Take Over Books in Order

Take Over is one of T.L. Smith's earlier crime-driven series, and one of its most interesting features is that it puts a formidable woman at the center of the power struggle. Krinos is not written as a passive heroine swept into someone else's empire. She is stepping into the family business herself, and that gives the series a slightly different energy from many romance stories built around criminal worlds.

From the beginning, Krinos knows who she is. She is strong, conniving, dangerous when crossed, and tied to a family that already lives close to violence. The series builds on that confidence rather than taking it away. Instead of watching a heroine slowly discover backbone, readers get a lead who already has it and then has to use it under pressure.

That changes the whole feel of the story.

The first book, Krinos, sets up her role inside the family business and her bond with the man beside her. The relationship matters, but so does power. This is not only a love story. It is also a story about control, inheritance, revenge, and what it means to take hold of a dangerous life instead of running from it.

Kalon keeps that same world in motion with more threats, more retaliation, and more proof that Krinos is not someone to underestimate. The conflict is shaped by enemies, attempted betrayal, and the kind of criminal atmosphere where every choice has fallout. Her connection with Stefanos gives the books an emotional core, but the series never loses sight of ambition and survival.

That is really the appeal here. Take Over feels less like a simple romance with criminal window dressing and more like an early dark crime romance where the heroine can be as intimidating as anyone else on the page. Smith's later work often circles antihero men, but this series reminds you that she is also very capable of writing women who claim power outright.

The tone is dark, fast, and dramatic. There is danger everywhere, but the books do not wallow. They move. Revenge plots, family business, and attraction all feed into the same momentum. Because the series is one of her earlier ones, it can feel a little raw in places, but that rawness also suits the story's attitude.

If you like criminal romance with a stronger female center of gravity, Take Over is worth a look. Krinos is the draw, a woman built for this world, not broken by it. That alone makes the series stand out in Smith's backlist.

Expect danger, loyalty, and a heroine who would rather seize the empire than politely survive around it.