A.E. Wasp Books in Order (Updated August 4, 2026)

A.E. Wasp writes gay romance featuring hockey players, military veterans, con artists, law-enforcement officers, supernatural mysteries, small communities, and men building new families after difficult experiences.

Her bibliography does not belong to one continuous fictional universe. Hot Off the Ice is a connected hockey series, Pros & Cons follows one team of vigilante criminals, Veterans Affairs centers on former service members, and Soulbonded tells a separate paranormal story.

The most important distinction is between connected standalones and continuing plots. Hot Off the Ice changes couples but carries teammates and families forward. Pros & Cons combines new romances with an investigation that progresses across the series. Soulbonded follows the same central storyline and must be read in order.

Pick a Door Into A.E. Wasp’s Books

1. Readers interested in sports romance should enter through City Boy.
2. Readers looking for romantic suspense should begin with Pros & Cons of Vengeance.
3. Readers who prefer military and veteran stories should start with Incoming.
4. Readers wanting paranormal romance should begin with Buried Desire.
5. Readers looking for a self-contained shared-world romance can choose Heartsong, Score, or Behind the 8-Ball.

There is no reason to combine all of these groups into one master continuity. Finish one series before moving to the next.

Hot Off the Ice Books in Order

Hot Off the Ice follows professional hockey players, their relatives, and the men who become part of their lives. The series begins with the Seattle Thunder and gradually expands beyond the original team.

The publication history creates some confusion. City Boy is officially treated as the first story, even though some editions and catalogs carry a later publication date than Country Boy. Recommended order should follow the author’s series numbering.

1. City Boy

City Boy (2017): Veteran hockey star Bryce Lowery meets young orchard owner Dakota Ryan after a roadside breakdown, forcing Bryce to reconsider his career, sexuality, and the solitary life created by years in professional sports.

This book introduces the broader hockey world. It is the cleanest starting point despite inconsistent dates attached to some later editions.

2. Country Boy

Country Boy (2017): Closeted rookie Paul Dyson is reunited with Robbie Rhodes, the openly gay teammate he rejected after their first encounter, placing his hockey ambitions in conflict with fear and unfinished attraction.

The Seattle Thunder setting becomes more important here. Read it after City Boy so the professional-hockey environment is already familiar.

3. Boy Toys

Boy Toys (2017): Two men connected to the Thunder confront attraction through a relationship complicated by friendship, public expectations, and the playful image suggested by the title.

This installment continues the team’s close social network while giving a new couple its own complete romance.

4. Skater Boy

Skater Boy (2018): Olympic figure skater Alex Staunton moves in with Thunder goalie Sergei Pergov and helps care for the twins unexpectedly placed in Sergei’s custody, turning a practical household into a family.

The story combines hockey, figure skating, sudden parenthood, and a domestic arrangement that becomes emotionally permanent.

5. Boy Next Door

Boy Next Door (2018): A familiar neighbor becomes a serious romantic possibility when proximity and long-standing connections make it impossible for the central couple to keep treating each other casually.

Returning players and established relationships make this more rewarding in fifth position.

6. Boys of Summer

Boys of Summer (2019): A summer setting brings another pair of men from the extended hockey circle together, where temporary plans give way to a relationship with consequences beyond the season.

The novel widens the series beyond the original team while retaining its emphasis on found family and recurring couples.

The O’Reilly Boys

Hot Off the Ice: The O’Reilly Boys (2020): This related collection gathers romances involving the O’Reilly family and places their stories together within the wider Hot Off the Ice world.

It is a collection or family grouping rather than a completely new numbered novel. Check the contents against editions already owned to avoid purchasing duplicate stories.

7. Bad Boys

Bad Boys (2023): Men carrying difficult reputations are brought together through hockey and the established Hot Off the Ice community, where the labels attached to them begin to conflict with the relationship they build.

This return to the series takes place after the original six books and assumes that the hockey family has already expanded.

8. Fanboy

Fanboy (2024): Admiration for a public hockey figure becomes personal when a fan and the man he follows are brought into direct contact, complicating the divide between celebrity image and genuine intimacy.

This is the eighth numbered Hot Off the Ice book and the latest verified A.E. Wasp novel.

The Safest Hot Off the Ice Route

Read the numbered books in this order:

1. City Boy
2. Country Boy
3. Boy Toys
4. Skater Boy
5. Boy Next Door
6. Boys of Summer
7. Bad Boys
8. Fanboy

Place The O’Reilly Boys after Boys of Summer, or use it as a collection after checking which stories it contains.

