Fated Mates - A Romance Novel Podcast

Fated Mates
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Fated Mates - A Romance Novel Podcast

The most listened to romance novel podcast, Fated Mates is co-hosted by bestselling author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and lively discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting the patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Romance Novels Featuring Bookstores and Booksellers

    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

    1h 29m
  2. Best Romance Novels of 2024

    19 NOV

    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 BooksA Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia WilliamsThe Last Days...

    1h 30m

  3. 12 NOV

    Comfort Reads and Finding Solace in Romance

    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 a...

    1h 20m
  4. November 2024 Bantr+

    5 NOV · BONUS

    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.

    1h 12m

  5. 5 NOV

    Mermaid Romance with Zoraida Córdova/Zoey Castile

    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 Christo The 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 a...

    1h 26m

  6. 27 OCT

    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. 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 Harper The 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...

    1h 53m

  7. 23 OCT

    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. The BooksEnvy Barbarian’s Taming by Ruby Dixon Sin and Ink by Naima Simone Staying in Vegas by Sam Mariano The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath Lust Uncivilized by Sawyer Bennett Bass-Ackwards by Eris Adderly Stolen Desire by Robin Lovett Gluttony Fury on Fire by Sophie Jordan Cajun Hot by Nikita Black Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren Greed Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie One and Done by Cynthia Sax Sloth Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey Fan Service by Rosie Danan Don’t Let Your Dukes Grow Up to be Scoundrels by Louisa Darling Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt Wrath a...

    1h 56m

  8. 16 OCT

    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. 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'Keefe The 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...

    1h 55m
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The most listened to romance novel podcast, Fated Mates is co-hosted by bestselling author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and lively discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting the patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming.

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