Lia Riley writes contemporary romance featuring international travel, small towns, professional hockey, outdoor adventure, second chances, and characters whose carefully planned lives rarely survive first contact with love.
Her bibliography has two very different sides. The earlier books follow surfers, travelers, cowboys, mountaineers, and residents of closely connected communities. Her newer Regals Hockey novels combine professional sports with unusual high-concept premises, including time travel and artificial intelligence.
Affiliate Disclosure
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This article may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Most of Riley’s series stand apart from one another. Off the Map follows one principal couple across a trilogy, with two later companion romances. Brightwater, Everland, Georgia, Hellions Hockey, and Regals Hockey change couples from book to book.
Choose a Reading Lane
The clearest way to begin is by choosing the kind of continuity you want.
- For a continuing new adult romance: Start with Upside Down.
- For a California small-town series: Start with Last First Kiss.
- For international adventure romance: Read With Every Breath.
- For Southern small-town romance: Start with It Happened on Love Street.
- For conventional hockey romance: Start with Mister Hockey.
- For time travel and hockey: Start with Puck and Prejudice.
- For a STEM and hockey romantic comedy: Read The E.M.M.A. Effect after Puck and Prejudice.
The safest overall starting point is Upside Down. It is Riley’s first published novel and begins the only series in which the same couple carries the main story through several full-length books.
Which Lia Riley Series Must Be Read in Order?
Off the Map has the strictest continuity. Upside Down, Sideswiped, and Inside Out follow Talia and Bran through one developing relationship, so skipping between them is not recommended.
Brightwater, Everland, Georgia, Hellions Hockey, and Regals Hockey contain connected standalones. Each book gives a new couple a complete romantic ending, but publication order protects recurring characters and earlier outcomes.
With Every Breath is currently the only published Wanderlust novel and can be read independently.
Off the Map Books in Order
Off the Map begins when Natalia “Talia” Stolfi travels from California to Australia while struggling with grief and anxiety. There she meets Bran Lockhart, a guarded Australian surfer carrying losses of his own.
The three principal novels form one continuing relationship arc. Carry Me Home and Into My Arms follow supporting characters after Talia and Bran’s main trilogy.
1. Upside Down
Upside Down (2014): Talia travels to Australia hoping to escape the grief and anxiety consuming her life, but brooding surfer Bran sees through her carefree act and becomes the one person capable of challenging her isolation.
This book establishes Talia and Bran’s relationship, their emotional histories, and the Australian setting. It is the only suitable starting point for their story.
2. Sideswiped
Sideswiped (2014): Talia and Bran attempt to build a real relationship after their intense beginning, only for family pressure, fear, and unresolved trauma to threaten the future they have chosen.
The novel begins after the events of Upside Down. It assumes readers understand why both characters find trust and stability difficult.
3. Inside Out
Inside Out (2014): Talia’s Peace Corps plans and a serious illness force her and Bran to confront distance, recovery, and whether love can survive when neither person’s future follows the expected route.
This is the conclusion of Talia and Bran’s principal trilogy. Read it directly after Sideswiped.
3.1. Carry Me Home
Carry Me Home (2015): Free-spirited Sunny Letman reunites with professional skateboarder Tanner Green, the boy she once expected to share every important first with before their relationship collapsed.
Sunny and Tanner are connected to Talia’s California circle. Their story is a second-chance companion romance rather than another chapter centered on Talia and Bran.
3.2. Into My Arms
Into My Arms (2015): Corporate assistant Beth Jacobs enters an emotionally risky relationship that forces her to reconsider the controlled life and professional identity she has built.
The novella remains within the wider Off the Map circle while following a separate central couple.
The Recommended Off the Map Sequence
Read the books in this order:
- Upside Down
- Sideswiped
- Inside Out
- Carry Me Home
- Into My Arms
Some catalogs place Carry Me Home between Sideswiped and Inside Out because of fractional numbering or later edition data. The cleaner first-reading route is to finish Talia and Bran’s trilogy before moving to the supporting couples.
Brightwater Books in Order
Brightwater is a rural Northern California town shaped by ranching families, old reputations, community history, and people returning after years away.
The first three novels follow different couples connected to the Kane and Carson families. “Hot Winter’s Night” is a holiday novella set after the trilogy.
1. Last First Kiss
Last First Kiss (2015): Divorced single mother Annie Carson returns to Brightwater to sell her family’s farm and encounters Sheriff Sawyer Kane, the first love she never truly forgot.
Annie expects the sale to help her leave the town that once made her feel like an outsider. Sawyer’s presence forces her to reconsider both their damaged history and what returning home might mean for her son.
