Welcome to the Novel Hour Live Replay! In this special episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, we’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with a lineup of joyful reads across romance, fantasy, YA, and mystery—all by AAPI authors.

Plus, we’re chatting about what we’re currently reading, what we’re watching (Real Housewives fans, we see you), and big updates to the Novel Hour format. Spoiler: it’s getting a glow-up with new releases, pop culture gossip, and more fun every Thursday on YouTube.

🎥 Watch the full replay on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/live/gomRxZCclLY?feature=share

📚 Books Mentioned in This Episode

Romance

– The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu

– The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu

– Love at First Set by Suzanne Park

– Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam

– How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

– The Stand-In by Lily Chu

– Drop Dead by Lily Chu (May 2025)

– Once Upon a Sunset by Tif Marcelo

– Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

Fantasy & YA

– Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

– The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

– Jade City by Fonda Lee

Mystery & Thriller

– The Verifiers by Jane Pek

– The Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown

– Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

– Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Currently Reading / Watching

– All the Signs by Jessie Rosen

– The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh (August 2025)

– Medusa (Netflix)

– Real Housewives of Atlanta & Miami

– Legend of Ochi (movie)

– In Which Margot Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti

✨ Loved the episode?

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• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

This week’s romance new releases are serving everything — from slow-burn romantasy and broody royal guards to a morbidly funny serial killer office fling and a Caribbean vacation that gets very hot.

In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, Francesca shares the standout romance books hitting shelves between April 28 and May 4, 2025 — perfect for mood readers who love variety.

🎧 Books featured in this episode:

(Links are affiliate)

🔪 Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

Debut mystery romance with dark humor and serial killer flirtation. Think morally gray meets office chaos.

🔥 Ms. V’s Hot Girl Summer by A.H. Cunningham

Caribbean Carnival, age gap, and single mom romance with all the fun, flirty summer energy.

🎓 Enigma by RuNyx

Dark academia, secret societies, forbidden love, and that signature RuNyx tension.

🗡 Broken Souls and Bones by L.J. Andrews

A slow-burn romantasy featuring magic, rebellion, and a deadly royal system.

💍 Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James

Scottish laird, forced marriage, and a bookish heroine who makes him work for her heart.

🎥 Want more on Hardly a Gentleman? Watch our full Eloisa James interview on YouTube for behind-the-scenes stories and genre insights.

✨ Want early access to the Book Release Database, exclusive bonus content, and monthly romance wrap-ups? Become a paid subscriber on Substack to unlock it all.

💬 Come fangirl with us: What are you reading this week? Which of these is going on your TBR?

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Welcome to Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast where we chat, fangirl, and maybe even swoon over our latest reads. I'm Francesca from Under the Covers Book Blog, and today I’m joined by historical romance legend Eloisa James to talk about her newest release, Hardly a Gentleman — and so much more.

This episode is for you if you love:

• Grumpy Scottish heroes who fish naked in streams 🐟
• Proper heroines on the run who just want to read in peace 📚
• Accidental marriage? Yep.
• He falls first? Oh, absolutely.

We’re diving into:

• How Hardly a Gentleman fits into the Accidental Brides series
• The hilarious (and kilty) setup for this romance
• Why pirates are hard to write these days 😅
• The evolution of romance over the decades: from bodice rippers to booktok
• Whether stepbacks might be making a comeback (Eloisa has thoughts — and art)
• Balancing academia and writing bestsellers
• And why romance is a radical, joyful act of resistance

We also talk about the misogyny still embedded in how romance is viewed and why that makes stories like these matter even more. Plus, Eloisa shares her current reads and what’s coming next (spoiler: haunted abbeys and secret rock star dads).

📚 Books Mentioned:

– Hardly a Gentleman (all about her current release)

– A Kiss at Midnight, When Beauty Tamed the Beast (tropes she loves in her backlist titles)

– Viscount in Love (how the heroine has a piece of her life experience)

– Wilde in Love, Too Wilde to Wed (cover inspiration)

Eloisa's recommendations:

– Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

– There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev (available on Kindle Unlimited)

– Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans

– I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

– Substack series on the Evolution of Romance

– Eloisa James’ commissioned stepback artwork (on her website)

– The Ripped Bodice bookstore (for special editions)

🖤 If you're a romance history nerd or just love a Scottish Laird with no pants, this episode is a must-listen.

