Beth Bolden Books in Order

Where to Start with Beth Bolden

Beth Bolden is celebrated for her emotional depth, bisexual awakenings, and highly interconnected contemporary M/M romance series. Navigating her extensive catalog of over three dozen titles can seem daunting, but her books are organized into distinct, thematic universes that make it easy to find a perfect starting point.

For the ultimate experience, readers should decide whether they want to dive into her famous Sports Romance Universe or her delectable Culinary Romance Universe.

Option 1: The Sports-Verse (Recommended Starting Point)

If you love sports romance, the best entry point is The Rainbow Clause, a standalone novel that kicked off Bolden's beloved queer football universe. Alternatively, you can start directly with The Rivalry, which is the official beginning of The Riptide series. Starting here allows you to follow the natural chronological timeline as players and media personalities transition across teams and series.

Option 2: The Culinary Universe

For readers who prefer workplace tension and mouth-watering descriptions of food, the Kitchen Gods series is the ideal place to begin. Start with Bite Me, which introduces a group of close-knit chef friends finding love. Once you finish that series, you can move right into the spin-off food truck scene in the Food Truck Warriors series.

The Grand Sports-Verse Reading Order

While each book in Beth Bolden's sports romance catalog is written as an interconnected standalone with a guaranteed Happily Ever After (HEA), characters constantly cross paths. They interact on the fictional sports blogging site Five Points, guest star in each other's books, and transfer between teams. To avoid spoilers and see the timeline unfold naturally, follow this sequence:

1. The Riptide Series: Start with The Rivalry, Rough Contact, and The Red Zone.
2. Miami Piranhas Series: Follow the team's journey through Playing for Keeps, Playing the Player, Playing by the Rules, Winning the Season, Playing Dirty, and Playing Deep.
3. The Riptide & Piranhas Crossover: Read the bonus novella Riptide: A Super Bowl Year.
4. Charleston Condors Series: Read The Star, The Game, The Score, The Play, and Summer Catch.

The early Portland Pioneers series (beginning with The Lucky Charm) exists in this same football-centric world but is more loosely connected, meaning it can be read independently at any time.

The Culinary Romance Timeline

Bolden's food-themed books are lighthearted, low-angst, and filled with delicious tropes. Start with the Kitchen Gods series and then transition to the Food Truck Warriors. Note that the sports-verse and culinary universe overlap: Hit the Brakes (Food Truck Warriors Book 2) features a fun crossover with characters from the Riptide series!

Collaborative & Shared Worlds

It is important to know that some collections listed in Bolden's bibliography are collaborative multi-author series. Bolden contributed standalone stories to these shared universes, which can be read out of order:

• Snowed In - Valentine's Inc. Books: A multi-author project where Beth Bolden wrote Snow Job (Book 5).
• Christmas Falls Books (Season 1): Bolden contributed Silent Knight (Book 4).
• Christmas Falls: Season 2 Books: Bolden contributed Flake It Til You Make It (Book 2), which also acts as a bridge to her Indigo Bay series.

Beth Bolden Books in Order of Series

Portland Pioneers

• The Lucky Charm (2014)
• Getting Lucky (2014)
• Luck isn't a Lady (2017)

Kitchen Gods

• Bite Me (2018)
• Catch Me (2018)
• Savor Me (2018)
• Indulge Me (2019)

Food Truck Warriors

• Drive Me Crazy (2020)
• Hit the Brakes (2021)
• On a Roll (2021)
• Full Speed Ahead (2021)
• Kiss & Tell (2021)
• Wheels Down (2021)
• Ride or Die (2022)

The Riptide

• The Rivalry (2020)
• Rough Contact (2020)
• The Red Zone (2021)
• Riptide (2024)

Miami Piranhas

• Playing for Keeps (2022)
• Playing the Player (2022)
• Playing by the Rules (2022)
• Winning the Season (2022)
• Playing Dirty (2023)
• Playing Deep (2023)

Charleston Condors

• The Star (2023)
• The Game (2023)
• The Score (2023)
• The Play (2024)
• Summer Catch (2024)

Star Shadow

• Terrible Things (2019)
• Impossible Things (2019)
• Hazardous Things (2020)
• Extraordinary Things (2020)

Indigo Bay

• Sweet as Pie (2023)
• Cherry on Top (2024)

Enchanted Folklore Duet

• Yours, Forever After (2019)
• Yours, Everlasting (2022)

Standalone Novels

• Summer Attractions (2016)
• Mermaids (2016)
• The Rainbow Clause (2017)
• Taste on my Tongue (2017)
• Wrapped with Love (2017)
• Musical Notes (2019)
• All Screwed Up (2020)
• Merry Elf-ing Christmas (2021)
• Hot Streak (2024)