C.D. Reiss Books in Order (Updated April 10, 2026)

C.D. Reiss is easiest to read by world, not by one giant publication list. Her official reading order groups the books into major continuity lanes, and that is the right way to approach them. For most readers, the three main doors are the Drazen books, the Mafia world, and the Crowne Brothers.

The safest starting point depends on what you want. Start with Submission if you want the signature Jonathan and Monica line. Start with Mafia Bride if you want dark mafia romance. Start with Iron Crowne if you want a more modern billionaire-family entry point.

Quick answer

Best overall starting point: Submission
Best mafia starting point: Mafia Bride
Best billionaire-family starting point: Iron Crowne
Most important rule: read within a world, then move to the next world afterward. Reiss’s own reading order and Goodreads notes make clear that continuity matters most inside those clusters.

Door one: The Drazen books

This is the oldest and most important C.D. Reiss continuity line. It begins with Jonathan Drazen and Monica Faulkner, then expands into connected family spin-offs. Goodreads notes that the original Songs of Submission serial was later repackaged as the Submission trilogy, and that is the cleanest modern route in.

The core Submission trilogy

1. Submission (2017): The modern starting point for Jonathan and Monica’s story, bundling the earliest Songs of Submission material into one cleaner entry.
2. Domination (2018): The second main volume continues the same relationship arc, so it works best immediately after Submission.
3. Connection (2018): The third core volume closes the main Jonathan-and-Monica line and is the right stopping point before any spin-offs.
4. Breathe (2015, optional): A standalone novella in the Submission world, best read after the main trilogy rather than as your first exposure to it.

Optional Submission-world shorts

1. Jessica: Jonathan’s point-of-view short set during the Submission timeline, useful as bonus context rather than required reading.
2. Sharon: Another Jonathan POV short tied to the same period, best treated as extra material.
3. Rachel: A short Submission-world side piece, again optional for completists.
4. Monica: A post-Sing short that Goodreads explicitly notes should be read after the end of the main arc.

Drazen spin-offs

Reiss has said the broader Drazen books can be read in any order once you know the world, but the safest experience is still to start with Submission and then move outward.

Corruption

1. Spin: Theresa Drazen and Antonio Spinelli’s story starts here, and Goodreads describes it as a stand-alone sequel series to Songs of Submission.
2. Ruin: The second Corruption novel deepens the same couple and should be read after Spin.
3. Rule: The trilogy closes here, making it the proper end point for Theresa and Antonio’s line.

Forbidden

1. Kick: Fiona Drazen’s story begins here, though many readers now use the bundled edition instead.
2. Use: The middle Fiona Drazen installment continues directly from Kick.
3. Break: The third part finishes Fiona’s arc; the trilogy is also bundled as Forbidden.

Sins Duet

1. Secret Sins: Margie Drazen’s story opens here and is explicitly identified as another Submission spin-off.
2. Sacred Sins: The duet concludes here and should be read second.

Pretty Scars

1. Pretty Scars: Carrie Drazen’s book stands on its own inside the wider family web, so it works best after you already know the Drazens.

Door two: The Mafia world

Reiss’s official reading order treats the mafia books as one larger connected lane. The cleanest way to read them is to start with The DiLustro Arrangement, then move to Manhattan Mafia, then the newer Immortal Empire books if you want the vampire-mafia branch.

The DiLustro Arrangement

1. Mafia Bride (2021): The best entry to Reiss’s mafia line, opening the forced-marriage trilogy with Santino DiLustro.
2. Mafia King (2021): The second DiLustro book continues the same marriage-and-power arc and should not be skipped.
3. Mafia Queen (2021): The trilogy ends here, making this the right place to finish the DiLustro core.

Manhattan Mafia

1. Take Me (2020): The Manhattan Mafia line begins with Dario Lucari and is meant to be read in order.
2. Make Me (2021): Goodreads notes that you need to read Take Me first or you will be lost, which makes the order especially important here.
3. Break Me (2022): The trilogy proper closes here.
4. Mafia Kingdom (2023): Goodreads lists this as Manhattan Mafia #4, so it belongs after the first three even though it broadens the world beyond a simple trilogy.

Immortal Empire

1. Blood Bride (2024): The vampire-mafia branch begins here with Carmine Montefiore and Luna Beneforte.
2. Deep Thrall (2025): Official store and Goodreads sources both identify this as book two and say it must be read in order.
3. Blood Queen (2026, upcoming): Reiss’s official reading-order page lists this as the next Immortal Empire book, so it is upcoming rather than part of the current published order.

Door three: The Crowne Brothers

This is one of the neatest C.D. Reiss sequences for readers who want billionaire-family continuity without starting in the older Drazen material. Goodreads lists five primary books in order.

1. Iron Crowne: The first Crowne Brothers book is the right place to start the family saga.
2. Crowne of Lies (2020): Logan Crowne and Ella’s marriage bargain story expands the family world and belongs second.
3. Crowne Rules (2020): The third book continues the Crowne family line in sequence rather than as a detached standalone.
4. Fake Crowne (2022): Colton Crowne’s book is listed fourth and works best there.
5. Crowne Jewel (2023): The fifth current Crowne Brothers novel closes the published sequence to date.

