#FiveOnFriday is an original, weekly feature on NightOwlReader.com. Each week I talk about favorite books, anticipated reads, and other bookish topics. Enjoy!
April has flown by and May is almost here. I haven’t had much time to put together a #FiveOnFriday post this month, so today’s will be a giant, SUPER-SIZED version featuring 10 books instead of 5.
May is turning out to be an epic month of new releases! I think every release has been written by an author I have read before.
Be sure to let me know what you are looking forward to reading next month. I’m always looking for recommendations!
Here are my most anticipated romances for May:
Sienna Diaz is everyone’s favorite “fat” funny lady. The movie studio executives can’t explain it, but her films are out-grossing all the fit and trim headliners and Hollywood’s most beautiful elite. The simple truth is, everyone loves plus-sized Sienna. But she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the backroads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston. Sienna is accustomed to high levels of man-handsome, so it’s not Jethro’s chiseled features or his perfect physique that make Sienna stutter. It’s his southern charm. And gentlemanly manners. And habit of looking at her too long and too often. Sienna has successfully navigated the labyrinth of Hollywood heart-throbs. But can she traverse the tenuous trails of Tennessee without losing her head? Or worse, her heart? 
Grin and Beard It by Penny Reid
Series: Winston Brothers #2
Also in this series: Truth Or Beard, Grin and Beard It, Beard Science
Publication Date: May 24th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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Truth or Beard was a favorite book of 2015, so I can’t wait to get Grin and Beard It in my grabby hands. I am a huge fan of all of the Winston Brothers and can’t wait to head back to Green Valley, Tennessee. I have read several samples of the story and I think it is going to be really good!
Pre-Order: iBooks | My Review of Truth or Beard
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Idol by Kristen Callihan
Series: VIP #1
Also in this series: Idol, Fall
Publication Date: May 17th, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Rock Stars
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Kristen Callihan became a favorite author of mine after reading The Hook-Up, another favorite read of 2015. Her writing is fantastic, so the idea of her writing a rock star romance sounds right up my alley. Details about the story are thin, but it really doesn’t matter. I’ll read it regardless.
Edited to add: I just got word that the date listed on the Goodreads website is incorrect and Idol will not be released until June.
Purchase: Coming Soon!
Mister O by Lauren BlakelyPublication Date: May 2nd, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 300
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From the NYT Bestselling author of BIG ROCK, comes a hot and hilarious new standalone...
Just call me Mister O. Because YOUR pleasure is my super power.
Making a woman feel ‘oh-god-that’s-good’ is the name of the game, and if a man can’t get the job done, he should get the hell out of the bedroom. I’m talking toe-curling, mind-blowing, sheet-grabbing ecstasy. Like I provide every time.
I suppose that makes me a superhero of pleasure, and my mission is to always deliver.
But then I'm thrown for a loop when a certain woman asks me to teach her everything about how to win a man. The only problem? She's my best friend's sister, but she's far too tempting to resist--especially when I learn that sweet, sexy Harper, has a dirty mind too and wants to put it to good use. What could possibly go wrong as I give the woman I've secretly wanted some no-strings-attached lessons in seduction?
No one will know, even if we send a few dirty sexts. Okay, a few hundred. Or if the zipper on her dress gets stuck. Not on that! Or if she gives me those f*&k-me-eyes on the train in front of her whole family.
The trouble is the more nights I spend with her in bed, the more days I want to spend with her out of bed. And for the first time ever, I'm not only thinking about how to make a woman cry out in pleasure --I'm thinking about how to keep her in my arms for a long time to come.
Looks like the real Adventures of Mister Orgasm have only just begun....
**MISTER O is a standalone romantic comedy and it follows supporting characters first introduced in BIG ROCK**
Mister O is the story of Nick Hammer and Harper Holiday, secondary characters from Big Rock. Big Rock was big fun, so I have no doubt that Mister O will be much the same. Since Harper is Spencer’s sister and he’s completely protective of her, so her dating Nick, his best friend, should be very interesting.
Pre-Order: Paperback | Kobo | iBooks | Nook | Audible | My Review of Big Rock
Some Kind of Perfect by Krista & Becca RitchieSeries: Calloway Sisters #4.5
Publication Date: May 20th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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The epilogue novel for the Addicted series and The Calloway Sisters series.
Will include the POVs of all the main characters that are present at the end of Long Way Down.
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I have been reading this series since the beginning and it has just gotten better and better with each book. I’m a huge fan of each character and have loved watching them grow throughout the books. I also love that the authors are writing a full-length novel to say goodbye to this family and their series.
Purchase: Coming Soon!
Smut by Karina HallePublication Date: May 9th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy
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What happens when the kink between the pages leads to heat between the sheets?
All Blake Crawford wants is to pass his creative writing course, get his university degree and take over his dad’s ailing family business. What Amanda Newland wants is to graduate at the top of her class, as well as finally finish her novel and prove to her family that writing is a respectful career.
