Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Control | 2014 | Laura Marie Altom | N/A |
| 2 | Possess | 2014 | Laura Marie Altom | N/A |
| 3 | The Escort | 2015 | Laura Marie Altom | N/A |
| 4 | Stepping Over the Line | 2016 | Laura Marie Altom | N/A |
The Shamed series by Laura Marie Altom consists of four books: Control (2014), Possess (2014), The Escort (2015), and Stepping Over the Line (2016). This is the furthest Altom has gone from her Harlequin comfort zone. Where most of her bibliography features sweet cowboys and military dads, Shamed trades in darker themes involving power, shame, and desire. The titles alone suggest a different register than The SEAL’s Christmas Twins or The Cowboy SEAL’s Jingle Bell Baby.
Altom published this series independently during a period when she was also writing prolifically for Harlequin. The timing overlaps with both her Operation Family and Cowboy SEALs runs, which makes the tonal shift even more dramatic. Readers who know her primarily through her baby-and-cowboy books may find Shamed surprisingly intense. For those looking for a grittier side of Altom’s writing, this short series is worth checking out.