How to Read Melanie Moreland's Vested Interest Universe
Melanie Moreland has crafted a sprawling, deeply emotional contemporary romance universe set in Toronto, Canada. At the core of this world is the Vested Interest series, which follows the founders of the corporate giant BAM—Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox—along with their close-knit circle as they navigate romance, past traumas, and a fierce sense of found family. However, the story doesn't stop there. The universe expands into a next-generation spin-off series, Vested Interest: ABC Corp, and heavily overlaps with another of Moreland's popular series, The Contract.
To help you navigate this interconnected world without spoilers or confusion, we've laid out the recommended reading orders, chronological details, and key crossover connections below.
Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to start with Bentley, the first published novel in the Vested Interest series. While there is a prequel novella (BAM: The Beginning), it was published later and works best as a companion piece. Reading the series in publication order allows you to meet the characters as they are introduced, watch the core relationships develop naturally, and fully appreciate the group dynamics before learning about their early university days.
Vested Interest: The Core Series in Publication Order
The original series centers around the three founders of BAM and their close business and personal allies:
- Bentley (2018) – The story of BAM's rigid leader Bentley Ridge and the free-spirited Emmy, who melts his cold exterior.
- Aiden (2018) – Focuses on the burly, emotionally scarred Aiden Callaghan and Cami, Emmy's outspoken best friend.
- Maddox (2018) – Explores the controlled world of Maddox Riley and Dee, the woman who forces him to confront his fear of intimacy.
- Reid (2018) – Centers on Reid Faulkner, a lawyer closely tied to the BAM group, and his path to love.
- Van (2019) – Follows Vance (Van) Johnston, a close friend and key figure in their circle.
- Halton (2019) – Dives into the emotional journey of Halton Vance.
- BAM: The Beginning (2019) – A prequel novella detailing how Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox first met and laid the foundation for their business.
- Sandy (2020) – The emotional, late-in-life romance of Sandy Preston, BAM's beloved nurturing maternal figure.
- A Merry Vested Wedding (2020) – A festive holiday novella that wraps up the original series and serves as a bridge to the spin-off generation.
The Next Generation: Vested Interest: ABC Corp
Once you finish the core Vested Interest series, you can seamlessly transition to the spin-off, Vested Interest: ABC Corp. This series focuses on the children of the original characters as they enter adulthood, build their own careers at the corporate entity ABC Corp, and find their own happily-ever-afters.
- My Saving Grace (2021) – Centers on Grace VanRyan, the daughter of Richard and Katy VanRyan (from The Contract), and Jax Knight.
- Finding Ronan's Heart (2021) – Follows Ronan, another child of the original generation, on his journey to love.
- Loved by Liam (2021) – Focuses on Liam, continuing the family legacy.
- Age of Ava (2021) – Features Ava and her emotional romantic development.
- Sunshine and Sammy (2022) – The romance of Sammy, blending humor with heart.
- Unscripted With Mila (2023) – Centers on Mila Morrison, the daughter of Van and Liv, navigating her own love story.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
If you prefer to read the series in strict chronological order based on the timeline of events, you can make a few minor adjustments to the order. Here is how the chronological timeline fits together:
The Prequel Placement
BAM: The Beginning takes place chronologically before the events of Bentley, covering the early university years of Bentley, Aiden, and Maddox. While you can read it first, most fans suggest reading it after the core trilogy (Books 1–3) or after the main series. Reading it later provides a nostalgic look back at the trio's history once you are already invested in their futures.
The Novella Bridge
A Merry Vested Wedding takes place directly after the events of Sandy. It acts as the perfect conclusion to the original group's stories and sets up the foundational relationships for the next generation of characters in the ABC Corp series. Do not read this novella before finishing the main Vested Interest books, as it contains major spoilers for the couples' resolutions.
The Crossover Connection: How 'The Contract' Fits In
Melanie Moreland has created a shared literary universe where characters from her other popular books interact. Specifically, The Contract Series features heavily in the Vested Interest timeline. The protagonist of that series, Richard VanRyan, is a mentor and business associate to the BAM founders. The two groups share a massive, interconnected social circle.
Furthermore, the spin-off series, Vested Interest: ABC Corp, is directly named after Richard VanRyan's company, and its first book, My Saving Grace, stars Richard and Katy's eldest daughter, Grace. While you do not need to read The Contract to understand Vested Interest, reading it first enhances your understanding of the family ties, inside jokes, and recurring character cameos that pop up throughout both Vested Interest series.
Practical Reader Advice
Can the books be read as standalones?
Technically, each main novel features a different couple and concludes with a resolved romance (HEA). However, the overarching plotlines, found-family dynamics, and secondary character appearances are highly continuous. If you skip around, you will experience spoilers for previous couples' relationships and may find the massive cast of characters confusing. For the best experience, read them in order.
What is the absolute best starting point?
Start with Bentley. If you want to experience the complete shared universe, start with The Contract, then read the core Vested Interest series, and finally dive into Vested Interest: ABC Corp. This path gives you the ultimate appreciation for Melanie Moreland's character development and family trees.