The Baroness’ Choices for Upcoming Releases for May 2020
Hey!
Are you still on “shelter in place”? I live in Montana, and we are starting to come out of this. However, everything is going to be different. So, I will still be hanging out at home.
The publishing world is also affected, as I have noticed that a few books that were set to come out this month have been pushed back. Let’s hope that doesn’t continue to happen.
The Books
My choices for May include romances, cozy mysteries, thriller, cozy paranormal mysteries, historical mysteries, middle school fantasy, young adult, Y.A. historical, regular fantasy, Women’s fiction, and a Christian mystery. These all sound amazing, some of them I will be reviewing, or spotlighting. A couple of books, Jennifer has on pre-order. We will have lots of reviews out in May.
Without further ado, here are my choices for Upcoming Releases for May 2020.
Alaskan Dreams by Beth Carpenter
A Northern Lights #6
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
The dream she wants
The love she found
Lauren Shepherd has traded her hectic office job for a quiet life working on an elderly friend’s farm. Risking everything to move to Alaska might just be the perfect opportunity for her—if Lauren can convince handsome and fiercely protective Patrick O’Shea that she’s not swindling his grandmother. But when financial troubles threaten her dream, Lauren and Patrick unite in a hunt for a legendary treasure…only to discover something between them more precious than gold.
Her Cowboy Sweetheart by Cathy McDavid
The Sweetheart Ranch #4
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
He’s been a good friend
But can he be her sweetheart?
At Sweetheart Ranch, single mom Carly Leighton finds a fresh start, and a friendly neighbor in former bull rider JD Moreno. Neither are looking for love—Carly must think first of her son, Rickie, while JD is recovering from a career-ending balance disorder. But when her former in-laws demand access to Rickie, Carly turns to JD for support and finds he is becoming more than a friend in need…
His Brother’s Bride by Amy Vastine
Stop the Wedding! #5
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
She’s found the perfect man…
…and it’s not her fiancé
Sadie Chapman isn’t sure she loves her boyfriend, Owen, but accepts his proposal nonetheless. Love will come later, she figures. But then she meets Jonathan, Owen’s brother: a kindhearted widower with a daughter who adores Sadie. As Sadie gets to know Jonathan, she feels guilty about how comfortable she is around him. She knows Owen is a good man—but is she marrying the wrong brother?
The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne
Underwater Investigations #1
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Women’s Adventure
For a Florida police diver, danger rises to the surface in an adventurous thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.
Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s. Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.
Stalked by an assassin, pitted against a ruthless cartel searching for a lost fortune, and under watch within her ranks, Sloan has only one ally: the legendary DEA agent who put Sloan’s uncle behind bars. He knows just how deep corruption runs—and the kind of danger Sloan is in. To stay alive, Sloan must stay one step ahead of her enemies—both known and unknown—and a growing conspiracy designed to pull her under.
Close Up by Amanda Quick
Burning Cove #4
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Genre: Mystery, Historical Thriller, Romance
Welcome to Burning Cove, California where 1930s Hollywood glamour conceals a ruthless killer…
Vivian Brazier never thought life as an art photographer would include nightly wake-up calls to snap photos of grisly crime scenes or headshots for aspiring male actors. Although she is set on a career of transforming photography into a new art form, she knows her current work is what’s paying the bills.
After shooting crime scene photos of a famous actress, the latest victim of the murderer the press has dubbed the “Dagger Killer,” Vivian notices eerie similarities to the crime scenes of previous victims—details that only another photographer would have noticed—details that put Vivian at the top of the killer’s target list.
Nick Sundridge has always been able to “see” things that others don’t, coping with disturbing dreams and visions. His talent, or as he puts it—his curse—along with his dark past makes him a recluse, but a brilliant investigator. As the only one with the ability to help, Nick is sent to protect Vivian. Together, they discover the Dagger Killer has ties to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood royalty and high society. It is a cutthroat world of allure and deception that Vivian and Nick must traverse—all in order to uncover the killer who will stop at nothing to add them to their gallery of murders.
