How to Navigate Emily Goodwin’s Books
Emily Goodwin has built a prolific career spanning paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and dystopian survival. Because she writes across multiple distinct genres and universes, finding the best starting point depends entirely on what you like to read. The books within each series generally follow a chronological timeline and are best read in order, although many of her contemporary novels can technically be enjoyed as standalones.
The Paranormal Path: Thorne Hill
If you love witches, vampires, dark magic, and steamy romance, the Thorne Hill universe is the absolute best place to start. This is Goodwin's most famous and expansive work. We recommend starting with Dead of Night, which introduces the main protagonist Callie and kicks off the core storyline.
The Contemporary Path: Dawson Family
For readers who prefer small-town charm, family dynamics, and emotional contemporary stories, the Dawson Family series is the ideal entry point. Starting with Cheat Codes allows you to follow the family's relationships in order, though each book features a different couple and resolved happy-ending.
The Dystopian Path: The Contagium
If you want a mix of survival horror, action, and romance, Goodwin's debut series, the Contagium books, is a fantastic choice. It follows a young woman navigating a zombie apocalypse, beginning with the novel Contagious.
The Thorne Hill Universe Reading Order
The Thorne Hill universe is divided into two primary series: the core Thorne Hill books (following Callie and Lucas) and the Grim Gate spin-off series (following Anora and Ethan). While the spin-off can be read independently, it takes place in the same world and is best enjoyed after or alongside the main series to catch crossovers and world-building details.
Thorne Hill Series Order
The core series follows Callie, a powerful witch, and Lucas, a vampire. It is highly recommended to read these in the order they were published, as they follow a continuous narrative arc:
- Dead of Night (2019)
- Dark of Night (2019)
- Call of Night (2019)
- Still of Night (2019)
- Curse of Night (2020)
- Queen of Night (2020)
- Reign of Night (2020)
- Heir of Night (2021)
- Blood of Night (2022)
- King of Night (2023)
- Fall of Night (2025)
Grim Gate Series Order (Thorne Hill Spin-off)
Set in the same supernatural universe, this series focuses on Anora Benson, a woman who can see ghosts, and a mysterious man named Ethan. Read them in this order:
- Nightfall (2021)
- Starfire (2022)
- Moonlight (2022)
- Darkside (2022)
- Midnight (2022)
Contemporary Romance Reading Orders
Goodwin's contemporary books are full of heart, small-town flavor, and relationship angst. They are grouped into several interconnected family and location-based series.
Dawson Family Series
While each book works as a standalone romance focusing on a different couple, reading them in order prevents spoilers regarding the other siblings' relationships:
- Cheat Codes (2018)
- End Game (2018)
- Side Hustle (2018)
- Cheap Trick (2019)
- Fight Dirty (2019)
- Rock Bottom (2020)
Boys of Silver Ridge Series
Set in a small town, this series follows a tight-knit group of friends. Reading them in order helps you track the overarching subplots:
- Backup Plan (2020)
- Desperate Times (2020)
- Wanted Man (2021)
- Bitter Love (2022)
Love is Messy Series
A emotional contemporary romance series focusing on love overcoming difficult pasts:
- Hot Mess (2017)
- Twice Burned (2017)
- Bad Things (2017)
- Battle Scars (2017)
Duets and Standalones
Goodwin has also written several short duets and standalone contemporary books. The duets should be read in order, as they follow a single couple's journey:
Love & Marriage Duet:
- First Comes Love (2016)
- Then Comes Marriage (2016)
Hard to Love Duet:
- Hard Place (2019)
- Hard Truth (2019)
Stay Duet:
- Stay (2014)
- All I Need (2014)
Dystopian & Other Paranormal Series
The Contagium Series
Goodwin's zombie apocalypse romance series should be read in publication order rather than timeline order. Although the local database sometimes lists The Truth is Contagious first, it was published in 2014 as the final installment and acts as a conclusion to Orissa Penwell's journey. Read them in this order:
- Contagious (2012 / 2014 reprint)
- Deathly Contagious (2012 / 2014 reprint)
- Contagious Chaos (2014)
- The Truth is Contagious (2014)
Malus Vampire Family (Malus Mafia) Series
A darker vampire romance series distinct from the Thorne Hill universe. The books follow the powerful Malus vampire family:
- Twisted (2023)
- Wicked (also published as Unhinged)
- Vicious (also published as Malice)
Reaper Academy (Co-authored)
Co-written with Jasmine Walt, this paranormal academy series currently consists of a single release, Semester One (2019), following Addison Blake as she trains to ferry souls in the afterlife.