Holly Renee is an American romance author from East Tennessee who writes contemporary romance, new adult romance, dark romance, cowboy romance, and romantasy.
Her bibliography divides cleanly into two reading styles. The fantasy series tell continuing stories and must be read in order. Most of her contemporary series change couples between installments, but recurring friends, relatives, and unresolved relationships still make publication order the safest choice.
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Read This Before Choosing a Series
- Start with The Veiled Kingdom when you want Holly Renee’s best-known fantasy romance series.
- Start with A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows for a completed romantasy sequence with four books.
- Start with Cowboy Casual for her newest contemporary romance series.
- Start with Where Good Girls Go to Die for interconnected contemporary romance, or The Touch of a Villain for a darker new adult series with cliffhangers and continuing conflicts.
The fantasy books should not be rearranged. Several installments continue directly from the previous ending.
The Veiled Kingdom Books in Order
The Veiled Kingdom is a completed romantasy trilogy involving a tyrannical ruler, a hidden princess, a rebellion, and a forbidden relationship shaped by competing loyalties.
All three books follow one developing conflict. Read them in strict order.
- The Veiled Kingdom (2024): Nyra, a fugitive princess hiding from her cruel father, is captured by rebels and drawn toward Dacre, the dangerous commander who does not know her true identity.
- The Hunted Heir (2024): Nyra and Dacre face the consequences of exposed secrets as royal power, rebellion, and personal betrayal make their relationship more dangerous.
- The Rivaled Crown (2025): The trilogy’s final struggle forces Nyra to confront rival claims, divided loyalties, and the cost of choosing both a kingdom and the man she loves.
The first two books leave major questions unresolved. Beginning with The Hunted Heir or The Rivaled Crown would spoil character identities, alliances, and romantic developments.
Stars and Shadows Books in Order
Stars and Shadows is a completed four-book fantasy romance series. It follows Adara, a Starblessed woman promised to a crown prince, and the dangerous bond that pulls her toward another prince.
The books form one continuous narrative and regularly end with unresolved threats or revelations.
- A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows (2022): Starblessed Adara is taken to Achlys Palace to marry Crown Prince Gavril, but her forbidden attraction to his half brother Evren threatens the destiny chosen for her.
- A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (2022): Adara remains bound to two princes while betrayal, blood magic, and divided allegiance force her to question whom she can trust.
- A Kingdom of Venom and Vows (2023): War and political manipulation tighten around Adara as promises become weapons and the consequences of earlier choices spread across the kingdom.
- A Kingdom of Fire and Fate (2023): The final book resolves the central war, Adara’s power, and the romantic conflict that began with her arrival at the palace.
Publication order is also the chronological order. There is no useful alternate sequence.
Later deluxe and traditionally published editions do not add new installments. They are new editions of the same four novels.
Is There a Connection Between Stars and Shadows and The Veiled Kingdom?
The two series share the broad romantasy genre, but they are separate continuities.
Readers do not need to finish Stars and Shadows before beginning The Veiled Kingdom. The characters, kingdoms, magical conflicts, and central romances are independent.
The safest approach is to complete one series before moving to the other because both rely on cliffhangers and ongoing plots.
The Drowned King Books in Order
The Drowned King is a new fantasy romance series beginning in late 2026.
- Mooncursed (2026): Lou is chosen as the human bride of a cursed sea king whose face is said to destroy the minds of those who see him, drawing her into a fate meant for someone else.
Mooncursed is scheduled for November 3, 2026. It had not yet been released as of this article’s July 24 update.
Publisher information identifies it as the first Drowned King book. No second title should be added until its title and publication status are reliably confirmed.
Calloway Ranch Books in Order
Calloway Ranch is Holly Renee’s contemporary cowboy romance series. Each book follows a different central couple while retaining the Calloway family and ranch community.
- Cowboy Casual (2025): A temporary arrangement with a cowboy becomes difficult to keep casual when attraction begins creating expectations neither person intended to face.
- Small Town Smokeshow (2026): Another Calloway Ranch romance brings together small-town familiarity, strong attraction, and a relationship complicated by the close attention of the surrounding community.
Both novels provide their central couples with complete romantic arcs. Reading Cowboy Casual first still gives better context for the ranch, the family, and returning characters.
Boys of Clermont Bay Books in Order
The Boys of Clermont Bay is a six-book dark new adult romance series set among wealthy families, damaging secrets, and an elite social circle.
The sequence is built from three two-book romantic arcs. Each couple’s first book leads directly into the second, and the broader Clermont Bay conflict continues across all six novels.
