Laurie London writes paranormal romance, and her books are easiest to navigate as three separate lanes: Sweetblood, Iron Portal, and Darkaway Island. She also has one Nocturne Falls Universe contribution and one anthology story that connect by theme, not by main-series continuity.
For most readers, the best place to begin is Bonded By Blood. It opens the best-known Laurie London world and gives you the clearest introduction to her Pacific Northwest supernatural setting.
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Quick continuity snapshot
- Start here: Bonded By Blood (2011)
- Core series: Sweetblood
- Second main series: Iron Portal
- Newest series: Darkaway Island
- Read separately: How Knot To Marry A Vampire and A Vampire for Christmas
The best Laurie London reading order for most readers
If you want the cleanest path, read Laurie London like this:
- Sweetblood
- Iron Portal
- Darkaway Island
- Then add the anthology and shared-world side books if you want everything
That route works because Sweetblood is the foundational vampire series, Iron Portal is the next full in-house series, and Darkaway Island is the newest branch.
Sweetblood books in order
This is the main Laurie London series, and it is the safest starting lane.
- Bonded By Blood (2011): The series opener introduces the Sweetblood world, where rare bloodlines and vampire factions drive the central conflict.
- Hidden by Blood (2011): A shorter in-between story that fits after book one and expands the world before the next full novel.
- Embraced By Blood (2011): The second full novel widens the war between supernatural factions and deepens the series mythology.
- Enchanted by Blood (2011, optional novella in A Vampire for Christmas): A holiday-linked Sweetblood story that works best after Embraced By Blood.
- Tempted By Blood (2012): The third main novel keeps the vampire politics moving while shifting the romance focus to a new couple.
- Seduced By Blood (2012): Another full Sweetblood novel that continues the same world with stronger ties to the wider Guardian-versus-Darkblood struggle.
- Enticed By Blood (2015, optional novella): A later Sweetblood side story that is best treated as a bonus read after the main early novels.
- Unraveled By Blood (2017, optional novella): A further Sweetblood-world return that belongs at the end of the current sequence.
Recommended Sweetblood order
Read the main novels in series order, and slot the novellas where they naturally fit. That gives most readers the best balance between world-building and momentum.
Why order matters here
This is Laurie London’s most continuity-driven series. The faction setup, rare-blood lore, and recurring supernatural conflict all land better when read in sequence.
Iron Portal books in order
This is Laurie London’s second main series. The biggest thing to know is that some editions use alternate titles, so readers may see two names for the same book.
- Dark Assassin / Assassin’s Touch (Book 1): The first Iron Portal novel opens a portal-based paranormal world and introduces the series’ darker, more warrior-driven tone.
- Midnight Rogue / Rogue’s Passion (2013): The second book builds on the same world and works best once the Iron Portal setup is already in place.
- Hidden Warrior / Warrior’s Heart (2015): The third novel continues the action-heavy paranormal romance line with another central couple inside the same setting.
- Heartless Rebel / Rebel’s Desire (2015): The fourth book closes the currently listed Iron Portal run and is best read after the earlier titles because of the shared world structure.
Recommended Iron Portal order
Use the series numbering, not the publication year alone, because the title changes can make the order look messier than it is.
Why order matters here
Iron Portal appears more standalone-friendly than Sweetblood, but the world-building is cumulative enough that reading out of order is not the best first experience.
Darkaway Island books in order
This is Laurie London’s newest currently visible series.
Running with the Werewolf (2025): The first Darkaway Island novel launches a paranormal resort setting for supernaturals and opens a new werewolf-focused branch.
At the moment, this is a one-book series start rather than a long reading path, which makes it easy to sample after the older series.
Why this series stands apart
Darkaway Island looks like a newer paranormal direction, with a destination-resort setup rather than the older vampire-war framework of Sweetblood.
Separate continuity and optional extras
These are real Laurie London books, but they should not be folded into the core Sweetblood or Iron Portal order.
- How Knot To Marry A Vampire (2017): A Nocturne Falls Universe story that should be read as a separate shared-world paranormal romance, not as part of Laurie London’s internal series continuity.
- A Vampire for Christmas (2011, anthology): A multi-author anthology that matters mainly because it contains Laurie London’s Sweetblood-connected novella Enchanted by Blood.
Publication order by continuity
Sweetblood
- Bonded By Blood (2011)
- Hidden by Blood (2011)
- Embraced By Blood (2011)
- Enchanted by Blood (2011, novella in anthology)
- Tempted By Blood (2012)
- Seduced By Blood (2012)
- Enticed By Blood (2015)
- Unraveled By Blood (2017)
Iron Portal
- Dark Assassin / Assassin’s Touch
- Midnight Rogue / Rogue’s Passion (2013)
- Hidden Warrior / Warrior’s Heart (2015)
- Heartless Rebel / Rebel’s Desire (2015)
Darkaway Island
Running with the Werewolf (2025)
Separate/shared-world
- A Vampire for Christmas (2011, anthology with “Enchanted by Blood”)
- How Knot To Marry A Vampire (2017)
Do you need a chronological order?
Not really.
Laurie London is much easier to read by series order than by trying to force everything into one all-author timeline. The useful question is which supernatural world you want first, not what happened earliest in a combined universe.
Best starting points by reader type
- Start with Bonded By Blood if you want the main Laurie London experience.
- Start with Dark Assassin / Assassin’s Touch if you want a darker portal-fantasy romance line.
- Start with Running with the Werewolf if you only want the newest series.
- Save How Knot To Marry A Vampire for later, because it belongs to a shared universe outside Laurie London’s main in-house series.
Latest release status
At the time of writing (March 25, 2026), the newest Laurie London title I could verify is Running with the Werewolf (Darkaway Island #1), released in November 2025. I did not find a reliably listed second Darkaway Island novel yet, so the safest current status is that Darkaway Island has one confirmed published entry.
FAQs
What is the best Laurie London book to start with?
Bonded By Blood is the safest recommendation because it opens the best-known and most developed series.
What is Laurie London’s main series?
That is Sweetblood.
Are Laurie London books standalone?
Some work at the couple level, but Sweetblood especially reads better in order because the world and conflict build across books.
Why do some Iron Portal books have two titles?
Several Iron Portal books appear under alternate titles in different listings or editions, so the best way to stay on track is to follow the series numbering.
What is Laurie London’s newest book?
The newest currently verified release is Running with the Werewolf (2025).
Final recommendation
For one clean rule, read Laurie London this way: Sweetblood first, Iron Portal second, Darkaway Island third, extras last. That keeps the main continuities clear and avoids mixing the shared-world side projects into the wrong place.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.