New Books of May 2025
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May is here, ushering in longer days, blooming gardens, and the perfect excuse to refresh your reading list with some of the most anticipated new releases. As the United States settles into the heart of spring, there’s no better way to savor the season than by diving into captivating stories that promise thrills, laughter, and heartfelt moments. Whether you’re lounging in the sunshine or curled up during a rainy afternoon, these May book picks are sure to keep you turning pages well into summer.
A Diverse Selection of Must-Reads Awaits this May
The Book Guide’ editorial team creates a monthly list of popular new books, based on several ratings. The monthly curated preview of new books covers various genres, including contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy, romance, horror, young adult, and nonfiction. This month, three standout titles demand your attention.
First, The Tenant by Freida McFadden is a dark, twist-filled psychological thriller about Blake Porter, whose life unravels after he rents a room to the enigmatic Whitney. What begins as a desperate attempt to save his home quickly spirals into a nightmare of secrets, suspicion, and chilling suspense. McFadden, known for her jaw-dropping plot twists, delivers another page-turner that will have you questioning every character’s motives until the very last chapter.
For those who crave emotional depth and unforgettable friendships, My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a must-read. This moving novel traces the journey of Louisa, an aspiring artist determined to uncover the story behind a mysterious painting and the three figures it depicts. Backman weaves together past and present, exploring the profound impact of teenage friendships and the enduring power of art to transform lives. Expect humor, heartache, and the signature warmth that has made Backman a beloved storyteller.
If romance with a side of wit is what you’re after, The Love Haters by Katherine Center offers a fresh take on love and second chances. Katie Vaughn, a video producer with a checkered romantic past, finds herself in Key West profiling a Coast Guard rescue swimmer-while hiding the fact that she can’t swim. Between tangled lies, family drama, and undeniable chemistry, Center crafts a sun-soaked story about finding courage, telling the truth, and embracing the messiness of love. In conclusion, May’s new releases deliver a dynamic mix of suspense, heart, and humor-perfect for every reading mood this spring.
What to Read This May 2025: Best Book Releases.
To help you navigate this exciting selection, we’ve compiled a curated list of some of the most anticipated and highly-recommended books hitting shelves this month.
The Tenant by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden’s The Tenant is a dark, twist-filled psychological thriller that follows Blake Porter, a former VP of marketing who loses his job and faces mounting debt, threatening the home he shares with his fiancée. In desperation, they rent out a room to Whitney, a seemingly perfect tenant whose arrival marks the beginning of unsettling changes: strange smells, odd noises, and neighbors acting suspiciously. As Blake’s paranoia grows and his world unravels, he fears that Whitney knows his deepest secrets, and realizes too late that danger has moved in under his own roof. With McFadden’s signature jaw-dropping twists and relentless suspense, The Tenant explores themes of revenge, privilege, and the darkness lurking in suburban life.
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is a deeply moving and unforgettably funny novel that explores the enduring power of friendship and art. The story centers on Louisa, a young artist who becomes captivated by a painting that most people overlook-a depiction of three tiny figures at the end of a pier. Determined to uncover its true story, Louisa embarks on a journey that connects her to the lives of four teenagers from twenty-five years earlier: Joar, Ted, Ali, and the artist KimKim, each grappling with difficult home lives but finding solace and purpose in each other’s company. Their summer together gives birth to the painting that will later come into Louisa’s care, setting her on a cross-country quest to understand its origins and, in the process, herself. Backman weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into a narrative that celebrates the transformative, sometimes messy bonds of youth, and the healing power of art and found family.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is a heartfelt summer romance set in the idyllic lakeside town of Barry’s Bay. The story follows Alice Everly, a photographer who returns to the place that once inspired her passion for photography, hoping to lift her grandmother’s spirits after a hip injury and to recover from her own heartbreak. As Alice reconnects with the town, she encounters Charlie Florek-a charismatic, flirtatious local with whom she shares a complicated past. Their chemistry reignites as sunlit days and warm nights by the lake help Alice rediscover joy, purpose, and the courage to give her heart a second chance, even as Charlie warns he may not be the kind of man she can build a future with. Through nostalgia, healing, and the possibility of new love, Fortune crafts a radiant escape that explores what it means to truly be seen and to find oneself again.
