Coming Soon – The Romances We’re Most Looking Forward to Reading in May 2021
We’ve been hard at work sifting through all those new release lists to come up with our Coming Soon selection for May – the books we’re most looking forward to reading and that we think (hope!) you’ll enjoy, too. As ever, this isn’t a comprehensive selection; there are always a few that slip through the net (authors who self-publish tend to work to much tighter deadlines than traditionally published ones for example, so we don’t always get news of their books until after this post has been compiled) but with any luck we’ve still caught an interesting and varied selection for you to choose from! Do drop by and tell us what YOU’RE eager to get stuck into over the coming weeks,
Releasing week of 3rd May
Releasing week of 10th May
Releasing week of 17th May
Releasing week of 24th May
In the future, can you make the book covers larger? For some of them, I can’t read who the author is.
I’ll have a look at it, but I think that would lead to a really long post as I’d only get 2 or 3 covers per line – the linked images have preset sizes (this is the middle size). All the images go to Amazon though, and all the information you want is there.
You may also try to zoom in your browser – press CTRL and PLUS in the keyboard, or CTRL and scroll your mouse’s scroll wheel. The browser’s text and book covers enlarge as you zoom in.
I’m looking forward to All Fired Up by Jenn Burke. I loved the series this spun off from, Not Dead Yet. However I might wait until it comes out of audio if Greg Boudreaux is narrating. I’m also reading though the Vino and Veritas books, excited about Unguarded, too. I haven’t read anything by Jay Hogan except a couple of short stories.
I’ll definitely give the Alexis Hall book a go. I’ve pretty much loved everything I’ve read by this author.
Tim Paige is narrating the Burke series (I know – I was hoping for Greg, too, but Tim is pretty good!) I’m just finishing my review of Unguarded – I haven’t read every book in the series (I’m waiting for the audio on some of them), but it’s the best so far, IMO.
I love Jay Hogan and am excited about Unguarded but I haven’t read any of the earlier Vino and Veritas books, although I intend to. Do you feel they benefit from being read in order?
The first one, Featherbed, sets up the premise, but even then it’s not that important to read it first. The books are written to be stand alone books in the same setting. Earlier characters will be mentioned, but so far I haven’t seen anything that depends on the other books. I had read Roommate by Bowen,and one other of her True North series before starting these and I liked having a feel for the town, etc. I do recommend Roommate,not so much because you need it for this, but because it’s a great book. :-)
Thank you! I have read the first 5 True North books and also Roommate. I absolutely LOVED Roommate. I wanted to finish the last 2 True North books before diving into Vino and Veritas. However, I found out recently that there is going to be one more True North book (Waylaid which stars the last Shipley sibling Daphne) coming out in July. I may just have to give up my plan and read Unguarded when it comes out. Too many books, too little time!
No, they’re all standalones – there are a few recurring characters, but they’re only in supporting roles.
I have only listened to Paige once. I can’t even remember what the book was. I think I liked him. :-) Boudreaux is just so good with the comedic timing!
S.M. LaViolette (I haven’t given up on her yet, her last book I read The Postillion was really great) has a new book coming out the end of May called “Hugo And The Maiden”.
I read the preceding books in her “Seducers” series and the hero in this one is a male prostitute and part brothel owner who had small but memorable parts in the first two books. He takes any and all clients (of any sex) and is said will do anything and likes his job. I’m very interested to see how he plays out as the hero of a book.
Ruby Dixon, a pandemic discovery and favorite of mine has a novella coming out early May that ties into her “Corsair” series called “Bad Guy”.
I have the Amanda Quick book on request from the library (but she’s almost just a habit at this point) although her books set in the 1920’s have had some fun moments.
Ruby Dixon’s BAD GUY is part of a “Club Girls” series called Villains in Love. In addition to BAD GUY, Ella Goode has written BAD GIRL, and Kati Wilde (my all-time favorite) is releasing EVIL TWIN. Can’t wait!
I know Kati Wilde is good friends with Ruby Dixon as well and does all the artwork/covers for her novels too.
The “Girls Club” used to consist of Kati Wilde, Ruby Dixon, Ella Goode, and Alexa Riley (who is/was two writers writing together). The four of them wrote a very long (I think there were over 30 books) series of MC romances featuring four interconnected clubs. I loved Kati’s Hellfire Riders books and I read a couple of the others (Dixon’s Bedlam Butchers books all involved ménages). The “Girls Club” also published several other books that had a similar theme or titles. At some point, the Alexa Riley duo dropped away (I couldn’t even find their MC romances on Amazon the last time I checked), but Wilde, Dixon, and Goode will still occasionally release a connected trio of books—as with the upcoming Villains in Love series.
