Reading Elle Kennedy books in order gets a lot easier when you separate the Briar books from the rest of her catalog. Her Off-Campus universe now includes the original hockey romances, spinoffs, next-generation books, and connected standalones, while her wider backlist includes romantic suspense, military romance, beach-town romance, prep-school drama, co-written books, and older category romance.
I’d start with The Deal if you’re new to Kennedy. That’s still the main entry point for her most popular world. After that, you can follow the Off-Campus universe in order, or jump to one of her other series if you want a different kind of romance.
Jump to:
- Off-Campus Universe Books in Order
- Other Elle Kennedy Series
- Elle Kennedy Standalone Books
- Do You Need to Read Elle Kennedy Books in Order?
Off-Campus Universe Books in Order
The Off-Campus universe is Elle Kennedy’s big connected romance world, and where most readers should begin. Start with Off-Campus, then move into Briar U, then Campus Diaries. After that, the connected Briar standalones like Love Song and Bad Idea will make more sense because you’ll already know the world they’re tied to.
Off-Campus Books
Off-Campus is Kennedy’s college hockey romance series set around Briar University. Each book follows a different couple, but the friendships, hockey team dynamics, and campus setting carry through the whole series.
- The Deal (2015)
- The Mistake (2015)
- The Score (2016)
- The Goal (2016)
- The Legacy (2021)
Briar U Books
Briar U is the main Off-Campus spinoff and stays at Briar University with a new group of students, athletes, roommates, and romantic messes. The books still have the college-hockey feel of the original series, but they follow different couples instead of continuing the original four romances.
You can start here, but the returning characters and callbacks land better once you already know the original Briar couples.
Campus Diaries Books
Campus Diaries is the next-generation spinoff of the Briar world. It follows younger characters connected to the original Off-Campus and Briar U books, including Gigi Graham, the daughter of Hannah and Garrett from The Deal. The series still has the hockey, campus romance, and friend-group energy readers expect from Briar, but it moves the world forward instead of staying with the original couples.
- The Graham Effect (2023)
- The Dixon Rule (2024)
- The Charlie Method (2025)
Briar Universe Standalone Books
These are standalone romances set inside the larger Briar world. They don’t belong to the original Off-Campus, Briar U, or Campus Diaries series, but they’re still connected enough that I wouldn’t treat them like random standalones.
Love Song is a next-generation Briar romance, while Bad Idea returns to Briar University with a new couple. You can read them on their own, but they’ll work better after the main Briar books because the setting, family connections, and larger universe will already make sense.
Other Elle Kennedy Series
Outside the Briar books, Kennedy’s catalog moves through romantic suspense, military romance, dystopian romance, co-written sports romance, and contemporary romance. These series don’t need to be mixed into the Off-Campus universe, so I’d pick the one that matches the mood you want next.
Small Town Scandals Books
This is a shorter romantic suspense series, so it’s an easy one to read straight through.
- Millionaire’s Last Stand (2011)
- The Heartbreak Sheriff (2011)
Out of Uniform Books
Out of Uniform is one of Kennedy’s earlier military-romance series. The current editions use updated titles, but the years below reflect each story’s original release. The two Hot collections gather shorter prequel stories connected to the series.
- Heart Breaker (2012) (previously published as Feeling Hot)
- Trouble Maker (2012) (previously published as Getting Hotter)
- Ladies Men (2013) (previously published as Hotter Than Ever)
- Sweet Talker (2014) (previously published as As Hot As It Gets)
- Hot & Bothered (2012) (prequel collection)
- Hot & Heavy (2013) (prequel collection)
Killer Instincts Books
Killer Instincts is a good pick if you want mercenaries, danger, and romantic suspense instead of campus romance. It also shows just how wide Kennedy’s catalog really is.
- Midnight Rescue (2012)
- Midnight Alias (2013)
- Midnight Games (2013)
- Midnight Pursuits (2014)
- After Midnight (2014)
- Midnight Action (2014)
- Midnight Captive (2015)
- Midnight Revenge (2016)
- Midnight Target (2017)
The Hunted Books
This is a short romantic suspense series, so it’s easy to read straight through in publication order.
- Soldier Under Siege (2013)
- Special Forces Rendezvous (2013)
- Special Ops Exclusive (2013)
After Hours Books
These are quick, steamy reads that work well in publication order.
- One Night of Sin (2014)
- One Night of Scandal (2014)
- One Night of Trouble (2015)
Him Books (with Sarina Bowen)
This co-written sports-romance series with Sarina Bowen is best read in order, with Epic saved for after the first two books.
Outlaws Books
This series goes in a very different direction from the college romances. It’s darker, more erotic, and more dystopian.
WAGs Books (with Sarina Bowen)
This duo stays in that same broader sports-romance lane, so publication order is the easiest way to read it.
Avalon Bay Books
Avalon Bay is a good next stop if you want Kennedy’s voice in a small-town beach setting instead of a college hockey world.
- Good Girl Complex (2022)
- Bad Girl Reputation (2022)
- The Summer Girl (2023)
Prep Books
Prep leans more into elite-school drama than the Briar books do. It’s still romance, but the tone is sharper and a little more closed-in.
Elle Kennedy Standalone Books
These are the Elle Kennedy books you can read without committing to a full series. The year shown for each one reflects the story’s original release, even when the retailer page uses a newer edition or reissue.
- Bad Apple (2008) (originally published as Midnight Encounters)
- Body Check (2009)
- The Survivor (2009) (originally published as Silent Watch)
- Her Private Avenger (2010)
- The Agent (2011) (originally published as Witness Seduction)
- The Captive (2011) (originally published as Missing Mother-to-Be)
- Colton’s Deep Cover (2012)
- Top Secret (2019) (with Sarina Bowen)
- Say Yes (2021)
- Girl Abroad (2024)
Do You Need to Read Elle Kennedy Books in Order?
You don’t need to read every Elle Kennedy book in one giant author order. Most of her series stand on their own, but each individual series should be read in order.
For the hockey and college romances, the simplest order is Off-Campus, then Briar U, then Campus Diaries, then the connected Briar universe standalones. That order gives you the smoothest experience with the shared world, returning side characters, and later callbacks.
The same idea applies everywhere else. Read the Him books in order, read WAGs in order, and keep the older romantic suspense and military-romance series in publication order too. But you never need to bounce between hockey romance, dystopian romance, and mercenary suspense unless that’s exactly what you want to do.
For most readers, the simplest answer is still this: start with The Deal, follow the Briar books if you’re hooked, and then branch out into the rest of Kennedy’s catalog based on the kind of romance you want next.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more romance authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Romance Books in Order index.