| Order | Cover | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never After series | |||
| 1 |
|
Hooked | 2021 |
| 2 |
|
Scarred | 2021 |
| 3 |
|
Wretched | 2022 |
| 4 |
|
Twisted | 2023 |
| 5 |
|
Crossed | 2023 |
| 6 |
|
Hexed | 2024 |
| Sugarlake series | |||
| 1 |
|
Beneath the Stars | 2020 |
| 2 |
|
Beneath the Stands | 2020 |
| 3 |
|
Beneath the Hood | 2020 |
| 4 |
|
Beneath the Surface | 2021 |
| Defying the Stars series | |||
| 1 |
|
Burning Daylight | 2025[3] |
| 2 |
|
Forsaking Midnight | 2026[4] |
| 3 |
|
Stealing Sunlight | 2027[5-6] |
| Disney Cursed Love series | |||
| 1 |  |
The Curse of a Forsaken Heart | 2027[2] |
| Standalone book | |||
| 1 |
|
Be Still My Heart | 2020 |
Never After series
The Never After books do not need to be read in order, so readers may approach them as self-contained books connected by a broad dark-romance concept. A practical starting point is Hooked, since it establishes the series’ pattern of reworked familiar characters, criminal power, obsession, and morally dark romance.[7-12]
The Never After books are loosely connected concept-based standalones rather than a single continuous narrative. Each novel follows a different central couple, setting, and conflict, with no prior knowledge of the previous book required for comprehension. Readers do not need to start with book one.[7-12]
However, the Never After books may be read in publication order, by following this sequence:[13-18]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Hooked | 2021[19] | A crime lord targets the daughter of the man he blames for his family’s ruin. |
| 2 |
|
Scarred | 2021[20] | A prince and a court outsider navigate rebellion, intrigue, and royal succession. |
| 3 |
|
Wretched | 2022[21] | An agent infiltrates a criminal family and becomes involved with its chemist. |
| 4 |
|
Twisted | 2023[22] | A diamond executive uses a false engagement to claim an heiress and her family’s empire. |
| 5 |
|
Crossed | 2023[23] | A priest becomes obsessed with a vulnerable dancer under another man’s control. |
| 6 |
|
Hexed | 2024[18] | Rival criminal families, mistaken loyalty, and inheritance claims shape a mob romance. |
Works in sequence
For most readers, Hooked is the best starting point because it introduces the series’ general mode: a standalone dark romance built around criminal power, revenge, and a reimagined familiar story pattern. Since the books do not form a single continuous plot, beginning elsewhere is practical, but starting with the first published novel offers the clearest route through the series.[7]
Readers drawn to court intrigue may prefer Scarred, which uses monarchy, rebellion, and succession as its frame.[8] Readers looking for an undercover-crime plot may choose Wretched,[9] while those interested in inheritance, business control, and a forced-alliance romance may start with Twisted.[10]
Crossed offers a priest-and-dancer setup shaped by religious obsession and coercive power.[11] Hexed is the clearest entry point for readers who want rival mob families and criminal inheritance conflict.[12]
1. Hooked
Hooked (2021)[13] begins the collection with a dark criminal-underworld romance built around vengeance, manipulation, and a targeted seduction. James Barrie’s campaign against Peter Michaels draws Wendy Michaels into a private war of family trauma, power, and control.[7]
As the first published entry, it is the most straightforward place to begin, though its plot is self-contained.[7]
2. Scarred
Scarred (2021)[14] shifts the collection into a royal setting, following Prince Tristan, a marginalized heir with a hidden rebel identity, and Sara Beatreaux, who arrives at court with her own agenda of revenge. The novel uses court politics, succession conflict, and rebellion as its central frame.[8]
It stands apart from Hooked while continuing the collection’s interest in morally dark romance and power struggles.[8]
3. Wretched
Wretched (2022)[15] shifts the sequence into a crime-family and undercover-investigation plot. Eveline Westerly’s role inside her father’s organization intersects with Nicholas Woodsworth’s attempt to infiltrate it, creating a romance shaped by deception, divided loyalties, and criminal exposure.[9]
The book can be read independently, but in publication order, it broadens the collection’s range of settings and antiheroic leads.[9]
4. Twisted
Twisted (2023)[16] centers on Yasmin Karam, an heiress under pressure to protect a family diamond empire, and Julian Faraci, the executive who seeks control of both the company and her future.[10]
Its arranged engagement and inheritance plot gives the collection another self-contained variation on coercion, ambition, and emotional dependence. No earlier plot knowledge is needed to follow its central conflict.[10]
5. Crossed