Hunting November by Adriana Mather
Killing November #2
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, United States Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Surviving a few weeks at the world’s most lethal boarding school was one thing. But now comes the real test: Can November Adley find her missing father before her enemies find her? Subterfuge is the name of the game in this thrilling sequel to Killing November, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch.
After surviving a crash course in espionage at the mysterious Academy Absconditi, November has only one purpose: finding her missing father. Along with fellow student (and heartthrob) Ash, November follows the clues that her father left, embarking on the deadliest treasure hunt of her life. The first clue is in her hometown, where old friends beckon and unexpected enemies lurk around every corner. The second clue is in Europe, where revelations about her family’s history will plunge her into an international web of deception, lies, and intrigue. The third clue is deep in enemy territory, surrounded by the most skilled assassins and master strategists, and where everyone wants her and her father dead. Can one girl with limited training infiltrate a centuries-old organization that is powerful enough to topple empires? November only knows that she’ll do whatever it takes to save her father . . . or die trying.
Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan
An Alaskan Diner Mystery #1
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents’ diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.
When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner, she doesn’t even consider saying no. After all–her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.
Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie’s ideas–leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.
With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it’s too late.
Stay with Me by Becky Wade
Misty River Romance #1
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Genre: Christian Mystery, Romantic Suspense
A mysterious letter alluding to a secret in her parents’ past brings Genevieve Woodward back to her Blue Ridge Mountains hometown, but she’s also in need of a break from a high-profile career that has left her dangerously burned out and concealing a powerful secret of her own. When she wakes inside an unfamiliar cottage to find the confused owner staring down at her, she can no longer ignore the fact that she needs help.
Sam Turner has embraced his sorrow and his identity as an outsider. The solitary, disciplined life he lives on his historic farm is the life he’s chosen for himself. The last thing he wants is to rent his cottage to a woman as troubled as she is talkative. Yet, he can’t force himself to turn her away right when she needs him most.
As Genevieve researches her family’s history and her and Sam’s emotions deepen, they will have to let go of the facades and loneliness they’ve clung to and allow light to illuminate every hidden truth.
The Betrothed by Kiera Cass
The Betrothed #1
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
A would-be queen. A handsome young king. A perfect match…or is it?
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series comes The Betrothed, a glittering royal romance sure to captivate her legion of loyal readers and lovers of courtly intrigue alike.
When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.
But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.
A Murderous Misconception by Lorraine Bartlett and Gayle Leeson
A Victoria Square Mystery #7
Publication Date: May 8, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Katie Bonner loses her lunch—literally—when her social media account serves up a shocking announcement. Her boyfriend Andy’s assistant manager, Erikka, is pregnant, and apparently with his child. And when Erikka turns up dead, the Sheriff turns up the heat on Katie and Andy, certain that one of them is to blame. But Erikka wasn’t pregnant after all. Was Erikka’s misconception the only way she could conceive of stealing Andy from Katie?
When Katie finds planted evidence, it’s her friend and former detective, Ray, who insists on concealing it. Is it his growing affection for her that causes him to act against his training and code of ethics, or could he be responsible for Erikka’s death? Katie is afraid to find out.
A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette
An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #1
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop—with a fabulous cast of quirky characters.
Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family’s ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she’s going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.
Forgotten Magic by Multiple Authors
Magic Underground Anthologies #3
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Genre: Fantasy Anthologies & Short Stories
In the first two Magic Underground anthologies, our heroes faced the seen, the unseen, and the wayward in order to save us all. These same characters now find themselves in a continuing world of trouble because as we know, life can be dangerous!
