
‘Tis the season for adorable contemporary romances! I’m anxiously anticipating the new book releases in May 2022. There are so many great titles to check out.
My heart is about to explode with happiness over the sheer number of sweet cartoon cover romances coming out this month. Typically, I’d say something along the lines of how my TBR just grew astronomically while writing this post – but, so many of these books were already anxiously anticipated before the year began. In fact, a few of them I’ve even had the pleasure of reading (and reviewing) thanks to receiving fabulous advanced copies! Be sure to check for stars on any of the following titles so you can see my thoughts on the book before it comes out.
You’ll definitely want to get your hands on most of these as they’re literally perfect beach reads! I don’t know about you, but I certainly crave more romcoms and sweet stories during the spring and summertime. I might not be spending much time poolside, but I do love escaping with my meet-cutes, fake dating, one bed-touting romances.
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30 New Book Releases to Add to Your Reading List in May 2022
You can find a synopsis of each book below, along with a link to buy or preorder. Visit my StoryGraph account to read my reviews as they go live – and check out my bookstagram account for more aesthetic photos of books and coffee!



Book Lovers by Emily Henry | May 3
One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didnβt see comingβ¦
Nora Stephensβ life is booksβsheβs read them allβand she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sistersβ trip awayβwith visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who sheβs convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that theyβve met many times and itβs never been cute.
If Nora knows sheβs not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows heβs nobodyβs hero, but as they are thrown together again and againβin a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allowβwhat they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories theyβve written about themselves.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Book of Night by Holly Black | May 3
#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus
In Charlie Hallβs world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferencesβbut also to increase power and influence. You can alter someoneβs feelingsβand memoriesβbut manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hiddenβa second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.
Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlieβs present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclearβand at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sisterβall desperate to control the magic of the shadows.
With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isnβt playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston | May 3
From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need…
Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, sheβs spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing thatβs kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principalβs perfect progeny.
But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.
On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers sheβs not the only one Shara kissed. Thereβs also Smith, Sharaβs longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Sharaβs bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Sharaβs trail of clues and find her. Itβll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.
Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybeβprobably not, but maybeβmore to Shara, too.
Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop



Something Wilder by Christina Lauren | May 17
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the professionβ¦or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Dukeβs coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesnβt leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wildernessβand leave him there.
Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but theyβd barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: itβs never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasnβt a gimmick after all. Thereβs a chance to right the wrongsβof Dukeβs past and their ownβbut only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether theyβll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner | May 10
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of That Summer comes another heartfelt and unputdownable novel of family, secrets, and the ties that bind.
When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and spoken to her beloved safta, Sarahβs mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the familyβs beach house on Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market.
But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps. Ruby has always known exactly what she wants, but as the wedding date approaches, she finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica ends up facing unexpected news, thanks to her meddling sister, and must revisit the choices she made long ago, when she was a bestselling novelist with a different life. Sarahβs twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss, and confronting big questions about who he isβquestions he hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Sarahβs husband, Eli, whoβs been inexplicably distant during the pandemic, confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. And Sarah, frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by challenges of life during quarantine, faces the alluring reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been.
When the wedding day arrives, lovers are revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings take on a life of their own, and secrets come to light. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same.
From βthe undisputed boss of the beach readβ (The New York Times), The Summer Place is a testament to family in all its messy glory; a story about what we sacrifice and how we forgive. Enthralling, witty, big-hearted, and sharply observed, this is Jennifer Weinerβs love letter to the Outer Cape and the power of home, the way our lives are enriched by the people we call family, and the endless ways love can surprise us.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Set on You by Amy Lea | May 10
A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea’s steamy debut romantic comedy.
Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity.
Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents’ engagement party.
In the lead up to their grandparents’ wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop



The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray | May 3
A summer house party turns into a whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literatureβs most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this mystery featuring Jane Austenβs leading literary characters.
The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintancesβcharacters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, itβs clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet theyβre all shocked when Wickham turns up murderedβexcept, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.
Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the partyβs two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcysβ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty partyβbefore an innocent person is sentenced to hang.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews | May 3
Summer begins with Mary Kay Andrews, in this delightful summer listen about flipping houses, and finding true love.
Hattie Kavanaugh went to work helping clean up restored homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at 18; married the bossβs son at 20; and was only 25 when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Broken hearted, but determined to continue the business of their dreams, she takes the life insurance money, buys a small house in a gentrifying neighborhood, flips it, then puts the money into her next project. But that house is a disaster and a money-loser, which rocks her confidence for years to come. Then, Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist. It’s a question of who will flip, and who will flop, and will Hattie ever get her happily-ever-after.
Filled with Mary Kay Andrews’s trademark wit, warmth, junking trips, and house porn, The Homewreckers is a summer beach delight.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Together We Burn by Isabel IbaΓ±ez | May 31
Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a talented flamenco dancer and daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. People come for miles to see her father fight in their arena, which will one day be hers.
But disaster strikes during their five hundredth anniversary show, and in the carnage, Zarelaβs father is horribly injured. Facing punishment from the Dragon Guild, Zarela must keep the arenaβher ancestral home and inheritance βsafe from their greedy hands. She has no choice but to take her fatherβs place as the next Dragonador. When the infuriatingly handsome dragon hunter, Arturo DΓaz de Montserrat, withholds his help, she refuses to take no for an answer.
But even if he agrees, thereβs someone out to ruin the Zalvidar family, and Zarela will have to do whatever it takes in order to prevent the Dragon Guild from taking away her birthright.
An ancient city plagued by dragons. A flamenco dancer determined to save her ancestral home. A dragon hunter refusing to teach her his ways. They don’t want each other, but they need each other, and without him her world will burn.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop



By the Book (Meant to Be #2) by Jasmine Guillory | May 3
A tale as old as timeβfor a new generationβ¦
Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing right out of college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, living at home, still an editorial assistant, and the only Black employee at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.
All she has to do is go to the authorβs Santa Barbara mansion and give him a quick pep talk or three. How hard could it be?
But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn andβit turns outβjust as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn’t there before.
Best-selling author Jasmine Guilloryβs reimagining of a beloved fairy tale is a romantic triumph of love and acceptance and learning that sometimes to truly know a person you have to read between the lines.
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Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman | May 17
A young woman arrives in Los Angeles determined to start over, and discovers she doesnβt need to leave everything behind after all, from Abbi Waxman, USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.
When Laura Costello moves to Los Angeles, trying to escape an overprotective family and the haunting memories of a terrible accident, she doesnβt expect to be homeless after a week. (Sheβs pretty sure she didnβt start that fire β right?) She also doesn’t expect to find herself adopted by a rogue bookseller, installed in a lovely but completely illegal boardinghouse, or challenged to save a losing trivia team from ignominyβ¦but thatβs what happens. Add a regretful landlady, a gorgeous housemate and an ex-boyfriend determined to put himself back in the running and youβll see why Laura isnβt really sure sheβs cut out for this adulting thing. Luckily for her, her new friends Nina, Polly and Impossibly Handsome Bob aren’t sure either, but maybe if they put their heads (and hearts) together theyβll be able to make it work for them.
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The Merciless Ones (The Gilded Ones #2) by Namina Forna | May 31
Fans of The Gilded Ones and Children of Blood and Bone will love the second book in an epic fantasy series about a girl who is the key to saving the empire–or its greatest threat.
It’s been six months since Deka has freed the goddesses and discovered who she really is. There are now wars waging across the kingdom. Otereans now think jatu are traitors to the nation. Deka is called a monster.
But the real battle has only just begun and Deka must lead the charge. Deka is tasked with freeing the rest of the goddesses. Only as she begins to free them, she begins to see a strange symbol everywhere in places of worship and worn on armor. There’s something unnatural about that symbol; just looking at it makes Deka lose her senses. Even worse, it seems to repel her powers. She can’t command or communicate with the new deathshrieks. In fact, she can’t even understand them when they speak.
Deka knows freeing the goddesses is just the beginning. She can tell whatever dark force out is powerful and there is something sinister out there threatening the kingdom connected to that symbol–something merciless–that her army will need to stop before humanity crumbles. But Deka’s powers are only getting stronger…and her strongest weapon could be herself.
