RD Baker Books in Order (Updated June 30, 2026)

RD Baker writes dark romance, fantasy romance, paranormal romance, sports romance, and emotionally heavy standalone romance. Her catalog has several separate lanes, so the best reading order depends on whether you want fantasy continuity, dark standalone romance, or the newer Arlington FC sports-romance series.

There is no single all-series timeline that every reader must follow. The main rule is simpler: read the numbered series in order, and treat the standalone dark romances as flexible.

One catalog note matters before beginning. RD Baker’s official site still lists earlier standalone titles that are not always surfaced clearly in third-party order databases. This guide includes them separately so readers can see both the older website-listed books and the current major series listings.

Best reading choice

1. For fantasy romance, begin with The Shadow and The Draw.
2. For dark standalone romance, begin with Afflicted, Fracture, or Unseen depending on the trope you want.
3. For sports romance, begin with Dangerous Play.

For a full author read, use publication order and keep each series grouped when possible.

RD Baker books in publication order

1. Endlessly (2022): A first-love reunion romance about Sofia, a PR manager, and Carlos, a rock star with a painful secret from the past.
2. Clearwater (2023): A second-chance hometown romance about Davis returning five years after tragedy and facing Grace, the woman he left behind.
3. No One Else Ever (2023): An enemies-to-lovers island romance where Maddie inherits a fishing business and clashes with Hale, the man who expected to keep it.
4. The Shadow and The Draw (2023): The first Shadow Drawn book follows Cora and Amryn as a forbidden bond, demon politics, and resurfacing memories push them into a larger conflict.
5. The Earth and The Flame (2023): The second Shadow Drawn book follows Tallesaign and Juno, shifting the series into demon-and-fallen-angel territory with old truths returning.
6. A Realm of Dark Fury (2023): The first Lost Heirs book sends Elara into the Pit, where survival, captivity, and an enemy alliance with Rook reshape her fight for power.
7. Afflicted (2024): A post-apocalyptic vampire dark romance where forbidden attraction crosses the line between humans, monsters, survival, and control.
8. Fracture (2024): A dark taboo why-choose romance about Stella, Levi, and Dylan, where prison, family history, and old trauma return at once.
9. Unseen (2025): A historical dark romance involving Evangeline, an unwanted marriage arrangement, obsession, blackmail, and dangerous power imbalance.
10. No One Has To Know (2025): A forbidden age-gap novella about Theo and Amber, built around a best-friend’s-father setup and a weekend that refuses to stay simple.
11. Dangerous Play (2026): The first Arlington FC book follows Dominic Graves and Mia Graves after a Premier League striker disappears mid-season and the family’s public image begins to crack.
12. Penalty Shot (scheduled 2026): The second Arlington FC book is listed for September 2026 and should be read after Dangerous Play once released.

Shadow Drawn books in order

Read Shadow Drawn in numbered order. The fantasy world, memory reveals, angel-and-demon conflict, and relationship stakes build from book one to book two.

1. The Shadow and The Draw (2023): Cora is fated to marry the next Alpha of her demon clan, but her forbidden bond with Amryn threatens the role Fate has assigned her.
2. The Earth and The Flame (2023): Tallesaign’s nightmares and the red smoke from the mountains lead him to Juno, a fallen angel whose missing memories connect to a larger danger.

Lost Heirs

Lost Heirs is separate from Shadow Drawn. It is currently listed with one confirmed published book.

• A Realm of Dark Fury (2023): Elara must survive the Pit, a brutal tournament controlled by King Theron, while her forced alliance with Rook complicates both vengeance and survival.

A possible second Lost Heirs title has appeared in some online listings, but I could not confirm a final title and release date strongly enough to place it in the main order. Keep A Realm of Dark Fury as book one until firmer information is available.

Arlington FC books in order

Arlington FC is an interconnected standalone sports-romance series. Read it in order because Dangerous Play introduces the club setting before Penalty Shot continues the line.

1. Dangerous Play (2026): Dominic Graves, a football legend and club owner, is drawn into crisis with Mia after his son disappears during the Premier League season.
2. Penalty Shot (scheduled 2026): The second Arlington FC book is expected to continue the football-club world with a new romance and should follow Dangerous Play.

Standalone novels

These books are not required before the numbered series. They can be read by trope, tone, or publication order.

1. Endlessly (2022): Sofia’s professional reunion with Carlos brings back old feelings while a secret from his past threatens the second chance.
2. Clearwater (2023): Davis comes home after tragedy and has to face the damage left behind, including the first love he abandoned.
3. No One Else Ever (2023): Maddie and Hale are forced into conflict over an inherited island fishing business neither can easily walk away from.
4. Afflicted (2024): A vampire-and-human dark romance set in a damaged world where survival rules and forbidden desire collide.
5. Fracture (2024): A dark MMF romance where Stella’s connection to her stepbrother and his best friend returns after ten years apart.
6. Unseen (2025): A Victorian-era dark romance about a woman trapped by marriage expectations and a man who turns knowledge into leverage.

Novellas and shorter works

• No One Has To Know (2025): A short forbidden age-gap romance where Amber asks her best friend’s father for one weekend, only for the arrangement to become emotionally messier than planned.

This is optional for readers who only want the fantasy series or Arlington FC. It is not required for Shadow Drawn, Lost Heirs, or Dangerous Play.

