Five Star Friday is my version of the monthly wrap-up. On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.
This month, I was able to read 29 books, and I had 9 five-star reads. This was an interesting month in that I had the most DNFs but also SOOOO many hits. I am ok with that.
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 5, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.
Break the rules. Find your joy.
For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she's been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.
Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that she holds dear.
Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? With laugh-out-loud hijnks and emotional heft, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a heartwarming and wise celebration of the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.
A beautiful and touching tale that explores love, loss, and aging with a focus on a lifelong friendship.
[review]
Published by Forever on March 24, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.
In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...
For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.
But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy.
A complicated romance between a woman and her boyfriend's best friend which surprised me in the best ways.
[review]
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 19, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.
After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.
Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.
No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.
A solid rom-com with a friends-to-lovers trope I could not resist. So much fun!
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on May 26, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
From The New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script , a romance about a single mother who’s offered a Pretty Woman -type deal that’s too good to refuse.
If they begin by pretending, can they end with something real?
Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home.
So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield—annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family—with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it’s in her nature to help. But Stewart’s proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and swinging on the porch, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She’s never relied on anyone besides herself, can she really start now?
Fake-dating at its best! I absolutely adored this tale between a struggling single mom and the wealthy business scion with a big heart.
Published by William Morrow on June 2, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
From the bestselling author of Mansion Beach, a summery drama following three sisters who return to their childhood home, each with their own secret, perfect for readers of Sandwich and Pineapple Street.
It’s the week after Fourth of July, and the Shipman sisters are returning to their picturesque summer home on the New Hampshire coast for what they believe is a family reunion, the first without their late mother. However, their tranquil setting quickly becomes a stage for drama when their father, Calvin, drops the bombshell news that he plans to sell the cherished beach house.
Mae, the youngest daughter, who has a newfound penchant for attracting trouble, is distraught, already dealing with her own emotional scars and a problematic rescue dog. Natalie, the middle sister and social media darling known for her seemingly idyllic life as a tradwife, is equally anxious, especially since her flawless public image is on the verge of imploding. Meanwhile, Jordan, the eldest, a high-powered crisis communications expert, is ready to be rid of the house so she can tend to her own professional disaster.
As old memories are stirred up and the sisters navigate both the packing of the house and their personal crises, the arrival of Calvin’s new wife pushes Jordan, Natalie, and Mae to decide how far they’re willing to go to preserve the Shipman bond.
A delicious summer read that explores the enduring power of family and sister connections, Down with the Shipmans is a humorous, heartfelt reminder that home is not a place, but the people who love you, no matter how imperfectly.
Families are complicated, and the Shipmans were dealing with the loss of the women who was the glue. A touching story of a family navigating grief while reconnecting.
Published by Kristan Higgins on April 6, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
From the international bestselling author of PACK UP THE MOON and OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY…
Winnie Smith was never supposed to be that woman. She’s the responsible sister, the behind-the-scenes event planner, the one who avoids drama at all costs. So how did she end up publicly branded as the other woman—and promptly canceled by the Mommy Mafia of Cape Cod? One disastrous relationship, a missing background detail, and suddenly Winnie’s quiet life is in shambles.
Enter Lorenzo Santini, the world-renowned surgeon, feared and revered by colleagues, with zero patience for incompetence and life’s ordinary tasks. Known to hospital staff as Dr. Satan, Lorenzo needs a personal assistant—and Winnie needs a fresh start. It’s strictly business…until it isn’t.
As Winnie manages Lorenzo’s demanding schedule and carefully guarded life, she discovers there’s more beneath his intimidating exterior than arrogance and ambition. And Lorenzo begins to see that Winnie is anything but invisible.
Once in a blue moon, two people who seem to have nothing in common could turn out to be perfect for each other after all.
Dr. Satan meets his match! I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this book and am so excited Higgins graced us with Winnie and Lorenzo's tale.
[review]
Published by Random House on February 24, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
A woman finds herself asking surprising questions about her family and friends in this wise, wonderful novel of life, loss, and moving on—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of After Annie
High school English teacher Polly Goodman can talk about everything and anything with the women in her book club, which is why they’ve become her closest friends and, along with the support of her veterinarian husband, the bedrock of her life. Her private school students, her fraught relationship with mother, her struggles with IVF—Polly’s book club friends have heard it all.
But when they give Polly an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger. Despite it seeming clear that this match is a mistake, Polly cannot help combing through her own family history for answers. Then, when it seems that the book club circle of four will become three, Polly learns how friendships can change your life in the most profound ways.
Written with Quindlen’s trademark warmth, humor, and insight into the power of love and hope, More Than Enough explores how we find ourselves again and again through the relationships that define us.
An emotional and moving tale of a woman's struggle with infertility, losing a friend, and discovering a deeply buried family secret.
Published by Zibby Publishing on April 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
This is a love story . . . but not the one you’re expecting.
Start at the End is a powerful, soul-stirring, sliding-doors novel from the bestselling author of The Last Love Note and Pictures of You that explores second chances and unwritten endings.
Audrey and Fraser tumble into a romance for the ages. After an unlikely start, they fall deeply in love and dream of the life they’ll build together—until one tragic moment upends everything. Facing the unimaginable and wrestling with guilt, they’re left haunted by “what ifs,” each asking where they would be if fate had spun a different story.
Start at the End is an unforgettable drama of two soulmates who have to find a way to start over when they had only just begun.
Whoever wrote the summary and said this was a love story, but not the one you're expecting was dead on. This book put me through the wringer. My emotions were all over the place, but it was beautiful and worth every tear.
Published by Berkley on June 16, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
A heartbroken romance novelist is forced to address her writer's block when the villainous cowboy character from her books shows up in the real world, desperately in need of his own Happily Ever After. . . from the bestselling author of GMA book club pick The Love of My Afterlife.
Gertie Bickerstaff writes happily-ever-afters for a living. . . . Or she did, until her own love life fell apart. Now her ex is thriving, her deadline is looming, and she can’t write a single word.
The last thing Gertie needs is more drama—like waking up to find a confused and rugged cowboy on her sofa. And not just any cowboy, but River Oakley, the villain from her unfinished novel. Somehow very real . . . and very shirtless.
River wants to go home. Gertie wants her life back. So they strike a deal: he’ll use his cunning ways to help her win back her ex, she’ll finish the novel, and, surely, he’ll return to whatever world he rode in from.
But as River Oakley proves to be so much more than just the bad guy, Gertie has to choose: the ending she thought she wanted . . . or the plot twist she never saw coming.
I had such a great time reading this. Both hero and heorine were delightful, and I loved the magical element so much!
Honorable Mention
April was packed with great reading. Here are my honorable mention books. All earned 4.5 stars.
- Lucky by Sawyer Bennett
- Before I Knew I Loved You by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- Everybody's Favorite Guy by Katherine Center
- The Great Outdoors by Kayla Olson
Let us know in the comments!
Oh wow, so many fives. I love the premise of Good Joy, Bad Joy.
ReplyDeleteBoth the authors books deal with end of life and she does it so well, but the friendship was stellar in Good Joy, Bad Joy
Delete