The romances have individual endings, but publication order protects teammate introductions, family changes, and appearances by previous couples.

Pros & Cons Books in Order

Pros & Cons follows five men brought together by Charlie Bingham, a con artist whose plans continue influencing them after his apparent death. Each man must complete a dangerous job to receive help erasing or repairing part of his past.

Every main novel introduces a new romance, but the jobs form a continuing suspense arc. This series should be read in order.

1. Pros & Cons of Vengeance

Pros & Cons of Vengeance (2018): Disgraced former Army Ranger Steele works with an innocent college student while trying to expose a powerful senator whose secrets make the assignment lethal.

The book assembles the group and establishes Charlie’s posthumous plan. Skipping it would remove the reason the later missions exist.

2. Pros & Cons of Deception

Pros & Cons of Deception (2019): Hacker Wesley Bond enters a fake relationship with a former sex worker while their mission to punish an abusive target places both men in genuine danger.

The second job expands the team’s methods and continues the larger question surrounding Charlie and his plans.

3. Pros & Cons of Desire

Pros & Cons of Desire (2020): Jewel thief Ridge Pfeiffer is drawn to Diplomatic Security agent Davis Ethan, even though completing his assigned job could destroy the man he wants.

The romance places a criminal and federal agent on opposing sides while moving the group’s unfinished work forward.

4. Pros & Cons of Betrayal

Pros & Cons of Betrayal (2020): Con artist Carson Grieves must contact Eric Smallman, the first man he loved, forcing him to confront the lies and abandonment that ended their relationship fifteen years earlier.

This installment combines a second-chance romance with the fourth mission in Charlie’s plan.

5. Pros & Cons of Obsession

Pros & Cons of Obsession (2021): FBI agent Leo Shook and vigilante con man Charlie face an obsessed stalker, legal danger, and the unresolved past that has shaped their complicated relationship.

The fifth novel brings the series’ central lawman and con artist into focus. It depends heavily on the previous missions and should not be used as a starting point.

6. Pros & Cons of Christmas

Pros & Cons of Christmas (2021): The team gathers for a country-house Christmas, only to find a body in the kitchen and a murderer among the holiday guests.

This shorter mystery is a series follow-up rather than an independent Christmas romance. Read it after Pros & Cons of Obsession because it reveals the couples and outcomes of the main suspense arc.

Why Pros & Cons Requires Publication Order

The five principal jobs create a sequence. Each book changes the group’s understanding of Charlie, their own legal positions, and the people working beside them.

The correct order is:

1. Pros & Cons of Vengeance
2. Pros & Cons of Deception
3. Pros & Cons of Desire
4. Pros & Cons of Betrayal
5. Pros & Cons of Obsession
6. Pros & Cons of Christmas

Publication order preserves the suspense revelations while allowing each romance to emerge from the team’s changing relationships.

Veterans Affairs Books in Order

Veterans Affairs centers on military veterans and the men who help them rebuild civilian lives. The series contains full-length novels, holiday material, and stories that have sometimes been numbered differently by retailers.

Family, friendship, recovery, and military experience connect the books more strongly than one uninterrupted external plot.

Half Broke

Half Broke (2016): A veteran struggling with the practical and emotional consequences of returning home finds an unexpected relationship while trying to rebuild a life that no longer fits his earlier plans.

Some lists treat this as a prequel or companion rather than the first numbered Veterans Affairs novel. Read it first when completing all available material.

1. Incoming

Incoming (2016): A veteran returns to civilian life carrying injuries and memories that complicate intimacy, trust, and the possibility of accepting help from another man.

This is the strongest formal entry point for Veterans Affairs and introduces the series’ focus on recovery and found family.

A Christmas Outing

A Christmas Outing (2016): A holiday gathering forces a man to confront both his sexuality and the consequences of becoming open about an important relationship.

The story is shorter than the principal novels. Place it after Incoming for the smoothest introduction to the community.

2. Paper Hearts

Paper Hearts (2017): A veteran and the man entering his life must work through distance, emotional damage, and the difference between symbolic promises and the daily work of building a relationship.

The novel continues the series’ focus on men creating stability after military service.

Paper Roses

Paper Roses (2017): Characters connected to Paper Hearts receive additional romantic or family development, extending its emotional arc beyond the main ending.