I’m super curious about Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. The blurb sounds like m/f contemporary romance and if so, will be Hall’s first “straight” contemporary. I have no doubt he can pull it off in spectacular fashion – he’s a fabulous writer. But it does feel like a bit of a moment worth noting.
Also, so glad to see Josh Lanyon’s new title in the list. Her work – especially lately – is more “cozy” mystery (compared to Gregory Ashe higher octane suspense, for example) and less heat (on page sex) than other m/m writers. But there is no lack of sexual tension or satisfaction when her MCs finally get together (usually over several books).
Yes, the Hall is m/f with a bisexual heroine – Em and I both read it and have written a joint review. We liked it a lot.
I’m enjoying the Lanyon series – and I’m not usually a huge fan of cosy mysteries. This is book four – there are at least two more to come after this (she originally said she had eight planned, but that was a while ago).
“Wet and Reckless” is an amazing title for a romance.
I have it for review and it’s a very solid erotic contemp. Samanthe Beck should be better known in that subgenre.
I cannot see the books. Anyone else have this problem?
Not sure what you mean – are the links not working for you?
The blocks where the covers should be are open. I tried rebooting but no luck. If I click on the empty block it does go to the book on Amazon.
That is likely to be a blocker on your end. Lots of security settings block pictures with links on them.
Thanks
Works on my iPad, not on my computer.
Like you, only white space on computer.
As Dabney says, it could be because of an ad-blocker or other security programs on your computer.
Not a problem. I will not mess with my computer safety, just switch to iPad for it.
just wanted to let Connie know she is not the only one.
There are two books here that really appeal to me: Isabelle and Alexander and The Shell Collector. Both are priced at £9 in kindle format in the UK. Too pricey, sadly. My library does not support kindle format for lending and, even if it was open is a 40 mile round trip. Too bad :-(
I don’t think any libraries can lend Kindle editions.
Libraries can lend Kindle books for a few years now.
I don’t like how it works though because Amazon tracks all your books and adds the library ones permanently to your Kindle library unless you delete them. You cannot read them once the loan is over but Amazon “remembers” your bookmarks, underlines etc. and the cover stays in your Kindle library with the books you own.
Ah, okay. My local library specifically says they don’t lend Kindle books; I assumed it was something to do with proprietary technology.
That is such a bummer. I borrow kindle books from the library all the time. I wonder if it’s a UK vs US thing???
It may just be the library’s choice based on cost?
I think it is a UK thing.
It was for quite a while. Then Amazon must have tweaked the technology to find a workaround. I read all my purchased books on kindle but for library books I use the Overdrive app because I just find it easier and less invasive.
But it is nice to know if all you have is a kindle you can borrow library books in some places.
This is on the library web-page:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle operates a closed digital rights management system and we are unable to purchase e-books in the Kindle format.
To be honest though, they don’t have any books I want to read anyway – it’s just as well I get so many ARCs or I’d never be able to afford my reading habit.
I currently live in a major metro area with overlapping library systems. One – the county library system – uses Overdrive/Libby which does provide Kindle formatted items. The city library uses a different app for processing ebooks that does NOT include Kindle format. It is up to each library system to determine which service(s) they will pay for – and therefore which ebook formats are supported.
More importantly, as Caz pointed out, much of what she wants to read is not available as part of her library system’s “catalog”. That is because Amazon refuses to license most – if not all – of the ebooks published on its platform to any library service (e.g. Overdrive).(The ebooks that are available through library services are published by traditional book publishers.)
It all works to benefit Amazon: libraries can’t offer their books so people either “buy” (license) them directly from Amazon or people settle for a cheap KU subscription and read what Amazon offers up, like any other entertainment streaming service.
I always delete the library book from my kindle content (from my Amazon account) right after I return the book. I don’t recall seeing the covers after I delete. It’s an extra step, though, and sometimes I have to do it twice for it to work. Reading the library book on my old kindle keyboard is much easier on my eyes than reading a pdf from an app on other devices.
Yes, I’m lazy and having to go to the Kindle account on Amazon rather than access it from one of my (three) Kindles or my iPad to delete it is slightly irritating. But I do like knowing I CAN borrow in that format if it want to. And for years it was a big drawback for Kindle owners that they couldn’t borrow library books.
