Happy Tuesday, everyone!
It’s our last release week for May and then onto to June. How are we already in June?!
We’re capping off the month with a few contemporaries, a romantic suspense, historical romance, and some superheroes.
What new releases are on your list this week? Drop ’em in the comments!
All Superheroes Need PR
Author: Elizabeth Stephens
Released: May 27, 2025 by Montlake
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Series: Supers in the City #1He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
Amanda: I was shocked when the trend of superhero romances never took off, so I’m always interested when I see one pop up.
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Author: Alexis Daria
Released: May 27, 2025 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Primas of Power #3From the international bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós comes a steamy love story of a divorced schoolteacher who discovers that her perfect no-strings fling is anything but…
No strings
After Ava Rodriguez’s now-ex-husband declares he wants to “follow his dreams”—which no longer include her—she’s left questioning everything she thought she wanted. So when a handsome hotelier flirts with her, Ava vows to stop overthinking and embrace the opportunity for an epic one-night-stand complete with a penthouse suite, rooftop pool, and buckets of champagne.
No feelings
Roman Vasquez’s sole focus is the empire he built from the ground up. He lives and dies by his schedule, but the gorgeous stranger grimacing into her cocktail glass inspires him to change his plans for the evening. At first, it’s easy for Roman to agree to Ava’s rules: no strings, no feelings. But one night isn’t enough, and the more they meet, the more he wants.
No falling in love
Roman is the perfect fling, until Ava sees him at her cousin’s engagement party—as the groom’s best man, no less! Suddenly, maintaining her boundaries becomes a lot more complicated as she tries to hide the truth of their relationship from her family. However, Roman isn’t content being her dirty little secret, and he doesn’t just want more, he wants everything. With her future uncertain and her family pressuring her from all sides, Ava will have to decide if love is worth the risk—again.
The third book in the Primas of Power series!
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Author: Nora Roberts
Released: May 27, 2025 by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense, RomanceThe #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a new novel about an injured cop who must fight to bring down a pair of twisted killers…
Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.
After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.
She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.
Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she’s willing to risk her life again if that’s what it takes to stop the horror.
Nora Roberts as a new romantic suspense dropping today.
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We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Manic Pixie Dream Earl
Author: Jenny Holiday
Released: May 27, 2025 by Kensington Books
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Earls Trip #2Ted Lasso meets Bridgerton for a 19th century spin on The Hangover in USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday’s laugh-out-loud bromantic comedy featuring three Regency-era Earls on their annual trip—ride-or-die buddies offering one another unconditional support in everything from Lady problems to family woes—especially when this trip is crashed by one earl’s pen pal. The complicated fallout from his alter ego being exposed may just be the most challenging problem the boys have to solve yet!
From the author of CANADIAN BOYFRIEND, the perfect romp for fans of Evie Dunmore, India Holton, Virginia Heath, Manda Collins, and Suzanne Allain!
An annual earls’ trip should provide an escape from a gentleman’s cares, but in this refreshingly modern Regency-era series, three handsome BFFs find that wherever they go, romantic complications follow . . .
When not writing, poet Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, spends his time fending off the young ladies of the ton—and some of its young men—and avoiding his cruel father. As heir to the earldom, Edward knows he must marry someday. Alas, he is already hopelessly in love with someone. Hopeless because not only is Miss Julianna Evans not a member of the aristocracy, she is employed. She is a magazine editor—the only one to publish his work. Also, in all their years of increasingly personal correspondence, they’ve never met.
Also, she thinks he’s a woman. Named Euphemia.
Julianna is baffled. How can her soul mate not want to meet? Could it be that Euphemia is not the simple country girl she claims to be? Perhaps she’s wealthy. After all, she’s never cashed any of the bank drafts Julianna has sent. Perhaps Euphemia simply doesn’t want rank to come between them. Well, no more. Having extracted the details of a trip Euphemia is planning, Julianna squanders her meager savings and surprises her at the scene.
He is very, very surprised. As is she.
Now the two will have to decide what is true, what is not, and whether the truest thing of all—love—just might be worth an earldom . . .
Elyse: The first book in this series was so, so good.
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Author: Ali Hazelwood
Released: May 27, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Not in Love #2What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.
Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.
Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.
It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.
But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.
When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.
Ali Hazelwood second book in the Not in Love series features an age gap romance.
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I have been waiting for a new Alexis Daria book for millennia!!!
I’m definitely interested in MANIC PIXIE DREAM EARL. Also want to read two non-romances out today. Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler — the sequel to How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, which was a funny antihero fantasy. Blurb for “Everybody”: With restless armies at her doorstep, Duke Aster reaching for power, and an ancient magician hounding her every turn, Davi must scheme her way to peace and uncover the truth behind her curse if she is to break the spell that binds her once and for all.
The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis — cozy fantasy where a normal couple’s child gets bitten by a werewolf and they have to deal with magic school and the PTA. Blurb: As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society – shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.
