Kennedy Ryan Books in Order
By the Ember team · Updated July 2026
Kennedy Ryan has written 8 book series across more than 38 novels since she published When You Are Mine in 2014. Her most popular series are Hoops, All the King's Men, and Skyland. Most of her series are standalone, meaning you can start with any series that appeals to you. The Grip and Soul series are connected and should be read in order.
If you are new to Kennedy Ryan, start with Long Shot (sports romance), Before I Let Go (emotional second-chance romance), or The Kingmaker (political romance). Those three are the books readers use to decide whether Kennedy Ryan is for them. She writes contemporary romance with depth, and her books do not shy away from heavy topics.
Short answer
Kennedy Ryan has written 8 book series across 38+ novels since 2014. Her most popular series are Hoops (Long Shot, Block Shot, Hook Shot), All the King's Men (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King, Queen Move), and Skyland (Before I Let Go, This Could Be Us, Can't Get Enough). Most series are standalone, so you can start with any series that appeals to you. Read each series in publication order.
Where to start with Kennedy Ryan books
If you want sports romance with emotional weight
Long Shot (Hoops series)
Iris is a survivor. August is a basketball star. They meet at the wrong time, but the connection is undeniable. This book handles trauma, healing, and second chances with care. It is the book that made Kennedy Ryan a must-read for contemporary romance readers.
If you want political intrigue and power dynamics
The Kingmaker (All the King's Men series)
Lennix is a political consultant who always wins. Maxim is a governor aiming for the White House. The stakes are career-ending, and the chemistry is dangerous. This is a duet, so be ready to read The Rebel King immediately after.
If you want a deeply emotional second-chance romance
Before I Let Go (Skyland series)
Yasmen and Josiah are getting divorced. The book follows them through the end of their marriage and asks whether they can find their way back to each other. This is Kennedy Ryan at her most emotionally raw. It became a bestseller because it earns every emotion.
If you want a romance that spans multiple books
Flow (Grip series)
Start with Flow, the prequel. Then read Grip and Still. This is one love story told across three books. Grip and Bristol's relationship is messy, complicated, and full of the kind of tension that keeps you reading past midnight. If you want to stay with one couple for the long haul, this is the series.
Hoops series
Long Shot
Published 2018
Iris and August meet when she is at her lowest. He is a rising basketball star. She is a single mother rebuilding her life after escaping abuse. The chemistry is instant, but the timing is terrible. This is a slow-burn, second-chance romance that does not shy away from hard topics.
Block Shot
Published 2018
Banner is determined to make it in the male-dominated sports management world. Jared is a basketball player who does not believe in relationships. When they are forced to work together, the tension is immediate. This is enemies-to-lovers with professional stakes and real emotional depth.
Hook Shot
Published 2019
Lotus and Kenan have been best friends since college. Now he is a basketball star, and she is a chef building her own restaurant. When they cross the line from friendship to something more, everything they have built together is on the line. Friends-to-lovers done right.
All the King's Men series
The Kingmaker
Published 2019
Lennix Hunter is a political consultant who does not lose. Maxim Cade is a Georgia governor with his eyes on the White House. She is hired to get him there. The attraction is immediate, but the stakes are too high. This is political intrigue, power dynamics, and a romance that could ruin them both.
The Rebel King
Published 2019
Lennix and Maxim's story continues. The campaign is heating up, and so is the fallout from the decisions they made in The Kingmaker. This is the second half of a duet, and it should be read immediately after The Kingmaker.
Queen Move
Published 2020
Ezra and Kimba are both connected to the All the King's Men world, but this is their story. Ezra is a political strategist. Kimba is a lobbyist fighting for the causes she believes in. When they end up on opposite sides of a battle, the personal and professional collide.
Skyland series
Before I Let Go
Published 2022
Yasmen and Josiah were high school sweethearts who built a life together. Now they are on the verge of divorce. The book follows them through the unraveling of their marriage and asks whether love is enough when everything else has fallen apart. This is a second-chance romance that earned its place on bestseller lists.
