Crystal Kaswell Books in Order

Where Should You Start Reading Crystal Kaswell?

Crystal Kaswell is widely celebrated as the "queen of broken bad boys," writing contemporary romance novels that expertly balance high steam, deep emotional healing, and fast-paced humor. With dozens of novels spanning multiple series, new readers often wonder where they should begin. While the vast majority of her books are written as standalones, they are set in shared universes. You have three excellent options for your starting point:

• Option 1: The Fan Favorite (Sinful Serenade) — If you love rock star romances with intense emotional baggage, start with Sing Your Heart Out. It introduces you to the rock band Sinful Serenade and sets the tone for her shared universe.
• Option 2: The Tattoo Studio Vibe (Inked Hearts) — If you prefer forbidden crushes and tattoo artists with hearts of gold, start with Tempting, the first book of the Inked Hearts series.
• Option 3: The Complete Story Arc (Come Undone) — If you want a continuous narrative following a single couple's high-stakes love triangle rather than standalone stories, start with the trilogy beginning with Come Undone.

The Sinful Universe: Interconnected Romance Series

Many of Crystal Kaswell's most popular series are set in what fans call the "Sinful Universe." Although characters from one series sometimes make cameo appearances in others, the books are designed so you can enjoy them in any order. Within each individual series, however, reading in order helps you appreciate the recurring friendships and changing group dynamics.

Sinful Serenade Series Order

This series follows the members of a rising rock band as they navigate fame, personal trauma, and love. The core series is completed, but Kaswell later published prequel and companion novellas. To read chronologically, follow this order:

1. Just a Tease (Prequel Novella, 2020)
2. Sing Your Heart Out (Miles and Meg, 2015)
3. Strum Your Heart Out (Drew and Danica, 2015)
4. Rock Your Heart Out (Jace and Belle, 2016)
5. Play Your Heart Out (Brandon and Chloe, 2016)
6. Sinful Ever After (Series Epilogue/Sequel, 2016)
7. Just a Taste (Companion/Follow-up, 2019)

Dangerous Noise Series Order

Another beloved rock star series set in the same universe, Dangerous Noise features a different band but shares the same high-octane emotional energy. Read these in publication order:

1. Dangerous Kiss (Ethan and Avery, 2016)
2. Dangerous Crush (Joel and Kiara, 2017)
3. Dangerous Rock (Malik and Harper, 2017)
4. Dangerous Fling (Zane and Fiona, 2017)
5. Dangerous Encore (Series Sequel, 2017)

Inked Hearts Series Order

Set around a bustling tattoo parlor, this series focuses on emotional healing, found family, and intense chemistry. Many titles feature popular tropes like fake relationships and sibling's best friend romance:

1. Tempting (Brendon and Kaylee, 2017)
2. Playing (originally published as Hooking Up — Walker and Iris, 2018)
3. Pretend You're Mine (Ryan and Leighton, 2018)
4. Hating You, Loving You (Dean and Chloe, 2018)
5. Breaking the Rules (Hunter and Emma, 2018)
6. Losing It (Wes and Quinn, 2019)
7. Accidental Husband (Griffin and Juliette, 2019)
8. The Baby Bargain (Chase and Ariel, 2019)

Inked Love Series Order

A companion series to Inked Hearts, Inked Love continues the tattoo shop themes with new couples, focusing heavily on fake dating, roommate setups, and close friends-to-lovers arcs:

1. Faking It (also published as The Best Friend Bargain — Forest and Skye, 2020)
2. The First Taste (Holden and Daisy, 2020)
3. The Rule Breaker (also published as The Roomie Rulebook — Oliver and Luna, 2020)
4. The Hookup Experiment (2022)
5. The Friend Zone Fiasco (2023)

Billionaire and Family Romance Series

Moving away from rock bands and tattoo shops, Kaswell has also written highly popular contemporary romances focusing on billionaires, office dynamics, and tight-knit family relationships.

Dirty Rich Series: The Spoiler-Free Reading Order Caveat

While the Dirty Rich series is listed in one order by publication, the author recommends an alternate sequence. Reading Dirty Boss before Dirty Husband will spoil a major plot mystery regarding the characters Shepard and Jasmine. To preserve the surprise, use the author's recommended order below:

1. Dirty Husband (Shepard and Jasmine — Recommended first, 2020)
2. Dirty Boss (Phoenix and Lizzy, 2018)
3. Dirty Deal (Blake and Kat, 2017)
4. Dirty Desires (Ian and Eve, 2020)
5. Dirty Wedding (Ty and Indigo, 2021)
6. Dirty Secret (Cam and Sienna, 2021)

The Pierce Family Series Order

This series centers around the wealthy, charming, and protective Pierce siblings. The books features tropes like age gaps, fake engagements, and rivals-to-lovers. Read them in this order:

1. Broken Beast (Adam and Danielle, 2021)
2. Playboy Prince (Liam and his assistant, 2021)
3. Ruthless Rival (Simon and his nemesis, 2022)
4. Tempting Teacher (Opal and Max, 2022)

The Come Undone Trilogy: A Continuous Love Story

Unlike Kaswell's other series, which feature a new couple in every book, the Come Undone trilogy is a single continuous story arc that must be read in order. The trilogy follows the emotional journey of Alyssa as she navigates a failing, toxic engagement with her high school sweetheart Ryan, and finds herself falling for Luke, a brooding lawyer. Due to cliffhangers and character development, read them in strict order:

1. Come Undone (2018)
2. Come Apart (2019)
3. Come To Me (2019)

Standalone Novels

If you want a quick, complete romance without committing to a larger family or universe, Crystal Kaswell has several standalone novels that offer the same blend of heat and heart:

• Rouse Me (2014) — A passionate contemporary romance.
• Broken (2018) — A deeply emotional book often recommended by the author to fans who enjoyed the tone of the Come Undone trilogy.
• Kiss and Fake Up (2023) — A fun, fake-relationship rom-com.
• The Neighbor Wager (2024) — A playful enemies-to-neighbors contemporary romance.
• The Plus One Pact (2025) — A fake-dating contemporary romance.