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Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer | May 10
You canβt always go home again.
Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellisβs lifeβand her relationship with Eastonβ into chaos sheβs forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything sheβs ever known.
Now Ellis hasnβt spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe itβs better that way; maybe eventually the Easton shaped hole in her heart will heal. But when Eastonβs mother invites her home for a celebration, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind… and with the boy she never stopped loving.
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See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon | May 17
From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical romance in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous first day of collegeβonly to discover that her nemesis is stuck in the time loop with her.
Barrett Bloom is hoping college will be a fresh start after a messy high school experience. But when school begins on September 21st, everything goes wrong. Sheβs humiliated by the know-it-all in her physics class, she botches her interview for the college paper, and at a party that night, she accidentally sets a frat on fire. She panics and flees, and when she realizes her roommate locked her out of their dorm, she falls asleep in the common room.
The next morning, Barrettβs perplexed to find herself back in her dorm room bed, no longer smelling of ashes and crushed dreams. Itβs September 21st. Again. And after a confrontation with Miles, the guy from Physics 101, she learns sheβs not aloneβheβs been trapped for months.
When her attempts to fix her timeline fail, she agrees to work with Miles to find a way out. Soon theyβre exploring the mysterious underbelly of the university and going on wild, romantic adventures. As they start falling for each other, they face the universeβs biggest unanswered question yet: what happens to their relationship if they finally make it to tomorrow?
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My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth | May 31
Nerds are so hot.
Especially battle robot building nerds.
Bel would rather die than think about the future. College apps? Youβre funny. Extracurriculars? Not a chance. But when she accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, sheβs basically forced into joining the robotics club. Even worse? All the boys ignore Belβand Neelam, the only other girl on the team, doesn’t seem to like her either.
Enter Mateo Luna, captain of the club, who recognizes Bel as a potential assetβuntil they start butting heads. Bel doesnβt care about Nationals, while Teo cares too much. But as the nights of after-school work grow longer and longer, Bel and Teo realize they’ve built more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: theyβve made space for each other and themselves.
This sharply funny, academic rivals to lovers romance explores both the challenges girls of color face in STEM and the vulnerability of first love with unfailing wit and honesty.
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Tokyo Dreaming (Tokyo Ever After #2) by Emiko Jean | May 31
Return to Tokyo for a royal wedding in Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to the Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Tokyo Ever After
When Japanese-American Izumi Tanaka learned her father was the Crown Prince of Japan, she became a princess overnight. Now, sheβs overcome conniving cousins, salacious press, and an imperial scandal to finally find a place she belongs. She has a perfect bodyguard turned boyfriend. Her stinky dog, Tamagotchi, is living with her in Tokyo. Her parents have even rekindled their college romance and are engaged. A royal wedding is on the horizon! Izumiβs life is a Tokyo dream come true.
Only…
Her parentsβ engagement hits a brick wall. The Imperial Household Council refuses to approve the marriage citing concerns about Izumi and her motherβs lack of pedigree. And on top of it all, her bodyguard turned boyfriend makes a shocking decision about their relationship. At the threat of everything falling apart, Izumi vows to do whatever it takes to help win over the council. Which means upping her newly acquired princess game.
But at what cost? Izumi will do anything to help her parents achieve their happily ever after, but what if playing the perfect princess means sacrificing her own? Will she find a way to forge her own path and follow her heart?
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The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall | May 3
Four Weddings and a Funeral meets The Wedding Party in Katy Birchall’s The Wedding Season: when a recently jilted bride is forced to attend seven weddings in one summer, her friends devise a series of challenges as distraction.
Freya Scott is getting married. Her wedding to Matthew, her long-term boyfriend, is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and as someone who prides herself on being meticulously organized, Freya is intent on making it the perfect day to remember.
But when Matthew calls things off hours before they walk down the aisle, Freyaβs entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, the last thing she wants is to attend a summer of other peoplesβ nuptials on her own.
Fortunately, her friends have an idea: together they devise a series of outrageous challenges for Freya to complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been. From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun.
