Series · romance

Forbidden Love

by L.J. Shen

The Forbidden Love series by L.J. Shen has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Handsome Devil (2023).

Books
3 known books (3 novels)
Published
3
First published
2023
Status
completed
Shelved under
Last checked

Start here: Handsome Devil (2023) — then read straight through in publication order.

Reading order

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

  1. Book 1:

    Handsome Devil

    Novel

    Handsome Devil is listed as the line's third entry at 453 pages, but was actually published first, in 2023, as an independent standalone later folded into the Forbidden Love grouping.

    Alternative text for cover: Cover of Handsome Devil
  2. Book 2:

    Truly Madly Deeply

    Novel

    Truly Madly Deeply, published in 2024, runs 512 pages and is grouped as the opening entry in L. J. Shen's Forbidden Love line, though it shares no characters or setting with the other two books in the grouping.

    Alternative text for cover: Cover of Truly Madly Deeply
  3. Book 3:

    Wildest Dreams

    Novel

    Wildest Dreams followed in 2025 at 432 pages, another self-contained taboo-romance standalone bundled into the same Forbidden Love grouping rather than a true continuation of the first book.

    Alternative text for cover: Cover of Wildest Dreams

About the Forbidden Love series

Forbidden Love collects three of L. J. Shen's standalone romances built around a shared taboo-attraction premise rather than a continuing plot or cast. Truly Madly Deeply and Wildest Dreams pair off two sets of leads whose circumstances make wanting each other complicated -- age gap, social distance, or history that should keep them apart -- in Shen's signature high-banter, high-heat register. Handsome Devil, grouped as the series' third entry, was originally published as a standalone in 2023, ahead of the other two books, and was folded into the Forbidden Love line afterward rather than written as its third installment.

Each book in the trio is a complete, self-contained romance with no shared characters or setting connecting them; "Forbidden Love" functions as a marketing/thematic grouping on the author's own site rather than a continuous story.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Forbidden Love series?

Three: Truly Madly Deeply (2024), Wildest Dreams (2025), and Handsome Devil (2023).

Do the Forbidden Love books share characters or a continuing plot?

No -- each is a standalone romance. They're grouped together on the author's site by shared theme (forbidden/taboo attraction), not by story or cast.

What order should I read Forbidden Love in?

Any order works, since the books are unconnected standalones. Note that Handsome Devil, listed third in the author's own grouping, was actually published in 2023, before Truly Madly Deeply (2024) and Wildest Dreams (2025).

Is Forbidden Love connected to L. J. Shen's other series, like Sinners of Saint or Boston Belles?

No shared characters or setting -- it's a separate, standalone-only grouping.


Reading order last verified .