👀🧛♂️ Paranormal Romance, What to Read in March & Spring Reads
Vampires, werewolves, and the best books to add to your March TBR—plus a book club recap and what’s coming next!
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.
👀🧛♂️ Paranormal Romance, What to Read in March & Spring Reads
If you’ve ever looked at a book list and thought, wait… that’s not what I’d call that genre, you’re not alone. This week, Cosmopolitan dropped a list of their best romantasy books, and while it features the usual suspects (hi, Sarah J. Maas), the rest of the list is a genre-blending free-for-all. There are YA fantasy, adult fantasy (with barely any romance), paranormal romance, and even shifter romance labeled as omegaverse—which, if you’ve read omegaverse, you know that’s not how that works.
Genres and subgenres exist for a reason—they set expectations, help readers find what they want, and prevent your small-town romance from getting mistaken for a fae war epic. Every shifter romance is not omegaverse (most omegaverse doesn’t even involve shifters!). It’s a very specific subgenre with its own set of rules, and I’ve got a post coming up about this, plus an actual omegaverse recommendation on the podcast this Monday.
But I’d love to hear from you—does it bother you when genres get muddled like this, or do you just roll with it? Have you ever picked up a book expecting one thing and got something completely different? Hit reply and let me know!
Speaking of discussions, this week we had our live chat for the League of Lusty Ladies book club, where we talked all things In Scandal with the Duke by Stacy Reid and Petty Cupid by Sarah Blue. If you missed it, catch the replay below—but more importantly, join us for March! You can check out this month’s book pick, and make sure you vote for which genre you want to read in April:
Now, let’s get into this week’s bookish lineup.
📢 Bookish News & Cover Reveals
Check out these stunning new covers! Don’t forget to preorder your favorites:
Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair (Blood of Lilith #1) coming July 8, 2025 - Grab on Amazon
Something Wicked by Falon Ballard (Idle Reputations #1) coming October 21, 2025 - Grab on Amazon
What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon coming May 6, 2025 - Grab on Amazon
Ghost Business by Jen DeLuca coming September 9, 2025 - Grab on Amazon
What’s New This Week
March Spring Reading Guide: What to Read Now
Spring is *almost* here, which means it's time to refresh your TBR with books that match the season. Whether you’re in the mood for flowery romances, small-towns, second chances, you’ll find tropes and recommendations to fit every spring reading vibe. Plus, if you’re doing the Romanceopoly Reading Challenge I have books for every Blossom Falls (Spring Town) prompts.
Find the full guide here:
🔓 Paid Members: Beyond Romanceopoly, get exclusive Spring reading trope picks, March’s recommended new releases, and the best Kindle Unlimited gems for the month. Also a guide on how to revamp your reading routine for the season.
Paranormal Romance Spotlight: Vampires, Werewolves & Spicy Things
Feeling a little supernatural this month? Whether you want fated mates, dangerous alpha vamps, or just a little bite to your romance, these lists have you covered:
Paranormal Romance 101: A genre guide for newcomers and seasoned fans. Read here
Books Like Bride by Ali Hazelwood: The vibes and the shifter romances to pick up next. Read here
Spicy Paranormal Romance Books: Paranormal romance with extra heat. Read here
Best Paranormal Romance Books: Must-reads for every paranormal romance fan. Read here
Paranormal Romance on Kindle Unlimited: Binge-worthy KU reads for paranormal romance lovers. Read here
Mysterylandia: Werewolves Are Howling Back
If you watched the revamp of Wolf Man and now you’re craving more werewolves (books or movies) but don’t want the sexy kind, these are the lists for you:
Best Werewolf Movies: From classics to hidden gems. Read here
Werewolf Horror Books: Some wolves don’t come with a mate bond. Read here
🎥 Watch & Listen
YouTube
Spring Romance Book Recs – 3 Must-reads to match the season. Watch here
February League of Lusty Ladies Book Club Discussion – Jen from
joined me to chat about In Scandal with the Duke by Stacy Reid and Petty Cupid by Sarah Blue. Watch here
Novel Hour Live Show
Bookish Tea Episode – Our latest deep dive into bookish drama. Watch here
Spring Reading Special – Watch the replay
After Show Discussion - Watch here
Join us every Thursday at 12PM EST for our regular Novel Hour show on Youtube. Every other Monday at 12PM EST for the Bookish Tea edition on Youtube. And after every show, come over to Substack live for the after show. The after show is free for all Substack members.
Did you miss last week’s Insider? Check it out here:
📅 New Releases This Week: Mar 3 - March 9
A fresh stack of books just dropped! Whether you're craving romance, thrillers, or fantasy, here's what’s hitting shelves this week.
Featured New Releases (Mar 3 - Mar 9):
Shadow’s Heart by Kresley Cole (Immortals After Dark #21) – A vampire swordswoman and a ruthless sorcerer are thrown together in a hellplane prison, forced to fight for survival. Grab on Amazon
The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair (Only Magic in the Building #1) – A grumpy billionaire landlord and a free-spirited baker clash in a magical apartment building determined to play matchmaker. Grab on Amazon
A Pernicious Fabrication by Lynn Messina (Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries #13) – A Regency-era amateur sleuth gets tangled in another murder mystery, this time involving forged artifacts, crime lords, and a suspiciously timed death. Grab on Amazon
Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid – A dystopian enemies-to-lovers f/f romance featuring a deadly game, a ruthless assassin, and a girl who refuses to be a sacrifice. Grab on Amazon
Glory Daze by Danielle Arceneaux (Glory Broussard Mystery #2) – A Southern cozy mystery where a bookie-turned-sleuth must solve her ex-husband’s murder—while planning a Mardi Gras gala and dodging church gossip. Grab on Amazon
💡 Looking for More? Our book database got a massive March update and there are now almost 300 March book releases! We have to thank our wonderful team member Laura for putting in an incredible amount of work and getting this done for us this past week. The Book Vault is a paid member feature.
A recommendation from Francesca: Whirlwind by Kayla Grosse
Storm chaser romance for the win! I have read this trope before but I have to say this was done well. The storm chasing was exciting, the age gap was forbidden and the chemistry was off the charts. ~ Francesca
Coming Up Next Week
Thursday @ 12PM EST – Novel Hour Live Show
This week’s theme is books set in Ireland, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.More Paranormal Romance on Under the Covers
Vampires, witches and even gargoyles—there’s more paranormal romance content coming your way.Mysterylandia Takes on Horror
Deep diving into horror sub-genres, the king of horror and look-alikes.The Reading Under the Covers Podcast is Going Daily!
Starting next week, our new season of the podcast is going daily! Monday through Friday, expect quick book recommendations and discussions. Episodes will be available everywhere you listen to podcasts and on YouTube.On Substack: My February Reading Wrap-Up
All the books I read last month—what I loved and what I didn’t.
That’s a wrap for this week!
Don’t forget to join us next week for even more bookish chats!
What do you think about all the genre mix-ups we talked about earlier? Have you ever picked up a book expecting one thing and got something totally different? Hit reply and let’s chat—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for hanging out this week! Hope you find a book (or five) to obsess over, and I’ll see you in your inbox next time.
— Francesca 📚
PS: Have you finished any good books lately? Any Romanceopoly reads? We’d love to share your favorites with the community. Simply reply to this email and let us know what your recommendations are. Or if you want to share a quick voice note click here.
Catch us on Substack live! Download the Substack app so you get instant notifications when we go live.
📣 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.
Great piece! I'm currently on a mystery series (the Strike series) but I do love a good romance.