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

If you love vampires that smolder, weather witches who flirt, and dragons hiding in the bayou, this episode is for you!

Today on Reading Under the Covers, we're heading to one of the most magical and mysterious paranormal hotspots: New Orleans. 🌙✨

I'm sharing five paranormal romances that each bring a different kind of NOLA magic—from second chance vampire love stories to zombie survival romances, dragon shifters in the bayou, and everything in between.

📚 Books Mentioned:

• Enticed by Blood by Laurie London
• Summer Heat by Jaci Burton
• Run by Gillian Zane (available on Kindle Unlimited)
• How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper
• Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon (available on Kindle Unlimited)

📝 Looking for even more New Orleans-set reads? Check out the blog:

• Voodoo and Marie Laveau Books
• Paranormal Romance Books Set in New Orleans
• Urban Fantasy Books Set in New Orleans
• Mystery Books Set in New Orleans
• Romantic Suspense Books Set in New Orleans
• Contemporary Romance Books Set in New Orleans
• Cozy Mysteries Set in New Orleans

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

It’s time to get cozy with some claws, tentacles, and tusks—because for this week’s Romanceopoly prompt, we’re exploring monster romance! In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, a romance novel podcast, I’m sharing five spicy, swoony, and emotionally-charged monster romance recs that are perfect for the Krampus Night prompt on the Amber Heights (Fall) section of your Romanceopoly board.

Whether you’re new to the monster romance genre or already obsessed, these picks bring a little bit of everything: fated mates, forbidden love, quirky sci-fi, and primal bonds. Here’s what we’re covering:

Books Mentioned:

1. Guarded by the Kraken by Cassie Alexander

Trope: Grumpy/sunshine, forced telepathic bond, bodyguard romance

Vibes: Tentacled hero, deep-sea danger, emotional healing

Get the book

2. Lessons with the Mothman by Kathryn Moon

Trope: Reverse grumpy/sunshine, academic research, monster/human pairing

Vibes: Playful, emotionally awkward hero, monster softboi energy

Get the book

3. Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon

Trope: Marriage of convenience, hidden identity, rut tension

Vibes: Fantasy adventure, magical artifacts, cinnamon roll minotaur husband

Get the book

4. Ensnared by Tiffany Roberts

Trope: Fated mates, survival, primal possession

Vibes: Jungle setting, spider alien, darker themes, intense bond

Get the book

5. I Think I’m in Love with an Alien by Ann Aguirre

Trope: Nerdy girl meets alien, convention romance, opposites attract

Vibes: Adorkable, sci-fi rom-com, quirky and fun with hidden depth

Get the book

• What Is Monster Romance? Beginner’s Guide
• Best Monster Romance Books to Read Right Now
• Romanceopoly Reading Challenge Info & Board

What’s your favorite monster romance? Have you read any of these or are they going on your TBR? 

Visit the Blog: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/

Stay Connected:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utcbookblog
• Suzanne's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesofsuzanne
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@utcbookblog
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/underthecoversbookblog
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underthecoversbookblog
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• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@utcbookblog
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/utcbookblog

Email: Send your inquiries and feedback to [email protected]

Get Involved:

Romanceopoly Reading Challenge: Join the challenge and spice up your reading routine with fun, themed prompts: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/reading-challenge

Join our Community: Connect with fellow romance lovers and participate in discussions: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/community

Sign up for our free newsletter to get the latest updates, book picks, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox: https://underthecovers.myflodesk.com/ay3wbjld1x

Dive under the covers with us, where all things romance come to play. Let's get lost in romance books together!

We’re diving into the romance books releasing this week—April 21 through April 27—including fake engagements, wolf shifters, summer healing, and small-town chaos. Plus, debut author Noel Stark joins us to talk about her new Hollywood rom-com Love, Camera, Action, her real experiences directing in the TV industry, and how that inspired the book’s steamy behind-the-scenes romance.

