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Series · family saga

The Bourbon Kings

by J. R. Ward

The Bourbon Kings series by J. R. Ward has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Bourbon Kings (2015).

Books
3 known books (3 novels)
Published
3
First published
2015
Status
completed
Shelved under
Literary Fiction
Last checked

Start here: The Bourbon Kings (2015) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of The Bourbon Kings

The Bourbon Kings (2015)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Bourbon Kings

    Novel

    The Bourbon Kings opened J.R. Ward's trilogy in 2015 at 685 pages -- by far its longest volume -- introducing the Bradfords, an old-money Kentucky bourbon dynasty reeling after a tragedy that forces decades of buried secrets into the open.

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  2. The Angels' Share

    Novel

    The Angels' Share followed in 2016, less than half the length of its predecessor at 415 pages, continuing the Bradford family's fractures and inheritance battles.

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  3. Devil's Cut

    Novel

    Devil's Cut closed the trilogy in 2017 as its shortest entry at 341 pages, bringing the Bradfords' story to a resolution outside Ward's usual paranormal-romance territory.

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About The Bourbon Kings

The Bourbon Kings is J.R. Ward's departure from paranormal romance into contemporary Southern family saga, following the Bradfords, an old-money Kentucky bourbon dynasty whose gilded estate hides decades of addiction, betrayal, and rot beneath its polish. The Bourbon Kings opens with the family reeling after a tragedy involving one of their own, forcing long-buried resentments and secrets between siblings, heirs, and the household staff who know more than the family would like into the open.

Ward brings the same intensity and melodrama that define her paranormal work to a fully human, real-world setting: class conflict between old wealth and the people who serve it, a fractured family fighting over inheritance and identity, and romance threading through the wreckage. It's soapier and more grounded than her Black Dagger Brotherhood work, closer to a Southern gothic drama than a genre romance, though central relationships still carry real emotional weight.

Complete at three books, The Bourbon Kings is a good option for Ward's paranormal-romance readers curious about her non-supernatural writing, and for family-saga readers who like their old-money drama dark and a little melodramatic.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in The Bourbon Kings series?

Three: The Bourbon Kings (2015), The Angels' Share (2016), and Devil's Cut (2017).

What order should I read The Bourbon Kings in?

Publication order: The Bourbon Kings, The Angels' Share, Devil's Cut. It's a continuous family saga that builds across all three books.

Is The Bourbon Kings a paranormal romance series?

No -- unlike most of J.R. Ward's work, this is a contemporary Southern family saga with no supernatural elements, following an old-money Kentucky bourbon dynasty.

Is The Bourbon Kings connected to the Black Dagger Brotherhood?

No, it's a fully separate, standalone trilogy with no shared characters or world.

Is The Bourbon Kings finished?

Yes, the trilogy is complete, concluding with Devil's Cut (2017).

Reading order last verified .