Fated Mates - A Romance Novel Podcast

Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels is 30 years old this year, so we're resurfacing her trailblazer episode in the feed. Enjoy! You can get Lord of Scoundrels for just $2 through the rest of the month at Kobo, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. It's also available Bookshop.org and Libro.fm.

Loretta Chase's is 30 years old this year, so we thought we'd revisit it by resurfacing this in your feed. Enjoy!You can get it for just $2 through the rest of the month at Kobo, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. It's also available Bookshop.org and Libro.fm. Lots of great show notes for this one!

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 Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

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. Get the book at your local independent bookseller, Barnes & 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. A rolodex, including Marie’s portable version. Sarah was wrong about Nightime radio host Delilah, but you know. We aren’t apologizing for anything in 2025. Judith Ivory published 6 historicals, and then another 4 as Judy Cuevas. 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?

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. 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! Hear Me Out is a fun meme, but in our case, no cakes were involved. That’s not my praxis is a funny thing to say in a text thread. Sorry Bambi’s Dad, from Abe Froman,  the sausage king of Chicago. 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:

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 & 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. 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,

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 & 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 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 KuangPick-Up by Nora DahliaTemple of Persephone by Isabella Kamal

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 & 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

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 & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.The 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

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 & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.The BooksA Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia WilliamsThe Last Days...

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 & 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 & 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 & 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

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 BooksThe 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. 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! Have you ever googled a whale penis? Merman christmas ornaments. What a world. A huge group of YA books sold all at once:  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

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 & 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 & Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford & 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 Tessa Bailey was released on March 16th, 2020. Three days later, California became the first...

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 & 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 HeathLustUncivilized 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 SaxSlothHook, 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 HoytWrath

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 & 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. 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. 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...

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 & 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 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

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 & 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 The Princess Diaries The Black Canary: Ignite The Mediator: ShadowlandEducating CarolineThe Boy Next DoorEnchanted to Meet You 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. Jen recommends the book Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of 80s and 90s Teen Fiction by Gabrielle Moss. Publishing Professionals and Authors Mentioned: author

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 & 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 Cole

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 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 Love in Bloom by Lucy EdenAdam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora NguyenGive It To Me by Angelina Lopez 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 Chhibber