Hazelwood hasn’t historically been my cup of tea regardless but the marketing of her latest has really clarified some things for me about what I’m interested in reading. Do I want to read a romance where the main characters are 23 and 38, and there’s a brief sidebar about how it might not work for everyone but it works for them, or the age gap doesn’t really come up at all? Sure! Do I want to read a book where the title and marketing set up any concern about an age gap or power differential as an obstacle and dismissing that concern at least appears to be a big part of the plot? Not really! I’ve also never felt less excited to read books that present wealthy tech people as romantic or compelling figures, though of course the current political climate and the tech industry’s role in it is hardly romance writer’s fault!
@Bel: I share your same thoughts! Definitely not interested in tech bros right now and this sentence really nopes me out because of the power differential you mentioned: “successful biotech guy and struggling grad student.”
I’ve only liked one of Hazelwood’s books so far, thus I’m probably skipping. I love La Nora so I’ll give that thriller a try. Excited for the Daria and Holiday, will try the Stephens.
I can’t wait to read Along Came Amor!
Along Came Amor was my favorite of the series. Ava’s got some major family baggage to work through, but Roman was a dream. If you like the guy falls first and falls hard trope, this book is for you.
I had no idea scientists working in biotech were considered tech bros- when did we get included? From my experience tech bros are not usually big fans of those of us toiling in the messy world of biology and they think their tech (usually SW and a bit of HW) is going to make biologists obsolete. As a scientist working in biotech (biomarkers in tumors) I’m gonna say tech bro does not equal biotech guy… not even close.
@Leftcoaster: Granted, I haven’t read the book, but the descriptor of “successful biotech guy” does not give me the image of a scientist toiling away for the greater good of scientific breakthroughs and perhaps that’s just me being cynical. I do work in a big biotech area and there is quite a difference from scientists in the trenches and those who are the big decision makers.
I searched through Goodreads to see if anyone mentions the kind of work he does and I found nothing. Someone did mention that he loves giving unsolicited financial advice. My search through Google Books revealed that Conor is a “biotech investor,” which makes sense with the financial advice comment.
@Bel – it’s especially weird because unless I’m even more out of touch than I thought, “successful biotech guy and struggling grad student” isn’t a cliché? or at best, it’s far less of one than the others mentioned.
In addition to all the power differential stuff, I’m really not here for the whole “person A has said that they don’t want a relationship but person B is undeterred” dance. I don’t care if it’s the person who has less power who doesn’t respect the boundaries; shrugging off stated boundaries is not cute, and I really dislike how romance often pretends that it is. Maybe it’s the marketing and not the book in this case, but I don’t like it.
I’m very excited for Cecilia Vinesse’s new YA sapphic rom-com All-Nighter!
Was lucky enough to get ARCs of Along Came Amor (it’s SO good and balanced really emotional moments with laugh out loud situations, not an easy thing to do) and an audio ARC of Manic Pixie Dream Earl (listening to it now, but taking a break to binge-read Problematic Summer Romance) She may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love Hazelwood’s writing and have yet to come across one I didn’t really like or even adore.
I was thrilled to get an ARC of DELICIOUS, an m/m, m/m/m anthology which releases today, with all proceeds donated to the LGBTQ+ charities Switchboard and akt!
https://mybook.to/deliciousanthology
Participating authors are: @annabeth_albert ∙ @bethboldenauthor ∙ @jaxcalderauthor ∙ @vawncassidyauthor ∙ @colettedavison ∙ @lanehayesauthor ∙ @beccajacksonauthor ∙ @authoremlindsey ∙ @authorkmcintyre ∙ @miapensromance ∙ @shanemortonauthor ∙ @kmneuhold ∙
@charlienwrites ∙ @authorbeccaseymour ∙ @sebastiansharpewriter ∙ @tobywisewrites ∙ @ariellazoelle
Love is delicious…
Join a fabulous group of authors for a brand new charity anthology sure to make you hungry!
Serving up hot dishes, lamington kisses, cheesecake roses, and plenty of delicious indulgences. Accompanied by a buffet of your favourites like best friends to lovers, meet cutes, second chances, small towns, enemies, hot bosses, long time crushes, plenty of spice, and melt-in-the-mouth sweetness. With taco trucks, celebrity chefs, bakers, pizza shops, and plenty of treats, Delicious has eighteen brand new contemporary short stories to savour…
Huh, it *is* weird that superhero romances didn’t take off!
I’m excited for Copper Script by K.J. Charles – looks like an mm historical mystery /romance with some fantasy elements
Thought same, I liked superhero romance books. I wish Jennifer Estep’s Bigtime series had taken off more.
There was a cute M/M multi-author “Subparheros” series last summer. It featured characters with small talents, like a magic 8-ball that really answers, freezing time by 5 seconds, or the ability to change colors. My favorites were TRANSPARENT IS A COLOR (Kaje Harper); IMPOSSIBLE THINGS (Alex Land); BEHIND THE 8BALL (A. E. Wasp); and AN EX-HERO’S GUIDE TO AXE HANDLING (Jenn Burke).
I enjoyed the new KJ Charles. Nora has been an autobuy for me in the past, but I’m not sure about this one – the Goodreads reviews mention that the reader is in the killer’s head quite a bit if the time, and I find that disturbing.