Forgotten Magic (Magic Underground Book III) concludes these characters’ stories in a breathtaking way as they face betrayal, family, and of course, magic. The stakes are deadly and growing deadlier by the moment! Inside you’ll find stories about:
- An all-inclusive ren-faire with an enigmatic man who plans to destroy it all
- A missing, teleporting chimera in danger of becoming someone’s lunch…or worse
- An open portal that rains magic upon our world, meaning it may already be too late to save
- A weakening magical spell that could lead to a reign of danger and chaos
- An heir and an apprentice who must prove their innocence to keep their nation from plunging into pandemonium
- A sister who must convince herself she’s enough to save the Earth from the wicked…after all, she’s all the Earth has
- A woman who must choose between the mother who abandoned her and those who deserve her help
- And more!
Fans of Patricia Briggs and Tamsyn Muir will love Forgotten Magic, third of the Magic Underground trilogy of anthologies… Get it today!
The House That Vanity Built by Nancy Cole Silverman
A Misty Dawn Mystery #2
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Misty Dawn, a former Hollywood psychic to the stars, knows the dark and sometimes glamorous streets of Los Angeles are full of secrets, broken promises, and dashed hopes.
When a young woman comes to her door because she’s lost her engagement ring and is afraid to tell her fiancé (the son of one of the world’s biggest cosmetics empires), Misty senses it’s no accident.
Together Misty Dawn and her psychic charge, Wilson Thorne, must not only sneak behind the walls of the Conroy Estate (aka The House That Vanity Built), but go beyond the veil where the luminaries have laid plans to seek revenge.
Murder, lust, and a quest for a fountain of youth are hidden inside a family’s secret, one that threatens to upend the young woman’s life, and quite possibly, Misty’s as well.
R.I.P. in Reykjavik by A.R. Kennedy
A Traveler Cozy Mystery #2
Publication Date: May 19, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Traveling with your family can be murder.
One wedding party + one estranged mother = another vacation that goes array for Naomi.Naomi is off on another international vacation. She thinks traveling with her mother will be the most difficult part of her trip until she meets the rest of the tour group—a wedding party. It only gets worse when she finds the groom dead. Everyone’s a suspect on her Icelandic tour of this stunning country.
Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria by JM Bergen
The Elandrian Chronicles #2
Publication Date: May 20, 2020
Genre: Children’s Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Three months ago, Thomas and his friends faced off against Arius Strong in a fight to determine the future of humanity. When they defeated the billionaire-magician and his two most powerful minions, they thought the fight was over. It was only just beginning.
Now, with a mysterious message from an unknown hacker, the action starts again. This time the stakes are higher, the enemies stronger, and the future even more uncertain. Will Thomas and his friends see through the lies in time to stop the forces of evil and prevent a global catastrophe?
Pick up the much-anticipated second book to follow Thomas and Enrique as the magical adventure continues!
Hostage to Fortune by Kirsten Weiss
A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery #2
Publication Date: May 21, 2020
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Abigail and Hyperion uncork a murder…
Tea and Tarot room owner Abigail Beanblossom is used to running interference for her socially-awkward former boss, tech billionaire Razzzor. So when he invites her on a stakeout to investigate the sale of counterfeit wine from his latest venture – an upscale winery – she barrels on in. But the two stumble across the corpse of a wine merchant, and new wine in old bottles is now the least of their problems.
Good thing amateur detectives Abigail and her partner, tarot reader Hyperion Night, have a nose for murder. Their investigation takes them from elegant wine cellars to chic tea parties on the California coast. But just as the investigation starts to get its legs, Abigail discovers there’s more than wine at the bottom of this crime…
Hostage to Fortune is book 2 in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Start reading this hilariously cozy caper today!
Tearoom recipes in the back of the book.
Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson
Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series #3
Publication Date: May 22, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
A Mother’s Day trip to the Netherlands turns deadly when a guest plummets from a windmill. Was it an accident or a murder? For Lana Hansen, the answer will mean freedom or imprisonment for someone close to her…
Wanderlust Tours guide Lana Hansen and her mother, Gillian, haven’t seen eye to eye in over a decade, ever since Lana was wrongly fired from her job as an investigative reporter. So when Lana’s boss invites Gillian to join her upcoming Mother’s Day tour to the Netherlands, Lana is less than pleased.
