Hello, my fellow bibliophiles! Who’s ready to head out for a picnic as the beginnings of summer start to creep in? There’s nothing better than warm breezes followed by chilly evenings around a campfire! This May, we’re resolved to hike and camp more than we were able to last year – and I always end up bringing a good book with me. You just never know when the need for a lazy hammock swing will strike, right? There are many May 2023 book releases to look forward to, so let’s dig in!
Fantasy Book Releases May 2023
Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber (The Most Exciting Fantasy May 2023 Book Release!)
- Book Release May 9th, 2023
- FIND CURSED CROWNS ON AMAZON
Follow Rose and Wren as they try to navigate ruling their beloved Kingdom together. They find love and make mistakes in this moving installment of the Twin Crowns Series. (Find Book One – Twin Crowns Here!) This was by far the book I was most excited about on the list of May 2023 book releases, mostly due to the authors’ dual point-of-view writing perfection. I flipped through these pages quickly, and there was never a dull moment!
**Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Balzer + Bray & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR
Get more fantasy reads like the Twin Crowns series in our New Adult & Young Adult Fantasy Series Guide!
A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand
- Book Released May 9th, 2023
- FIND A CROWN OF IVY AND GLASS ON AMAZON
Did you love Brigerton or A Court of Thorns and Roses? Prepare yourself for the lush romance and high fantasy world-building of Legrand’s new fantasy romance series, The Middlemist Trilogy. Legrand’s best-selling Furyborn Series was massively popular when it debuted in 2019, and I have a feeling this series will also knock it out of the park!
Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross
- (Stay A Spell Book #6) Book Released May 9th, 2023
- FIND GRIM AND BEAR IT ON AMAZON
Juliette Cross’s steamy fantasy series has been wildly popular with fantasy romance lovers on Kindle Unlimited since its debut in 2020. With many different fantasy creatures represented, all types of tropes are ready and waiting for romance lovers to devour. Grim and Bear It is a grump sunshine romance, and I know I’ll have a few laughs during this witchy necromancer slice of brain candy! (Wolf Gone Wild, the slow burn werewolf/witch romance, Don’t Hex and Drive – the opposites attract vampire witch romance, and Resting Witch Face – the second chance vampire witch romance are my favorites of the series!)
Want more spicy adult-themed fantasy reads like ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash, and some of the other majorly popular fantasy books? Explore my guide to over 150 Books Like A Court of Thorns and Roses!
The Will of the Many by James Islington
- Book Release May 23rd, 2023
- FIND THE WILL OF THE MANY ON AMAZON
Of the fantasy books released in May 2023, The Will of The Many is the only non-romance fantasy. Secret societies and hidden motivations will abound in this dark academia tale at Catenan Academy. If you loved Ninth House, If We Were Villains, or The Atlas Six – you’re sure to enjoy The Will Of The Many!
Mythology Retelling May 2023 Book Releases
A favorite emerging genre in the last decade of the #BookTok, #bookTube & #bookstagram crowd – mythological retellings have taken readers everywhere by storm. It’s no surprise that almost every month, I’ve seen a new retelling being published, and May 2023 is no different.
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
- Book Released May 9th, 2023
- FIND ATALANTA ON AMAZON
The best-selling author Jennifer Saint is back after Ariadne and Elektra to give us Atalanta. Raised by a mother bear and the Goddess Artemis, her strength grows tenfold. As Atalanta matures, her heart calls her to adventure, and she’s given the opportunity to fight alongside the Argonauts. When she falls in love, she starts to question everything… including the Goddess Artemis’s dire warnings that everything will fall apart if she falls in love.
Science Fiction Book Releases May 2023
I know I know… most people categorize science fiction as fantasy.. but in my mind, there’s a decidedly more sterile edge to science fiction novels. They usually surround science, space, or aliens in a tale just a little bit beyond believable!
The major science fiction novel being released in May 2023 is The Ferryman by Justin Cronin. The chain of islands referred to as Prospera is where lives are lived free from the world’s problems. Theres only one caveat.. they must wear monitors embedded in their forearms. When your monitor falls below 10%, you’re meant to retire.. but what happens if someone isn’t ready to retire? What happens if people start to dream or question the status quo?
- Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- FIND THE FERRYMAN ON AMAZON
Contemporary Romance Book Releases in May 2023
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
- Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- FIND PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ON AMAZON
As a resident Kentuckian reader, I’m excited about this May 2023 book release because it’s set in Kentucky! Annie Walker is a romantically-down-on-her luck gal who owns a flower shop and is ready to find love. Will, a bodyguard for the famous Amelia Rose, who happens to be marrying Annie’s brother, Noah, provides the perfect guy to practice her dating skills on.. because they’ll never be each other’s type, right?