Other C.D. Reiss lanes

These are better treated as separate series or standalones, not as books you need to mix into the three main doors.

King of Code series

Goodreads notes that these have recurring characters but can be read as standalones, though publication order still gives the smoothest experience.

1. King of Code (2017): A tech-world romantic suspense entry and the natural starting point for this Silicon Valley line.
2. Prince Charming (2018): The second book shifts to Keaton and keeps the same broader world in play.
3. Prince Roman (optional novella): A side novella that fits best after the first two books.
4. White Knight (2018): The third main entry rounds out the series.

The Games Duet

1. Marriage Games (2016): The duet begins here and should be read first.
2. Separation Games (2017): The second book completes the duet and belongs directly after Marriage Games.

Hollywood A-List

This is a Shuttergirl spin-off sequence, so read Shuttergirl first if you want the cleanest continuity.

1. Shuttergirl (2015): A Hollywood standalone that quietly sets up the later A-List lane.
2. Bombshell (2017): The A-List spin-off starts here.
3. Bodyguard (2017): The second A-List book continues that Hollywood branch.

The Edge

Goodreads describes this as four books plus a prequel, with the prequel readable any time before book three. The simplest route is still publication order.

1. Cutting Edge: A prequel that sets up Greyson and Caden’s history.
2. Rough Edge (2018): The main story starts here if you want the fullest emotional setup.
3. On the Edge (2018): The second main installment continues the same marriage-in-crisis line.
4. Broken Edge (2018): The third main book finishes the core arc.

Laura Carnegie Murder Mysteries

These are the outlier in the bibliography: a mystery series originally associated with the Fashion Avenue branding and published under related names/pseudonyms. Read them separately from the romance catalog.

1. Dead Is the New Black: The first Laura Carnegie mystery starts the fashion-and-murder line.
2. Kill the Lights: The second mystery continues Laura’s series.
3. A Dress to Die For: The third main mystery closes the currently listed core run.

True standalones and separate extras

1. Hardball (2016): A baseball romance standalone and one of the cleaner one-book entry points outside the major worlds.
2. Screwed: A Sentient Object Romance (2025): A recent offbeat standalone novella, clearly separate from the main romance worlds.
3. Office Sparks: A Workplace Romance Collection (2025): A recent collection rather than a new continuity line, so treat it as optional extra reading.

Recommended reading order

For most readers, this is the best path:

1. Submission
2. Domination
3. Connection
4. Breathe
5. Spin
6. Ruin
7. Rule
8. Kick / Use / Break or the bundled Forbidden
9. Secret Sins
10. Sacred Sins
11. Pretty Scars
12. Mafia Bride
13. Mafia King
14. Mafia Queen
15. Take Me
16. Make Me
17. Break Me
18. Mafia Kingdom
19. Blood Bride
20. Deep Thrall
21. Iron Crowne
22. Crowne of Lies
23. Crowne Rules
24. Fake Crowne
25. Crowne Jewel

That order works because it starts with the foundational Drazen material, moves through the connected mafia lane in sequence, and then leaves the Crowne books for a separate family-focused binge. It also respects Reiss’s own world-based reading map instead of flattening everything into one date list.

Do C.D. Reiss books need to be read in order?

Yes inside the main worlds, especially Submission, The DiLustro Arrangement, Manhattan Mafia, Immortal Empire, and The Crowne Brothers. The exception is that some connected lines, like King of Code, are more forgiving, and Reiss has said the broader Drazen books can be read in any order once you are already in that universe.

Latest release status

The newest published C.D. Reiss titles I verified are Deep Thrall and Screwed: A Sentient Object Romance, both from 2025. Her official reading-order page also lists Blood Queen for 2026 as the next Immortal Empire book, which means it is upcoming rather than published.

FAQ

What is the best C.D. Reiss book to start with?
Start with Submission if you want the signature series, or Mafia Bride if you want the mafia lane first.

Do I need to read the original Songs of Submission novellas?
Not necessarily. Goodreads notes that the bundled Submission series is the modern route and “the only way” to read that story cleanly now.

Are the Drazen spin-offs required?
No, but they are the best next step once you finish Jonathan and Monica’s trilogy.

What is C.D. Reiss’s newest series?
The newest clearly active big continuity is Immortal Empire, which began with Blood Bride and continued with Deep Thrall.

What should mystery readers know?
The Laura Carnegie Murder Mysteries sit apart from the erotic romance catalog and should be read as their own separate lane.

Conclusion

C.D. Reiss is easiest to read once you stop trying to force everything into one list. Begin with Submission for the Drazen foundation, move to Mafia Bride if you want the dark mafia branch, and use Iron Crowne as your entry to the billionaire-family lane. Read by world, finish one cluster before starting the next, and the whole catalog becomes much easier to navigate.