New Books Released in May 2026
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May has arrived, bringing longer days, warm golden light, and the perfect excuse to refresh your reading list with some of the season’s most captivating new releases. As spring settles beautifully across the United States, there’s no better way to welcome May than by diving into stories filled with adventure, charm, emotion, and unforgettable moments. Whether you’re enjoying sunny afternoons outdoors, sipping iced coffee on the patio, or curling up in a cozy corner with the windows open and the breeze drifting in, these May book picks will keep you turning pages all month long.
A Diverse Selection of Must-Reads Awaits this May
The Book Guide’s editorial team curates a monthly list of popular new releases, drawing from top ratings across the board. Each preview spans a wide range of genres—from contemporary and historical fiction to mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult, and nonfiction. This month, three standout titles are not to be missed.
May’s new releases bring together an irresistible blend of heartfelt romance, introspective fantasy, and sweeping epic adventure, making them perfect companions for the season’s warm, lingering evenings. These are our top recommendations for this month: First, Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune delivers an emotional and beautifully layered romance about love, timing, and the lingering pull of unforgettable connections. Fortune once again captures the bittersweet magic of summer memories and second chances with vivid atmosphere, deeply relatable characters, and tender emotional stakes. Fans of immersive contemporary love stories will find themselves completely swept away by this heartfelt and addictive read.
Next, The Midnight Train by Matt Haig invites readers on a thought-provoking and deeply imaginative journey through themes of loneliness, hope, and human connection. Haig blends emotional insight with his signature touch of speculative wonder, crafting a story filled with quiet wisdom, poignant reflections, and moments of unexpected beauty. Both comforting and profound, this captivating novel is perfect for readers seeking an uplifting escape with emotional depth.
Finally, The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker soars with epic fantasy intensity, weaving together dangerous magic, fierce loyalties, and a hauntingly romantic undercurrent against a richly imagined world of dragons and destiny. Parker’s lush prose and cinematic storytelling create an immersive adventure packed with betrayal, sacrifice, and pulse-pounding tension. This enchanting fantasy promises an unforgettable ride for readers craving high-stakes emotion and breathtaking worldbuilding throughout May.
What to Read This May 2026: Best Book Releases.
May’s standout titles deliver a captivating blend of romance, imagination, and epic adventure—perfect for relaxing during long golden evenings or embracing the fresh energy of late spring. Be sure to add these unforgettable reads to your list for a month filled with emotion, magic, and discovery.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
What is the book Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune about?: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune is a swoony, emotionally charged contemporary romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer — and one of the most anticipated books of 2026. The story follows Frankie and George, best friends since the age of eight, whose bond has always been a beautiful contradiction: passionate, volatile, and utterly unbreakable — until now. On the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, with her friendship with George hanging by a thread, her fiancé blindsides her with a breakup note and walks out of her life. Heartbroken and adrift, Frankie retreats home to lick her wounds — but George, ever impossible and ever there, has a better idea: take the honeymoon anyway, together, trading the wedding suite for the misty beaches and lush rainforests of Tofino, British Columbia, for one healing, dangerous, utterly transformative week. What follows is a slow-burn journey of unearthed secrets, long-buried feelings, sharp banter, and the kind of tender, aching intimacy that only two people who have known each other for decades can share — all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Pacific Northwest in all its wild, stormy glory. Fortune’s signature warmth and razor-sharp emotional insight are on full display, delivering a story that is equal parts funny, gut-wrenching, and irresistibly romantic. Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune is recommended for: Our Perfect Storm is a must-read for devoted Carley Fortune fans, lovers of best-friends-to-lovers romance, and anyone who craves a slow burn set against a stunning natural backdrop that feels like a warm hug and a thunderstorm all at once.
