Weekly Reads: May 25 to 31, 2026 (historical romance, contemporary romance, legal thriller)

Never Spar With a Viscount by Lindsay Lovise (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Secret Society of Governess Spies series. Ivy is a governess who teaches self-defense classes to women in the village at night. One day, she’s approached by the Dove to spy on her new employer, grumpy viscount Owen. She’s generally wary of him, as she is with all men, due to the cruelty of her father. But aside from being a general grump, he’s a great guy to his eight younger sisters. And then somehow they enter a fake courtship to prevent Ivy from being married off to a brute and the help Owen avoid his stepmother’s matchmaking. Plus, there’s an actual mystery afoot with women falling ill and someone trying to kill Owen. Super entertaining to read and I loved Owen’s support of Ivy’s strength and independence.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Running Home to You by Samantha Saldivar (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super emotional story, spanning many years. Abby and Kate are thrown together junior year of college as softball teammates competing for the same position. They’re pitted against each other from the start, but there’s a simmering attraction between them that’s totally forbidden. Abby is clearly in a poor mental state due to the recent death of her mother, and her insecurities bubble up repeatedly throughout the book. Kate grew up in a very religious environment and the expectation that she marries her longtime boyfriend and give up her own career goals. And while Abby and Kate grow close, they end up breaking each others’ hearts repeatedly. Each of them has to do a lot of growing and dealing with their issues separately before any sort of healthy relationship can happen. And we get to see them tackle that over the many years. I also loved their other softball teammates, being supportive and tight-knit.

Advance ebook provided by Ballentine Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Libro.fm

S’more of You by Tessa Bailey (2026)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Summer Lovin’ series. Cute little novella taking place at summer camp. Counselor Margot has decided this is the year she tells fellow counselor and camp owner Dean that she likes him. And of course, he thinks she’s just pranking her. It’s a mess of hurt feelings, until he apologizes and asks her on a real date.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Starlight Ridge series. Luna uproots her entire life after the death of her mother, moving to a tiny ranch town in Texas to buy a fixer upper and bring her Pinterest boards to life. And then she meets the town grump Tate and sparks are flying. Lots of fun flirting in this small town, but with lots of generational trauma from both of these people. The small town friend group is a nice touch, and I’m glad that Luna has such a good girl group support system. Fairly predictable, in a good way, and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson (2026)

Legal thriller. Standalone novel. Detour from my usual romance novels this time with a legal thriller. Told from multiple POVs, we center around Judge Mary Stone and the case of the season: the small town town doctor is accused of performing an illegal abortion on a thirteen year old girl in Alabama. I was totally hooked to find out how the case would end and how the lives of everyone in the small town intertwine. This book deals with reproductive rights, race, faith, and misogyny.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.