Cindy Steel Books in Order

How to Start Reading Cindy Steel's Books

Cindy Steel has quickly built a reputation in the contemporary rom-com scene for writing sweet, "closed-door" romances that do not sacrifice romantic tension or chemistry. While her books are largely independent stories, she has one primary series—the Pride and Pranks series—and participates in popular collaborative multi-author series. To get the best reading experience, here is where you should start:

• The Recommended Entry Point: Start with That Fine Line (2021). As the first full-length novel in the Pride and Pranks series, it perfectly showcases Steel's signature style: childhood rivals, elaborate prank wars, and high-tension banter.
• The Festive Alternative: If you want a quick, cozy introduction, start with the prequel novella A Christmas Spark (2020), which introduces the shared universe of the series in a snowy, festive setting.

The Pride and Pranks Series

This is Cindy Steel's signature series. The books are set in the same universe and feature character crossovers, but they can be read in any order. However, reading them in order allows you to see the relationships develop and catch all the fun callbacks.

• A Christmas Spark (2020): A holiday prequel novella featuring Penny and Chase. When they get snowed in together in a cozy Idaho cabin, their playful teasing and old flames reignite.
• That Fine Line (2021): The first full-length novel in the series. It follows Kelsey, who returns to her family's Idaho dairy ranch to plan her wedding, only to find her childhood nemesis, Cade, working there. Their legendary childhood prank war quickly restarts, forcing Kelsey to question her upcoming marriage and her true feelings.
• Stranded Ranch (2022): A companion ranch novella following Gemma and Jace, delivering a sweet, high-chemistry romance in a forced-proximity snowstorm setting.
• Double or Nothing (2022): The second full-length novel. It centers on Tessa, who has a childhood crush on Logan, the older brother of her best friend Kelsey. When a mutual friend named Jake sets up a bet forcing them to go on dates over the summer, the boundaries between fake dating and real feelings become muddy.
• The Cowboy's Game (2026): The third full-length novel. Jake Evans (the friend who orchestrated the bet in Double or Nothing) is now a divorced single father who has sworn off romance. When his childhood best friend Shelby Tucker asks for help navigating the dating scene, Jake agrees to "coach" her, but shooting hoops and placing bets soon blurs the line between practice and reality.

The Christmas Escape Collaborative Series

Cindy Steel contributed to the Christmas Escape series, which is a collaborative project written by seven different romance authors. Each book stands completely alone, focusing on a protagonist who wants to escape the holiday rush, but they are loosely interconnected. You can read them in any order, but the publication sequence is as follows:

1. Christmas Baggage by Deborah M. Hathaway (2022)
2. Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes (2022)
3. Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel (2022) — Steel's contribution follows a woman who ends up fake-dating her office rival, Miles Taylor, at a cozy Vermont holiday lodge.
4. A Newport Christmess by Jess Heileman (2022)
5. A Not-So Holiday Paradise by Gracie Ruth Mitchell (2022)
6. Later On We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel (2022)
7. Cotswolds Holiday by Kasey Stockton (2022)

The Falling for Summer Collaborative Series

Similar to the holiday project, the Falling for Summer series is a multi-author collaboration set in a charming island beach town (Sunset Harbor). The novels are sweet, closed-door rom-coms that function as standalones. Cindy Steel's book is the finale of the collection:

1. Summer Ever After by Kortney Keisel (2024)
2. Beachy Keen by Kasey Stockton (2024)
3. Plotting Summer by Jess Heileman (2024)
4. Summer Tease by Martha Keyes (2024)
5. Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell (2024)
6. One Happy Summer by Becky Monson (2024)
7. Rebel Summer by Cindy Steel (2024) — Steel's book follows Ivy, who is ordered to do community service under the supervision of local bad-boy Dax Miller, leading to intense chemistry and summer sparks.

Cindy Steel's Standalone Novels

For readers looking for a one-off story outside of any series or collaborations, Steel has written standalone contemporary romances:

• The One with the Kiss Cam (2023): Nora Griffin is determined to avoid relationship drama, but she gets caught on a stadium kiss cam with a handsome stranger named Duke. After an unforgettable night, they go their separate ways, only to meet again three years later in an unexpected boss-and-intern dynamic.

What to Know Before You Start

Cindy Steel is widely celebrated for her mastery of the "push and pull" romance dynamic. Her characters flirt, tease, and bicker, creating delicious tension that keeps pages turning. All of her books are written as closed-door romances, meaning the intimacy is focused on emotional connection, chemistry, and kissing rather than explicit content. Drawing inspiration from classic Regency romance styles, Steel's modern dialogue is witty, subtle, and full of heartfelt emotion, making her books highly recommended for fans of small-town settings and enemies-to-lovers tropes.