S07.11: The Best romance novels of 2024
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 best romance novels of 2024
The Sponsors
Avon Books, publishers of Sarah A. Parker's When the Moon Hatched, available in print, ebook or audiobook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or Amazon.
Vi Keeland, author of Bossman, available in print, ebook or audiobook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
Lois Templin, author of Heart of the Hawk, available in print or ebook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
Melanie Greene, author of Common Ground, available in ebook from Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or Amazon.
S07:10 Comfort Reads and Finding Solace in Romance
Like many people, we don't know what 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.
Show Notes
We’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.
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?
If you happen to be in Chester, Connecticut, visit the romance bookstore Montgomery & Taggert. You should just call them directly and order that romance card game called Romance vs. The World.
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.
Books Mentioned This Episode
The Sponsors
Max 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 & 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.
S07.09: Mermaids with Zoraida Córdova/Zoey castille
Today we're talking mermaids with our friend, Zoraida Córdova, 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.
Show Notes
Welcome Zóraida Cordova, 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 Napoli
Maybe 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.
Zoraida’s Mermaid Books
Other Books Mentioned This Episode
THE SPONSORS
Avon Books, publishers of Alyssa Cole's How to Find a Princess, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo & 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 & 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.
November 2024 Bantr+
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.
S07:08 I Read Dead People: Ghosts, Morticians, and the Dead in Romance
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.
Show Notes
We 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 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.
Remember, remember the 5th of November is from Guy Fawkes and maybe you saw it in the movie V is for Vendetta.
Tim Walz called Elon Musk a dipshit last week, Eminem (who is hot now?) showed up at a Kamala rally, as did Beyonce.
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.
Mick Jagger went (and dropped out) of the London School of Economics. Who knew.
Books Mentioned This Episode
THE SPONSORS
Brianna 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 & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or in print, direct from the author.
S07.07: The Seven Deadly Sins: let’s fire up wikipedia
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.
Show Notes
As we all know, there are 3 kinds of pipe.
The Seven Deadly Sins are: 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.
Historically, it was illegal for a man to marry his brother’s widow.
“I am in lust with Dain,” is a line from Lord of Scoundrels.
With some further researching, Jen discovered that there is a podcast by Stephen Fry about the 7 Deadly Sins.
The Books
envy
Lust
gluttony
greed
sloth
wrath
Pride
Sponsors
Blue Box Press, publishers of Jennifer Probst's Book of the Month, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo & Apple Books.
Kylie Scott, author of Text Appeal, available in print, ebook, or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo & 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 & Noble, Kobo & Apple Books.
S07.06: The Everything I Left Unsaid duology
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.
Show Notes
Raise a glass to the Old School Romance Book Club on Facebook. Their final zoom was Oct 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 Everything I Left Unsaid Series
Sponsors
1001 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.
S07.05: Some Light Kidnapping: Restraints are for Amateurs
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 she 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.
Show Notes
Learning the Tropes has covered every Kleypas book if you’re in the mood for that.
Next week, our read along is Everything I Left Unsaid and The Truth About Him by M. O’Keefe, so get to reading.
Books Mentioned This Episode
The Sponsors
June 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.
S07.04: Trailblazer Meg Cabot
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.
Show Notes
Meg 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 Barbara Cartland, Jennifer Weis was an agent at St. Martin’s Press and is now at the Weis Agency, editor Amy Pierpont, editor Carrie Ferono, 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 & 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.
Books Mentioned This Episode
The Sponsors
Book 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 & 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 & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
S07.03: Wife Guys in Romance: Just look at Her!
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.
Show Notes
We are not the only ones just discovering what 6-6-6 means.
There is evidence that women in Georgia have died as a result of abortion bans, and it’s true in other states as well.
Some of our favorite wife guys: Doug Emhoff, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Tim Walz, and Hunter Woodhall.
The Jayne Ann Krentz trailblazer episode has a great discussion of core story.
Jen thinks the Julie Garwood book with the wolf is actually Honor’s Splendor, which we do not recommend due to very problematic inclusion of homophobia.
Books Mentioned This Episode
Sponsors
Sarah Chamberlain, author of The Slowest Burn, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
Avery Maxwell, author of Late Nights & Love Lines, available in print and ebook, from Amazon.
Erin Langston, author of The Finest Print, available in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
S07.02: Fall 2024 New Releases
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.
Show Notes
You 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 is Rock the Vote or Vote.org
You can find out more information about The States Project at the page for 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 & Support Center of Springfield, The Second Harvest Food Bank, The Rocking Horse Community Health Center, and the Springfield chapter of St. Vincent De Paul.
Upcoming Contemporary & YA Romances
Upcoming YA Romance
Upcoming Romantasy
Upcoming Historicals
Upcoming Romantic Suspense
The Sponsors
Aethon 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.
S07.01: The Magnificent (Season) Seven with Kate Clayborn and Adriana Herrera
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.
Show Notes
Welcome 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.