Treat this as companion material and read it directly after Paper Hearts.

3. Bronze Star

Bronze Star (2017): Military honor, sacrifice, and the private cost of service shape a romance in which recognition from the outside cannot repair everything carried home.

This is the final principal Veterans Affairs novel and works best after the earlier books have established the veteran community.

Recommended Veterans Affairs Placement

For the broadest version, read:

1. Half Broke
2. Incoming
3. A Christmas Outing
4. Paper Hearts
5. Paper Roses
6. Bronze Star

Catalogs do not always agree on whether Half Broke, A Christmas Outing, and Paper Roses are numbered installments. Their safest treatment is as included companion stories positioned around the three principal novels.

Soulbonded Books in Order

Soulbonded is A.E. Wasp’s paranormal-romance duology. It combines ghosts, psychic or magical bonds, family history, hidden organizations, and a continuing supernatural conflict.

Unlike most of Wasp’s contemporary romances, these books follow one connected story and should be read in strict order.

1. Buried Desire

Buried Desire (2016): A man’s connection to ghosts, buried family secrets, and a powerful supernatural bond pulls him into a mystery where desire and danger cannot be separated.

The book establishes the magical rules, principal relationship, and unanswered threat.

2. Shattered Destiny

Shattered Destiny (2016): The bond and supernatural conflict from Buried Desire deepen as the central characters confront the forces attempting to control their lives and futures.

This is a direct continuation. Reading it first would spoil both the relationship development and revelations from the opening novel.

Soulbonded Reading Rule

Read Buried Desire followed immediately by Shattered Destiny.

Chronological order and publication order are the same. Neither book should be treated as a completely independent paranormal romance.

Cradle to Grave Mystery Books

Spirit of the Rodeo

Spirit of the Rodeo (2017): A rodeo setting, an unresolved death or supernatural presence, and a developing romance draw the central characters into a mystery rooted in the past.

The book is listed as the first Cradle to Grave Mystery. No second published installment has been reliably confirmed as of August 4, 2026.

Its central case and romance can be approached as a self-contained story.

Private Passions Books

Man in the Mirror

Man in the Mirror (2017): A man is forced to reconsider his identity, private desires, and the version of himself presented to others when a relationship makes self-deception impossible to maintain.

It is listed as the first Private Passions book, but no second verified installment currently follows it.

Readers can treat it as a complete standalone unless the series is expanded later.

Shared-World Novels

A.E. Wasp has contributed books to several multi-author projects. These titles use settings created for groups of authors, but each central romance is designed to be understood on its own.

They should not be inserted into Hot Off the Ice, Pros & Cons, or Veterans Affairs.

Men of Hidden Creek

Score

Score (2018): A romance develops in the Texas town of Hidden Creek, where sports, community expectations, and a man’s public identity complicate the relationship he wants.

This is the sixth book in the first Men of Hidden Creek season. The previous books are by other authors.

Reading the full shared series offers additional town context, but it is not required to understand Wasp’s couple.

Vino and Veritas

Heartsong

Heartsong (2021): Two men meet within Burlington’s Vino and Veritas community, where music, emotional vulnerability, and the possibility of belonging turn attraction into a deeper connection.

The book belongs to the multi-author World of True North. It is separate from Wasp’s hockey and veteran series.

Other Vino and Veritas novels are optional because each author follows a different couple.

Subparheroes

Behind the 8-Ball

Behind the 8-Ball (2024): A man with an unusual or inconvenient ability is drawn into a romance and larger problem that require him to become useful in ways no conventional superhero would expect.

The book belongs to the comedic multi-author Subparheroes universe. It is not connected to Soulbonded despite both using speculative elements.

Standalone Novellas and Short Stories

Believe in Magic

Believe in Magic (2018): A holiday or fantasy-inflected romance asks its central characters to accept an unexpected connection that challenges their practical understanding of what is possible.

This novella is independent and can be read at any point.

Fairytale of LaGuardia

Fairytale of LaGuardia (2018): Co-written with Beth Bolden, this holiday romance brings two men together at or around LaGuardia Airport when disrupted travel turns an ordinary journey into an unexpected love story.

It is a standalone collaboration and does not belong to either author’s numbered series.

Anthologies Containing A.E. Wasp Stories

Anthologies collect shorter work by several writers. They should not be counted as additional full-length novels.

