Laura Kaye Books in Order (Updated July 19, 2026)

Laura Kaye writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, motorcycle-club romance, and BDSM romance. Her bibliography includes several compact series, one large interconnected suspense world, crossover novellas, and a small number of standalones.

The most important boundary is between Hard Ink and Raven Riders. They are distinct series, but they share characters and events. Readers planning to complete both should use the combined order provided below rather than treating them as entirely separate.

Laura Kaye also publishes historical fiction as Laura Kamoie, including books co-written with Stephanie Dray. Those novels belong to a different author brand and are listed separately near the end of this guide.

Choose Your Starting Point

There is no single opening book that suits every Laura Kaye reader.

For romantic suspense: Begin with Hard as It Gets. It starts the Hard Ink conspiracy and leads naturally into Raven Riders.

For a short contemporary romance: Begin with Hearts in Darkness. The first book is brief, self-contained, and followed by a direct sequel.

For paranormal romance: Begin with North of Need. It introduces the mythology of the Anemoi.

For motorcycle-club romance: Begin with Ride Hard, although readers who want every crossover should complete Hard Ink first.

For BDSM romance: Begin with Hard to Serve, the bridge into the Blasphemy series.

The Main Continuity Map

Laura Kaye’s series fall into three categories:

Interconnected: Hard Ink, Raven Riders, and parts of Blasphemy share characters or crossover material.

Internally connected: Hearts of the Anemoi, Vampire Warrior Kings, Hearts in Darkness, Hero, and Warrior Fight Club should each be read in their own publication order.

Independent: Forever Freed, Just Gotta Say, and most multi-author anthology contributions can be read without another Laura Kaye book.

Hard Ink Books in Order

Hard Ink follows a group of former Special Forces soldiers attempting to clear their names after a disastrous mission. The suspense plot continues across the four main novels, while the novellas develop relationships and provide aftermath stories.

Skipping the numbered novels is not recommended. The central conspiracy advances from book to book, and later entries reveal the results of earlier investigations.

1. Hard as It Gets (2013): Becca Merritt asks former soldier and tattoo-shop owner Nick Rixey to find her missing brother, drawing Nick back toward the teammates and military betrayal he has tried to leave behind.
2. Hard as You Can (2014): Shane McCall becomes determined to rescue Crystal Dean from a criminal organization, while the Hard Ink team uncovers another part of the conspiracy that destroyed their careers.
3. Hard to Hold On To (2014): Easy Cantrell and Jenna Dean confront the emotional consequences of the rescue operation, giving two supporting characters a focused relationship story between the second and third novels.
4. Hard to Come By (2014): Derek DiMarzio pursues information through Emilie Garza, whose brother may be tied to the team’s enemies, forcing him to balance attraction against loyalty to the investigation.
5. Hard to Be Good (2015): Jeremy Rixey and Charlie Merritt move their relationship forward while the group remains under pressure, making this novella part romance and part bridge toward the final confrontation.
6. Hard to Let Go (2015): Beckett Murda and Kat Rixey become central as the former soldiers close in on the truth behind their disgrace and prepare to settle the series-wide conflict.
7. Hard as Steel (2015): Hard Ink employee Jessica Jakes takes refuge with Raven Riders member Ike Young, creating the principal crossover between the tattoo-shop team and the motorcycle club.
8. Hard Ever After (2016): Nick and Becca face a final threat after the main conspiracy has been resolved, providing an extended ending for the couple who opened the series.
9. Hard to Serve (2016): Detective Kyler Vance explores a private side of himself at the Blasphemy club, linking the Hard Ink world to Laura Kaye’s later BDSM-romance series.
10. Only, Always, Forever (2017): Nick surprises Becca with new tattoos in a brief bonus scene that revisits their relationship after the main Hard Ink story.
11. Little M (2017): Beckett and Kat meet their new baby in a short domestic follow-up intended for readers who already know their romance.
12. Ink, Steel, & Forever (2017): Hard Ink and Raven Riders characters reunite for a crossover celebration, functioning as an epilogue-style reward rather than a required suspense chapter.