Crossed (2023)[17] follows Father Cade Frédéric in Festivalé, Vermont, where his religious role, violent compulsions, and fixation on Amaya Paquette converge. Amaya’s responsibilities toward her younger brother and her entanglement with a controlling businessman form the main external pressures.[11]
The novel functions as a separate entry, with its own setting, supporting cast, and closed central storyline.[11]
6. Hexed
Hexed (2024)[18] places the collection in a mob-family conflict involving Venesa Andersen, the Kingston crime family, and Enzo Marino. Mistaken identity, old contracts, inheritance claims, and rival criminal interests shape the romance and the power struggle around it.[12]
As the sixth published entry, it can serve readers specifically interested in organized-crime material, though publication order remains the cleanest full-series listing.[12]
Sugarlake series
The Sugarlake books may be read independently, though readers will get the clearest sense of the shared friendships, family history, and recurring developments by reading them in publication order. The best starting point is Beneath the Stars, as it introduces Sugarlake, the Carson and Adams families, and the relationships that shape later books.[24-27]
The Sugarlake books are linked standalones in a shared community. Each novel centers on a different romance, but the books return to the same families, friendships, hometown tensions, and unresolved personal histories. Readers do not have to start with book one, but reading in publication order provides fuller context for recurring characters, overlapping events, and later emotional payoffs.[1][24-27]
Although the Sugarlake books do not need to be read in order, readers would get the fullest experience by reading them in publication order:[1]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Beneath the Stars | 2020[28] | Introduces Sugarlake and the Adams-Carson history. |
| 2 |
|
Beneath the Stands | 2020[29] | Adds Eli and Becca’s story alongside family events. |
| 3 |
|
Beneath the Hood | 2020[30] | Expands the circle through Jackson. |
| 4 |
|
Beneath the Surface | 2021[31] | Pays off Lily’s absence and family reconnection. |
1. Beneath the Stars
Beneath the Stars (2020)[28] establishes Sugarlake through the reunion of Alina Carson and Chase Adams, shaped by childhood friendship, teenage heartbreak, and family trauma. Chase also returns to take over the Adams construction business, adding pressure to their relationship.[24]
This novel introduces the Carson and Adams families, the local friendship circle, and the disappearance of Chase’s sister, Lily, which becomes important later in the series.[24]
2. Beneath the Stands
Beneath the Stands (2020)[29] shifts the focus to Becca Sanger and Eli Carson, Alina’s estranged older brother. Much of the novel centers on their past relationship, years apart, and Eli’s return to Sugarlake as his family is in crisis.[25]
It may be read as a second-chance romance in its own right, but it gains context from the family tensions and events introduced in Beneath the Stars.[25]
3. Beneath the Hood
Beneath the Hood (2020)[30] follows Jackson Rhoades, a mechanic with ties to Sugarlake, and Blakely Donahue, a social media influencer in California. This book broadens the series beyond the hometown setting before bringing Jackson back into the Sugarlake circle.[26]
Its romance is largely self-contained, while its connections to Chase, Alina, and Lily’s search help place it within the series.[26]
4. Beneath the Surface
Beneath the Surface (2021)[31] centers on Lily Adams, Chase’s missing sister, and Mason Wells, the private investigator hired to find her. This installment draws on the family history and search thread developed across the earlier books.[27]
It also reunites several established characters in Sugarlake, making the publication order useful for readers who want the fullest context for Lily’s return and recovery.[27]
Defying the Stars series
The Defying the Stars books do not need to be read in order, though readers would get the clearest sense of continuity by reading them in publication order, which coincides with their chronological order. The best starting point is Burning Daylight, since it introduces Rosebrook Falls, the Calloway and Montgomery families, and the secrets that shape the series.[1][3-4][32-33]
The Defying the Stars books are linked standalones in a shared setting. Burning Daylight establishes Rosebrook Falls, its family rivalries, and the web of corruption and secrecy surrounding the Calloways and Montgomerys. Forsaking Midnight then shifts focus to Lance Calloway and Genevieve DeGrance while using the same town and its tensions.[32-33]
Although the Defying the Stars books do not need to be read in order, readers would get the fullest experience by reading them in publication order:[3-6]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Burning Daylight | 2025[3] | Introduces Rosebrook Falls and the family conflict. |
