Recommended Reading Order for Kings of Cypress Pointe
To experience the story arcs, family secrets, and character growth exactly as the authors intended, the best way to read the series is in publication order. Although books four through six are technically written as interconnected standalones, characters from the original trilogy frequently make appearances, and the town's overarching gossip system, Pandora, creates a continuous timeline of events.
Here is the recommended reading path for the entire Kings of Cypress Pointe universe:
- The Golden Boys (2020) – Introduces the main trilogy following West Golden and Blue Riley.
- Never His Girl (2020) – Continues West and Blue's dark high school bully romance.
- Forever Golden (2021) – Concludes West and Blue's high school and preparation school arc.
- Pretty Boy D (2021) – A best-friends-to-lovers standalone featuring Dane Golden and Joss.
- Mr. Silver (2022) – An enemies-to-lovers fake-dating standalone focusing on Sterling Golden and Lexi.
- Sexy Beast (2022) – A dark mafia romance and secret baby standalone featuring Ricky Ruiz and Dez.
- Golden Rule (2025) – Book one of the Golden Empire duet, catching up with West and Blue as adults.
- Golden Reign (2026) – The final book in the Golden Empire duet, bringing West and Blue's long-term story to a close.
Cypress Prep vs. Cypress Pointe: Understanding the Rebranding
If you are searching for these books online, you might run into some naming confusion. Rachel Jonas and Nikki Thorne originally published the first three books—The Golden Boys, Never His Girl, and Forever Golden—as the Kings of Cypress Prep series. As they decided to expand the universe to include the other Golden triplets and characters outside of the high school prep setting, they rebranded the entire collective universe as Kings of Cypress Pointe.
Regardless of whether your covers read 'Cypress Prep' or 'Cypress Pointe' on the front, the story remains identical. The first three books form a continuous trilogy, while the subsequent titles branch off into different tropes and characters within the same wealthy, crime-ridden California enclave.
The Core Series Breakdown
The West & Blue Trilogy (Books 1–3)
The series begins with a dark, high school bully romance featuring West Golden—a ruthless and charming football player—and Blue Riley, a scholarship student who refuses to let him break her. Their relationship is toxic, angsty, and packed with high stakes. This trilogy should be read in strict order because each installment ends on significant cliffhangers, building up to a final resolution of their high school drama in Forever Golden.
The Standalones (Books 4–6)
After finishing the main trilogy, the series shifts to standalone romances focusing on the remaining Golden brothers and their close circle:
- Pretty Boy D: This book follows Dane Golden and his roommate Joss. It changes the tone from the dark bully vibes of the first trilogy to a lighter, emotional best-friends-to-lovers dynamic.
- Mr. Silver: Sterling Golden's story uses the classic enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating tropes. Sterling's high-control attitude clashes beautifully with Lexi's sharp personality.
- Sexy Beast: This book shifts gears into the dark world of the Cypress Pointe mafia. It follows Ricky Ruiz, a dangerous kingpin, and Dez, who gets swept up in his orbit after a viral pregnancy test rumor. It features a high-tension 'secret baby' and forced proximity plot.
The Sequel Duet: Kings of Cypress Pointe: Golden Empire
For readers who fell in love with West and Blue in the opening trilogy, the authors returned to their story years later with the Golden Empire duet, which consists of Golden Rule (2025) and Golden Reign (2026). This duet is a contemporary sports romance following West as an NFL quarterback. Instead of the high school drama, this series handles mature adult struggles, including marital strain, the weight of public fame, and infertility. You should not read the Golden Empire duet without having read the original Kings of Cypress Pointe trilogy first, as it builds directly on West and Blue's established history.
What to Know Before You Start
The Kings of Cypress Pointe is a New Adult series intended for readers aged 18 and older due to explicit content, mature themes, and dark elements. The setting of Cypress Pointe feels like a mixture of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill, complete with an anonymous social media gossip poster named Pandora who leaks secrets to stir up drama. While the standalone books can theoretically be read on their own, the background subplots and minor character cameos will make much more sense if you read the books in order of their release.