The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker
What is the book The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker about?: The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker is the much-anticipated sequel to the New York Times and Sunday Times #1 bestselling phenomenon When the Moon Hatched — the second book in The Moonfall Series, releasing May 19, 2026. The story picks up where the breathtaking first book left off, plunging readers back into a lush, immersive world of dragons, ancient magic, and a love that refuses to be extinguished across lifetimes. Raeve’s hunger for vengeance still burns fierce and raw, even as her heart remains tethered to Kaan Vaegor — the dragon-shifting king who is a blazing anchor to a past she has yet to fully reclaim. With Rekk’s blood barely dry on her hands, Raeve is blindsided by a terrifying revelation: the world is hurtling toward its most catastrophic moonfall yet, forcing her to choose between chasing death or daring to embrace life. Meanwhile, Kaan’s crown grows heavier by the day — his bird-messengers go unanswered, new enemies with bloodthirsty agendas close in from every direction, and time is slipping away. But the most earth-shattering secret of all lies buried deep within the icy, forgotten recesses of Raeve’s past — something Other, something ancient, something with the power to change everything. Parker’s signature evocative prose weaves a world teeming with mysterious creatures, a unique and intricate magic system, dual perspectives dripping with tension and longing, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that blazes with equal parts heartbreak and hope. The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker is recommended for: The Ballad of Falling Dragons is essential reading for devoted fans of When the Moon Hatched, lovers of dark and lush romantasy in the tradition of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, and anyone who craves dragons, doomed lovers, ancient secrets, and a world so richly imagined it feels impossible to leave.
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
What is the book The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett about?: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett is the long-awaited return of the globally beloved author of The Help — her first novel in seventeen years, published May 2026. Set in Depression-era Oxford, Mississippi in 1933, the story follows three unforgettable women: eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur, a fierce and sharp-witted orphan clinging to the hope that her mother will one day come home; Birdie, a headstrong young woman who arrives in Oxford to confront the socialite sister who abandoned their struggling family, only to unravel a life built on a web of lies; and Charlie, a woman hollowed out by loss and pushed to the very edge. Drawn together by fate and circumstance, these three outsiders forge a bold, defiant sisterhood in a town where even the smallest act of rebellion can carry dangerous consequences. Stockett brings her signature warmth, razor-sharp wit, and deep empathy to a richly atmospheric story brimming with humor, heartbreak, and hard-won hope — a celebration of resilient women who refuse to stay small. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett is recommended for: The Calamity Club is a must-read for devoted fans of The Help, lovers of Southern historical fiction, and anyone who is moved by stories of unlikely friendships and the fierce, unstoppable power of women who choose to rise together.
The Divorce by Freida McFadden
What is the book The Divorce by Freida McFadden about?: The Divorce by Freida McFadden is a razor-sharp, deeply unsettling psychological thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid. The story follows Naomi, a woman who believed she had the perfect life — until her husband blindsides her, kicking her out of their dream home, draining their bank accounts, hiring ruthless divorce lawyers, and swiftly moving on with a younger woman. Rather than quietly accepting defeat and rebuilding from the rubble, Naomi refuses to let go of the life she fought for. What begins as a quiet, obsessive fixation on her husband’s new girlfriend, Veronica, spirals into something dangerously consuming — and as Naomi digs deeper into Veronica’s secrets, she makes discoveries that put her own life at risk, forcing her to ask how far she is truly willing to go. McFadden masterfully blurs the line between victim and villain, weaving a tightly coiled, unputdownable story where love curdles into vengeance and survival becomes the most dangerous game of all. The Divorce by Freida McFadden is recommended for: The Divorce is perfect for devoted fans of Freida McFadden’s previous thrillers, readers who love dark and twisty psychological suspense with morally complex protagonists, and anyone who can’t resist a story where nothing — and no one — is quite what they seem.
The Shippers by Katherine Center
What is the book The Shippers by Katherine Center about?: The Shippers by Katherine Center is a sun-soaked, irresistibly charming summer romance set aboard a cruise ship. The story centers on JoJo Burton, a woman who has spent a lifetime struggling with love and intimacy, and who decides that her sister’s destination wedding at sea is the perfect opportunity to finally get some closure. Armed with pop psychology and a self-diagnosis, she zeroes in on a newly-divorced wedding guest — her very first crush and first kiss — and hatches a plan to woo him once and for all. To pull it off, she enlists her childhood best friend Cooper Watts as her wingman — the same Cooper who showed up despite RSVPing no, who vanished to London four years ago without a word, and who, if she’s completely honest with herself, broke her heart worse than anyone ever has. What follows is a delightful, banter-filled shipboard adventure brimming with fake flirting, slow dances, shared cabins, jealousy, karaoke duets, and the slow, undeniable unraveling of long-buried feelings as JoJo and Cooper circle the truth they’ve both been avoiding. Called “the reigning queen of comfort reads” by BookPage, Katherine Center delivers a witty, laugh-and-cry friends-to-lovers story overflowing with romantic longing, sparkling tension, and the kind of swoony, feel-good ending that leaves you with a full heart. The Shippers by Katherine Center is recommended for: The Shippers is the perfect read for fans of Emily Henry and Carley Fortune, lovers of enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance, and anyone looking for the ultimate summer escape that makes you laugh, swoon, and ugly-cry all at once.
