Dakota Willink Books in Order

Where to Start with Dakota Willink

Dakota Willink is best known for her contemporary billionaire romances, emotional character arcs, and high-stakes romantic suspense. If you are new to her novels, the author and long-time fans recommend starting with her debut series, The Stone Saga. This five-book series introduces Alexander Stone and Krystina Cole, serving as the emotional and narrative anchor for much of Willink's wider romance universe.

For the ultimate reader experience, follow this master series order to catch cross-series cameos and timeline details in sequence:

1. The Stone Saga (Books 1–5.5): Start here to meet the foundational couple of Willink's universe.
2. The Sound of Silence: A standalone romantic suspense novel that features cameos from The Stone Saga.
3. Fade Into You Series (Books 1–3): A separate contemporary romance series focusing on Cadence and Fitz Quinn.
4. The Trustfall Trilogy (Books 1–3): A dark sports-adjacent billionaire romance trilogy centering on Anton Romano and Serena Martinelli.

The Stone Saga

This series must be read in order, as it follows a continuous storyline focusing on billionaire Alexander Stone and Krystina Cole. The romance deals with heavy, emotional themes, including overcoming past trauma and abuse, wrapped in a high-heat billionaire romance narrative.

• Heart of Stone (2015) - Book 1: Krystina and Alexander's first encounter and the beginning of their intense, complicated relationship.
• Stepping Stone (2016) - Book 2: The continuation of their story as secrets from the past threaten their bond.
• Set In Stone (2018) - Book 3: The dramatic climax of their initial trilogy.
• Etched In Stone (2018) - Book 3.5: A honeymoon novella that bridges the gap between the original trilogy and the later novels.
• Wishing Stone (2022) - Book 4: The story returns to Alexander and Krystina as they navigate new family dynamics and trials.
• Breaking Stone (2022) - Book 5: The final full-length chapter of Alexander and Krystina's main journey.
• Yuletide Temptations (2023) - Book 5.5: A holiday novella focusing on side characters Bryan and Laura, originally published in the Ice Cold Kisses anthology.

Fade Into You Series

Originally known as the Cadence Duet before expanding into a trilogy, this series is a contemporary second-chance romance. It follows the shy heroine Cadence and the bad-boy rock musician Fitz Quinn, tracing their relationship from a passionate summer fling to adult realities.

• Untouched (2019) - Book 1: The summer fling that changes everything for Cadence and Fitz.
• Defined (2019) - Book 2: Years later, the couple gets a second chance at love, facing lingering secrets.
• Endurance (2021) - Book 3: The final chapter detailing their commitment and ongoing struggles.

The Trustfall Trilogy

Part of the broader Shameless Billionaire Club shared universe, this trilogy shifts into dark billionaire romance and sports romance territory. It follows Anton Romano and Serena Martinelli, beginning with a cursed love life and evolving into a thrilling romantic suspense arc.

• Take Me Under (2025) - Book 1
• Take Me Darkly - Book 2
• Take Me Forever - Book 3

Understanding the Leave Me Breathless Imprint

Readers are often confused by the list of books published under the "Leave Me Breathless" banner. Leave Me Breathless is actually a collaborative, multi-author romantic suspense world curated by Dakota Willink's publishing house, Dragonfly Ink Publishing. While many authors have written books within this shared world (such as Raisa Greywood's Breaking Donatella, Lyssa Cole's Promise Me Tomorrow, and Pepper North's Dare Darker), Dakota Willink herself only wrote one novel in the lineup:

• The Sound of Silence (2020): This is a dark standalone romantic thriller focusing on Gianna, a woman fleeing an abusive marriage. Although it stands on its own, it features significant cameos from Alexander and Krystina Stone, making it highly recommended to read this book after finishing the third book of The Stone Saga (Set In Stone).

Anthologies and Special Collections

Willink frequently participates in charity anthologies and collaborative holiday collections, which are great for readers looking for quick, steamy reads that support social causes:

• Leave Me Breathless (2020) - Curated world anthology collection.
• Seeds of Love (2022) - A charity anthology.
• Dissent (2022) - A collection supporting reproductive rights.
• Backed by Love (2023) - Contemporary romance anthology.
• Ice Cold Kisses (2023) - The holiday collection where Dakota Willink's novella Yuletide Temptations first appeared.

What to Know Before You Start

Dakota Willink’s books feature strong, independent heroines and deeply flawed, protective heroes. The themes in her books, especially The Stone Saga and The Sound of Silence, touch on healing from physical and emotional abuse, domestic violence, and trauma. While the books are heavily focused on passion and emotional redemption, readers who are sensitive to these topics should proceed with care. However, the author handles these issues with sensitivity, prioritizing recovery and the strength of the characters.