Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

Another deep dive episode, and this one feels like it shouldn't have taken so long! We're reading Run Posy Run, talking about the way Cate C. Wells walks a fine line of mafia romance while keeping the book on the morality chain side of the line from dark romance. We talk about heroines against the wall, heroes who have to suffer, the way violence fits into these romances, and about sex and how it's deployed in these books to enormous effect. We love this one (as you all know), and we were so excited to go back to it and give it the deep read it deserved. You can find all of our deep dives at the Fated Mates Book Club. It's that time of year again--Sarah's next book, These Summer Storms (complete with sexy, silent, deeply competent hero) is out in July and she is going on tour! What's more, there is a real deal Fated Mates LIVE planned for July 8th in St. Louis, MO! Get tickets to any of these events (Jen will be at a bunch of them, and other pod friends will be popping up along the way) at sarahmaclean.net/tour! If you can't make the tour, you can preorder These Summer Storms signed with a special romance dust jacket from The Ripped Bodice. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The BookRun Posy Run by Cate C. WellsNotesA boat, ship whatever, ran into the Brooklyn Bridge, and here’s a video of a woman who is a mariner explaining what might have happened. The Chicago River is an engineering marvel. In 1887, they reversed the river and sent it out to the Mississippi rather than having it flow into Lake Michigan. They were moving rivers around in Rhode Island because of Mayor SOMEBODY and his desire to turn Providence into the Venice of the United States. Waterfire is a Providence thing, but it isn’t the same as the water fire[s] in Cleveland. The greatest of the Great Lakes is Lake Superior, to be honest, and it’s not afraid to tell everyone about it. Station Eleven is a great book set in and around the Great Lakes. No one ever talks about Lake Huron except for Jenny Holiday. Great Lakes, Great Times!The New Jersey mob loved The Sopranos. There is a short story now available about Dario & Posy’s daughter called Made Man.The psychopath vs. sociopath continuum.  You can listen to our previous episodes for more about the difference between morality chain and dark romance.  SponsorsPatricia Grayhall, author of A Place for Us, available in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Underlined: Where Books Are Life, a place for young readers to explore find their next book obsession along with quizzes, reading lists, book trailers and more. Visit getunderlined.com.Darci St. John, author of Racing Heart, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Avon Books, publishers of Alexis Daria's Along Came Amor, available in print, ebook or audio from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/6/3/0737-run-posy-run-by-cate-c-wells If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

Sarah is over the moon that we're talking about celebrities again, especially because we're keeping it tight this time around and limiting it to celebrity/normal person romance (mostly -- Jen is ungovernable)! Yes, Sarah is going to talk about Perfect, but also we're going to talk about celebrities who fall for stranger normies, for normies they knew before they were celebrities, for normies who work with them, and for normies who protect them. The episode is 1200 books long and honestly, we're not sorry. In case you wondered why Sarah is breaking her rule about talking about her own books, it's that time of year again! Her next book, These Summer Storms (complete with sexy, silent, deeply competent hero) is out in July and is going on tour, and there is a real deal Fated Mates LIVE planned for July 8th in St. Louis, MO! Get tickets to any of these events (Jen will be at a bunch of them, and other pod friends will be popping up along the way) at sarahmaclean.net/tour! If you can't make the tour, you can preorder These Summer Storms signed with a special romance dust jacket from The Ripped Bodice. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Cate C Wells's Run Posy Run, available right now in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited at Amazon, Apple Books, and Libro.fm.The Books Perfect by Judith McNaughtAll The Feels by Olivia DadeThe Hollywood Jinx by Sariah WilsonFan Service by Rosie DananNot a Bad Boy by Louisa EdwardsLOL by Lucy Lennox &amp; Molly MaddoxThe Mechanic by Reina TorresThe Stand-In by Lily ChuThe Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale32 Days in May by Betty CorrelloThe Bollywood Bride by Sonali DevGhosted by JM DarhowerSmall Town Swoon by Melanie HarlowJust Playing House by Farah HeronJust for the Holidays by Adriana HerreraWhen I Think of You by Myah ArielWhat I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsJust the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie JamesInto the Woods by Jenny HolidayNora Goes Off Script by Annabel MonaghanSet Piece by Lana SchwartzFunny You Should Ask by Elissa SussmanThe Mixtape by Brittainy CherryThe Bodyguard by Katherine CenterKeep Her Safe by QB TylerThe NotesPilsen is a great Chicago neighborhood that has historically been home to Mexican-Americans, including stunning murals throughout the neighborhood. But also, that Chicago dust bowl of 2025 was not so great!&nbsp;&nbsp;Summer book tour is upon us. Check out Sarah’s book tour, including dates for Fated Mates Live. In Chicago, Jen will be at The Last Chapter with Mia Sosa for her book When Javie Dumped Mari on June 30th and the Books in Bloom Event hosted by the Chicago North Romance Writers in July.Jen went out for Kennedy Ryan’s tour for her new book, Can’t Get Enough.We’ve had versions of the celebrity romance in previous seasons: the celebrity romance in season 4, way back in season 1 we did an episode on rock star romance, and sports romance with Jenny Nordbak in season 1, with Farrah Rochon in season 3, and Jessica Luther in season 6.&nbsp;And no, we haven't done a bodyguard episode, but check out Caroline's "I Can Be Your Bodyguard" collection! The primordial celebrity/normie romance for Jen is the movie Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. For Sarah, the primordial celebrity normie book was Perfect by Judith McNaught. As it turns out, Hugh Grant and Hugh Jackman are not the same person. The SponsorsAlice Murphy, author of A Showgirl's Rules for Falling in Love, available in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple or wherever you get your books. Blue Box Press, publishers of Lexi Blake's Built to Last, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple, <a...

One of the og romance tropes is on the table today -- we're talking about heroines who are on the shelf! It's not quite wallflowers, not quite ruined, not quite spinsters...it's a very particular flavor of unmarried woman, and one we basically only find in historicals (can you tell Sarah is writing?). We're talking about the subtle nuances of heroines on the shelf and honoring some of the classics...but Sarah's got a batch of books we've never talked about before! Also! It's that time of year again! Sarah has a new book out in July and is going on tour, and there is a real deal Fated Mates LIVE planned for July 8th in St. Louis, MO! Get tickets to any of these events (Jen will be at a bunch of them, and other pod friends will be popping up along the way) at sarahmaclean.net/tour!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Cate C Wells's Run Posy Run, available right now in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited at Amazon, Apple Books, and Libro.fm.BooksNine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLeanThe Proposition by Judith IvoryThe Viscount Who Loved Me and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia QuinnA Night to Surrender by Tessa DareAn Earl Like You by Caroline LindenAlong Came a Duke by Elizabeth BoyleOne for the Rogue by Manda CollinsHis Wicked Reputation by Madeline HunterLove is a Rogue by Lenora BellTaming His Viking Woman by Michelle StylesNotesCheck out the The Collections Department for fun groups of books, organized by real people.&nbsp;On the shelf, wallflowers, and spinsters.What does being a spinster look like now? - Louisa Darling suggested the French Guy who made a TikTok about “dating a girl who is used to being alone.”- A contemporary example (other than Bridget Jones) is Gracie from Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.&nbsp;Author Madeline Hunter died in April and was an important member of the romance community. A professor and historian, for many years, Madeline was chair of the RWA Academic Grant Committee, ensuring that researchers and academics had access to funds to research and write about romance. She wrote this piece about spinsters for USA Today in 2015. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and readers.SPONSORSAva Rani, author of The Charmer, available in print, ebook, and audio from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and Libro.fm. 1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Sparks and Surrender: An Enemies-To-Lovers Collection, available in print or ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited from Amazon. Susan Lee, author of The Romance Rivalry, available in print, ebook, or audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and Libro.fm.Stephanie Rose, author of A Whole New Ball Game, available in print or ebook, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, or Bookshop.org.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/5/12/s0735-on-the-shelf-with-spinsters-amp-wallflowers If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

We're gonna get people excited with this one (it's us. we're the ones who are getting excited). Back by popular demand, we're talking craft this week--digging deep into the third-act breakup, what it really means, why it's misunderstood, and why it really is essential to romance. Sarah suggests that every romance has one whether people like to admit it or not, Jen is, as always, ready to fight. Strap in! Also! It's that time of year again! Sarah has a new book out in July and is going on tour, and there is a real deal Fated Mates LIVE planned for July 8th in St. Louis, MO! Get tickets to any of these events (Jen will be at a bunch of them, and other pod friends will be popping up along the way) at sarahmaclean.net/tour!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The BooksDreaming of You by Lisa KleypasSomething Wilder and Beautiful Stranger by Christina LaurenHidden Truths by Neva AltajMarrying Winterborne by Lisa KleypasForbidden by Beverly JenkinsThe Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney MilanLead by Kylie ScottKiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsHow to End a Love Story by Yulin KangPainted Scars by Neva AltajMacRieve by Kresley ColeNotesWe love Sephora and Ulta, and Sarah has some faves from Dermatology Instagram, like dermangelo and drdrayzday.Sarah’s on tour for These Summer Storms in July, and Fated Mates Live will be in St. Louis!!&nbsp;Sarah recommends the audio of The Hero’s 2 Journeys by Michael HaugeIn our discussion, we identified several types of third act break-ups: Going Home Again, Self-Sacrifice, Who am I?, and You Fucked All the Way Up.&nbsp;An SD card, for you youths.SponsorsDani Francis, author of Silver Elite, available in print or ebook, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Cara Dion, author of Claim to Fame, available in print or ebook from Amazon.Rachel Griffiths, author of The Trouble with Anna, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Anna Todd, author of The Last Sunrise, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/5/5/0734-the-third-act-break-up-complimentary If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

Today we're headed back in the time machine to before the pandemic when everyone but us read this one m/m hockey book and lost their collective minds! Heated Rivalry is one of those books that romance lovers place high up on their keeper shelf, and we're talking about why, about how it really knocks sports romance out of the park (yes, we're aware that there is no knocking out of parks in hockey), and how it might be one of the books that launched a thousand hockey ships. We're talking about erotica vs. erotic romance vs. romance, about sexy secrets, about first names and about why it's always sexy when people say "I love you" in a foreign language. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The BooksHeated RivalryThe Long GameNotesVisit the Fated Mates Collections Department for great romance recommendations organized by micro tropes, characteristics, subgenres, or things like Virgin Heroes. Check out Jen’s collection Hoop! (There It Is) and listen to the 1993 hit song, Whoomp! (There It Is) by Tag Team.Barnes &amp; Noble and Amazon holding sales during Independent Bookstore day felt super icky. If you missed it this year, maybe you can find a great indie to visit next year. It’s always the last Saturday in April. Alan Ritchson is Jack Reacher, Alan Rickman is not.On the road to the NHL, the World Juniors is pretty important.&nbsp;Professional sports are notably homophobic, especially the NHL despite its history of hosting pride nights. Luke Prokop is the only openly gay professional hockey player, but he does not play in the NHL at this time.&nbsp; The professional sports league with the most openly queer players is the WNBA, which also has a past history of enforcing certain gender norms and gender presentation for its players.Leagues create rivalries between players and teams in order to promote their brand and ratings. A WNBA case study is Angel Reese &amp; Caitlin Clark.SponsorsMeasured &amp; Slow, purveyors of unique crafted products for people who love books and whimsy. Visit the shop at measuredandslow.studio.Jillian David, author of Paging Dr. Breakup, available in print or ebook, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.LaQuette, author of Royal Bride Demand, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/4/28/0733-heated-rivalry-by-rachel-reid If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

We're talking about the worst possible thing that can happen to a romance heroine today (it's always the heroines) -- ruination! Whether the hero did it, another man did it, or society simply decided that she's ruined, there's simply nothing to be done about it...except revenge, a triumphant return, or the crowning of a new reigning queen. We cover all three here, with almost entirely new to the pod books, and even get some contemporaries into the mix!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. Books Mentioned In This EpisodeChasing Cassandra by Lisa KleypasThe Duchess Hunt by Lorraine HeathA Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLeanWicked &amp; The Wallflower by Sarah MacLeanMarrying Winterborne by Lisa KleypasThe Magic of You by Joanna LindsayA Little Bit Wild by Victoria DahlThe Harlot Countess by Joanna ShupeAgain the Magic by Lisa KleypasTempt Me at Twilight by Lisa KleypasWild Rain by Beverly JenkinsThe Rake by Suzanne EnochCompromised by Kate NobleRide Steady by Kristen AshleyAfter Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M LopezNotesThe space domination of Katy Perry is depressing compared to the space demotion happening to real women scientists.&nbsp;&nbsp;In terms of plotting and the hero, Anne Stuart’s Breathless (2010) might be a good precursor to what we call dark romance today.Actually, you say ratafia like this.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Check out the 2025 Lift for Autism auction, sponsored by Kennedy Ryan.Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a sneak peek of the audiobook of Piper Rayne's The One I Didn't See Coming. Sponsors1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Pride and Passion: A LGBTQIA+ Love Collection, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Jess K Hardy, author of Wish You Were Here, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Mara Moody, author of The Reunion Recipe, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble or wherever you get your books.Piper Rayne, author of The One I Didn't See Coming, available in print, audiobook or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/4/21/0732-ruination If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

