Maggie Cole Books in Order (Updated April 2, 2026)

Maggie Cole writes steamy contemporary and dark romance across several distinct lanes: billionaire romance, family sagas, military-protector suspense, mafia romance, and newer morally gray dark romance. The most important reading-order rule is simple: read by series, not by one giant mixed master list.

Some of her lines are true “read in order” series with an ongoing plot. Others are interconnected standalones that still make more sense in publication order because side characters, power shifts, and family ties carry across the books.

Where to start with Maggie Cole

The best starting point depends on what part of the catalog you want.

1. Start with The Rule if you want her earlier billionaire side.
2. Start with Holiday Hoax if you want a lighter family-centered billionaire branch.
3. Start with Ruthless Stranger if you want the big mafia universe.
4. Start with Bride by Initiation if you want the newer secret-society mafia line.
5. Start with Resisting Blue if you want the newest morally gray duet.

For most readers who want the strongest “current Maggie Cole” experience, Ruthless Stranger or Bride by Initiation are the clearest answers.

The best Maggie Cole reading order for most readers

This is the smoothest path if you want to read broadly across the catalog without bouncing around too much.

1. All In Billionaires
2. It’s Complicated
3. Cartwright Family
4. Behind Closed Doors
5. Club Indulgence Duet
6. Mafia Wars
7. Mafia Wars New York
8. Mafia Wars Ireland
9. Wilted Kingdom Duet
10. The Underworld
11. Beautiful Delusions Duet

That order follows the general progression shown across Maggie Cole’s official reading-order page and current catalog, while also keeping the darker mafia material grouped together instead of scattering it between billionaire books.

Maggie Cole books in order by series

All In Billionaires

An early billionaire line made up of entwined standalones. Each romance resolves, but the characters and social world connect enough that publication order is the safest way to read.

1. The Rule (2019): The series opener introduces Maggie Cole’s early billionaire-romance style and is the best first stop in this line.
2. The Secret (2019): A second connected billionaire romance that builds on the emotional and social tone of the opener.
3. The Crime (2019): A continuation that keeps the shared-world feel intact and works best after the first two.
4. The Lie (2019): A later entry that leans into the series pattern of money, secrets, and relationship fallout.
5. The Trap (2020): A fifth book that is still best treated as part of the same connected run rather than a standalone jump-in point.
6. The Gamble (2020): The sixth current entry and the natural final stop in the All In sequence.

It’s Complicated

Another billionaire sequence of connected standalones. This one matters for continuity because the official reading-order page notes that the last book feeds directly into the Mafia Wars spin-off.

1. My Boss the Billionaire (2020): The opening book and the right place to begin this billionaire branch.
2. Forgotten by the Billionaire (2020): A memory-centered follow-up that fits most smoothly after book one.
3. My Friend the Billionaire (2020): A friends-to-lovers style entry that deepens the larger social web.
4. Forbidden Billionaire (2020): A later installment built on restriction, tension, and the series’ shared-world appeal.
5. The Groomsman Billionaire (2020): A wedding-adjacent romance that works better once the earlier books have introduced the broader circle.
6. Secret Mafia Billionaire (2020): The key bridge title that closes this series and sets up the world that later becomes Mafia Wars.

Cartwright Family

A family-centered billionaire and holiday-flavored branch. This is one of the easier Maggie Cole series to read straight through.

1. Holiday Hoax (2022): A fake-marriage opener and the best entry point into the Cartwright family line.
2. Holiday Hire (2024): A billionaire single-dad and nanny romance that expands the family world.
3. Holiday Rider (2025): A second-chance cowboy romance that continues the series in a more rustic direction.
4. Holiday Heir (2026): The current fourth entry, best saved until after the first three Cartwright books.

Behind Closed Doors

A dark military-protector romance series with ongoing plot development. Even though each couple gets an HEA, this is one of the lines where reading in order matters more than usual.

1. Depths of Destruction (2020): The opener lays down the tone, danger, and loyalty structure for the entire series.
2. Marks of Rebellion (2021): A second entry that deepens the conflict and is stronger when read in sequence.
3. Haze of Obedience (2021): A continuation that pushes the series’ control-and-resistance themes further.
4. Cavern of Silence (2021): A later installment with a developing series plot behind the central romance.
5. Stains of Desire (2021): A fifth book that builds on the same emotional and suspense framework.
6. Risks of Temptation (2021): The sixth current entry and the cleanest stopping point for the series as currently listed.

Club Indulgence Duet

A true duet, so order is mandatory.

1. The Auction (2023): The first half of a dark billionaire duet built around forbidden attraction, power, and forced proximity.
2. The Vow (2023): The conclusion to the duet, meant to be read only after The Auction.

Mafia Wars

This is one of Maggie Cole’s most visible connected mafia lines. The books are often described as standalones with intertwined plots and characters, which means you can jump in, but reading in order gives the fuller payoff.