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Rachel Gillig’s The Knight and the Moth is a gothic romantasy novel that follows Sybil Delling, a prophetess known as a Diviner, who has spent nine years serving in the great cathedral by dreaming prophetic visions from mysterious figures called Omens. As Sybil and her fellow Diviners near the end of their service, a brooding, heretical knight named Rodrick arrives, and soon Diviners begin to vanish mysteriously. Forced beyond the safety of her cloister, Sybil must team up with Rodrick-whose future she cannot see-on a perilous quest across the windswept moors of Traum to uncover the fate of her sisters and confront the gods themselves. The novel weaves together themes of faith, fate, and self-discovery, all set against a richly atmospheric backdrop filled with romance, symbolism, and dark intrigue.
Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde
Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde is the fifth and final installment in the popular Windy City series, centering on the second-chance romance between Hallie Hart and professional hockey player Rio DeLuca. The story traces their history from childhood neighbors and first loves to heartbreak at nineteen, and then reunites them six years later in Chicago. Hallie, now an aspiring interior designer, unexpectedly lands an internship renovating Rio’s house-forcing them to confront their unresolved feelings and tangled past. As old wounds resurface and sparks reignite, Hallie and Rio must decide if they can move beyond heartbreak and transform both his home and their future together. The novel can be enjoyed as a standalone and is praised for its emotional depth, witty banter, and the realistic portrayal of love and personal growth.
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
Katherine Center’s The Love Haters is a heartfelt romantic comedy about Katie Vaughn, a video producer facing the threat of losing her job. Presented with a risky opportunity to save her career, Katie agrees to travel to Key West to profile Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a heroic Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The catch: Katie can’t swim and must pretend she can, all while navigating complicated dynamics between Hutch and his brother Cole, her coworker. As Katie becomes entangled in a web of small lies, she’s swept up in a whirlwind of swim lessons, helicopter flights, hurricanes, and stolen kisses. Through these adventures, Katie faces her fears, confronts her past heartbreak, and discovers the courage to embrace love and honesty, making The Love Haters a story of second chances, self-discovery, and the thin line between love and hate.
A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen
A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen is the highly anticipated conclusion to the Norse-inspired fantasy romance duology that began with A Fate Inked in Blood. The story follows Freya, a shield maiden whose divine heritage has been revealed, placing her at the center of a prophecy that could lead to the deaths of thousands through the magic in her blood. Determined to avoid this grim fate, Freya reluctantly allies with Skaland’s greatest enemy to seek answers from the seer who foretold her destiny-and who once sent Bjorn, the man she loved, to kill her. As Freya struggles with Bjorn’s betrayal and the blood oaths binding them, she is drawn into a looming war involving gods, mortals, and the Unfated-children of the gods serving a king she was raised to fear. With the magic of two goddesses burning within her, Freya must decide whether she will become the shield that saves her people or the curse that destroys them, all while facing the fiercest battle within herself.
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers is a suspenseful thriller that follows Nicole “Nic” Monroe, a young woman trapped in the shadow of her sister Kasey’s unsolved disappearance seven years earlier. Living in her small Indiana hometown, Nic struggles to move on until she meets Jenna Connor, whose own sister vanished under eerily similar circumstances just weeks before Kasey. The two women, united by grief and unanswered questions, form an unlikely alliance to uncover the truth behind their sisters’ fates. As they dig deeper, they confront dark secrets, family trauma, and the lengths people will go to for those they love, leading to a gripping narrative filled with twists and emotional depth.
The Names by Florence Knapp
The Names by Florence Knapp is a powerful debut novel set to be released on May 6, 2025. The story begins in 1987 when Cora, accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter Maia, goes to register her newborn son. Her husband Gordon, a respected doctor but abusive and controlling at home, expects her to name the baby after him. At this pivotal moment, Cora hesitates, and the novel unfolds in three alternate timelines spanning 35 years, each following a different version of the son’s life based on which name she chooses: Bear (suggested by Maia), Julian (Cora’s preference), or Gordon (her husband’s demand). Through richly layered prose, Knapp explores domestic abuse, family dynamics, autonomy, and healing, using an innovative structure to examine how our choices interact with unpredictable life events. Critics have praised the novel for its sensitivity, depth, and emotional power, with many predicting it will become a modern classic.
