L.J. Shen Books in Order (Updated 2026-02-04)

L.J. Shen writes contemporary romance that’s often interconnected: different series can share the same wider “world,” with cameos and background references that become more satisfying when read in sequence. The good news is that most books still work on their own, the main risk of jumping around is spoilers about who ends up with whom.

Instead of one giant list, this guide is arranged by reading experience: the core interconnected series, then the separate-universe series, then true one-offs.

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A fast pick: where should you begin?

• Start with the most famous entry point: Vicious (Sinners of Saint #1)
• Want the next-generation spin-off path: Pretty Reckless (All Saints High #1)
• Prefer “rich, ruthless, and glossy”: The Hunter (Boston Belles #1)
• Want the newest ongoing storyline: Bad Bishop (Society of Villains #1)

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The main interconnected path (best read in this order)

Sinners of Saint

These are the foundation books for Shen’s core world.

0.5. Defy: A sharp prequel that shows how loyalty and obsession take root before the main romances ignite.

1. Vicious: A bitter enemies-to-lovers clash where power games turn into something uncomfortably real.
2. Ruckus: A forbidden romance built on proximity, temptation, and choices that refuse to stay “just once.”
3. Scandalous: A ruthless match collides with a woman who won’t bend, even when the cost is high.
4. Bane: A damaged hero and a determined heroine fight their way toward trust in the aftermath of chaos.

All Saints High (spin-off from Sinners of Saint)

Next generation, same wider world, start here only if you don’t mind knowing earlier couples’ outcomes.

1. Pretty Reckless: A volatile attraction detonates inside a high-school social hierarchy that punishes weakness.
2. Broken Knight: A childhood bond turns complicated when grief and longing collide.
3. Angry God: A cold, brilliant hero meets the one person who can still reach the soft parts he hides.
4. Damaged Goods: A romance shaped by secrets, reputation, and the cost of loving someone everyone distrusts.

Boston Belles (spin-off from All Saints High)

A wealth-and-influence setting where friendships and rivalries carry forward.

1. The Hunter: A calculated pursuit turns emotional when the target refuses to play the expected role.
2. The Villain: A morally gray hero falls hard, and tries to control love the way he controls everything else.
3. The Monster: A high-stakes relationship forces both leads to decide what they’re willing to destroy to stay together.
4. The Rake: A notorious charmer meets the one woman who won’t be dazzled, only proven to.

Forbidden Love (same wider world)

Shorter, newer set; easiest to read straight through.

1. Truly, Madly, Deeply: A relationship begins at the wrong time and keeps refusing to end.
2. Wildest Dreams: A dangerous connection grows sharper when fantasy meets consequence.
3. Handsome Devil: A seductive setup turns serious when pride and vulnerability switch places.

Society of Villains (same wider world; ongoing)

Only the first two positions are clearly confirmed as the series spine.

1. Bad Bishop: A dark, strategic romance where devotion feels as risky as betrayal.
2. Twisted Pawn: A power match escalates when feelings become leverage, and nobody wants to let go.

Upcoming titles in this world (order beyond #2 is not reliably fixed yet):

• Fallen Rook: A ruthless romance shaped by ambition, secrets, and a loyalty test that won’t stay private.
• Corrupt Knight: A relationship where “right” and “wrong” aren’t useful categories anymore.
• Heartless King: A cold, controlled hero faces the one person who makes control feel pointless.
• Wicked Queen: A high-stakes romance centered on a woman who refuses to be anyone’s prize.
• Devil’s Gambit: A love story built like a wager, where the cost of losing is personal.

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Separate continuity series (no crossover required)

Cruel Castaways (not in the same universe)

These are linked to each other, not to the main Shen world.

1. Ruthless Rival: Two fierce opponents collide until rivalry turns into need.
2. Fallen Foe: A relationship grows in the wreckage of past conflict and pride.
3. Cold Hearted Casanova: A player’s persona cracks when the right person stops laughing at the act.

Dark Prince Road (co-written with Parker S. Huntington; separate universe)

Read in order for the cleanest emotional and plot build.

1. My Dark Romeo: A dangerous romance begins where revenge and desire overlap.
2. My Dark Desire: The relationship deepens as obsession becomes harder to disguise as strategy.
3. My Dark Prince: Power, loyalty, and love collide in a finale that demands a final choice.

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Standalones (read anytime)

These are designed as one-book experiences. Some may still mention people from elsewhere, but they don’t require homework.

• Beautiful Graves: A grief-tinged romance where love feels like both rescue and risk.
• Playing with Fire: Two people collide in a pressure-cooker dynamic that dares them to be honest.
• The Kiss Thief: A marriage arrangement romance where possession turns into vulnerability.
• Dirty Headlines: Workplace attraction meets public image management, and both fail.
• The Devil Wears Black: A sharp, modern second-chance romance where pride has to die first.
• Midnight Blue: A troubled musician and a steady presence test whether broken things can still be beautiful.
• Thorne Princess: A ruthless pairing where affection grows in the shadows of ambition.
• In the Unlikely Event: A “wrong timing” romance that keeps circling back until it finally lands.
• Bad Cruz: A small-town return forces a hero to face what he ruined, and what he still wants.
• Sparrow: A dark, intense marriage-of-convenience where survival and love tangle together.
• Blood to Dust: A gritty romance where redemption isn’t promised, it’s earned.

Early standalone

• Tyed: An underachieving student and an MMA fighter collide in a relationship built on need, secrets, and hard truths.

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The simplest spoiler-safe reading plan

If you want one clean path that keeps reveals intact:

1. Sinners of Saint (including Defy)
2. All Saints High
3. Boston Belles
4. Forbidden Love
5. Society of Villains
6. Then sample standalones in any order (or switch to the separate-universe series)

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Final note

L.J. Shen is easiest when you treat each named set as its own “season.” Start at the beginning of the set that matches your mood, finish it, then move to the next. That’s the sweet spot between freedom and payoff.