Mended Hearts Books in Order

Mended Hearts is a two-book romantic suspense offshoot set in Lexi Ryan's wider New Hope world. The stories focus on characters who need protection as much as they need a second chance at trust. They can be read on their own, but both share the same network of New Hope friends and carry the series' mix of heat, danger, and personal secrets.

Playing with Fire follows Nix and Max Hallowell. Nix believes one night with Max should have been simple, but their connection brings the past she has worked hard to avoid back into view. Max wants to help and protect her, while Nix fears that allowing him close could put him in harm's way. The tension comes from both their attraction and the question of whether her old life will let either of them move forward.

Secrets make every choice harder.

Holding Her Close shifts to Cade Watts and Janelle Crane. Janelle is a Hollywood actress trying to repair her image after a public scandal. When she mistakes Cade, a New Hope police officer, for the man hired to pose as her fake fiancé, their first encounter goes sharply off course. Cade has his own painful history with fame and actresses, which makes him wary of her even before threats and frightening incidents begin closing in around her.

The New Hope setting gives these books a sense of found family. Friends from earlier series appear around the edges, and the heroes are the kind of men who step up when someone needs help. Still, the central mood is less about a cozy town romance and more about what happens when a private problem becomes dangerous.

Both books combine open-door contemporary romance with mystery elements. The stakes include reputations, careers, frightening pasts, and the possibility that someone close is not being honest. The suspense supports the romance rather than replacing it, so the focus remains on whether each couple can lower the walls that keep them apart.

These are shorter, fast-moving books for readers who like protective heroes, women with complicated histories, and a little threat alongside the chemistry. The stories have separate couples and separate conflicts, so there is no single ongoing cliffhanger.

Start with Playing with Fire for Nix and Max's story, then read Holding Her Close for Cade and Janelle. Reading the earlier New Hope books first is optional, but it gives extra context for the friend group.