Claire Contreras Books in Order (Updated February 15, 2026)

Claire Contreras is a New York Times bestselling romance author whose catalog splits into two main modes: high-continuity romantic suspense lanes (where order matters) and standalones/connected standalones (where order mostly improves cameos and context).

Claire Contreras Books in Order (Updated February 15, 2026)

If you stay inside one lane at a time, you’ll avoid nearly all accidental spoilers.

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What most readers actually need to know

  • If the series title sounds like a “case file” (Secrets, Deceit, Darkness): read in order.
  • If the series is couple-forward (Hearts, Second Chances, Fairview Hockey): read in order for emotional payoff.
  • If you’re picking a standalone: you can start anywhere.

Quick-start picks

Read in order by lane (each title includes a one-line hook)

Hearts

  1. Kaleidoscope Hearts: An older brother’s best friend returns, and unfinished business turns into the kind of love that hurts.
  2. Torn Hearts (novella; #1.5): A short bridge that adds perspective and deepens the emotional bruises before book two.
  3. Paper Hearts: A broken couple is forced back into each other’s orbit, and regret becomes its own antagonist.
  4. Elastic Hearts: A marriage-in-trouble story where love has to stretch without snapping.

Best first-time path: read straight through in series order, placing the novella where it’s numbered.

Fairview Hockey

  1. Until I Get You: A revenge-tilted hockey romance where the past isn’t over and neither is the attraction.
  2. When We Lied: Two people caught in secrets and pressure discover that chemistry is easy, truth is not.

Continuity note: these share a world; you’ll get cleaner character context in order.

Darkness

  1. There Is No Light in Darkness: A dark romantic suspense beginning where survival and desire get tangled from page one.
  2. Darkness Before Dawn: The continuation where danger tightens and love becomes a risk you take anyway.

Spoiler warning: don’t start with book two.

Secret Society

  1. Half Truths: A secretive elite world opens its doors, and the heroine learns the invitation is the trap.
  2. Twisted Circles: A second descent into the same shadowy campus world where memory, identity, and trust get weaponized.

Also exists (separate continuity / multi-author): Need You Now is listed as related to this world in some places, but it’s not a main numbered entry.

Sins & Deceit

This lane expands over time; early entries set the tone and family dynamics.

  1. Because You’re Mine: A forbidden mafia romance where “off-limits” only sharpens the obsession.
  2. Because I Need You: An arranged-marriage mafia setup where protection comes with conditions.
  3. Because I Want You: A stand-alone-style mafia romance that plays with temptation and control inside the same world.
  4. Because I’m Yours: A duty-versus-desire romance where the “good girl” role stops fitting.
  5. Because I Found You: A later-world entry that leans into belonging, loyalty, and choosing your own side.

Best first-time path: read in numbered order, even if some are marketed as standalones.

Contracts & Deception

  1. The Devil’s Contract: A seductive bargain romance where the deal is easy and the feelings are not.
  2. The Sinner’s Bargain: The stakes rise when the “terms” start looking like emotional leverage.
  3. The Contract: The payoff where what was negotiated becomes personal.

This is its own lane: don’t mix it with the mafia books expecting crossover.

Sexy Royals (also listed as Naughty Royals)

  1. The Sinful King: A scandal-heavy royal romance where reputation management turns intimate.
  2. The Naughty Princess (novella; #1.5): A shorter royal interlude that adds heat and context between the main books.
  3. The Wicked Prince: A pretend-relationship royal romance where the job becomes the temptation.

Best placement: keep the novella between #1 and #2.

Cruz Brothers

  1. The Heartbreaker: A brother’s-best-friend romance where the line was crossed a long time ago.
  2. The Rulebreaker: A friendship-into-more story where boundaries fail under real history.
  3. The Troublemaker: A later entry that leans into chaos, chemistry, and consequences.

Reading tip: these work best in order for family dynamics and recurring cast.

Second Chances Duet

  1. Then There Was You: A second-chance romance where timing ruined everything, and now it’s back.
  2. My Way Back to You: The conclusion where apologies, trust, and love all have to be earned.

Spoiler warning: book two assumes you know the emotional turning points from book one.

Lovers & Friends (connected standalones)

This lane is best read in sequence for cameos and “friend group” context.

  1. The Consequence of Falling: An enemies-to-lovers workplace setup where hatred turns into a slow, unwilling fall.
  2. The Trouble With Love: A brother’s best friend + workplace matchmaking premise that spirals into real feelings.
  3. Catch Me: A craving-and-commitment romance where the hero finally wants what he can’t casually keep.

Important note: some listings describe The Wilde One as a later/retitled version of Catch Me (same core story with changes). If you see both, treat them as the same novel in different editions, not two separate reads.

Standalones and separate-continuity picks

These don’t require any series order.

  • The Player: A swagger-forward sports romance where the most eligible bachelor meets the one woman who won’t play along.
  • Fables & Other Lies: A gothic, curse-tinged romance where the house, the heir, and the pull all feel like destiny.
  • Isle of Wrath (announced/upcoming): A fantasy romance setup centered on curses and bargains, presented as a new lane rather than a continuation of her contemporary worlds.

Recommended reading order for most new readers

If you want a clean tour without jumping between tones:

  1. Kaleidoscope Hearts (then finish the Hearts lane)
  2. There Is No Light in Darkness (finish Darkness immediately after)
  3. Until I Get You (then When We Lied)
  4. Choose your next lane by mood: Sins & Deceit (mafia) or Secret Society (campus thriller)

FAQs

Can I start with Twisted Circles?
You can, but you’ll lose the “initiation” effect that makes Half Truths work. Read Half Truths first if you can.

Are Sins & Deceit books true standalones?
Some are marketed that way, but they share a world and family dynamics. Reading in order keeps reveals cleaner.

Do I need both Catch Me and The Wilde One?
No. If a listing says The Wilde One is Catch Me with changes/bonus content, pick one edition and treat it as a single story.

Bottom line

If you want the safest, most representative entry point: Kaleidoscope Hearts: An older brother’s best friend returns, and unfinished business turns into the kind of love that hurts. Then follow the Hearts numbering straight through.

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Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.