Yes, Sarah has a longtime fantasy of being on the lam, but let's be honest, she'd be caught reading a book in the nearest diner as soon as anyone got serious about looking for her. This week, we're talking about books in which characters are much more serious about being on the run! We break the category into people on the move and people in hiding, but also talk about secrets, about lies, and about how love really is about telling something all the truths you've got. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The Books The Master by Kresley ColeRun Posy Run by Cate WellsClaiming the Courtesan by Anna CampbellBurn Down the Night by M. O’KeefeDragon Bound by Thea HarrisonTycoon by Joanna ShupeSomething Wilder by Christina LaurenIf I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You by Mae MarvelHunter by Emmy ChandlerStranded by Jennifer D. BokalThe Harpy and the Dragon by Marie LiscombWyoming Double Jeopardy by Juno RushdanBourbon and Lies by Victoria WilderHunted Through Italy by Delaney DiamondDalliances &amp; Devotion by Felicia GrossmanKiss the Girl by Zoraida CordovaUnder Her Skin by Adriana AndersWhiteout by Adriana AndersKink Camp: Hunted by Adriana AndersThe NotesFill out the survey, check out our quests on Pagebound, and the Fated Mates Collections Department.Thanks @kimonlyreadsromance from Threads for coming up with the name “discoverabilitybuddies” -- and for submitting a Collection for Books with Secret Tattoos!We’ve done deep dives of The Master and Dragon Bound. Run Posy Run and Whiteout have both appeared on one of our year end “Best of” Lists.Mr. and Mrs Smith is a great movie and a great tv show.&nbsp;Just make some time to read The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell.The SponsorsMichelle McCraw, author of Conspiracies and Chemistry, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or wherever you get your books.SE McPherson, author of A King's Trust, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or wherever you get your books.Lumi Gummies, THC gummies available nationwide. Go to Lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off your order.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/4/13/0731-romance-on-the-run If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

We're crossing off a classic romance novel structure this week -- the list! Whether life changing to-do lists, bucket lists, or lists for kinky exploration, these romances take characters and readers on remarkable rides, reminding us all that sometimes it really does pay to be organized. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The Books Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLeanGet A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia HibbertThe Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie ScottWicked Nights with a Lover by Sophie JordanWhat Heals Us by Maggie GatesThe Ending I Want by Samantha TowleCamera Chemistry by Chelsea Curto30 Days and 30 Nights by Christine d’AboThe Seal’s Rebel Librarian by Anne CalhounHow to Fail at Flirting by Denise WilliamsRockaway Bride by Pippa GrantMr. Swoony by Piper RayneThree Little Mistakes by Nikki SloanAll Played Out by Cora CarmackShow NotesWe’re excited about these author and listener created lists at the Fated Mates Collections Department. And in case you want to see the one from Competitive Yam about Skinny dipping, here it is.Kelsey Plum’s cigar photos went viral and now she models for a cigar company. We love this for her.The Bucket List (2007) stars two terminally ill men, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. They are out checking items off their list before the “kick the bucket.”&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ve done deep dives of several of the books on this episode: Nine Rules, Chloe Brown, and Three Little Mistakes.The Sponsors1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Vows &amp; Veils: A Celebration of Love, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Elizabeth Bright, author of Wild, Wild Cowboy, available in print, or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Rachel Griffiths, author of The Trouble with Anna, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Andrea Jenelle, author of Spine of Steel, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/4/7/0730-romances-with-a-bucket-list If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

It's our quarterly discoverabilibuddy episode! Get your TBR piles structurally sound and exercise that preorder clicking finger, because here are nearly 50 books coming out in the next three months that we're excited to read! Eric said next time we have to split it into two if we're going to keep talking about what's coming for hours... In the meantime, we're ungovernable! Tell us about the books you're waiting for...and if you're a romance novelist and have a book coming this year, please head over and fill out our handy Google form to let us know!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The Books MARCHWitch of Wall Street by MJ EtkindA Wager at Midnight by Vanessa RileyLush by Tinia MontfordAPRIL&nbsp;Royal Bride Demand by LaQuetteWyoming Double Jeopardy by Juno RushdanAny Trope but You by Victoria LavineWhisk Me Away by Georgia BeersPlaying for Keeps by Lainey DavisThe Nanny is Off Limits by QB TylerMarriage Bargain with the Comte by Parker J. Cole&nbsp;A Lady’s Guide to London by Faye DelecourThe Duke and the Widow by Christina DianeNaked in Naknek by Lolu SinclairFly by Night by Kelly CainThe Matchmaker by Aisha SaeedAnywhere You Go by Bridget MorrisseyOnce Upon You &amp; Me by Timothy JanovskyGold Coast Dilemma by Nana MaloneThe Last Guy You Kiss by Carla de GuzmanMAYLeft of Forever by Tarah deWittTime Loops &amp; Meet Cutes by Jackie LauThe Singular Life of Aria Patel By Samira AhmedBad Publicity by Bianca GillamA Showgirl’s Rules for Falling in Love by Alice MurphyLove in Focus by Lyla LeeA Simple Twist of Fate by April AsherHis Dark Vendetta by Katelyn BrehmDigging Dr. Jones by Olivia JacksonAll Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth StephensThe Romance Rivalry by Susan LeeSlipstream by Madge MarilKatheryn by SM LaVioletteAlong Came Amor by Alexis DariaHunted through Italy by Delaney DiamondMarked by Moonlight by Sophie JordanJUNEWorth Fighting For by Jesse Q. SutantoEmpire of Seduction by Milla Finelli&nbsp;Never been Shipped by Alicia ThompsonWriting Mr. Right by Alina KhawajaParty of Three by C. Travis RicePlus Sized Player by Danielle AllenWhen Javi Dumped Mari by Mia SosaCruel Summer by Maisy YatesA Rare Find by Joanna LowellGloves Off by Stephanie ArcherSavannah Royals by Lindsey BarrettHe’s to Die For by Erin DunnSounds like Love By Ashely PostonWriting Mr. Wrong by Kelley ArmstrongBits and PiecesWe’ve collected our 76 (and counting!) deep dives at fatedmates.net/bookclub, making it a fine place to discover your next great romance read. And if you’re the type of person who’s always believed you deserve a medal for your reading prowess, you can visit our friends at Pagebound.co, where you can join our Fated Mates Book Club Challenge. Don’t forget to tell us what you think of us in via our annual survey. We’re dying to know what you think. The Arc browser is almost a religion for Eric, but you should feel comforted by the fact that a normie like Sarah likes, too. We love these great indie bookstores: Montgomery &amp; Taggert (in our new favorite small town, Chester CT) and Heartleaf Books in Providence, RI. Nearly all of these titles are available at Bookshop.org. We created a collection to make it easy for you. We shared the full...

This week, for some reason, we're talking about romance novels with horses in them! Do we know anything about horses? Of course not! Do we let that stop us? It never has before! We're talking about the ones where the horse dies, the ones where they do it on a horse, the ones where she's a horse whisperer, and the ones where she just really likes horses. Giddyup! If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Take the Fated Mates Season 7 listener survey at fatedmates.net/surveyThe BooksA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtA Very Private Love by Melinda CrossThis Fierce Splendor by Iris JohansenThe Secret by Julie GarwoodBlack Lyon by Jude DeverauxMontana Sky and Irish Thoroughbred by Nora RobertsThe Siren of Sussex by Mimi MatthewsThe Trouble with Anna by Rachel GriffithsCold-Hearted Rake by Lisa KleypasLegends Lake by JoAnn RossAll Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin CrewsThe Wildest Ride by Marcella Bell&nbsp;A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah WeatherspoonSanctuary Island by Lily EverettThe NotesWho Did it Better… on a Horse? In an elevator? In the library? At Thanksgiving? And on a pool table?&nbsp;“It’s a fun book, there’s no sex in it,” is something Sarah said about Pride and Prejudice, which is just funny. In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the MacFayden/Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice, they are releasing it again in theaters the weekend of April 20th.&nbsp;Horses get stressed out on&nbsp; movie sets, and that’s why there are so many regulations about how to care for them. There was an HBO show that got cancelled because so many horses died! Why horses have to be put down when they break a leg. Based on some research, it was clear that Jen’s friend Bridget said that Lou Diamond Phillips DID know how to ride a horse in Young Guns. But, here’s an interview of him talking about a horse accident on the set of Young Guns 2! LDP, still hot, by the way!&nbsp;We did an episode on A Kingdom of Dreams if you want to listen.&nbsp;In A Very Private Love, the horse is like Secretariat or some shit like that.The Budweiser Clydesdales are real horses, and I’m just gonna say, you come across some weird information about the world when you write show notes.&nbsp;Here's an article about them being at the bar near Sarah's house.Fetlock are this, not this.The entire first season of Unbound Pod with Adriana Herrera and Nikki Payne is about Western romance.The SponsorsAvery Maxwell, author of Cross My Heart, available in print, ebook or audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Crowns and Courtships: A Royal Romance Collection, with novellas by Claire Contreras, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lexi Blake and Skye Warren, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Piper Rayne, authors of Mr. Swoony, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. Stay tuned after the podcast for a sneak peek of the audiobook!The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/3/24/0728-horses If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

It's deep dive day here at Fated Mates and we're reading an absolute banger of a historical -- Julie Anne Long's fifth Pennyroyal Green book, What I Did for a Duke. We talk about great romance kisses, about age gaps and how they operate in books, about house parties and art and sacrifice and how sexy it is when someone actually sees you for who you are. If you haven't read this one yet, do yourself a favor and do it right now. It's so great.If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The BooksWhat I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long The Pennyroyal Green SeriesShow NotesThe main building you think of when you think of the New York Public Library with the lions is officially called the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. From what I can tell, it didn’t actually have anything to do with Andrew Carnegie, but he did donate $5 million to ensure that the New York Public Library had branch libraries in communities around the city. He also donated a lot of money to other things, that’s a fun thing billionaires used to do. Read more about doing the forbidden kind of “romance stuff” in the library. Jen talked to the New York Public Library's Best New Romance List Committee Co-Chairs Kate Fais and Grace Loiacon back in February.In 2022, we recorded our “Break in case of emergency” episode, and it was in fact two sisters, Cait and Kara who requested the episode. PS: We are in emergency. Feel free to break those out&nbsp; now.Julie Anne Long’s The Beast Takes a Bride was on our Best of 2024 episode. What I Did for a Duke is the 5th book in her Pennyroyal Green series.&nbsp;“It must have been a lie,” is what Jen’s grandma Betty used to say if you lost your train of thought and couldn’t remember what you were saying.&nbsp;This is a good speech from Crash Davis, the pitcher played by Kevin Costner in the 1988 movie Bull Durham (also, Nuke says “what’s all that molecule stuff?” which is pretty funny considering the title of this episode).The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston had a Titian exhibition back in 2022 called Women, Myth and Power, and it seems like a thing Genevive would have liked it a lot. Titian’s Venus of Urbino is currently on display at The Uffizi Galleries in Italy.&nbsp;If you’re in New York on March 31st, head over to the Astoria Bookshop to see Historical Romance authors TJ Alexander and Joanna Lowell in conversation, moderated by Sarah, in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility.SponsorsAvery Flynn, author of Airhead: A Hartigans Totally '80s Hot RomCom, available in ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Lumi Gummies,. Go to lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off your order.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/3/18/0727-what-i-did-for-a-duke-this-gentleman-is-completely-composed-of-revenge-molecules If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

This one's for those of you who've been asking us to talk more about craft on the podcast! We're talking romances with ticking clocks and clear time frames, about how this impacts conflict and makes books more breathless, and of course about the books that deploy this strategy perfectly. Inside, you'll find road trips and adventures, vacation romances and romantic suspense, house parties and that classic romance chestnut: "I have 30 days to get pregnant." It's going to be fun.But first, we're talking to Amanda Litman, founder of Run For Something, an organization filling the back bench of the Democratic party, helping people run for local office and make sure that we're holding the line at all levels of government. Tell us if you are running for school board, and we'll proudly donate to your campaign!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Next week, we're reading Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The BooksIt Had to Be You and Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsHot Touch by Deborah SmithWhiteout by Adriana AndersWaking up with the Duke by Lorraine HeathPerfect by Judith McNaughtFiasco by Constance FayOne Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLeanHer Night with the Duke by Diana QuincyAlong Came Amor by Alexis DariaCurvy Girl Summer by Danielle AllenSexy in Stilettos by Nana MaloneFan Service by Rosie DananAgain the Magic by Lisa KleypasOne Last Night by Lauren FordTycoon by Joanna ShupeInto the Woods by Jenny HolidayOne Stormy Night by Jules BennettSins of a Wicked Duke by Sophie JordanTo Catch a Raven by Beverly JenkinsPleasure of a Dark Prince and Lothaire by Kresley ColeSomething Wilder by Christina LaurenLuck of the Draw and The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate ClaybornDionysus in Wisconsin by E.H. LuptonThe NotesJoin TJ Alexander and Joanna Lowell in a conversation at Astoria Bookshop in Queens, NY on March 31st for a conversation about trans rep in romance, moderated by Sarah. Learn more about Run for Something and What You Can Run For in 2026 (don't forget to tell us you're running!), and preorder Amanda Litman's book, When We're in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership wherever you get your books.Four Minutes is a very shallow cut, actually.This is the good stuff: Casey Kasem’s Top 40 and Friday Night Videos, boom boxes, and cable TV. Also, The Sound of Music on has an actual running time of 2 hours and 52 minutes and an “on-TV- with-commercials" running time of 200 hours and 52 minutes. The best scene is the curtains one, the dancing one, or the tearing down the flag one.That leg lamp is a reference to the movie A Christmas Story.&nbsp;Conflict defined. Or, next time Sarah gives it in October 2025, attend her conflict workshop. Speaking of tension, how about that moment in Toy Story 3 when they are headed to the incinerator.&nbsp;We’ve talked about Ted Lasso season 1 and season 2. Sarah wasn’t the only one disappointed with season 3, Jen felt the ship going down and bailed right out of it.&nbsp;In the book Techniques of a Selling Writer, Dwight Swain described his scene and sequel theory.The Sponsors1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Office Sparks: A Workplace Romance Collection, with novellas by C.D. Reiss, K. Bromberg, Laurelin Paige, and Heather Graham, available in ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Lumi Labs, creators of Lumi Gummies. Go to lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off your order.Lucy Score, author of Story of My Life, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, <a...

