Publication Reading Order
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a Legal Thriller / Paranormal Romance series by J R Ward, made up of 31 books published between 2005 and 2025. It begins with Dark Lover (2005), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Lover Forbidden (2025), spanning 20 years of storytelling.
31books
20years active
3decades
~0.7yrs between books
2025latest release
| # | Title | Year | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | |||
| 1 | Dark Lover 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2006🏆 DABWAHA Romance Tournament 2006RITA Award by Romance Writers of America 2006HOLT Medallion by Virginia Romance Writers 2006Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) 2005Full award history → | 2005 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2 | Lover Eternal | 2006 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 3 | Lover Awakened 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2007🏆 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) 2006Full award history → | 2006 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 4 | Lover Revealed 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2008🏆 RITA Award by Romance Writers of America 2008Full award history → | 2007 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 5 | Lover Unbound 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2008🏆 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) 2007Full award history → | 2007 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 6 | Lover Enshrined 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2009Full award history → | 2008 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 7 | Father Mine (Short Story) | 2008 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 8 | Lover Avenged 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2010Full award history → | 2009 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2010s | |||
| 9 | Lover Mine 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2011🏆 Goodreads Choice Award 2010Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) 2010Full award history → | 2010 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 10 | Lover Unleashed 🏆 All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll 2012🏆 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) 2011🏆 Goodreads Choice Award 2011Full award history → | 2011 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 11 | Lover Reborn Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) 2012Goodreads Choice Award 2012Full award history → | 2012 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 12 | Lover at Last 🏆 Goodreads Choice Award 2013Full award history → | 2013 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 13 | The King Goodreads Choice Award 2014Full award history → | 2014 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 14 | The Shadows Goodreads Choice Award 2015Full award history → | 2015 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 15 | The Beast RITA Award by Romance Writers of America 2017Goodreads Choice Award 2016Full award history → | 2016 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 16 | The Chosen | 2017 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 17 | Dearest Ivie 🏆 RITA Award by Romance Writers of America 2019Full award history → | 2018 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 18 | The Thief Goodreads Choice Award 2018Full award history → | 2018 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 19 | Prisoner of Night | 2019 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 20 | The Savior Goodreads Choice Award 2019Full award history → | 2019 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 21 | Where Winter Finds You | 2019 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2020s | |||
| 22 | The Sinner | 2020 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 23 | A Warm Heart in Winter | 2020 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 24 | Lover Unveiled | 2021 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 25 | Lover Arisen | 2022 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 26 | Darius | 2022 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 27 | Lassiter | 2023 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 28 | Darius (Non-Audiobook Edition) | 2023 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 29 | The Beloved | 2024 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 30 | A Bloom in Winter | 2024 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 31 | Lover ForbiddenLatest | 2025 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
Black Dagger Brotherhood series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series?
Start with Dark Lover (2005), the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J R Ward. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series?
There are 31 books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J R Ward, published between 2005 and 2025.
What is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series?
The first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is Dark Lover, published in 2005 by J R Ward.
What is the latest book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series?
The most recent book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is Lover Forbidden (2025) by J R Ward.
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