Amazon (with publishers permission) did allow a certain number of purchased kindle books to be loaned out to friends or family but I am not sure if that’s a thing.
I return the book via my Amazon account (content and devices section) and once I do, it is gone from both my Kindle and my library account (my library uses Overdrive). I typically have to do a second step of deleting it from my Amazon account if I want to clean up the content. This doesn’t bother me because I am on Amazon daily to check whether any books on my wishlist have come down in price. I’m really lucky that my library purchases many romances and I have been checking out books to read on Kindle for years.
I feel lucky that I have a great library system as well. I can think of very few books I’ve looked for they don’t have as an ebook. Of course I have to wait for many of them, but that’s only fair- first come first served. I just put them on hold and eventually I get the email to borrow them.
Isabelle and Alexander sounds interesting (not working class MCs but at least not nobility either); and I love the cover.
Lots of good books coming in May—and school gets out in early June so I’ll have plenty of time to read the bounty:
The first of the month is when Harlequin drops ebooks for Harlequin Presents and Dare. I’m looking forward to Jackie Ashenden’s Dare release, WITH THE LIGHTS ON, companion to her IN THE DARK from earlier this year (the heroes of the two books are friends). WITH THE LIGHTS ON has a hero who is gradually losing his sight and a heroine who works for an escort agency—which should be interesting as I’m not sure I’ve read any Harlequins with sex worker heroines.
Also on May 1 comes Caitlin Crews’s latest HP, HER DEAL WITH THE GREEK DEVIL (companion to Crews’s earlier THE SECRET THAT CANNOT BE HIDDEN—the heroes of the two books are brothers) which promises to be all sorts of angsty goodness with a Greek billionaire pursuing a supermodel who was briefly his step-sister a decade before.
Clare Connelly’s HP, CINDERELLA’S NIGHT IN VENICE also arrives May 1. Quiet, shy heroine who works for a PR firm must attend a Venetian ball with her company’s biggest client—a Greek billionaire (natch!).
On May 6, Rina Kent releases the third and final book of her Deception trilogy and I can then read all three books (VOW OF DECEPTION, TEMPTED BY DECEPTION, and CONSUMED BY DECEPTION) in this dark mafia romance about a woman who agrees to impersonate a crime boss’s late wife.
May 18 brings the third and final book in another trilogy I’ve been waiting to read: Natasha Knight’s & A. Zavarelli’s The Society Trilogy (REQUIEM OF THE SOUL, REPARATION OF SIN, and RESURRECTION OF THE HEART). This is a dark romance with a forced/revenge marriage and a very damaged hero. (I do try to wait until all books in a trilogy are released before reading the entire set, but this is a custom often observed more in the breach—for example, see the next entry.)
May 18 also brings Skye Warren’s STRICT CONFIDENCE, the second book in her Rochester trilogy, a modern retelling of JANE EYRE. This is obviously a case where I did not wait for all three books to be published before I started reading! The first book, PRIVATE PROPERTY, ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m expecting STRICT CONFIDENCE to pick up the action right where the earlier one left off.
Sybil Bartel begins a new series called Alpha Elite with ALPHA, dropping on May 24. The hero of ALPHA runs a private security firm; the heroine is someone from his past. I love Bartel’s romantic suspense books full of former-military alpha heroes who meet their match in tough heroines who refuse to be compliant doormats. Let the games begin!
On May 25, Ruth Cardello releases HE SAID ALWAYS, the first book in her new Lost Corisis series about attempts to locate distant relatives after the previous generation’s family members were estranged. Does the past always have to influence the future? Also, I’m assuming the hero & heroine in the book are not related—even distantly, lol.
I loved Katie Golding’s relationship-in-trouble romance FEARLESS, published last year, so I’m eagerly anticipating WRECKLESS, the next book in her Moto Grand Prix series. It arrives on May 25 and promises all sorts of yummy antagonists-to-lovers goodness between a couple who have a decade of professional sparring behind them.
Another book arriving May 25 is Angelina M. Lopez drops SERVING SIN, about a couple who reconnect 13 years after he rescued her from kidnappers. He now runs an elite security service and she’s the CEO of a major company in Mexico. He’s trying to keep her safe…but will their hearts be safe? All kinds of catnip in this one!
(I did not mention JUST ONE MORE NIGHT by my favorite Caitlin Crews because, although the physical book may be available on May 24, the ebook—which is the format I will read—does not drop until June 1.)