Maybe you're rooting for the asteroid, but you gotta have a plan! To help, this week, we're keeping track of what romance is looking like off-planet--it's Romance! In! Space! (Part 2, but the first episode we did was six years ago, so we figured it's time.) Headphones in, loves, this one covers space scavengers, aliens, anatomy, crash landings, abductions, talking lions and people in Space Army (what happens in Space Army stays there, unless it's here). If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The Books Fiasco and Chaos by Constance FayFull Speed to a Crash Landing and How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis&nbsp;Space Deputy by Jenny SchwartzI Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly LemmingWinter’s Orbit by Everina MaxwellHeart Song by Heather GuerreRuling Sikthand&nbsp; by Victoria AvelineStranded by Heather Fox&nbsp;Raw Desires by Cynthia SaxCathian by Laurann DohnerSpace Army Recruits by Kinley GreyThe Murderbot Diaries by Martha WellsThe NotesBad news: the asteroid can’t save us, so we’ll just have to save ourselves.&nbsp;You can read Jen’s newsletter here, she’ll be writing about the grand gesture in Fiasco next.We did space romance back in season 1, Claire Kent’s Hold back in season 5. And speaking of Claire Kent, she’s been writing dystopian books lately that you might want to check out.&nbsp;Insane colonialist fantasies are running rampant in the USA right now, so we don’t really need them in our romance, now do we.&nbsp;You’re a virgin who can’t drive.All about the legendary imprint Ellora’s Cave.&nbsp;Our next read along is What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long.The SponsorsChandra Wicke, creator of The Happily Ever After Sociey: A Book About Romance Novels. Back the Kickstarter.Yvette de Oro, author of Mine to Match, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Enter to win the Mine to Match giveaway on Yvette’s Instagram by making a donation to your local foodbank — winners will win a copy of her book and a matching gift to the foodbank of their choice!Amy Spalding, author of On Her Terms, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Elle Kennedy, author of The Charlie Method, available in print, ebook or audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/3/1/0725-sci-fi-romance-theres-no-book-banning-in-space If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

It's been the longest month of our lives and as self-care, we're not thinking about billionaires this week (or at least for the duration of this episode). Instead, we're talking about those men who are rich in other ways, in throwing a punch, chasing a tornado, camping, playing an instrument, you get it. We've got a bunch of books we love and not a ten-figure bank account to be seen!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of the audiobook of Charlotte Stein's My Big Fat Fake Marriage.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.The BooksForbidden by Beverly JenkinsThirsty by Mia Hopkins&nbsp;Stealing the Rogue’s Heart by Erica MonroeA Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter by Alice ColdbreathIn the Morning Sun by Lena HartAn Unseen Attraction by KJ CharlesWhirlwind by Kayla GrossGone Too Deep by Katie RuggleTake Me Home Tonight by Erika KellyInto the Woods by Jenny HolidayDrilled by Brill HarperSinner (was Sinful Temptation) by London Hale&nbsp;Pardon my Frenchie by Farrah RochonSleeping With the Frenemy by Natalie CañaCommon Ground by Melanie GreeneDemon from the Dark by Kresley ColeMorning Glory Milking Farm by CM NascostaRock and Soul by Lauren SattersbyLosing Sight by Tati RichardsonUnloved by Payton CorinneThe NotesThere have always been rich people in romance, but we think it could be argued that Christian Grey and 50 Shades invented the billionaire romance genre.&nbsp;Jen started writing a newsletter, leaning back into the romance reader “and critic” part of the job.&nbsp; You can check it out here. It’s free and who knows how long it will last.&nbsp;Bobby Tom is the hero of Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.&nbsp;If Jen refers to something being “a basic” please know she is referring to a line from Strictly Ballroom.&nbsp;Maybe you want to learn about a rookery.&nbsp;&nbsp;Anti-miscegnation laws in the United States prevented people from marrying someone of a different race.Storm chasing seems honestly like a very dangerous activity. There is no evidence that I could find that a tornado can rip your clothes right off your body, but Kayla Grosse probably read this webpage for research. (lol)Dyscalculia is a learning disability rooted in math and number.The SponsorsPiper Rayne, authors of Mr. Heartbreaker, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. Megan Frampton, author of The Devil's Charm, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. 1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Riches and Romance: A Billionaire Romance Anthology from Dylan Allen, Kendall Ryan, Lexi Blake and Melissa Foster, available with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Charlotte Stein, author of My Big Fat Fake Marriage, read by Imogen Wilde, available from Audible, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble, Libro.fm, or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of the audiobook. Lucy Score, author of Story of My Life, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore...

Historicals are dead! Long live historicals! This week, we're talking about fourteen (and change) historical romances that we've never talked about before -- all published recently, some already this year. Every book we talk about is available right now for download and reading pleasure--and we have a stack of them ready to talk about in future episodes! We're so excited to be your discoverabilibuddies on this one! If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepsteakes to win one of five free copies of the audiobook of Stephanie Burgis's Wooing the Witch Queen.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.The Books Lyon’s Lover Maggie SimsThe Sapphire Heiress by Ella LeonA Shore Thing by Joanna LowellThe Duke’s Bartered Mistress by Caroline LeeThe Villain by Victoria ValeExit, Pursued by a Baron by Aydra RichardsSeduced in a Storm By Royaline SingA Bloomy Head by J. Winifred ButterworthNever Woo the Wrong Lady by Charlie LaneDionysus in Wisconsin by EH LuptonAll About That Duke by Merry FarmerThe Wayward Duke by Katrina KendrickWhere Have All the Scoundrels Gone by Louisa DarlingWinnie West has an Agenda by Kat SterlingThe NotesCheck out Bookshop’s Black Romance List and you might want to use their new digital books app to read The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt or any other eBook on a Boox Palma 2.&nbsp;Budleigh Salterton seems nice next time you’re going to England.A bike with a big front wheel is called a penny-farthing.Bicycle jousting sounds like that whole scene in Footloose.&nbsp;Endymion is a myth, a poem, and also a burly, grouchy Scot.Exit, Pursued by a Bear is a stage direction from a Winter’s Tale.&nbsp;SponsorsRien Gray, author of Double Exposure, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Stephanie Rose, author of Just One Favor, available in print, ebook, audio, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Stephanie Burgis, author of Wooing the Witch Queen, read by Amanda Leigh Cobb, available form Audible, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble, Libro.fm, or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepsteakes to win one of five free copies of the audiobook. Lumi Labs, creators of Lumi Gummies. Go to lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/2/13/0723-the-new-historicals If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now. 00:00.000 Heavy is the DiscoverabilityBuddy Crown11:09.500 Upstairs Downstairs Reading14:37.500 The New Historicals18:56.000 AD: DOUBLE EXPOSURE21:03.000 Lyon's Lover27:38.000 The Sapphire Heiress33:15.000 AD: WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN35:50.000 A Shore Thing43:48.500 The Duke's Bartered Mistress49:36.500 AD: JUST ONE FAVOR51:31.500 The Villain59:14.000 Exit, Pursued by a Baron01:04:12.000 AD: LUMI GUMMIES01:06:30.500 Seduced in a Storm01:11:56.000 A Bloomy Head01:19:19.000 Never Woo the Wrong Lady01:27:07.500 Dionysus in Wisconsin01:32:52.000 All About that Duke01:40:48.000 The Wayward Duke01:45:59.500 Where Have all the Scoundrels Gone01:52:13.000 Winnie West Has an Agenda02:03:22.000 AD: WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN

There's a new Adriana Herrera book out this month, so that means we get to have one of our very favorites back on the pod to talk about not only her banger of a book, A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, but also about historical in general! This week, we talk about historicals, in general, about why everyone seems to think they're dying (spoiler: they're not!), and do some myth busting on perceptions of the historical romance. We're extremely grateful to friend of the pod Alexandria Bellefleur for offering up her collected data on historical romance and readers -- check out her books (listed below), as well, and come back next week for more historical recs!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free audiobook copies of Chloe C. Peñaranda's The Night is Defying. The Books A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana HerreraPerks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley&nbsp;Proper English by KJ CharlesMy Lady’s Lover by Nicola Davidson&nbsp;The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine HeathThe Gilded Heiress by Joanna ShupeThe Duke Gets Desperate by Diana QuincyLove, Death, and Lanterns by Jeanne LinA Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley&nbsp;The Duke Gets Even by Joanna ShupeThe Magpie Lord by KJ CharlesWicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLeanThe Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry ThomasThe Prince of Broadway by Joanna ShupeThe Bride by Julie GarwoodLet Us Dream by Alyssa ColeAn Extraordinary Union by Alyssa ColeNight Hawk by Beverly JenkinsForbidden by Beverly JenkinsTo Catch a Raven by Beverly JenkinsThe Earl Takes All by Lorraine HeathAny Old Diamonds by KJ CharlesThe Raven Prince by Elizabeth HoytThe NotesWelcome Adriana Herrera, author of A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, the third in the Las Leonas series set during the Exposition Universelle in 1889 Paris.&nbsp;In this book, Aurora is running a women’s health clinic and the text is a fierce call for reproductive justice, and we’re back there. If you’re interested in checking out some of the books she used to do her research, try Sex, Herbs, and Birth Control: Women and Fertility Regulation Through the Ages by Ann Hibner Koblitz and The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service by Laura Kaplan. The Comstock Act of 1873 was a problem then, and sooner or later, they’ll be a problem again.Thanks to Alexandria Bellefleur for sharing the results of her poll about historical romance. You can check out her latest contemporary romance, Truly, Madly, Deeply.The SponsorsJenn Bouchard, author of Considering Us, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.1001 Dark Nights, publishers of From Friends to Forever: A Love Grows Collection , available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Chloe C. Peñaranda, author of The Night is Defying audiobook, read by Corvin King and Jacci Prior, available from Audible, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble, Libro.fm or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of this audiobook.Sophie Lark, author of Kingmakers: Year One, available in print or ebook from Amazon, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Annabelle Slator, author of The Launch Date, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.00:00 Welcome Adrianna Herrera01:34 A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke07:41 The Political Realities11:24 What Historical Can Do14:54 AD: FROM FRIENDS TO FOREVER16:41 Romance and Feminism29:26 AD: CONSIDERING US31:17 More of What Historicals Can Do43:29 AD: KINGMAKERS: YEAR ONE45:39 The Future (and Present) of Historical Romance57:38 Myth: There Aren't Sapphic Historicals 59:54 ADL THE NIGHT IS DEFYING1:07:07 Myth: The Writing isn't for Me1:09:56 Myth: I Can't Relate1:15:10 AD: THE LAUNCH DATE1:16:56 Myth: History is a Problem1:25:52 Foolproof...

Jen had a great time chatting with the New York Public Library's Best New Romance List Committee&nbsp;Co-Chairs Kate Fais and Grace Loiacono this week. They talk about the list and how they built it, about the power of libraries, and, as always, about joy. See the full listVisit the New York Public Library

We're mixing it up today with a fabulous special guest! The brilliant V.E. Schwab joins us for a far-reaching chat about writing romance outside of romance novels™️, about the difference between obsession and love, about the way we can't help but ship characters who will never get together, and about writing in general...and how we tackle character, conflict, and power in storytelling. We had a great time, and you will, too. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free audiobook copies of Emma Lord's The Rival. The BooksBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. SchwabThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. SchwabVicious and Vengeful by V.E. SchwabA Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. SchwabThe Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. SchwabThis is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max GladstoneThe Ministry of Time by Kaliane BradleyBabel by RF KuangThe Midnight Line by Lee ChildSix of Crows by Leigh BardugoWhen Among Crows by Veronica Roth&nbsp;A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla VaneChaos by Constance FayMurderbot Diaries by Martha WellsThe NotesWelcome V.E. Schwab to the podcast! You can check out her podcast about writing called No Write Way, and you can click her to sign up for her newsletter.&nbsp;Sarah has a new birdfeeder for her office.&nbsp;You, too, can watch Lee Child playing chess.&nbsp;Philip Larkin wrote a great poem about parents, This Be the Verse.The SponsorsMax Monroe, author of Playing Games, available in print or ebook from Amazon.Adriana Herrera, author of A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Macmilllan Audio, publishers of The Rival by Emma Lord, read by Jesse Vilinsky, available from Audible, Kobo, Apple, Barnes &amp; Noble, Libro.fm or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of this audiobook.Allison A. Andrews, author of The Winning Ticket, available in print or ebook from Amazon, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.00:00 Bantr07:54 Welcome VE Schwab15:15 AD: THE WINNING TICKET21:37 Writing Relationship32:29 The Marketing Problem34:24 AD: THE RIVAL44:47 Characters and Genres Evolve49:10 AD: PLAYING GAMES57:35 Judgement &amp; Labels1:03:56 AD: A TROPICAL REBEL GETS THE DUKE1:12:32 The Minions Complex1:20:02 Recommendations 1:31:25 Outro1:33:44 AD: THE RIVAL

It's February 4th, the most important romance holiday in February: Derek Craven Day! We're celebrating this year with a little reminiscing of the past years' episodes, and a close reading of the first chapter of that classic, Lisa Kleypas's Dreaming of You. Read Dreaming of You at: Bookshop, Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you get your books. Learn more about the holiday, and the man who inspired it, and listen to past Derek Craven Day episodes on the Fated Mates website. If you want more discussion of Derek Craven in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.