By the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that βI doβ is only the beginningββand that perhaps her own love story isnβt over just yet.
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Rivals (American Royals #3) by Katharine McGee | May 31
Beatrice is queen, and for the American royal family, everything is about to change.
Relationships will be tested.
Princess Samantha is in love with Lord Marshall Davisβbut the more serious they get, the more complicated things become. Is Sam destined to repeat her string of broken relationshipsβ¦and this time will the broken heart be her own?
Strangers will become friends.
Beatrice is representing America at the greatest convocation of kings and queens in the world. When she meets a glamorous foreign princess, she gets drawn into the inner circleβ¦but at what cost?
And rivals will become allies.
Nina and Daphne have spent years competing for Prince Jefferson. Now they have something in common: they both want to take down manipulative Lady Gabriella Madison. Can these enemies join forces, or will old rivalries stand in the way?
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The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy #1) by Chelsea Abdullah | May 17
Neither here nor there, but long agoβ¦
Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren landβat the cost of sacrificing all jinn.
With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultanβs oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulieβs past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everythingβher enemy, her magic, even her own pastβis not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.
Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.
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Summer Island by Shelley Noble | May 10
New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble pens a heartwarming story of a mother-daughter road trip to the beach and to self-discovery.
When reporter Phoebe Adams loses her job and her fiancΓ© on the same day, it never occurs to her that she’ll also have to support her mother, Ruth, through her divorce from Phoebe’s father after thirty-five years of marriage. They both need a haven, and Phoebe knows just the place–Summer Island, where Grandma Alice still rules the roost from the big New England beach house Phoebe and Ruth once called home.
But “home” has changed. There’s a trendy new look downtown. Large beach houses are replacing the old. The Harken house next door is in disrepair.
Phoebe’s plan for a peaceful retreat is quickly hijacked when globe-trotting Great Aunt Vera makes an unannounced pit stop. With Vera around, no one can stay morose for long, not even Lars, the grumpy widower next door, or his son Ty, formerly geeky middle child all grown up into a handsome and enigmatic man. Soon they’re all enjoying things they used to do and discovering new ones. Each adventure opens a part of themselves they’ve neglected for too long and brings them closer together.
But when an accident threatens to destroy the tenuous tie between them, Phoebe realizes how fragile life can be, and that she has some serious choices to make about her own life. It will take the support of her newly awakened family and the magic of Summer Island for Phoebe to embrace the challenge of an unexpected future and to trust her own heart.
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*One Night With You by Laura Jane Williams | May 26
READ MY REVIEW OF “ONE NIGHT WITH YOU”
Itβs his first night in London. And her lastβ¦
Rubyβs leaving London β sheβs not running away from her ex per se, but an exciting opportunity in a new city has landed at the perfect time.
Nic is moving to London. After a bad break-up, heβs excited to see where big-city life could take him.
When a chance meeting throws the pair of them together for just one night, itβs clear that this could be the start of something special. But thereβs one problem: sheβs leaving, and heβs just arriving. So, after tonight, theyβll never see each other again . . . will they?
From the international bestseller comes a story of two strangers, two cities, and one night that changes everything.
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*All Fired Up by Dylan Newton | May 17
READ MY REVIEW OF “ALL FIRED UP”
After one wild night together, two complete opposites plan to stay firmly in the friend zone, but life has other plans in this delightful romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.
As a successful book publicist, Imani Lewis works night and day to promote her authors. Itβs her dream job, but sheβs become a total workaholic. So when her grandmother invites her to stay for the summer as she recovers from surgery, Imani happily agrees. But being back in the same small town as her one-night stand may not be quite the relaxing break she envisionedβ¦
Zander Matthews wakes up every day determined to enjoy the present because he knows from his time in the Marines that tomorrow isnβt guaranteed. But heβs never gotten over the beautiful woman who blew through town a year ago, then disappeared. And he doesnβt want to be hurt again. So they agree to a deal: heβll help Imani fix up her grandmotherβs house as long as they stay firmly in the friend zone.