The Core Hard Ink Order

Readers interested only in the principal conspiracy need these four novels:

1. Hard as It Gets
2. Hard as You Can
3. Hard to Come By
4. Hard to Let Go

The shorter works are still worth placing between the novels because they show relationships developing around the continuing investigation.

Raven Riders Books in Order

Raven Riders centers on a motorcycle club that protects people escaping dangerous circumstances. The series grows directly out of Hard as Steel, although each main novel follows a different couple.

The club’s leadership, friendships, and earlier rescues continue across the books. Publication order gives the clearest progression.

1. Hard as Steel (2015): Jessica Jakes hides at the Raven Riders compound under Ike Young’s protection, introducing the club through a crossover that begins before the first numbered Raven Riders novel.
2. Ride Hard (2016): Club president Dare Kenyon offers shelter to Haven Randall, whose escape from a violent family places both her future and the Raven Riders’ protective mission at risk.
3. Ride Rough (2017): Maverick Rylan reconnects with Alexa Harmon when her apparently secure relationship begins revealing dangerous signs, turning an old love into a rescue the club cannot ignore.
4. Ride Wild (2017): Sam “Slider” Evans struggles with grief and fatherhood until Cora Campbell becomes part of his family’s life, while threats connected to her past challenge his emotional withdrawal.
5. Ink, Steel, & Forever (2017): Characters from Hard Ink and Raven Riders come together in a short crossover that celebrates the bonds connecting the tattoo shop and motorcycle club.
6. Ride Dirty (2018): Enforcer Caine McKannon helps kindergarten teacher Emma Kerry after violence enters her life, giving one of the club’s most guarded members a compact romance of his own.
7. Ride Deep (2019): The Raven Riders world receives another shorter relationship story, originally published in a motorcycle-club romance anthology and best saved until after the main novels.

Can Raven Riders Be Read Without Hard Ink?

Yes, but some introductions will feel abbreviated.

The cleaner route is to read Hard Ink through Hard as Steel, then begin Ride Hard. Hard Ink explains how Ike, Jessica, and the Raven Riders first become involved with the larger group.

Hard Ink and Raven Riders Combined Reading Order

Use this sequence when reading both connected series:

1. Hard as It Gets (2013): Nick and Becca’s search for her brother reunites the former Special Forces team and begins the conspiracy.
2. Hard as You Can (2014): Shane and Crystal’s story expands the enemy network and raises the cost of the team’s investigation.
3. Hard to Hold On To (2014): Easy and Jenna receive an emotional interlude after the rescue events of the second novel.
4. Hard to Come By (2014): Marz follows a dangerous family connection toward new evidence about the team’s betrayal.
5. Hard to Be Good (2015): Jeremy and Charlie’s novella advances their romance before the main conflict reaches its conclusion.
6. Hard to Let Go (2015): Beckett and Kat’s relationship develops as the Hard Ink team moves against the people responsible for its disgrace.
7. Hard as Steel (2015): Ike and Jessica carry the story from Hard Ink into the Raven Riders compound.
8. Hard Ever After (2016): Nick and Becca receive a final suspense-driven continuation after the original mission has been resolved.
9. Ride Hard (2016): Dare and Haven open the Raven Riders series proper.
10. Hard to Serve (2016): Kyler Vance’s novella branches from Hard Ink into the Blasphemy world and can be read here without disrupting Raven Riders.
11. Ride Rough (2017): Maverick helps Alexa confront the danger within her current relationship.
12. Ride Wild (2017): Slider, Cora, and his children form a new family while dealing with grief and an external threat.
13. Only, Always, Forever (2017): Nick and Becca appear in a brief post-series Hard Ink scene.
14. Little M (2017): Beckett and Kat’s family story receives a short continuation.
15. Ink, Steel, & Forever (2017): Both groups reunite in the most direct Hard Ink and Raven Riders crossover.
16. Ride Dirty (2018): Caine and Emma’s novella adds another Raven Riders couple after the third main novel.
17. Ride Deep (2019): A final shorter trip into the club’s world is best treated as optional closing material.

