Erotic romance book series in reading order

by Kristen Ashley

by Sylvia Day

by Abby Jimenez

Carole Mortimer, born in England in 1960, is a British romance novelist who has written more than 150 novels since 1978 and was one of the youngest authors at Mills & Boon. The catalogue lists 291 books, starting in 1979 with The Passionate Winter, Only Lover, Savage Interlude and Tempted By Desire, and reaching Linus (2026), with Amanda and the Lord scheduled for 2027. Series include Regency Unlaced, Regency Sinners, Regency Scandal, Regency Lovers, Dangerous Dukes, Ruthless Regency Dukes, Scandalous St. Claires, Knight Security, Steele Protectors, Dragon Hearts and Wynter Hearts. Subjects cover contemporary and Regency romance, nobility, marriage and businessmen.

Penny Jordan is one of the pen names of Penelope Halsall, born Penelope Jones, an English novelist who lived from 24 November 1946 to 31 December 2011. Halsall produced more than 200 romance novels: contemporary romance as Penny Jordan, Regency romance as Caroline Courtney and historical romance as Annie Groves, the maiden name of Halsall's mother. Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock were two further pen names. Sales passed 70 million copies, with translations into many languages. The catalogue lists 210 books from 1979 to 2019, and the earliest entries, such as A Wager For Love (1979), carry the Caroline Courtney name. Series include Perfect Crightons, Jet Set Wives, Leopardi Brothers, Parenti Dynasty and Russian Rivals.

Lynne Graham, born 30 July 1956 in Northern Ireland, has written more than 100 romance novels for Mills & Boon since 1987. The catalogue lists 151 books from Bittersweet Passion (1987) to King's Promised Princess (2026), with Italian's Heir Before Vows scheduled for 2027. Series include International Playboys; Virgin Brides, Arrogant Husbands; Secretly Pregnant, Conveniently Wed; and Stefanos Legacy. Billionaires, Greeks, marriage and pregnancy recur among the subjects.

Lora Leigh, born March 6, 1965, is an American author of erotic romance with New York Times bestseller status. Leigh began publishing in 2003 with the electronic publisher Ellora's Cave. The Breeds is the longest-running series, and Elite Ops, Nauti Boys, Bound Hearts, Wizard Twins and Men of Summer are among the others. The catalogue holds 115 books from 2003 to Play Hard (2025). Leigh won the 2009 RT Award for erotica and was born in Ohio and raised in Martin County, Kentucky.

Maisey Yates is the author of 184 catalogued books, from His Virgin Acquisition (2010) to First Witches Club (2026), with Challenging Her Cowboy scheduled for 2027. Subject headings cover contemporary and western romance, cowboys, ranchers, Oregon, princes and princesses. Series include Gold Valley, Gold Valley Vineyards, Copper Ridge, Four Corners Ranch, Jasper Creek, Mustang River, Deacons of Bourbon Street and Once Upon a Seduction. A Mistake, a Prince and a Pregnancy (2010), The Argentine's Price (2011) and A Royal Without Mercy (2012) are early titles.

Vicki Lewis Thompson, born 11 October 1950, is an American romance novelist who has also published as Cory Kenyon and, with Mary Tate Engels, as Corey Keaton. The catalogue holds 174 books from Mingled Hearts (1984) to When a Cowboy Falls Hard (2026), including Promise Me Sunshine (1984), When Angels Dance (1985) and The Fix-It Man (1986). Sons of Chance, McGavin Brothers, NERDS, Rowdy Ranch, Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Buckskin Brotherhood, Wild About You and Hex are among the series. Cowboys, westerns, Harlequin Blaze, paranormal romance and werewolves appear in the subjects.

Contemporary romance, with billionaires, royalty, heirs and revenge as recurring subjects, fills Caitlin Crews's 86 catalogued books. The list opens with Pure Princess, Bartered Bride (2009) and reaches King's Heir of Hate (2026). Crews's series include Scandalous Royal Brides, Scandalous Sheikh Brides, Rich, Ruthless & Greek, Cold River Ranch, Kittredge Ranch and Filthy Rich Billionaires. Caitlin Crews continues to publish.

