Checkmate, Inc. Books in Order

Checkmate, Inc. is the hotter, faster-moving corner of Shelly Alexander’s backlist. Instead of cabins and mountain gossip, these books lean into offices, bars, gyms, publicity headaches, and a very modern kind of romantic chaos. The common thread is Checkmate, a flashy company built by brainy former chess-club guys who figured out how to turn male insecurity into a multimillion-dollar brand.

That brand is part confidence coaching, part seduction science, and part public spectacle. The company sells an idea as much as a product. Men who feel awkward, overlooked, or clueless can learn how to show up with more confidence and stop fumbling every date. It is a fun setup, and Alexander gets a lot of mileage out of it, especially once protestors, tabloid attention, and business pressure start crashing into the founders’ love lives.

In ForePlay, CEO Leo Foxx is hit with a public-relations mess and brings in Chloe Evers to steady the ship. Their story sets the tone for the series, sharp banter, heavy attraction, and work problems that refuse to stay at work. Rookie Moves follows Dex Moore, whose polished playboy image hides the fact that he has long wanted Ava Foxx, his best friend’s little sister. That book leans a little more on family loyalty and friendship, while keeping the same quick, sexy pace.

Get Wilde widens the circle by bringing in Ethan Wilde, a former athlete and fitness entrepreneur tied to the Checkmate world. His rivalry with Adeline McAllister turns a competition storyline into a romance full of ego, ambition, and stubborn attraction. Then Sinful Games gives the spotlight to Oz Strong, the biochemical genius behind Checkmate’s products, and Kendall Tate, the assistant who refuses to be intimidated by him. Each book stands on its own, but together they build a kind of found family around the company.

Smart guys. Big egos. Terrible romantic timing.

What makes the series work is that the hook is playful, but the characters still have real problems. Careers are on the line. Reputations can implode. Old breakups, bad marriages, money stress, and trust issues keep pushing against the fantasy. These books run steamier than the Red River stories, but they still give the characters enough vulnerability to keep things grounded.

If you want contemporary romance that is glossy, a little outrageous, and very chemistry-driven, start here. The books move quickly, the dialogue snaps, and the running joke underneath it all is that the men who built a company around understanding attraction are often the least prepared for love when it lands on them.