What Blake and Amanda don’t want is to be paired up with each other for their final project but that’s exactly what they both get when they’re forced to collaborate on a writing piece. Since Amanda thinks Blake is a pushy asshole (with a panty-melting smirk and British accent) and Blake thinks Amanda has a stick up her ass (though it’s brilliant ass), they fight tooth and nail until they discover they write well together. They also might find each other really attractive, but that’s neither here nor there.
When their writing project turns out to be a success, the two of them decide to start up a secret partnership together using a pen name, infiltrating the self-publishing market in the lucrative genre of erotica. Naturally, with so much heat and passion between the pages, it’s not long before their dirty words become a dirty reality. Sure, they still fight a lot but at least there’s make-up sex now.
But even as they start to fall hard for each other, will their burgeoning relationship survive if their scandalous secret is exposed or are happily-ever-afters just a work of fiction?
I’ve been a fan of Karina Halle’s books since the Experiment in Terror series (which was excellent, btw). She’s done paranormal and contemporary romance, but I believe this is her first romantic comedy. Between that and the blurb, I am very curious about this book.
Purchase: Coming Soon!
Showmance by LH CoswayPublication Date: May 16th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 282
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Damon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Almost a decade later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.
As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.
Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?
I haven’t read many romances with a theater theme (Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven comes to mind). LH Cosway’s stories are all really unique and her characters are very well-developed, so I think this will be a winner.
Pre-Order: Amazon
Charged by Jay CrownoverSeries: Saints of Denver #2
Also in this series: Charged, Riveted, Salvaged
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: May 24th, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation...or her ruin.
Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.
When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.
Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.
As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.
I’ve been a huge fan of Jay Crownover’s writing since I first read Rule back in 2012 (before it was rereleased). Her Welcome to the Point series is one of my favorites featuring anti-hero bad boys. As for Charged, the blurb sounds great, especially the ‘opposites attract’ angle. Bring on the sexy lawyer!
Pre-Order: Amazon | Paperback | Kobo | iBooks | Nook | Audible
The Summer Games: Settling the Score by RS GreyPublication Date: May 2nd, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports
Pages: 432
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As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:
• The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs...
• The committee passes out condoms like candy...
• The games continue long after the medals have been handed out...
As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent—too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain.
In other words: off limits.
It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there—shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs".
Athletes. Summer Olympics. Sexy shenanigans. Need I say more?? I love RS Grey’s writing, so this is a no-brainer.
Dirty Girl by Meghan MarchSeries: Dirty Girl Duet #1
Publication Date: May 17th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 250
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From USA Today bestselling author Meghan March comes a sexy new spin-off duet from The Dirty Billionaire Trilogy. Are you ready to get dirty again?
Desperately seeking rich, famous, single guy with a giant cock to make my lying, cheating, should’ve-been-born-dickless ex-boyfriend realize what he’s just lost.
Oh, and I give great head. Just sayin’.
No man in his right mind would answer that ad.
Except thousands did.
My name is Greer Karas, and I should never be allowed near another bottle of booze again. Because when I drink, my friend and I do stupid things. Like take a page out of my older brother Creighton’s playbook and post something completely asinine on the Internet. Waking up with a giant hangover to find my humiliating personal ad has gone viral is not my finest moment.
Cue my look of shock when one of Hollywood’s hottest new bad boys, Cavanaugh Westman, comes knocking at my door and drops his pants to prove that he does indeed have a giant cock.
What he doesn’t have is an explanation for why he disappeared from my life without a word three years ago, only to show up on the big screen two years later, killing bad guys in action flicks.
And now he wants me again.
What the hell do I do now?
Greer and Cav's story will conclude in Dirty Love, releasing 5/31/16.
Dirty Girl is a duet and a spin-off of March’s Dirty Billionaire series. I enjoyed that series, but I am curious to read more about Creighton’s sister. She was kind of a mystery in those books, especially after the bomb that was dropped in the last book. My interest is definitely piqued!
Pre-Order: Amazon | Paperback | iBooks
Hold You Against Me by Skye WarrenSeries: Stripped #4
Also in this series: Love the Way You Lie, Pretty When You Cry, Hold You Against Me
Publication Date: May 10th, 2016
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From New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren comes a sexy new standalone in the Stripped series…
Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.
This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.
My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.
Except there are whispers that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.
Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me—the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.
Hold You Against Me is the book I have been dying to read since it was teased in the novella, Tough Love. We’ve been given hints about the characters throughout the series, but I need to know what happens!
Purchase: Coming Soon!
Hetch by River Savage
All the Rage by T.M.Frazier
Gun Shy by Lili St.Germain
Honer me by Chelle Bliss
The Spiral Down by Aly Martinez
Devil’s Kiss by Ella Frank
and some of your list…i guess i’ll be busy this May 🙂
Those are all great books! I had to stop my list at 10 or it would have been totally out of control. I can say that I am very curious about Hetch and Gun Shy. Pretty sure those will be going on my TBR! 🙂
Enjoy your new reads this month!