Readers have a selection of new romance novels available this May, spanning contemporary stories, fantasy, and hockey themes. Highlights include fake dating at destination weddings and friends-to-lovers adventures. Authors both new and established contribute to the month's diverse lineup.
May 2026 brings a variety of romance books, from contemporary tales to fantasy and speculative fiction. Among the releases are By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin, where Luna buys a farm in Celestial, Texas, and clashes with local coach Tate from a ranching family. The Last Page by Katie Holt follows bookstore employee Ella as she navigates the arrival of the owner's grandson after an unexpected death, leading to collaboration to save the shop. Bromantasy by Máire Roche features best friends Juniper and Mo on an accidental quest, blending humor with their deepening bond. Other standouts include Operation Boyfriend by Zarah Detand, a fake wedding date story, and Soon By You by Dahlia Adler, exploring attraction in a Modern Orthodox community between a bridesmaid and a wedding singer. Dahlia Adler, known for YA novels and the LGBTQ Reads platform, delivers her first adult romance in years with fully formed protagonists struggling with relationships. Sports romances feature prominently too, such as Evening the Score by Lexi LaFleur Brown, where Olivia dates hockey star Brody for revenge against his family, complicated by real feelings and Indigenous representation. Running Home to You by Samantha Saldivar spans a decade of softball players' on-again, off-again romance, culminating at an alumni game. Fantasy elements appear in A Star-Cursed Heart by Annie Mare, involving a pre-Salem curse on lovers Lucy and Ash, and Verity Guild by Mai Corland, where priestess Kerasea teams with a Praetorian amid a murder investigation. Additional titles like Out of Her League by Ava Rani, set at a Paris wedding with a soccer player fake date, and Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee, pitting a dispensary owner against an anti-weed doctor, round out the exciting month.