Elle Kennedy Books in Order

This page lists Elle Kennedy books in publication order, plus Briar universe reading paths, co-written titles, and related series.

Quick Index

  • Scope: Elle Kennedy novels, major series, co-writes, and selected short works
  • Default Order: Publication order
  • Best Starting Point: The Deal
  • Order Matters: Yes for the Briar universe
  • Core Universe: Off-Campus, Briar U, Campus Diaries, Love Song
  • Latest Release Included: Love Song

Elle Kennedy’s official site lists Off-Campus, Briar U, Campus Diaries, Avalon Bay, Prep, Out of Uniform, Killer Instincts, Outlaws, After Hours, The Hunted, Small Town Scandals, standalones, and co-written books as active bibliography categories.

Disambiguation

  • Elle Kennedy is the name used for her romance and romantic suspense books.
  • E. Kennedy appears as a related author name in some bibliographic listings.
  • Erin Watt is a joint pen name used for co-written books, not an Elle Kennedy solo series.
  • The Briar universe includes Off-Campus, Briar U, Campus Diaries, Love Song, and the upcoming Bad Idea.
  • Not to be confused with ELLE magazine or similarly named authors.

Reading Paths

Publication Order Path

Recommended for first-time readers who want release order across Elle Kennedy’s full catalog.

  1. Early standalones and Harlequin titles
  2. Out of Uniform
  3. Killer Instincts
  4. After Hours
  5. Outlaws
  6. Off-Campus
  7. Him and WAGs co-writes
  8. Briar U
  9. Avalon Bay
  10. Prep
  11. Campus Diaries
  12. Love Song
  13. Bad Idea when released

Briar Universe Path

Recommended for readers starting with the hockey romance books.

  1. The Deal
  2. The Mistake
  3. The Score
  4. The Goal
  5. The Legacy
  6. The Chase
  7. The Risk
  8. The Play
  9. The Dare
  10. The Graham Effect
  11. The Dixon Rule
  12. The Charlie Method
  13. Love Song
  14. Bad Idea when released

Campus Diaries is described by the author site as a spinoff of Off-Campus and Briar U, so it fits best after both earlier series.

Chronological Order Path

Best for timeline-focused reading in the Briar universe.

  1. Off-Campus
  2. Briar U
  3. Campus Diaries
  4. Love Song
  5. Bad Idea when released

Beginner Path

Best for core series only.

  1. The Deal
  2. The Mistake
  3. The Score
  4. The Goal
  5. The Legacy

Completionist Path

Best for readers who want all major categories.

  1. Read the full publication list below.
  2. Keep co-written Sarina Bowen titles in their own branch.
  3. Keep Harlequin shared-world titles separate unless completing every credit.

Publication Order Master List

Series membership and years below are cross-checked against the author’s official series pages and current bibliography listings.

2008 to 2011

  • Hot Summer Nights (2008) – Anthology contribution – Midsummer’s Night Steam
  • Dance of Seduction (2009) – Novel – Standalone
  • Body Check (2009) – Novel – Standalone
  • Bad Apple (2009) – Novel – Standalone, originally Midnight Encounters
  • The Survivor (2009) – Novel – Standalone, originally Silent Watch
  • Her Private Avenger (2010) – Novel – Romantic Suspense
  • The Agent (2011) – Novella – Standalone, originally Witness Seduction
  • Missing Mother-To-Be (2011) – Novel – Kelley Legacy 5
  • Millionaire’s Last Stand (2011) – Novel – Small Town Scandals 1
  • The Heartbreak Sheriff (2011) – Novel – Small Town Scandals 2
  • SEAL of My Dreams (2011) – Anthology contribution

2012 to 2014

  • Hot & Bothered (2012) – Collection – Out of Uniform Prequel 1
  • Midnight Rescue (2012) – Novel – Killer Instincts 1
  • Colton’s Deep Cover (2012) – Novel – Coltons of Eden Falls 3
  • Hot and Heavy (2013) – Collection – Out of Uniform Prequel 2
  • Heart Breaker (2013) – Novel – Out of Uniform 1, formerly Feeling Hot
  • Trouble Maker (2013) – Novel – Out of Uniform 2, formerly Getting Hotter
  • Midnight Alias (2013) – Novel – Killer Instincts 2
  • Midnight Games (2013) – Novel – Killer Instincts 3
  • Soldier Under Siege (2013) – Novel – The Hunted 1
  • Special Forces Rendezvous (2013) – Novel – The Hunted 2
  • Special Ops Exclusive (2013) – Novel – The Hunted 3
  • Ladies Men (2014) – Novel – Out of Uniform 3, formerly Hotter Than Ever
  • Midnight Pursuits (2014) – Novel – Killer Instincts 4
  • After Midnight (2014) – Novella – Killer Instincts 4.5
  • Midnight Action (2014) – Novel – Killer Instincts 5
  • All Fired Up (2014) – Novel – DreamMakers 1, with Vivian Arend
  • Love Is a Battlefield (2014) – Novel – DreamMakers 2, with Vivian Arend
  • One Night of Sin (2014) – Novella – After Hours 1
  • One Night of Scandal (2014) – Novella – After Hours 2
  • One Night of Trouble (2014) – Novella – After Hours 3