- The Touch of a Villain (2021): Josie Vos enters the world of Clermont Bay’s wealthy elite and becomes the target of Beck Clermont, whose cruelty is tied to secrets involving both their families.
- The Fall of a God (2021): Josie and Beck’s story continues after the first book’s fallout, forcing them to confront heartbreak, family wrongdoing, and the damage caused by Beck’s choices.
- The Taste of an Enemy (2021): A new enemies-to-lovers pairing moves to the center while the hostility and secrets surrounding Clermont Bay continue to shape the characters’ lives.
- The Deceit of a Devil (2021): The third book’s romance continues through deception, emotional retaliation, and revelations that make trust increasingly difficult.
- The Seduction of Pretty Lies (2022): Frankie and Olly’s long-running tension finally becomes the main story, but old secrets and carefully maintained lies threaten the relationship.
- The Temptation of Dirty Secrets (2022): Frankie and Olly confront the truths left unresolved in the previous book, bringing their romance and the larger Clermont Bay sequence to its conclusion.
Do not separate either half of a couple’s story. Books one and two, three and four, and five and six belong together.
Reading the full six-book series in publication order also preserves background revelations that were planted well before each couple became central.
Good Girls Books in Order
The Good Girls series contains three interconnected contemporary romances. Different couples lead each book, but the characters belong to the same friendship group and continue appearing after their own story ends.
- Where Good Girls Go to Die (2017): Livy returns to the people and memories she left behind, including Parker James, the man connected to both her heartbreak and the future she once wanted.
- Where Bad Girls Go to Fall (2018): Staci’s confident public image begins to crack when a relationship asks her to risk feelings she normally keeps under control.
- Where Bad Boys Are Ruined (2018): Brandon’s reputation as a bad boy is tested by a woman who refuses to accept charm without honesty, giving another member of the group a chance at commitment.
The books are interconnected standalones, not one three-part romance. Publication order remains recommended because later books reveal the outcomes of earlier relationships.
Rock Bottom Books in Order
The Rock Bottom series follows a connected set of friends through neighbors-to-lovers, workplace romance, and fake dating.
The first two books were originally published under shorter titles. The newer titles refer to the same stories, not additional books.
- Trouble with the Guy Next Door (2017), originally Bottoms Up: A curvy, book-loving woman becomes close friends with her confident next-door neighbor Tucker, only for a weekend away to push their relationship beyond friendship.
- Trouble with the Hotshot Boss (2019), originally Double Shot: A workplace mistake and an inconvenient attraction place a woman in conflict with the successful boss she should avoid.
- Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (2020): Brooke agrees to pose as Liam’s girlfriend for one week, but their convincing physical chemistry makes the boundaries of the arrangement difficult to maintain.
Use either title for the first two books, depending on the edition available. Do not read both versions expecting different stories.
The recurring characters make publication order worthwhile, especially because Brooke and Liam are present before their romance becomes central.
The Garage Books in Order
The Garage is Holly Renee’s earliest confirmed series. It contains two connected new adult romances centered around characters working in or connected to an automotive garage.
- Letting Go (2015): Kat leaves the only home she has known and begins working at her uncle’s garage, where Blake’s arrival in her new life forces both of them to confront painful histories.
- Breaking Down (2016): Gabe and Erica move into the foreground in a second romance shaped by separation, unresolved feelings, and the relationships established in the first book.
Read Letting Go first. Breaking Down changes the central couple but returns to the same cast and setting.
The Wrong Prince Charming
The Wrong Prince Charming (2019): A college romance places a young woman between attraction, expectations, and a man who does not fit the ideal future suggested by the title.
This is a standalone novel. It is not part of Stars and Shadows, The Veiled Kingdom, or another royal fantasy series.
The word “prince” is figurative within a contemporary romance context. Readers should not place it alongside Holly Renee’s fantasy books.
Complete Holly Renee Publication Order
This list tracks the first publication of each primary novel. Alternate editions, translations, box sets, and deluxe reissues are not counted as new books.
- Letting Go (2015): Kat begins again at her uncle’s garage and meets Blake, whose presence challenges the emotional defenses she brought with her.
- Breaking Down (2016): Gabe and Erica take over the Garage storyline through a romance involving distance, pain, and a difficult reunion.
- Where Good Girls Go to Die (2017): Livy’s return brings her face to face with Parker and the relationship she never fully left behind.
- Trouble with the Guy Next Door, originally Bottoms Up (2017): Friendship with attractive neighbor Tucker becomes impossible to keep safely platonic.