We'll be honest, we don't know what the heck is going on, either. If we could find someone or something to make all this chaos make sense, we'd be very very happy. And so, we're reading books this week about people and things that make sense of chaos--that realign the universe. It's tarot, astrology and psychics this week!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free audiobook copies of Jenny Elder Moke's She Doesn't Have a Clue.The BooksTemperance by Cassia Leo&nbsp;Queen of Wands by Suzanne HallidayFive of Cups by TriciaWolf&nbsp;Outsider by Cora BrentThe Lovers by Rebekah FaubianIn on the Action by Elle DiazThe Arcana Chronicles by Kresley ColeLord Lightning by Jenny BrownLunar Love Laura Kung JessenSeducing The Colonel’s Daughter by Amy AndrewsWritten in the Stars by Alexandria BellefleurThe Kismat Connection by Ananya DevarajanBaron by Joanna ShupeThe Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie by Jennifer AshleyProof by Seduction by Courtney MilanSensing Danger by Wendy VellaCarolina Moon by Nora RobertsThe Third Circle By Amanda QuickThe NotesEric listens to the ATP (Accidental Tech Podcast) and this week, they gave a little pep talk. It helped us to remember we aren’t alone. It’s not going to be easy and lots of people are going to be hurt. But we are a community and we love you.&nbsp;BTW, that's Marco Arment doing most of the talking at the beginning of the ATP episode. He's the creator of our favorite podcast app, Overcast. We did a witchy episode this past summer.&nbsp;Maybe you want to learn about tarot. The Cards of Love series has a very nice website that is still functioning. The SponsorsJillian David, author of Dr. Alaska, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Macmilllan Audio, publishers of She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke, read by Sarah Mollo-Christensen, available from Audible, Kobo, Apple, Barnes &amp; Noble, Libro.fm or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of this audiobook.Avery Maxwell, author of The Renegade Billionaire, available in print or ebook from Amazon.

We're getting into the romance time machine and setting the course for 2001, when Harlequin decided that those Temptations could get scorching hot and become a Blaze. We scoured ebay for boxes and boxes of old Blazes, dug deep into the back catalogues of our Kindles, and are celebrating the OG one-handed read, the Harlequin Blaze. We had a great time, but we knew what to expect -- if you need content warnings, make sure you check them. And let us know if you want us to explore some other category lines!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook and audio at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.The Books Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany ReiszGetting Physical by Jade Lee&nbsp;Just Watch Me Julie LetoToo Wicked to Keep by Julie LetoAnything Goes by Debbi RawlinsThe Fantasy Factor by Kimberly RayeWhisper by Nancy WarrenShameless by Toni CarringtonWhat a Girl Wants by Jamie SobratoSilent Desires by Julie KennerCertified Male by Kristin HardyHot Island Nights by Sarah MayberryThe NotesSarah is teaching her beginner Start Your Romance Today class virtually on February 23rd at 1pm eastern.What is a category romance? Maybe listen to our episode from season 5.The Blaze line, from 2001-2017, was a spin off from the Harlequin Temptation line. The Kimani romance line ran from 2006 to 2019.We had an episode about Tiffany Reisz’s Men at Work trilogy, a 2016 Blaze series, back in season 4.Join Sarah with Rebecca Romney at The Strand’s rare book room on Feb 18, 2025 to celebrate the release of Rebecca’s book, Jane Austen’s Bookshelf. Jen is SCREAMING because the sequel to Certified Male? You guessed it.&nbsp;If you read Hot Island Nights first, go back and check out Her Best Worst Mistake. The SponsorsJ. Winifred Butterworth, author of A Bloomy Head, available in ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Jill Shalvis, author of Better than Friends, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Macmilllan Audio, publishers of Let's Call A Truce, by Amy Buchanan, and read by Charlotte North, available from Audible, Kobo, Apple, Barnes &amp; Noble, Libro.fm or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of this audiobook.Maureen Lee Lenker, author of His Girl Hollywood, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.00:01 Sarah's Romance Class01:31 Bantr06:25 Pour One Out for Harlequin Blaze15:12 AD: LET’S CALL A TRUCE17:51 The Segregation of Harlequin Lines27:11 Sex in Harlequin Blaze33:19 Plot, Character, and Tropes36:45 AD: HIS GIRL HOLLYWOOD38:52 Just Watch Me42:26 Too Wicked to Keep47:58 Up to No Good50:35 Anything Goes &amp; the Fantasy Factor53:17 Gender Essentialism &amp; Consent55:55 Whisper1:00:23 AD: A BLOOMY HEAD1:03:06 Shameless1:07:20 What a Girl Wants1:12:16 Play With Me1:17:24 AD: BETTER THAN FRIENDS1:19:22 Guess the Title!1:27:36 Hot Island Nights1:37:33 Outro1:39:02 AD: LET’S CALL A TRUCE

We're toppling TBR piles and preorder lists today with our quarterly "Books we're excited to read" list! We're name-checking more than 50 romance novels we're looking forward to, and looking forward to hearing about the ones you're waiting for, too! If you're a romance novelist and have a book coming this year, please head over and fill out this Google form to let us know!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The NotesLos Angeles, we are thinking of you. After our very silly firefighter episode, we chatted with magnificent firebird and wildland firefighter, Emma, who gave us the lay of the land as a woman firefighter. You can listen to that conversation on YouTube. Emma recommends the following resources: the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters account on Instagram, and you can make donations to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. If you are looking for factual, reliable information, check out the website of the National Interagency Fire Center, inciweb is the national situation report with information from wildland firefighters. If you are looking to make donations to aid those impacted by the fires, we recommend World Central Kitchen, Baby2Baby, the Pasadena Humane Society, and Octavia’s Bookshelf which has details mutual aid collection efforts on their Instagram. The Ripped Bodice has free wifi and period products .If you have a 2025 release you have written or you are a reader looking forward to something this year, please use our handy form to submit books for upcoming episodes in spring, summer, and fall.For more Romantasy recs, follow Jen’s friend Gabriella Guava on Instagram.The BooksJanuary Empire of Temptation by Mila Finelli&nbsp;Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah AdamsFlirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar&nbsp;Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan&nbsp;Book People by Jackie AshendenHis Girl Hollywood by Maureen Lee LenkerThe Relationship Mechanic by Karmen LeeShifting Gears by Jazz ForresterShe Doesn’t Have a Clue Jenny Elder MokeBetter than Friends by Jill ShalvisThe Naked Truth by Sandy Lowe&nbsp;Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung JessenBest Mistake Ever by Christy McKellanFighting for Berlin by Katie ReusImmortal by Sue Lynn TanMalcolm by Margot Bond CollinsUnromance by Erin ConnorMy Inconvenient Duke by Loretta Chase3000 Reasons to Stay by Jaime P. BradleyStrike and Burn by Taylor HuttonInto the Woods by Jenny HolidayThe Duke’s Guide to Fake Courtship by Jade LeeThe Broposal by Sonora ReyesFebruaryA Tropical Rebel gets the Duke by Adriana HerreraDeep End by Ali HazelwoodNever Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay LoviseThe Mafia King’s Sister by P RayneFrenemies with Benefits by Synithia WilliamsUnloved by Peyton CorinneFirst Time Caller by BK BorrisonOn Screen and Off Again by Caitlin CrossI Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Romcom by Kimberly LemmingWooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie BurgisNo Saint by Donna AlamThe Devils Charm by Megan FramptonThe Love Lyric by Kristina ForestBreak Point by Yahrah St. JohnLosing Sight by Tati RichardsonRebel Witch by Kristen CiccarelliMarchThe Trouble with Anna by Rachel GriffithsTake a Chance on Me by Elizabeth EulbertA Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ AlexanderThe Shots You Take by Rachel ReidOne in a Million Beverly KendallAnd They Had a Great Fall by Shelby SavilleUnlikely Story by Ali Rosen&nbsp;Fan Service by Rosie DananThe Big Fix by Holly JamesJane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley<a...

Happy New Year, Magnificent Firebirds! We don’t know what 2025 is going to bring, so we’re starting with a bang—the long awaited deep-dive of Judith Ivory's The Proposition, featuring that rakish rat catcher, that ferret-loving firebrand, the man himself, Mr. Mick Tremore! We’re talking sexual tension so overwhelming it makes a girl cry, horse-faced ladies who bring men to their knees, kissing on omnibuses and legs! All that, and Sarah and Jen disagree heartily on the issue of mustaches, but agree heartily that lionhearted virility is the energy we want this year.&nbsp;Get the book at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The NotesWe did some holiday movie watching, as one does: Moonstruck, Sleepless in Seattle, and some scenes in particular were great to watch with our kids, the bus scene in Almost Famous and the underwear scene in Bridget Jones’s Diary.Lil Romance and Jen also watched When Harry Met Sally. There’s a new book called Nora Ephron at the Movies you might like, and this TikTok is great. Sometimes I just find cool stuff when I’m working on show notes, like this 2014 article from The Cut about the visual storytelling in When Harry Met Sally.&nbsp;A rolodex, including Marie’s portable version.&nbsp;Sarah was wrong about Nightime radio host Delilah, but you know. We aren’t apologizing for anything in 2025.&nbsp;Judith Ivory published 6 historicals, and then another 4 as Judy Cuevas.&nbsp;The Proposition is a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady retelling with a side of Trading Places.Do we think the dormouse is Ravishing the Heiress was inspired by Mick?Legs is a ZZ Top songThe SponsorsMila Finelli, author of Empire of Temptation, available in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.A.E. Merriweather, author of Marin in the Moonlight, available in print, ebook or audiobook, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Max Monroe, author of What I Should've Said, available in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, from your local indie, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

It's New Year's Eve, and we're ringing it in with our standard silliness, this year with brilliantly funny duo Adriana Herrera and Nikki Payne, playing the current internet sensation game, Hear Me Out, where we share the people, illustrations, and vibes that can get it in our respective corners of the world. While there is no specific call for headphones in on this episode, you may choose to wear them to save yourself having to explain what exactly you're listening to!If you are looking for something a bit more headphones in, you should try one of our past episodes! Breeding Kink with Mila Finelli (2023)Omegaversity with Adriana Herrera and Ali Hazelwood (2022)Jessa Kane extravaganza with Andie Christopher, Alexis Daria, Adriana Herrera, LaQuette, Tracey Livesay, Nisha Sharma, and Joanna Shupe (2020)Pegging in Romance with Sierra Simone (2019)In 2021 we released the Season 2 Ted Lasso Roy Kent lovefest on New Year's Eve, but we were still pandemic-ing, so please don't blame us for the detour in brand that year.The NotesNikki Payne and Adriana Herrera are friends of Fated Mates, but they are also the hosts of their own romance podcast, Unbound Pod. The first season was all about the Western and was six episodes. You can listen on all the podcasting apps. Preorder Adriana’s upcoming release, A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke or go see her on tour.&nbsp;She will be at The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, NY with Sarah and Joanna Shupe on February 11th! This TikTok thing, who knows what will happen!&nbsp;Hear Me Out is a fun meme, but in our case, no cakes were involved.&nbsp;That’s not my praxis is a funny thing to say in a text thread.&nbsp;Sorry Bambi’s Dad, from Abe Froman,&nbsp; the sausage king of Chicago.&nbsp;Listen, everyone was hot in Romeo + Juliet, so they aren’t in the photo array below. But the real ones know. Same with the NBA: Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington, no need to convince people about it!&nbsp;LL Cool J and Eminem delivering Murdergrams. The SponsorsMeghan Quinn, author of The Path to Loving Him, available in print, ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited, on January 7th.Avon Books, publisher of Jillian Meadows's Give Me Butterflies, available in print, ebook or audiobook, at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or from your local indie.Kayla Grosse, author of Axes &amp; Os, available in print, ebook or audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Kate Cole, author of Under Construction, available in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, or from your local indie.

It's the holiday season, which means holiday romance! This year, we're talking about Princes of Christmas falling for heirs to Halloween, Hanukkah treats, retellings ofThe Holiday, sexy cabins in the woods, second chances, Harlequin Presents, and yes, an online site called OnlySantas. It's truly something for everyone!We are taking next week off, but we’ll be back with some special guests for our annual New Years Eve episode, which promises to be a banger. In the meantime, we hope you get everything you want from whomever you believe in. After New Years, our first read along of 2025 is Judith Ivory's The Proposition, a terrific Pygmalion retelling and one of Sarah's favorites. Find it at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon. If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The BooksThe Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sarah RaaschPregnant Enemy, Christmas Bride by Maisey YatesKingpin’s Nanny by Evie RoseFrom Meltdown to Mistletoe by Jessica TerryMerry Little Mishap by Vivian MaeSnowed In by Catherine WalshYou’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy JanovskyI’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. BooneThe Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKayGrounded for Christmas by Savannah J. FriersonReturn to Love by Tara PammiDeadlines, Donuts, and Dreidels by Jennifer WilckFortune’s Holiday Surprise by Jennifer WilckThe NotesIt’s the most wonderful time of the year. We’ve had lots of previous episodes around the winter holidays, as well.&nbsp;Rare book dealer Rebecca Romney was on the podcast back in season 4, talking about how to collect books. You an read the catalogue for her collection, The Romance Novel in English, which was sold to the Lilly Library at Indiana University. You can see an exhibit of this collection, called Love in the Library, in Bloomington, Indiana through early February of 2025.&nbsp;The real line from Pulp Fiction is “check out the big brain on Brad.” Balls obviously had nothing to do with it.&nbsp;Here’s a pretty solid overview of all the different ways to get audiobooks into your earholes without breaking your wallet.&nbsp;Two very funny posts on Threads about category romance, one from Kate Clayborn and Amanda Cinelli’s reply.&nbsp;Sweetest Day isn’t even a real holiday, unless you’re from Cleveland, that is.&nbsp;The Holiday (2006) is a great movie and everyone is rewriting this plot this year for some reason.&nbsp;&nbsp;Support your local indie by using Bookshop.Org to buy this week’s books in print. The SponsorsLumi Gummies, THC gummies available nationwide. Go to Lumigummies.com and use code FATED50 for free gummies with a limited time $50 off coupon, or use code FATEDMATES for 30% off.Sophie Lark, author of Brutal Prince, available in ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Avon Books, publisher of Ally Carter's The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, available in print, ebook or audiobook, at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or from your local indie.Lark Maitland, author of Ash and the Butterfly, available in print and ebook at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, or from your local indie.

