May Romance Releases to Heat Up Your TBR
May 2025 is packed with swoon-worthy romance releases—from sizzling hockey obsessions to dark mafia twists and epic slow-burn fantasies. Rina Kent leads the charge with her brand-new Vipers series, promising secrets, seduction, and revenge on ice. Whether you're after enemies-to-lovers angst or forbidden second chances, these upcoming titles are guaranteed to steal your heart.
Exposed Ink by Nikki Ash
Expected Publication: May 1, 2025
Standalone
From USA Today bestselling author Nikki Ash comes Exposed Ink, a heartfelt small-town romance between a firefighter-medic single dad and a guarded tattoo artist.
Exposed Ink is Kinsley's safe haven, a place where she hides behind ink and needles, keeping her broken heart locked away. But when Shane—heroic, persistent, and a single father—walks into her shop and saves her life, everything starts to change.
Shane sees through her walls to the strength underneath. And with each tattoo he gets, he becomes more entwined with the woman who’s been too afraid to hope again. As sparks fly and hearts heal, Kinsley must decide if she’s ready to risk it all for a love that promises to be as permanent as the ink she creates.
Riding the High by Paisley Hope
Expected Publication: May 6, 2025
Book 3 In The Silver Pines Ranch Series
In the steamy third novel of the Silver Pines Ranch series, a newly appointed sheriff and a congressman’s daughter must hide their impulsive Vegas wedding to protect their reputations—but secrets never stay hidden for long.
Cole Ashby is determined to prove he’s the right man for the sheriff’s badge—and the right father for his young daughter. Ginger Danforth, the congressman's picture-perfect daughter, is ready to finally chase the wild spirit she's kept buried for so long.
After one daring night in Las Vegas, Cole and Ginger wake up married. Agreeing to stay together in secret for ninety days, they think they can keep it professional—until real feelings start to bloom. With family, careers, and reputations on the line, they'll have to decide if what happened in Vegas was a mistake... or the start of something real.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
Expected Publication: May 6, 2025
From USA Today bestselling author Devney Perry comes a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy where forgotten royalty, legendary hunters, and ancient curses collide.
As a princess, she was never meant to rule—only to wear the crown and obey. But when her life is upended by a legendary monster hunter and a prince who shatters her world, she's forced to leave the safety of the palace and step into a future forged in blood and secrets.
Now, bound to a man she barely knows and journeying through a cursed realm filled with deadly creatures, she must decide if she’ll keep playing the part chosen for her… or finally embrace the strength she’s always hidden.
Full of enemies-to-lovers tension, political intrigue, and powerful twists, Shield of Sparrows is a romantasy that will leave you breathless and begging for more. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Expected Publication: May 6, 2025
Standalone
A radiant, nostalgic escape to the lake from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different.
Alice's life changed the summer she spent at Barry’s Bay—captured forever in a single photograph of three carefree teens in a yellow speedboat. Now a professional photographer more comfortable behind the lens than in front of it, Alice is craving something more. When her beloved Nan has an accident, Alice returns to the lake for another summer, hoping for healing.
But peace is quickly disrupted by the reappearance of Charlie Florek, the boy from that photo—now a grown man with a flirtatious smile and a gaze that sees straight through her. Long days on the lake and nights under the stars rekindle old feelings, but Alice soon realizes that some summers—and some people—change your life forever.
One Golden Summer is a heartfelt, second-chance romance about finding your way back to yourself—and the unexpected love that helps you get there.
Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
Expected Publication: May 8, 2025
Book 17 in the Guild Hunter Series
From New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh comes the long-awaited next chapter in the epic Guild Hunter series—where friendship turns into a love that could shake the heavens.
Aodhan and Illium. Sparkle and Bluebell. Once inseparable as friends, now navigating the raw vulnerability of a bond that has shifted into something far deeper.
Back in New York and working for the Tower, the pair are drawn into a case that stirs shadows from Aodhan’s past and forces Illium to confront the terrifying power rising within him. But with the looming threat of Illium’s ascension and the possibility it could end their bond forever, the two must fight not just the enemies outside the Tower—but the fate trying to tear them apart.
Emotional, powerful, and heart-wrenching, Archangel’s Ascension is a story of immortal love, impossible choices, and the kind of connection that defies time itself.