Blasphemy Books in Order

Blasphemy is set around an exclusive BDSM club created by a group of dominant partners. Most installments center on different relationships, but club members recur and the social circle develops across the sequence.

These books contain explicit consensual BDSM relationships. Hard to Serve is the introductory crossover even though it was first associated with Hard Ink and the 1001 Dark Nights collection.

1. Hard to Serve (2016): Detective Kyler Vance and lawyer Jamie Field explore a carefully negotiated dominant-submissive connection, introducing the Blasphemy club and its rules.
2. Bound to Submit (2016): Marine veteran Kenna Sloane returns to Griffin Hudson seeking both emotional closure and the structured surrender she believes may help her confront old wounds.
3. Mastering Her Senses (2017): Quinton Ross helps Cassia Locke face a severe fear response through trust, controlled sensory experiences, and a relationship that extends beyond the club.
4. Eyes on You (2017): Wolf Henrikson and Olivia Foster explore voyeurism, visibility, and trust in a novella that expands the range of relationships within Blasphemy.
5. Theirs to Take (2017): Hartley Farren enters a consensual relationship with Jonathan Allen and Ben Ransom, making communication and negotiated boundaries central to the triad.
6. On His Knees (2018): Jamie Field’s brother Ryan and Dominant Alex McConnell navigate submission, identity, and vulnerability in the series’ principal male-male romance.
7. Switching for Her (2022): Two club members adapt their usual roles for the woman they both desire, returning to Blasphemy after a publication gap with a relationship built around flexibility and trust.
8. Hide and Seek (2024): A game at Blasphemy becomes the framework for a new erotic relationship, revisiting the club in a novella published through 1001 Dark Nights.

Blasphemy Reading Rule

Read Hard to Serve first even when a retailer labels Bound to Submit as Book 1. The earlier novella establishes the club and introduces recurring members.

Hide and Seek is optional for the broader continuity, but it should be left until after Switching for Her.

Hearts of the Anemoi Books in Order

Hearts of the Anemoi is a completed paranormal-romance quartet based on divine wind figures inspired by Greek mythology. Each installment follows a different couple, while the supernatural conflict and family relationships build toward the final book.

The directional titles form the intended sequence.

1. North of Need (2011): Megan Snow encounters Owen Winters, a supernatural being associated with the north wind, and learns that her grief has drawn her into a world governed by ancient forces.
2. West of Want (2012): Zephyros Martius, connected to the west wind, receives a chance at love with Ella Raines while betrayal and divine obligations complicate his return to the human world.
3. South of Surrender (2013): Chrysander Notos joins forces with Laney Summerlyn as the threat against the Anemoi grows, moving the series from individual danger toward open supernatural conflict.
4. East of Ecstasy (2014): Devlin Eston and Annalise Fallston become central to the final confrontation, bringing the four directional powers and the series-wide struggle together.

Why Publication Order Matters Here

The romances change from book to book, but the mythology does not reset. Later volumes assume familiarity with the gods, alliances, betrayals, and escalating conflict established earlier.

Vampire Warrior Kings Books in Order

Vampire Warrior Kings is a paranormal-romance trilogy about royal vampire warriors, human women, and bonds shaped by supernatural law.

The books are shorter than many of Kaye’s later novels, but the shared mythology makes sequence useful.

1. In the Service of the King (2012): Kael, a vampire king, must take blood from a human woman as part of his people’s survival, but his connection with Shayla McKinnon turns ritual obligation into a personal bond.
2. Seduced by the Vampire King (2012): Nikolai encounters Kate Bordessa while carrying the burdens of leadership and loss, building another romance within the vampire kings’ threatened world.
3. Taken by the Vampire King (2013): Henrik Magnusson and Kaira Sorenson face a supernatural connection that completes the trilogy’s set of warrior-king romances.

