The Buzziest Books of May | 2026 – NewInBooks

May settles in with quiet confidence, carrying the warmth of longer days, fuller gardens, and evenings that seem to linger just a little longer. It is a month that reminds us growth isn’t only found in beginnings but in everything we continue to nurture along the way. As May draws to a close, take a moment to appreciate what has taken root, whether it’s a new habit, a fresh perspective, or simply the small joys that have brightened ordinary days. Not every season of growth announces itself loudly; some of the most meaningful changes happen quietly, one day at a time. ✨

Critics’ Requiem

by Michaela Riley

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Arthur Penwright’s elite life is a lie. When a viral critic shreds his reputation, his past as a hacker resurfaces. As Arthur hunts “The Silent Judge,” bodies appear near chemically scrubbed copies of his debut. Now, Detective Mercer is closing in, and Arthur realizes he’s just a character in a dead man’s masterpiece. The plot is blood-red.

Hope and the Guardians: The Darkside Awakens

by Donell Jackson

Release Date: April 18, 2026

The war has begun. Hope’s power is growing—and so is Seeroni, an ancient force feeding on fear and life itself. As the Guardians prepare him for what’s coming, his father descends into obsession, chasing the same power. Caught between darkness and destiny… Hope must rise or fall.

The Lies in the Lefse (A Cash Kristiansen Mystery Book 2)

by George Robstad

Release Date: April 9, 2026

A mayoral candidate is dead, and Salt Cliff Isle is full of secrets. Cash Kristiansen is pulled into a web of lies, shifting loyalties, and buried truths. In an island town that protects its own, uncovering the truth may cost more than anyone is ready to pay.

I Am Teresa Belluco

by Teresa Belluco & Lucia Manzinello

Release Date: April 20, 2026

Step into 2024 with I am Teresa Belluco: a true diary story. Teresa, a vibrant Gen Z teen, sees her life change in an instant as she faces synovial sarcoma, a rare but real cancer. Through challenges and a journey from Italy to America to Paris, she rediscovers herself. An intimate story of resilience, courage, and dreams—get inspired. Proceeds support Synovial Sarcoma.

The Orleans Lady (Wanee Mysteries Book 5)

by D. Z. Church

Release Date: April 15, 2026

On board “The Orleans Lady”, a glittering Mississippi riverboat, Cora Countryman teams with her protector and her opinionated chaperone to tease apart the identity of the mother who abandoned her. Only to discover an enemy intent on owning the river who will stop at nothing — not missing jewels, crooked poker games, or death on the Texas Deck.

Kane’s Reckoning (Mill Creek Mystique Book 4)

by Bailey Thomas

Release Date: May 11, 2026

A billionaire nanny romance filled with forbidden love and intense opposite-world tensions. Kane Miller, the son of a powerful, wealthy family, defies expectations. Annika Bauer is escaping her past to start over. Neither expected their strong chemistry, but Kane’s father is determined to control Kane’s future, which could cost them everything.

Always Yearning, Always Fraying, Yet Staying

by Kelly K. Lavender

Release Date: April 8, 2026

Paloma, a runner-up in the Tri-State Wink Think and Defend competition, regrets that she didn’t win. But she knows the biggest regret of her life, by far—her hot traveling salesman husband, Jim. He also happens to be the hometown hero. Jim is the “Catch” that women discuss in whispery voices like giggling, giddy, silly schoolgirls. If only they knew…

Mars Colony Rescue (Interstellar Refugees Book 4)

by Daniel Ellrick

Release Date: May 8, 2026

Dead heroes are safe—but the threat to Mars won’t let Limei hide. A huge cometary fragment is headed for Hellas Planitia, and the math says it will trigger an Impact Winter, plunging Mars into a killing freeze. Limei, her sentient AI cowboy, and two aliens from Trappist-1 are the only hope Mars has left. Hard SF. Found family. Woman protagonist.

Love, Remembered

by David Andrew Ponton

Release Date: May 5, 2026

Love, Remembered brings together 17 true stories from modern history of love, loss, devotion, and what remains afterwards. Some of the lovers you will know, some not. These are not perfect romances, but real ones – where love endured through distance, illness, sacrifice, and time. Because even when love ends, something stays with us.

Revolution (Shadows of Endari Book 1)

by C.D. Tavenor

Release Date: March 26, 2026

REVOLUTION LEAVES NO SOUL UNSCATHED. For Selina to survive the war, she’ll need to uncover the secrets threatening to destroy the world. Enter a world where magic is everywhere, yet its true cost goes unseen by all. Join Selina and Edward in Shadows of Endari: Revolution! Books 1 through 3 are available now.

Malmorthael

by Pierce Novak

Release Date: February 13, 2026

In the cursed depths of a mountain that devours hope, a dead man rises. Once a legend, Malmorthael is now a leper haunted by the woman he failed. Exiled to rot, a prophecy drags him back—to stop an empire’s fall to something far worse than death inside the Engensis Chamber, a nightmare of forbidden sorcery hungry for souls.

Dubious (Belle Argo Escorts Book 4)

by Beth Christopher

Release Date: May 5, 2026

Dubious by Beth Christopher is a dark MMM late-bi-awakening age-gap romance. It contains a down-on-his-luck divorcé, two chaos gremlins who teach him how to have fun, and a potentially haunted bed-and-breakfast.

The Marriage Clause (The Kauffman Billionaire Series Book 1)

by Kenna King

Release Date: May 26, 2026

He fired her. But she really needs this job. So when she overhears that he needs a wife… she makes him an offer he knows he should refuse.