Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

Is it our birthday? It is not! But who says you need to celebrate a birthday in real life to celebrate birthdays in romance novels? Not us! Today we’re talking about books that focus on birthdays — something that you would think would be more common in romance. We talk about birthdays that are cursed, about mistakes made on birthdays, about why heroes don’t seem to have birthdays, and about old reliable — I’m turning thirty, better get rid of this pesky virginity!Tell us about your favorite birthday romances over on the Fated Mates Discord, where it’s probably someone’s birthday—or at least close to someone’s birthday. The Discord is accessible to our Patreon subscribers. By joining the Patreon, you meet other Fated Mates listeners and get an extra monthly episode from us. Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.BooksThree Little Mistakes by Nikki SloanBrazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLeanSuddenly You by Lisa KleypasNero by SJ TillyWicked in Your Arms by Sophie JordanAll of Me by Tiya RayneWitness to Passion by Naima SimoneBirthday Girl by Penelope DouglasIt Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by Kylie ScottBirthday Shot by Rilzy AdamsThe Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia QuinnNotesYou can visit The Book Nook bookstore and go on the Blue Bell Ice Cream Tour if you’re ever in Brenham, Texas.This reflecting pool situation, honestly, if someone wrote it into a book would be too heavy-handed a metaphor.What is clipping, you might be wondering. Well, something that’s bad, actually.Charlie Chaplin had babies when he was 73! We had a whole episode about Ruination in season 7.The “turning 3O book” Jen couldn’t think of is Charlie Quinn Lets Go by Jamie Varon. The nonfiction book she mentioned about “being frozen” is Girls Play Dead by Jen Percy.Chicago, don’t miss Jen and Sophia Benoit tonight (June 24), to celebrate the release of her first historical romance, The Very Definition of Love.SponsorsLotte James, author of From Rogue to Viscount, available in print, ebook, audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you get your books.Macmillan, publishers of Julie Murphy’s The Undergrads: Student Union, available in print, ebook, audiobook from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo or wherever you get your books.Blue Box Press, publishers of To Catch a Sinner, by Dylan Allen, writing as Lucy Wilson-Tagoe available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you get your books.Lumi Gummies. Go to lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off your order.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/6/23/s0839-birthday-romances If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

Continuing our series on Romance Vibes, we’re talking about Romance Wardrobe this week! We’re talking corsets and chemises, falls and Hessian boots, Armani suits and underpants that rip right off. We also get to the bottom of the pronunciation of bliaut. Do we recommend books? Not really, but it’s ok, we all deserve a week of goofing off sometime. All that, and Sarah saw “Wuthering Heights.”If you want more Fated Mates in your life, or more romance lovers who love music, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community (complete with a music channel)! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Next week, our read along is Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife by Julia Wolf. Find it in ebook or paperback, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.NotesSarah went to see Scare Quotes Wuthering Heights, but Jen hasn’t seen it yet. According to New York Magazine, you don’t have to read Wuthering Heights to see “Wuthering Heights.” But the costumes sure are beautiful.Those Bronte sisters!Desmond Morris’s 12 Steps to IntimacyAll about smelling salts.A woman and her baby stroller were blown into Lake Michigan last week! The Windy City is no joke! Am I to understand these are not historically accurate Kilts?Beau Brummell was a real person.The Armani suit was a big deal in the 80s.We are not rich enough to do anything but read about stealth wealth.You should watch Deadwood.All About:ChemiseReticuleA beaver hat is this, not that.BliautKirtleButtonsWaistcoatGreatcoatPelisseUnion suitSponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Larissa Ione’s Demonica Legacy series rereleased paperbacks, available in print, ebook or audiobook. Get the redesigned paperbacks at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books.The Romantasy Letters, A new kind of romantic fantasy storytelling, delivered right to your door twice monthly. Use the code FATED to get 20% off your year's subscription. Learn more at RomantasyLetters.com.Lumi Labs, creators of Lumi Gummies. Go to lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off your order.Amy Spalding, author of In Her Spotlight, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun!...

This weekend, the world is celebrating the second most important romance holiday in February (see last week’s episode for the most important)—Valentine’s Day! To lean into the traditions of the day, we thought we’d offer you a dozen roses this week, in the form of books! We’re taking the topic broadly—from character names, to author names, to rose scented things, to roses on the page — historical, contemporary, mafia and more…there’s something in here for everyone. 🌹If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.Our next read along (in March) is Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife by Julia Wolf. Find it in ebook or paperback, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.NotesLadyhawke is a 1985 movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer, and Matthew Broderick.Go see “Wuthering Heights” if you want! It has Jacob Elordi ( even though Heathcliff should be a man of color) and Margot Robbie, but mostly it’s about capturing a vibe.Sinners was terrific, it stars Michael B Jordan playing twins, was nominated for a record-breaking 16 Oscars, and includes both an extraordinary sequence about the history of music and a hero who enjoys a meal.Well, we actually talked about a bunch of rose adjacent stuff outside of our official dozen roses. Here they are:Rose DeWitt Bukater from TitanicRose Nylund from The Golden Girls defending MinnesotaThe first book in Lorraine Heath’s Rogues and Roses series is A Duke of Her OwnSJ Tilly (who we think is great) has an epistolary romance called Dear RosieOrca is the official name of the killer whaleWe wouldn’t wish Hyperemesis gravidarum on anyonePlease don’t fuck around with measles—get your kids vaccinated and your titers checkedYou should probably read The Red before you read The RoseThe covers and/or stepbacks of Sarah’s Rules of Scoundrels series feature roses, and in One Good Earl Deserves a Lover, Pippa is breeding rosesLilah Rose is the name of the heroine in A Duke Worth Falling ForWe love author Stephanie RoseHere’s a list of romances with rose in the title, and another list of books with characters named Rose.Jen will be at Babe’s Sports Bar on Thursday, Feb 12, 2026 to talk about Rooting Interest by Cat Disabato and at the White Oak Library in Romeoville at 10:30am on Saturday February 21, 2026.On Saturday, March 7th, Sarah will be at the Ballrooms and Beyond Conference in Bristol, RI. The event is free, but registration is required. Also, there’s a (not free) cocktail party!SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Primal of Blood and Bone limited edition paperback, available in print, ebook or audiobook, at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, or wherever you get your books.Harpercollins, publishers of AT Qureshi’s The Baby Dragon Bookshop, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Lyx Books, publishers of Brittany Cherry’s Eleanor &amp; Grey, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Tarina Deaton, author of Day in the Knight, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, <a...