Vampire Warrior Kings Status

The sequence ends with Taken by the Vampire King. No fourth installment has been reliably confirmed.

Hearts in Darkness Books in Order

The Hearts in Darkness duet follows the same couple across two stages of their relationship. Unlike Laura Kaye’s multi-couple series, the second book is a direct continuation rather than a companion romance.

1. Hearts in Darkness (2011): Makenna James and Caden Grayson become trapped together in a dark elevator, where conversation and vulnerability create intimacy before either can rely on appearances.
2. Love in the Light (2016): Caden and Makenna try to build a lasting relationship outside the elevator, where trauma, public life, and ordinary pressures are harder to contain.
3. Hearts in Darkness Collection (2021): This combined edition places both books in one volume and is a replacement for buying them separately, not a third story.

Best Way to Read the Duet

Read Hearts in Darkness first and continue directly to Love in the Light. The sequel examines what happens after the intense circumstances that created the original connection.

Hero Books in Order

The Hero series consists of two connected military romances. The couples differ, but friendship and service-related history link the stories.

1. Her Forbidden Hero (2012): Alyssa Scott takes a job at a bar managed by her brother’s former best friend, Marco Vieri, whose military past and promise to protect her make their attraction difficult to act upon.
2. One Night with a Hero (2012): Soldier Brady Scott intends to keep a relationship with Joss Daniels temporary, but an unexpected consequence forces both characters to reconsider what they are prepared to risk.

Hero Series Reading Note

Her Forbidden Hero establishes the relationships surrounding the Scott family. One Night with a Hero can stand alone, but it works better after Marco and Alyssa’s story.

Warrior Fight Club Books in Order

Warrior Fight Club follows military veterans who use a private fighting group to manage stress, anger, trauma, and the difficult transition into civilian life.

Each romance has its own leads, but recurring veterans and the shared support system create continuing emotional context.

1. Fighting for Everything (2018): Noah Cortez returns from military service carrying physical and psychological wounds, while his longtime friend Kristina Moore challenges his attempt to isolate himself.
2. Fighting for What’s His (2018): Billy Parrish becomes involved with Shayna Curtis, whose presence forces him to face both his attraction and the trauma he has been managing through the fight club.
3. Fighting the Fire (2021): Sean Riddick and Daniela England move from rivalry and unresolved history toward a relationship that revisits the club’s themes of recovery, trust, and chosen support.

Is Warrior Fight Club Connected to Hard Ink?

The two series share military-veteran themes, but they should be treated as separate continuities. No Hard Ink preparation is required before Fighting for Everything.

Wedding Dare Contribution

Wedding Dare is a multi-author sequence in which each writer follows a different couple connected to the same wedding celebration.

Laura Kaye wrote the introductory novella.

1. Dare to Resist (2014): Colton Brooks and Kady Dresco are forced into close professional quarters before the wedding events, turning an existing attraction into the opening romance of the shared series.

The rest of Wedding Dare was written by other authors. Readers interested only in Laura Kaye can stop after Dare to Resist, although the novella also introduces characters who appear elsewhere in the multi-author sequence.

Standalone Laura Kaye Books

These works do not require a series reading order.

1. Forever Freed (2011): Vampire Lucien Demarco rescues a human child and becomes attached to the girl’s mother, forcing him to choose between the isolation that has protected him and a family exposed to supernatural danger.
2. Just Gotta Say (2011): Four close friends confront long-suppressed attraction during an intimate contemporary-romance novella centered on changing the boundaries of their relationship.

Are These Truly Standalone?

Yes. Forever Freed is not part of Vampire Warrior Kings, despite also featuring a vampire romance.

Just Gotta Say has no required continuation and can be read independently of Blasphemy.

Short Stories and Optional Continuity Pieces

Some Laura Kaye stories are difficult to classify because they were first shared as bonuses, newsletter material, or anthology contributions.