| 2 |
|
Forsaking Midnight | 2026[4] | Continues in the same town with a new pairing. |
| 3 |
|
Stealing Sunlight | 2027[5-6] | Continues in the same town with a new pairing. |
1. Burning Daylight
Burning Daylight (2025)[3] introduces Rosebrook Falls through Juliette Calloway and Roman Montgomery, whose connection is shaped by their families’ long feud. This novel establishes the town’s divided power structure, the history between the Calloway and Montgomery families, and the secrets behind both families’ public lives.[32]
It forms the foundation for the shared setting and later stories in Rosebrook Falls.[32]
2. Forsaking Midnight
Forsaking Midnight (2026)[4] moves the focus to Lance Calloway and Genevieve DeGrance. Its story centers on protection, secrecy, divided loyalties, and a forbidden attraction in the town introduced in the first book.[33]
Because Lance belongs to the Calloway family and Genevieve becomes involved in Rosebrook Falls’s hidden realities, this book benefits from prior context without requiring it for the basic premise.[33]
3. Stealing Sunlight
Stealing Sunlight will be published on April 13, 2027.[5-6]
Disney Cursed Love series
The Disney Cursed Love series is scheduled to debut with The Curse of a Forsaken Heart in 2027.[2]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
The Curse of a Forsaken Heart | 2027[2] | Announced for 2027. |
1. The Curse of a Forsaken Heart
The Curse of a Forsaken Heart is scheduled to debut on WEBTOON in 2027 before expanding into print formats.[2]
Standalone book
Emily McIntire, with Sav R. Miller, co-wrote a single standalone book, titled Be Still My Heart.[1] It introduces its own setting, central investigation, and principal relationship without requiring prior reading.[34]
Be Still My Heart
Be Still My Heart (2020) follows Detective Morgan Sloane as she investigates a series of ritualistic murders on Skelm Island after a body is found tangled in a lobster trap. This novel combines a murder case, a tense local community, and Morgan’s growing connection to Lincoln Porter, whose past may be tied to her own fragmented history.[34]
It is a self-contained standalone book.[34]
References
- Emily McIntire Books By Series. Emily McIntire.
- Disney Publishing Unveils Disney Cursed Love, an All-New Romantasy Series, Debuting Exclusively on WEBTOON in 2027. WEBTOON Entertainment.
- Don’t Open This If You Like Books. Emily McIntire. Archived.
- Cover Reveal! : Emily McIntire : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming. Emily McIntire. Archived.
- Defying the Stars #3 (Deluxe Edition): 9781464221743: McIntire, Emily: Books. Amazon.com.
- Stealing Sunlight (Deluxe Edition) (Defying the Stars, 3): 9781464221743: McIntire, Emily: Books. Amazon.com.
- Hooked. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9781737508373.
- Scarred. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9788985138023.
- Wretched. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9788985138061.
- Twisted. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9781728275840.
- Crossed. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9788212966481.
- Hexed. Sourcebooks. ISBN: 9781728275864.
- Hooked. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781737508373.
- Scarred. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9788985138023.
- Wretched. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9788985138061.
- Twisted. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781728275840.
- Crossed. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9788212966481.
- New & Upcoming Releases. Emily McIntire. Archived.
- Hooked. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781737508373.
- Scarred. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9788985138023.
- Wretched. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9788985138061.
- Twisted. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781728275840.
- Crossed. Bloom Books. Copyright page. ISBN: 9788212966481.
- Beneath the Stars. Emily McIntire. ISBN: 9781734999402.
- Beneath the Stands. Emily McIntire. ISBN: 9781734999433.
- Beneath the Hood. Emily McIntire. ISBN: 9781734999471.
- Beneath the Surface. Emily McIntire. ISBN: 9781734999495.
- Beneath the Stars. Emily McIntire. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781734999402.
- Beneath the Stands. Emily McIntire. Coypright page. ISBN: 9781734999433.
- Beneath the Hood. Emily McIntire. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781734999471.
- Beneath the Surface. Emily McIntire. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781734999495.
- Burning Daylight. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9781464221729.
- Forsaking Midnight. Bloom Books. ISBN: 9781464221736.
- Be Still My Heart. Emily McIntire and Sav R. Miller. ISBN: 9788985138009.