary Genres | Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Music Romance |
| Content Warnings | Cheating/emotional infidelity; chronic illness (Maggie has cystic fibrosis); adult language; hospitalizations; jealousy/conflict. |
| Ideal Age Range | Mature teens & adults (16+) |
| Media Adaptations | None for the Maybe series as of November 2025 (other Hoover titles have films/TV—see below). |
| Signature Element | Integrated soundtrack by Griffin Peterson created for the series. |
About the Maybe Someday Book Series
At twenty-two, Sydney believes she has a stable life—until she discovers her boyfriend Hunter is cheating with her best friend Tori. The shock cracks open her world and redirects her attention to Ridge, the quiet, magnetic neighbor whose nightly guitar sessions have become an unspoken ritual. What follows isn’t a simple rebound but a knot of honest attraction, wrong timing, and moral friction. Maybe Someday allows characters to be flawed and kind at once; it’s a book about restraint as much as desire.
Maybe Not pivots to the apartment goofball Warren and the guarded Bridgette, delivering banter, bickering, and surprising tenderness. Then Maybe Now returns to the whole ensemble—Sydney, Ridge, Warren, Bridgette—and gives major spotlight time to Maggie, whose cystic fibrosis shapes her choices and challenges everyone’s definition of loyalty. The novels also fold in original music, so when a song shows up on the page, there’s a real track waiting in your headphones.
Maybe Someday Books at a Glance
| # | Title | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maybe Someday | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | Maybe Not (novella) | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 | Maybe Now | Buy on Amazon |
* Page counts vary by edition/format. ** Kindle product pages sometimes list 428 pages; the Atria paperback lists 432 pages.
Maybe Someday Chronological Reading Order
1) Maybe Someday (2014) — The balcony, the guitar, the line you shouldn’t cross
Where it begins. Sydney’s steady life collapses in one afternoon, and in the emotional fallout she gravitates toward the person whose music has quietly scored her evenings: Ridge. The pull is real; the timing is not. The novel sits with that tension rather than rushing past it. It is as much about choosing not to act as it is about falling in love. Hoover threads a unique sensory layer through Ridge’s character—he’s Deaf—and uses that to deepen communication rather than define it. The book also introduces Warren, Bridgette, and Maggie, whose presence becomes critical later.
Why it belongs first. It sets the ethical fault lines, the friendships, the living-room dynamics, and the songs that the rest of the series keeps answering. Starting anywhere else dilutes the slow-build ache that makes the finale work. (Paperback details: Atria Books; 384 pp; Mar 18, 2014.)
2) Maybe Not (2015) — A Warren & Bridgette detour that matters
What you get. A novella-length, enemies-to-lovers WrestleMania inside the shared apartment. Warren is unserious until he isn’t; Bridgette is guarded until she isn’t. The joy here is seeing two supporting characters steal the stage and complicate what “family” means for this friend group.
Why now. Read Maybe Not right after Maybe Someday—its events overlap/extend the first book’s timeline and make later conflicts in Maybe Now land with more nuance. (Atria Books; 160 pp; Dec 22, 2015.)
3) Maybe Now (2022) — Closure without erasing the mess that got you here
What changes. Everyone’s back: Sydney and Ridge try to live guilt-free; Warren and Bridgette do their chaotic, code-word-for-love thing; and Maggie—facing life with cystic fibrosis—decides to chase a list of “maybe someday” dreams. The novel is warm, sometimes thorny, and determined to let each character choose joy without pretending history didn’t happen.
Bonus flourish. This finale features new songs by Griffin Peterson, tying the series’ musical DNA into the last beats. (Atria Books; trade paperback 432 pp; Sept 20, 2022; Kindle page counts may show 428.)
Series Timeline & Character Development
Sydney (courage after betrayal)
- Book 1: Learns to separate longing from action; insists on honesty even when it hurts.
- Book 3: Practices trust as a habit, not a feeling. Jealousy and guilt resurface but are handled with better tools.
Ridge (communication over performance)
- Book 1: The guitarist who believes restraint is love—until restraint becomes avoidance. Deafness is part of his identity, not a plot device; music exists for him in ways beyond hearing.
- Book 3: Moves from protecting everyone to respecting their autonomy—especially Maggie’s—while showing up for Sydney in daily ways.
Warren & Bridgette (banter as armor → intimacy as choice)
- Book 2: Their novella is a crash course in mischief, stubbornness, and consent.
- Book 3: They function as the series’ truth serum—immature in surface ways, surprisingly wise in the ways that count.
