Kelsie Rae Books in Order (Updated April 10, 2026)

Kelsie Rae writes several romance series that are best treated as separate lanes rather than one giant reading order. You can jump into most individual books as standalones, but the connected character networks work better when you read each series in order.

The easiest way to navigate her catalog is to split it into four main tracks: the Sweethearts books, the hockey books, Wrecked Roommates, and Advantage Play. There is also a newer Harden Heights line that currently sits apart from the older groups.

The short version

If you want the safest starting point, start here:

1. Taking the Chance for the sweeter, earlier connected romances
2. Don’t Let Me Fall for the hockey side
3. Model Behavior for Wrecked Roommates
4. Wild Card for the darker mafia series

If you want one overall recommendation for most new readers, start with Don’t Let Me Fall. It is one of the clearest entry points in her catalog and leads neatly into the next-generation hockey books afterward.

How to read Kelsie Rae

There is not one single master order that every reader has to follow. The best approach is to read within each series in publication order, then move to another branch when you want a different mood or setting.

A practical path looks like this:

1. Signature Sweethearts / Get Baked Sweethearts / Swenson Sweethearts
2. Don’t Let Me
3. The Little Things
4. Wrecked Roommates
5. Advantage Play
6. Harden Heights

That order keeps the softer contemporary romances together, then moves into the hockey generations in the cleanest way.

Publication order by series

Signature Sweethearts / Get Baked Sweethearts / Swenson Sweethearts

This is the messiest part of the bibliography to label, because the official store separates these into related sub-series while Goodreads commonly folds them into a broader Sweethearts run. For reading purposes, it is easiest to treat them as one connected cluster.

1. Taking the Chance (2018): A grief-tinged romance that opens the broader Sweethearts side of Kelsie Rae’s catalog and works well as the best starting point for readers who want her softer connected world.
2. Taking the Backseat (2021): A short follow-up that fits best after book one and works more as an extra beat than as a standalone entry point.
3. Taking the Job (2018): Continues the Sweethearts thread with another interconnected romance, rewarding readers who stay in sequence instead of skipping ahead.
4. Taking the Leap (2018): Expands the same world with a sports-leaning setup and keeps the early Sweethearts continuity moving.
5. Off Limits (2018): Starts the Get Baked branch while still feeling tied to the same broader romance network.
6. Stand Off (2019): Builds on the Get Baked side of the continuity and is best read after Off Limits.
7. Hands Off (2022): Keeps the same branch going with more payoff for readers already following the connected cast.
8. Finding You (2019): Opens the Swenson Sweethearts thread while still fitting naturally into the larger Sweethearts umbrella.
9. Fooling You (2020): Continues the Swenson branch and works best after Finding You rather than as an isolated read.
10. Cruising with You (2020): A shorter companion piece that fits as an optional bridge after the Swenson books.
11. Hating You (2022): Closes out the currently listed Sweethearts run and makes the most sense once the earlier connected books are already in place.

Don’t Let Me

This is the first-generation hockey romance line. It is one of the most straightforward places to begin, especially for readers who want a cleaner series structure.

1. Don’t Let Me Fall (2022): The opening hockey romance and the best starting point for readers who want the Lockwood Heights hockey side first.
2. Don’t Let Me Go (2022): Keeps the same friend-group and hockey-world momentum, so it lands better after book one.
3. Don’t Let Me Break (2022): Pushes deeper into the emotional crossover of the same circle and is best read in sequence.
4. Let Me Love You (2023): Continues the first-generation arc with more payoff if you already know the earlier players and relationships.
5. Don’t Let Me Down (2023): Serves as the cleanest stopping point for this original hockey generation before moving on.

The Little Things

This is the second-generation hockey line, and it works best after Don’t Let Me. That is the one place in Kelsie Rae’s catalog where order really matters more than usual.

1. A Little Complicated (2023): Opens the next-generation hockey branch and works best once you already know the earlier Lockwood Heights foundation.
2. A Little Tempting (2024): Continues the newer friend group while keeping the same hockey-centered emotional world.
3. A Little Jaded (2024): Broadens the second-generation circle and strengthens the case for reading this series straight through.
4. A Little Secret (2024): Keeps the continuity tight and works best after the first three books rather than as a random standalone.
5. A Little Broken (2025): Deepens the same shared world and benefits from the emotional setup already built by the earlier entries.
6. A Little Crush (2025): Currently closes the series run and is best saved until the rest of the next-generation books are in place.