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
What is the book The Midnight Train by Matt Haig about?: The Midnight Train by Matt Haig is a luminous, achingly tender magical realism novel set in a world connected to his beloved The Midnight Library. The story follows Wilbur Budd, an 81-year-old bookstore chain owner who, just moments after receiving an unexpected phone call from Maggie — the ex-wife he never stopped loving — quietly dies. He awakens at a train station where an old-fashioned locomotive awaits, guided by a familiar face who explains that the train will carry him back through the most significant moments of his life. The rules are simple: watch, feel, but never interfere. Yet as the train pulls into Venice, the city where Wilbur and Maggie honeymooned in the golden bloom of young love, the rules begin to feel impossible to follow. Haunted by decades of choosing ambition over the people who needed him most, Wilbur must confront the devastating emotional cost of a life half-lived — and wrestle with the impossible question of whether second chances are ever truly possible, even from beyond death. Rich with Haig’s signature warmth, gentle wisdom, and quietly devastating observations about love, regret, and the fleeting beauty of ordinary moments, The Midnight Train is both a poignant companion piece to The Midnight Library and a deeply moving standalone story in its own right. The Midnight Train by Matt Haig is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of The Midnight Library and Matt Haig’s previous work, readers who adore magical realism with emotional depth, and anyone who has ever wished they could go back and love the right people a little harder while there was still time.
Fever Dream by Elsie Silver
What is the book Fever Dream by Elsie Silver about?: Fever Dream by Elsie Silver is a sizzling, slow-burn Western romance and the first book in the brand-new Emerald Lake series, set in the same beloved universe as Chestnut Springs and Rose Hill. The story follows professional bull rider Emmett Bush, a ruggedly charming, broad-shouldered cowboy who agrees to star on a reality dating show called Romance Ranch — not for love, but to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. Everything changes the moment Julia Silva steps onto his property: smart, snarky, achingly beautiful, and forbidden in every possible way — she’s both the location consultant on set and the little sister of his fiercest professional rival, Theo. Julia has been warned about Emmett, and she’s sworn off relationships entirely, but as mutual distaste crackles into undeniable chemistry, the two find themselves stealing moments away from the cameras — knowing glances, secret rendezvous, stolen kisses — in a breathless dance of tension, banter, and barely contained longing. With Emmett contractually obligated to court a roster of contestants on national television while quietly falling hard for the one woman he absolutely shouldn’t, Fever Dream is a deliciously tense, heat-soaked forbidden romance packed with all of Elsie Silver’s signature wit, steamy slow burn, and emotionally rich storytelling. Fever Dream by Elsie Silver is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs series, readers who love forbidden and rivals-to-lovers romance with a Western, small-town flair, and anyone who wants a swoony, banter-filled love story that delivers all the heat and heart in equal measure.
Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen
What is the book Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen about?: Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen is a breathtakingly intense dark fantasy romance and the electrifying second book in the Dire Bound series. The story picks up immediately where Dire Bound left off, thrusting Meryn Cooper — now crowned Queen of Nocturna against every imaginable odd — into the brutal heart of a kingdom teetering on the edge of collapse. Surrounded by distrustful commoners, scheming nobles, and enemies who refuse to accept her rule, Meryn must navigate a deadly web of politics, ancient lies, and open war, all while desperately trying to protect her beloved younger sister Saela from forces that grow more dangerous by the day. Complicating everything is Stark Therion — the dark, brooding, impossibly magnetic Alpha direwolf she once despised — whose unshakeable loyalty and intoxicating presence force Meryn to question everything she thought she knew about power, trust, and her own heart. Packed with relentless pacing, razor-sharp political intrigue, scorching slow-burn tension, lush worldbuilding, and a gloriously morally grey enemies-to-lovers romance, Fury Bound raises the stakes on every front — delivering jaw-dropping twists, fierce female rage, and a bond between Meryn and Stark that burns with undeniable, forbidden heat. Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of dark fantasy romance with enemies-to-lovers slow burns, readers who love fierce, complex heroines navigating power and survival, and anyone obsessed with morally grey characters, found family, and stories where the tension is so tight it leaves you breathless and desperate for the next chapter.