Maggie (living on purpose)
- Book 1: A presence whose illness (cystic fibrosis) complicates everyone’s calculus; not a prop, a person.
- Book 3: A catalyst for healthy boundaries—her bucket-list energy forces the group to grow up and let go where needed. (Her CF is explicitly part of canon.)
The arc in one line: hurt → honesty → chosen hope.
Novels Sorted in Order of In-Universe Events
- Maybe Someday
- Maybe Not (overlaps/extends Book 1)
- Maybe Now
Supported by the author’s site (series note) and established reading-order resources.
Novels Sorted by Publication
| # | Title | Year | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maybe Someday | March 18, 2014 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 | Maybe Not (novella) | December 22, 2015 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 | Maybe Now | September 20, 2022 | Buy on Amazon |
Companion Works
- Official Soundtrack – Maybe Someday by Griffin Peterson (8 tracks; released March 2, 2014). The book explicitly integrates these songs; the author’s site links readers to listen while reading.
- New songs in Maybe Now — the finale includes fresh music by Griffin Peterson, closing the loop on the series’ audio motif.
- Author’s reading-order note — Book 2 is a spin-off; Book 3 recommended after 1 & 2. Handy when advising new readers.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
Maybe Someday (Book 1)
- Paperback/Trade: 384 pp (Atria).
- eBook: Available widely.
- Audiobook: Major platforms carry it (regional availability varies).
- Hardcover/Mass-market: Some markets list additional formats and reprints; check your retailer.
Maybe Not (Book 2, novella)
- Paperback: 160 pp (Atria).
- eBook/Audiobook: Both available; the audio first appeared in 2014.
Maybe Now (Book 3)
- Paperback: ≈432 pp (Atria; 2022).
- Kindle: Lists ~428 pages tied to the print ISBN.
- Audiobook: Simon & Schuster Audio editions available (check store for current narrators/length).
Why Read Maybe Someday Books in Chronological Order?
- Continuity of consequences. The way Sydney and Ridge get together matters; Maybe Now revisits those choices directly.
- Character depth. Maybe Not turns side characters into leads, so reading it between 1 and 3 makes the ensemble feel like a family, not a cast list.
- Musical through-line. The soundtrack isn’t a gimmick; it’s story architecture—best appreciated in the intended sequence.
Author Spotlight: Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and international bestseller behind viral sensations like It Ends with Us and the Maybe Someday trilogy. She lives in Texas with her family and founded The Bookworm Box, a nonprofit subscription/indie bookstore that has donated over $1,000,000 to charities. Hoover’s fandom exploded during the TikTok era, but her community has roots in earlier self-publishing success and reader-powered word-of-mouth.
Signature Hoover traits you’ll find here:
- High-emotion stakes with everyday settings.
- Moral friction handled without moralizing.
- Accessible prose that converts “lapsed readers” back into late-night page-turners.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, radio)
There are no announced adaptations for the Maybe Someday series as of November 2025. That said, Hoover’s broader catalog is very active on screens—It Ends with Us (2024) and additional projects like Verity and Regretting You are in the pipeline—which keeps industry attention high. If Maybe Someday gets greenlit, we’ll update this guide.
FAQs
Do I have to read Maybe Not to understand Maybe Now?
Technically you could skip it, but you’d miss crucial Warren/Bridgette context. The best experience is Maybe Someday → Maybe Not → Maybe Now.
Is the series “New Adult” or “Adult” romance?
It straddles the line—college-age protagonists in Book 1, but themes (infidelity, chronic illness, long-term commitment) skew mature.
How explicit is the romance?
Open-door intimacy written with emotional focus. If you prefer closed-door, consider sampling first.
What about content sensitivities?
Cheating/emotional infidelity is central to Book 1’s conflict; chronic illness (cystic fibrosis) is central to Maggie’s arc.
Do the books really have music I can play while reading?
Yes—Griffin Peterson’s Maybe Someday soundtrack was created to pair with the story, and Book 3 features new songs.
Are page counts the same across all formats?
They vary a little. Typical listings show 384 (Book 1), 160 (Book 2), 432 paperback/428 Kindle (Book 3).
Final Thoughts
The Maybe Someday Books in Chronological Order sequence isn’t just tidy—it’s the only way to keep the music, the ethics, and the friendships in tune. Start with Maybe Someday for the balcony and the boundaries; slide into Maybe Not for the messy, marvelous roommates; and close with Maybe Now for grown-up love that remembers how it got there. Add the soundtrack, and you’ve got a romance that lives in your head and your headphones long after “The End.”