1. Only, Always, Forever (2017): A very short Nick-and-Becca scene intended for readers who have completed their main Hard Ink romance.
2. Little M (2017): A Beckett-and-Kat family update that belongs after Hard to Let Go and the resolution of the Hard Ink suspense arc.
3. Ink, Steel, & Forever (2017): A joint Hard Ink and Raven Riders celebration that has more value as a reunion than as a standalone story.
4. Ride Deep (2019): A Raven Riders novella first associated with a multi-author motorcycle-club anthology and best read after Ride Dirty.

These pieces are optional. None should replace the principal novels in its parent series.

Anthologies, Bundles, and Duplicate Material

Anthologies can make Laura Kaye’s bibliography appear larger because the same novellas have been repackaged in several collections.

1. Skip to the Good Part 3 (2015): A multi-author collection of selected romantic scenes rather than a new full-length Laura Kaye novel.
2. 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Seven (2016): A bundle containing novellas by several authors, with Laura Kaye material already available elsewhere.
3. 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Eleven (2017): Another multi-author compilation that should be checked for duplicated series novellas before purchase.
4. 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Sixteen (2018): A collected edition containing previously released short romance fiction rather than a separate Laura Kaye series entry.
5. 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Twenty (2019): A later installment in the anthology program, again packaging works by multiple authors.
6. Hard Ink Crossover Bundle (2018): A collection built around crossover material from Laura Kaye and related authors, useful for convenience but not a new point in Hard Ink continuity.
7. Love, Loyalty & Mayhem (2019): A motorcycle-club romance anthology that originally included Ride Deep among stories by numerous authors.
8. Love, Loyalty & Mayhem: A Motorcycle Club Romance Anthology (2019): Some catalogues expand the subtitle, but this refers to the same shared collection rather than a second book.
9. Hearts in Darkness Collection (2021): An omnibus containing Hearts in Darkness and Love in the Light in one volume.
10. Dark Clouds and Bright Skies: A Grumpy-Sunshine Collection (2025): A multi-author thematic collection containing romance stories built around contrasting personalities, not a new Laura Kaye series.

Avoiding Duplicate Purchases

Check the contents of any 1001 Dark Nights bundle before buying it. Hard as Steel, Hard to Serve, Ride Dirty, and Hide and Seek may appear as individual editions as well as within larger collections.

The Hearts in Darkness Collection replaces the two separate duet volumes. It does not continue their story beyond Love in the Light.

A Genre-First Reading Plan

Laura Kaye’s bibliography works better as several routes than as one enormous publication-order list.

Route A: The Interconnected Suspense World

1. Hard as It Gets: Opens the military conspiracy and introduces Nick, Becca, and the Hard Ink team.
2. Hard as You Can: Deepens the investigation through Shane and Crystal.
3. Hard to Hold On To: Gives Easy and Jenna their relationship interlude.
4. Hard to Come By: Moves Marz closer to evidence about the team’s enemies.
5. Hard to Be Good: Develops Jeremy and Charlie before the final novel.
6. Hard to Let Go: Resolves the principal Hard Ink conspiracy.
7. Hard as Steel: Transfers the action into Raven Riders territory.
8. Hard Ever After: Revisits Nick and Becca after the main victory.
9. Ride Hard: Begins the Raven Riders novels with Dare and Haven.
10. Ride Rough: Continues the club’s protective mission through Maverick and Alexa.
11. Ride Wild: Expands the club family through Slider, Cora, and his children.
12. Ink, Steel, & Forever: Reunites both series after their central arcs.
13. Ride Dirty: Adds Caine and Emma’s shorter romance.
14. Ride Deep: Provides optional final Raven Riders material.

Route B: Paranormal Romance

1. North of Need: Establishes the Anemoi mythology.
2. West of Want: Expands the divine family and its conflicts.
3. South of Surrender: Escalates the supernatural danger.
4. East of Ecstasy: Resolves the four-book arc.
5. In the Service of the King: Starts a separate vampire-warrior mythology.
6. Seduced by the Vampire King: Continues with a second royal romance.
7. Taken by the Vampire King: Completes the vampire trilogy.
8. Forever Freed: Offers a separate standalone vampire story.