Heart2Heart

Heart2Heart (2018): A multi-author charity anthology uses dating matches, mistaken connections, and unexpected pairings to create a group of separate gay romances.

Only A.E. Wasp’s contribution belongs in her individual bibliography.

Heart2Heart, Volume 2

Heart2Heart, Volume 2 (2018): The second charity collection adds another group of independent matched-couple stories from multiple authors.

It is optional and does not continue the plot of Wasp’s earlier contribution.

Monster Maelstrom

Monster Maelstrom (2016): This multi-author speculative collection includes a shorter A.E. Wasp story alongside other tales involving monsters or supernatural danger.

The collection belongs outside Soulbonded because its stories occupy separate continuities.

A.E. Wasp Books in Series Order

Readers who want a clean reference list can use the following groups.

Hot Off the Ice

1. City Boy (2017): Bryce, a veteran hockey star questioning his future, meets young orchard owner Dakota after a roadside rescue.
2. Country Boy (2017): Closeted rookie Paul is reunited with Robbie, the openly gay teammate he once rejected.
3. Boy Toys (2017): Another pair within the Thunder circle turns attraction and friendship into a committed relationship.
4. Skater Boy (2018): Figure skater Alex helps goalie Sergei raise unexpectedly acquired twins and creates a family with him.
5. Boy Next Door (2018): Familiarity and proximity transform a neighboring connection into romance.
6. Boys of Summer (2019): A seasonal relationship becomes permanent within the extended hockey community.
7. Bad Boys (2023): Men carrying difficult reputations find acceptance and love in the later Hot Off the Ice world.
8. Fanboy (2024): A fan’s admiration becomes a real relationship with the public hockey figure he thought he knew.

Pros & Cons

1. Pros & Cons of Vengeance (2018): Steele begins Charlie’s sequence of dangerous jobs by targeting a corrupt senator.
2. Pros & Cons of Deception (2019): Wesley enters a fake relationship during a mission against an abusive target.
3. Pros & Cons of Desire (2020): Jewel thief Ridge falls for the federal agent his assignment could destroy.
4. Pros & Cons of Betrayal (2020): Carson must reconnect with Eric, the first man he loved and hurt.
5. Pros & Cons of Obsession (2021): Leo and Charlie confront a stalker and the legal consequences of their shared past.
6. Pros & Cons of Christmas (2021): A holiday reunion becomes a country-house murder investigation.

Veterans Affairs

1. Half Broke (2016): A veteran begins rebuilding a civilian life through an unexpected relationship.
2. Incoming (2016): Military trauma and homecoming complicate a veteran’s chance at intimacy.
3. A Christmas Outing (2016): A holiday relationship forces honesty about love and identity.
4. Paper Hearts (2017): A veteran and his partner discover that promises must be supported by daily trust.
5. Paper Roses (2017): The emotional and family story surrounding Paper Hearts receives a shorter continuation.
6. Bronze Star (2017): Military honor and private sacrifice frame the final principal Veterans Affairs romance.

Soulbonded

1. Buried Desire (2016): A supernatural bond and buried secrets begin a continuing paranormal romance.
2. Shattered Destiny (2016): The bonded couple confronts the larger forces threatening their relationship and future.

Should the Books Be Read in Overall Publication Order?

Overall publication order is possible, but it is not the clearest method.

It would move repeatedly between paranormal romance, veterans, hockey players, mysteries, con artists, and multi-author projects. Those shifts do not create additional continuity.

Series order is preferable. The only major exception is a reader deliberately studying how Wasp’s work developed across genres.

Is There a Different Chronological Order?

No separate chronological arrangement is necessary for most series.

Hot Off the Ice should follow the author’s numbering, beginning with City Boy, even when retailer dates make Country Boy appear to have been released first.

Pros & Cons already unfolds in story order. The numbered jobs and changing team relationships should not be rearranged.

Soulbonded also follows a direct first-book-to-second-book chronology.

The shorter Veterans Affairs works can be difficult to place precisely because different editions classify them differently. The stable reading solution is to keep A Christmas Outing after Incoming and Paper Roses after Paper Hearts.

Recommended A.E. Wasp Reading Plan

A reader interested primarily in character continuity should begin with Hot Off the Ice:

1. Read City Boy through Boys of Summer.
2. Check the contents of The O’Reilly Boys for stories not already owned.
3. Continue with Bad Boys and Fanboy.