What could be worse than spending ten days with her estranged mother? Lana is about to find out…
The tour begins on a high note when the majority of guests bond during their visit to the Keukenhof flower gardens and a cruise around the picturesque canals of Amsterdam.
Despite her initial reservations, Lana thinks this might be the best group she had ever led. Until she discovers one of her guests—a recent retiree named Priscilla—is the person who destroyed her career in journalism.
All Lana can see is red. But circumstances dictate that she figure out a way to lead the tour, make peace with her mother, and not murder her guest. She doesn’t know whether she can handle the pressure.
Lana needn’t worry. Shortly after their fight, Priscilla falls off the balcony of a historic windmill at Zaanse Schans. Was she pushed or simply careless? The investigating officers suspect murder—and topping their suspect list is Lana’s mom!
Can Lana save Gillian? Or will her mother end up spending the rest of her days in a Dutch prison?
All She Wrote by Tonya Kappes
A Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery #3
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this NEW southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. Don’t miss out on the good RECIPES at the end of the book!
No Filter by Heather Day Gilbert
Barks and Beans Café Cozy Mystery #1
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
BOOK ONE in the ALL-NEW BARKS & BEANS CAFE cozy mystery series!!
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.
Fed up with her go-nowhere job, newly single Macy Hatfield moves back to her small hometown in West Virginia. She joins forces with her brother Bo in his crazy new venture—the Barks & Beans Cafe, which caters to dog lovers and coffee drinkers alike.
When a golf instructor is murdered at the nearby spiritual center, Macy winds up adopting his Great Dane. Just after Macy finds a mysterious message sewn under the dog’s collar, her Dane is dognapped. She launches into a relentless search for her newfound canine friend, but along the way, she digs up a cruel and confident killer.
Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse by Kate Young
Marygene Brown Mystery #2
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
On Georgia’s picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .
After their mama’s passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.
But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman’s charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they’re catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .
Includes Seven Recipes from Marygene’s Kitchen!
The Study of Secrets by Cynthia Kuhn
A Lily Maclean Academic Mystery #5
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
There could be nowhere more fitting for English professor Lila Maclean to spend her sabbatical than in a proper Victorian mansion. The whimsical Callahan House seems to have materialized from the pages of the mystery novels she is researching, with its enchanting towers, cozy nooks, and charming library. Unfortunately, it also features a body in the study.
Residents of Larkston have long believed that the Callahan family is cursed—the murder on the estate sets the town buzzing. Wild rumors are fueled by a gossipy blogger who delights in speculation, and further crimes only intensify the whispers and suspicions. A newly discovered manuscript, however, appears to expose startling facts beneath the fictions. When Lila steps in to sort the truth from the lies, it may cost her everything, as someone wants to make dead certain that their secrets stay hidden.
Cast Iron Stake Through the Heart by Jodi Rath and Rebecca Grubb
The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series #4
Publication Date: May 29, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
On again, off again, ON AGAIN–Jolie Tucker and Mick Meiser are giving their relationship another try. Things seem to be working out for them so far, and love is on the menu all over Leavensport! An unexpected pregnancy with a surprising partner, a therapist pairs off with the chief of police, and the mayor of Leavensport falls for Jolie’s Aunt Fern!
Although Leavensport is serving up affairs of the heart, there are a lot of mysterious activities lurking in the air. The townspeople awake to find freshly dug empty holes throughout the fields that were recently up for sale under suspicious circumstances. Jolie and Ava believe they are taking a break from solving murders when they start teaching an online cooking course–until they witness one of their students take a stake through the heart!
Welcome to Leavensport, OH, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!
Well, that’s it for the Upcoming Releases for May 2020
Drop a comment if you like one of the books above or if you have one to recommend.
Thank you for stopping by,
Happy Reading!
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