- Where Bad Girls Go to Fall (2018): Staci faces a relationship capable of exposing the vulnerability beneath her bold reputation.
- Where Bad Boys Are Ruined (2018): Brandon meets a woman who makes charm and avoidance insufficient foundations for love.
- Trouble with the Hotshot Boss, originally Double Shot (2019): Professional complications intensify when an inconvenient boss becomes the center of an equally inconvenient attraction.
- The Wrong Prince Charming (2019): A contemporary college romance examines what happens when the appealing choice is not the expected one.
- Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (2020): A one-week fake relationship between Brooke and Liam begins producing feelings that are not part of the agreement.
- The Touch of a Villain (2021): Josie becomes entangled with Beck Clermont and the dangerous secrets of his wealthy family.
- The Fall of a God (2021): Beck and Josie’s divided story continues through betrayal, heartbreak, and consequences.
- The Taste of an Enemy (2021): Another Clermont Bay rivalry becomes a volatile romance while the town’s wider conflict continues.
- The Deceit of a Devil (2021): Lies and retaliation threaten the couple introduced in the previous book.
- The Seduction of Pretty Lies (2022): Frankie and Olly’s unresolved attraction becomes central as old secrets close in around them.
- The Temptation of Dirty Secrets (2022): Frankie and Olly’s story concludes alongside the larger Clermont Bay sequence.
- A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows (2022): Adara arrives at a royal court to fulfill a betrothal but becomes drawn to the wrong prince.
- A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (2022): Adara’s divided bonds and uncertain loyalties deepen after the first book’s revelations.
- A Kingdom of Venom and Vows (2023): Political danger and binding promises push the kingdom closer to war.
- A Kingdom of Fire and Fate (2023): Adara’s fantasy romance and the struggle for the kingdom reach their final resolution.
- The Veiled Kingdom (2024): A hidden princess falls into the hands of rebels fighting the father whose identity she conceals.
- The Hunted Heir (2024): Nyra and Dacre face pursuit, exposed truths, and the political cost of their forbidden connection.
- The Rivaled Crown (2025): The fight for the crown and the trilogy’s central romance reach their conclusion.
- Cowboy Casual (2025): A casual agreement at Calloway Ranch begins turning into a relationship with more lasting consequences.
- Small Town Smokeshow (2026): A new Calloway Ranch couple navigates attraction under the pressure of family and small-town attention.
- Mooncursed (2026): A stolen human bride enters the cursed world of a sea king in the opening Drowned King romantasy.
Mooncursed is included here as an upcoming 2026 title. It should not be marked as published until November 3, 2026.
Box Sets and Collected Editions
The Good Girls Box Set
The Good Girls Box Set: The Complete Series: This collection contains Where Good Girls Go to Die, Where Bad Girls Go to Fall, and Where Bad Boys Are Ruined.
It does not add a fourth Good Girls story.
Fantasy Deluxe Editions
The Stars and Shadows novels have received or are receiving new deluxe editions. These editions may include redesigned packaging or physical extras, but the underlying four-book story order remains unchanged.
A deluxe rerelease should not be counted as a new novel or placed twice in a publication list.
Other Bundles
Series bundles occasionally combine previously released novels. Check the contents before buying, particularly when a set uses a new cover or publication date.
A collection belongs in the Optional format category rather than the main narrative sequence.
Novellas and Short Stories
No separate Holly Renee novella or short-story sequence could be verified confidently enough to insert into the principal reading orders.
Bonus scenes, promotional material, or special-edition extras may exist, but they are not required for understanding The Veiled Kingdom, Stars and Shadows, Boys of Clermont Bay, Good Girls, Rock Bottom, Garage, or Calloway Ranch.
Readers should complete the relevant main series before adding any edition-specific bonus content.
Which Series Are Completed?
The following series have complete central reading orders:
Completed Fantasy Series
Stars and Shadows: Four books, ending with A Kingdom of Fire and Fate.
The Veiled Kingdom: Three books, ending with The Rivaled Crown.
Completed Contemporary Series
The Garage: Two books.
Good Girls: Three books.
Rock Bottom: Three books.
Boys of Clermont Bay: Six books.
Active or Developing Series
Calloway Ranch: Two published books as of July 2026.
The Drowned King: Begins with Mooncursed in November 2026.
No additional title should be assumed merely because a series may continue.
Recommended Order for Fantasy Readers
Holly Renee’s fantasy series are separate, so the choice depends on whether you want a completed longer arc or her most widely recognized recent trilogy.
