The Dartmouth Diaries Books In Order

Publication Order of The Dartmouth Diaries Books

The Dartmouth Diaries is a series of romance fiction novels by Beverley Watts, a novelist known for her historical romance and general romance novels. Beverley Watts spent nearly a decade teaching English as a Foreign Language at the Britannia Royal Naval College which is the premier officer training establishment for the UK’s Royal Navy. She published Claiming Victory, her debut novel in 2014 but her chronicles of her adventures at the college were in the 2020 published novel, An Officer and a Gentleman Wanted. Beverley has always had a love of writing, particularly books that make people laugh. Her Dartmouth Diaries series just like her other series both historical and contemporary could also be called a Romantic Comedy series. Together with her husband, she currently makes her home in the beautiful English Riviera where she lives in an apartment overlooking the sea. She has three grown children who have given her two beautiful grandchildren. Beverly also has a whole menagerie of animals including five dogs. Dotty, one of her dogs, was the inspiration for the Dartmouth Diaries character Dotty.

The Dartmouth Diaries is a series that has become known for its combination of humor and romance. The series of novels is set in South Devon, famous for its beautiful landscapes and facades. At the heart of the story is a 32-year-old woman named Victory “Tory” Shackleford who lives in the small community of Dartmouth. The work follows her life as she deals with the intricacies of love, life, and family. Coming into the series, expect relatable characters and compelling storylines which are usually spiced with humor and all manner of heartfelt anecdotes to make you laugh out loud. Beverley Watts has structured the series into several installments with each subsequent story continuing from where the previous one left off. Victory is introduced in the debut and is subjected to some very unexpected incidents that drive the rest of the story. In subsequent novels such as Lasting Victory and Sweet Victory, the stories continue to develop the character. They explore the many challenges she has to deal with, her relationships, and her personal growth. Throughout the series, the author makes use of romance which she combines with humor to show how Victory grows resulting in lighthearted but engaging reads.

The first novel of The Dartmouth Diaries series is Claiming Victory. This is a heartwarming and hilarious romantic comedy that tells the story of Victory Shackleford, a thirty-two-year-old woman who makes her home in the picturesque South Devon. She is frumpish and overweight and still lives with the eccentric retired admiral who is her father. Victory considers her father an irresponsible and reckless man who cannot take care of himself. On his part, he thinks she is a nagging and boring harpy with no sense of adventure or creativity. All he wants is to get her married off even though hardly anyone in their community is interested in her. However, everything changes when her father rents out their house to a crew from Hollywood shooting a blockbuster film. Her banal but orderly existence is turned on its head as she navigates the madness of Hollywood firsthand and discovers that laughter and love can come from the most unexpected places. All in all, it is a witty and delightful story that is one of the most hilarious Beverley Watts has ever written. It comes with laugh-out-loud moments and quirky characters which are then crowned with unexpected romance to make for the perfect escape into comedic romance.

Sweet Victory is the second novel of The Dartmouth Series of novels by Beverley Watts. Just like the previous novel, this is a laugh-out-loud and heartfelt romance. Against the odds, Victory Shackleford who is the definition of the pain girl next door has managed to snag Noah Westbrook one of the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood. The man knows how to treat a woman and soon enough they are in a whirlwind courtship. But now that the dust has settled, Tory has to deal with the realities of living with one of the most famous people in the world. She thought things would be perfect now that she found her man but nothing ever is particularly with the media determined to find every bit of dirt they can on her. With their relentless digging, they soon come upon a secret that may just send her irresponsible madcap father to jail. It is also a secret that could wreck her man’s acting career. It is an impossible situation that she finds herself in and one wrong move could mean losing everything she has. She has come to realize that not all fairy tales have a happy ending. It is yet another light-hearted and funny romantic comedy that will have you from the first page to the last.

In 2015, Beverley Watts published the third novel of The Dartmouth Diaries series. Yet again a perfect vacation read with laugh-out-loud comedy and lots of romance. Kit Davies the former owner of an art gallery finds herself starting a career in event management but she is launching in the big leagues organizing the wedding of a superstar from Hollywood. Of course, getting the job might have to do with the fact that the bride is Victory, her best friend. Her friend Victory had thrown the offer at her when she learned that she was about to become destitute and homeless. However, organizing the wedding which is to happen in Dartmouth, a remote yachting haven is not easy. Moreover, the media is sure to learn of it and it is not long before she realizes that she may have taken on more than she can manage. The bride has a secret and the threat of exposure is turning her into a would-be Bridezila. She also has to deal with all manner of strange machinations by the bride’s father who is an expert at the art of being evasive and slippery. Hosting Hollywood in Dartmouth might soon turn out to be the least of her worries.