💌 Your February TBR Starts Now!
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,
I survived another birthday! 🎉 No need to discuss the exact number (let’s just say I’m at the age where staying up past midnight hurts), but cake was eaten, books were bought, and I’m considering that a win.
In between the birthday chaos, I’ve been deep in Notion design-land, working on a new life organization template that’s basically a second brain, but ✨aesthetic✨ as well as functional. It’s got hobbies, books, to dos, content creation, and all the things to keep life feeling less like a hot mess. Still a work in progress, but it’s coming later this year! (Peep the sneak peek 👀).
And here’s where you come in—I’m looking for 10 beta testers to try it out mid-year and give feedback before the final version launches. If you love testing new tools and want early access, sign up here: 🔗 Become a Beta Tester
Now, onto the fun part—what YOU have been reading! I love seeing your recs come in, and some of you are out here speed-running books like it’s a competitive sport. Keep ‘em coming!
📚 Linda says: I just finished Abigail Owen’s The Shadows Rule All. Actually, I’ve now read it sorta’ twice—when I first started it, I couldn’t put it down, so I quick-read it first, staying up all night to do so. Then, the next night, I started it again, savoring every word. It’s soooo good! Start the Dominions series with The Liar’s Crown.
🔎 Rekha recommends: Reading and loving The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. It's a historical mystery based on a real-life 18th-century midwife who was just an all-around amazing human.
💘 Lora says: I’m currently reading What’s an Earl Gotta Do? by Courtney McCaskill and will be starting Happy Place by Emily Henry next!
These sound so good! Also, side note on that last one, Lora totally got me to discover Courtney McCaskill and I already finished the first book in that series, How to Train Your Viscount. Go check her out, it was fun!
Lots of great reading to add to your TBR there, isn’t it? And now if you’re ready let’s dive into all the goodies for you this week to add to your TBR for the month of February.
— 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.
📚 Your February TBR Starts Now!
We're getting a head start on all things Valentine’s! Whether you're stacking up romance reads, cozying up with a mystery, or diving into February’s new releases, we’ve got everything you need to plan your love-themed TBR for the month. Let’s get into this week’s wrap-up!
🗞️ On Under the Covers:
📖 15 Valentine’s Day Romance Books: From swoony sweet to spicy romances set during Valentine’s or themed around Valentine’s, perfect for the season of love. 🔗 Browse the list
🏹 10 Modern Eros & Psyche Retellings: Greek mythology meets romance—if you love the Hades & Persephone trope, you’ll want these. 🔗 See the picks
💘 10 Cupid Paranormal and Fantasy Romance Books: Cupid is working overtime in these romance reads—whether he’s matchmaking, meddling, or falling in love himself (or herself *wink wink)! 🔗 Find your next read
📢 Don’t Miss: February’s New Releases!
Our Most Anticipated February Releases: See them here
Kindle Unlimited February Picks: See what’s included
February Mysteries & Thrillers: Find your next suspense read
🔍 On Mysterylandia:
🔪 9 Valentine’s Day Cozy Mysteries: Love + murder = the perfect February combo. If you prefer your romance with a little crime on the side, this cozy mystery list is for you. 🔗 Read it here
🎧 Podcast Alert:
🎙 Bookish Tea: AI in Publishing, TikTok Ban & What to Watch
This week we are sharing a Bookish Tea episode spilling ALL the drama:
☕ An author caught leaving AI prompts in their book (yikes)
☕ The TikTok ban panic & where book lovers are moving. With some tips for book content creators.
☕ The startup planning to mass-publish books with AI
☕ Plus: What we’re watching, from The Traitors to Real Housewives
You can catch the next bookish tea LIVE episode this coming Monday February 3 at 12pm EST — Tune in here.
Catch the full conversation below! ⬇️
📺 On YouTube:
✨ Magical Realism Book Recommendations: Need an enchanting read? This list of magical realism books blends fantasy with deep, emotional themes.
💘 League of Lusty Ladies February Book Club Pick: We’ve officially picked our February romance book club read! Join us in the League of Lusty Ladies to read along.