Translations and audio editions

Condenados appears in some catalogs as a translated edition associated with RD Baker. Treat it as a translation listing, not a separate English-language story in the reading order.

Audio editions also do not change the sequence. Read or listen to the same title in the same series order.

Recommended RD Baker reading order

For a full bibliography read, use this order:

1. Endlessly (2022): Begin here for the earliest website-listed romance and the start of Baker’s published catalog.
2. Clearwater (2023): Continue with the hometown second-chance standalone before moving into the island romance.
3. No One Else Ever (2023): Read this before the fantasy books if following publication history closely.
4. The Shadow and The Draw (2023): Move into the first major fantasy-romance series.
5. The Earth and The Flame (2023): Follow immediately because it is Shadow Drawn book two.
6. A Realm of Dark Fury (2023): Shift to Lost Heirs after Shadow Drawn rather than mixing the two worlds.
7. Afflicted (2024): Read next as a standalone paranormal dark romance.
8. Fracture (2024): Continue with the darker contemporary taboo standalone.
9. Unseen (2025): Read after Fracture for another dark standalone, this time with historical-romance framing.
10. No One Has To Know (2025): Place the novella after the main dark standalones.
11. Dangerous Play (2026): Begin Arlington FC once ready for sports romance.
12. Penalty Shot (scheduled 2026): Read after Dangerous Play when available.

This route shows the catalog’s movement from early contemporary romance into dark fantasy, paranormal romance, taboo romance, and sports romance.

Reading by mood

Use this section if you do not want a full author read.

If you want fantasy romance

1. The Shadow and The Draw (2023): Start here for demons, Fate, forbidden love, and the first confirmed Shadow Drawn arc.
2. The Earth and The Flame (2023): Continue here for the second Shadow Drawn romance and the expansion of angel-and-demon lore.
3. A Realm of Dark Fury (2023): Read after Shadow Drawn if you want another dark fantasy-romance world with tournament survival stakes.

If you want dark standalone romance

1. Afflicted (2024): Choose this for post-apocalyptic vampire romance.
2. Fracture (2024): Choose this for MMF, why-choose, stepbrother taboo, prison aftermath, and revenge.
3. Unseen (2025): Choose this for historical dark romance, obsession, blackmail, and forced-marriage pressure.
4. No One Has To Know (2025): Choose this for a shorter age-gap forbidden romance.

If you want contemporary romance first

1. Endlessly (2022): Read for first-love reunion and music-industry tension.
2. Clearwater (2023): Read for hometown grief and second-chance emotion.
3. No One Else Ever (2023): Read for island proximity, inheritance conflict, and enemies-to-lovers pressure.

If you want sports romance

1. Dangerous Play (2026): Read first because it opens Arlington FC and introduces the club setting.
2. Penalty Shot (scheduled 2026): Read second because it continues the Arlington FC line.

Chronological order

A full chronological order is not useful for RD Baker’s whole catalog. The books are split across separate romance settings, fantasy worlds, and standalone premises.

Use chronological order only inside confirmed series:

1. The Shadow and The Draw
2. The Earth and The Flame

And:

1. Dangerous Play
2. Penalty Shot

For Lost Heirs, only A Realm of Dark Fury is confirmed as a placed book one.

For the standalones, publication order is clearer than any invented timeline.

Latest release status

At the time of writing, such as June 30, 2026, RD Baker’s newest verified released book is Dangerous Play, published in April 2026.

The next scheduled book is Penalty Shot, listed as Arlington FC book two and expected in September 2026.

Future dates can change, so treat Penalty Shot as scheduled until release.

FAQs

What RD Baker book should I read first?

Read The Shadow and The Draw first if you want fantasy romance. Read Afflicted first if you want a dark paranormal standalone. Read Dangerous Play first if you want the newer sports-romance series.

Do RD Baker books need to be read in order?

Only inside the numbered series. Shadow Drawn should be read in order, and Arlington FC should begin with Dangerous Play. The standalones can be read independently.

Is A Realm of Dark Fury part of Shadow Drawn?

No. A Realm of Dark Fury is listed as Lost Heirs book one. It belongs near Shadow Drawn for readers who want fantasy romance, but it is not Shadow Drawn book three.

Should I read The Shadow and The Draw before The Earth and The Flame?

Yes. The Earth and The Flame is Shadow Drawn book two, so The Shadow and The Draw should come first.

Are Afflicted, Fracture, and Unseen connected?

They are best treated as separate standalone dark romances. Read them by trope or in publication order.

Is No One Has To Know required reading?

No. It is a novella-length forbidden age-gap romance and does not affect the fantasy or sports-romance series.

What is RD Baker’s newest book?

As of June 30, 2026, Dangerous Play is the newest verified released RD Baker book.

What is RD Baker’s next book?

Penalty Shot is the next listed RD Baker book and is scheduled for September 2026.

Are the older RD Baker titles still part of the reading order?

Endlessly, Clearwater, and No One Else Ever are listed on RD Baker’s official site, so they are included here as earlier standalone titles. They are not required before the better-known fantasy, dark romance, or sports-romance books.

Final recommendation

Choose your entry point by lane.

Begin with The Shadow and The Draw for fantasy romance, Afflicted for dark paranormal romance, Fracture for a darker why-choose standalone, or Dangerous Play for Arlington FC.

For a complete author read, begin with Endlessly and continue in publication order, while keeping Shadow Drawn and Arlington FC in their proper numbered sequence.