Must Read New Books By Genre: May 2025
Discover which books you should add to your reading list that are being published in May 2025!
There are a slew of great books to read this month, so you don’t want to miss out on these! I think I included more books this month than any other!
I sorted my list by genre so you can easily find a new book you’ll love. There are options in romance, mysteries/thrillers, and fantasy this month.
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May Romance New Releases
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
I’ve been a long time Katherine Center fan, so I’m always excited for her newest release! The Love Haters is perfect for summer since it takes place in the Florida Keys and features a lot of sun, sand and water.
Katie is fighting to keep her job as a video editor, so she takes an assignment to create a recruitment video for the Coast Guard…despite not knowing how to swim. Her manager sends her down to interview their local hero in his place…since it’s his brother and they don’t exactly get along. Katie arrives and realizes Hutch is not only absolutely gorgeous but also a really great guy. The more time she spends in Florida, the more she realizes it might be time to let go of a painful past and face her fears.
I read an early copy of this and didn’t think it was her best, but I’ve also heard other readers who loved the easy, breezy, writing and wild series of events! | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
I’ve only read one of Tarah’s romances so far (Savor It), but it hooked me instantly. Left Of Forever picks up with some of the characters we met in Savor It, so I’m excited to get back into it. Wren and Ellis Byrd fell in love as kids, had their son Sam when they were only teenagers, and built a life together in their small town. They were made for one another . . . until they fell apart. Now divorced and in their 30s, Wren runs the bakery in town, while Ellis works as a firefighter. They live separate lives, though they are hardly off each other’s minds.
When Ellis and Wren move Sam into college, Ellis convinces Wren to take an extended road trip back home to see if they can give their relationship one last chance. Amid the gorgeous California coastline and the intimacy they have missed for years, Wren starts to think it just might be possible. But can the past truly be left behind? When words fail and old wounds resurface, it’s a soul-baring letter that could finally reveal the truth―or close the door on them forever. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon
I feel like Rachel Lynn Solomon has flown under the radar, but I adore both her young adult and adult romances! I think she benefits from the fact that she’s not being forced to pop out a new book each year, so her novels are always well plotted, full of great dialogue and the perfect amount of spice!
I’m particularly excited for this one because she moved to Amsterdam and is clearly writing from experience, with a lot of new knowledge about the city! This is a unique second chance romance in which two high school lovers find themselves in a marriage of convenience as adults. Dani is desperate for a fresh start when she moves to Amsterdam but things continue to get worse and now she needs a visa to stay. She literally runs over Wouter, her former boyfriend, and discovers he needs a wife in order to obtain an inheritance.
The marriage is a sham, but as a result they’re forced to spend plenty of time in each other’s company! They quickly realize the chemistry is still there, but is it a good idea to actually fall in love with your spouse? | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan
Annabel Monaghan is another author who deserves way more attention than what her books typically receive. Her romances typically feature women in their 30’s, who are a little more settled, often have kids, and are facing very real and relatable choices in their lives. I adore how she crafts swoon-worthy romances while also dealing with understandable problems that feel very realistic.
It’s A Love Story takes a slightly different turn with a bit of celebrity, since our main character Jane is a former childhood star. Now though, she’s trying to set herself apart from that past and be taken seriously as a producer. When she gets a little desperate to have her first project greenlit, she claims she can get popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for her movie.
She does have a history with Jack, just not a good one…and in addition, the person who might be able to help is a former crush and now annoying cinematographer, Dan. Jane must spend an entire week with Dan as they try to convince Jack to help, but the past keeps coming back. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Mystery/Thriller New Releases
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers
There’s something about this cover that draws you in! I love the movement and simplicity. I’ve heard good reviews about this missing person novel, so this is one I’m eager to try out.
When Nic was a teenager, her older sister disappeared without a trace and she’s spent the last seven years drifting through life without a purpose. Kelsey’s car was found far from home and her purse was left untouched, but the police never found any other clues as to what might have happened.
The only connection was from an additional missing person case two weeks earlier. Jules Connor was another girl who disappeared in a very similar manner, but the cases quickly went cold. Now, Jules’ sister has found Nic and gives her new information that sparks hope for the first time in seven years. The two team up to try to find out what really happened to their sisters all those years ago. | Buy From Amazon
Fantasy New Releases
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
This is absolutely my favorite fantasy book of 2025!! I was sent an advanced copy and almost didn’t pick it up because I had no idea what it was about. Once I started, I read the entire 500 page book in 27 hours!!