The Anemoi and Vampire Warrior Kings books are not connected.

Route C: Shorter Contemporary Romance

1. Hearts in Darkness: Makenna and Caden meet during an elevator blackout.
2. Love in the Light: Their relationship faces life outside that enclosed setting.
3. Dare to Resist: A workplace attraction introduces the Wedding Dare event.
4. Just Gotta Say: A friendship group confronts its changing romantic boundaries.

Route D: BDSM Club Romance

1. Hard to Serve: Introduces Blasphemy through Kyler and Jamie.
2. Bound to Submit: Makes trust and healing central to Kenna and Griffin’s reunion.
3. Mastering Her Senses: Uses controlled sensory play to explore fear and intimacy.
4. Eyes on You: Focuses on voyeurism, visibility, and negotiated desire.
5. Theirs to Take: Builds a consensual three-person relationship.
6. On His Knees: Follows Ryan and Alex through submission and self-understanding.
7. Switching for Her: Returns to the club with partners willing to change established roles.
8. Hide and Seek: Adds an optional later novella to the Blasphemy circle.

Laura Kaye Books in Broad Publication Order

This list combines the first publication year of Laura Kaye’s individual novels and novellas. It is useful for bibliography purposes, but it is not the recommended way to move between unrelated series.

1. North of Need (2011): A grieving woman meets the supernatural embodiment of the north wind.
2. Hearts in Darkness (2011): Two strangers connect while trapped in a dark elevator.
3. Forever Freed (2011): A solitary vampire risks exposure to protect a mother and child.
4. Just Gotta Say (2011): Friendship boundaries change during an intimate group encounter.
5. West of Want (2012): The west wind’s romance expands the Anemoi conflict.
6. Her Forbidden Hero (2012): A former soldier falls for his best friend’s younger sister.
7. One Night with a Hero (2012): A soldier’s intended one-night relationship develops lasting consequences.
8. In the Service of the King (2012): A vampire king’s survival ritual becomes an unexpected bond.
9. Seduced by the Vampire King (2012): A second vampire ruler finds love while carrying the cost of leadership.
10. South of Surrender (2013): The southern Anemoi joins a mortal woman against a growing supernatural threat.
11. Taken by the Vampire King (2013): The vampire-warrior trilogy closes with another royal pairing.
12. Hard as It Gets (2013): A missing-person search reunites a disgraced Special Forces team.
13. East of Ecstasy (2014): The Anemoi quartet reaches its final supernatural confrontation.
14. Hard as You Can (2014): A rescue mission advances the Hard Ink conspiracy.
15. Hard to Hold On To (2014): Easy and Jenna deal with the emotional aftermath of that rescue.
16. Dare to Resist (2014): Professional rivals confront attraction before a shared wedding event.
17. Hard to Come By (2014): Marz pursues evidence through a woman linked to the enemy.
18. Hard to Be Good (2015): Jeremy and Charlie move their relationship beyond friendship.
19. Hard to Let Go (2015): Hard Ink prepares to expose the truth behind its military disgrace.
20. Hard as Steel (2015): Jessica hides with Raven Riders member Ike Young.
21. Hard Ever After (2016): Nick and Becca confront one more danger after the conspiracy.
22. Love in the Light (2016): Caden and Makenna attempt to sustain the bond created in darkness.
23. Ride Hard (2016): Raven Riders president Dare protects a woman escaping her family.
24. Hard to Serve (2016): A detective enters the Blasphemy club to explore his private needs.
25. Bound to Submit (2016): A veteran returns to a former lover seeking trust and structured surrender.
26. Ride Rough (2017): Maverick tries to protect Alexa from a dangerous relationship.
27. Mastering Her Senses (2017): Cassia confronts fear through a carefully controlled bond with Quinton.
28. Eyes on You (2017): Wolf and Olivia explore desire shaped by watching and being seen.
29. Ride Wild (2017): A widowed father slowly allows Cora into his family.
30. Theirs to Take (2017): Hartley, Jonathan, and Ben negotiate a committed triad.
31. Only, Always, Forever (2017): Nick and Becca return in a brief tattoo-centered bonus.
32. Little M (2017): Beckett and Kat receive a short family epilogue.
33. Ink, Steel, & Forever (2017): Hard Ink and Raven Riders gather in a crossover reunion.
34. On His Knees (2018): Ryan and Alex explore trust through a male-male dominant-submissive relationship.
35. Fighting for Everything (2018): A wounded veteran resists the friend who refuses to abandon him.
36. Fighting for What’s His (2018): Another fight-club veteran confronts trauma and an unexpected relationship.
37. Ride Dirty (2018): Raven Riders enforcer Caine protects teacher Emma after violence reaches her life.
38. Worth Fighting For (2019): A crossover romance joins Laura Kaye’s Warrior Fight Club world to Kristen Proby’s Big Sky setting.
39. Ride Deep (2019): A shorter Raven Riders story extends the club’s circle after the main books.
40. Fighting the Fire (2021): Sean and Daniela turn rivalry and shared history into the final Warrior Fight Club romance.
41. Switching for Her (2022): Blasphemy returns with partners willing to exchange familiar roles.
42. Hide and Seek (2024): A club game creates the setting for a later Blasphemy novella.