1. Ruthless Stranger (2021): The proper starting point for Maggie Cole’s main mafia universe and one of the strongest all-purpose entry books.
2. Broken Fighter (2021): A direct continuation of the larger criminal-world thread.
3. Cruel Enforcer (2021): A darker mafia installment that benefits from knowing the world already.
4. Vicious Protector (2021): A protector-centered romance with more weight in sequence.
5. Savage Tracker (2021): A later entry that continues the shared-world escalation.
6. Unchosen Ruler (2021): A power-and-heirarchy book that works better once the earlier structure is familiar.
7. Perfect Sinner (2021): Another connected standalone best read after the books before it.
8. Brutal Defender (2021): A later-series romance that keeps the same entwined-characters model.
9. Deviant Hacker (2021): A tech-and-underworld variation that still belongs firmly in the main sequence.
10. Relentless Hunter (2022): The tenth listed book and the current end point of the core Mafia Wars run.

Mafia Wars New York

A separate city branch of the mafia universe. Read it in order after the original Mafia Wars if you want the cleanest progression.

1. Toxic (2022): The New York opener and the best way into this branch of the mafia world.
2. Immoral (2022): A follow-up that expands the New York underworld thread.
3. Crazed (2022): A later entry that keeps the series’ interconnected structure moving.
4. Carnal (2022): A continuation with more payoff when read after the earlier New York books.
5. Flawed (2022): The fifth current book and the natural stopping point for this branch.

Mafia Wars Ireland

Another branch of the same broader mafia ecosystem, but with its own sequence.

1. Illicit King (2023): The correct starting point for the Ireland branch and the best first book in this sub-series.
2. Illicit Captor (2023): A darker second entry that builds directly on the world around the opener.
3. Illicit Heir (2023): A family-power continuation that works best in order.
4. Illicit Monster (2023): The fourth current Ireland book and the latest listed stop in the branch.

Wilted Kingdom Duet

A dark college bully duet, so this is another series that should be read strictly in order.

1. Seeds of Malice (2024): The opening book sets up the duet’s emotional damage and power imbalance.
2. Thorns of Malice (2024): The second book finishes the arc begun in Seeds of Malice.

The Underworld

A newer dark secret-society and mafia series. This is one of Maggie Cole’s clearest current priority lines.

1. Bride by Initiation (2025): The first book launches the series with a marriage pact, forbidden connection, and secret-society setup.
2. Bride By Coronation (2025): A second interconnected standalone that pushes the darker family and power consequences further.
3. Bride by Ritual (2026): The current third entry and best read only after the first two Underworld books.

Beautiful Delusions Duet

This is Maggie Cole’s newer morally gray stalker-therapist duet. Since it is a duet, order matters.

1. Resisting Blue (2026): The opening book introduces the duet’s morally gray psychological-romance premise.
2. Chasing Red (2026): The second book continues and completes the central arc started in Resisting Blue.

Standalones, side projects, and naming quirks

A few Maggie Cole titles sit outside the main series structure or need a note.

• Judge Me Not (2020): A billionaire single-mom Christmas novella and the clearest standalone short read in the catalog.
• Married By Margaritas (2026): Currently listed as a 2026 novel rather than part of a numbered series.
• Coercion (2024): Fantastic Fiction lists this under American Scandal, but it does not appear as prominently across Maggie Cole’s official current-series structure, so it is safest to treat it as a separate side branch unless you are reading completist-style.
• Brooks Family Saga / Together We Stand: Maggie Cole’s official reading-order page uses Brooks Family Saga, while Fantastic Fiction lists what appears to be the same six-book sequence under Together We Stand. Because the naming is less stable across sources, it is best treated as an older darker branch rather than your starting point.

Do Maggie Cole books need to be read in order?

Yes within each series, especially for Behind Closed Doors, Club Indulgence Duet, Wilted Kingdom Duet, The Underworld, and Beautiful Delusions Duet.

For Mafia Wars and its city branches, the books are marketed more like interconnected standalones, so strict order is not absolutely required. Even so, publication order is still the better reading experience because the shared-world plotting becomes clearer.

Best Maggie Cole starting point by reading taste

• Pick The Rule if you want earlier billionaire romance.
• Pick Holiday Hoax if you want a more accessible family entry point.
• Pick Ruthless Stranger if you want the big mafia universe.
• Pick Bride by Initiation if you want the newer dark-secret-society line.
• Pick Resisting Blue if you want the latest morally gray duet first.

If you only want one answer, Ruthless Stranger is the safest all-purpose recommendation.

Latest release status

As of April 2, 2026, Maggie Cole’s newest active lines are The Underworld and Beautiful Delusions. Current 2026 listings include Bride by Ritual, Resisting Blue, and Chasing Red, and Fantastic Fiction also lists Holiday Heir for October 2026 and Married By Margaritas for July 2026.

Final recommendation

Read Maggie Cole in lanes, not in one giant all-books order.

Start with Ruthless Stranger for the mafia side, Bride by Initiation for the current dark-romance direction, or The Rule for the early billionaire catalog. Once you choose a lane, stay in that series order and the catalog becomes much easier to navigate.