We're so excited to be talking about some of the bright new voices in romance this week -- every book we talk about in this episode is a debut romance from 2024. We're introducing you to eighteen new authors, all of whom you'll be able to meet years from now and say, "I've been reading you from the beginning!" From chefs to film directors, baseball players to librarians, spies to playwrights, there's a little something here for everyone. You're going to love it. Guess what? There's a debut romance in the Fated Mates Best of 2024 Book Pack from our friends at Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA! There's still time to order...and get a box of our favorite books of the year and support booksellers at a fantastic indie bookstore all at the same time! If you want to talk romance more ofte, maybe you want to join our Patreon? You get an extra monthly episode from us and access to the incredible readers and brilliant people on the Fated Mates Discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Our next read along is Judith Ivory's The Proposition, a terrific Pygmalion retelling and one of Sarah's favorites. Find it at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon. The BooksThe Prospects by K.T. HoffmanUnsteady by Peyton CorinneThe Next Best Fling by Gabriella GamezThe Kiss Countdown by Etta EastonSunshine and Spice by Aurora PalitBut How Are You, Really? By Ella DawsonWhen I Think of You by Myah Ariel&nbsp;Showmance by Chad BeguelinThe Lovers by Rebecca FaubionSay You’ll be Mine by Naina KumarThe Slowest Burn by Sarah ChamberlainThe Spy and I by Tiana SmithRules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay ShoreHow to End a Love Story by Yulin&nbsp;KuangPick-Up by Nora DahliaTemple of Persephone by Isabella KamalI’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib KhorramBest Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi The NotesIt’s not too late to buy the Fated Mates best of 2024 box available from Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA.&nbsp;Jen realized a lifelong nerdy dream by being on Chicago public radio. The show is called Reset, and she was talking about romance with Sonali Dev and Bryn Donovan.Jackwagon, defined.&nbsp;Take a look at the feelings wheel.The Prom, a broadway show.&nbsp;Sneakers, a movie.You can shop this week's books on bookshop.org and choose which local indie you want to support. The SponsorsBook of the Month, bringing the best new fiction to your door. Go to bookofthemonth.com to pick a book and join. For a limited time, you can get your first book for just $5 with code TINSEL! Remember to tell them Fated Mates sent you!Pippa Grant, author of The Worst Wedding Date, available in ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Lydia Lloyd, author of When the Viscount Wanted Me, available in print, ebook or audiobook, at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books.

Let's talk about the over 40s and how they deserve love, too! This week, we're diving into what the industry calls "seasoned" romance, though we're not wild about this phrasing and prefer "Women over forty can get it!" We're talking about romances where, yes, the heroines are older, but they still get to go on adventures, in and out of the bedroom...and with rock stars and incubi, even!Guess what? There's a romance with a heroine over 40 in the Fated Mates Best of 2024 Book Pack from our friends at Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA! You can get a box of our favorite books of the year and support booksellers at a fantastic indie bookstore all at the same time! If you were shouting book names at your car stereo during this episode and want to shout them at other people, maybe you want to join our Patreon? You get an extra monthly episode from us and access to the incredible readers and brilliant people on the Fated Mates Discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Our next read along is Judith Ivory's The Proposition, a terrific Pygmalion retelling and one of Sarah's favorites. Find it at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.The Books Mr. Loverman by Bernardine EvaristoBecoming Crone by Lydia M. HawkePick-Up by Nora DahliaGray Hair Don’t Care by Karen BoothRemember When by Mary BaloghCome As You Are by Jess K. HardyReaper’s Stand by Joanna WyldeThe Art Collector by Katelyn BrehmLosing Sight by Tati RichardsonRole Playing by Cathy YardleyThe Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan BannenCandidly Yours by Reese RyanDirty Little Midlife Mistake by Lilian MonroeBeautifully Unexpected by Lily MortonChieftain by Annie LucasTalk me Down by Victoria Dahl&nbsp;Fanning the Flames by Victoria Dahl&nbsp;The Worst Guy by Kate CanterburyAs the Underworld Turns by Robin PetermanIt’s a Wonderful Midlife Crisis by Robin PetermanThe NotesWe had an episode about Daddy romance and age gap romance, but that’s not what this episode is about, this one is about characters over 40. Basically, if you loved Pearl Jam’s Ten, then you are probably the age of the characters in this episode. Now that “spicy” is used to describe sexy books, the word seasoned seems less useful.&nbsp;Veteran’s Day, Armistice Day, and how the wikipedia editors are making war on AI slop.&nbsp;Allie Parker is the host of the Romance Ever After podcast, and she recently suggested “the next wave of historical romance would be the 80s and 90s,” but there’s been way more historical romance kerfuffles happening since then.&nbsp;Sandra Antonelli is a key advocate for romance with older characters. Her site has an essay called Ignored and Misrepresented, which describes why characters over 40 should be leads and not stereotypes.&nbsp;This NYTimes article answers a pressing question: Why Do So Many Women Wear Giant Eyeglasses?&nbsp;A new name for middle aged folks: the sandwich generation. The SponsorsBook of the Month, bringing the best new fiction to your door. Go to bookofthemonth.com to pick a book and join. For a limited time, you can get your first book for just $5 with code TINSEL! Remember to tell them Fated Mates sent you!Jenni Bara, author of Finding Out, available in ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Avon Books, publishers of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone's A Jingle Bell Mingle, available in from your local independent bookstore, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble or Amazon.Kayla Grosse, author of Axes &amp; Os, available in print, ebook or audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

It's Thanksgiving week in the United States, which means capitalism! We're skipping (mainly) the talk of the midnight electronics runs, and heading straight to Small Business Saturday, when your local independent bookseller is doing their very best to put great books in your hands. Ever been in your local bookstore and thought -- I wish this place was the setting of a romance novel? We've got you, friends. We talk about the magic of bookstores, about the importance of small businesses, about bookshops as sites for revolution, and about the appeal of running your own little shop around the corner. And we recommend a bunch of books that are...honestly? Charming AF. Want more indie bookstore content? Support some booksellers at a bookstore we really love by purchasing the Fated Mates Best of 2024 Book Pack from our friends at Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA. Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram or Threads or Bluesky when you unbox! If you were shouting book names at your car stereo during this episode and want to shout them at other people, maybe you want to join our Patreon? You get an extra monthly episode from us and access to the incredible readers and brilliant people on the Fated Mates Discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Our next read along is Judith Ivory's The Proposition, a terrific Pygmalion retelling and one of Sarah's favorites. Find it at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.BooksMeet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra LangeThe Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLeanThe Vampire in the Bookstore by Elle M. DrewBooked on a Feeling by Jayci LeeOnce Upon a Charming Bookshop by Heatherly BellA Seditious Affair by KJ CharlesLove in Winter Wonderland by Abiola BelloTaken by Charlotte SteinRock Chick by Kristen AshleyBetter than Fiction by Alexa MartinNice Girls Don’t Live Forever by Molly HarperThe Earl Takes a Fancy by Lorraine HeathSeven Secrets of Seduction by Anne MalloryBeach Read by Emily HenryBookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee GuhrkeThe Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie ArcherThe Adrien English Mysteries by Josh LanyonNotesA guide to upcoming shopping holidays, because America: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. Some more info about the best time to buy a TV. Returning a perfectly good item after you’ve used it for a holiday (do we call the Super Bowl a holiday? Probably, if Taylor Swift is in attendance.) is called “wardrobing.” Back in 2018, LL Bean changed their famous lifetime return policy.&nbsp;I guess if you need some Chicago stuff, you should check out The Silver Room, and you can use Bookshop.Org to find a local indie bookstore to support.&nbsp;It’s not called Library Thing (that’s an app to catalog your own library), what Jen was talking about is the Library Extension.WTF, You’ve Got Mail, the 90s what an innocent time. You've Got Mail is a retelling of the 1940s Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan film The Shop Around the Corner which, incidentally, is a perfect movie for a lazy holiday weekend with several generations in attendance.SponsorsBook of the Month, bringing the best new fiction to your door. Go to bookofthemonth.com to pick a book and join. For a limited time, you can get your first book for just $5 with code STUFFED before December 2nd, and TINSEL anytime in December! Remember to tell them Fated Mates sent you!Sara Cate, author of Keep Me, available in print, ebook or audiobook from your local independent bookstore, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble or Amazon.Blue Box Press, publishers of Darynda Jones's Graveyard Dog, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Melissa Dymond, author of Holiday Wedding, available in print or ebook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes &amp; Noble or Amazon.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/11/24/bookstores-and-booksellers If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your <a...

The Best Romance Novels of 2024! This is our favorite episode of the year, where we get to shout at you about the terrific books we read this year, and tell you all the ways romance continues to excite us. It's the best and worst job, because we get to shout about books we love, but we are limited to only ten! And choosing ten favorites is very difficult! That said, we persevered, and here they are: Ten books we loved, books that delivered all the things we love in romance: bold heroines, big heroes, banter, complexity, conflict, impossible situations, and stories that swing for the fences. You're going to love these books.This year, you can buy the Fated Mates Best of 2024 Book Pack from our friends at Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA, and get eight of the traditionally published books on the list and a Fated Mates sticker! A Love Song For Ricki Wilde (hardcover) and Lips Like Sugar (independently published) can be added to the box for an extra fee. As always, you can add other 2024 books by some of our favorite people (or a signed Sarah MacLean book!) to the box if you’d like. We love the idea of you gifting yourself this box (you deserve it!), but maybe you’d like to slide into someone’s text messages with the link as a very excellent gift for you! Or…you can do what Sarah does, and buy the box and spread the love around—sending each of the books to someone on your list. Let us know what you end up doing with these fabulous books, and don’t forget to tag us on Instagram or Threads or Bluesky when you unbox! Check out our “Best Romance Novels” lists from previous years: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019. (We were 5 minutes old in 2018 and didn’t do a list that year), and please tell us what your favorite books of 2024 were!If you want other people to discuss this list with, maybe you want to join our Patreon? You get an extra monthly episode from us and access to the incredible readers and brilliant people on the Fated Mates Discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Our next read along is Judith Ivory's The Proposition, a terrific Pygmalion retelling and one of Sarah's favorites. Find it at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.The BooksA Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia WilliamsThe Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie ScottEveryone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae MarvelLips Like Sugar by Jess K. HardyThe Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne LongSex, Lies, and Sensibility by Nikki PayneHans by S.J. TillyNo Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth HoytSleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie CanaRules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay ShoreThe SponsorsAvon Books, publishers of Sarah A. Parker's When the Moon Hatched, available in print, ebook or audiobook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or Amazon.Vi Keeland, author of Bossman, available in print, ebook or audiobook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes &amp; Noble or Amazon.Lois Templin, author of Heart of the Hawk, available in print or ebook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes &amp; Noble or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Melanie Greene, author of Common Ground, available in ebook from Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/11/17/0711-the-best-romance-novels-of-2024 If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

Like many people, we don't have much to say this week, and whatever we might have said probably wouldn't have been very eloquent, so we've decided to talk about something we know about: Comfort reading and the way romance provides us solace, peace and hope. This week's books are our old reliables--books that we turn to again and again for a reminder that love triumphs, hope sings and romance is resolute. We're so happy you're here; we are, too, for as long as you'll have us. If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Our next read along is Judith Ivory's The Proposition, a terrific Pygmalion retelling and one of Sarah's favorites. Find it at your local independent bookseller, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.The Books The Earl Takes All by Lorraine HeathSweet Ruin by Kresley ColeA Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla VaneButcher &amp; Blackbird by Brynn WeaverA Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie CanaScoring Off the Field by Naima SimoneOn the Hustle by Adriana HerreraRun Posy Run by Cate C. WellsChain Lightning by Elizabeth LowellSecret Santa &amp; All He Wants for Christmas by Kati WildeThe Proposition by Judith IvoryTycoon by Joanna Shupe The NotesWe’ve talked about “Break in Case of Emergency” reads on an episode back from 2022, and comfort reads with Dani Lacey back in 2020.Kaitlyn Greenidge sent out a substack with her 2016 interview with Dorothy Allison, who died this week.&nbsp;Pat the Producer and Clayton have a podcast called The BO Boys, and a few weeks ago they recorded a live episode with guests Sean Donnelly and Brett Arnold. The question was: are we okay?&nbsp;If you happen to be in Chester, Connecticut, visit the romance bookstore Montgomery &amp; Taggert. You should just call them directly and order that romance card game called Romance vs. The World.&nbsp;Follow Fated Mates on BookBub, you can select your preferred eBook platform and get emails when books we’ve recommended go on sale. You can also follow Sarah for information about her books and upcoming releases. The SponsorsMax Monroe, author of Meet Me at Midnight, available in print or ebook from Amazon or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Blue Box Press, publisher of Heather Graham's The Ghost of a Chance, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon.Jaime P. Bradley, author of Wait: A 3000 Series Novella, available in print or ebook from Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, or Amazon.Lumi Gummies, THC gummies available nationwide. Go to Lumigummies.com and use code FATED50 for free gummies with a limited time $50 off coupon, or use code FATEDMATES for 30% off.

It’s just a very normal first Tuesday in November, and you need — and deserve — a distraction! We’re here to help with an episode that not only avoids discussing anything that might or might not be happening in the US today, but also lacks anything remotely of consequence (we promise 100% vibes!). Today, we’re releasing the November 2024 Bantr+, which is usually exclusive to the Patreon, in the main feed, in case you need it. For no particular reason. (But for real, if you haven’t yet, please go out and vote. Don’t wait! Or, better yet, bring us with you and listen to us while you’re in line!) If you need further distraction/comfort/community (and more Bantr+ episodes), you might find what you’re looking for over at the Patreon.