Crossovers with Other Authors

A few books belong partly to Laura Kaye’s worlds and partly to shared publishing projects.

1. Worth Fighting For (2019): This Kristen Proby crossover connects Laura Kaye’s Warrior Fight Club setting with the broader Big Sky crossover collection, giving readers a complete romance without making the other crossover books compulsory.
2. Hard Ink Crossover Bundle (2018): This bundle collects stories designed to connect Hard Ink with other fictional worlds, but the contents should be checked because individual novellas may already appear elsewhere.

These works are optional for readers following only the core Laura Kaye series.

Laura Kaye and Laura Kamoie

Laura Kaye is the romance pen name of historian and historical novelist Laura Kamoie.

The Laura Kamoie bibliography should not be inserted into Hard Ink, Raven Riders, or any other Laura Kaye reading order. The genres, continuities, and intended audiences are separate.

Historical Fiction Published as Laura Kamoie

1. America’s First Daughter (2016), with Stephanie Dray: Martha “Patsy” Jefferson’s life is reconstructed through her relationship with her father, Thomas Jefferson, and the personal cost of protecting his legacy.
2. My Dear Hamilton (2018), with Stephanie Dray: Eliza Schuyler Hamilton narrates a life shaped by revolution, marriage, betrayal, grief, and her work to preserve Alexander Hamilton’s reputation.
3. Ribbons of Scarlet (2019), with Stephanie Dray, Kate Quinn, Heather Webb, Eliza Knight, and Sophie Perinot: Six authors follow different women through successive stages of the French Revolution, creating one collaborative historical narrative.
4. A Founding Mother (2026), with Stephanie Dray: Abigail Adams’s political insight, marriage, family burdens, and role in the founding generation are placed at the center of her own historical novel.

These books are separate continuity and can be read independently. America’s First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton share an American Revolution setting and co-authors, but neither is a direct sequel to the other.

Latest Laura Kaye Release

The newest clearly confirmed Laura Kaye-branded fiction is associated with Hide and Seek, a Blasphemy novella released in 2024.

A later multi-author collection, Dark Clouds and Bright Skies, appeared in 2025 and includes material by several romance authors. It should be classified as an anthology rather than the next numbered Laura Kaye series novel.

Laura Kaye’s official author presence also promotes A Founding Mother, published in 2026 under the Laura Kamoie name and co-written with Stephanie Dray. It is her newest historical novel, but it does not belong in the Laura Kaye romance continuity.

No reliably confirmed next Hard Ink, Raven Riders, Warrior Fight Club, Hearts of the Anemoi, or Vampire Warrior Kings novel has been announced as of July 19, 2026.