2. Right Wrong Guy
Right Wrong Guy (2015): Commitment-averse cowboy Archer Kane meets runaway heiress Eden Bankcroft-Kew after she escapes a blackmailing fiancé and a disastrous wedding plan.
A reckless Las Vegas encounter places two people from very different backgrounds together. The romance continues the Kane family story introduced through Sawyer.
3. Best Worst Mistake
Best Worst Mistake (2015): Former smoke jumper Wilder Kane isolates himself after a devastating accident, until bookstore owner Quinn Higsby refuses to let his anger drive her away.
Quinn has returned to Brightwater after her Hollywood career collapses. Her persistence challenges Wilder’s belief that his scars and grief make a lasting relationship impossible.
3.5. Hot Winter’s Night
Hot Winter’s Night (2016): Florist Marigold “Goldie” Flint is trapped by a Brightwater snowstorm and forced to rely on former Marine Kit Kane, the man who left town and broke her heart years earlier.
The story appeared in the multi-author collection Snowbound at Christmas. Read it after Best Worst Mistake because the novella includes familiar Brightwater residents and established couples.
Brightwater Reading Advice
Read the three Kane romances in publication order, then finish with “Hot Winter’s Night.”
The holiday novella is optional, but it gives Kit and Goldie a complete second-chance romance and provides a final visit with the wider Brightwater community.
Is Snowbound at Christmas a Lia Riley Novel?
No. Snowbound at Christmas is a multi-author collection containing three separate holiday stories.
Lia Riley’s contribution is “Hot Winter’s Night.” The other stories were written by Jennifer Ryan and Maisey Yates and do not belong to Brightwater.
Readers should not count the anthology as a fourth full-length Brightwater novel.
Wanderlust Books
With Every Breath
With Every Breath (2016): Aspiring outdoor journalist Auden Woods travels to Patagonia for a career-making story and becomes stranded with Scottish mountaineer Rhys MacAskill, who is haunted by the climbing accident that killed his brother.
A dangerous storm forces them into immediate dependence. Their relationship then develops around survival, guilt, ambition, and Rhys’s fear of returning to the mountain that changed his life.
The book is listed as Wanderlust Book 1, but no second published installment has been confirmed. It has a complete central romance and can be treated as a standalone.
Everland, Georgia Books in Order
Everland, Georgia follows sisters Pepper and Tuesday Knight as they attempt to rebuild careers and personal lives in a Southern town with a historical amusement park and an active interest in everyone’s business.
The books change couples but share family connections and returning residents.
1. It Happened on Love Street
It Happened on Love Street (2017): Aspiring lawyer Pepper Knight arrives in Everland after her career plan fails and accepts work walking dogs for veterinarian Rhett Valentine, despite being deeply uncomfortable around animals.
Pepper expects Everland to be a temporary setback. Rhett and the community gradually challenge the controlled future she designed for herself.
2. The Corner of Forever and Always
The Corner of Forever and Always (2017): Failed Broadway performer Tuesday Knight joins her sister in Everland and takes a job as a princess at the town’s historical amusement park, where she clashes with serious Mayor Beau Marino.
Tuesday is rebuilding after professional and romantic disappointment. Beau is avoiding further emotional chaos after a failed marriage, making her theatrical personality especially disruptive to his orderly life.
Everland, Georgia Reading Advice
Read It Happened on Love Street first.
Tuesday’s story reveals Pepper’s romantic outcome and assumes that Everland’s principal setting has already been introduced. The two books form a complete sister-centered sequence.
Hellions Hockey Books in Order
Hellions Hockey, also called Hellions Angels in some catalogs, follows members of a professional hockey organization and women connected through the Angel sisters and their friends.
The trilogy moves from a star player to the team’s coach and then to its volatile goalie.
1. Mister Hockey
Mister Hockey (2017): Book-loving librarian Breezy Angel meets her longtime celebrity crush, Denver Hellions captain Jed West, when he appears at one of her library events.
Breezy tries to hide the extent of her fandom while Jed becomes interested in the woman behind the awkward first meeting. Their romance introduces Breezy’s sister Neve, the sports reporter who leads the second book.
2. Head Coach
Head Coach (2018): Sports reporter Neve Angel enters an enemies-to-lovers relationship with championship-winning Hellions coach Tor Gunnar.
Neve has fought for credibility in a male-dominated profession and refuses to be intimidated by the team’s difficult coach. Tor’s hostility becomes more complicated when a wager forces them into personal proximity.
3. Virgin Territory
Virgin Territory (2018): Hot-tempered Hellions goalie Patrick “Patch” Donnelly is ordered to work with yoga instructor Margot Kowalski after his behavior threatens his starting position.
Patch is a former seminarian with little romantic experience. Margot has been judged for having too much, creating a romance in which their opposing histories challenge both characters’ assumptions about intimacy.
