Books of the Month May 2023

It was Emily Brontë who said that May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope. However, May is also the month that our readers got to discover new books across multiple genres. Here are the ones that stood out as the best books of May 2023. 

 

Best Romance

More Than Love You

By Shayla Black

More Than Love You is the third book in the Reed Family Reckoning series by Shayla Black. Although part of a series, each book can be read as a standalone story with no cliffhangers. In More Than Love You, MVP quarterback Noah Weston hooks up with property caretaker Harlow Reed. However, Noah ends up falling hard and fast for Harlow. Unfortunately, she’s been badly burned by love before so Noah has his work cut out for him to prove that he doesn’t merely want her but loves her enough to make her his for good.

 

Best Mystery & Thriller

Snapped

By C.M Sutter

Snapped is the first book by C.M. Sutter in the An Agent Jade Monroe thriller series. Jade is a former sheriff’s department sergeant who graduated from the FBI’s serial crimes into homicide. Shortly afterward she is called to Houston with her partner J.T. Harper for her first assignment. Local Law enforcement offers fears that a serial killer is roaming the streets of Houston after a string of murders with disturbing similarities. As the body count continues to rise Jade and J.T. intensifies their search, but things become even more dire when Jade lands in the clutches of the killer. 

 

Best Children’s Book

Chipper Sends Sunshine

By Kimber Fox Morgan

Chipper Sends Sunshine is a delightful children’s book by Kimber Fox Morgan with illustrations by Kim Sponaugle. The adventure sees Chipper the Arctic Fox heading south to Summer Camp and having lots of fun with friends in the process. However, after all the fun of Summer camp, the friends have to figure out how to stay in touch and keep their adventures and new friendships going. 

 

Best Young Adult

Shackles of Guilt

By Kris Ruhler

Shackles of Guilt is a young adult prequel novel to the Aeterna Chronicles series by Kris Ruhler. The story follows Earmon, the Queen’s topmost advisor who has climbed the ladder in Levitor City thanks to his ambition. However, he is left battling for survival after unwittingly unleashing a terrifying chain of events. As Levitor’s shield fractures and the horde of savages and beasts prowling outside the city advances Earmon is faced with protecting the life of the one he loves most at the risk of losing his own. 

 

Best Fantasy

Tide and Tempest

By Lindsey Pogue

Tide and Tempest is part of the Forgotten Lands series of historical fantasy adventures by Lindsey Pogue. It is set in a world where lightning decimates the land and people live in fear of tempests, firestorms, and raiders that pillage the coastline. Samara knows what it means to lose everything, but it has driven her to be stronger, fight harder, and never look back. However, her resolve is tested when an enemy washes ashore with the rising tide and she has to choose between shedding the scars of her past to save her people or risk letting her hatred destroy her completely. 

 

Best Historical Fiction

Daughter of Time

By Sarah Woodbury

Daughter of Time is the first book in The After Cilmeri series by Sarah Woodbury. It is a time-travel romance that sees a 21st-century woman named Meg slipping through time and ending up in medieval Wales. Here she meets, Llywelyn, the Prince of Wales, who faces treachery and deceit at the hands of friends and foes alike. Meg’s knowledge of the past makes her an invaluable ally to Llywen and together the two create their own history that defies the laws of time.

 

Best Horror

The Great and Terrible 

By David Kempf

The Great and Terrible is part of the Tales of Monster Madness series by David Kempf. It is a dark and twisted tale that pits famous characters from authors Bram Stoker and L. Frank Baum against each other. In this story, it is the famous Count Dracula who travels to another realm where he engages in a fatal duel with the Wizard of Oz. While short, the story packs enough action to satisfy fans of both iconic characters. 

 

Best Literary Fiction

Greetings From Lavender Valley

By Tammy L. Grace

Greetings from Lavender Valley is the first book in the Sisters of the Heart series by Tammy L. Grace. It is the story of five women who are brought together by the only parental figure that they’ve ever known. Although the women have never met they were all nurtured to adulthood by Jewel Austin, a foster mother to dozens. Jewel had a special bond with all of them and kept in touch through handwritten letters, but in her eighties makes the unusual last request for all of them to return to Lavender Valley Farm together. It is the refuge where they all once found the love and support they craved and Jewel knows that her time is short so these women are going to need their sisters of the heart. 

 

Best Science Fiction

Outlaw Rising

By Kate Sheeran Swed

Outlaw Rising is the prequel novella to the Parse Galaxy space opera adventure series by Kate Sheeran Swed. The protagonist, Sloane Tarnish, has always secretly admired her outlaw uncle, but never expected him to ever ask her to assist with one of his heists. However, to her surprise, he shows up on her med school campus and enlists her aid to steal a chip full of Fleet intelligence. The data it contains could stop the Fleet’s plans to install empirical rule across the free galaxy but would require Sloane to steal it from the middle of a Fleet ball and right out from under the Commander’s nose.

 

Best Paranormal

Magic in the Desert

By Christine Pope

Magic in the Desert features three paranormal romance novels by Christine Pope. The novels are set in the American Southwest and feature Darkangel, Bad Vibrations, and Chosen. Darkangel is the story of Angela McAllister, the future head witch of her clan who has to deal with dark forces attempting to seize her powers for their own. In Bad Vibrations, Persephone O’Brien is a psychic who joins forces with an unlikely group of UFO hunters to rescue a ufologist. Finally, Chosen is set in a future where a fatal fever nearly wipes out the entire world’s population, and one of the survivors, Jessica Monroe, makes some startling discoveries while trying to search for sanctuary. 

 

Best Non-Fiction

The Comprehensive Herbalism Guide for Beginners

By Tom Peace

The Comprehensive Herbalism Guide for Beginners by Tom Peace covers everything from the healing power of herbs to the benefits of herbalism on your body and how to ensure the potency of your herbal remedies. It features easy-to-follow steps on how to harness the healing potential of herbs and even total beginners can use it to transform their health and wellness.