Series Status

Hard Ink: The main four-book suspense arc is complete, with several follow-up novellas and bonus stories.

Raven Riders: Complete with three main novels and shorter related stories.

Blasphemy: Five principal romances plus introductory and follow-up novellas; the latest confirmed story is Hide and Seek.

Hearts of the Anemoi: Complete with four books.

Vampire Warrior Kings: Complete at three published books unless a future continuation is announced.

Hearts in Darkness: Complete as a two-book couple-focused duet.

Hero: Complete with two connected romances.

Warrior Fight Club: Complete with three main novels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Laura Kaye Book to Read First?

Hard as It Gets is the strongest starting point for readers who want Laura Kaye’s largest interconnected romantic-suspense world.

For a shorter commitment, choose Hearts in Darkness. For paranormal romance, choose North of Need.

Do Hard Ink and Raven Riders Connect?

Yes. Raven Riders grows out of events and characters introduced in Hard Ink.

Hard as Steel is the key bridge. It features Hard Ink employee Jessica Jakes and Raven Riders member Ike Young.

Should Hard Ink Be Read Before Raven Riders?

That is the preferred route.

Raven Riders can be understood independently, but reading Hard Ink first explains the crossover characters, the club’s introduction, and the events surrounding Hard as Steel.

Is Hard to Serve a Hard Ink Book or a Blasphemy Book?

It is both a Hard Ink-related crossover and the introductory Blasphemy novella.

Read it after the principal Hard Ink novels and before Bound to Submit.

Are All Hard Ink Books Full-Length Novels?

No. The four main novels are Hard as It Gets, Hard as You Can, Hard to Come By, and Hard to Let Go.

Hard to Hold On To, Hard to Be Good, Hard as Steel, Hard Ever After, and Hard to Serve are shorter works or novellas. The remaining bonus stories are briefer still.

Is Ink, Steel, & Forever Required?

No. It is an optional Hard Ink and Raven Riders crossover story.

It works best after Ride Wild because its purpose is to revisit established couples and celebrate the shared community.

Is Hearts in Darkness a Standalone?

The first book tells a complete initial romance, but the couple’s story continues directly in Love in the Light.

Readers wanting the full emotional arc should read both.

Is Forever Freed Part of Vampire Warrior Kings?

No. Both feature vampire romance, but they use separate characters and mythology.

Do Hearts of the Anemoi Books Follow Different Couples?

Yes. Each book centers on a different romance connected to one of the directional winds.

The supernatural conflict continues across all four books, so they should still be read in order.

Is Warrior Fight Club Connected to Hard Ink?

Not as a required continuity. Both involve military veterans, trauma, friendship, and recovery, but they are separate series.

What Is Worth Fighting For?

Worth Fighting For is a crossover novella connecting Warrior Fight Club with Kristen Proby’s shared crossover project.

It is optional and does not replace any of the three main Warrior Fight Club books.

What Is Laura Kaye’s Latest Book?

Under the Laura Kaye romance name, Hide and Seek is the latest clearly confirmed individual story, published in 2024.

Under the Laura Kamoie historical-fiction name, A Founding Mother, co-written with Stephanie Dray, was published in 2026.

Are Laura Kaye and Laura Kamoie the Same Author?

Yes. Laura Kaye is her romance pen name, while Laura Kamoie is used for historical fiction and her earlier academic historical work.

The two bibliographies should remain separate when constructing a reading order.

Final Reading Order Recommendation

Begin with Hard as It Gets when you want the fullest Laura Kaye experience. Continue through Hard Ink in publication order, place Hard as Steel after Hard to Let Go, and then move into Raven Riders with Ride Hard.

Choose Hearts in Darkness when you prefer a shorter, more intimate contemporary story. Choose North of Need when paranormal mythology is the priority, or Hard to Serve when entering the Blasphemy club series.

There is no benefit to combining every Laura Kaye series into one fictional chronology. The most reliable approach is to preserve publication order inside each continuity and use the combined Hard Ink-Raven Riders sequence only where the books genuinely overlap.