Read every series in the right order
Story Lake Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Read the publication order, which is also the in-universe order:
- Story of My Life (Story Lake #1)
- Mistakes Were Made (Story Lake #2)
That sequence preserves character reveals, town politics, and the Bishop brothers’ family arc. If the series expands, we’ll update this Story Lake Books in Chronological Order guide accordingly.
Introduction
There’s a reason readers keep saying “I wish I could move there.” Story Lake is Lucy Score’s love letter to that feeling—equal parts Gilmore Girls zing and Schitt’s Creek redemption energy, wrapped in her signature blend of sharp banter, crowd-pleasing steam, and community stakes. Book one drops a blocked romance author into a historic money-pit and hands her a grumpy contractor with a heart of cedar. Book two pivots to the literary agent who swore she’d never stay, only to get sideswiped by a landlord with a five-year plan and a barn for a house.
This article lays out Story Lake Books in Chronological Order, explains why the order matters for character growth and town continuity, and helps you choose the best editions & formats. We’ll also flag content notes (light spoilers avoided), answer common questions, and share librarian-level shelf tips for collectors.
Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | Story Lake by Lucy Score (2 books to date) |
| Ideal Age Range | Adult romance (18+) |
| Core Vibes | Small town rom-com, grumpy/sunshine, found family, community-save plotlines |
| Genres | Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy |
| Reading Difficulty | Easy—fast dialogue, contemporary voice |
| Estimated Page Count | ~400–550 pages per book (editions vary) |
| Estimated Read Time | ~8–11 hours/book at average pace |
| Content Warnings | Strong language; on-page steam; grief/family secrets; small-town politics; workplace stress |
| Media Adaptations | None officially announced as of this writing |
| Setting | Story Lake, Pennsylvania (fictional), historic homes, hardware stores, council chambers, barns |
| Best Entry Point | Story of My Life (start of town arc and Bishop-verse thread) |
About the Story Lake Book Series
Story Lake is built on three interlocking pillars:
- Personal Redemption: Hazards of burnout, creative block, and big-city baggage meet the healing power of place (and people who show up with tool belts and casserole carriers).
- Community Stakes: Beyond the kiss are budgets, bylaws, and keeping a beloved town afloat after its largest employer shutters. You’re not just rooting for a couple—you’re rooting for storefronts to light back up on Main Street.
- Bishop Family Gravity: Contractors with calluses and complicated histories. Each brother has a distinct love language (fixing things counts), and Mistakes Were Made opens that family story wider.
Score’s storytelling is cinematic and tactile: late-night porch confessions, smear of sawdust on a forearm, the quiet thump of hurt people choosing to stay. The humor is plentiful; the heart is the point.
Story Lake Books at a Glance
Availability and pricing vary by region. We’ve used straightforward search links so you can pick your preferred retailer/format.
| # | Title | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Story of My Life | Buy On Amazon |
| 2 | Mistakes Were Made | Buy On Amazon |
Story Lake Books Deluxe Edition
| # | Title | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Story of My Life – Deluxe Edition | Buy On Amazon |
| 2 | Mistakes Were Made – Deluxe Edition | Buy On Amazon |
(Tip for collectors: “Deluxe Edition” = designed edges + specialty finishes)
Story Lake Books in Chronological Order
Spoiler-light: we focus on setup, tropes, and why each book belongs where it sits in the Story Lake Books in Chronological Order map.
1) Story of My Life (Story Lake, #1)
Tropes & Hooks: grumpy/sunshine · writer/contractor · fake dating (for “research”) · house-renovation intimacy · town-council chaos · found family
Romance author Hazel Hart is on deadline life support when she panic-buys a crumbling historic house in Story Lake. The raccoons arrived first; the charm will require demolition. Enter Campbell Bishop, a 6’3″ contractor with opinions, brothers, and a stubborn streak that matches Hazel’s. What starts as a pragmatic hire becomes creative fuel—and then becomes something that won’t fit into an outline. Meanwhile, Story Lake needs more than a makeover: post-closure, the town’s economy is teetering, and Hazel’s unwanted council seat puts her squarely in the arena.
Why Book 1 first: It sets the civic arc (downtown survival, council dynamics), establishes Bishop-family bonds, and seeds several running jokes and neighborly entanglements that Mistakes Were Made pays off. Starting anywhere else dulls the satisfaction of watching the town (and the people) find their footing.
2) Mistakes Were Made (Story Lake, #2)
Tropes & Hooks: landlord/tenant · opposites attract · one-night-stand fallout · grumpy/capable cinnamon roll · city girl in denial · big family secrets
Literary agent Zoey Moody promised herself Story Lake was a layover—she’s broke, exiled from Manhattan, laser-focused on getting Hazel’s next book to explode so she can go home. Her landlord Gage Bishop (tall, steady, terrifyingly wholesome) is her worst match on paper: he’s building a life with spreadsheets and livestock; she lives by her next deal and would rather not see a chicken up close. One bad week, one good night, and suddenly the plan has complications. A Bishop family revelation rattles the foundations; Zoey and Gage have to decide whether comfort is a detour or a destination.
Why Book 2 second: Zoey is a recurring force in Book 1; her worldview makes richer sense when you’ve seen Hazel’s arc and the town stakes up close. Mistakes Were Made also deepens the Bishop tapestry introduced in Book 1, which is exactly why Story Lake Books in Chronological Order matters.
