Once Upon a Crime Family books in order

Once Upon a Crime Family is a two-book YA thriller duology by Tiffany Schmidt, following a girl raised in a powerful crime organization who must navigate loyalty, danger, and her own conscience.
Series · Young Adult · Thriller · Crime Fiction · Suspense

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Hold Me Like a Breath 2015 Tiffany Schmidt Buy
2 Break Me Like a Promise 2016 Tiffany Schmidt Buy

Hold Me Like a Breath and Break Me Like a Promise form a duology that sits on the darker side of Tiffany Schmidt’s catalog. The books are set in a world of organized crime families who deal in black market organ transplants — a premise that gives the YA thriller genre a more specific and unusual hook than most entries in the category.

The protagonist grows up sheltered within a dangerous world she does not fully understand, and the series uses that dynamic to examine questions of complicity, privilege, and what loyalty actually costs. For readers who found Schmidt through Bookish Boyfriends, this duology is a significant shift in tone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Once Upon a Crime Family series?

There are two books in the Once Upon a Crime Family series, published between 2015 and 2016.

What is the first book in the Once Upon a Crime Family series?

The first book in the Once Upon a Crime Family series is Hold Me Like a Breath, published in 2015.

Is Hold Me Like a Breath a standalone or does it require reading Break Me Like a Promise first?

Hold Me Like a Breath is the first book and should be read before Break Me Like a Promise, as the second book continues from where the first ends.

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