Meet Me at The Lake by Carley Fortune
- Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- FIND MEET ME AT THE LAKE ON AMAZON
For all second-chance romance lovers, Meet Me at the Lake promises to be an adorable take on forgiveness and finding true love. Fern Brookbanks met Will Baxter in her early twenties and spent 24 hours together, forming an incredible connection. After vowing to meet at the same place and time next year, Fern shows up, but Will doesn’t. Later in life, when things aren’t going to plan, another wrench is thrown into Fern’s dreams when Will walks in the door looking frown up and ready to help her.
The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead
- Book Release May 9th, 2023
- FIND THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE ON AMAZON
If you’re a by-day-politico and secret romantic at heart, The Boyfriend Candidate is a perfect light-hearted read for you! With punny rom-com moments, we see the shy librarian Alexis Stone falling into a fake relationship with Logan Arthur, an incumbent for the Texas governor’s election. (I have a thorough review of this one on my Goodreads of The Boyfriend Candidate if you’re wondering how this book ranks in the midst of the current political climate around the US.)
**Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR
Want more romance novels surrounding Women In STEM fields? Explore my guide for over 50 books and series written about and for women in the science, technology, education, and math fields!
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (The Contemporary Romance May 2023 Book Release I’m Most Excited About!)
- Book Release May 16th, 2023
- FIND THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT ON AMAZON
Of the books released in May 2023, this is another I’m snagging the day it comes out. I’ve loved this author duo for a while now, and their last book, Something Wilder, was phenomenal! The True Love Experiment follows ‘Fizzy’ Chen, an award-winning romance novelist, and a single dad, Connor Prince, on their journey to create a reality TV show where Fizzy is supposed to find the love she’s never had.
Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay
- Book Release May 16th, 2023
- FIND SUMMER READING ON AMAZON
Samantha Gale thought she’d spend her summer in Martha’s Vineyard researching for her career as a chef. All of the sudden, she’s responsible for her half-brother Tyler as he works to win a robotics competition at the local library. Sam loathes reading and thinks nothing of accidentally knocking Bennet Reynold’s book into the ocean.. until they devise a mutually beneficial plan… and maybe trying not to fall in love along the way.
Planes, Trains, and All The Feels by Livy Hart
- Book Release May 23rd, 2023
- FIND PLANES, TRAINS, AND ALL THE FEELS ON AMAZON
When they both need a rental car to get across the country for very different reasons, Cassidy and Luke decide to road trip it together. This opposites-attract romance is a perfect read for the ultimate road trip season!
Once More With Feeling BY Elissa Sussman
- Book Release May 30th, 2023
- FIND ONCE MORE WITH FEELING ON AMAZON
A second chance romance between an old Hollywood boy band heartthrob and the burnout star everyone loves to hate.
My Thoughts & Review
Even though there are characters worthy of being loathed entirely (see The Grinch meme)… somehow, Once More With Feeling became one of the best stories of resiliency in the face of public opinion I’ve ever read. Part second chance romance with mature characters entering middle age, I loved Sussman’s tale of fighting to be seen for who you really are.
**Thank you, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine & NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR
Historical Fiction May 2023 Book Releases
Historical fiction has a wide range of subgenres, so let’s dive into the best of the historical fiction books released in May 2023.
The Marriage Box: A Novel BY cORIE aDJMI
- Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- FIND THE MARRIAGE BOX ON AMAZON
Set in the 1970s, Casey Cohen navigates her family’s return to the Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York. Looking for love in an unfamiliar world, Casey meets Michael and has to figure out who she is and what she really wants for her future.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
- Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- FIND THE COVENANT OF WATER ON AMAZON
Spanning 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water follows a family plagued by the curse of someone drowning every generation. Then as the world changes, a 12-year-old girl is sent to her wedding day, where she meets her forty-year-old husband. Following her story, we see the big and small changes in what life in India could be.
The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A novel By Tom Hanks
- Book Release May 9th, 2023
- FIND THE MAKING OF ANOTHER MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE ON AMAZON
Jumping between stories from 1947 to 1970 to the present day, Tom Hank’s tale explores the making of superheroes and how America has changed since World War II.
Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman (The Historical Fiction May 2023 Book Release I’m Most Excited About)
- Book Release May 9th, 2023
- FIND SCARLET ON AMAZON
Of the historical fiction novel being released in May 2023, Scarlet is by far the book I’m most excited to read. Set in 1793 France, when the French Revolution is at full volume. The gentry is comprised of aristocratic vampires, and the famous figure of Scarlet Pimpernel saves British aristocrats from the guillotine. Eleanor works as a housemaid for a vampire Baroness, but dreams of becoming a modiste. Swept up into the world of the aristocracy, follow Eleanor as she stumbles upon the thing vampires are most scared of…
**P.S. Do you remember the Pride and Prejudice spoof series from a few years ago with titles like Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, Sense and Sensibility, Sea Monsters.. etc.? They were so popular they even made a movie of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Cogman’s Scarlet promises to be a much better version of those historical fiction tales!!sense a
The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George
- Book Release May 23rd, 2023
- FIND THE DUCHESS TAKES A HUSBAND ON AMAZON
Book four of The Gilded Age Heiresses by St. George promises to be an entertaining take on my favorite era of feminism! Camille, Duchess of Hereford, is a widowed suffragette looking to fully embrace life.. and Jacob Thorne? He’s the deliciously unsuitable match she never saw coming.
Thriller & Mystery Novel Releases May 2023
Looking for something suspenseful to make your heart race on those long summer nights? These are the best thriller and mystery novels coming out in May 2023.
Liar’s Beach by Katie Cotugno
- Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- FIND LIAR’S BEACH ON AMAZON
Written as a ‘fresh take on Agatha Christie’s murder mystery The Mysterious Affair at Styles,’ follow a group of students as they navigate high school and murder from the confines of an elite New England prep school.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
- Book Release May 16th, 2023
- FIND YELLOWFACE ON AMAZON
From the best-selling author of Babel, Kuang’s latest takes a stab at a different type of social justice: plagiarism. While June Hayward has worked hard to become a successful author, she finds windfall success in her dead friend’s manuscript. But when her atrocious literary act starts to come to light.. how far will she go to protect her secret?
Identity by Nora Roberts
- Book Release May 23rd, 2023
- FIND IDENTITY ON AMAZON
The New York Times #1 best-selling author Nora Roberts is back with a thriller about a woman who can’t seem to get away from the man determined to make her his latest in a string of murders. Leaving her comfortable home in Baltimore after her roommate gets murdered, Nina moves to Vermont looking to start over.. until her stalker starts looking for her again.
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
- Book Released May 23rd, 2023
- FIND BAD SUMMER PEOPLE ON AMAZON
When a group of friends finds themselves on Fire Island again… petty games and flirtations abound as usual.. until a body is found off the boardwalk.
The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine
- Book Release May 23rd, 2023
- FIND THE SENATOR’S WIFE ON AMAZON
When D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase settles down with Senator Whit Montgomery, life seems like it might become a little sweeter after they’ve both healed from the deaths of their previous spouses. When Sloane decides to step back and hire a personal assistant while she’s dealing with her lupus diagnosis, she starts to think her assistant might be after her husband…
The Mother by B.L. Blanchard
- Book Release May 23rd, 2023
- FIND THE MOTHER ON AMAZON
Also coming to Kindle Unlimited, Blanchard’s novel is an interesting take on what modern-day women in Britain would be going through if the English had never colonized the world. One woman, Marie, the Duchess of Suffolk, is heavily restricted in her patriarchal society. As she looks for freedom through an underground network, The Mother will have you on the edge of your seat trying to discover who to trust. Fans of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale will love this one!
A Few More Thriller & Mystery May 2023 Book Releases
Are thrillers and mysteries your favorite type of reads? Here are a few more books released in May 2023 that you might want to look at!!
- Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon – Book Release May 16th, 2023
- The Guest by Emma Cline – Book Release May 16th, 2023
- We’ll Never Tell by Wendy Heard – Book Release May 16th, 2023
- Beware The Woman by Megan Abbott – Book Release May 30th, 2023
- The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow (The Agathas Book #2) by Kathleen Glasgow – Book Release May 30th, 2023
Contemporary Fiction May 2023 BOOK RELEASES
Fear and Lovely by Anjana Appachana
- Book Release May 9th, 2023
- FIND FEAR AND LOVELY ON AMAZON
Fear and Lovely is a multi-point-of-view take on what it means to suffer through a mental health diagnosis. Mallika is a shy young woman who loses herself to a deep depression after trauma. As she fights her way to a healthier future, we see her progress through the lives of the people around her.
A few more contemporary fiction May 2023 book releases:
- The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane – Book Release May 2nd, 2023
- The Daydreams by Laura Hankin – Book Release May 2nd, 2023 **If you like this one, you’ll also like Birds of California: A Novel – it has that same child star burnout redemption themes!
- The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer – Book Release May 9th, 2023
Want More Book Recommendations?
As your fellow reader, I know we’re all just looking for our next great read. Here are a few more posts I’ve compiled with some great authors to try out!
- April 2023 Book Releases
- 10 Books To Read to Inspire Your Travels
- The Prettiest Bookstores Around The USA
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Take a moment before you go to share this post to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to inspire your next book club pick. Hope you’ve found you’re next great read! – @Southern.Lady.Reads