Series Timeline & Character Development
Hazel Hart — From creatively paralyzed to creatively present. The move to Story Lake doesn’t “fix” her; it gives her an honest room to fail, try again, and write like a person with a life beyond word counts. Her arc is a thesis about art as community labor, not hermit perfection.
Campbell Bishop — Competence kink, meet vulnerability. Cam begins as a fortress (protective, private) and learns that letting someone carry part of the load isn’t weakness. He’s a case study in how acts of service can slide into self-erasure until someone names the difference.
Zoey Moody — The industry shark with a soft underbelly. Zoey’s armor is speed: deals, exits, flight plans. Story Lake slows her enough to hear what the hustle drowned out. Her arc is choosing rootedness without losing ambition.
Gage Bishop — The planner. The barn. The long view. Gage believes in maintenance—of roofs, of budgets, of hearts. Book 2 bends his plans without breaking his principles, and the result is a remarkably grown-up romance: desire that makes space, not demands.
Story Lake (the town) — An ensemble character with bills to pay. The arc is recovery after economic loss: small businesses, council budgets, volunteerism, “keep the lights on” problem-solving. When the town survives, the love stories feel earned.
Novels Sorted in Order of In-Universe Events
Good news: the reading path equals the timeline.
- Story of My Life
- Mistakes Were Made
If/when future installments arrive, we’ll update the Story Lake Books in Chronological Order list so you can drop new titles in the right spots.
Novels Sorted by Publication
- Story of My Life (Story Lake #1) — published first
- Mistakes Were Made (Story Lake #2) — published second
(At the time of writing, these match the in-universe sequence.)
Companion Works
No direct Story Lake novellas or holiday specials have been announced in the material you provided. If Lucy Score adds a Bishop-brothers novella, a town-festival short, or a council-meeting bonus scene (manifesting this), we’ll position it on this Story Lake Books in Chronrological Order page right after publication.
Related but separate: Lucy Score’s Knockemout books are a different universe; great read-alikes if you want more small-town + big feelings, but not part of Story Lake Books in Chronological Order.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
Deluxe Paperback Editions
- Story of My Life (Deluxe Edition): designed edges, spot gloss, a town map, and chapter POV art—catnip for display-shelf romantics.
- Mistakes Were Made (Deluxe Edition): designed edges; cohesive with Book 1 Deluxe for a matching pair.
Kindle / eBook
- Instant gratification, easy highlighting for favorite banter, and searchable for your “what page was that fake-date line” moments.
Audiobook
- A superb format for Lucy Score’s dialogue-driven style. Dual POV narration (where available) emphasizes tension and interiority—especially effective in Mistakes Were Made during the “we said one night” denials.
Collector Tips
- Store Deluxes away from direct sunlight to protect designed edges.
- If you care about matching spines, choose one format (all Deluxes or all standard paperbacks) before buying both.
Why Read Story Lake Books in Chronological Order?
- Character Through-Lines: Hazel → Zoey progression mirrors how friendships evolve when big life changes hit; you’ll catch nuanced callbacks if you start with Book 1.
- Community Stakes: Council budget threads, small-business subplots, and Bishop-family responsibilities compound book to book.
- Emotional Payoff: The Story Lake Books in Chronological Order structure lets inside jokes, neighbor cameos, and family revelations accrue meaning.
Author Spotlight: Lucy Score
Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author who grew up in a family that treated the dinner table like a library table (respect). With a journalism degree and a full-time writing life in Pennsylvania (plus the world’s most self-important cat, Cleo), she’s built a career on romances that are laugh-out-loud funny, unabashedly swoony, and emotionally satisfying. Her “move-there” small towns, competence-porn heroes, and heroines who find their voice have converted countless casual readers into genre lifers. Future dream office locations include a sailboat and any tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, radio)
There are no official Story Lake adaptations in the information you provided. The combination of strong ensemble, clear season-arc stakes (save the town), and house-reno visuals make this ripe for a limited series—think streaming dramedy with a renovation-reality texture. If/when that happens, we’ll add a watch order alongside Story Lake Books in Chronological Order.
FAQs
Do I have to read Story Lake in order?
Yes. It’s a short series now, and the Story Lake Books in Chronological Order sequence preserves character growth, Bishop-family reveals, and town arcs.
How spicy are these books?
On-page steam with Lucy Score’s trademark humor and consent-positive beats. Expect chemistry and adult language.
Are there heavy topics?
Yes—creative burnout, family secrets, financial stress, and community recovery. Score balances levity with care.
Is there a third book coming?
Not in the material you shared. If/when a new installment drops, we’ll revise this Story Lake Books in Chronological Order guide.
I loved Knockemout. Is Story Lake similar?
Yes in warmth, humor, and community feels; different cast and setting. Perfect next stop for small-town romance fans.
What’s special about the Deluxe Editions?
Designed edges, specialty finishes, and extras (map, POV art in Book 1). If you love shelf-candy, they’re worth it.
Final Thoughts
If you’re craving comfort without complacency—a romance that repairs houses and hearts—start with Story of My Life and then roll directly into Mistakes Were Made. Read for the kisses, stay for the council meetings, the Bishop brotherhood, and the ordinary heroism of people who choose to keep a town alive. Keep this Story Lake Books in Chronological Order page bookmarked; we’ll expand it the minute new neighbors move in.