Wrecked Roommates

This line sits in the Lockwood Heights setting too, but it is easier to treat as its own branch.

1. Model Behavior (2021): Opens the series with the roommate setup and is the cleanest entry point for readers who want contemporary romance outside the hockey-first lane.
2. Forbidden Lyrics (2021): Expands the same group dynamic and works better after the first book than on its own.
3. Messy Strokes (2021): Keeps the interconnected roommate world moving while building on familiar relationships.
4. Samantha (2022): A shorter in-between installment that works best as an optional stop after Messy Strokes.
5. Risky Business (2022): Returns to the main sequence and benefits from knowing the earlier cast dynamics.
6. Broken Instrument (2023): Functions as the current endpoint of the core Wrecked Roommates line.

Advantage Play

This is the darker mafia branch, and it is the series where reading in order matters the most.

1. Wild Card (2019): Opens the mafia world and sets the tone for the most continuity-dependent series in Kelsie Rae’s catalog.
2. Dark King (2020): Builds directly on the foundation of book one and should not be read first.
3. Little Bird (2020): Expands the same darker world while depending on the larger series context.
4. Bitter Queen (2020): Continues the mafia-thread escalation and works best in sequence.
5. Black Jack (2020): Pushes the series toward its later-stage payoff and should be saved until after the earlier books.
6. Royal Flush (2021): A shorter capstone-style extra that makes the most sense after the main run.

Harden Heights

This appears to be a separate, newer line rather than a direct continuation of the earlier series.

1. Ruin Me (2026): Opens Harden Heights and currently stands as the newest confirmed starting point in Kelsie Rae’s bibliography.
2. Resist Me (2026): The announced follow-up, set to continue this newer series.

Recommended reading order

For most readers, this is the best balance between clarity and payoff:

1. Taking the Chance
2. Taking the Job
3. Taking the Leap
4. Off Limits
5. Stand Off
6. Hands Off
7. Finding You
8. Fooling You
9. Hating You
10. Don’t Let Me Fall
11. Don’t Let Me Go
12. Don’t Let Me Break
13. Let Me Love You
14. Don’t Let Me Down
15. A Little Complicated
16. A Little Tempting
17. A Little Jaded
18. A Little Secret
19. A Little Broken
20. A Little Crush

Then continue with:

21. Model Behavior
22. Forbidden Lyrics
23. Messy Strokes
24. Risky Business
25. Broken Instrument
26. Wild Card
27. Dark King
28. Little Bird
29. Bitter Queen
30. Black Jack
31. Ruin Me

Use the novellas and extras where you want fuller context, but they are not the main spine of the catalog.

Optional books and extras

These are the titles most readers can treat as optional rather than essential:

• Taking the Backseat: Best read after Taking the Chance
• Cruising with You: Best read after Fooling You
• Samantha: Best read after Messy Strokes
• Royal Flush: Best read after the main Advantage Play novels

These books add texture, but the main series arcs still make sense without them.

Do you need to read Kelsie Rae in order?

Not strictly. Kelsie Rae’s own FAQ says her books can be read as standalones, but that each series is interconnected for extra emotional payoff.

That means the practical answer is this: you can jump around, but the reading experience is usually better if you stay in order inside each series. The biggest example is the hockey branch, where The Little Things works much better after Don’t Let Me.

What is the best Kelsie Rae series to start with?

Choose based on mood:

1. Start with Don’t Let Me Fall if you want hockey romance.
2. Start with Taking the Chance if you want the sweeter early interconnected books.
3. Start with Model Behavior if you want a roommate-based contemporary line.
4. Start with Wild Card if you want darker mafia romance.

If you only want one answer, pick Don’t Let Me Fall.

Latest release status

The newest confirmed Kelsie Rae novel is Ruin Me (2026), the first Harden Heights book. The next confirmed release is Resist Me, which is listed for July 21, 2026.

Final recommendation

Kelsie Rae is easiest to read when you stop looking for one perfect universal order and instead read by branch. Start with the tone you want, stay inside that series, and only then move sideways.

For most readers, the cleanest path is Don’t Let Me, then The Little Things, with the Sweethearts books as the best alternative entry lane if you want an earlier and softer set of connected romances.