Recommended Reading Order for the This Is Series
If you want to experience the emotional highs, locker room banter, and sizzling chemistry of Natasha Madison’s This Is series, the best path is straightforward. The series follows a clear chronological timeline that aligns perfectly with its publication order. Because the characters are sibling groups and close friends, reading them in order ensures you do not spoil the relationship outcomes or family developments of the previous books.
Here is the recommended reading order for the core novels:
- This Is Crazy (2019) – Zara Stone & Evan Richards
- This Is Wild (2019) – Zoe Stone & Viktor Petrov (French translation: Ne jamais coucher avec un sportif)
- This Is Love (2019) – Vivienne Paradis & Markos "Mark" Dimitris
- This Is Forever (2020) – Caroline & Justin Stone
Deep Dive Into the Books
1. This Is Crazy (2019)
The series kicks off with Zara Stone (daughter of hockey legend Cooper Stone) and Evan Richards. Zara is determined to steer clear of hockey players, knowing all too well the demands and chaos of the lifestyle. However, when she finds herself needing a date to a family event, she enters a fake-dating agreement with Evan, a charming professional hockey player. What starts as a convenient arrangement quickly blurs into real affection, testing Zara's rules and Evan's dedication. It features the classic fake-dating trope, playful family dynamics, and a lighthearted, enemies-to-lovers style spark.
2. This Is Wild (2019)
The second book shifts focus to Zoe Stone, Zara's sister. Having grown up in a hockey-obsessed family, Zoe has a strict "no hockey players" rule. Enter Viktor Petrov, a professional player dealing with recovery, personal demons, and the intense pressure of the sport. Their chemistry is immediate and fiery, forcing Zoe to confront her biases against athletes and Viktor to find healing and stability. This book has a deeper emotional tone due to Viktor's backstory of recovery, balanced by high-heat romance. (Note for international readers: The French translation of this book was published under the title Ne jamais coucher avec un sportif, as the second volume of the French series Les Règles du jeu).
3. This Is Love (2019)
Moving away from the Stone sisters, this installment follows Vivienne Paradis, a French woman who refuses to believe in love, and Markos "Mark" Dimitris, a hockey star who prefers to keep a low profile off the ice. Their story is a classic friends-to-lovers romance with a touch of geographic charm, transitioning between the hockey arena and the romantic streets of Paris. It brings a fresh perspective to the series by showing how two people with different outlooks on intimacy and fame find a common ground.
4. This Is Forever (2020)
The final book in the core quartet features Justin Stone, the youngest sibling of Zara and Zoe. Justin is a hockey star at the peak of his career, while Caroline is a resilient single mother navigating the challenges of raising her child alone. This is a slow-burn, emotional, and comforting romance that focuses on second chances, found family, and the realities of single parenthood. It provides a warm, satisfying conclusion to the Stone family's primary romantic journeys.
The Extended Hockey Universe and Crossovers
The This Is series does not exist in a vacuum; it is a vital bridge in Natasha Madison's expansive, multi-generational hockey dynasty. To get the absolute most out of the characters and their backstories, it helps to understand where this series sits in the broader universe.
The Parent Series: Something So
Before Zara, Zoe, and Justin had their own books, their parents’ love stories were established in the Something So series. Specifically, Cooper Stone and Parker Grant fall in love in Something So Right, which is the first book of the entire universe. Reading the Something So series first gives you deep context into the family dynamic, Cooper’s protective fatherly instincts, and the history of the Stone-Grant family.
The Successor Series: Only One and Beyond
After the events of This Is Forever, the universe continues to grow. The characters from This Is reappear as parents, mentors, and supportive family members in the Only One series, the Made For series, and the Southern Wedding spin-offs (such as Mine to Promise, which stars Mark and Vivienne's son, Stefano Dimitris). The generational progression makes the books feel like a living, breathing family saga.
Practical Reader Advice
Can these books be read as standalones? Yes, each book features a self-contained romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after (HEA). You can read any of them on their own without being completely lost. However, because the family members are constantly popping in and out of each other's lives, reading them out of order will reveal who ended up with whom in previous books.
What is the overall tone? Natasha Madison blends high-heat contemporary sports romance with genuine emotional struggles (like single parenthood and recovery). Expect plenty of humor, banter, family interference, and a solid dose of spice.
Where should you start? If you want the full, immersive experience, start with the Something So series. If you are short on time and only want the Stone siblings' generation, starting with This Is Crazy is your best entry point.