A balanced fantasy reading path is:
- The Veiled Kingdom: Begin with the hidden-princess and rebel storyline.
- The Hunted Heir: Continue immediately because the plot and romance remain unresolved.
- The Rivaled Crown: Finish the trilogy before changing worlds.
- A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows: Begin Adara’s separate four-book story.
- A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal: Follow the consequences of the opening book.
- A Kingdom of Venom and Vows: Continue through the escalating war and political conflict.
- A Kingdom of Fire and Fate: Complete the Stars and Shadows story.
- Mooncursed: Start The Drowned King after its November 2026 publication.
This is a recommended progression, not a shared chronology.
Recommended Order for Contemporary Romance Readers
For a tour through Holly Renee’s contemporary work without jumping repeatedly between casts, read by complete series:
- Where Good Girls Go to Die
- Where Bad Girls Go to Fall
- Where Bad Boys Are Ruined
- Trouble with the Guy Next Door
- Trouble with the Hotshot Boss
- Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend
- The Touch of a Villain
- The Fall of a God
- The Taste of an Enemy
- The Deceit of a Devil
- The Seduction of Pretty Lies
- The Temptation of Dirty Secrets
- Cowboy Casual
- Small Town Smokeshow
The Garage books and The Wrong Prince Charming may be added at any point between completed series.
Latest Holly Renee Book
Holly Renee’s latest published novel is Small Town Smokeshow, released in May 2026.
Small Town Smokeshow (2026): The second Calloway Ranch romance returns to the author’s cowboy setting for a new central couple surrounded by the ranch’s established family and community.
Her next confirmed original novel is Mooncursed, scheduled for November 3, 2026.
Mooncursed (2026): A human woman chosen as a cursed sea king’s bride becomes part of a dark romantasy involving stolen fate, dangerous magic, and a ruler feared for what happens when his face is seen.
The 2026 deluxe release of A Kingdom of Fire and Fate is a rerelease. It is not newer story content than Small Town Smokeshow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Holly Renee’s first book?
Holly Renee’s earliest confirmed novel is Letting Go, published in 2015.
It begins the two-book Garage series.
What is Holly Renee’s newest book?
Her newest published novel is Small Town Smokeshow, the second Calloway Ranch book, released in May 2026.
Her next scheduled novel is Mooncursed, due November 3, 2026.
Should The Veiled Kingdom books be read in order?
Yes. Read The Veiled Kingdom, The Hunted Heir, and The Rivaled Crown in strict sequence.
The central romance, rebellion, and succession conflict continue across all three books.
Is The Veiled Kingdom connected to Stars and Shadows?
No confirmed shared continuity is required.
They are separate fantasy romance series with different kingdoms, protagonists, and conflicts.
Does A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows end on a cliffhanger?
Yes. It begins an ongoing four-book story and should be followed by A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal.
The complete series ends with A Kingdom of Fire and Fate.
Are the Boys of Clermont Bay books standalones?
Not fully. The series changes couples after every two books, but each romantic arc spans a pair of novels and the wider Clermont Bay story develops throughout the sequence.
Read all six books in publication order.
Are Bottoms Up and Trouble with the Guy Next Door the same book?
Yes. Bottoms Up is the original title of the novel now listed as Trouble with the Guy Next Door.
They should be counted once.
Are Double Shot and Trouble with the Hotshot Boss the same book?
Yes. Double Shot is the earlier title.
The renamed edition remains Rock Bottom book two.
Can the Good Girls books be read separately?
Each book follows a different couple, but later installments contain updates and spoilers involving earlier relationships.
Publication order is recommended.
Is The Wrong Prince Charming a fantasy novel?
No. It is a standalone contemporary romance.
It is unrelated to the royal and magical worlds in Holly Renee’s romantasy series.
Where should a new Holly Renee reader begin?
Begin with The Veiled Kingdom for fantasy romance, Cowboy Casual for cowboy romance, Where Good Girls Go to Die for contemporary romance, or The Touch of a Villain for darker new adult romance.
Final Reading Guidance
Holly Renee’s catalog becomes much easier to navigate once the fantasy continuities are separated from the couple-by-couple contemporary series.
Read The Veiled Kingdom and Stars and Shadows without skipping or rearranging books. Read Boys of Clermont Bay as three consecutive two-book arcs, while still preserving the full six-book order.
For contemporary romance, Cowboy Casual is the clearest current starting point. For fantasy, begin with The Veiled Kingdom. Both choices introduce a complete series identity without requiring knowledge of Holly Renee’s earlier books.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.