Below is the complete list of Marie Force’s Treading Water books in order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Treading Water Books
About Treading Water
Love rarely arrives at a convenient moment for the characters in Marie Force’s Treading Water series. Marriages are tested by tragedy, families struggle with painful changes, and unexpected relationships force people to reconsider the futures they once imagined. Set primarily in Newport, Rhode Island, the five-book contemporary romance series follows interconnected couples navigating grief, betrayal, addiction, parenthood, and second chances.
Treading Water holds a special place in Force’s writing career. She wrote the first three novels during 2004 and 2005, years before they were published in 2011. Initially conceived as a trilogy, the series eventually expanded to five novels as Force returned to characters whose stories had not reached their natural conclusions.
The opening novel, Treading Water (2011), introduces Jack Harrington, a successful architect whose marriage is devastated when his wife, Clare, suffers a serious accident and falls into a coma. Left caring for their three daughters, Jack struggles to balance his professional responsibilities with the emotional demands of an uncertain family future.
His circumstances become more complicated when he meets Andrea “Andi” Walsh, an interior designer working on a hotel project in Newport. Andi is a single mother raising a son with hearing difficulties, and her own painful experiences have left her cautious about romantic commitments.
Their attraction develops despite considerable obstacles. Jack remains devoted to his responsibilities as a husband and father, while Andi must consider the consequences of entering a relationship already burdened by unresolved circumstances.
The novel explores the uncomfortable reality that love and loyalty do not always lead toward simple choices. Rather than presenting emotional recovery as straightforward, Force examines how people respond when their responsibilities conflict with their desire for personal happiness.
Marking Time (2011) shifts the focus to Clare Harrington, whose life has been transformed by the consequences of her accident. Facing a future radically different from the one she expected, Clare must rebuild her independence while confronting the painful changes within her family.
Her developing relationship with Aidan O’Malley introduces new possibilities, although both characters carry personal difficulties that complicate their attraction. The story gives Clare an identity beyond the tragedy that initially defined her role in Jack’s life.
In Starting Over (2011), Force turns to Brandon O’Malley and Daphne, exploring a relationship affected by addiction, emotional damage, and the difficult process of rebuilding trust.
Brandon’s destructive behaviour threatens the people closest to him, making personal accountability essential to any possibility of reconciliation. The novel examines how forgiveness requires more than declarations of regret and how meaningful change depends upon sustained effort.
Coming Home (2012) develops the relationship between Reid Matthews and Kate Harrington, continuing a storyline introduced in Marking Time. Their romance presents complications involving an age difference, established family connections, and the consequences of decisions that affect others.
Reid’s feelings for Kate challenge his previous assumptions about relationships, while Kate must confront the practical and emotional realities of pursuing someone whose circumstances differ significantly from her own.
The final novel, Finding Forever (2020), centres on Maggie and Brayden. Released eight years after Coming Home, it provides the long-awaited conclusion to the interconnected family saga.
Their relationship introduces another perspective on love and resilience while bringing the larger cast’s experiences toward a satisfying resolution. The final instalment reinforces the importance of family relationships that have continued changing since the opening novel.
Although each book features a particular couple, the characters remain connected through family ties, friendships, and shared experiences. Decisions made in one story frequently influence the circumstances of another, giving the series greater emotional continuity than a collection of unrelated romances.
Newport provides an atmospheric setting, with its waterfront, historic architecture, and coastal surroundings forming the backdrop to relationships affected by professional obligations and domestic responsibilities. Other locations, including Nashville and Vermont, broaden the geographical scope as individual characters pursue different futures.
The series also differs from Force’s later Gansett Island and Green Mountain romances through its particularly intense emotional conflicts. Serious injury, marital breakdown, addiction, and difficult family decisions feature prominently, creating stories in which romantic happiness must be earned through personal growth and challenging compromises.
The five novels form a completed series, with collected editions available alongside the individual books. Their interconnected storylines allow readers to follow the long-term consequences of major life changes rather than treating each relationship as an isolated romance.
Through Jack, Andi, Clare, and the wider cast, Force explores how families adapt when circumstances undermine their expectations. Treading Water is ultimately concerned with the courage required to rebuild a meaningful life, particularly when moving forward involves accepting that the past cannot be restored.