The story focuses on a Princess who is married off to a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Except Odessa was never meant to be the bride. Her younger sister had trained her whole life for the role and Odessa finds out on the night of her wedding she’s now responsible for spying on Turah for her father, the King.
Except Odessa realizes the people of Turah are facing their own terrors – hideous beasts that have been infected with a poison that makes them even more ruthless. Her constant companion, the renowned warrior known as the Guardian, is trying to save his people and Odessa finds herself drawn to him despite his constant teasing and smirking.
I loved that the female main character wasn’t your typical fighter, but someone thrust into a position she never expected. The slow burn is also phenomenal!! There’s so much tension between her and the Guardian. Plus, the twists and turns in this story took me completely by surprise. I was simply enthralled!! | Buy Deluxe Edition From Amazon | Buy From Target
A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride
If you’re looking for a new dragon fantasy to enjoy, this one’s for you! It caught my eye not only because of the dragons but because it’s Celtic inspired too! That’s too good of a combo to pass up! As if you needed any more reasons to try it, it’s also the first of just two books. I’ve been loving this trend of fantasy duologies lately. It’s the perfect opportunity to stay immersed within a world without making a huge time commitment.
To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries.
Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tìr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings, the most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.
Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current king’s death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled, and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.
Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy alliance—one that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected. Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
I’m listening to this on audio right now! It’s off to a bit of slow start, but the world building and main characters are unlike anything I’ve read before. An unlikely duo is formed when Sybil discovers that her fellow Diviners have gone missing. Diviners are revered for their ability to discern a person’s fate, relying on a process where they drown and then dream. Sybil has known only this life, but she’s desperate to get her sisters back.
Unfortunately, the only person she can think to help is one of the knights who’s fortune she tried to see, but couldn’t. His unexpectedly close relationship with the new young King has Sybil concerned about their intentions, but she has no other choice. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
General Fiction New Releases
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman has become one of the most beloved fiction authors with his insightful, thought provoking yet approachable stories. Ever since I fell in love with the first book I read by him, Beartown, I’ve devoured everything since. Honestly the premise of this one doesn’t necessarily sound super appealing to me, but I trust his writing enough to know it’ll still be worthwhile.
The quick summary is a book about four teenage boys whose bond is so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty five years later. The story seems to jump back and forth between two time lines. In present day, young artist Louisa ends up in the care of an astonishing painting that has a secret which is often overlooked. In the corner of this painting of the sea, three boys sit together on a pier.
Eager to uncover more about the story, Louisa sets off on a journey to discover who these boys are and how their story ended up in one of the most famous paintings in the world.
Twenty five years earlier, we meet a group of boys who find solace and friendship during the summer they spend together on an abandoned pier. Coming from rough houses, this respite is a needed part of each of their lives. Throughout the novel, we discover what happens during that summer and how happy endings aren’t always exactly what we expect. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
The Names by Florence Knapp
This literary fiction novel has an undeniably intriguing premise. In the most simple terms, it asks the question of how such a seemingly small thing as the name chosen for us at birth can affect the course of our lives.
This novel takes that concept and expands it into a thought provoking experiment. The story starts when Cora takes her 9 year old daughter and her infant son to register his birth. When she’s asked what name is to be given to him, she hesitates. Her husband, the local doctor, has demanded their son take his own name. However, Cora knows something the rest of the town doesn’t – her husband is a terrifying and controlling presence at home and she doesn’t want that legacy to follow her son throughout his life.
From this split second decision, the novel splits into 3 alternative timelines, in which she gives her son a different name each time. We see a glimpse into the lives of Cora and her young son and how they vary based on that one single decision. Over the course of 35 years, the author explores the ripple effects of those choices, including commentary on domestic abuse, our own autonomy and the ability to heal. | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target
Let me know in the comments which one you’re most looking forward to reading!
Definitely going to read Rachel Gillig’s new release! Also excited to read ‘A Fate Forged in Fire’ and ‘Shield of Sparrows’