We’re struggling to believe that in just a couple of days it’s going to be May 2026, but as we move deeper into the spring season and inch closer to the summer, we have plenty to look forward to. That, of course, includes more time to read—and some truly unmissable book releases.
Our favorite publishers gave us the opportunity to preview May’s hottest new books, and we’re happy to say it’ll be a very good month for readers everywhere. From cozy, magical coffee shops to a swooning billionaire romance and two different takes on the fantasy adventure genre, the month has something for every kind of reader. Continue reading to get the scoop on the May 2026 book releases we adore best.
Before I Knew I Loved You by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – May 26
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold series is a sensation for a reason. These stories tell poignant little tales from within the Funiculi Funicula Cafe, where visitors may travel to the past or the future to hold important conversations with loved ones under a number of strict guidelines—they can never leave their seat, and they must wrap things up and finish drinking their coffee before it gets cold.
Before I Knew I Loved You is the sixth book in the series, available to read in English for the first time on May 26. It follows four guests to the cafe and their desire to reconnect with the souls they miss—a girl wishing to make an apology to her stepmother, a man yearning to hear from a girlfriend, a woman with a potentially deadly diagnosis and a student desiring one last conversation with his deceased father. As always, these cathartic stories are short but sweet insights into love, loss and the chance to remedy missed opportunities, while also slowly peeling away the layers obscuring the narratives of the cafe workers themselves. This one didn’t take long at all to read, but it’ll stick with us for a while.
(Before I Knew I Loved You via Harlequin Trade Publishing)
Henry & Kate by Laura Kneidl – May 26
If billionaire romances aren’t usually your thing because the MMCs tend to be cocky, arrogant jerks, we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Laura Kneidl’s Henry & Kate.
It’s the highly unexpected love story that develops between 20-year-old Kate, who’s been homeless on the streets of London for months following the death of her mother, and billionaire Henry Darlington, heir to his family’s luxury hotel business. Though it may seem he has all of the wealth and power he could ever want, he’s under immense pressure working to maintain the hotel’s good name as his father is embroiled in an assault scandal. Henry believes the women accusing his father, but must play the doting son for the sake of the hotel.
When Kate steals Henry’s phone one day, hoping to sell it to make some money, she doesn’t recognize the dashing and famous Darlington son, and she certainly doesn’t expect him to offer to help her when he returns to demand it back. Soon, photos of Kate and Henry are in every tabloid, and the murmuring only gets worse when Henry gets Kate a job and a place to stay in the hotel. Their growing feelings for each other are undeniable, but their budding relationship may not survive the fact they come from completely different worlds. And even if they can get past the external pressures of Henry’s controlling family, a secret he’s been harboring may threaten to drive them apart.
Henry & Kate is the type of dual-POV romance we can’t help but eat up, with two extremely lovable protagonists we just can’t help but root for. It’s the ultimate fantasy for anyone who’s ever wanted to get swept off their feet by someone of means, anchored around a sweet and occasionally steamy romance. An English translation of the sequel is also set to publish in August, though we won’t reveal the title here because it’s a bit of a spoiler. We’re very much looking forward to getting our hands on it and watching yet another opposites-attract romance develop in the Darlington family.
(Henry & Kate via LYX)
Also read about: What to Read Next, Based on Your Favorite Disney Princess
Best Last Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens – May 26
It seems May is the month of tales about fantastic quests starring dragons and queer romance in the form of realizing your feelings for a fellow quester. The first of these stories we read was F.T. Lukens’ Best Last Quest Ever, recounting the heroic tale of 17-year-old Ellinore the Brave.
The problem is that Ellinore doesn’t consider herself all that brave. She considers herself to be a fraud and a phony, using her wits and empathy, rather than sheer brawn, to complete the quests requested of her by the royal family. Asked to slay the golden dragon, for example, she instead befriended him, convinced him not to steal the sheep of local farmers and found a safe cave for him to live in, where he enjoys half the gold that came with her reward. Now, she’s ready to leave the lie behind, retiring before she reaches adulthood—to the chagrin of the king and queen.
That plan gets tossed aside, however, when Ellinore’s brother, Zig, proudly and unwisely makes a bet with a couple of nasty mages that Ellinore can slay the primordial Elder Beast and collect its horn. The quest is practically impossible—especially for someone who’s faked all of her greatest feats—but if she fails, Zig will die. Ellinore wants to do things her way, alone, so she can hide her shame, but that won’t be possible. The adventure begins with Ellinore and Zig, plus Ellinore’s barely-royal rival Princet Aven, as they set off to find and conquer a creature older than time itself. Along the way, the party grows, and working closely with Aven makes Ellinore realize the strange feelings she’s had for them all along, making her even more desperate to keep her terrible secret to herself as the time they have to save Zig runs out.
Best Last Quest Ever has a little bit of everything we’d want from a hero’s quest, from incredible mystical creatures—both friendly and dangerous—to high-octane action, a touch of will-they-won’t-they romance and a found family dynamic that makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. It’s a story about figuring yourself out, understanding your strengths and learning to let others in and work together to save the day.
(Best Last Quest Ever via Sumon and Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Bromantasy by Máire Roche – May 26
Though Bromantasy does share quite a few tropes and themes with Best Last Quest Ever, we’re happy to report that they take totally different approaches to their storytelling, and we were more than happy to read them back to back to round out our month. It follows Juniper O’Reilly, a homebody who’d love nothing more than to spend the rest of his days tending to his little farm, eating cheese and spending evenings at the tavern or at home next to the fire with his best friend, Mo Elmthorn. Juniper refuses to acknowledge his attraction to the rugged and strong Mo, or that kiss they shared many years back before Mo suddenly left home, disappearing for two months. Now, they don’t talk about it at all, though Juniper always fears that Mo, who seems to yearn for a more adventurous life, will disappear again and never return.
But then Juniper gets into a bar brawl with his sworn enemy, and gets roped into a dangerous quest to kill a dragon. He’s just not built for the outdoors (and especially not dragon-slaying), and even the fact that Mo is coming along can’t make it better. In fact, he’s afraid being out on this mission will show Mo precisely what he’s been missing and convince him to leave for good. Plus, seeing how skilled and competent Mo is at every step of the way only makes Juniper find him even dreamier. Their journey gets even more complicated when they discover one of the dragons they’re hunting is a shapeshifter—just a little girl whose mother has been killed by other adventurers. As Juniper fights just to stay alive, Mo sets out to save the girl, forcing the two to reckon with what really matters—and the powerful feelings that have gone unspoken between them for too long.
As readers who also never want to be forced to reckon with the horrors of the great outdoors, we could really relate to Bromantasy and Juniper’s reluctant heroism. It’s a playful, easy-to-binge tale that defies expectations, packed with colorful characters, fun lore and a relationship that expertly evolves from bromance to true romance over time. Juniper and Mo are hilarious complements to each other, both talented and completely incompetent in their own ways, and it’s immensely satisfying to read about them finally figuring each other out and learning to communicate after skirting around the issues for so long.
(Bromantasy via Putnam)
Missed our favorites from last month? Click HERE to check out all or our favorite book releases of April 2026.