Today we're talking mermaids with our friend, Zóraida Cordova, an author of many genres who also writes romance under the name Zoey Castile. We talk about the appeal of mermaids, why we're so drawn to them as creatures, their history in mythologies around the globe, and yes, we get into biology, because we give the people what they want. If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. The Books The Captive Merman’s Promise by Zoey CastileMermaids Never Drown edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. ParkerKiss the Girl by Zoraida CórdovaThe Penguin Book of MermaidsFathomfolk by Eliza ChanWitchful Thinking by Celestine MartinThe Mermaid’s Knight by Jill MylesSoul Song by Marjorie M. LiuTentacles and Triathlons by Ashley BennettOne Night Standard by E.F. DoddSiren’s Secret by Debbie HerbertWhispers of the Deep by Emma HammWish out of Water by Holley TrentUpon a Starlit Tide by Kell WoodsTo Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra ChristoThe NotesWelcome Zoraida Cordóva, our resident mermaid expert. Well, everyone’s mermaid expert.&nbsp;Laura Von Holt is another one of our faves, and she has a mermaid podcast you might want to check out.The ocean is so deep, we don’t even know what’s down there!&nbsp;Have you ever googled a whale penis?&nbsp;Merman christmas ornaments. What a world.&nbsp;A huge group of YA books sold all at once:&nbsp; Wake by Amanda Hocking, Fins are Forever by Tera Lynne Childs, Tempest Rising by Tracy Wolff, Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, Sirena by Donna Jo NapoliMaybe you’ve read a Namor comic, or watched Aquaman with Jason Momoa, or Splash with Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah, or either of the two versions of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.MerPeople is a Netflix documentary about professional mermaids. The Coral Room was a bar in New York the features professional mermaids, such as Julie Atlas Muz.The SponsorsAvon Books, publishers of Alyssa Cole's How to Find a Princess, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo &amp; Apple Books, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Madison Score, author of Happily Never After, available in print or ebook from Amazon or Barnes &amp; Noble.Alyxandra Harvey, author of The Scandalous Spinster, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.MJ Etkind, author of Dishwasher Safe, available in print or ebook from Amazon.

This is a bit different than our usual Halloween adjacent episodes -- we're talking about the rise of romance centered around ghostly secondary characters (Jen) and funeral homes and mortuaries (Sarah). These two themes have become more and more prevalent in romance over the last few years, and we talk about how and why they've risen and what they might mean -- considering the way romance reflects the world we live in. We talk about the pandemic, about grief, about community and about the way humor and love find their ways into the cracks left by death.If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Also! We stay phonebanking! Join us this Saturday and next to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksThe Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan BannenThe Dead Romantics by Ashley PostonMorbidly Yours by Ivy FairbanksPumpkin Spice &amp; Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford &amp; K. Elle MorrisonRules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay ShoreA Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese BeharrieUndertaking Love by Megan MontgomeryInheritance and The Mirror by Nora RobertsTemple of Persephone by Isabella KamalHaunted Ever After by Jen DeLucaMourning Wood by Heather OrgeronBig Witch Energy by Molly HarperThe NotesWe have one more Fated States phone bank, or maybe you want to try ballot curing phone banking, which might feel less stressful.Reborn Yesterday by&nbsp;Tessa Bailey was released on March 16th, 2020. Three days later, California became the first state to give a “stay at home” order. On March 25th, we had an episode celebrating health care workers. Even at that time, we wondered how romance would process the pandemic, and we weren’t the only ones. In May 0f 2020, the New York Times published the names of 100,000 people who died, with the headline An Incalculable Loss; as of October of 2024, over 7 million people have died in the Coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;Remember, remember the 5th of November is from Guy Fawkes and maybe you saw it in the movie V is for Vendetta.&nbsp;Tim Walz called Elon Musk a dipshit last week, Eminem (who is hot now?) showed up at a Kamala rally, as did Beyonce.&nbsp;The Day of the Dead is an important celebration meant to honor and commemorate those who have died, and Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art has a different exhibit to celebrate every year.Jen discovered there is an entire subgenre of books with ghostly banging that you might like, such as TBR: Dead but Well Read or Gang of Ghouls, but that don’t seem to be part of the pattern at hand we’re talking about. But you know.&nbsp;Mick Jagger went (and dropped out) of the London School of Economics. Who knew.The SponsorsBrianna Bancroft, author of the Dash of Desire novella series, The Businesswoman and the Bartender; The Librarian and the Mechanic; and The Maestro and the Roofer available in ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Robyn Peterman, author of Fashionably Dead, available in print, ebook, or audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Katherine Grant, host of the Historical Romance Sampler Podcast. Listen now on your favorite podcasting app.M. Jacqueline Murray, author of Out of Time, available in print, ebook, or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or in print, direct from the author.

Happy anniversary, Firebirds! Seven years ago this week, we launched Fated Mates with our first Episode, "A Wolf Without a Foot," in which we planned a tight 18 episode series, here and gone before you'd know it. Seven years later, we're still here, and we're celebrating by doing the obvious: Talking about Sin! We've taken the seven deadly sins and assigned a great romance novel to each one, and we've dug deep into the dark recesses of our minds, our bookshelves and our psyches to do it. This is a long one (obviously), and full of some real "abandon all hope, ye who enter here" vibes. Thanks for being with us new listeners and longstanding ones...we love you! If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Also! We stay phonebanking! Join us this Saturday and next to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksEnvyBarbarian’s Taming by Ruby DixonSin and Ink by Naima SimoneStaying in Vegas by Sam MarianoThe Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath LustUncivilized by Sawyer BennettBass-Ackwards by Eris AdderlyStolen Desire by Robin LovettGluttonyFury on Fire by Sophie JordanCajun Hot by Nikita BlackBeautiful Stranger by Christina LaurenGreedClaiming the Courtesan by Anna CampbellWelcome to Temptation by Jennifer CrusieOne and Done by Cynthia Sax SlothHook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa BaileyFan Service by Rosie DananDon’t Let Your Dukes Grow Up to be Scoundrels by Louisa DarlingScandalous Desires by Elizabeth HoytWrathA Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane&nbsp;Wait for It by Molly O’KeefeNero by SJ TillyPrideThe Bride Price by Anne MalloryDouble Standards by Judith McNaughtThe Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne LongFlowers from the Storm by Laura KinsaleThe NotesAs we all know, there are 3 kinds of pipe.The Seven Deadly Sins are:&nbsp; sloth, wrath, gluttony, envy, lust, greed, and pride. In case you not a sinner, you may be more familiar with the seven virtues: humility, charity, chastity, gratitude, temperance, patience, and diligence.&nbsp;Historically, it was illegal for a man to marry his brother’s widow.&nbsp;“I am in lust with Dain,” is a line from Lord of Scoundrels.&nbsp;With some further researching, Jen discovered that there is a podcast by Stephen Fry about the 7 Deadly Sins.The SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Jennifer Probst's Book of the Month, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo &amp; Apple Books.Kylie Scott, author of Text Appeal, available in print, ebook, or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo &amp; Apple Books, or in audiobook from Audible.Stephanie Rose, author of Safe With Me, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Laura Moher, author of What She's Having, available in print, ebook, or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo &amp; Apple Books.

We're starting our Season 7 read alongs off with a bang! M. O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology is some of the best contemporary romance out there, and if you need proof, here it is: The first book ends on a cliffhanger and it holds a prime spot on Jen's keeper shelf. We're talking about all the ways this book works, the way O'Keefe wields tension and description and narrative voice and point of view like an absolute master and delivers a series that is not only deeply representative of the contemporary romance of the mid 2010s, but also a near perfect example of how contemporary can fire on all cylinders. Clear your calendar, you're going to want to read all four books in this series back to back.If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The Books Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'KeefeThe Truth About Him by M. O'KeefeBurn Down the Night by M. O'KeefeWait for It by M. O'KeefeThe NotesRaise a glass to the Old School Romance Book Club on Facebook. They had their final zoom on October 14, 2024.Problematic vs. Dated originated with a discussion of Rocky Horror Picture Show on Twitter, a conversation that has been ongoing for a long time.&nbsp;Just to be clear, when Jen said “it’s 2015 so it’s in past” she’s referencing that although some books were written in present (like 50 Shades, published in 2011), the wholesale shift to present tense that we see in romance now hadn’t happened yet.&nbsp;Researchers and law enforcement professionals have determined that nonfatal strangulation is a leading indicator of escalating violence in a relationship and an important risk factor for homicide in women, and the fact that choking is on the rise in teenage sexual encounters is especially troubling. The Sponsors1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Audrey Carlan's A Christmas Auction, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Aethon Books, publishers of Belle Walker's Blood and War, available in print, ebook and audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Lumi Gummies--use the code FATED50 for $50 off your first order, or use the code FATEDMATES for 30% off your next order.Meghan Quinn, author of How My Neighbor Stole Christmas, available in print, ebook, audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Don't forget to keep listening for an audio excerpt of June Westwood's Grave Temptation, available in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

An episode for the old school romance readers in the audience, we're talking about kidnapping this week! A trope that either absolutely works for readers (aka us) or absolutely doesn't, we talk about why that is, how the original romances of the 80s and 90s installed these buttons and how we still see the bones of old school kidnapping in delicious romances of today. That, and Jen reminds Sarah of books wrote one time. If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Next week, our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksA Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLeanIt Happened One Autumn by Lisa KleypasThe Master by Kresley Cole&nbsp;Gentle Rogue by Johanna LindseyThe Windflower by Laura LondonA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtPerfect by Judith McNaughtDemon Lover by Kathleen CreightonPrisoner of My Desire by Johanna LindseyKiss of a Demon King by Kresley ColeThe Outlaw and the Lady by Lorraine HeathThe Hawk by Monica McCartyBurn for Me by Ilona AndrewsA Promise of Fire by Amanda BouchetThe Hostage Bargain by Annika MartinMafia Mistress by Mila Finelli&nbsp;Twisted Pride by Cora ReillyTaken by Charlotte SteinSavage Hearts by JT GeissengerHell Breaks Loose by Sophie JordanCaptive of the Horde King by Zoey DravenThe Grabbed Series by Lolita LopezMy Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie MorelandChieftain: The Outlander Book Club…in Space! By Annie LucasThe NotesNobody has ever quoted me back to me beforeLearning the Tropes has covered every Kleypas book if you’re in the mood for that.&nbsp;Next week, our read along is Everything I Left Unsaid and The Truth About Him by M. O’Keefe, so get to reading. The SponsorsJune Westwood, author of Grave Temptation, available in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. KL Parsons, author of Love By a Landslide, available in print and ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Jenni Bara, author of The Foul Out, available in print and ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

We are so thrilled to have thee Meg Cabot with us, one of the original queens of YA romance. We talk about her longstanding writing career, about the authors who inspired her, about her early historical romances, written as Patricia Cabot, about her pivot into young adult romance and the power of the subgenre, about her own love story, and, of course, about The Princess Diaries of it all. It will surprise absolutely no one that Meg is a delight as a guest--we're so grateful for her time and her insight, and she's welcome back any time. If you also love romance, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. Looking for Sarah's Conflict Writing class? It starts this Sunday--find it right here. The BooksWhere Roses Grow WildAn Improper Proposal&nbsp;The Princess Diaries&nbsp;The Black Canary: Ignite&nbsp;The Mediator: ShadowlandEducating CarolineThe Boy Next DoorEnchanted to Meet You&nbsp;All-American GirlShow NotesMeg Cabot. has written over 50 young adult romances, including The Princess Diaries. Meg also wrote adult romances under the name Patricia Cabot, and her first book Educating Caroline has just been re-released under the name Meg Cabot.&nbsp;Jen recommends the book Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of 80s and 90s Teen Fiction by Gabrielle Moss.&nbsp;Publishing Professionals and Authors Mentioned: author Barbara Cartland, Jennifer Weis was an agent at St. Martin’s Press and is now at the Weis Agency, editor Amy Pierpont, editor Carrie Feron, agent Laura Langlie, Sarah Davies with MacMillan in the UK, author Judy Blume, author Michelle Jaffe, author Susan Isaacs, author Susan Elizabeth Phillips, author Bolu Babalola, author Lee Child, publisher Erica Sussman, author PD James.Books &amp; Movies mentioned: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Romancing the Stone, Daughter of Hassan by Penny Jordan, Anne McCafferey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding, Blubber by Judy Blume, The Cat Ate my Gymsuit by Paula Danziger, Norma Klein, Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman, Born in Ice by Nora Roberts, In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath.&nbsp;The SponsorsBook of the Month, bringing the best new fiction to your door. Go to bookofthemonth.com to pick a book and join. For a limited time, you can get your first book for just $5 with code PUMPKIN. Remember to tell them Fated Mates sent you!TL Smith, author of When He Reads to Me, available in print and ebook, from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you get your books.Claire Therese, author of The Starling Inn, available in print and ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Isabella Kamal, author of The Temple of Persephone, available in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

There's a particular kind of romance hero who makes us feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy, because all he wants to do is stare in awe at his partner and tell everyone in the world to do the same. The Wife Guy is everything we love when it's done right, and we're so very excited to share a list of books that deliver this straight shot of serotonin every single time.If you also love romance, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The Books The Bride by Julie GarwoodA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtKiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsThe Secret by Julie GarwoodKnockout by Sarah MacLeanWorked Up by Tessa BaileyBombshell by Sarah MacLeanNaked In Death by JD RobbAmerican Royalty by Tracey LivesayThe Favor by Suzanne WrightWild Pitch by Cat GiraldoThe House on Mulberry Street by Jeannie ChinSuddenly You by Lisa KleypasThe Hating Game by Sally ThorneSweet Ruin by Kresley ColeDark Needs at Night’s Edge by Kresley ColeDemon from the Dark by Kresley ColeMacRieve by Kresley ColeWicked Abyss by Kresley ColeDragon Bound by Thea HarrisonAn Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana HerreraUp in Smoke by Tessa BaileyPrince of Broadway by Joanna ShupeTo Catch a Raven by Beverly JenkinsLush Money by Angelina M. LopezEngaging the Enemy by Reese RyanGet a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia HibbertIce Planet Barbarians by Ruby DixonThe NotesWe are not the only ones just discovering what 6-6-6 means.&nbsp;There is evidence that women in Georgia have died as a result of abortion bans, and it’s true in other states as well.&nbsp;Some of our favorite wife guys: Doug Emhoff, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Tim Walz, and Hunter Woodhall.&nbsp;The Jayne Ann Krentz trailblazer episode has a great discussion of core story.&nbsp;Jen thinks the Julie Garwood book with the wolf is actually Honor’s Splendor, which we do not recommend due to very problematic portrayal of a gay character. The SponsorsSarah Chamberlain, author of The Slowest Burn, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Avery Maxwell, author of Late Nights &amp; Love Lines, available in print and ebook, from Amazon.Erin Langston, author of The Finest Print, available in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