The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore
What is the book The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore about?: The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore is a wonderfully cozy, whimsical small-town romance and the sixth installment in the beloved Dream Harbor series, publishing May 5, 2026 — and each book can be read as a complete standalone. The story follows Daisy, the warm-hearted, perpetually unlucky-in-love owner of Dream Harbor’s cherished flower shop, whose already-struggling business has taken a turn for the worse after the eccentric Mayor Kelly declared it cursed in one of his notorious visions, sending customers fleeing. Into this delightfully quirky corner of town steps Elliot, a brooding newcomer still nursing wounds from his own relationship heartbreak, who has deliberately avoided the flower shop — until one fateful day he finds himself stepping through its door and into Daisy’s sunlit, petal-strewn world. What begins as an unexpected fake relationship slowly unfurls into something far more real and tender, as Elliot falls first and hardest, and Daisy begins to wonder if love truly does arrive when you’ve stopped looking for it. With Laurie Gilmore’s signature Hallmark-movie warmth, found family charm, returning fan-favorite Dream Harbor characters, and a setting that rivals Stars Hollow for its irresistible coziness, The Daisy Chain Flower Shop is a gentle, feel-good escape bursting with heart, humor, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of cozy small-town romance, readers who adore fake-relationship and “he falls first” tropes wrapped in sweet, low-angst storytelling, and anyone who loves curling up with a feel-good, Hallmark-worthy love story that leaves them smiling long after the last page.
A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
What is the book A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman about?: A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman is the explosive, wildly anticipated eighth installment in the legendary Dungeon Crawler Carl LitRPG series — publishing May 12, 2026 — and it raises the already sky-high stakes of the series to breathtaking new heights. Picking up in the chaotic aftermath of Faction Wars, fan-favorite duo Carl and Princess Donut descend to the dungeon’s tenth floor, only to find themselves thrust into what appears, on the surface, to be a deceptively straightforward gauntlet of races — get from point A to point B, don’t finish last, upgrade your vehicle, repeat. But as strange and unsettling glitches ripple through the dungeon’s systems with growing frequency, and ominous whispers spread about the mysterious eleventh floor — a level the system AI has cryptically dubbed A Parade of Horribles and called “a coming-out party for the ages” — it becomes chillingly clear that nothing is as simple as it seems. Stripped of his usual agency and chafing against the rigid rules of the floor, Carl does what Carl does best: he hatches a plan so breathtakingly dangerous and so gloriously insane that he can’t even confide in his closest allies for fear the AI will shut it down before it begins — because if it fails, the consequences won’t just be Carl and Donut’s lives on the line, but something far, far greater. Bursting with Dinniman’s signature razor-sharp wit, heart-pounding action, deeply emotional character beats, and a universe that continues to expand in jaw-dropping, unexpected directions, A Parade of Horribles is a masterclass in LitRPG storytelling that will leave fans simultaneously devastated and desperate for book nine. A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman is recommended for: This book is perfect for devoted fans of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, LitRPG and GameLit enthusiasts who crave high-stakes action blended with genuine emotional depth and dark humor, and readers who love chaotic, brilliantly unpredictable protagonists who refuse to play by anyone else’s rules.
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
What is the book The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh about?: The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is a breathtakingly emotional thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Ghosted and The Love of My Life, publishing May 19, 2026 — and it is already generating serious buzz as one of the most compulsively readable books of the year. The story centers on Carrie, a British surgical intern who impulsively marries the magnetic Johan on a sun-drenched beach in Thailand, only months into a whirlwind romance that feels too perfect to be real. But on the very night of their wedding, armed men storm the beach and drag Johan away — and Carrie never sees him again. Twelve years pass. Carrie has rebuilt her life in the English countryside with a loving husband, six-year-old twins, and a holiday cottage business — a quiet, settled existence that feels complete, until one ordinary evening when she stumbles upon an online post revealing that Johan survived, escaped from Thailand, and has been living in Stockholm all along. As long-buried memories of their passionate, all-consuming love come rushing back, Carrie is pulled into a dangerous obsession to uncover the truth about what really happened on their wedding night — a truth that, once revealed, will shatter everything she believes about the man she loved, the life she built, and the choices that define us. Walsh masterfully weaves together a searing love story and a dark, twisting mystery, building to a shocking revelation that reframes everything that came before it, in the way only the very best thrillers can. The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of emotional, page-turning psychological thrillers, readers who loved Ghosted or The Love of My Life, and anyone who craves a love story with a deeply unsettling secret beating at its heart.
