Top 5 series I wished didn’t end

Hello friends!! Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday!! This week’s topic is top 5 series I wished didn’t end!!

Friends!! Today I come to you from across the ocean, in Fiji!! Yes, it is my brithday week and we are spending it on a tropical island. Doing nothing but swimming, eating, drinking cocktails by the pool, and reading! Being Tuesday I should be 2 days into the holiday, and fingers crossed this one posts on time. But if not, please rest assured that I’m at least enjoying myself this week, as opposed to all the work travel I’ve been doing on other weeks.

Now, series I wished never ended is probably a *bit* tongue-in-cheek. Because I can absolutely guarantee that you can have too much of a good thing. As per last week’s post about wishing all of the series that ARE going forever WILL end. (Speaking of, I head about a new Shadowhunter series earlier this week and I almost cried…)

However, throwing caution to the wind, I’m going to pretend that I really do want the below 5 series to never end. Or at least be extended a bit more.

So, without any further ado, let’s go see my top 5 series that I wished didn’t end!!

For anyone that needs to know, each T5T post’s InLinkz is open for TWO WEEKS so you still have a week to drop your links in. So sorry for any inconveniences. Hoping to get this sorted ASAP!! (And definitely before I go overseas for 6 weeks in Sep/Oct!!)

InLinkz reminder

A reminder to everyone before we begin. We’re using InLinkz! What this means is you will be in charge of linking your own posts here! Rather than me scouring the web (or my spreadsheet) for them. I will be posting ahead of everyone because of *timezones*. So, it should be easy for everyone to drop links for your posts.

Upcoming topics

The Top 5 Tuesday April-June 2025 topics are out now!!

If you’re interested, you can see the topics for the whole of 2025 here!! The date format is DD/MM/YY, and topics are listed by month. You can even click on tabs for previous years and check out past topics too!!

Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, and is now being hosted here @ Meeghan reads.

top 5 series I wished didn’t end

Helena Hunting’s ice hockey series

With a famous NHL player for a stepbrother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation of many a hockey star. So of course she isn’t interested in legendary team captain Alex Waters or his pretty, beat-up face and rock-hard six-pack abs.

But when Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes much more than just a hot body with the face to match. Suffering from a complete lapse in judgment, Violet discovers just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants.

Violet believes her night of orgasmic magic with Alex is just that: one night. But Alex starts to call. And text. And email and send extravagant — and quirky — gifts. Suddenly he’s too difficult to ignore and nearly impossible not to like. The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.

Ok, so like, I don’t actually want the Pucked series to last forever, but I am a BIG fan of what Hunting is doing. Which, now that I think about it, is kind of similar to what Cassandra Clare is doing with the Shadowhunter series… (shhhhh!) Hunting is writing a number of series that all kind of intertwine, including a next generation style series, of ice hockey romances.

Of course there’s the Pucked series, then we have the All In series, the Toronto Terrors series, and (under her NA pen name) the Lies, Hearts and Truths series. Plus you can also read the original Pucked spin-off of Clipped Wings, which while having character cross-overs, is based on tattooists rather than hockey players. Yes, I’d like some more please!! (Including a Terror’s next gen series… just saying!!)

Elsie Silver’s cowboy series

Keeping things professional with my employees has never been an issue… until Billie waltzes onto my property.

She’s talented, feisty and so damn tempting. We clash from the moment we meet, and I can’t stop thinking about all the ways I could take her down a peg. I can’t stop thinking about her, period.

And in a small town, on an even smaller farm, it’s hard to keep my distance. Billie is the whole package: whip-smart with a body I fantasise about, and quite possibly the only woman who can save this business — and me. She drives me crazy, but the more time we spend together, the more I crave her: her lips, her trust, her heart… I want it all.

But at what cost? Because suddenly I don’t just want to win races, I want to win the girl.

Again, as above, I am dying to catch up on all of the cowboy romance books forever. The one thing that I love about Silver’s multiple series (Gold Rush Ranch, Chestnut Springs, and Rose Hill), is that they all have that one character link to the next series, which I adore. I.e., Violet from the Gold Rush Ranch series is the sister for the men in the Chestnut Springs series. And Willa from Chestnut Springs, is the sister for Ford in the first Rose Hill series books.

Honestly, I will just keep reading so long as Ms Silver keeps them coming. I haven’t come across a bad story yet!

Lore Olympus — Rachel Smythe

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love — witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s best-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe.

Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she’s allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods.

When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld.

Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships  that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place — and her own power.

This one’s actually a bit more specific. Because, honestly, I would read this series until the end of time. Yup, Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus, which is a modern-day Hades/Persephone retelling, is *chefs kiss*. And like, I say modern-day, and it is, but it isn’t.

The setting and the clothes and the language are all modern, but it’s still the original story and characters. It’s hard to explain, but if you like Greek mythology and you’re interested in graphic novels, or even want to try them, I highly recommend this. And just quietly, I also love Smythe’s use of colour in this series.

The Old Kingdom — Garth Nix

Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom — far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won’t stay dead.

But now, her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross into the world to find him. Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks upon a quest fraught with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of — for nothing is as it seems within the boundary of the Old Kingdom.

There, she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny.

So… this one is probably the biggest about-turn from last week’s post. Garth Nix wrote a beautiful trilogy — although there’s like a 15 year gap between books 1 and 2, and books 2 and 3 follow a different character. Then he wrote some short stories that slot inbetween the books and also after the books (there’s a 2.5 and two different 3.5’s). Then he wrote a prequel (set way in the past) but it’s called book 4. And then he wrote a sequel to the original trilogy, but set after the two 3.5 short stories — that’s book 5. Then he wrote another prequel, but the it’s really the prequel to the first book because it’s like 18 years before book 1 (this is book 6). It’s a very weird timeline.

So, apart from wanting to sort out the ordering of the books (series numbers should be different to publication order), I would still not be averse to Mr Nix publishing a new Old Kingdom book every 5 years or so. Seriously, there were 11 years between books 3 and 4, and I barely even noticed. And then 5 years between books 5 and 6. I could totally take a book 7 in 2026. Wherever it comes in the timeline.

Heartstopper — Alice Oseman

Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay, over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Friendship blooms quickly, but could there be something more…?

Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie — the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months — but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.

They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…

Ahhh, Heartstopper. I am going to cry my little heart out when Alice Oseman finally finishes this series — probably later this year. On Patreon anyway. And I know she has said that this will really be the ending for Nick and Charlie. Not like them as a couple, but from her as their creator. She’s done with their story. And they got a GREAT story. I mean they’re even getting a movie instead of season 4 of the tv show.

But secretly, I would 1000% just keep reading any little tidbits, novels, short stories, comics, spin-offs, whatever about these two. Because their love story is just so pure. And I think we all need that kind of hope in our lives.

PARTICIPANTS

What are your top 5 series you wished didn’t end?