Whether itβs repairing tiles in his ceramics studio, dodging nosy neighbors, or soothing the most obnoxious parrot ever, Zander never fails to make Imani laugh. And soon their friendly banter is turning ever flirtier. But since Imaniβs stay is temporary and Zander canβt be tied to anything beyond the most tenuous plans, will she be able to handle it when things get all fired up?
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Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater | May 3
Merida goes on an all-new, life-changing adventure in this original YA novel set several years after the close of Brave!
What if you had one year to save everything you loved?
ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her familyβjovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous tripletsβ and her peaceful kingdom. But sheβs frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge β maybe even, someday, love.
TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm β and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year β or suffer the eternal consequences.
THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all β herself?
FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH β OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.
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Twin Crowns (Twin Crowns #1) by Catherine Doyle | May 17
A high-stakes fantasy rom-com about twin princesses separated at birthβone raised as the crown princess, and the other taken as an infant and raised to kidnap her sister, steal the crown, and avenge the parents’ murders.
Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sisterβs place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parentsβ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasnβt quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didnβt have a habit of causing troubleβ¦
Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.
Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each otherβs lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?
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From Bad to Cursed (The Witches of Thistle Grove #2) by Lana Harper | May 17
Opposites attract in this wickedly charming rom-com by Lana Harper, author of Paybackβs a Witch.
Wild child Isidora Avramov is a thrill chaser, adept demon summoner, andβdespite the whole sexy-evil-sorceress vibeβalso a cuddly animal lover. When sheβs not designing costumes and new storylines for the Arcane Emporiumβs haunted house, Issa’s nursing a secret, conflicted dream of ditching her familyβs witchy business to become an indie fashion designer in her own right.
But when someone starts sabotaging the celebrations leading up to this yearβs Beltane festival with dark, dangerous magic, a member of the rival Thorn family gets badly hurtβthrowing immediate suspicion on the Avramovs. To clear the Avramov name and step up for her family when they need her the most, Issa agrees to serve as a co-investigator, helping none other than Rowan Thorn get to the bottom of things.
Rowan is the very definition of lawful good, so tragically noble and by-the-book he makes Issaβs teeth hurt. In accordance with their familiesβ complicated history, he and Issa have been archenemies for years and have grown to heartily loathe each other. But as the unlikely duo follow a perplexing trail of clues to a stunning conclusion, Issa and Rowan discover how little they really know each otherβ¦ and stumble upon a maddening attraction that becomes harder to ignore by the day.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Never Been Kissed (Boy Meets Boy #1) by Timothy Janovsky | May 3
Dear (never-been-quite-over-you) Crush,
It’s been a few years since we were together, but I can’t stop thinking about the time we almost…
Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. Morning brings the inevitable Oh God What Did I Do?, but he brushes that panic aside. Why stress about it? None of his could-have-beens are actually going to read the emails, much less respond. Right?
Enter Derick Haverford, Wren’s #1 pre-coming-out-crush and his drive-in theater’s new social media intern. Everyone claims he’s coasting on cinematic good looks and his father’s connections, but Wren has always known there’s much more to Derick than meets the eye. Too bad he doesn’t feel the same way about the infamous almost-kiss that once rocked Wren’s world.
Whatever. Wren’s no longer a closeted teenager; he can survive this. But as their hazy summer becomes consumed with a special project that may just save the struggling drive-in for good, Wren and Derick are drawn ever-closer…and maybe, finally, Wren’s dream of a perfect-kiss-before-the-credits is within reach.
A feel-good summer LGBTQIA+ New Adult RomCom, perfect for fans of Red White & Royal Blue, Boyfriend Material, and What If It’s Us.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle | May 31
Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this witty and romantic teen novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.
Prince Jones is the guy with all the answersβor so it seems. After all, at seventeen, he has his own segment on Detroitβs popular hip-hop show, Love Radio, where he dishes out advice to the brokenhearted.
Prince has always dreamed of becoming a DJ and falling in love. But being the main caretaker for his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and his little brother means his dreams will stay just that and the only romances in his life are the ones he hears about from his listeners.
Until he meets Dani Ford.
Dani isnβt checking for anybody. Sheβs focused on her plan: ace senior year, score a scholarship, and move to New York City to become a famous author. But her college essay keeps tripping her up and acknowledging whatβs blocking her means dealing with what happened at that party a few months ago.
