Insider #18: A Mother’s Day for Every Kind of Reader
Whether you’re celebrating, remembering, or just recharging—this week’s stories meet you where you are.
The Weekly Insider is your weekly bookish roundup for romance, mystery and fantasy recs, plus all the bookish content you won’t want to miss.
Note: This newsletter contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the community!
Insider #18: A Mother’s Day for Every Kind of Reader
Whether you're spending the day brunching with Mom, dodging awkward family group texts, or just using the holiday as an excuse to stay in bed with a romance novel—you're in the right place. This week’s Insider is packed with mom-themed reads, thrillers hotter than a group chat scandal, and a little Black Dagger Brotherhood buzz. Let’s get into it.
A Word on Mother’s Day...
Let’s take a moment to celebrate the moms who show up in all the ways that matter:
The biological moms, adoptive moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, aunties, chosen family, and caretakers who make space for others—who carry the mental load, remember the birthdays, and still somehow find time to ask if you’ve eaten today.
We see the strength it takes to hold things together. The small sacrifices. The emotional labor. The endless juggling act.
And if you’re the one doing the emotional labor, juggling the group chats, and somehow still showing up for everyone else—you deserve more than just one day of appreciation (but we’ll still take the flowers and brunch, thanks).
At the same time, we know this day doesn’t feel simple for everyone. Maybe you’re missing someone. Maybe you’re navigating distance, loss, or complicated dynamics. That’s real too.
So here’s your gentle reminder:
You’re allowed to celebrate the moms who raised you and the ones you chose.
You’re allowed to feel joy, sadness, gratitude—or all of the above.
And you’re absolutely allowed to spend today in your favorite reading spot with your phone on Do Not Disturb.
No matter what this day looks like for you, I hope it includes rest, warmth, and a story that makes you feel seen.
Happy Mother’s Day, in every form it takes.
Did you miss last week’s Insider? Check it out here:
📚 Here’s What’s New This Week
On the Blog
May 2025 Kindle Unlimited Romance Picks
All the steamy, swoony, and tropey romances to borrow right now. KU subscribers, this one's your May menu.Paranormal Moms You’ll Want on Your Side
Vampires, witches, apocalypse moms—these ladies are not playing.Best Moms in Literature
Celebrating the ride-or-dies, the drama queens, and the mothers who show up in unexpected ways.Completed Romantasy Trilogies to Binge
Because cliffhangers on Mother’s Day weekend? Not today.Romance Novels Set in the 1970s
Retro vibes, disco dreams, and a whole lot of yearning.YA Books Like Buffy
For your inner slayer.Taurus Season Reading Reset
Slow down, indulge, and reset your reading goals the Taurus way.
On Mysterylandia
May 2025 Mystery & Thriller Book Releases
Your monthly guide to what’s new in murder, mayhem, and mysterious small towns.Best Influencer Thrillers to Read
Likes, lies, and lurking followers.Influencer Thriller Shows to Stream
When you need a break from books but not from the drama.
On YouTube
May Book Club Pick Reveal + April Recap
Star Wars vibes and a new swoony sci-fi romance to read together.How to Read the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
With all the buzz from Apollycon, here's your perfect reading order.
▸ Series guide also on the blog
This Week's New Romance Releases
Catch up on the newest May releases worth adding to your TBR.Sean Avery is Co-Writing a Hockey Romance?!
A controversial upcoming book title
Recommendation of the Week:
Her lips parted. He made a list. I cackled.
If you're craving a historical romance with a protective hero, a fake marriage setup, and a heroine who actually works for a living — In Which Winnie Halifax Is Utterly Ruined by Alexandra Vasti is a total delight.
This is the third in the Halifax Hellions series, and I adored this one just as much as the first two. It's charming, funny, and the class difference romance hits all the right beats.
📚 Historical Romance
💍 Fake Marriage
🧤 Working-Class Heroine
🛡️ Protective Hero
🌼 Late Regency Setting
On Substack
Novel Hour Replay
Watch the Live Replay – Moms in Literature
From messy matriarchs to found-family faves. Plus, our top recs for books that tackle motherhood in all its forms.
Join us every Thursday at 12PM EST for our Novel Hour show on Youtube.
Final Little Note
Leave a comment on the blog and let us know: Who’s your favorite mom in books?
Talk soon,
Francesca
Sharing our love for books as Under the Covers Book Blog since 2011, running the Romanceopoly yearly reading challenge since 2019 and hosting the Reading Under the Covers podcast since 2020. Launched Mysterylandia in 2025.