A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride
A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride is a Celtic-inspired fantasy romance that follows Aemyra, a blacksmith blessed with fire magic, as she seeks to reclaim her birthright and become the first queen in centuries of the territory Tìr Teine. Once ruled by matriarchal values, Tìr Teine has fallen into decline under a succession of weak kings and the oppressive, anti-magic True Religion. Forced to live in hiding, Aemyra patiently awaits her chance to bond with the king’s dragon and claim the throne, but her plans are derailed by court intrigue and betrayal. Her main adversary is Prince Fiorean, a powerful dragon-rider loyal to the corrupt regime, with whom she is forced into an uneasy alliance that soon sparks unexpected feelings. As Aemyra navigates dangerous political games and the spread of corruption, she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to save her people and secure her crown.
Never Flinch by Stephen King
Never Flinch by Stephen King is a gripping crime thriller that weaves together two intense storylines. The novel follows Detective Izzy Jaynes and private investigator Holly Gibney as they hunt a serial killer who vows, through a chilling letter, to murder “thirteen innocents and one guilty” in retribution for a wrongful death. Simultaneously, outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay faces escalating threats from a stalker opposed to her message, prompting Holly to serve as her bodyguard. As the two narratives unfold, King introduces a dynamic cast-including the world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and a memorable villain-leading to a suspenseful and chilling climax. Blending psychological horror, crime, and social commentary, Never Flinch stands out as one of King’s most propulsive and entertaining novels, exploring the dark consequences of revenge and extremist beliefs.
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan
In It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan, readers follow Jane Jackson, a former child TV star known for her awkward role as “Poor Janey Jakes,” who is now striving to reinvent herself as a serious Hollywood producer. When Jane desperately claims she can recruit mega popstar Jack Quinlan-her childhood crush and source of embarrassment-to write a song for her film, she finds herself entangled in a lie that forces her to confront her past. To pull off her ruse, Jane must rely on Dan Finnegan, a frustratingly charming cinematographer and one-time crush, as they spend a week together in his Long Island hometown. Blending humor, emotional depth, and themes of vulnerability, family, and self-discovery, Monaghan crafts a romance that is both heartfelt and refreshingly unpredictable, making Jane and Dan’s journey toward something true both relatable and compelling.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong’s forthcoming novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is a lyrical and deeply empathetic exploration of chosen family, unexpected friendship, and survival on the margins of American life. Set in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, the story centers on Hai, a nineteen-year-old on the verge of suicide, whose life is irrevocably changed when Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia, intervenes at a pivotal moment. Hai becomes Grazina’s caretaker, and over the course of a year, the two form a transformative bond marked by vulnerability, humor, and heartbreak. Vuong’s signature poetic style and emotional precision illuminate themes of love, labor, loneliness, and memory, as both characters confront personal and communal wounds. The novel is celebrated for its tender portrayal of resilience and the redemptive power of human connection, offering a moving meditation on what it means to seek a second chance in a world shaped by loss and hope.
Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay
Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay is a gripping thriller set at a small private college in Northern California. The story unfolds during the titular Parents Weekend when five students from Campisi Hall mysteriously disappear, failing to show up for a planned dinner with their families. What begins as mild annoyance quickly escalates into panic as hours pass without any contact from the students. The narrative is told through multiple perspectives and timelines, exploring the complex dynamics of five very different families as they confront their worst nightmare. FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller, returning from Finlay’s previous novels “Every Last Fear” and “The Night Shift,” is called in to investigate. As the search intensifies, family secrets begin to surface, raising questions about whether the students’ disappearance is connected to their parents’ past sins or if the threat comes from within their friend group. The novel expertly combines suspense, character development, and shocking twists, examining themes of family dysfunction, expectation, and the transformative early days of college life.
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North is a chilling and emotionally charged thriller that follows Dan Garvie, a criminal profiler haunted by a traumatic encounter with a serial killer during his youth. After narrowly escaping the elusive “man made of smoke” as a teenager, Dan dedicates his life to understanding and catching human monsters. When his father, a retired policeman, dies under suspicious circumstances on their small island, Dan returns home and is drawn back into the unsolved horrors of his past. The novel weaves together timelines and perspectives, exploring the complex bond between fathers and sons, the weight of guilt, and the lingering shadows of trauma. North’s signature suspense and psychological depth make this a gripping, multi-layered story that balances relentless tension with genuine emotional resonance.
