Insider #20: Savor the Slow Days: Romance, Road Trips & Garden Escapes
Whether you're baking or road-tripping this weekend—here's your bookish guide to slowing down and soaking it all in.
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Insider #20: Savor the Slow Days: Romance, Road Trips & Garden Escapes
Memorial Day weekend always feels like a little breath. Not quite the start of summer, but a preview of the slower days ahead—the kind where you can sneak in a few extra pages, repot your plants, or just sit on the porch and listen to the world move.
This week on the blog, we leaned all the way into that slower, softer vibe: stories about gardeners and bakers, books where romance bloom on vineyards or murder around a kitchen table, and even a road trip or two (because sometimes the best way to rest is to get away).
So whether you're packing a bag or just daydreaming about it, here’s your guide to easing into the season—book in hand, heart wide open.
How to Ease Into the Season (Bookishly, Of Course)
It didn’t hit all at once, but somewhere between sipping my first Jarritos of the season and welcoming a tiny tomato plant to our balcony garden, it started to feel like summer had officially arrived.
My husband came home with the little guy, but now I find myself checking on him daily like we’re in a high-stakes farming montage. I have zero gardening skills, but manifesting that I’ll keep this one alive.
And of course, no summer shift is complete without the snacks. We went out for churros the other day. I wish I had a photo to show you, but I inhaled them in record time. Zero regrets.
If you’re also craving a reset, now’s the perfect time to try something new with your reading routine. I’ve been easing into a summer reading journal. Nothing intense, just a fun way to track what I’m reading and how it’s making me feel. Not making a year long commitment to it.
If you’ve never tried one, now’s a great time to test-drive a digital version! I’ll have a video up next week walking through how I’m using the Indiga Healer monthly journaling kit to spark inspiration if you need it.
And if you’re looking for soft ways to shift into summer mode, here are a few easy ideas that made a difference this week:
Let your snacks set the tone. A drink in your favorite flavor, a little street food moment, or even picking up something new from the farmer’s market can spark that seasonal joy.
Swap your scenery, even for 15 minutes. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Try reading outside more, or just taking a book break near a window with fresh air.
Bring the season inside. Flowers, herbs, or a new candle can instantly shift your space.
Start a soft book reset. Reread a comfort favorite, pick something off your backlist, or journal a little about your reading goals. No pressure, just vibes.
Also… Gemini season is officially here! So if you’ve been feeling a little scattered but curious, a little overstimulated but inspired… same. Next week, I’ll be sharing a full Gemini Reading Reset to help match your books to that buzzy, twin-flavored energy. You won’t want to miss it.
And speaking of books, I read a couple this week that completely swept me away. I’ll share one of them farther down in this newsletter so keep scrolling if you’re in the mood for a new favorite.
Bookmail: I got the signed copies I ordered from N.M. Patel! Luv Shuv in New York and Luv Under Starlight. Be sure you check them out, they’re available on Kindle Unlimited.
Did you miss last week’s Insider? Check it out here:
📚 Here’s What’s New This Week
Romance Roundups:
Gardener Romance Books — Flirtation, florals, and a little dirt under the nails.
Vineyard Romance Books — For fans of grapes, great love, and a little sun-drenched drama.
Baking Romance Books — Sweet treats and sweeter chemistry.
Marriage Pact Romance Books — Because who hasn’t made one of those pacts with a best friend?
Queer Summer 2025 Romance Releases — Tender, joyful, and unforgettable reads to kick off Pride season.
Don’t Miss:
Packing Tips for Book Lovers — Because no one wants a bent cover on vacation.
Cozy with a Side of Chaos:
Kitchen Witch Mystery Books — Stirring up magic and murder.
Baking Cozy Mysteries — Murder, sugar, and cinnamon swirls.
Recommendation of the Week:
I read our May book club pick and I loved it so much I’ll be immediately diving into book 2! If you like a good space opera romance, this will be right up your alley. Our heroine is capable and courageous, she’s a badass. The hero is serious but doesn’t take forever to melt for her. And the danger and battles are action-packed.
Grab a copy of Knightmaster by Anna Hackett on Amazon
Have you voted for what genre we are reading next month? Historical romance is winning right now! Vote below.
How Romance Transformed
This week’ is perfect for anyone curious about how romance evolved into the genre we know today.
On Substack, the latest installment of our Once Upon a Genre series takes a deeper dive into the 2010s, the decade that reshaped everything from who was publishing to how readers discovered them.
Next week, we’ll be turning our attention to the 2020s because believe it or not, we’re already halfway through the decade. Yikes!
I also had the chance to sit down with Erin Galloway from Berkley Romance to talk about the industry’s transformation from the 2010s to now. We discussed how social media, trends, and reader expectations have changed and she shared some exciting upcoming releases to watch for, including a cowboy romance coming spring 2026.
On YouTube
Ranking My Top 5 Black Dagger Brotherhood Brothers — Francesca ranks the ultimate alpha vamps. What are yours?
New Releases + Interview with Kelly Reynolds — 10 new releases this week plus we chat with
about her brand-new baseball romance novella and the whole Rose City Roasters series.Romance History Chat with Erin Galloway (Berkley Romance) — What really changed the genre in the last two decades? Get a behind the scenes look from the publisher’s perspective.
Historical Romance Road Trip — Pack your bags for a swoony journey through time.
Novel Hour Live Show — Road trip recs, the AI summer reading list scandal and your next weekend watch (
chats about The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2).
Join us every Thursday at 12PM EST for our Novel Hour show on Youtube.
Final Little Note
Are you reading anything deliciously cozy this long weekend?
Hit reply and tell us what’s on your holiday TBR (bonus points if it's got a garden, vineyard, or buttercream frosting involved).
Talk soon,
Francesca
P.S. If you're an author or brand and think you might be interested in advertising on our Substack, you can find more info here.
Don’t forget to grab your May 2025 book release pick for your zodiac sign!
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.