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
What is the book The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout about?: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout is a quietly devastating and profoundly human novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Olive Kitteridge and Oh William!. At its center is Artie Dam, a beloved high school history teacher living what appears, on every surface, to be a full and ordinary life — a long marriage, good neighbors, weekends sailing the beautiful Massachusetts Bay, the daily rewards of shaping young minds in his eleventh-grade classroom. Yet beneath this composed exterior, Artie is consumed by a quiet, aching isolation, endlessly turning over a question that haunts him: How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us? Then one day, life reveals a secret that Artie never saw coming — one that cracks his world open and forces him to re-examine every relationship he holds dear, every assumption he has made about love, connection, and the hidden interior lives of the people we think we know best. With the extraordinary precision and compassion that have made her one of the most celebrated voices in American literary fiction, Strout takes one man’s loneliness and makes it feel achingly universal, crafting prose of such quiet beauty and emotional intelligence that every sentence lands with the weight of something deeply true. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout is recommended for: This book is perfect for devoted fans of Elizabeth Strout’s luminous body of work, readers who love deeply introspective literary fiction that finds the extraordinary buried inside the ordinary, and anyone who has ever wondered what remains unsaid in the lives of the people they love most.
Broken Dove by Dani Francis
What is the book Broken Dove by Dani Francis about?: Broken Dove by Dani Francis is the heart-pounding, highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite, publishing May 12, 2026 — and it picks up exactly where readers’ hearts were left shattered. The story follows Wren Darlington, a former double agent who has barely escaped the Prime-controlled capital with her life, and is now sheltering behind allied lines with the Uprising — the rebel force fighting to overthrow the ruthless Primes and reclaim the Continent. But safety is far from simple. On the Mod base, trust is a luxury nobody can afford, hidden agendas lurk around every corner, and Wren can’t shake the gnawing fear that her lover and former commander Cross Redden — still dangerously embedded within enemy ranks — is keeping secrets that could unravel everything they’ve fought for. Then comes the gut-punch: a shocking reunion with Grayson Blake, the charismatic fighter pilot and undercover operative who was once her closest confidant inside Silver Elite, and who seems to understand the darkest, most complicated parts of her in a way Cross never quite has. With the war between Mods and Primes escalating to brutal new heights, and Wren’s role in the conflict growing more critical — and more dangerous — by the day, she is forced to confront agonizing choices about loyalty, love, and who she is truly willing to fight for… and who she is willing to lose. Francis delivers sizzling romantic tension, a breathless pace, and a richly imagined dystopian world that will keep readers turning pages deep into the night. Broken Dove by Dani Francis is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of dystopian romance, readers who devoured Silver Elite and are desperate for more of Wren’s story, and anyone who loves a fiercely complex heroine torn between duty, desire, and an impossible choice between two compelling love interests.
Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick
What is the book Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick about?: Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It is the utterly charming, laugh-out-loud debut novel from podcaster and comedian Brooke Averick — and it arrives as one of the most buzzed-about romcoms of the year. Meet Phoebe Berman: a warm, witty, hopeless romantic who, despite having a dream teaching job, a fiercely funny and supportive circle of best friends, and an endless supply of romance novels to fuel her imagination, is about to turn thirty having never been with anyone — held back not by a lack of desire, but by a deep-rooted intimacy anxiety that has shadowed her since a mortifying first-kiss attempt as a teenager. Determined to finally change things before her milestone birthday, Phoebe draws up the ultimate “Guide to Losing My Virginity” checklist — and suddenly finds herself navigating not one, not two, but three romantic prospects at once: a gorgeous new fourth-grade teacher at her school, a former high school classmate who reappears through a game of Words with Friends, and her own roommate, who just might be the friends-to-lovers story she’s been reading about her whole life. Averick writes with a rare combination of razor-sharp humor and genuine emotional depth, crafting a heroine who is equally hilarious and heartbreakingly real — someone who knows exactly what she wants but has to fight through her own fear to claim it. Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick is recommended for: Brutally honest, deeply relatable, and full of swoon-worthy moments, this book is perfect for fans of Lyla Sage, Emily Henry, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, readers who love contemporary women’s fiction with heart and humor, and anyone who has ever felt the painful gap between the love life they dream about and the one they’re actually living.