Sarah Morgan writes contemporary and medical romance, with 119 books catalogued from Expectant Bride (1999) to The Best Christmas Ever (2026). Physicians, nurses, billionaires and Italians are among the recorded subjects, and early titles include The Doctor's Engagement (2001), The Midwife's Child (2001) and The Greek Tycoon's Bride (2002). Series lines include From Manhattan With Love, Lakeside Mountain Rescue, Glenmore Island Doctors, Cornish Consultants, O'Neil Brothers and Miller Sisters.

Kate Hewitt has 154 catalogued books, from The Man Who Could Never Love (2002) to The Amanti Heir Arrangement (2026), with A Second Chance at Lighthouse Cove due in 2027. Some titles, including Another Country and Far Horizons (both 2007), carry the name Katharine Swartz. The Italian's Chosen Wife (2007), Ruthless Boss, Hired Wife (2008) and The Greek Tycoon's Reluctant Bride (2008) are among the early books. Series include Willoughby Close, Wildflower Valley, Amherst Island, Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite and Emerald Sisters, and contemporary romance, marriage, pregnancy and billionaires appear in the subjects.

Lorelei James is a romance author whose subjects cover erotic, contemporary and western romance, ranchers, cowgirls and Wyoming. The 66 catalogued books run from Dirty Deeds (2006) to Back in the Saddle (2024). Series include Rough Riders, Rough Riders Legacy, Blacktop Cowboys, Need You, Want You and Wild West Boys. Long Hard Ride (2007), Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (2007) and Cowgirl Up and Ride (2008) are among the early titles.

Opal Carew is a Canadian novelist of erotic romance, with 116 catalogued books published between 2004 and 2020. Carew also writes erotica as Ruby Carew and sweet romance as Amber Carew, and the earliest catalogued titles, including Virgin Spy (2004) and Virgin Wanted (2005), carry the Amber Carew name. Twelve series are recorded, among them Office Slave, His To Claim, Riding Steele, Mastered By, Penthouse Pleasures, Red Hot Fantasies, Tempting The Boss and Dirty Talk. Triangles, group relationships, dominance and submission and resort settings fill the subject index. The books run to a median of 256 pages, and nothing new has been catalogued since Stroke of Luck (2020).

Contemporary romance and romantic suspense are the two fields Canadian author Elle Kennedy works in. Born on 19 January 1982, Kennedy has won a RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. The catalogue credits 78 books to Kennedy, starting with Bad Moon Rising (Short Story) in 2007 and reaching Bad Idea, due in 2027. Kennedy's series include Killer Instincts, Off-Campus, Briar U, Campus Diaries, Avalon Bay, Outlaws, Prep and Small Town Scandals. Subjects tagged on the books include hockey and sports romance.

Lori Foster

146 books• 33 series

Lori Foster is an American romance novelist who also publishes urban fantasy as L.L. Foster, and has appeared on the USA Today, Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestseller lists. Foster is currently published by Harlequin. The catalogue holds 146 books from Impetuous (1995) to The Lake House (2026), with the 2000s the busiest decade; one book also credits Christie Ridgway. Series include Buckhorn Brothers, SBC Fighters, Body Armor, Ultimate and Love Undercover, and mixed martial arts shows up among the subjects.

Melissa Foster writes contemporary and erotic romance inside one large connected world, Love in Bloom. The Bradens, the Remingtons, Seaside Summers, Bayside Summers, the Whiskeys, the Wickeds and the Steeles at Silver Island are its branches. Megan's Way (2009) is the earliest of 135 catalogued titles, Love Me Wicked the newest, and Shamelessly Mr. Charming is scheduled for 2027.

Lori Wilde is the current pen name of Laurie Blalock Vanzura, a Texas-born American writer of contemporary romance who first published as Laura Anthony. The catalogue counts 156 books from Look Alike Bride (1997), issued as Laura Anthony, to A Perfect Christmas Night (2025). Twilight, Texas, Cupid, Texas, Kringle, Texas, Texas Rascals and Moonglow Cove are among the series. Small towns, Christmas, cowboys and Texas recur in the subject tags.

