What I Read in May 2026

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Hello! May has been quite the month for me. I feel like I'm still in my mental slump, so reading became much more difficult, but I still managed to read 17 books; however, four of them were rereads, and one was a DNF. So...there's that. Anyway, let's get into it.

Love Wells Kept by Bailey Hannah: I rated this ebook arc 5/5 stars and finished it on May 10th. This is the fifth and final book in the Wells Ranch series and follows Jackson and Kate! Lemme tell you, this was INCREDIBLE. I've never read the amnesia trope before, and it was done so well. I LOVE second-chance romance when it's done right, and this was done PERFECTLY. When I got the early copy of this book, I screamed, because I knew it was gonna be amazing, and I'm so glad to know I was right. Don't walk, RUN to your local bookstore on July 7th!! You don't wanna miss this one!

"Jackson and Kate have been happily married for over ten years and live a beautifully chaotic life raising two young children on Wells Ranch. But when Jackson sustains a severe head injury that sends him into a coma, years of his memory are gone by the time he wakes. Doctors are confident it will return with time, but Jackson feels like a stranger in his own life. How can he have a wife and children but not know them? Kate tries to remain strong for her family, but she secretly mourns the loss of the man she knew and fears he may never return. She leans on her Wells Ranch family, who she needs now more than ever. It's scary and difficult, but she won't give up on Jackson and their love, no matter how long it takes. Despite early struggles, Kate and Jackson share tender moments that stir something in Jackson, even though he doesn't fully understand it. As more time passes, bits and pieces of Jackson's memories return, and he starts slowly rediscovering his instincts as a husband and dad. And though Jackson and Kate's love story may need a rewrite, they'll come to discover this new chapter might just be stronger than all the ones that came before."

Stranded at Night by Rebekah Dodson: I rated this ebook 3/5 stars and finished it on May 12th. This is the first book in the California Express trilogy! I mean, I thought it was fine. It was like a murder-mystery thing with a random romance subplot? I don't know guys. I guess I'd recommend it, because it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.

"Two days after Christmas, two in the afternoon, two passengers must face the storm to prevail against the darkness. Maggie Espinoza needs to get away from Portland, Oregon, from a blown out past and a bleak future. She figures taking the Express train to balmy Southern California to start over is just what she needs. Two days after Christmas while everyone is preparing for the New Year, she makes her escape during the worst blizzard the state has ever seen. Jesse Cabot senses a darkness in fellow passenger Maggie when he sits next to her on the train. Why is she so haunted and broken? When the train suddenly stops in the middle of the blizzard weird things start to happen. Random disappearances, an assault, a body in the snow. It becomes clear it's up to Jesse and Maggie to find the culprit or face the music on the stranded California Express."

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer: I rated this book 3/5 stars and finished it on May 14th. I was ready to be spooked with this one! Instead, I was just bored. This was incredibly boring, not scary at all, and honestly, I wouldn't recommend this one.

"EXCITING OPPORTUNITY: Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY. Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she's not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for. Besides, it’s only three days’ work…Three days, cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness. What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property—and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity. Follow the Rites...Follow the Rites...Follow the Rites..."

Summer in the City by Alex Aster: I rated this book 5/5 stars and finished it on May 16th. This was my second time reading; my first read was in June 2025! Oh, I LOVED this one. Somehow, it was actually better the second time! I also listened to the soundtrack of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days on repeat while reading this, and it fully set the vibes PERFECTLY. This is my favorite romcom. It needs to be a movie IMMEDIATELY.

"Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She’s had writer’s block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer. In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since. When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay... if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius. One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city. Summers always end, and so will this agreement. It’s all pretend. Promise. Until it isn’t."

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister: I rated this book 1/5 stars and finished it on May 17th. This was, honestly, one of the top three worst thrillers I've ever read. Want to Know a Secret by Freida McFadden, One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware, and this. This was incredibly boring, so long, and I didn't care about anyone or anything happening. Absolutely not.