📅 Reminder: January Book Club Discussion Rescheduled!: We’re chatting about January’s book club pick on February 8 at 2 PM EST—join us on YouTube for the live discussion! 🔗 Tune in here
🎥 Novel Nights Live Show
📍 Novel Nights Rebrand: Welcome to Novel Hour!
BIG NEWS: We’re shifting to daytime live shows! Novel Nights is now Novel Hour, happening Thursdays at 12 PM EST, plus every other Monday at 12 PM EST for Bookish Tea—aka all the book news and drama you need. The next Novel Hour recommendations episode will be February 6 at 12pm EST — Tune in here
📚 This Week’s Episode: Books Set in Alaska: If you love wintery, isolated settings, don’t miss this one. And if you need more romance set in Alaska, check out the list on the blog.
💌 Substack Exclusive
📚 What to Read in February 2025 + The Buzz Around ‘Dystomance’
February’s Reading Guide is here! We’re talking about the newest buzzword in romance—dystomance (yes, dystopian + romance) and curating your perfect February TBR with new releases, Kindle Unlimited picks, and swoony Valentine’s romances. Paid members get the full reading guide AND an Extra Bite podcast episode with all the details. And if you’re looking for more dystopian and post-apocalyptic romance recommendations, I’ve got you covered with this list.
🎤 We Went LIVE on Substack! We had a fun impromptu chat with Laura from
and Victoria from . We’re still figuring out what kinds of Substack lives we’ll do—drop your requests!📺 Watch the replay below.
📅 New Releases This Week: January 27 - February 2
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 (Jan 27 - Feb 2):
💫 On the Wings of La Noche by Vanessa L. Torres (YA Fantasy)
A haunting supernatural romance about love, grief, and moving on. Noche, a Lechuza, guides souls to the afterlife—but she can't let go of her girlfriend, Dante. When a new love interest enters her life, she’s torn between her past and future.
🌿 A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault (Historical Romance)
Think Bridgerton meets Jane Austen! When an Earl rescues an unconscious woman in the snow, she wakes up with no memory—just a mysterious past that could put them both in danger. A slow-burn Regency romance with intrigue and longing.
❄️ The Crash by Freida McFadden (Thriller)
A chilling survival thriller! Tegan, eight months pregnant and stranded in a blizzard, thinks she’s been saved by a kind couple. But the longer she stays, the more she realizes she’s in serious danger.
🎵 Ying Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen (Romantic Comedy)
A Chinese herbalist and a celebrity cellist enter a fake-dating scheme—but unexpected chemistry makes it anything but pretend. A fun, heartwarming rom-com filled with Chinese traditions and swoony moments!
📜 Order of Swans by Jude Deveraux (Fantasy Romance)
A folklore scholar discovers that fairy tales are real—and she has the power to rewrite them. With a lost prince to find and a kingdom at stake, this is a spellbinding blend of romance, adventure, and magic.
💡 Looking for More? Our book database has over 50 Valentine’s-themed books and 170 February releases to browse! This is a paid member feature.
A voice note recommendation from Francesca: Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (Feb 18)
This thriller is perfect for The Frosty Bistro prompt in the Romanceopoly Reading Challenge! A heavily pregnant cop chasing a serial killer in a snowy small town—tense, addictive, and utterly gripping. My anxiety was through the roof (in the best way). ~ Francesca
✨ Spotlight: Ultimate Notion Reading Tracker
Take your reading organization to the next level with the LifeVizion Bibliophile 2.0 Notion Template! This all-in-one digital reading journal helps you track your TBR, reading stats, favorite authors, series progress, and more—all in a sleek, customizable layout.
✨ Key Features:
✔️ Book inventory, TBR, and pre-order tracker
✔️ Genre, trope, and recommendation database
✔️ Reading stats dashboard & goal tracking
✔️ Book notes, reviews, and spending tracker
Stay organized and make the most of your reading life!
📩 What are you reading?
That’s it for this week! What are you adding to your February TBR? 💕 Hit reply and let me know!
Until next time, happy reading!
Catch us on Substack live! We will adding some Substack lives to our schedule soon (some may be surprise like this week!). Stay tuned for that. And download the Substack app so you get instant notifications when we go live.
xoxo
Francesca & Suzanne
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Happy Birthday!