Most Anticipated May 2023 Releases

Happy Sunday bookworms! Today I’m sharing 8 of my most anticipated releases for May! There are SO many amazing books coming out this month it was hard to narrow down my list! I’ve got a mix of fantasy, romance, and contemporary books to share. Don’t forget to check out the preorder campaigns for these books! Also can we take a moment to appreciate these stunning covers? 😍

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Lose You to Find Me by Erik J. Brown
May 16th

Lately I'm loving books with restaurant settings! This one follows Tommy, who is a waiter at a retirement community. He's eager to leave and attend a famous culinary school, except he needs a recommendation letter from his demanding manager to help his application. But the only way he'll be able to get the letter is if he trains the new hire, which wouldn't be too bad except it's Gabe, an old crush that Tommy hasn't seen in a long time. To make matters worse, Gabe doesn't remember Tommy, and as feelings begin to resurface, Tommy will need to focus if he wants to achieve his dreams. This sounds like a really cute story! I'm interested in seeing how the restaurant setting will play into the plot!

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Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman
May 16th

Make the Fireflies Dance follows Quincy, a hopeless romantic and aspiring filmmaker. After she’s kissed by a stranger in a classic rom com moment, Quincy is determined to find her mystery guy in time for senior prom. With the help of her friends, they come up with a plan for Quin to go on dates with all the guys that were there that night to figure out who kissed her. The only problem? She doesn’t like giving up control and as other factors in her life become more stressful, things start to crumble. Will she fall for right guy? Or will she start falling for a guy who definitely isn’t the one she’s been looking for? This sounds so cute and a great summer read! I can't wait to dive in!

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I Have Something To Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg
May 16th

This edition of I Have Something to Tell You is adapted for young adults and is a memoir detailing Chasten’s experience growing up gay in a small town. It talks all about his journey to acceptance and self love, and aims to inspire young people across the country to embrace who they are. I've already read this book and definitely recommend it to readers starting to read non-fiction books. The conversational tone and overall hopeful message made this for an enjoyable read. Check out my review for more of my thoughts!

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Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
May 16th

Another rom-com! I definitely have a preference for genres this spring 😂. You guys know I love books that feature cooking and small family owned businesses. Fake Dates and Mooncakes is about Dylan, an aspiring chef who is determined to win a teen mooncake making competition to honour the memory of his mom and bring attention to his aunt's Chinese takeout. Except he keeps getting distracted by Theo, who convinces him to be his fake date to a family wedding in the Hamptons. Way out of his element among the rich and privileged, Dylan can't help but fall for Theo for real. But with family drama and the competition coming up quickly, will Dylan be able to balance it all? This sounds adorable in all the best ways, plus look at this cute cover! It even has a corgi!

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Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu
May 16th

This has been pitched to fans of Emily Henry and I am a big fan so you know this was going to be on the list 😂. Julieta is encouraged by her summer writing teacher to publish her work online but she wasn't expecting a mystery contributor online who goes by Happily Ever Drafter. (I love that name 😂) Now she's on the hunt to figure out who her Romeo is. Could it be her best friend's brother, the boy next door, and her oldest friend. I am so excited for all the drama that will inevitably unfold! 

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Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
May 30th

You guys know that I LOVE reading about mythology so I rushed to add this to my tbr as soon as I read the synopsis. Our main character is a descendent of the Greek Fates AND she has to solve multiple impossible murders in order to save her sisters and her soulmate. Mythology and murder mystery? Count me in!

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Time Out by Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, & Carlyn Greenwald
May 30th

Time Out follows Barclay, who is a basketball legend in his small town. But when he comes out as gay, he’s suddenly met with hostility he never expected. His friend Amy brings him along to her voting rights group and there he meets Christopher. The two have never been each other’s biggest fans but soon sparks fly and Barclay must decide if he’s ready to take a shot at the love he’s been fighting for. This sounds so adorable! It’s been compared to Heartstopper and you guys know how much I love that series! I don’t usually read many books involving sports teams so I’m excited to see how that aspect of Barclay’s life plays into the story.
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Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms by Jenna Yoon
May 30th

This middle grade book is the second in the Lia Park series! To keep things spoiler free let’s talk about the first book! Lia Park and the Missing Jewel is a middle grade book about a girl named Lia whose parents work for a mysterious organization. Sounds cool right? Except they’re super overprotective which leads to Lia sneaking out to attend the biggest birthday party of the year. When Lia break’s her parents’ rule, she also breaks an ancient protection spell which unleashes an evil diviner spirit that kidnaps her parents. The only way she can save them is to give the spirit a powerful jewel that Lia’s family has been guarding for years. With her limited magic skills and her friend Joon, she sets off to Korea and then the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in search of the jewel. Can Lia gather the courage she needs to be the hero her parents need? This sounds like a fun fantasy read and I can't wait to dive into both of these books soon!


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Those are my anticipated releases for May 2023 bookworms! I can't wait to dive into them! What May releases are on your radar? Are any of these books on your tbr? Let me know in the comments below!