And thatβs one thing Dani canβt do.
When the romantic DJ meets the ambitious writer, sparks fly. Prince is smitten, but Daniβs not looking to get derailed. She gives Prince just three dates to convince her that heβs worth falling for.
Three dates for the love expert to take his own advice, and just maybe change two lives forever.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop



Chef’s Kiss by T.J. Alexander | May 3
A high-strung pastry chefβs professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com.
Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.
To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simoneβs water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.
Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactionsβand Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan by Liz Michalski | May 3
In this beautiful, grounded, and darkly magical modern-day reimagining ofJ. M. Barrie’s classic, to save her daughter’s life one woman must take on the infamous Peter Pan–who is not the innocent adventurer the fairy tales make him out to be . . .
Life is looking up for Holly Darling, granddaughter of Wendy–yes, that Wendy. She’s running a successful skincare company; her son, Jack, is happy and healthy; and the tragedy of her past is well behind her . . . until she gets a call that her daughter, Eden, who has been in a coma for nearly a decade, has gone missing from the estate where she’s been long tucked away. And, worst of all, Holly knows who must be responsible: Peter Pan, who is not only very real, but more dangerous than anyone could imagine.
Eden’s disappearance is a disaster for more reasons than one. She has a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly–ironic, considering her father is the boy who will never grow up–which also makes her blood incredibly valuable. It’s a secret that Holly is desperate to protect, especially from Eden’s half-brother, Jack, who knows nothing about his sister or the crucial role she plays in his life. Holly has no one to turn to–her mother is the only other person in the world who knows that Peter is more than a story, but she refuses to accept that he is not the hero she’s always imagined. Desperate, Holly enlists the help of Christopher Cooke, a notorious ex-soldier, in the hopes of rescuing Eden before it’s too late . . . or she may lose both her children.
Darling Girl brings all the magic of the classic Peter Pan story to the present, while also exploring the dark underpinnings of fairy tales, grief, aging, sacrifice, motherhood, and just how far we will go to protect those we love.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop
Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2) by Helena Hunting | May 10
Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!
Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when sheβs out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a βthanks, but no thanksβ. As the business administrator for their familyβs event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.
As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the companyβs CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.
As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isnβt until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jacksonβs secretive past and Londonβs struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands – not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop

Are you planning to read any of the new releases in May 2022?
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Wendy says
So many great books coming out in May! I have a few of these, but want a few more!
Jodie says
As one of my favourite genres, I have read several of these books and have more on my TBR list! May is definitely my favourite month for new releases (followed closely by holiday reads LOL). Thanks for sharing and increasing my already toppling book list!
Sarah says
Well, it’s safe to say that my TBR just grew quite a bit with this list. Wow, there are so many amazing-sounding books coming out, and May and I know this list barely even begins to scratch the surface of all the new books this month. I am especially intrigued by Bravely, as I love the movie Brave and would love to see more adventures of Merida.
Smelly Socks and Garden Peas says
I’m not particularly into romantic fiction but The Murder of Mr Wickham sounds rather interesting. Thanks for some fun looking recommendations.
Jaya Avendel says
Wow, what a truly stunning collection of new releases! I am honestly torn between every last one, from the covers themselves to the gripping summaries. Definitely loving the sounds of Set On You, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, and Chef’s Kiss. π
Lover of Romance says
There are so many great books that are coming out this month. I can’t believe that its May. I know many readers are so excited for that Emily Henry and I am seeing some very good reviews for it. I hope you love all fo these when they are released!!
Neely Moldovan says
I am reading book lovers right now and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I love all her books though.
Hayley says
So many fantastic books coming out this month! I’m currently reading Book Lovers by Emily Henry and loving it so far. Definitely in the mood for so romcoms right now.
Raji says
So many great books this month! Thanks for sharing, I’m definitely adding a few of these to my TBR!
Lizzie says
Wow thereβs so many good books coming out this month!! Iβve already put so many of these on my list. Canβt wait to hear what you think!
Lizzie
http://Www.Lizzieinlace.com