Where to Start with Carly Bloom
If you are diving into Carly Bloom's delightfully steamy, humorous romance novels, the absolute best place to start is with her signature series, Once Upon a Time in Texas (often referred to by fans as the Big Verde series). Starting with the debut novel, Big Bad Cowboy, allows you to get introduced to the quirky, tight-knit small town of Big Verde, Texas, and watch the recurring characters interact as their stories unfold.
For readers who prefer magic over spurs, you can also start directly with her 2024 standalone paranormal rom-com, Hot Hex Boyfriend. Because it is set in a completely different town with a new set of rules and characters, it requires zero prior knowledge of her cowboy books.
Once Upon a Time in Texas: Publication & Chronological Order
The Once Upon a Time in Texas series consists of three full-length novels and one companion novella. While each book spotlights a different couple and reaches a satisfying happily-ever-after, the recurring cast and town events build upon each other. For the best experience, we recommend reading them in chronological order, which places the novella between the first and second novels.
Chronological Reading Order
- Big Bad Cowboy (2018) – Book 1: The story of Travis Blake and Maggie.
- It's All About That Cowboy (2019) – Book 1.5 (Novella): The second-chance romance of Casey Long and Jessica Acosta.
- Cowboy Come Home (2020) – Book 2: Follows Ford Jarvis and Claire Kowalski.
- Must Love Cowboys (2021) – Book 3: Pairs Beau Montgomery and Alice Martin in a fake-dating scheme.
Publication Order
If you prefer to read in the exact order they were released, the list remains almost identical, since the novella It's All About That Cowboy was published in 2019, right after the debut:
- Big Bad Cowboy (2018)
- It's All About That Cowboy (2019)
- Cowboy Come Home (2020)
- Must Love Cowboys (2021)
What to Know Before You Start: The Fairy Tale Twist
One of the most charming elements of the Once Upon a Time in Texas series is how Bloom weaves classic fairy-tale tropes into a modern, rugged Western setting. These are not literal magical fantasy rewrites, but rather clever, thematic contemporary retellings:
- Big Bad Cowboy plays with Little Red Riding Hood. Maggie wears a red hoodie, and Travis Blake takes on the role of the misunderstood "big bad wolf" of the ranching community.
- It's All About That Cowboy focuses on a classic second-chance trope, capturing the "once upon a time" magic of high school sweethearts reuniting under very different circumstances.
- Cowboy Come Home pays homage to Cinderella, featuring Claire Kowalski and Ford Jarvis, complete with subtle nods to the classic rags-to-riches, shoe-fitting archetype, though it leans heavily into a realistic small-town second-chance dynamic.
- Must Love Cowboys is a flat-out Beauty and the Beast retelling. It pairs a shy, bookish local librarian, Alice Martin, with Beau Montgomery, a rugged, closed-off cowboy dealing with dyslexia who needs her help, leading to a fake-relationship arrangement.
Shifting to Paranormal: Hot Hex Boyfriend
In 2024, Carly Bloom branched out from the dusty ranches of Big Verde to the magical, cozy town of Willow Root, Texas, with Hot Hex Boyfriend. This standalone paranormal romance introduces Delia Merriweather, a skeptic who accidentally breaks her family's generational curse and awakens their dormant witch powers on her thirtieth birthday. The story follows her relationship with Max Halifax, a logic-driven witch sent to keep an eye on her chaotic family. With demons, magical mishaps, a hilarious found-family dynamic, and a favorite imp-cat named Nicki, it is a perfect transition for readers who enjoy cozy, magical stories like Practical Magic or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.
Practical Reader Advice & Standalone Guide
Can you read these books out of order? Yes. Each full-length novel has a self-contained plot with a complete resolution for the main couple. However, the town sheriff (Casey Long) and other local figures show up throughout the series, meaning you will spoil previous relationship outcomes if you jump straight to Book 3. For the most satisfying emotional payoff, stick to the chronological order. Additionally, keep in mind that "Carly Bloom" is a pen name used by author Carly Robbins, who drew extensive inspiration for her Western romances from her real-life experience living on a cattle ranch in South Texas (where she famously raises vegan-friendly cows!).