Wicked Savage by Lilian Harris
Expected Publication: May 8, 2025
Book 4 in the Savage Kings Series
A steamy, age-gap, arranged marriage standalone set in the dark and dangerous world of the Irish Mafia.
Dinara Marinov was the one that got away—my greatest desire and deepest regret. We were fire and flame, passion and pain, until the truth of her bloodline tore us apart. I walked away, but I never truly let her go.
Now, after years of searching, she’s back—cold, distant, and nothing like the woman who once ignited my soul. When an arranged marriage forces us back into each other’s lives, she wants nothing to do with me.
But I’ve changed too.
This time, I won’t let her slip through my fingers. I’ll fight for her. I’ll claim her.
Because Dinara is mine—and I’m done losing what belongs to me.
The Pucking Wrong Rookie by C.R. Jane
Expected Publication: May 13, 2025
Book 5 in The Pucking Wrong Series
An NHL rookie with a ruthless obsession. A girl trapped in a world she never chose. And a love that breaks all the rules.
I never wanted to be seen. But when Logan York, the Dallas Knights' rising star, locks eyes with me in a crowd, everything changes. I turn him down—so he hires me instead, swearing I’ll fall for him.
Arrogant. Unrelenting. Impossible to ignore.
What begins as a job quickly spirals into something dangerous and consuming. Logan is possessive, obsessed, and willing to destroy anything that stands between us. And despite the darkness in my past, he refuses to let me go.
This isn’t just a game to him. I’m not just a girl in the stands.
I’m his.
The Pucking Wrong Rookie is a dark, steamy standalone hockey romance with a morally grey antihero who doesn’t play fair—and doesn’t believe in losing.
Seek Me Darling by Maree Rose
Expected Publication: May 15, 2025
Book 3 In The The Darling Games Series
DEA Agent Seanna Darling lives in the shadows, hunting the monsters that lurk behind blood-soaked empires. Ruthless and unapologetic, she’s built a life out of chasing danger. But when her latest mission collides with a deadly obsession, the hunter becomes the hunted.
Stalkers close in, bodies pile up, and bloodstained messages point directly at her. Caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse, Seanna must rely on instincts sharpened by darkness—and two dangerously obsessed men who are as lethal as they are possessive.
In this dark, whychoose contemporary romance filled with obsession, violence, and scorching heat, Seanna faces her deadliest challenge yet: surrendering to the monsters who might be the only ones capable of taming her.
Warning: Seek Me Darling contains explicit 18+ dark content, stalking, obsessive behavior, violence, and morally grey villains. Proceed with caution.
Heart of the Sun by Mia Sheridan
Expected Publication: May 20, 2025
Standalone
When the world goes dark, only love can light the way.
Years ago, childhood best friends Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson were inseparable—until life tore them apart. Now, she's a rising pop star in need of protection, and he's a brooding ex-con trying to rebuild his life. Their reunion sparks tension, unresolved feelings, and undeniable chemistry.
But when a solar flare plunges the world into chaos, fame and fortune fall away—and survival becomes everything. As danger closes in, Emily and Tuck must face their past, navigate a broken world, and fight for a second chance.
Heart of the Sun is a slow-burn, emotional second-chance romance with enemies-to-lovers tension, set in a gripping dystopian backdrop. Fans of The Last of Us, bodyguard romances, and deeply emotional love stories won’t want to miss it.
Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde
Expected Publication: May 20, 2025
Book 5 In The Windy City Series
First love. Second chances. One final shot at forever.
Hallie Hart thought she’d left her past behind—until her new internship in Chicago puts her right back in Rio DeLuca’s orbit. He was her first love, her first heartbreak, and now… her next-door neighbor. Worse? The home she’s been assigned to renovate belongs to him.
For Rio, love has always felt just out of reach—until Hallie shows up on his doorstep again. She’s the only one who’s ever truly known him, and the only one who ever mattered.
Tensions rise, old feelings resurface, and the line between love and heartbreak gets blurry. Can two people who once had it all find a way back to each other?
Rewind It Back is the emotional and unmissable finale to the beloved Windy City series—perfect for fans of second chances, forced proximity, and deeply romantic stories that leave a lasting mark. Can be read as a standalone.
Dear Reader by Tate James
Expected Publication: May 20, 2025
Book 1 In The Devil’s Backbone Series
Welcome to Neveah University—where secrets are currency and power is inherited.
