Below is the complete list of Marie Force’s Downeast books in order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Downeast Books
About Downeast
Kara Ballard Torrington has spent years building a life far removed from the troubled family she left behind in Maine. On Gansett Island, she has found love, stability, and a future with her husband, Dan Torrington. But when two of her brothers are accused of murder, the past she thought she had escaped threatens everything she has worked to achieve. Marie Force’s Downeast series explores family loyalty, unresolved conflicts, and the strength of an established marriage when confronted with extraordinary circumstances.
The series is a spin-off of Force’s popular Gansett Island romances, bringing two familiar supporting characters into the centre of their own story. Unlike the original series, which introduces numerous couples across an extensive island community, Downeast concentrates on Dan and Kara’s relationship while expanding the fictional world into coastal Maine.
Dan Torrington is a successful criminal defence attorney whose professional life has been shaped by his commitment to helping people wrongfully convicted of serious crimes. His work requires considerable determination and emotional resilience, particularly when dealing with families whose lives have been devastated by accusations and imprisonment.
Kara Ballard comes from a considerably more complicated family background. Her experiences growing up in Maine left her determined to establish independence, and her relationship with Dan has provided a sense of security that was frequently missing from her earlier life.
Their romance originally developed within the Gansett Island series, where they appeared alongside the McCarthy family and other recurring characters. As their relationship progressed, they became an established couple whose experiences extended beyond the central romances of individual instalments.
Dan & Kara: A Downeast Prequel (2024) brings their relationship together in a dedicated novel, revisiting events from their earlier appearances while introducing additional scenes and background information.
The prequel explores Dan’s experiences before meeting Kara, including the devastating loss of his brother Dylan, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. His grief and the collapse of an earlier romantic relationship contribute to his cautious understanding of love and commitment.
Dan’s friendship with Grant McCarthy also provides an important connection to Gansett Island. Through that relationship, he becomes increasingly involved with the island’s residents and eventually meets Kara.
Rather than presenting an entirely separate adventure, the prequel follows the development of their relationship through familiar events while providing greater insight into their individual histories. It establishes the emotional foundation for the challenges they subsequently face together.
Homecoming (2025) moves their story into new territory when Kara receives a disturbing telephone call from her mother. Her brothers Keith and Kirby have been charged with murder, and the Ballard family urgently needs legal assistance.
Kara’s parents specifically request Dan’s help because of his reputation as an accomplished defence attorney. Although he is professionally equipped to handle complicated criminal cases, representing his wife’s relatives introduces pressures that go beyond an ordinary legal assignment.
For Kara, returning to Maine is considerably more difficult than simply accompanying her husband on a business trip. She has deliberately maintained her distance from her family, particularly because of the problems and conflicts that shaped her earlier experiences.
The murder accusations force her to confront relatives she has avoided, examine unresolved grievances, and consider whether the relationships she left behind can ever become healthier.
Her brothers’ circumstances also complicate her feelings. Keith has a history of troublesome behaviour, making his involvement less surprising, while Kirby’s arrest is particularly unsettling because he has not previously been associated with serious criminal activity.
As Dan investigates the charges, Kara must navigate competing obligations to her husband, her unborn child, and the family whose difficulties have unexpectedly returned to dominate her life.
The couple’s determination to return to Gansett Island before their baby’s arrival introduces another source of urgency. Their approaching parenthood represents a hopeful new beginning, contrasting sharply with the uncertainty surrounding Kara’s brothers.
Although the murder investigation provides substantial suspense, the series remains fundamentally a contemporary romance. Its central relationship is not built around the uncertainty of whether two strangers will fall in love, but around how an established couple responds when difficult circumstances threaten their emotional security.
The Maine setting reinforces this contrast. Gansett Island represents the supportive community Dan and Kara have chosen, while Kara’s hometown contains painful memories and family obligations she cannot easily dismiss.
As of 2026, the Downeast series comprises the prequel Dan & Kara and the full-length novel Homecoming. Their close connection to the Gansett Island books gives the stories additional context, particularly regarding the couple’s earlier relationship and friendships.
Downeast stands apart from Force’s other small-town romances through its emphasis on returning to a difficult past. By combining a criminal investigation with the emotional consequences of family estrangement, Force examines how love and loyalty can provide stability without eliminating the complications of personal history.