Books Mentioned This Episode
The Sponsors
Katelyn 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 & 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.
Stop Book Banning 2024
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 Guests
Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author, activist, podcaster and founding member of Authors Against Book Bans
Jarett 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 Resources
Authors Against Book Bans, the author and creator wing of the fight for the freedom to read
The Youth Censorship Database at the National Coalition Against Censorship
Book 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 group
Intellectual 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 weekly
PEN America’s data on School Book Bans and Index of Educational Gag Orders
American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, full of resources and toolkits on challenges and how to combat them
What’s happening in Central Bucks County, PA is happening all over the country. Kids, families and educators are protesting loudly
Advocates for Inclusive Education, for more information on what’s happening on the ground in Bucks County, PA
A map from ALA Banned Books week at the University of Illinois Library, and another from Red Wine & 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 BooksUnbanned@bklynlibrary.org, or via the Library’s s teen-run Instagram account, @bklynfuture. The $50 fee normally associated with out-of-state cards will be waived
Learn more about the Book Ban Busters at Red Wine & Blue.
Ballotpedia is a resource for your local ballot and your local election maps
Vote.org, to check your voter registration, locate your voting place and more
How to Help
Educate 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 & 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 effectively conducts important first amendment legal work regarding book bans and censorship.
GLSEN, Creating a Better World for LGBTQ Students
Intellectual Freedom Endowment Fund at the American Library Association
The National Coalition Against Censorship, providing direct intervention for people and groups facing censorship
The States Project, helping to flip (or keep) state legislatures blue
The Trevor Project, supporting LGBTQ young people 24/7, all year round
We Believe in Education, a movement of parents and families fighting for students’ freedom to learn
Your local Freedom to Read organization, which you can find with a quick web search!
06.51: College Bound: New Adult Romance
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.
Show Notes
At 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.
Risks of college life are well-documented, depression, substance abuse, and higher rates of violence toward women.
Books Mentioned This Episode
Sponsors
Roxy 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.
S06.50: Daddy Issues (not the fun kind) with Christopher Rice
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 name C. Travis Rice, and today, we're talking about his most 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.
Show Notes
Welcome 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. Listen to our episode with him on Redemption Romance.
The great dish soap decision: Dawn vs. Ajax.
Check out some of our trailblazers referenced this episode: Vincent Virga, Radclyffe, and Nora Roberts.
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.
Maybe you want to read what the New Yorker has to say about pirates.
The Sapphire Cove Series
Books Mentioned This Episode
Sponsors
Robyn 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.
S06.49: Mafia Romance Reasons
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.
Show Notes
Back 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.
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?!?!?
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.
Books Mentioned This Episode
The Sponsors
Sophie H. Morgan, author of De-Witched, available in print, ebook or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & 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 & 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.
S06.48: Wicked and the Wallflower
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 & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books. It's also currently free with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
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 Books
Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean
Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean
Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean
The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean
The Notes
Wicked 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.
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.
This is only the most recent dive into the the MacLeaniverse. See below for all seven episodes.
The Sponsors
Kayla 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 Amazon
Leslie 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.
S06.47: Romance Novels with Paris 2024 Olympics Vibes
We're back this week 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 & the Wallflower next week, the first of her Bareknuckle Bastards series. Get it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.
Show Notes
It’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.
The Opening Ceremonies were wild, and you can also watch a documentary about the making of it called Le Grand Siene.
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.
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.
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.
Books Mentioned This Episode
Sponsors
Rose Prendeville, author of Maggie & the Pirate's Son, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you buy books
Pippa Grant, author of The Secret Hook-up, available in print, ebook, and audiobook, and Kindle Unlimited from Amazon
Elliot Fletcher, author of Whisky Business, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you buy books
S06.46: Romance and The New York Times Best 100 Books List
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 & the Wallflower, the first of her Bareknuckle Bastards series. Get it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.
The Books
We 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 Along
Kresley Cole's Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me
Uzma Jalaluddin's Hana Khan Carries On
Beverly Jenkins's Forbidden
Lisa Kleypas's Again the Magic
Angelina M. Lopez's After Hours on Milagro Street
Sherry Thomas's Ravishing the Heiress
Milla Vane's A Heart of Blood and Ashes
The 10 books that appeared on Sarah’s ballot.
The Notes
In 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 is looking to donate books, please fill out this form.
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 Turow's sister.
The Sponsors
Danica Nava, author of The Truth According to Ember, available in print, ebook, or audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & 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, and
Stephanie Rose, author of Second Time’s the Charm, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited
S06.45: Our Favorite Episodes, Tropes we Love, and Books that Take the Finger
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 & the Wallflower, the first of her Bareknuckle Bastards series. Get it at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.
Show Notes
Jen 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.
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.
The Comstock Laws were bad and they are still on the books, which is gonna turn out to be a bad thing.
Alexa Riley also writes as AR Taboo, for the truly dirty stuff. Check your content warnings.
Books Mentioned this Episode
The Sponsors
Blue 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 & Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.