🧡 Books Featured This Week:

• A Wallflower’s Guide to Viscounts and Vice by Manda Collins
• https://rstyle.me/+KH2re7WlYvYsX5ahJqLpvg
• Fiona and the Fixer by Vanessa Vale
• https://rstyle.me/+DOGJt0_eOv_eWJq_dD85sg
• The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde
• https://rstyle.me/+F4OGtfjmja2OguRr-n62dQ
• Crescent Kingdom by Tessa Hale
• https://rstyle.me/+qsHfZqhpzwfN-RagNnp2dA

🎬 Author Spotlight:

Stick around for debut author Noel Stark, as she shares the inspiration behind Love, Camera, Action—a grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers workplace romance set in the world of TV production—and opens up about her own experiences navigating sexism in Hollywood.

📘 Grab the book: https://rstyle.me/+JKUt_B0OJhMn0vqnTxC-9Q

✨ Want more releases?

Paid Substack members get exclusive access to the Book Vault, a searchable monthly database of 150+ upcoming books across romance, fantasy, thrillers, cozy mysteries, and more.

https://www.underthecoverscommunity.com/p/book-vault

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Welcome to another Trope Talk episode of Reading Under the Covers, the romance podcast where we fangirl and maybe even swoon over our favorite reads. I'm Francesca from Under the Covers Book Blog, and today we’re diving deep into the fated mates romance trope—the kind of love story that’s soul-deep, magically bonded, and often completely out of the characters’ control.

In this episode, we’re talking:

• What exactly is the fated mates trope?
• Why readers love it (and when it gets problematic)
• Popular fated mates sub-tropes like rejected mates, multiple mates, enemies-to-lovers, and dark/obsessive bonds
• Book recommendations broken down by subgenre—fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and sci-fi romance

🖤 Some of the books I talk about:

• Rabid by Ivy Asher and Raven Kennedy: https://rstyle.me/+IdjSVnaDwZPcCbGfPhNSBA
• Power of Five by Alex Lidell: https://rstyle.me/+HMqwOlMixqE-bR7_TPIB2g
• Ruthless Demon King by Nikki St. Crowe: https://rstyle.me/+2OcUrvpT7e4BDUqr0ToTsg
• Nightshade by Keri Lake: https://rstyle.me/+I69oVW6VJfJ75NUgjTzZYw
• Court of Ravens and Ruin by Eliza Raine: https://rstyle.me/+3fwEf5kdfFqPrT8matnP9Q
• Radiance by Grace Draven: https://rstyle.me/+B6PJyYHNimBTbduHiOXqAw
• A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene: https://rstyle.me/+bcElxuaSYjMW3-BGX26TgQ
• The Last True Vampire by Kate Baxter: https://rstyle.me/+RMrYvgs163C1mbshlfo-7g
• The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter: https://rstyle.me/+DcPJozNwYNtWVJPsAPdKFg
• A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole: https://rstyle.me/+2lg-2ri6GccCAOxQat7gHQ
• Saving Askara by J.M. Link: https://rstyle.me/+kkmsv2fqjUdrAMBnxzXLgg
• Broken by the Horde King by Zoey Draven: https://rstyle.me/+ATGVvd82u3esWGUDvwzbGg
• I Married a Lizard Man by Regine Abel: https://rstyle.me/+d2XrhKjSOGvFA6UXHVNODA

💫 Want even more fated mates book recs?

Check the blog for my full breakdown of 9 popular sub-tropes and even more must-reads: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/fated-mates-sub-tropes/

More fated mates books:

Sci fi romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/fated-mates-sci-fi-romance/

Reverse harem: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/reverse-harem-fated-mates/

Fantasy romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/fated-mates-fantasy-romance/

Paranormal romance: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/fated-mates-paranormal-romance/

Kindle Unlimited: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/paranormal-fated-mates-on-kindle-unlimited/

Rejected Mates: https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/rejected-mates-books/

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

We’re kicking off the Love on Location series with one of the coziest settings in romance: the farm. Whether you love grumpy farmers, marriage of convenience, or a good old-fashioned small town meddling committee—this episode has something for every mood reader.