A reader who prefers plot-driven suspense should choose Pros & Cons:

1. Begin with Pros & Cons of Vengeance.
2. Read all five main missions without skipping.
3. Finish with Pros & Cons of Christmas.

For a shorter complete storyline, read the Soulbonded duet.

Veterans Affairs works best as a separate emotional sequence focused on military service, recovery, and civilian relationships.

The shared-world books can be placed anywhere because they do not continue Wasp’s private series.

Latest A.E. Wasp Book

Fanboy (2024): A fan’s relationship with a hockey celebrity moves beyond distant admiration, exposing the difference between a public persona and the man living behind it.

It is Hot Off the Ice Book 8 and the latest A.E. Wasp novel that could be reliably verified as of August 4, 2026.

No later book with a confirmed title and publication date was found. Retailer placeholders or unconfirmed listings should not be treated as announced releases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A.E. Wasp’s First Book?

Buried Desire (2016): A supernatural bond, ghosts, and buried secrets begin the two-part Soulbonded story.

It is the earliest principal novel consistently listed in current bibliographies.

What Is the Best A.E. Wasp Book to Start With?

Begin with City Boy for hockey romance.

Begin with Pros & Cons of Vengeance for romantic suspense, or choose Buried Desire for paranormal romance.

Is City Boy Really the First Hot Off the Ice Book?

Yes. It is officially listed as Book 1.

Publication dates vary between editions, which is why some catalogs appear to place Country Boy first.

Do the Hot Off the Ice Books Stand Alone?

Each book has a different principal romance and a complete ending.

Reading in order is still recommended because teammates, relatives, children, and earlier couples continue to appear.

How Many Hot Off the Ice Books Are There?

There are eight numbered novels:

1. City Boy
2. Country Boy
3. Boy Toys
4. Skater Boy
5. Boy Next Door
6. Boys of Summer
7. Bad Boys
8. Fanboy

The O’Reilly Boys is a related collection rather than Book 7.

Is The O’Reilly Boys a New Novel?

It is generally cataloged as a Hot Off the Ice collection or family grouping.

Readers should inspect its contents before buying it in addition to the individual novels.

Do Pros & Cons Books Need to Be Read in Order?

Yes.

Each book follows another member of the team, but the missions and larger suspense story continue across the series.

Is Pros & Cons of Christmas a Standalone Holiday Book?

No.

It reunites the established group after the main missions and reveals the outcomes of earlier romances. Read it last.

Are Buried Desire and Shattered Destiny Standalones?

No.

They form the Soulbonded duology and follow one continuing paranormal storyline.

Where Does Half Broke Belong?

Half Broke is connected to Veterans Affairs, although catalog numbering varies.

The safest placement is before Incoming.

Is Paper Roses a Separate Full-Length Novel?

It is best treated as companion material connected to Paper Hearts.

Read the two consecutively and do not use Paper Roses as the series starting point.

Is Spirit of the Rodeo Part of a Completed Series?

It is listed as Cradle to Grave Mystery Book 1.

No second published book has been reliably confirmed, but its central romance and mystery can be read as a complete story.

Is Man in the Mirror Part of a Series?

It is listed as Private Passions Book 1.

No confirmed second installment currently follows it, so it functions as a standalone.

Do I Need Other Men of Hidden Creek Books Before Score?

No.

Score belongs to a multi-author shared setting, but its central couple receives a complete story.

Do I Need the Whole Vino and Veritas Series Before Heartsong?

No.

The wider series contains books by many authors. Heartsong can be read independently.

Is Behind the 8-Ball Connected to Soulbonded?

No.

It belongs to the multi-author Subparheroes world and has a separate speculative continuity.

What Is A.E. Wasp’s Latest Book?

Fanboy is the latest verified novel.

It was published in 2024 and is the eighth Hot Off the Ice book.

Conclusion

The clearest A.E. Wasp reading order begins by separating hockey, suspense, veterans, and paranormal romance.

For Hot Off the Ice, start with City Boy and continue through Fanboy in the author’s numbered order. This preserves team relationships and avoids the publication-date confusion surrounding the first two books.

For Pros & Cons, begin with Pros & Cons of Vengeance and complete all six entries without rearranging them. The missions form a continuing suspense storyline even though each principal romance changes.

Read Buried Desire before Shattered Destiny, and keep the Veterans Affairs companion stories beside the novels they extend. The remaining standalones and shared-world contributions can be read without completing another A.E. Wasp series.