Hellions Hockey Reading Advice
Read all three books in publication order.
Breezy, Neve, Margot, the players, and the coaching staff move between the novels. Virgin Territory also develops consequences from Patch’s behavior in Head Coach.
Head Coach and Virgin Territory Combined Edition
Head Coach & Virgin Territory: This two-in-one edition contains the second and third Hellions Hockey novels.
It does not include Mister Hockey and does not add a fourth romance. Readers buying the combined edition should still begin the series with Mister Hockey.
Regals Hockey Books in Order
Regals Hockey is Lia Riley’s newest series. It combines professional hockey with more unusual romantic-comedy concepts than her earlier sports books.
The first novel uses time travel and Regency England. The second combines hockey performance research with artificial intelligence.
1. Puck and Prejudice
Puck and Prejudice (2024): Austin Regals goalie Tucker Taylor falls through an icy English pond and lands in 1812, where independent Lizzy Wooddash considers marrying him as a route to the freedom normally available only to widows.
Tucker needs to understand how he traveled into the past and whether he can return home. Lizzy wants a life built around books and intellectual independence rather than a conventional Regency marriage.
Their marriage-of-convenience romance combines professional hockey, time travel, and a setting shaped by Jane Austen’s era.
2. The E.M.M.A. Effect
The E.M.M.A. Effect (2025): Computer scientist Harriet Smythe uses NHL forward Gale Knight as the test subject for her artificial-intelligence training system, only for the program to identify Harriet as his ideal romantic match.
Harriet has secretly wanted her best friend’s younger brother for years but insists on keeping their work professional. Gale’s test dates with other candidates make the attraction between them increasingly difficult to dismiss.
Are the Regals Hockey Books Connected?
Yes, through the Austin Regals organization and its hockey circle.
Each novel has a different central couple and a very different premise. Readers can understand The E.M.M.A. Effect without following Tucker into Regency England, but beginning with Puck and Prejudice gives the team and series identity a proper introduction.
Lia Riley Books in Publication Order
Readers who prefer to follow Riley’s career across settings can use this order.
- Upside Down (2014): Talia travels to Australia and meets surfer Bran while trying to escape grief and anxiety.
- Sideswiped (2014): Talia and Bran attempt to make their relationship survive family pressure and unresolved trauma.
- Inside Out (2014): Illness, distance, and uncertain futures test Talia and Bran’s commitment.
- Carry Me Home (2015): Sunny and professional skateboarder Tanner confront the collapse of their youthful relationship.
- Last First Kiss (2015): Single mother Annie returns to Brightwater and reunites with Sheriff Sawyer Kane.
- Right Wrong Guy (2015): Cowboy Archer meets runaway heiress Eden after she escapes a blackmailing fiancé.
- Into My Arms (2015): Corporate assistant Beth enters a relationship that challenges her controlled professional life.
- Best Worst Mistake (2015): Quinn refuses to be driven away by injured former smoke jumper Wilder Kane.
- With Every Breath (2016): Journalist Auden and grieving mountaineer Rhys survive a Patagonian storm together.
- “Hot Winter’s Night” (2016): Goldie and former Marine Kit Kane reunite during a Brightwater snowstorm.
- It Happened on Love Street (2017): Lawyer Pepper takes a dog-walking job for Everland veterinarian Rhett.
- Mister Hockey (2017): Librarian Breezy meets the professional hockey captain she has admired from a distance.
- The Corner of Forever and Always (2017): Tuesday Knight becomes an amusement-park princess and clashes with Everland’s mayor.
- Head Coach (2018): Reporter Neve Angel begins a combative romance with Hellions coach Tor Gunnar.
- Virgin Territory (2018): Goalie Patch works with yoga instructor Margot to control his temper and protect his career.
- Puck and Prejudice (2024): Regals goalie Tucker travels to 1812 and enters a marriage arrangement with Lizzy.
- The E.M.M.A. Effect (2025): An artificial-intelligence system declares computer scientist Harriet the perfect match for hockey player Gale.
Does Lia Riley Have a Chronological Reading Order?
Only Off the Map benefits from strict story chronology.
The three Talia and Bran novels should remain together. The two later companion romances can follow after their trilogy.
Brightwater, Everland, Georgia, Hellions Hockey, and Regals Hockey already move naturally in publication order. Rearranging them by character age or background would not improve continuity.
The different series should not be combined into one fictional timeline. Australian surfers, California cowboys, Georgia residents, Denver hockey players, and the Austin Regals belong to separate story worlds.
Recommended Lia Riley Reading Plan
For Riley’s earlier emotional and travel-focused work:
- Read the three main Off the Map novels.