Perfect for the Blooming Acres Farm prompt in the Romanceopoly Reading Challenge, these five romance recs range from Vermont apple orchards to a rose valley in Provence, and feature all the slow burn, forced proximity, second chances, and emotionally constipated heroes we can’t get enough of.

📚 Books mentioned in this episode:

• In a Jam by Kate Canterbary (Kindle Unlimited): Grab this book on Amazon
• Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen (True North #1): Grab this book on Amazon
• No More Secrets by Lucy Score (Blue Moon #1, Kindle Unlimited): Grab this book on Amazon
• Preston’s Honor by Mia Sheridan (Kindle Unlimited): Grab this book on Amazon
• Once Upon a Rose by Laura Florand (La Vie en Roses #1): Grab this book on Amazon

🔗 For even more farmer romance recs, visit the blog post:

https://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/farmer-romance-books/

🔍 Want access to our Book Release Database and exclusive bonus content? Become a paid Substack member and unlock the Book Vault: https://www.underthecoverscommunity.com/p/book-vault

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

Ready to complete the Blooming Acres Farm prompt in Romanceopoly 2025? In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, I’m sharing 5 cowboy and farmer romance books that bring big rural romance energy — from soft grumpy farmers to tattooed cowboys and even a chaotic alien rancher.

These books are perfect for anyone looking to check off the farm square with something emotionally satisfying (or totally unhinged in the best way). I’m also including a retro 1980s cowboy romance that ties into my new Once Upon a Genre series on Substack — a decade-by-decade look at how romance has evolved.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED:

• Nuts by Alice Clayton
• Branded as Trouble by Lorelei James
• A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah Weatherspoon
• Married to an Alien Cowboy by Ursa Dax
• Tender is the Storm by Johanna Lindsey

🧭 Learn more about the Romanceopoly reading challenge

Want more farmer romances? Click here

Want a deep dive into the evolution of the romance genre? Start from the beginning! The 1970's birth of modern romance

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!

The alpha hero didn’t start in the 1980s… but that’s where he became a formula. In this episode of Reading Under the Covers, we’re going back to the era of power suits, jet-setting billionaires, emotionally constipated cowboys, and heroines who took no nonsense.

Let’s break down:

• What made the 1980s alpha hero so unforgettable
• How category romance (Harlequin, Silhouette, Loveswept) dominated the spinner racks
• The rise of power couple dynamics: boss/secretary, arranged marriages, and age-gap drama
• The legacy of editor Vivian Stephens and the launch of Loveswept
• The evolution of the alpha — from the ‘90s to today's cinnamon roll heroes

✨ This episode is part of my Substack series, Once Upon a Genre.

We’re walking through the history of romance decade by decade.

Catch up on The 1970s: The Birth of Modern Romance, and subscribe to get this Friday’s 1980s deep dive.

• Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
• The Boss’s Virgin by Charlotte Lamb
• Tempest in Eden by Sandra Brown
• Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown
• Calhoun by Diana Palmer
• Tender is the Storm by Johanna Lindsey

🎧 Don’t forget to follow the podcast, leave a rating if you’re enjoying the series, and let me know:

Do you still love the alpha hero? Or are you more into the soft, supportive cinnamon rolls of today?

Happy reading — and see you under the covers. 💖

✨ Loved the episode?

Follow Reading Under the Covers wherever you listen and leave a quick review. It helps more romance readers find us (and lets me know what you’re loving). 💕

💌 Talk to Me:

Got a rec, trope request, or hot take? → Drop me a voice message.

☕ Support the Show:

Enjoyed hanging out? Leave us a tip. Even a dollar keeps the mics on and the coffee flowing.

📚 Stay Connected:

• Blog: reviews, book lists, and seasonal reading inspo.
• YouTube: book chats, reading lifestyle and recs.
• Newsletter: join our insider for the latest updates.

💖 This episode may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the show!