How to Read Cookie O’Gorman’s Books
Cookie O’Gorman is best known for her lighthearted, humorous, and deeply emotional contemporary romances. Her bibliography is split between standalone young adult (YA) novels and new adult (NA) sports romance series. While her standalone novels can technically be read in any order, they are set in a shared universe and feature recurring character crossovers. To get the best reading experience and spot every fun cameo, reading in publication order is highly recommended.
The Recommended Starting Point
The best place to start is with Cookie O'Gorman's debut novel, Adorkable (2016). Not only is it her most famous work, but it also introduces characters who pop up in multiple subsequent books. Starting here lets you meet Sally Spitz and her best friend Becks in their original context before they make cameos later on.
After finishing Adorkable, follow the natural progression of her early standalone universe:
- Adorkable (2016)
- Ninja Girl (2017) – Sally and Becks make appearances in this book, which follows martial arts prodigy Snow-Soon Lee and soccer star Ash Stryker.
- The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad (2019) – Further cameos from the Adorkable cast tie this story into the wider world.
The Connected Standalone Universe (Publication Order)
Beyond the primary trio, Cookie O’Gorman has written several other standalone novels that contain subtle nods, character relations, and cameos. For example, Bookworm features characters from Ninja Girl as parents, and Introvert features Aurora Kent, who is the cousin of Charlotte Kent from Bookworm. Reading the standalones in order of publication ensures you will never miss a connection:
- Adorkable (2016)
- Ninja Girl (2017)
- The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder (2018)
- The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad (2019)
- Wallflower (2021)
- Cupcake (2021)
- Fauxmance (2022)
- Bookworm (2023)
- Sweetheart (2024)
- Introvert (2025)
Southern U O'Brien Brothers Series
If you prefer college-level sports romance with steamier elements, the Southern U O'Brien Brothers series is a New Adult romance collection that must be read in order. These books follow a group of hockey players and brothers finding love at Southern University, utilizing popular tropes like fake dating and second-chance romance.
- The Best Mistake (2020)
- The Perfect Play (2021)
- The Sweetest Game (2022)
- The Total Knockout (2023)
- The Merriest Christmas (2024) – A festive holiday novella focusing on a second-chance romance within the same universe.
- The Nicest Thing (2025) – Features a marriage-of-convenience plot involving Finn O'Brien.
Co-Authored and Special Works
In addition to her individual work, Cookie O'Gorman has collaborated with other authors or contributed to special projects:
- King's Prep Academy: The Bad Boy’s Good Girl (2022) was co-written with Michelle Pennington (originally serialized on Kindle Vella under the title The Boys of King's Prep Academy). It is a standalone enemies-to-lovers high school romance set outside of her main universe.
- Anthologies: The Art of Taking Chances (2018) is a YA romance anthology for which O’Gorman wrote the foreword rather than a full story.
What to Know Before You Start
Cookie O’Gorman’s books are celebrated for their wholesome approach to romance, relying heavily on beloved tropes like fake dating, opposites attract, and academic or sports settings. While the Young Adult standalones are generally clean, sweet romance novels, her New Adult works (like the Southern U O'Brien Brothers series) feature older characters, college themes, and a slightly higher level of sensuality, though they retain the author's signature humor and heart.