Favorite Reads of May

It looks like Donna, Susan, and MK all got their reading grooves back this month and have been tearing through their TBR piles. In addition, there were a ton of new releases this month. Having all of these books can make it difficult to know which one to pick up first. Susan, Donna, and MK are here to help by naming their favorite reads of May.

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MK's Favorite Reads of May

For May, I did read a lot. I loved The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy (read my review) and The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell (read my review) as standouts for the month. I did read a lot of romance, which I thoroughly enjoyed a lot. These two stand out for me because of the world-building and the details in them. Right now, I really like being transported somewhere else and seeing problems bigger than mine get solved.

A queen and her rebel prince turn from enemies to lovers while evil forces plot to destroy them in this lush romantic fantasy.

Following The Orchid Throne, Conri and Lia’s marriage of convenience has turned into an uneasy alliance. If only the two leaders could agree on something. Driven by revenge, Conri wants to attack Emperor Anure before the tyrant gets to them first. But Lia needs to keep Calanthe safe, and refuses to sacrifice her kingdom. Their ongoing battle for control has built up tension they’re both more than happy to release in bed, the only place where they find common ground. But Conri and Lia are developing deeper feelings for each other that are complicating matters. In the second book in the Forgotten Empires trilogy, Conri and Lia find their loyalties torn, and with Emperor Anure’s threat growing, will they be able to risk everything with each other before it’s too late? (Goodreads)

Buy The Fiery Crown at Amazon

In this brilliant debut fantasy, a story of secrets, rebellion, and murder are shattering the Hollows, where magic costs memory to use, and only the son of the kingdom’s despised traitor holds the truth.

Michael is branded a traitor as a child because of the murder of the king’s nine-year-old son, by his father David Kingman. Ten years later on Michael lives a hardscrabble life, with his sister Gwen, performing crimes with his friends against minor royals in a weak attempt at striking back at the world that rejects him and his family.

In a world where memory is the coin that pays for magic, Michael knows something is there in the hot white emptiness of his mind. So when the opportunity arrives to get folded back into court, via the most politically dangerous member of the kingdom’s royal council, Michael takes it, desperate to find a way back to his past. He discovers a royal family that is spiraling into a self-serving dictatorship as gun-wielding rebels clash against magically trained militia.

What the truth holds is a set of shocking revelations that will completely change the Hollows, if Michael and his friends and family can survive long enough to see it. (Goodreads)

Buy The Kingdom of Liars at Amazon

Susan's Favorite Read of May

The Perfect Secret by Steena Holmes is a fantastic book full of well written but often creepy characters.  It's full of twists and turns and kept me up long into the night to get to the end. This is Steena Holmes at her best!

Everyone has secrets — some deadlier than others

She was on cloud nine after accepting an offer of a lifetime. A simpler life that what you she was accustomed to. What could go wrong?

 

Starla Bishop learned to survive in the foster-care-to-jail system in New York City. There she learned the tools and skills she put to work later to con jewel thieves, drug traffickers, and mobsters out their fortunes. Now fresh out of her latest stint in jail, she accepts a too-good-to-refuse offer—a perfect life on a silver platter. Starla has everything she ever wished for: a simpler life, a normal life, a new start with new job, a straight job—a receptionist for Soil and Springs Landscaping run by a famous botanist. And it got even better—a whirlwind romance and engagement to her boss’s charming ex-husband.

 

But everything comes with a price. When bodies start turning up in the gardens of her employer, Soil and Springs Landscaping, Starla and her fiancé are hauled into jail for questioning. The revelation of Starla's secret, previous life and her special skills make her a prime suspect.

 

How much does Starla want the perfect life, and did she use her special skills to keep it,  or is this just her biggest con yet? The shocking truth is closer than anyone thinks?

 

Everyone has secrets, some worth killing for. (Goodreads)

Buy The Perfect Secret at Amazon

Donna's Favorite Read of May

I read so many favorite authors this month so it is difficult to pick just one, but I think The Hitwoman and the Exorcism by JB Lynn (read my review) edged out the completion because of its feel good vibe and like MK mentioned about her choices - it let me escape from reality for a few hours.

Maggie Lee will do anything to protect her family…including participating in an exorcism.

When her niece is threatened by an evil spirit, Maggie and her menagerie (with the help of friends Armani and RV) must find a missing skull and rob a graveyard. As if that isn't enough, they must also go on a quest to collect a list of magical ingredients (including pumpkin spice coffee, because everyone knows that’s some magical stuff right there).

God is being snarkier than usual, as Maggie also contends with the demands of a mob boss, the fallout of a killing, and an offer of a job that could be her most dangerous yet.

Will she figure out a way to exorcise the evil spirit to save her beloved niece Katie or will the cursed cloud Maggie’s always lived under finally get the best of her? (Goodreads)

Buy The Hitwoman and the Exorcism at Amazon

What great boos did we miss this month? Let us know what your favorite reads of May were so we can add them to our list to read.

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