2015 to 2017

  • Sweet Talker (2015) – Novel – Out of Uniform 4, formerly As Hot as It Gets
  • Midnight Captive (2015) – Novel – Killer Instincts 6
  • Don’t Walk Away (2015) – Novel – DreamMakers 3, with Vivian Arend
  • Claimed (2015) – Novel – Outlaws 1
  • The Deal (2015) – Novel – Off-Campus 1
  • The Mistake (2015) – Novel – Off-Campus 2
  • Him (2015) – Novel – Him 1, with Sarina Bowen
  • Midnight Revenge (2016) – Novel – Killer Instincts 7
  • Addicted (2016) – Novel – Outlaws 2
  • Ruled (2016) – Novel – Outlaws 3
  • The Score (2016) – Novel – Off-Campus 3
  • The Goal (2016) – Novel – Off-Campus 4
  • Us (2016) – Novel – Him 2, with Sarina Bowen
  • Good Boy (2016) – Novel – WAGs 1, with Sarina Bowen
  • Midnight Target (2017) – Novel – Killer Instincts 8
  • Stay (2017) – Novel – WAGs 2, with Sarina Bowen

2018 to 2021

  • The Chase (2018) – Novel – Briar U 1
  • The Risk (2019) – Novel – Briar U 2
  • The Play (2019) – Novel – Briar U 3
  • Top Secret (2019) – Novel – Standalone, with Sarina Bowen
  • The Dare (2020) – Novel – Briar U 4
  • Epic (2020) – Novella – Him 2.5, with Sarina Bowen
  • The Legacy (2021) – Collection of novellas – Off-Campus 5
  • Say Yes (2021) – Novella – Standalone

2022 to 2026

  • Good Girl Complex (2022) – Novel – Avalon Bay 1
  • Bad Girl Reputation (2022) – Novel – Avalon Bay 2
  • Misfit (2022) – Novel – Prep 1
  • Rogue (2023) – Novel – Prep 2
  • The Summer Girl (2023) – Novel – Avalon Bay 3
  • The Graham Effect (2023) – Novel – Campus Diaries 1
  • The Dixon Rule (2024) – Novel – Campus Diaries 2
  • Girl Abroad (2024) – Novel – Standalone
  • The Charlie Method (2025) – Novel – Campus Diaries 3
  • Love Song (2026) – Novel – Briar universe standalone
  • Bad Idea (2026) – Novel – Briar U 5, upcoming November 3, 2026

Bad Idea is listed by the author as coming November 3, 2026, so it is noted as upcoming rather than a released title as of June 13, 2026.

Related Works and Where They Fit

Off-Campus

  • The Deal (2015) – Novel – Book 1
  • The Mistake (2015) – Novel – Book 2
  • The Score (2016) – Novel – Book 3
  • The Goal (2016) – Novel – Book 4
  • The Legacy (2021) – Novella collection – Book 5

Read The Legacy last because it revisits the original couples after the four main novels.

Briar U

  • The Chase (2018) – Novel – Book 1
  • The Risk (2019) – Novel – Book 2
  • The Play (2019) – Novel – Book 3
  • The Dare (2020) – Novel – Book 4
  • Bad Idea (2026) – Novel – Book 5, upcoming

Briar U is best read after Off-Campus because it shares the Briar setting and character continuity.

Campus Diaries and Love Song

  • The Graham Effect (2023) – Novel – Campus Diaries 1
  • The Dixon Rule (2024) – Novel – Campus Diaries 2
  • The Charlie Method (2025) – Novel – Campus Diaries 3
  • Love Song (2026) – Novel – Briar universe standalone

Love Song is described by the author as a Briar universe standalone featuring next-generation Off-Campus characters.

Avalon Bay

  • Good Girl Complex (2022) – Novel – Book 1
  • Bad Girl Reputation (2022) – Novel – Book 2
  • The Summer Girl (2023) – Novel – Book 3

Avalon Bay is separate from the Briar universe and can be read on its own.

Prep

  • Misfit (2022) – Novel – Book 1
  • Rogue (2023) – Novel – Book 2

The official Prep page currently lists Misfit and Rogue as the books in the series.

Dependencies & Notes

  • Read Off-Campus before Briar U due to shared setting and character continuity.
  • Read Off-Campus and Briar U before Campus Diaries for best context.
  • Read Love Song after Campus Diaries if following the next-generation Briar timeline.
  • Avalon Bay, Prep, After Hours, Outlaws, Killer Instincts, and most standalones do not require Briar universe context.
  • Co-written Sarina Bowen books belong in separate shared series branches and should not be mixed into the Off-Campus order.
  • Older Harlequin titles often have alternate titles or reissued editions. Use the current title first, then note the original title where known.

FAQs

What Elle Kennedy book should I read first?

Start with The Deal. It is the first Off-Campus book and the cleanest entry point into Elle Kennedy’s most connected romance universe.

Should I read Elle Kennedy in publication order?

Publication order is best for a full bibliography read. For most readers, the Briar universe order is more practical.

Are Off-Campus and Briar U connected?

Yes. Briar U is a spinoff set in the same university world as Off-Campus.

Is Campus Diaries connected to Off-Campus?

Yes. Campus Diaries is a later spinoff set in the same world as Off-Campus and Briar U.

Is Love Song part of Campus Diaries?

Love Song is best treated as a Briar universe standalone. It uses next-generation Off-Campus connections but is not numbered on the official Campus Diaries page.

Is Avalon Bay connected to Off-Campus?

No required continuity is listed between Avalon Bay and the Briar universe. Read Avalon Bay separately.

Is Bad Idea already out?

No. As of June 13, 2026, Bad Idea is listed as coming November 3, 2026.

Change Log

  • Last checked: June 13, 2026
  • What changed: Added Love Song as the latest released Briar universe standalone and noted Bad Idea as an upcoming Briar U title.
  • Most recent known release included: Love Song (2026)
  • Upcoming title noted: Bad Idea (November 3, 2026)