Below is the complete list of Colleen Coble’s Rock Harbor Search and Rescue books in publication order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Rock Harbor Search and Rescue Books in Publication Order
with Robin Caroll
- Rock Harbor Search and Rescue (2013)
- Lost and Found (2013)
About Rock Harbor Search and Rescue
Colleen Coble’s Rock Harbor Search and Rescue books are not a continuation of the main adult Rock Harbor novels in the usual sense, but a younger spin-off set in the same wider world. Colleen Coble’s official site presents the series as a middle-grade line centered on Emily O’Reilly, a girl deeply involved in search-and-rescue work, while Fantastic Fiction and Goodreads consistently list two primary books in the series: Rock Harbor Search and Rescue and Lost and Found.
That shared-world status is important, because it gives the series a built-in sense of depth without forcing it to feel like a miniature copy of the adult books. The official description of the first novel makes Emily’s connection to the team very clear: she volunteers on missions with her stepmother, dreams of joining the Rock Harbor Search and Rescue team herself, and is trying to earn a puppy of her own. That setup immediately shifts the emotional center. These books are not about seasoned adults carrying old wounds through romantic suspense. They are about a younger heroine growing into courage, responsibility, and investigative instinct inside a world already shaped by rescue work and danger.
The first book, Rock Harbor Search and Rescue, establishes that balance nicely. It uses an accusation of theft to pull Emily into a mystery that threatens her hopes and reputation at the same time. That is a smart way into the series, because it keeps the suspense personal and age-appropriate while still preserving the appeal of the larger Rock Harbor setting. The official book page describes Emily as obsessed with search and rescue, homemade jewelry, and the dream of getting her own search-and-rescue puppy, so the novel’s real charm comes from watching those hopes collide with suspicion and risk.
Then Lost and Found widens the emotional frame without losing that younger-reader focus. Colleen Coble’s site describes Emily training her puppy Sherlock and teaming up with her best friend Olivia after finding an old photograph tied to Olivia’s adoption day. That detail tells you a great deal about how the series develops. Instead of merely repeating the first book’s structure, the second novel leans more into friendship, identity, and family mystery while still holding on to the search-and-rescue atmosphere that defines the line. The result is a sequel that feels connected but not repetitive.
What makes this little series especially appealing is that it understands how to translate Colleen Coble’s strengths for a younger audience. The official and reference descriptions all emphasize pets, adventure, suspense, and mystery, and that combination fits the Rock Harbor world well. The danger is real enough to create tension, but the books are driven more by curiosity, loyalty, and determination than by the heavier romantic and emotional burdens that shape the adult novels. Emily is not simply a child standing on the edge of someone else’s story. She is the reason this version of Rock Harbor feels fresh.
Within Colleen Coble’s wider bibliography, Rock Harbor Search and Rescue works best as a companion series rather than a major independent branch. It draws clear life from the older Rock Harbor setting, but it does not depend on adult-series momentum alone. The two books have their own tone, their own heroine, and their own concerns, with Emily’s ambitions and friendships carrying the emotional weight. That makes the series feel lighter, more immediate, and more accessible, while still preserving the sense that Rock Harbor is a place where beauty, mystery, and danger always seem to travel together.