Welcome to Maywood Heights: The Shared Universe
Eden O’Neill has built an addictive, sprawling dark romance universe centered around the elite, secrets, and intense power struggles of Maywood Heights. Spanning high school rivalries, college drama, and next-generation legacies, her books are heavily interconnected. While many of the novels are marketed as standalones, they feature overlapping characters, family lineages, and recurring plotlines. To get the absolute best reading experience and avoid major spoilers, it is highly recommended to follow the timeline chronological order rather than jumping in randomly.
The Master Reading Order
For readers who want to follow the overarching timeline and see the characters grow from teenagers into parents—and then follow their children’s lives—here is the complete, recommended reading path for the entire Court universe:
Phase 1: Court High (High School Years)
The foundation of the entire Maywood Heights universe. This series follows a single couple, December and Royal Prinze, as they navigate the dangerous social hierarchy of Windsor Preparatory Academy and the secretive "Court Club." These books must be read in order.
- They The Pretty Stars (2020) – Introduces December Howard as she arrives at Windsor Prep, investigating her sister's disappearance, and her volatile connection with Royal Prinze.
- Illusions That May (2020) – Continues the mystery and the angsty, push-and-pull relationship between December and Royal.
- Court Kept (2020) – The tension escalates as deeper secrets about the Court Club and the town's elite families are revealed.
- We The Pretty Stars (2020) – The dramatic conclusion to Royal and December's core high school storyline.
- Epilogue High (2026) – A final celebratory short story and send-off for the Court High characters.
Phase 2: Court University (College Standalones)
Set during the college years at Woodcreek University, this series shifts focus to the friends and peers of the original Court High couple. Although these are technically standalone romances with different couples, they share a chronological timeline and feature the original characters in supporting roles.
- Brutal Heir (2020) – Features campus king Knight Reed and Greer in a dark, protective enemies-to-lovers story.
- Kingpin (2021) – Features mob-connected Lance "L.J." Johnson and his academic TA, Billie, in a high-stakes power struggle.
- Beautiful Brute (2020) – Delves into the complicated, taboo history and trauma between step-siblings Jaxon Ambrose and Cleo.
- Lover (2020) – An age-gap, student-professor romance featuring Ramses Mallick and his professor, Brielle.
Phase 3: Court Legacy (Next-Generation Spin-Offs)
The dark romance legacy continues with the children of the original couples from Court High and Court University. This series is the steamiest and darkest portion of the universe, combining multi-book character arcs with standalones.
- Dirty Wicked Prince (2021) – Book 1 of the Dorian & Sloane trilogy. Follows Dorian Prinze (son of Royal and December) and Sloane.
- Savage Little Lies (2021) – Book 2 of the Dorian & Sloane trilogy.
- Tiny Dark Deeds (2021) – Book 3 of the Dorian & Sloane trilogy, wrapping up their romance and revealing major family secrets.
- Eat You Alive (2022) – Book 1 of the Wolf & Fawn duet. Centers on Ares "Wolf" Mallick (son of Ramses and Brielle) and Fawn Greenfield.
- Eat Your Heart Out (2023) – Book 2 and conclusion of the Wolf & Fawn duet.
- Pretty Like A Devil (2024) – A standalone romance centering on Thatcher Reed (son of Knight and Greer) and Aspen.
- A Little Bit Reckless (2025) – A college-set standalone romance featuring Wells Ambrose (son of Jaxon and Cleo), Bruno "Bru" Sloane-Mallick, and Bow Reed (daughter of Knight and Greer).
Where to Start: Entry Points for Readers
Choosing where to begin depends on your preference for series continuity and spice level. If you enjoy long-term character investment and want to understand every callback, start at the very beginning with They The Pretty Stars (Court High). This ensures you see the parent characters' origins. However, if you prefer college-aged settings and want to jump straight into the steamier, darker side of Maywood Heights, you can start with Dirty Wicked Prince (Court Legacy). Eden O'Neill writes the legacy books with enough context that new readers won't feel completely lost, though knowing the parents' history adds a significant layer of enjoyment.
Timeline Caveats and Reading Discrepancies
While the publication order mostly aligns with the chronological timeline, there are a few minor details to keep in mind. Some local databases list We The Pretty Stars as the second book in the Court High series, but it is actually the fourth and final main novel. Always read Illusions That May second and Court Kept third. For the Court University series, while Kingpin was published in 2021 (after the other three books in 2020), it is chronologically best read second in that block to maintain the flow of character interactions.