"It is midnight on the morning of Halloween, and Jen anxiously waits up for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to return home. But worries about his broken curfew transform into something much more dangerous when Todd finally emerges from the darkness. As Jen watches through the window, she sees her funny, seemingly happy teenage son stab a total stranger. She doesn’t know who the victim is, or why Todd has committed such a devastating act of violence. All she knows is that her life, and Todd’s, have been shattered. After her son is taken into custody, Jen falls asleep in despair. But when she wakes up… it is yesterday. The murder has not happened yet—and there may be a chance to stop it. Each morning, when Jen wakes, she is further back in the past, first weeks, then years, before the murder. And Jen realizes that somewhere in the past lies the trigger for Todd’s terrible crime…and it is her mission to find it, and prevent it from taking place."

Never Lie by Freida McFadden: I rated this book 5/5 stars and finished it on May 18th. This was my second time reading; my first read was in July 2023! This is how you do a thriller. I loved this even more the second time around, and I'd absolutely recommend it. Enough said.

"Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end. In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance. Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels. And then Tricia reaches the final cassette. The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth."

Caraval by Stephanie Garber: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on May 21st. This is the first book in the Caraval trilogy. So, this trilogy lowkey took over my entire month. It was incredible. I loved every book more than the last, and I didn't want it to end.

"Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful and cruel father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over. But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to attend. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season's Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, and her sister disappears forever."

Legendary by Stephanie Garber: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on May 22nd. This is the second book in the Caraval trilogy. I won't say much about this, but I think this is my favorite in the trilogy. Absolutely loved it.

"Donatella and Scarlett Dragna escaped their cruel father and made it out of Caraval alive, but the games aren’t over yet. What Scarlett doesn’t know is that, in order to gain their freedom, Tella made a deal with a mysterious stranger and now it’s time to pay. Except what Tella owes is something that no one has ever been able to deliver: the true name of Caraval Master Legend. Tella’s only chance at uncovering Legend’s true identity is to enter the dangerous game of Caraval once more, and win. But what will she have to sacrifice to do that?"

Finale by Stephanie Garber: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on May 23rd. This is the third and final book in the Caraval trilogy. Oh, you guys. I didn't want this to end AT ALL. I was scared because I was kinda bored in the beginning, but then it picked up. And then it picked up again. Ugh. Go read this trilogy PLEASE.

"It’s been two months since the Fates were freed, since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist. With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him. Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. . . ."

The Rule of Three by Sara Cate: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on May 24th. This is the second book in the Legacy series and follows Julian, Freya, and Archer. I liked this a lot! The only reason why it's not a five is that I genuinely wish it had been MM instead of MFM. I feel like Julian and Archer had more chemistry with each other than they did with Freya, but maybe that's just me. I'm so ready for Amelia's book in September though! I'd only recommend this if you like spice, because it is very spicy, and I know that's not for everyone.

"Julian Kade hates everyone. But when a power outage traps him in a Paris elevator with sharp-tongued chef Freya Kapoor and charming street fighter Archer Wilde, an unexpected spark ignites between them. By the end of the twelve hours that follow, they’ve shared their darkest desires…and formed a bond none of them could have expected. Freya Kapoor has dreams, and getting sidetracked by two billionaires wasn't part of her careful plan. But when the two men who’ve begun to dominate her body and mind present Freya with a chance to open the restaurant of her dreams, boundaries quickly blur…and her orderly world gets increasingly complicated. Archer Wilde never thought he'd stop fighting long enough to get tangled up with two such different people. Yet the three of them fit together like nothing before, unlocking hidden desires they never knew they craved. But beneath the perfect facade are three individuals battling demons of their own. Ultimately, as passion deepens into something far more dangerous, Freya, Julian, and Archer will have to choose whether they're willing to risk everything they’ve built for a love as fierce as it is free."