A scholarship to an elite university should’ve been a dream come true. But for her, it’s the start of a twisted game run by the Devil’s Backbone Society—a secret group of dangerously charming, brutally rich men who play by their own rules.
They hate her on sight. She’s not one of them. But when hazing rituals, high-stakes dares, and heart-pounding encounters begin, lines blur between torment and temptation.
And when stolen moments ignite with the very boys meant to break her, she learns the real cost of walking into the lion’s den.
Dear Reader is the dark, addictive first installment in the Devil’s Backbone series—packed with secret societies, enemies-to-lovers tension, and slow-burning danger. Welcome to the beginning of your next obsession.
Seduced by Eden by Jade May
Expected Publication: May 21, 2025
Book 2 in the Eden Series
One year. One contract. Countless lies.
Inside Eden, she’s in control—confident, untouchable, and always one step ahead. But when her sister needs life-saving surgery, everything changes. To protect her future, she agrees to a one-year contract with Dameon Hayward, the powerful and dangerously attractive CEO of Hayes & Hayward Media.
The arrangement? Twelve months of belonging to him—no strings, no feelings. But with every stolen glance and charged moment, the lines blur. When betrayal and secrets come to light, their fragile trust is put to the ultimate test.
Seduced by Eden is a steamy friends-to-lovers, forced-proximity, contract romance with high stakes, emotional tension, and a deeply satisfying HEA.
Beautiful Venom by Rina Kent
Expected Publication: May 27, 2025
Book 1 In The Vipers Series
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Legacy of Gods series comes a brand new dark hockey romance set in a glamorous, secretive world of power and danger.
In a den of vipers, revenge is the deadliest venom.
They destroyed everything. Now, I’ll burn it all down to uncover the truth. My only lead? The Vipers—an elite college hockey team that rules both the rink and the ruthless shadows beyond it.
To expose their secrets, I target Kane Davenport—the charming captain and the only one who doesn’t wear his darkness like a badge. But I didn’t realize I was stepping into a trap of my own design.
Because Kane? He’s not the weak link. He’s the most dangerous predator of them all.
Beautiful Venom kicks off a brand-new era in the Rinaverse—a sizzling, high-stakes romance full of secrets, obsession, and deadly seduction. No prior reading required.
Releasing 10 by Chloe Walsh
Expected Publication: May 27, 2025
Book 6 In The Boys of Tommen Series
An epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
Lizzie Young has always felt like too much—too emotional, too complicated, too broken. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she’s spent her life on the outside, carrying the weight of her trauma in silence. All she’s ever wanted is to be seen, accepted… loved.
Then she meets Hugh Biggs. Wise beyond his years with a moral compass that never wavers, Hugh sees through Lizzie’s chaos to the girl beneath—the one desperate to be known. What begins as a connection on the school bus blossoms into something life-changing. For the first time, Lizzie feels understood, and Hugh finds a kind of love he’s never known.
But when past pain collides with the weight of unspoken truths, even the deepest bond is tested.
Releasing 10 is the emotional conclusion to a series that’s captured hearts around the world—a powerful, soul-stirring story of mental health, resilience, and a romance that dares to fight for forever.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
Expected Publication: May 27, 2025
Book 2 In The Not in Love Series
What feels wrong meets what feels so right in this swoon-worthy romance set against the stunning backdrop of Italy, from the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.
Maya Killgore is still figuring out life at twenty-three. Conor Harkness, her brother’s best friend, is thirty-eight—and the man Maya can’t stop thinking about. Their connection is messy, complicated, and completely inappropriate... or so Conor insists.
When a family wedding in Sicily throws them into close quarters for a week, Maya realizes that sometimes the most problematic love stories are the ones worth fighting for. Between the breathtaking scenery, chaotic wedding festivities, and lingering tension, their summer romance may turn out to be the most unforgettable plot twist of all.
Heart of a Devil by Sadie Kincaid
Expected Publication: May 29, 2025
Standalone
From the queen of dark, addictive romance comes a sizzling new tale of danger, obsession, and forbidden love.
While the official blurb is still under wraps, Heart of a Devil is already stirring anticipation with its irresistible blend of tropes: dark mafia, age gap, and best friend’s dad. With Sadie Kincaid’s signature intensity and heat, readers can expect a story full of dangerous secrets, high stakes, and a romance that defies all rules.
Stay tuned—this one’s guaranteed to set your dark romance shelf on fire.