- Add Carry Me Home and Into My Arms.
- Read With Every Breath as a separate adventure romance.
For small-town romance:
- Read Brightwater from Last First Kiss through “Hot Winter’s Night.”
- Read the two Everland, Georgia books.
For hockey romance:
- Read Mister Hockey.
- Continue with Head Coach and Virgin Territory.
- Begin Regals Hockey with Puck and Prejudice.
- Continue with The E.M.M.A. Effect.
This keeps each team and community together rather than alternating unrelated series by publication year.
Latest Lia Riley Book
The E.M.M.A. Effect (2025): Computer scientist Harriet Smythe tests her AI sports-training program on NHL forward Gale Knight and discovers that its performance model believes she is his ideal romantic partner.
The novel was published on December 2, 2025. It is Regals Hockey Book 2 and Lia Riley’s latest verified release as of August 5, 2026.
Upcoming Lia Riley Books
No later Lia Riley novel with a confirmed title and publication date could be reliably verified as of August 5, 2026.
Regals Hockey may continue, but untitled possibilities, informal comments, and retailer placeholders should not be added to the numbered series until publication details are confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Lia Riley’s First Book?
Upside Down (2014): Grieving California student Talia travels to Australia and falls for guarded surfer Bran Lockhart.
It begins the continuing Off the Map trilogy.
What Is the Best Lia Riley Book to Start With?
Begin with Upside Down for Riley’s earliest and most continuity-dependent series.
Begin with Last First Kiss for small-town romance, Mister Hockey for a conventional hockey romance, or Puck and Prejudice for her newer high-concept work.
Do the Off the Map Books Need to Be Read in Order?
Yes.
Upside Down, Sideswiped, and Inside Out follow Talia and Bran through one continuing relationship. Later books assume knowledge of their emotional history and earlier decisions.
Are Carry Me Home and Into My Arms Part of Talia and Bran’s Trilogy?
They belong to the Off the Map world but focus on other couples.
Read them after Inside Out when you want the smoothest first experience.
How Many Brightwater Books Are There?
There are three full-length novels:
- Last First Kiss
- Right Wrong Guy
- Best Worst Mistake
“Hot Winter’s Night” is the additional holiday novella.
Where Can Hot Winter’s Night Be Found?
It appeared in the multi-author collection Snowbound at Christmas.
The story follows Goldie Flint and Kit Kane and belongs after the Brightwater trilogy.
Is With Every Breath Part of a Series?
It is labeled Wanderlust Book 1, but no second installment has been confirmed.
The romance between Auden and Rhys reaches a complete conclusion.
Are the Everland, Georgia Books Standalones?
They are connected standalones following sisters Pepper and Tuesday Knight.
Read It Happened on Love Street first because the second novel reveals the result of Pepper’s romance.
Is Hellions Angels the Same as Hellions Hockey?
Yes.
Both labels refer to the series containing Mister Hockey, Head Coach, and Virgin Territory.
Can Mister Hockey Be Read by Itself?
Yes. Breezy and Jed receive a complete central romance.
Reading the full series in order is still recommended because Breezy’s sister and best friend lead the next two books.
Is Head Coach & Virgin Territory a New Book?
No.
It is a combined edition containing the second and third Hellions Hockey novels.
Is Puck and Prejudice Related to Jane Austen’s Novel?
It uses Regency England, marriage-of-convenience elements, and a heroine interested in Jane Austen’s literary world.
It is an original time-travel hockey romance, not a retelling that requires prior knowledge of Pride and Prejudice.
Is The E.M.M.A. Effect a Sequel to Puck and Prejudice?
It is Regals Hockey Book 2 and follows another couple connected to the same professional organization.
The central plot is independent, but series order provides useful team context.
What Does E.M.M.A. Mean?
The E.M.M.A. is Harriet Smythe’s elite artificial-intelligence training program.
The system is designed to optimize athletic performance and unexpectedly concludes that Harriet is Gale Knight’s ideal match.
What Is Lia Riley’s Latest Book?
The E.M.M.A. Effect is her latest verified publication.
It was released on December 2, 2025 and is the second Regals Hockey novel.
Conclusion
The best Lia Riley reading order begins with the type of romance you prefer.
For the strongest continuous story, start with Upside Down and read Talia and Bran’s Off the Map trilogy without interruption. Add Carry Me Home and Into My Arms afterward for companion romances.
For small-town stories, read Brightwater in publication order and place “Hot Winter’s Night” last. The two Everland, Georgia books form a separate sister-centered sequence.
For hockey, begin with Mister Hockey and complete the Hellions trilogy before moving to Regals Hockey. Start the newer series with Puck and Prejudice, then continue with The E.M.M.A. Effect.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.