Lisa Renee Jones writes paranormal and contemporary romance, with romantic suspense and erotica also marked in the subject tags. The catalogue holds 162 books, starting with Hidden Instincts and Secrets Exposed (both 2004), then Healer and Protector (2005). Lilah Has a Secret (2026) is the newest, and Good Girl is scheduled for 2027. Series include Inside Out, Scandalous Billionaires, Lilah Love, Dirty Money, Knights of White, Tall, Dark & Deadly, Zodius, Windwalkers, Texas Hotzone and the Secret Life of Amy Bensen. Corporations and corrupt practices also appear in the tags.

Beth Kery is an author of erotic and contemporary romance with 79 books in the catalogue, published between 2007 and 2019. Subtle Magic (2007) is the earliest title, and Swim Deep (2019) is the most recent. Kery's series include Because You Are Mine, Make Me, One Night of Passion, Home to Harbor Town, Subtle Lovers, Princes of the Underground and Glimmer and Glow. The catalogue lists Beth Kery's work as likely complete.

Shayla Black writes erotic romance and romantic suspense, with sexual dominance and submission a recurring subject. Early historical titles appeared as Shelley Bradley, starting with The Lady and the Dragon (1998). The Wicked Lovers, Perfect Gentlemen, Masters of Menage, Doms of Her Life and Doomsday Brethren series follow. Ninety-two titles are catalogued, reaching Tempted by the Bosshole in 2024.

Lynn Raye Harris has 69 books in the catalogue, from Kept for the Sheikh's Pleasure (2007) to Alex (2026). Contemporary romance is a recorded subject, along with erotica, princes, princesses, kings, businessmen and pregnant women. Series include Hostile Operations Team, HOT SEAL Team, Hostile Operations Team: Strike Team 2, Ghost Ops, Black's Bandits, Al Dhakir Brothers, D'Angeli Family and Heirs to the Throne of Kyr. Early titles include Cavelli's Lost Heir (2009), Behind the Palace Walls (2010) and Strangers in the Desert (2011).

Brenda Streater Jackson, born February 2, 1953, is an American author of contemporary multicultural romance. Jackson was the first African-American author published in the Silhouette Desire line, and in October 2013 became the first African American to publish a 100th novel. The site lists 154 books from Tonight And Forever (1995) to Beneath The Dawn (2026). Madaris Family & Friends, Westmoreland Legacy, Forged of Steele, Catalina Cove and Grangers are among the series. Subjects include African American women, ranchers and romantic suspense.

Kristen Ashley

109 books• 24 series

Kristen Ashley, born Kristen A L Moutaw on April 8, 1968, has reached the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists with 100 books published in 14 languages and more than three million copies sold. Two of the novels have been adapted into film. The catalogue carries 109 Ashley titles, from Rock Chick (2008) to After the Fall (2026). Rock Chick, River Rain, Colorado Mountain, 'Burg, Fantasyland, Dream Team, Dream Man, Unfinished Hero, Misted Pines and Avenging Angels are among the series. Subjects include contemporary and erotic romance, romantic suspense, motorcycle clubs and Denver.

Tara Sue Me writes erotic romance built on dominance and submission. The catalogue opens with The Dominant and The Submissive, both 2012, and continues through The Training (2013), Seduced By Fire (2014), The Chalet (2014), The Collar (2015), The Enticement (2015), The Exhibitionist (2015) and The Claiming (2016). Five series are recorded: Submissive, Lessons From the Rack, Bachelor International, Wall Street Royals and Date. Thirty-five books span 2012 to 2023, and nothing new has appeared since Exposed Desire (2023).

Megan Hart, born March 27, 1971, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a New York Times bestselling American author of romance and erotic fiction, and writes thrillers as Mina Hardy. Hart earned a journalism degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1993, returned to fiction in 1998 and published a first book in 2002, and now lives in Dayton, Ohio. The catalogue lists 110 books from An Exaltation of Larks (2002) to Like a Mother (2024), the latter as Mina Hardy. Series include Order of Solace, Dan & Elle, Kate & Leah and Quarry Road.

Erin McCarthy writes romance across contemporary, erotic and paranormal lines, with stock car drivers, vampires and Las Vegas among the recorded subjects. The catalogue holds 108 books from Bad Boys Online (2003) to Spring Fling (2026). Series include Fast Track, the Vegas Vampires, True Believers, Cuttersville, Ohio, the New York Girlfriends, South Beach Bodyguards, Tap That and Murder By Design. All 108 books are credited to McCarthy alone.