Reviews of the 8 Books I Read in May 2025

1. Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

In this poignant story of sisterhood, grief, and identity, three estranged siblings—Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky Blue—return to their childhood home in New York a year after the sudden death of their beloved sister Nicky.

As they confront the sale of their family apartment and the unresolved traumas of their past, each woman must face her own struggles with loss, addiction, and ambition, ultimately uncovering long-buried truths not just about each other, but about themselves.

My Rating: ★★★★

I read Cleopatra & Frankenstein by Coco Mellors a few years ago and loved it. I had very high expectations for her second novel, Blue Sisters and it didn’t disappoint. The story follows four sisters leading different lives, all with their own issues and troubles.

I don’t have any sisters myself, but it was nice to read about their dynamics and how their lives intertwined.

2. The Fury by Alex Michaelides

A glamorous ex–movie star, Lana Farrar, invites her closest friends to her private Greek island for Easter—but the idyllic getaway turns deadly when one of them is murdered. Trapped by a storm and haunted by secrets, long-buried grudges and desires for revenge rise to the surface.

Narrated by the enigmatic Elliot Chase, this is a twisty tale of love, betrayal, and violence where nothing is as it seems, and the truth is more shocking than the headlines.

My Rating: ★★★★

I thoroughly enjoyed the drama of this book. It was fun to try and work out if we were rooting for the narrator or not, but I did guess the twist that was going to come at the climax of the book.

Even so, the book was still highly enjoyable and kept me hooked to find out what would happen at the end, and how it would all unravel as there were more twists to come that I didn’t see coming.

3. Summer in the City by Alex Aster

In Summer in the City by Alex Aster, a struggling screenwriter and a billionaire tech CEO find themselves neighbors—and reluctant collaborators—after a past stairwell hookup turned enemies. Elle needs to finish her overdue NYC-set screenplay, and Parker needs a fake relationship for a high-stakes business deal.

As they clash, create, and rediscover the magic of the city, their enemies-to-lovers arrangement starts to feel dangerously real.

My Rating: ★★★

I got exactly what I anticipated in this book which was a love story set in New York City. The meet-cute was quite unrealistic, plus the careers were a bit left-field for the main characters, but it included places in New York that I love and allowed me to reminisce about my time in NYC and going on dates and falling in love with the city.

4. Legendary (2) by Stephanie Garber

In Legendary, the sequel to Caraval, Donatella Dragna dives back into the magical and dangerous world of Caraval to repay a deadly debt. To uncover the true name of the mysterious Master Legend, she must win the game once more—this time facing deadly royals, forbidden love, and tangled secrets.

But the cost of victory could mean losing everything she holds dear… or destroying Caraval itself.

My Rating: ★★★

The second book in the Caraval series, I was hoping for more escapism in this sequel, just like in the first book Caraval.

However, it was difficult to remember the first storyline and characters so I didn’t find this as enjoyable and didn’t really get into the story as much this time around.

5. The Teacher by Freida McFadden

In The Teacher by Freida McFadden, high school math teacher Eve appears to live a normal life—until the scandal of a student-teacher affair at Caseham High shakes everything.

At the centre is Addie, a troubled student with a dangerous reputation. But beneath the rumours lies a tangled web of secrets, manipulation, and revenge. As Eve digs deeper, she discovers that nothing is as it seems—and trusting the wrong person could be deadly.

My Rating: ★★★★★

I’ve read quite a few Freida McFadden books by now and I always compare each book to The Housemaid, the first book I read from her.

I am SO glad to say that The Teacher is up there with The Housemaid and Never Lie, one of her best books I’ve read in a while! The twist at the end completely got me.

6. The Right Move (2) by Liz Tomforde

In this steamy fake-dating romance, NBA star Ryan Shay finds his new team captain role threatened by his aloof reputation—until he asks his outgoing roommate (and sister’s best friend), Indy Ivers, to pretend to be his girlfriend.

What starts as a calculated arrangement quickly spirals into something messier as real feelings develop and the line between fake and real blurs. But while Indy dreams of love, Ryan is convinced he can’t give it—leaving both to question whether this arrangement can ever lead to something real.

My Rating: ★★★

I wasn’t a fan of the first book in this series (Mile High) but had seen online that the series gets better the further you get into it, so decided to give it a chance.

This story was much better than the first, and I’m actually excited to read the next few books in the series because I have a feeling I know what characters they will involve.

7. The First to Die at the End (0) by Adam Silvera

In this poignant prequel to They Both Die at the End, two strangers—Orion, who’s lived under the shadow of a heart condition, and Valentino, newly arrived in New York—form an instant bond the night before Death-Cast goes live.

When the first End Day calls go out, one of them receives the call and the other doesn’t. With just one uncertain day together, they choose to live it fully, discovering love, purpose, and the power of connection—even in the face of goodbye.

My Rating: ★★★

May was definitely a month for continuing series that I’m reading and I’ve just learnt that there is now a third book in this series. The book really does come across as Young Adult Fiction and some of the writing feels like an adult trying to talk like a teenager but not quite hitting the mark.

A few things in this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me and I cringed a little reading it. Will I be reading the third book? Probably, yes.

8. Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

In Beth O’Leary’s newest romance, two strangers—Zeke and Lexi—wake up to find themselves accidentally adrift at sea on a runaway houseboat after what was meant to be a one-night stand.

With limited supplies and no way back to shore, they must navigate more than just survival—they’re also facing unexpected chemistry, growing connection, and the possibility that getting lost might be the best way to find something real.

My Rating: ★★★

It’s been quite a while since I’ve read any Beth O’Leary stories but picked up her latest release in the library. It was quite obvious what was going to happen in the story, but I’m glad that it didn’t drag on too long (which it easily could have).

My only complaint would be that the twist at the end came too late. It all felt quite rushed to wrap everything up, plus the main female character was quite infuriating at times.