Neon Gods by Katee Robert: I DNF'd this book at 70% on May 24th. This is the first book in the Dark Olympus series and follows Hades and Persephone. I would like to preface this review by saying I've read books 2-8 and loved them all. I'm still gonna read book 9, and I'm gonna read book 10 when it comes out in June. However, this was not it. I felt like, from the beginning, it was dragging. I think if I had read this first, I would've never read the rest of the series because I didn't like this one. I'd absolutely recommend this series, but maybe not the first book.

"Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade. With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth... a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed. Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…"

The Divorce by Freida McFadden: I rated this ebook 5/5 stars and finished it on May 26th. This is a top-three Freida thriller for me. I thought it was twisty, the plot twists shocked me, and overall, I thought it was a great story. The epilogue?? Goodbye. Go read this please.

"Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family...Then—he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something. It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life. Except, why should she? Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession—and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger. But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?"

Book Lovers by Emily Henry: I rated this book 6/5 stars and finished it on May 28th. This is my third time reading; my last read was January 2026! I also did some of it on audio, and it was fantastic. Book Lovers IS my favorite book of all time. When people ask me what my favorite book is, this is what I'm gonna tell them. Like, if this book has no fans, I'm dead. The first time I read this, I cried at the end; this time, I also cried at the end. It's just...it's incredible.

"Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby. Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute. If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves."

Pines by Blake Crouch: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on May 29th. This is the first book in the Pines trilogy. This is my second time reading it; my first read was in January 2026! I loved this once again! I read this in one sitting, and it was exactly what I needed in the moment. You don't have to read the entire trilogy either, you can just read the first book if you want. I'd absolutely recommend this for sure, 1000%.

"Wayward Pines, Idaho, is quintessential small-town America--or so it seems. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrives in search of two missing federal agents, yet soon is facing much more than he bargained for. After a violent accident lands him in the hospital, Ethan comes to with no ID and no cell phone. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but sometimes feels...off. As days pass, Ethan's investigation into his colleagues' disappearance turns up more questions than answers. Why can't he make contact with his family in the outside world? Why doesn't anyone believe who he says he is? And what's the purpose of the electrified fences encircling the town? Are they keeping the residents in? Or something else out? Each step toward the truth takes Ethan further from the world he knows, until he must face a horrifying fact—he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive....."

King of Envy by Ana Huang: I rated this book 3/5 stars and finished it on May 30th. This is the fifth book in the Kings of Sin series and follows Vuk and Ayana. Oh guys, I put this book off for OVER A YEAR! What! I think if I had to choose one word to describe this, it would be...boring. Very boring. I couldn't bring myself to care about Vuk or Ayana, which is very sad. Ugh. I've enjoyed the rest of the series so far, so I'm gonna read the other two, but this was definitely a miss for me.

"Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive. Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle. His only exception? Her. The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession. He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire. She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her. Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous. To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors. What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency. Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man. Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in…Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love."

S'more of You by Tessa Bailey: I rated this ebook 1/5 stars and finished it on May 30th. This is part of the Summer Loving collection of Amazon short stories. This was awful. I didn't care about Margot or Dean. Absolutely not, hard miss.

"Senior counselor Margot Berry is finally going to tell Dean Ingram how she feels. Sure, she’s been pranking him for eight years and they’ve formed something of a rivalry. But surely that will all be set aside when she fesses up to her crush, right? Wrong. Dean assumes her confession is just another prank. Can she convince him she’s for real before the camp session ends?"

Save a Horse, Keep The Cowboy by Jessica Peterson: I rated this ebook 1/5 stars and finished it on May 30th. This is part of the Summer Loving collection of Amazon short stories. This was awful. I didn't care about Josie or Weston. Absolutely not, hard miss.

"Josie Reid abandoned her Texas hometown six years ago, when Weston Jessup chose his family’s ranch over her. Now a country music sensation, she’s back where it all started to officiate her brother’s wedding. Wes is the best man, and he’s determined to make things right. But can he convince Josie to give him another shot, or is their love song played out?"

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So, that's it! I had a lot of great reads this month, but also some that were not the best. I hope June is better, but we'll see. I'll see you then!