Recommended Reading Paths: Where to Start with Becca Fanning
With an incredibly prolific library spanning over one hundred titles, jumping into Becca Fanning's books can feel a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, because her books are structured into self-contained series, you do not need to read her entire bibliography in a single, overarching chronological order. Instead, you can choose a starting path based on the type of paranormal romance you enjoy most.
Path 1: The Epic Shifter Academy Serial (Academy of Beasts)
If you love high-stakes fantasy settings, slow-burn romantic tension, and reverse harem dynamics, the Academy of Beasts series is the absolute best starting point. This serial follows Fiona, a young woman who loses everything in a tragic fire and is thrust into a secretive academy filled with powerful shifters. To survive, she must navigate the dangerous politics of the school and her growing connection to five distinct alpha shifters. Because this is a continuous, fast-paced serial with cliffhangers, you must read these books in strict numerical order starting with Academy of Beasts I.
Path 2: The Action-Packed Bodyguards (Big Paw Security)
If you prefer contemporary romantic suspense, alpha bodyguards, and protective heroes, start with the Big Paw Security series. This series mixes the thriller genre with shifter romance, following a team of bear shifters who run a private security firm. The series begins with Bearly Tamed and moves through six interconnected stories where the stakes are high, the danger is real, and the romance is steamy. Reading these in publication order lets you see the security team develop and interact across books.
Path 3: Lighthearted Standalones (Shifter Babies of America)
For readers who want quick, satisfying, and low-stress shifter romances, the Shifter Babies of America novellas are perfect. Each of the 50 books in this series is named after a US state (starting with The Baby Shift: North Dakota) and tells a complete, standalone story focused on fated mates and family themes. You can read these in any order you like, making it easy to pick your home state or browse for whichever plot catches your eye first.
Navigating the Major Series and Subseries
Fanning's work is heavily dominated by bear shifters, but she also ventures into wolves, lions, and vampires. Here is a breakdown of her major series collections to help you plan your reading journey.
The Bear Shifter Romances
- 120 Proof Honey: A unique, cozy, and steamy series about bear shifters running a honey and moonshine business. Read this five-book series starting with Daxton, followed by Knox, Amir, Beck, and Slade.
- Big Easy Bears: Set in the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans, this series combines clan politics and fated mates. It includes reader favorites like Remy and Jules. Start with Brock and read through to Phillipe.
- MC Bear Mates & Grit and Growl: If you enjoy outlaw motorcycle club romances, these two series deliver rugged biker shifters. Start MC Bear Mates with Mars and Grit and Growl with Road Bears.
- Bearly Saints: A five-book series named after Biblical figures (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Bartholomew) that focuses on bear shifters finding their fated mates.
- Bear Ranchers & Rodeo Bears: Western-themed shifter stories that combine cowboys, ranches, and bear shifters. Start with Riding Bearback and Owen respectively.
Wolf, Lion, and Vampire Series
- Bloody Moonlight: A newer vampire romance series that marks a shift from Fanning's usual bear-centric stories. Read sequentially from Bloody Moonlight 1: Vampire Romance through Bloody Moonlight 4.
- Montana Howling: A gritty, emotional wolf shifter romance series set in the wilderness of Montana. Start with Desperation.
- Pride: A lion shifter series centering on clan dynamics, pride politics, and internal betrayals. Start with Finding Luna, which leads directly into the high-stakes plot of In Heat.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
For almost all of Becca Fanning's series, publication order and chronological order are identical. Because she publishes rapidly, she typically writes and releases a series sequentially before moving on to the next concept. This means you do not have to worry about complicated timelines, prequels published years later, or jumping between different series to maintain continuity.
The only minor exception is when certain series share a shared universe or minor cameo characters (such as security agents or mating agencies showing up briefly in other books). However, these cameos are purely easter eggs and do not impact your understanding of the plot. The safest and most rewarding strategy is simply to read each individual series in its numbered order.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Becca Fanning's books, there are a few stylistic quirks to keep in mind. Many of her books—particularly early works and the Academy of Beasts installments—are written as short novellas or serial episodes rather than full-length novels. They are designed for quick, fast-paced reading, often featuring immediate attraction (the "fated mates" trope) and rapid plot progression. If you prefer long, slow-burn novels with extensive world-building, you may find the serial nature of Academy of Beasts a adjustment, but if you love quick, spicy, and suspenseful episodes, it is an addictive ride.