Books of the Month - May 2026

Books of the Month

May 2026

May is the perfect time to refresh your reading list, and this month’s selection brings together stories that are as varied as they are compelling. From slow-burning secrets and sharp psychological twists to uplifting friendships and unexpected love stories, there’s something here for every kind of reader.

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The Secret Thread by Eve Chase. Mimi Mott is finally ready to tell her story. As a celebrated interior designer, she’s spent decades curating beauty, but now she’s auctioning her estate and, piece by piece, revealing the truth behind her carefully constructed life. Her new assistant, Jo O’Mara, is determined to get close to Mimi, though she’s hiding secrets of her own. As the sale approaches, the past begins to unravel. Questions circle around a long-ago summer in 1969, a grand manor house, and a party that ended in tragedy. Who was Mimi before the fame? What really happened that night? This is a story about ambition, sisterhood, and the cost of reinvention. It’s rich, atmospheric, and full of quiet tension, pulling you deeper with every chapter as past and present begin to collide. Published by Michael Joseph. 28th May 2026. £16.99. Hardback. Pre-order here

American Fantasy by Emma Straub. Annie didn’t expect to end up on a cruise packed with superfans of her old favourite boyband, especially not while dealing with a recent divorce and a shaky career. Keith didn’t expect to be questioning his life at fifty, still performing choreographed routines while quietly wondering if his marriage is slipping away. When a meet-and-greet throws them together, something unexpected sparks. Annie finds herself drawn to Keith, and Keith begins to imagine a version of life that still holds surprises. But cruise ships aren’t real life, and fantasies have a way of dissolving once you step back onto solid ground. This is a story about second chances, growing older without losing yourself, and the strange magic of stepping outside your everyday life. Published by Michel Joseph. 14th May 2026. £18.99 Hardback. Pre-order here

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. Frankie and George have always been inseparable, even when their fiery personalities clash. But after one argument too many, their friendship is hanging by a thread. When Frankie’s fiancé suddenly calls off their wedding, George offers an unexpected solution: go on the honeymoon anyway, together. One week in the wild beauty of Tofino becomes their last chance to fix what’s broken. Surrounded by crashing waves and quiet forests, old feelings resurface and long-buried truths come into focus. But not everything can be patched back together, and some relationships change for good. This is a story about friendship, timing, and the complicated line between love and loyalty. Published by Michel Joseph. 7th May 2026. £16.99 Hardback. Pre-order here

Five by Ilona Bannister. It all happens in five minutes. A suburban train platform. Five people. One incoming train. One of them will die. You meet them one by one: a child, a mother, a businessman, an old woman, a gambler. Ordinary lives, each carrying their own quiet struggles and hidden stories. As the clock ticks down, the tension builds, pulling you into their final moments. Then it happens. Someone is gone. And somehow, you’re left questioning your own instincts. Who did you expect it to be? Who did you want it to be? Bold and unsettling, this novel plays with perspective in a way that lingers long after the last page. Published by Juniper. 5th May 2026. £16.99. Hardback. Pre-order here

Someone Your Own Age by Alex Neve. Esme’s life unravels just before her forty-second birthday when her husband leaves her for someone younger. Determined not to repeat her mother’s mistakes, she throws herself into work and tries to stay in control. Then she meets Callum, a younger colleague who brings a spark back into her life. What starts as a secret affair quickly becomes something deeper, forcing Esme to confront her fears about age, desire, and what she truly wants. But reality keeps pressing in. Society has expectations, and Esme isn’t sure where she fits anymore. Is this just a fleeting escape, or something worth risking everything for? Published by Canelo Hera. 28th May 2026. £9.99. Paperback. Pre-order here

Brave New Summer by Sarah Morgan. Evie is holding everything together at The Alexandra hotel in Cornwall, even as she feels stuck in a life shaped by other people’s expectations. Abby arrives under the radar, sent to assess the hotel, but she’s dealing with her own uncertainties and family pressures. As the two women get to know each other, an unexpected friendship forms. With the help of a warm-hearted chef and a no-nonsense pub owner, they begin to question what they really want from life. Set against a coastal backdrop, this is an uplifting story about change, courage, and finding your own direction. Published by HQ. 21st May 2026. £9.99. Paperback. Pre-order here

The Diverging Lives of Bethany Raven by Sarah E. Bonner. Bethany Raven should be celebrating a breakthrough in her physics career. Instead, she wakes to find small but unsettling changes: missing notes, altered details, and a growing sense that her reality isn’t quite right. Soon she realises she’s slipping between alternate versions of her life, each one slightly different, each one pulling her further from the world she knows. Most painful of all is the shifting relationship with her sister, Cesca. To find her way back, Bethany must team up with her academic rival, Tyler Adams. But as they work together, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about him. Published by HQ. 7th May 2026. £9.99 Paperback. Pre-order here

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