❄️ Insider: Cozy Winter Escapes + New Home!
Your weekly guide to all things bookish—our latest blog posts, new releases, videos, podcasts, and more.
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.
Hey friends,
Welcome to the first Weekly Insider from our new Substack home! If you’re reading this, you’ve officially made the leap from our old newsletter provider with us – and I’m so glad you’re here. Expect a roundup of our latest posts, podcast episodes, and videos every week, plus personal updates and book recs.
We also have some exciting news to share with you all this week. We just launched a brand new book blog! Mysterylandia.com will be your go-to hub for cozy mysteries, thrillers, mysteries and true crime—more details on that below. Don’t worry, this is in addition to Under the Covers, not replacement.
But let’s get to the good stuff, this week, we’re all about Winter Escapes—cozy reads, wintry settings, and snowy mysteries to get lost in. Plus, Suzanne dropped her Best Books of 2024 picks further down the newsletter. You won’t want to miss them!
🔎 Introducing Mysterylandia!
We’re so excited to introduce our brand new blog: Mysterylandia.com! Your Weekly Insider will now also feature updates from Mysterylandia, where we cover all things murder and mystery—from cozy mysteries and historical whodunits to thrillers, true crime, and everything in between. Expect posts about books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts on this new blog. Have a request? Let us know!
❄️ This Week’s Theme: Winter Escapes – Cozy Wintry Reads
Winter’s the perfect excuse to curl up with a blanket, a hot drink, and a book that makes you feel all the warm vibes. Here’s what we’ve been sharing this week:
🗞️ On Under the Covers:
February 2025 Book Releases – Your go-to guide for next month’s must-reads. Gotta start planning early!
Romance Books Set in Colorado – Falling for the Rockies, anyone?
🔍 On Mysterylandia:
Cozy Mystery Genre Guide for Beginners – New to cozy mysteries? Start here to become a super sleuth in no time.
Snowbound Thrillers – Thrills and chills abound in these icy page-turners.
2025 Mystery Romance – Upcoming releases that perfectly blend mystery and romance.
Cleo Coyle on Writing Mysteries – From the Under the Covers Book Blog vault (2017), an exclusive interview with the author duo behind Coffeehouse Mysteries.
January 2025 Mystery Books – Start the year with these brand-new whodunits.
Cozy Mystery Books Set in Winter – Perfect picks for snowy nights and warm blankets.
Cozy Mystery Amateur Sleuth Heroines – Meet the leading ladies who make solving crimes look easy.
📺 On YouTube:
Hibernate with THESE Completed Book Series This Winter! – Watch now
6 Cozy Snowy Winter Books: Romance Books with Snow – Watch now
How I'm Tracking My Reading Digitally in 2025 Using My Notion Reading Tracker | Full Walkthru – Watch now
📦 Featured Product:
Check out my Notion Reading Tracker mentioned in the walkthrough video above!
Suzanne’s Best Books of 2024!
Suzanne shared her favorite reads in a surprise live this week! Check out the live video here and catch the highlights of her top picks.
Suzanne’s Best Books of 2024:
Fierce Heart by Tara Grayce – A fantasy romance with arranged marriage and sunshine/grumpy vibes. Amazon | Review
Midlife Bounty Hunter by Shannon Mayer – Urban fantasy with a fierce heroine in her 40s. Amazon
Tune in to the Extra Bite podcast series recommendation for this series
The Watchmaker’s Daughter by CJ Archer – Historical fantasy with magical elements and mystery. Amazon
Lady Beast’s Bridegroom by Jude Knight – A reverse Beauty and the Beast historical romance. Amazon | Review
All's Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath – A regency romance with a feminist governess and a grumpy hero. Amazon | Review
Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews – A novella in the Kate Daniels world featuring Roman. Amazon | Review
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue – A witty and heartfelt contemporary fiction about office life and unexpected connections. Amazon | Review
🎧 New Releases This Week
This week, we dropped a New Releases Podcast Episode. Click the Spotify player below to listen and discover top books releasing this week!
Featured New Releases (Jan 6 - Jan 12):
The Lodge by Kayla Olson – Cozy winter romance with snowy vibes.
The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard – Fantasy romance with slow burn magic.
Dark Hope by Christine Feehan – Broody paranormal romance with all the drama.
Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura – Jungle adventure with romance and danger.
Sky Ridge Hotshots Series by Paisley Hope – Firefighter romance packed with heat.
📩 Let’s Chat!
What’s your favorite cozy winter read? Hit reply—I’d love to feature your picks in a future edition! Thanks for being part of our bookish family—I’m so excited for all the books we’ll share this year.
📣 Spread the word: Sharing this post helps keep the community growing—plus, it earns you points toward free access to the paid membership to our Substack! So hit that share button and spread the book love.
xoxo
Francesca & Suzanne
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.