One detail that the covers of the new books coming in May have in common are shades of pink, blue, and green — perfect summer colors. You'll find your classic rom-com books, but there's also a little devious behavior and a touch of magic to look forward to. But, don't just take my word for it. Let your imagination get lost in our top 11 new books coming in May!
Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown (May 7)
Emma Townsend and Finn Hughes are involved in a classic cat and mouse situationship that's turned incredibly sour. They went from inching their way towards several romantic turning points to deciding they actually don't like each other anymore. One can assume their hearts got tired of being shown that almost doesn't count.
However, they have to put on their adult undies to get through a wedding weekend where everyone's expected to be on their best behavior because of the joyous moment at hand. It sounds too good to be true and the pair quickly realizes it is when the bride-to-be vanishes.
Forced to race against an invisible winding clock, Emma and Finn embark on a momentous journey to figure out if this wedding can actually be saved. Somewhere along the lines, they begin to remember what it was like when their undeniable attraction towards each other led to much more. Maybe a weird wedding mystery is just the thing they needed to prove that it's time to make things official.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (May 7)
The Ministry of Time is a the modern time travel book you didn't know you needed to read until now. It shines a light on a young woman — aka the "bridge" — who's new job comes with a hefty salary and more responsibility than she considered. She's meant to help an expat called "1847," or Commander Graham Gore, adjust to living in a modern world when all he remembers is what it was like to live in the 1840s.
The more 1847 adjusts to life around him with other expats and this young woman whose so different than what he's used to, the more the bridge crosses the lines and allows herself to become immersed in his world beyond what her profession calls for.
This isn't without consequences and it's up to the bridge to decide what it really means to live in the future.
The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen (May 7)
Ariel Cafferty was head over heels in love with a man she thought she knew until it feels like he ghosted her without an explanation. She thought she was beginning to move on, but a vague text from him (Drew) years later brings back emotions she's tried to forget.
Suddenly Ariel begins to piece together clues that something is seriously wrong. Not only that, she can't shake the feeling that the truth is still being kept from her. In order to possibly save her and her son's life, she'll have to work to understand what happened to Drew and how far the mystery surrounding his disappearance actually goes.
Alternate Endings by Ali Rosen (May 7)
Alternate Endings is one of the new books releasing in May that I immediately connected to because I can relate to some aspects of Beatrice Leal's life. She's a working mother who's as dedicated to her son as she is to her job, but the only difference between us is that she's dealing with a tough divorce. To make it even more complicated, her boss also gets divorced and decides she wants to live in Ireland full-time.
This means she's requiring the team — including Bea — to be there twice a month and this throws a huge monkey wrench in the custody plans she and her ex-husband Lucas have half-heartedly agreed on. Still, Bea loves her job and reluctantly makes the first trip to Ireland where she meets the new CTO at her job — the sexy Jack Sander who ghosted her while they were in high school.
Despite the two decades that have passed since they've seen each other, there's no denying that the two still have electric energy that they acknowledge during one of their trips to Ireland. But as time passes, the lie they keep telling themselves gives way to something more and Bea finds that she may just have to change her approach to everything in life — especially when it comes to love.
The Paradise Problem by Christine Lauren (May 14)
Is it obvious that my favorite new books I've read involve some form of love? Besides this amazing cover that caught my eye, The Paradise Problem offers a completely new approach to being married that I've seen in a book.
Anna Green is impulsive and makes decisions solely so she survive from day to day. It's the main reason she married Liam "West" Weston when she needed a place to stay. It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience between two strangers. So when she doesn't bother looking at the "divorce" papers he had her sign and is surprised to find out they're still married when he visits her years later, Anna's more than flustered.
See, West is set to inherit a large fortune attached to his family's name and has to prove that he's been enjoying married life with his wife Anna. The problem is that they don't really know anything about each other and his family is demanding to see her.
With no other choice, West convinces Anna to keep up the married act and prays she'll be able to impress his family. However, he begins to realize that maybe he's had it wrong all along. Maybe he's supposed to fall in love with this feisty, art-loving, impulsive woman that's stealing his heart. Maybe he's supposed to protect hers.
Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward (May 14)
The Peacock sisters aren't as close as they used to be and they have time and a lot of heartache to blame for that. Of course, there's always the roles they played in the fallout of their familial relationship.
Sylvie Peacock finds herself facing marriage again after being widowed and she thinks it might be time to move on. Cleo Peacock is the successful sister who can do no wrong and has the cushy lifestyle to prove it. So when her sister Sylvie falls for the charming Simon Rampling, her criminal defense intuition starts ringing. And Emma Peacock? Well, she's hiding secrets that's turned her into a woman who lets silence lead her. At the center of the sisters is their less than stellar mother who's domineering presence makes it clear these sisters have cowered in her presence for far too long.
One weekend will change everything for the Peacock family and nothing will be the same. — good or bad.
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields (May 14)
Marigold Claude is ever popular with the many men who want to court her, but she couldn't care less. Her freedom lies in the nature and she gladly revels in it. Things seem to get even better when her grandmother feels she's worthy to become a Honey Witch. But, she can never fall in love.
Deciding she's okay with this rule, she carries on merrily until she meets Lottie Burke, someone who doesn't think magic exists. Intending to prove Lottie wrong, Marigold starts doing things out that feel out of character for her. Soon, something must darker presents itself and Marigold finds that she may have to break multiple rules just to save what she cares about.
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (May 21)
Lyla is experiencing one bad situation after the another. From research that's gone awry to a relationship that's gotten off track, she feels like she's almost at the end of her rope. Suddenly it seems like her prayers are answered when she and Nico are given a chance to be on the TV show One Perfect Couple to win a grand prize that could help them out financially.
They're pit against four other couples and being to sense that something is horribly wrong when disaster strikes the minute they set foot on the deserted island where they're meant to compete. One Perfect Couple becomes more than a reality show and involves whether people can actually survive or not.
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel (May 21)
Ganga went from being a carefree goddess of the river to a mortal after she failed to control the godlings near her. With no other choice, she decides to become a queen after marrying King Shantanu so she can prove that she's worth of being a goddess again. While she is granted freedom, she can't bring the son she bore in her human form with her.
Once Prince Devavrata gets older and decides he doesn't want to take his father's place, he finds himself on a journey that puts him lock and step with his mother Ganga.
Swiped by L.M. Chilton (May 21)
What would you do if all of your dates from Tinder, Hinge, or Bumble ended up dead after you'd last seen them? Swiped helps Gwen Turner answer that very question when she's thrown into the wildest predicament of her life.
First thing's first — she's in a terrible rut and can't figure out how to put the pieces of her life back together again. She feels hopeless in the romantic department and has to contend with the fact that maybe leaving a great job to serve coffee might not have been the smartest decision.
So, she decides to download a dating app and goes on a series of dates that leave her more confused than ever. To make matters worse, they begin to turn up dead after she's been the last person to go on a date with them. This doesn't bode well with the police and she soon finds herself being carefully watched.
The more frequently things begin to happen, the more Gwen rushes to figure out who the date killer is. As she gets closer to finding out the truth, she'll find that she also has to contend with a dark secret that she thought no one else knew about.
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue (May 21)
Not to be confused with Dolly Parton's "Jolene," I Hope This Finds You Well's main character of the same name finds herself in a work bind when HR sentences her to "sensitivity training." Her crime? Being exposed for sharing her negative opinions about co-workers. Restricted from certain interactions, Jolene decides to do whatever it takes to get through her training period.
So when an IT plunder allows her to see what everyone else has been privately talking about, Jolene feels conflicted about whether to report them or not. She even discovers that potential layoffs are about to affect her job so she does everything she can to make sure her role is secured.
Soon she'll have to decide what's more important: her job or the truth.
Which of the best new books coming in May are you looking forward to reading? Be sure to check out our storefront for even more reading recs!
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This post has been updated.
Lead images via Amazon
