Where to Start Reading Cathryn Fox
With a massive bibliography spanning over 80 books, Canadian author Cathryn Fox has built an empire of steamy, emotional romance. If you are new to her work, the best place to start depends heavily on your favorite romance subgenre. For fans of sports romance, your ideal gateway is The Playmaker, the first book in the highly popular Players on Ice series. It features a fantastic childhood-rivals-to-lovers dynamic, high heat, and introduces the tight-knit team environment that defines her sports novels. If you prefer high-steam, BDSM-lite erotic romance, start at the very beginning of her career with Pleasure Control, the opener of the Pleasure Games trilogy. For readers who love small-town charm blended with sports, Away Game, the first book in the Scotia Storms series, is another excellent starting point.
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
For almost all of Cathryn Fox’s contemporary romance series, chronological order matches publication order. However, because each book in a given series focuses on a different couple, the books are designed to be read as standalones. You will not find cliffhangers forcing you to read the next book to resolve the main couple's story. That said, reading them in publication order is highly recommended. Fox builds rich shared settings—such as hockey locker rooms, small coastal towns, or military units—where characters from previous books frequently appear as supporting cast members. Reading in order prevents minor spoilers regarding who ends up with whom and helps you appreciate the background character arcs.
The Hockey Romance Universes
Sports romance, specifically hockey, is where Cathryn Fox shines brightest. She has written multiple distinct hockey series that are set in separate universes but share her signature high-heat, high-emotion style:
Players on Ice
This 12-book series is a fan favorite, following the romantic exploits of various professional hockey players. To get the full experience of the team dynamics, read them in this order:
- The Playmaker (2018)
- The Stick Handler (2018)
- The Body Checker (2019)
- The Hard Hitter (2019)
- The Risk Taker (2019)
- The Wingman (2019)
- The Puck Charmer (2020)
- The Troublemaker (2020)
- The Rule Breaker (2021)
- The Rookie (2021)
- The Sweet Talker (2021)
- The Heart Breaker (2021)
Scotia Storms
Set in Nova Scotia, this 12-book series combines sports romance with cozy, small-town elements. Follow this publication sequence:
- Away Game (2022)
- Warm Up (2022)
- Crash Course (2022)
- Home Advantage (2022)
- Shut Out (2022)
- Moving Target (2023)
- Face Off (2023)
- Scoring Fast (2023)
- Opposing Teams (2023)
- Fake Out (2024)
- Deal Breaker (2024)
- Hard Burn (2024)
Boston Bucks & Bang Brothers Hockey
Her newer sports releases from 2024 continue the high-intensity hockey theme. Read Boston Bucks in this order: Stick Move, Hook 'em Hard, and Sticking Out. For the Bang Brothers Hockey series, follow this release order: Lace 'em Up, Show 'em How, Hit 'em Hard, Lock 'em Down, Light 'em Up, and Hook 'em Hard.
Contemporary & Erotic Romance Series
Beyond the ice rink, Fox has written several contemporary romance series exploring military duties, wealthy alpha heroes, and erotic power dynamics:
Pleasure Games Trilogy
This is Fox's debut trilogy and is perfect for readers who enjoy high-steam erotic romance with power-exchange themes. Read these in order:
- Pleasure Control (2006)
- Pleasure Prolonged (2006)
- Pleasure Exchange (2008)
In the Line of Duty
A series focusing on military and law enforcement heroes. Although they can be read standalone, they were all released in 2017. Read them in this order: His Obsession Next Door, His Strings to Pull, His Trouble in Tallulah, His Moment to Steal, His Best Friend's Girl, His Reason to Stay, and His Taste of Temptation.
Men with Millions & Bad Boy Confessions
If you love the wealthy billionaire trope, Men with Millions offers five books: On His Knees / Decadent, On Her Terms, Under His Skin, Under His Touch, and Under His Obsession. The Bad Boy Confessions series features eight books focusing on different profession-based 'bad boys' (Professor, Cop, Fighter, Gamer, Doctor, Millionaire, CEO, and Santa), all published between 2017 and 2018.
Understanding the Multi-Author Shared Worlds
A common point of confusion for new readers is finding books listed under Cathryn Fox's series that are actually written by other authors. This occurs because she frequently participates in multi-author shared worlds. Two major examples are:
- What Happens in Vegas: A collaborative contemporary romance series published by Entangled Lovestruck. The local database lists 15 books in this collection. However, Cathryn Fox only wrote specific installments, most notably Betting on the Wrong Brother (2016) and Betting on Her Best Friend / Tempting Her Best Friend (2014). The other books in the series are written by authors such as Kathy Lyons and Robyn Thomas. You only need to read Fox's contributions unless you wish to explore the entire multi-author project.
- Practically Perfect Nannies: Another multi-author series where Fox contributed the first book, Hot Nanny Next Door (2021). The remaining books, such as The Sassy Nanny Dilemma and Nanny Confidential, are penned by authors like Marie Tuhart and Rebecca Hunter.
Writing as Cat Kalen
For readers who enjoy Young Adult and New Adult paranormal romance, Cathryn Fox writes under the pen name Cat Kalen. Her most notable work under this name is the shifter romance series A Wolf's Pride, starting with Pride's Run followed by Pride Unleashed. These books offer a distinct change of pace from her contemporary sports romances, incorporating urban fantasy elements and paranormal tension.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Cathryn Fox's books, keep in mind that her stories are unapologetically steamy. While she handles emotional topics like grief, family expectations, and career pressures, the physical chemistry between the leads is always front and center. Her early works, particularly the Pleasure Games series, lean heavily into BDSM and erotic power-play, whereas her later sports romances like Players on Ice and Scotia Storms balance the steam with lighthearted team banter, fake-dating setups, and classic contemporary romance tropes.