Everything is new and crisp in the fall, as F. Scott Fitzgerald likes to say, and the romance novels are no different! We're starting to think about cozy fall reads under warm blankets with cider and pumpkin spice...and we're talking today about our massive autumn TBR piles! There’s something here for everyone — chefs, witches, sexy anthologies, vampires, sports, dragons, hot air balloons and, of course, dukes. If you also love romance, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us on Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers, Jen, Sarah, and special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksContemporary&nbsp;I’ll Have What He’s Having by Abib KhorramMarriage and Masti by Nisha SharmaA Legend in the Baking by Jamie WesleyDeja Brew by Celestine MartinBest Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi&nbsp;Love in Bloom by Lucy EdenAdam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora NguyenGive It To Me by Angelina Lopez&nbsp;Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff / 831 StoriesPrime Time Romance by Kate RobbWished by Sarah ReadyFang Fiction by Kate Stayman-LondonAll Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer SnowLove and Sportsball by Meka JamesYA RomancePayal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot by Preeti ChhibberThe Dividing Sky by Jill Tew&nbsp;RomantasyThe Fire in the Sky by Sophie JordanTwisted Shadows by Allie TherinThe House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie MoningBlood and Magic by Lauren DaneSwordcrossed by Freya MarskeServant of Earth by Sarah HawleyThis Will Be Fun by E.B. AsherHISTORICALMy Rogue to Ruin by Erica RidleyThree Sins and a Scoundrel by Tracey SumnerEducating Caroline by Meg CabotThe Duke’s Sister and I by Emma-Claire SundayThe Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne LongThe Highlander’s Return by Lynsay SandsA Tempest of Desire by Lorraine HeathThe Wallflower List by Jess MichaelsThe Trouble with Inventing a Viscount by Vivienne LorretteNo Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth HoytRomantic SuspenseI Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet WarYou Can Kill by Rebecca ZanettiMr. Nice Spy by Tiana SmithThe NotesYou can join us for Fated States phone banking this Saturday, Sept 21, 2024, and then starting Oct 5th, we’ll be phone banking every Saturday until Election Day. A great clearinghouse for all your voter information needs (yes, you should check your voter registration one more time) is Rock the Vote or Vote.org Find out more information about The States Project and join the Fated Mates Giving Circle. After watching this great video from John Legend, who was born in Springfield, you can also support Springfield, Ohio and its Haitian immigrant population by supporting any of the following organizations: Haitian Community Help &amp; Support Center of Springfield, The Second Harvest Food Bank, The Rocking Horse Community Health Center, and the Springfield chapter of St. Vincent De Paul. The SponsorsAethon Books, publishers of KW Foster's A Curse of Breath and Blood, available in print or ebook.Blue Box Press, publishers of J Kenner's Craved By You, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Meghan Quinn, author of Bridesmaid Undercover, available in print or ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Lumi Labs, creators of Lumi Gummies. Go to Lumigummies.com and use code FATED50 for free gummies with a limited time $50 off coupon, or use code FATEDMATES for 30% off.

Seven is heaven! Today, we are celebrating seven seasons of Fated Mates and this genre that we just can't get enough of with two people we just can't get enough of--Kate Clayborn and Adriana Herrera! We're talking about books, about the tropes we love, about the little bits of romance that make it the very very best. We're also thanking you for listening for seven seasons--and also being the very very best.If you also love romance, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us on Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers, Jen, Sarah, and special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates.The BooksThe Other Side of Disappearing by Kate ClaybornLuck of the Draw by Kate ClaybornOn the Hustle by Adriana HerreraAn Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana HerreraClan of the Cave Bear by Jean AuelHollywood Wives by Jackie collins&nbsp;The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCulloughBet Me by Jennifer CrusieThe Gift by Julie GarwoodRun Posy Run by Cate WellsThe Devil in Winter by Lisa KleypasFlowers From the Storm by Laura KinsaleMagic Rises by Ilona AndrewsLover Eternal by JR WardDarkfever by Karen Marie MoningTexas Destiny by Lorraine Heath&nbsp;Only You by Elizabeth LowellLothaire by Kresley ColeThe NotesWelcome Kate Clayborn and Adriana Herrera, we’ve had both of them on more episodes that we can count. Kate’s latest book is The Other Side of Disappearing, and Adriana’s is An Island Princess Starts a Scandal.&nbsp;The SponsorsKatelyn Brehm, author of The Art Collector and The Siren's Song, the first two books in the Demons Among Us series, available in print or ebook.Blue Box Press, publishers of Kristen Ashley's Embracing the Change, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Avery Maxwell, author of Love Notes and Lifelines, available in print or ebook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Buns &amp; Roses Romance Tea for Literacy, Sunday, October 20th, in Dallas, TX. Proceeds go to the Richardson, TX Adult Literacy Center. Get tickets and more information.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/9/10/s0701-the-magnificent-season-seven-with-kate-clayborn-and-adriana-herrera If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

While we're off this week, we're encouraging everyone to listen to our Stop Book Banning episode, rereleased with new content! This week, we're talking to Maggie Tokuda-Hall, one of the founders of Authors Against Book Bans about the growth of book bans around the country in 2024. Book bans in United States schools and libraries are at their highest since the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom started collecting data, happening around the country, in every state, and disproportionately affecting books by and about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC people. What’s more, challenges are likely underreported, because librarians who are resisting them are facing unprecedented workplace retribution and in some cases physical danger.Book Bans are on the ballot this year in every state and local election, up and down the ticket. State legislatures, local town councils, county leadership and school boards are being overrun with candidates supported by conservative activists looking to limit access to books and ideas that offer identity, empathy, awareness, and power to young people around the country. We’re concerned, so today, we’re releasing a special episode of Fated Mates focused on book bans across the country. We interview three experts on what’s happening, who is most impacted, and how we can all help. Show notes are extensive, and we hope you’ll take a look at them. The GuestsMaggie Tokuda-Hall, author, activist, podcaster and founding member of Authors Against Book BansJarett Dapier, librarian, activist and author of Mr. Watson’s Chickens. Jarrett is offering his complete stage adaption of Chris Crutcher's YA novel "The Sledding Hill" to the Office for Intellectual Freedom in support of Banned Books Week as a free download to read. Schools and communities interested in performing the play can do so with a $75 donation to the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom. Lily Freeman, activist and student in Central Bucks County, PA. Read Lily’s op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer and follow her instagram at ProjectUncensored. Congratulations, Lily, on your graduation!Melissa Walker, political activist at The States Project, journalist, and Middle Grade and YA author of Violet on the Runway, Let’s Pretend We Never Met, Small Town Sinners and more. The ResourcesAuthors Against Book Bans, the author and creator wing of the fight for the freedom to readThe Youth Censorship Database at the National Coalition Against CensorshipBook Riot’s censorship coverage is excellent and updated almost daily. They have an excellent explainer for how to find and develop a local anti-censorship groupIntellectual Round Table Freedom Blog: an exhaustive list of links related to news about challenges, censorship, and banning incidents, developing issues, and controversies that is updated weeklyPEN America’s data on School Book Bans and Index of Educational Gag OrdersAmerican Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, full of resources and toolkits on challenges and how to combat themWhat’s happening in Central Bucks County, PA is happening all over the country. Kids, families and educators are protesting loudlyAdvocates for Inclusive Education, for more information on what’s happening on the ground in Bucks County, PAA map from ALA Banned Books week at the University of Illinois Library, and another from Red Wine &amp; Blue. Teens around the country can get library cards from the Brooklyn Public Library. To apply for the card, teens can send a note to [email protected], or via the Library’s s teen-run Instagram account, @bklynfuture. The $50 fee normally associated with out-of-state cards will be waivedLearn more about the Book Ban Busters at Red Wine &amp; Blue.Ballotpedia is a resource for your local ballot and your local election mapsVote.org, to check your voter registration, locate your voting place and moreHow to HelpEducate yourself about the book challenge process in your school district: How it works, who sits on the book challenge committee, how those committee members are appointed.If there are book bans and protests in your school district, attend local school board meetings and support students, teachers &amp; librarians who are speaking up. Tell your local public and school librarians they have your support. Write letters. Visit the library. Thank them for standing for intellectual freedom.Research school board candidates in your district. Vote accordingly. Consider running for something! Your school board and your state legislature need you! Consider this us telling you seven times! (We’ll phonebank for you!) Vote to flip your state legislature blue. Rally your friends to join you in a Giving Circle at the States Project.If you're an author or creator, join Authors Against Book Bans.Donate to organizations (listed below) that support intellectual freedom and combat book bans. Organizations to Support (and Volunteer with)Donate to the Freedom To Read Foundation and become a member. The Freedom To Read Foundation effe

Everything old is new again...or young again? We're talking about New Adult romance today, that is, romance novels where the love story is set at or during college! We're hopping in the time machine and headed a generation or two back in romance to talk about the first time New Adult came around changing the contemporary romance game. We're getting to the bottom of why these particular love stories work so well when it comes to feelings, and asking that eternal question -- has anyone involved in this subgenre actually met a 19 year old man? (JK, we support you!) We're taking next week off, but we'll be back the week after for the start of our Seventh Season! If you'd like more romance chatter in the meantime, we encourage you to join our patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us on Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers, Jen, Sarah, and special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates.The Books50 Shades of Grey by EL JamesWait for You &nbsp;by Jennifer ArmentroutThe Wild Seasons Series by Christina LaurenButterfly by Jo BrennerFirst Semester by QB Tyler&nbsp;Losing It by Cora CarmackNever Sweeter and The Professor by Charlotte SteinThe Unrequited by Saffron KentSincerely, Carter by Whitney GThe Boys Next Door by Miranda SilverThe Game On Series by Kristen CallihanThe Deal by Elle KennedyForeplay by Sophie JordanLick and Play by Kylie ScottThe Love Hypothesis by Ali HazelwoodFourth Wing by Rebecca YarosOne and Done by Frederick SmithWicked Serve by Grace ReillyReal by Katy EvansThe NotesAt the beginning of season 6, Sarah and Lo (Lauren Billings from Christina Lauren) recorded a Hot for Teacher episode. Also a popular Van Halen song from the 80s, and the video is honestly something else.&nbsp;What is new adult as a subgenre?Risks of college life are well-documented, depression, substance abuse, and higher rates of violence toward women.The SponsorsRoxy Sloane, author of Cross My Heart, available in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Blue Box Press, publishers of Rachel Van Dyken's Love Hazard, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Sara Cate, author of The Heartbreaker, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Lumi Gummies--use the code FATED50 for $50 off your first order, or use the code FATEDMATES for 30% off your next order. The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/8/27/0651-college-bound-new-adult-romance If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

We're back with Christopher Rice celebrating one of the longest running themes in romance: Daddy Issues (not the good kind)! Christopher writes romance under the pen name C. Travis Rice, and today, we're talking about his recent banger, Sapphire Dawn. We talk about the longstanding history of characters with terrible fathers, about why romance seems to love a bad dad, about our favorite characters with terrible fathers, and about why terrible fathers make the best heroes? (we know! it's problematic!) All that, and we're talking about Nora Roberts and (gasp!) Janet Dailey! We're coming up on the end of Season 6 (what?! how!?), and so incredibly grateful to you for listening. If you'd like more romance chatter, we encourage you to join our patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us on Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers, Jen, Sarah, and special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. The BooksSapphire Sunset by C Travis RiceSapphire Spring by C Travis RiceSapphire Storm by C Travis RiceSapphire Dawn by C Travis RiceThe Dream Trilogy by Nora RobertsIn Death by JD RobbThe Kate Daniels Series by Ilona AndrewsThe Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ CharlesLove in the Time of Scandal by Caroline LindenKiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsFix Her Up by Tessa Bailey52 Reasons to Hate my Father by Jessica BrodyA Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia WilliamsHer Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz&nbsp;This Calder Range by Janet DaileyDuke of Desire by Elizabeth HoytThe NotesWelcome author Christopher Rice who writes gay romance as C. Travis Rice. His current series is called Sapphire Cove, and his most recent release is Sapphire Dawn. Christopher and his best friend Eric Shawn Quinn host a podcast called The Dinner Party Show.&nbsp;The great dish soap decision: Dawn vs. Ajax.&nbsp;Check out some of our trailblazers referenced this episode: Vincent Virga, Radclyffe, and Nora Roberts.&nbsp;If you want to learn more about Janet Dailey and the plagiarism scandal that tarnished her name, check out the Reformed Rakes episodes about her.&nbsp;Maybe you want to read what the New Yorker has to say about pirates. The SponsorsRobyn Peterman, author of As The Underworld Turns, available in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Blue Box Press, publishers of Kristen Proby's The Substitute, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Victoria Hamel, author of Is This Love Fur Real?, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Bri Castellini, author of Rehabbing the Billionaire, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/8/20/s0650-daddy-issues-with-chris-rice If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

