Reading Order
Confused about where to start the bad boy trilogy? Read on!
BEN AND TESSA
Maramartha
2/21/20252 min read


“What’s the reading order for The Bad Boy Trilogy?” I get this question a lot, so here is the correct reading order:
#4 The Bad Boy Epilogue
Another popular question is: Can it be read as a standalone? No!
THE BAD BOY TRILOGY is a series of three interconnected books that follow Ben and Tessa from the start of their hate to love romance to their last day of high school.
#1 BULLIED BY THE BAD BOY
Their story begins in BULLIED BY THE BAD BOY, where the two unlikely duo—Ben and Tessa navigate their unfamiliar attraction for each other. When Broadway Heights popular bad boy, Ben Carter, finds out the quiet girl in his Calculus class is masking as a boy in an illegal fight ring, does this knowledge bring them together or create an intense rivalry?
As their attraction shifts from hate to affection, Tessa decides she wants a label to define this shift, but Ben doesn’t do labels. When his relationship with the love of his life is threatened, does he yield? We find this answer in book two.
#2 BROKEN BY THE BAD BOY
Tessa finally gets the answer she needs from Ben. Promises are made, apologies are offered, and gifts are exchanged. But like every good thing, their relationship is threatened when a devastating video surfaces. One broken nose and a punch later, Tessa realizes whose side her boyfriend is on. Sadly, it’s not hers.
Tired of feeling like the second option, she demands he makes the hard choice. And when Ben does, everything changes.
#3 LOVED BY THE BAD BOY
Ben learns the hard way that secrets can’t stay buried forever. When lies unfold, painful choices are made, such as Tessa moving to another city to heal her broken heart. Will he be able to win her back or has the Benessa ship sailed for good?
#4 THE BAD BOY EPILOGUE
This is for readers who can’t get enough of Ben and Tessa after reading the series. Want to see what those two are up to after high school? Curious about if they stayed together during or after college? Then you should check out the bonus novella. It encompasses their lives after high school and contains potential spoilers for future books about side characters.
Now you have your answer about the correct reading order. If you are still uncertain about reading, here are the tropes/themes available in the series:
slow burn romance
angsty romance
high school romance
cuteness overload
emotional scenes
light bully romance
hate to love
first love
first kiss
tortured hero
bad boy x good girl
she falls first but he falls harder
enemies to lovers
found family
second chance
friendship
low heat/spice
hea
If you are wondering what vibe the book has, then think of Jenny Han’s To All The Boys series with a splash of Beth Reekle’s The Kissing Booth series. But with more kisses, 0.5-1/5 spice, and darker themes.