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
What is the book Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray about?: Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray is a gripping, twisty legal thriller — and it is already generating serious buzz as the book set to be adapted for the second season of Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent, starring Emmy Award-winner Rachel Brosnahan. The story centers on Leila Reynolds, a young, relatively inexperienced lawyer who is unexpectedly handed her first murder case — the shocking death of a well-known and highly respected judge whose killing has sent shockwaves through the entire legal community. The defendant is insistent that Leila — and only Leila — represent him, yet frustratingly refuses to speak or explain why. Already in over her head, Leila soon discovers a gut-wrenching complication: the ruthless, razor-sharp prosecutor on the other side of the courtroom is none other than her own husband. As she fights to build a case with almost nothing to work with, a shadowy figure from her buried past emerges, threatening to unravel not just her defense strategy, but her marriage and her own carefully kept secrets. Murray constructs a masterfully layered narrative where nothing is as it seems, no one is telling the full truth, and every courtroom revelation peels back yet another unsettling layer of deception — earning early praise as an “addictive page-turner” from Alice Feeney, New York Times bestselling author. Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of legal thrillers, readers who love morally complex heroines navigating impossible choices, and anyone who enjoys the sharp, tension-drenched storytelling of authors like Lisa Gardner, Karin Slaughter, and Alice Feeney herself.
The Anniversary by Alex Finlay
What is the book The Anniversary by Alex Finlay about?: The Anniversary by Alex Finlay — the national bestselling author of Parents Weekend — is one of the most anticipated thrillers of 2026. At its heart is a brilliantly inventive, high-concept structure: the story unfolds on a single day each year — May 1st — revisiting the lives of two unforgettable characters across an entire decade. On May 1, 1992, Jules Delaney, the queen bee of a small Midwestern town, barely survives a savage attack by the infamous May Day Killer — a phantom predator who strikes every May 1st and then disappears without a trace. The same night, Quinn Riley, a rough-around-the-edges boy from the wrong side of town, is arrested after a violent altercation. By morning, their lives are irrevocably intertwined. As each anniversary passes, two haunting mysteries inch toward the truth simultaneously: why was Jules spared the night of the attack, and who murdered Quinn’s mother — a killing that went unsolved while Quinn was locked away in juvenile detention? With every passing year, secrets surface, long-buried lies begin to unravel, and Jules and Quinn’s paths spiral ever closer together — all while the May Day Killer remains at large, and another anniversary looms. Finlay masterfully blends a propulsive murder mystery with a deeply emotional story about fate, survival, innocence lost, and two people forever bound by a single day — earning praise from bestselling authors including Ashley Elston, Angie Kim, and Jason Rekulak. The Anniversary by Alex Finlay is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Lisa Scottoline, and Harlan Coben, readers who love structurally inventive thrillers with emotional depth, and anyone who enjoys a nail-biting page-turner that is as heartfelt as it is relentlessly suspenseful.
Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister
What is the book Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister about?: Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister — the New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time (a Reese’s Book Club Pick) — is a breathlessly tense, morally charged thriller, and has already been selected as a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. The story follows Simone, a devoted mother who travels with her teenage daughter Lucy to the sun-scorched deserts of Texas for one last trip before Lucy leaves for university. But when Simone wakes up on their very first morning in a remote rental cabin, Lucy is gone — vanished without a trace. In her place is a stranger’s cell phone, and on the other end of the line, a chilling ransom demand: don’t tell the police, come alone, and be prepared to do a deal. Against her husband’s desperate pleas to involve the authorities, Simone makes the terrifying decision to go it alone — and what she discovers at the isolated meeting point is far more shocking than any ransom. The kidnapper doesn’t want money. They want Simone to do the unthinkable. What follows is a relentless, heart-hammering race through the small towns and punishing wilderness of remote Texas, as Simone is forced to confront impossible moral choices and push the very boundaries of what it means to be a mother — with catastrophic consequences that reach far beyond her own family. Praised as “unputdownable” by Freida McFadden and celebrated as “the best of the best” by Lisa Jewell, McAllister once again proves her mastery of unbearable suspense and deeply human storytelling. Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Freida McFadden, and Lisa Jewell, parents who connect deeply with mother-child dynamics under pressure, and anyone who loves a propulsive, emotionally devastating thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
What is the book Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan about?: Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan — the New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer — is a warmly witty, sun-drenched contemporary romance publishing May 26, 2026, already earning an impressive 4.5-star rating on Goodreads ahead of release. The story centers on Dolly Brick, a fiercely self-reliant single mother at thirty-nine who returns to the charming seaside town of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to rescue her family home from financial ruin following a devastating fire. Fate — and a flat tire — throws her directly into the path of Stewart Whitfield, the annoyingly handsome and workaholic heir to the town’s most powerful family, who is reeling from a very public, humiliating breakup. Desperate to repair his reputation and secure a key promotion, Stewart proposes a fake-dating arrangement, complete with a payment plan and a strict no-touching clause. What begins as a perfectly transactional deal — galas, company dinners, high-society benefits — slowly, irresistibly transforms into sunset boat rides and cave explorations and kisses that, as Monaghan puts it, “hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper.” At its core, this is a beautifully layered slow-burn romance that weaves themes of prior abandonment, self-sufficiency, and the terrifying vulnerability of finally letting someone in, into a story brimming with wit, warmth, and seaside charm. Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan is recommended for: Praised as “a spicy margarita — sweet and a little salty, tart and hot” by Catherine Newman, this book is a perfect read for fans of Emily Henry, Helen Hoang, and Josie Silver, lovers of slow-burn fake-dating romances with emotionally rich heroines, and anyone who wants a feel-good summer read with genuine heart and depth.
Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn
What is the book Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn about?: Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn — the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Game, Twisted Twosome, and countless fan-favorite romcoms — is a sparkling, laugh-out-loud forced proximity romance, already winning hearts with its irresistible chemistry and sun-soaked coastal setting. The story follows Renley Gossage, a fiercely independent and paint-splattered woman who has returned to the quaint seaside town of Cape Meril with one mission: restore her beloved, failing candy shop and prove to the community that she’s nothing like her disgraced father — no help, no shortcuts, and absolutely no charming men complicating her plans. Enter Theo Williams, a dashingly posh British man who never intended to land in Cape Meril at all — a drunken truth-or-dare game gone catastrophically wrong led to a botched online engagement, and now he’s fled across the ocean, escaping his controlling father’s shadow with little more than designer shoes and misplaced confidence, landing in the rental cottage right next door to Renley. What begins as an exasperating clash of worlds — her no-nonsense practicality against his irrepressible persistence — slowly softens into something achingly tender as Theo grabs a sander and earns her trust plank by plank, amidst collapsing drywall, meddling neighbors, and the wonderfully chaotic schemes of Renley’s aunt. With banter sharp enough to cut glass, slow-burn tension that builds deliciously, and side characters that steal every scene they’re in, customers rave that it made them “laugh out loud”, calling it one of the best summer reads and praising the electric chemistry between Renley and Theo as “absolute magic.” Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn is recommended for: This book is perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, and Helen Hoang, lovers of forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers romcoms set against charming small towns, and anyone looking for a breezy, heartwarming summer read full of wit, warmth, and swoony British heroes.
First and Forever by Lynn Painter
What is the book First and Forever by Lynn Painter about?: First and Forever by Lynn Painter — the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies and Mr. Wrong Number — is a laugh-out-loud, swoony sports romance publishing May 12, 2026, and already generating enormous buzz for its irresistible chemistry and razor-sharp banter. The story centers on Duffy Distefano, a fiercely loyal Minneapolis Coyotes football superfan whose life takes a mortifying turn when a chaotic encounter with the team’s beloved mascot goes viral, leaving her crowned the internet’s newest villain. In a bid to clear her name, Duffy agrees to a live morning show interview — only to find herself in an unexpected, wildly entertaining on-air sparring match with Connor Cunningham, the team’s charming and devastatingly handsome star tight end. The clip explodes online, and suddenly the Coyotes’ PR team sees gold — pushing Connor to ask Duffy out as a carefully orchestrated damage-control stunt. The catch? Only Connor knows it’s fake. What begins as a calculated PR move quickly unravels as their electric banter deepens into something achingly real, their easy chemistry threatening to expose the secret that could blow everything apart — and costing Connor what he fears most: losing the one woman who feels like the greatest win of his life. Described as “oozing with chemistry that feels like fireworks,” Painter delivers her signature blend of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy moments that keep pages turning. First and Forever by Lynn Painter is recommended for: This book is a perfect read for fans of Emily Henry, Helena Hunting, and Carly Phillips, lovers of fake-dating sports romances packed with witty banter and genuine emotional depth, and anyone who wants a feel-good, heartwarming romcom they won’t soon forget.