This Could Be Us
Published 2024
Set in the Skyland world, this follows a new couple navigating their own version of love, loss, and second chances. The series is connected but each book focuses on a different relationship.
Can't Get Enough
Published 2025
The third book in the Skyland series continues the pattern of deeply emotional, character-driven contemporary romance. Kennedy Ryan writes relationships that feel real, and this series is where she leans hardest into that.
Hollywood Renaissance series
Reel
Published 2024
The first in the Hollywood Renaissance series. Set in the entertainment world, this follows characters navigating fame, ambition, and romance in an industry that demands everything.
The Close-Up
Published 2025
The second Hollywood Renaissance book continues the series with a new couple and a deeper look at the cost of success in Hollywood.
Score
Published 2026
Released in May 2026, this is the latest Kennedy Ryan novel and the third in the Hollywood Renaissance series. Set in the world of film and music, it delivers the emotional depth and sharp dialogue Kennedy Ryan is known for.
Grip and Soul series
These two series are connected. Read Grip first, then Soul.
Grip
Flow, Grip, Still
The Grip series follows one couple across three books. Flow is the prequel, Grip is the main story, and Still is the conclusion. Grip and Bristol's relationship is messy, passionate, and complicated. This is a series where you stay with the same characters through the hardest parts of loving someone. Read in order.
Soul
My Soul to Keep, Down to My Soul, Refrain
The Soul series is connected to Grip but follows a different couple. Read this after Grip for the full impact. The books are emotionally heavy and deal with trauma, healing, and the cost of holding on to someone you love.
Other series
The Bennetts
When You Are Mine, Loving You Always, Be Mine Forever, Until I'm Yours · 2014-2016
Kennedy Ryan's debut series. Each book focuses on a different member of the Bennett family. These are earlier works, and the writing is less polished than her later books, but they show the foundation of the emotional depth she is known for.
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Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Kennedy Ryan books?
Kennedy Ryan has written 8 book series across 38+ novels since 2014. Her most popular series are Hoops (Long Shot, Block Shot, Hook Shot), All the King's Men (The Kingmaker, The Rebel King, Queen Move), and Skyland (Before I Let Go, This Could Be Us, Can't Get Enough). Most series are standalone, so you can start with any series that appeals to you. Read each series in publication order.
Which Kennedy Ryan book should I read first?
Start with Long Shot (Hoops series), Before I Let Go (Skyland series), or The Kingmaker (All the King's Men series). Long Shot is a slow-burn second-chance romance with a single mother heroine and a basketball player hero. Before I Let Go is an emotional second-chance romance about a couple divorcing after years of marriage. The Kingmaker is political romance with power dynamics and high stakes. All three are strong entry points depending on what tropes you prefer.
Are Kennedy Ryan series connected?
Most Kennedy Ryan series are standalone. You can read Hoops, All the King's Men, Skyland, and Hollywood Renaissance in any order. The Grip and Soul series are connected and should be read in order (Grip series first, then Soul series). Each series within itself should be read in publication order.
What is the Hoops series reading order?
The Hoops series has three main books: Long Shot (2018), Block Shot (2018), and Hook Shot (2019). There is also a holiday collection (Hoops Holiday) and a novella collection (Hoops Shorts) that can be read after the main trilogy. Each book follows a different couple, so you can read them out of order, but publication order is recommended.
What is Kennedy Ryan's best series?
Kennedy Ryan's most popular series are Hoops, All the King's Men, and Skyland. Hoops is beloved for its sports romance with emotional depth. All the King's Men is praised for its political intrigue and power dynamics. Before I Let Go from the Skyland series became a major bestseller and is often cited as her best standalone novel. Readers also recommend the Grip series for those who want a multi-book romance focused on one couple.
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Sources
Series order and publication information verified as of July 2026.
- Kennedy Ryan Official Reading OrderUsed for official series order and bibliography.
- Kennedy Ryan on GoodreadsUsed for series information and publication dates.
- Kennedy Ryan FictionDBUsed for complete book list and series details.
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