It’s a snowstorm, Jen’s from Chicago, and we’re feeling extra qualified to talk about Ice Planet Barbarians! It’s the book, and the series that took the world by storm back in 2015, and we’re revisiting the absolute powerhouse it was then, before it launched an entire subgenre of romance and changed the romance landscape. We’re also talking about Ruby Dixon’s clear skill, her obvious love of the genre, and all the ways she makes us both laugh and sigh.If you have a favorite IPB book and you want to talk about it, come find us (and other romance lovers) on the Fated Mates Discord, which you can access by joining our patreon. Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our next read along (in March) is Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife by Julia Wolf. Find it in ebook or paperback, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.NotesHorsepower is definitely the same as measuring the weight of ice in golden retriever pounds. There’s lot of ways to support the people of Minnesota right now. A good clearinghouse site is Stand With Minnesota. You can also order directly from area bookstores: Tropes and Trifles, Black Garnet Books, or Birchbark Books, or use Bookshop.Org for any number of Minnesota stores. Monarca If you are looking to support whistle production, You can also support other Romancelandia efforts. Bree (from Kit Rocha) is part of a team of people that have printed over 150k whistles this month alone! Romancing the Vote will also be back up this summer, so look for information on that. Along with Monarca, Indivisible is also holding trainings to teach people how to document and record ICE. Get ready, Derek Craven Day is nigh!It’s February, so lots of upcoming romance events to check out!Feb 12, 2026: Jen will be at Babe’s Sports Bar to discuss a WNBA romance, Rooting Interest.Feb 14, 2026: the Free Library of Philadelphia will be holding a Heated Rivalry Event with Xio Axelrod, Rosie Danan &amp; Joanna Shupe.Feb 21, 2026: Jen will be in Romeoville to discuss Romance.Feb 21, 2026: An online Heated Rivalry Trivia event.March 7, 2026: Sarah will join a group of historical romance authors for Ballrooms &amp; Beyond, a daylong celebration of historical romance at Linden Place in Bristol, RI.Oh, finally, some notes about Ice Planet Barbarians.Our friend Dani Lacey was the host of Ice Planet Pod if you’re looking for read-alongs.The final girl is a horror trope!Our next read along is Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife by Julia Wolf. Find it in ebook or paperback, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of new special editions of:Donna Grant’s Dragon Kings novellasJennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash, featuring sprayed edges and embossed and glossy cover design elements; andHeather Graham's Krewe of Hunter and Cafferty and Quinn novellas.Learn more at TheBlueBoxPress.com.RomantasyLetters, A new kind of romantic fantasy storytelling, delivered right to your door twice monthly. Use the code FATED to get 20% off your year's subscription. Learn more at RomantasyLetters.com.Denise Williams, author of The Re-Do List, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Jennifer Vido, author of Simplicity by the Sea, available in...

As it's the beginning of 2026, we're talking about how we think about our reading years. What kind of strategies does Jen use? How is Sarah attempting to control the chaos? Which books do we already have on our TBR piles for 2026, and how do we structure our reading year to make ourselves happy and prepare for the podcast? We're also talking about some books by romance novelists who are publishing outside the romance genre this year.If you want to talk to more people about reading strategies this year, 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 will be Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians (you’re welcome). Get it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, your local indie, libro.fm, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle UnlimitedNotesVaccinations are good, actually. In between recording this episode and when it aired, Caroline Kennedy’s daughter Tatiana Schlossberg, who wrote about her cancer diagnosis in the New Yorker, has sadly died.It will shock no one to learn that Jen learned about immunizations from books. In her childhood, the books The Great Brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald. We also recommend Everything is Tuberculosis by John Greene and On Immunity by Eula Biss.Amazon is forcing AI tools into the kindle books themselves, and it’s all awful. Use your own brain, we don’t know what else to say.BooksEverything is Tuberculosis by John GreenOn Immunity by Eula BissThe Paris Match by Kate ClaybornThe Romance Revival by Christina LaurenShe Fell Away by Lenore NashAs Far as She Knew by Diana AwadThe Duke by Anna CowanLady X by Molly FaderThe Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 12 EditionAlphabet in Motion by Kelli AndersonSponsorsAvon Books, publishers of Emma Alban's Like in Love with You, available in print, ebook and audio at Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Lumi Gummies, microdose gummies available nationwide. Use the code FATEDMATES to get 30% off your first order. Learn more at LumiGummies.com.Caroline Linden, author of How to Get Away with Scandal, available in print, ebook and audio at Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Allison Bettes, author of Red Flag Warning, available in print, ebook and audio at Amazon or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/1/12/0817-setting-new-years-reading-resolutions If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough. If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.