This week, we're back to Mafia books, because it's been a few years since we've tackled this one and the landscape has changed drastically. We're talking about the appeal of the organized criminal, the way the genre is the direct descendant of the Medieval romance, and the fact that it underscores some of the deepest seeded patriarchy in the genre--for good and bad. Sarah shows off the Italian and the Italian American in her past, and tells a few stories about people and places she doesn't name because did she see anything? No she didn't. If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where 1000 other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as we do at patreon.com/fatedmates.The BooksDeviant Hearts by Jagger ColeMafia Virgin by Mila FinelliBound in Honor by Cora ReillyScorned Vows by Victoria PaigeBecause You’re Mine by Claire ContrerasGoing Rogue by Amelia SheaNever Seduce a Scot by Maya BanksHer Dark Salvation by Katelyn BrehmVow of Revenge by P. Rayne7th Circle by Tate JamesRuthless People by JJ MacAvoyNero and Hans by SJ TillyThe NotesBack in 2020, we recorded our first mafia romance interstitial with author Nisha Sharma, that season we also had a dark romance interstitial, and those two genres have only become more popular over time.If you’re interested in the real life story of how Providence RI was a hotbed of organized crim activity, check out season one of the Crimetown Podcast. But every town has their famous mobsters: Al Capone in Chicago, John Gotti in New York, etc, etc. As Jen was preparing show notes for this episode, she discovered there is a Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement in Las Vegas, so add that to your bucket list.&nbsp;Lorenzo Lamas was a favorite 80s Hottie, and the movie The Shawshank Redemption had a very important scene with a tunnel behind a movie poster.Watch this scene with the horse head and tell Jen she didn’t NAIL it with her impersonation of the guy’s scream. Part of the reason he sounds so horrified…that head was real and he didn’t know it?!?!?&nbsp;Apparently Joseph Campbell said, “Women don't need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize that she's the place that people are trying to get to.” And well, we hate it. You might be interested in reading The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger if you would like to learn more about other ways stories can be organized, and also The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar.The SponsorsSophie H. Morgan, author of De-Witched, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books,1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Jennifer L. Armentrout's Born of Blood and Ash, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books,TL Swan, author of The Bonus, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/8/12/s0649-mafia-romance-reasons If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

It's coming up on the end of Season 6, and that means we're talking about one of Sarah's books! We're finishing up (or beginning?) the Bareknuckle Bastards series today with a deep dive of Sarah's Wicked and the Wallflower, the first in her Bareknuckle Bastards series--part Rumplestiltskin retelling, part Peaky Blinders fic, all justifiable face punching and ode to the darkness. This is the series she loves the best, and Jen just might agree. You can get Wicked and the Wallflower in print, ebook and audiobook at: Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books. It's also currently free with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.The BooksWicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLeanBrazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLeanDaring and the Duke by Sarah MacLeanThe Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLeanThe NotesWicked and the Wallflower was so early in the life of the podcast that we didn’t do a deep dive, so here you go! You can follow up by listening to deep dives of Brazen and the Beast and Daring and the Duke, both available wherever you get your books, and free with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Last week, Sarah and Jen were at Steamy Lit Con in Anaheim. There was a terrific panel on the 30th anniversary of the publication of Beverly Jenkins's Night Song. Artist Shannon Donahue made a very cool sketch of the panel, which along with Beverly Jenkins included Jeanne Lin, Adriana Herrera, Diana Quincy, and Alyssa Cole.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some of the influences on Wicked and the Wallflower include the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin, Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders, the 99% Invisible podcast about Perfect Security, the Disney movie Frozen, and Gavin Weightman's The Frozen Water Trade.&nbsp;The SponsorsKayla Grosse, author of Silver Foxed, available in print, ebook, and audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. 1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Lexi Blake's The Bodyguard and the Bombshell, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from AmazonLeslie Hachtel, author of Come Back to Me, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Serena Akeroyd, author of Broken, available in print, ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/8/6/s0648-wicked-and-the-wallflower If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

We're back this week living Olympic vibes and recommending books with big Olympic vibes! Whether you're drawn to the sports of it all or the France of it all or you just really love Flavor Flav stanning women's water polo, or you were very drawn to the wild, exciting, perplexing opening ceremony and just want to read a romance with beheading, we've got you covered.We're coming up on the end of Season 6 (what?! how!?), which means a deep dive of one of Sarah's books, even though she doesn't have a new one this year! We're talking Wicked &amp; the Wallflower next week, the first of her Bareknuckle Bastards series. Get it at: Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.Books Mentioned This EpisodeA Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana HerreraLove Me in the Dark by Mia AsherKayla in Paris by Theodora TaylorBroken French by Tasha BoydLord of Scoundrels by Loretta ChaseSweet Filthy Boy by Christina LaurenThe Brightest Star in Paris by Diana BillerWe’ll Never Have Paris by Adriana AndersDuchess by Night by Eloisa JamesA Bride Unveiled by Jillian HunterNine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLeanLet the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith MazaruraNothing But Trouble by P. DangelicoStroked by Meghan QuinnJust This Once by Rosalind JamesHeart Breaker by Elle KennedyHeart and Hand by Rebel CarterTake Me by Bella AndreShadow’s Claim by Kresley ColeToo Hot to Handle by Elizabeth LowellRemember Summer by Elizabeth LowellPardon My Frenchie by Farrah RochonShow NotesIt’s the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and we’re having a ball. Beyonce introduced the USA Olympic Team, and Flavor Flav’s support of the women’s water polo team, and Snoop Dogg love for the games have made them America's elder statesmen of the Olympics. Watch this 2020 clip of Snoop and Kevin Hart watching Equestrian.&nbsp;The Opening Ceremonies were wild, and you can also watch a documentary about the making of it called Le Grand Siene.&nbsp;Olympics lawyers have always been hypervigilant about removing copyrighted videos, but this year after complaints about a scene that appeared to show drag queens arranged like The Last Supper, the entire opening ceremony was removed from YouTube, leading people to believe the IOC was hiding its censoring behind copyright protections.&nbsp;Americans Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhardt are Fencing’s first couple.The first “baby with headphones” of Paris is the son of swimmer Caleb Dressel.&nbsp;They’re surfing Teahupo’o, a massive deadly wave in Tahiti with Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost as the on site reporter. One of Jen’s favorite books about surfing is The Wave by Susan Casey. SponsorsRose Prendeville, author of Maggie &amp; the Pirate's Son, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you buy booksPippa Grant, author of The Secret Hook-up, available in print, ebook, and audiobook, and Kindle Unlimited from AmazonElliot Fletcher, author of Whisky Business, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you buy books

This week, we are doing something a little different, talking about the New York Times's Best 100 Books of the 21st Century, a list that Sarah was asked to contribute a ballot for. We talk about how Sarah made her list, what she put on it, and why...and why we think there are no romance novels on the final top 100 list. Don't fret, though -- on the Discord, FM listeners have started collecting nominations for the 100 Best Modern Romance Novels (since the publication of The Flame and the Flower)! Join the group to submit your own nominations and vote on the final list throughout August.We're coming up on the end of Season 6 (what?! how!?), which means a deep dive of one of Sarah's books, even though she doesn't have a new one this year! We're talking Wicked &amp; the Wallflower, the first of her Bareknuckle Bastards series. Get it at: Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.The BooksWe talk about lots of books today, but most of them aren't romance novels. The nine romances on Sarah's list for the New York Times are: Kate Clayborn's Georgie, All AlongKresley Cole's Dark Needs at Night's EdgeJennifer Crusie's Bet MeUzma Jalaluddin's Hana Khan Carries OnBeverly Jenkins's ForbiddenLisa Kleypas's Again the MagicAngelina M. Lopez's After Hours on Milagro StreetSherry Thomas's Ravishing the HeiressMilla Vane's A Heart of Blood and AshesShow NotesIn between the recording of this episode, about two hours after Biden dropped out of the race, and the time we released it on Wednesday: Kamala Harris has locked up the delegates for the nomination and raised 100 million dollars from small donors, a majority of whom are first time donors. Click here to express your interest in joining us for Fated States phonebanking. If you’re an author who would like to donate books to phonebankers, please fill out this form.We’re mad at Aaron Sorkin for writing a boneheaded oped in the New York Times, which was truly the dumbest thing, and then retracting it later.The New York Times Best 100 Books of the 21st Century list is interesting, not only for the list itself but for how it was made. If you don’t want to go to the New York Times site, You can see the entire list on Goodreads or Instagram. You can see Sarah’s ballot and those of other authors and literary luminaries, as well, and they also compiled a reader’s list. You can also listen to the New York Times Books Podcast for discussion of the process and the final product!Sarah Jessica Parker is a big reader who loves libraries. We still don’t actually know who Elena Ferrante is, so it's not officially not Scott Turrow's sister. SponsorsDanica Nava, author of The Truth According to Ember, available in print, ebook, or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you buy your books,Lumi Labs, creators of Lumi Gummies. Go to Lumigummies.com and use code FATED50 for free gummies with a limited time $50 off coupon, or use code FATEDMATES for 30% Off, andStephanie Rose, author of Second Time’s the Charm, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle UnlimitedThe RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/7/23/s0646-the-perils-amp-promise-of-the-new-york-times-best-100-books-list If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

Jen and Sarah are together at last (again), and we’re taking your questions! Listen as we revisit some of our favorite past episodes of the podcast, as we discuss our favorite books with our least favorite tropes, and recommend a bunch of books that take the finger. We’re also talking about historical romance, and why it remains an absolute bop.We're coming up on the end of Season 6 (what?! how!?), which means a deep dive of one of Sarah's books, even though she doesn't have a new one this year! We're talking Wicked &amp; the Wallflower, the first of her Bareknuckle Bastards series. Get it at: Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.The BooksThe Next Best Fling by Gabby GamezChef’s Kiss by TJ alexanderUnmasked by the Marquess by Cat SebastianSomething Spectacular by Alexis HallThe Perks of Loving a Wallflower&nbsp; by Erica RidleyLove and Other Disasters by Anita KellyAn unsuitable Heir by KJ CharlesThe Ghost Town East Series by Amelia SheaIsland Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana HerreraThe Duchess Hunt by Lorriane HeathMorning Glory Milking Farm by CM NacostaJust Playing House by Farah HeronThe Duke Gets Even by Joanna ShupeMystery Man by Kristen AshleyPreacher Man by Jessa KaneThe Show NotesJen went to go see Illinoise when she was in New York, and the Fated Mates team ate at Claro in Brooklyn.Some of our favorite episodes of the podcast: the Derek Craven episode with Kate, the first category romance interstitial, and trailblazers Vincent Virga, Elda Minger, and Nora Roberts.&nbsp;Our walk up songs are Too Funky by George Michael for Sarah, and Every Day I Write the Book or Town Crier by Elvis Costello.&nbsp;The Comstock Laws were bad and they are still on the books, which is gonna turn out to be a bad thing.&nbsp;Alexa Riley also writes as AR Taboo, for the truly dirty stuff. Check your content warnings.The SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Audrey Carlan's The Marriage Auction, Season 2, available in print or ebook from Amazon.Lucy Score, author of The Body in the Backyard: A Riley Thorn Novel, available in print, ebook or audiobook, from Amazon.Jess K. Hardy, author of Lips Like Sugar, available in print or ebook from Amazon.Liana De la Rosa, author of Isabel and the Rogue, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/7/16/s0645-ama-jen-and-sarah-are-taking-your-questions If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

For the last few years, The Ripped Bodice bookstore has published a Summer Romance Bingo Card and this year, we're helping you win! With absolutely no prep, we're recommending books for every bit of the game, from Lost Treasure to Time Travel to the Olympics. Head to The Ripped Bodice's instagram feed to see the bingo card and get reading! Books Mentioned Only and Forever by Chloe LieseA Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston&nbsp;One Last Shot by Betty CayouetteRemember Summer by Elizabeth LowellFire on the Ice by Tamsen ParkerSeduction on the Slopes by Tamsen ParkerFrom Lukov with Love by Mariana ZapataThe Amorous Education of Celia Seaton by Miranda NevilleHottie Scotty and Mr. Porter by R. Cooper&nbsp;Breath of Magic by Theresa MedierosOutlander by Diana GabaldonCrazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay AdamsShaken and Stirred by Kathleeen O’ReillyDouble Down by Katie PorterCopper by Lily AtlasSanta’s Baby by Chloe MaineLighthouse on Moonglow Bay by Lori WildeDragged to the Wedding by Andrew GreyLooking for a Sign by Susie DumondStar Crossed Seduction by Jenny BrownaA Touch Magical by Sonia HartlReaper’s Property by Joanna WyldeWaylon by Theodora TaylorDo Your Worst by Rosie DananThis Scot of Mine by Sophie JordanSummertime Punchline by Betty CorrelloWild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob MayerSomething Wilder by Christina LaurenRomancing Ms. Stone by M.C. VaughanRaiders of the Lost Heart by Jo SeguraThe Red by Tiffany ReiszFaking It by Jennifer CrusieDragon Bound by Thea HarrisonA Fire in the Sky by Sophie JordanNine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLeanWay Down Deep by Charlotte Stein &amp; Cara McKennaWritten on His Skin by Simone StarkLovers in the Afternoon by Lisa KleypasThe Neighbor Favor by Kristina ForestThe Gift by Julie GarwoodAfter Hours on Milagro Street by Angelia M. LopezShow NotesThis week, we’re making suggestions in case you’re trying to complete The Ripped Bodice’s 8th annual summer reading bingo game. Some of the squares we’ve had full episodes on, so check it out for ideas: Duels with special guest Chels,&nbsp; Runaway Brides, and Grumpy/Sunshine.&nbsp;Control rods are what cools down a Nuclear reactor, or in the case of Chernobyl what causes one to melt down if they are all moved simultaneously.&nbsp;“You wanted to tussle, we tussled,” is a line from Out of Sight. “The pressure of a name’” is a line from Pretty Woman.&nbsp;A quick guide to book trim sizes: hardback, trade paperback, and mass market.&nbsp;There was a great article in the New York Times this week about the explosion of romance-only bookstores.Jen doesn’t do RPF and she doesn’t really know anything about Taylor Swift.&nbsp;You might want to enjoy Andrew McCarthy’s navel gazing in the documentary Brats, even if it’s just to roll your eyes.&nbsp;SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Aurora Rose Reynolds's BRODIE: An Until Her Novella, available in print or ebook, from Amazon.Aethon Books, publishers of Hannah Levin's THE TREASURED ONE, available in print, ebook or audiobook, from Amazon. Tara L. Roí, author of HOPE, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Apple Books, or Barnes &amp; Noble.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/7/8/s0644-summer-romance-bingo-recommendations-2024 If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at <a href="https://patreon.com/fatedmates" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

We're taking a break this week, but we forgot to tell anyone about it. We’ll be back next week. In the meantime, check out Romancing the Vote 2024!