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Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
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Estimated from 7 chart positions in 7 markets.
By chart position
- 🇺🇸US · Books#5830K to 100K
- 🇨🇦CA · Books#6830K to 100K
- 🇦🇺AU · Books#1075K to 30K
- 🇳🇿NZ · Books#793K to 10K
- 🇳🇬NG · Books#793K to 10K
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Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
22K to 77K🎙 Daily cadence·397 episodes·Last published 2d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
72K to 256K🇺🇸39%🇨🇦39%🇦🇺12%+4 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
29K to 102K
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On the show
From 16 epsHosts
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S08.39: Romance Birthday (Do Men Have Them?)
Jun 24, 2026
Unknown duration
S08.38: Seven Days In June by Tia Williams
Jun 17, 2026
Unknown duration
S08.37: Road Trips and a Chat With Mary Kay Andrews
Jun 10, 2026
1h 18m 02s
S08.36: The Rain Fell in Torrents: Weather Is Genre
Jun 3, 2026
1h 27m 42s
RERUN: Trailblazer Loretta Chase
Jun 1, 2026
1h 19m 04s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24/26 | ![]() S08.39: Romance Birthday (Do Men Have Them?) | 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. | — | ||||||
| 6/17/26 | ![]() S08.38: Seven Days In June by Tia Williams | We’re back with a deep dive on one of our favorite recent romances, Seven Days in June by Tia Williams! We talk about yearning in contemporaries, about books that have a powerful sense of place, about dual timelines, about secondary characters, about lines that stick with us years later, and about how fated mates works as a trope in a contemporary romance.Tia also has a new book out this month, The Missed Connection. Get it wherever you get your books.Listen to our Season 3 episode with Tia Williams about writers in romance and head over to talk about Seven Days in June or any of her other books on the Fated Mates Discord, 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.Read Seven Days in June at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, wherever you get your books, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.NotesSorry, we’re a Knicks podcast now, everyone. Sarah because of New York and Jen because of Villanova. Sarah did look up that Knickerbocker thing, but we never got back to it. Learn more about how those trousers became a symbol of NYC here. Sports curses are bad, just ask Red Sox fans! Spike Lee has really been through it, Jalen Brunson’s interview after the game just shows you a man trying to deal with his feelings.The World Cup, we just don’t know anything about that yet, but we’re gonna get up to speed on that, just like all the people of the world getting up to speed on America. Also, feels important to romance that we bring you the news that the Tartan Army cleared Boston out of beer.We had Tia Williams on the podcast back in season 3 when Seven Days in June was released. Although there is not a sequel to Seven Days, Shane and Eva are secondary characters in the YA romance with Audre that came out in 2025. Find out more about Tia, and see all her books at her website.Come see Sophia Benoit in conversation with us in NYC (June 23) and Chicago (June 24) to celebrate the release of her first historical romance, The Very Definition of Love.SponsorsFrederick Smith, author of Love is a Contact Sport, available in print, ebook, audiobook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.Little Brown & Company, publishers of Lu Chekowsky’s Don’t Buy What I’m Selling: On Breaking Up with Advertising and Finally Learning to Love My Whole, Fat Self, available in print, ebook, audiobook from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo or wherever you get your books.The What in the Smut? Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.W by Wattpad Books, publishers of Nicole Alfrine’s Brain Games. Available in print and ebook from Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/2026/6/16/s0838-seven-days-in-june-by-tia-williams 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. | — | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | ![]() S08.37: Road Trips and a Chat With Mary Kay Andrews✨ | writing journeypolitical discussion+3 | Mary Kay Andrews | Road TripSummers at the Saint+6 | — | Mary Kay Andrewsroad trip+3 | — | 1h 18m 02s | |
| 6/3/26 | ![]() S08.36: The Rain Fell in Torrents: Weather Is Genre✨ | weather in romance novelsfavorite weather+3 | — | Fated MatesPatreon+9 | — | weatherromance novels+3 | — | 1h 27m 42s | |
| 6/1/26 | ![]() RERUN: Trailblazer Loretta Chase✨ | historical romanceauthor spotlight+3 | Loretta Chase | AH2Fated Mates+1 | — | Loretta Chasehistorical romance+4 | — | 1h 19m 04s | |
| 5/30/26 | ![]() RERUN: Trailblazer KJ Charles✨ | historical romanceauthor interview+3 | KJ Charles | The Magpie Lord | — | KJ CharlesThe Magpie Lord+3 | — | 1h 43m 11s | |
| 5/20/26 | ![]() S08.35: Sad Boys Who Punch Things with Veronica Roth✨ | Sad BoysRomance+3 | Veronica Roth | Seek the Traitor’s SonDivergent+11 | — | Veronica RothSad Boys+3 | — | 1h 31m 30s | |
| 5/13/26 | ![]() S08.34: Historical Romance with Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera✨ | historical romancebook discussion+3 | Ali HazelwoodAdriana Herrera | AH2Fated Mates+5 | — | historical romanceAH2 Kickstarter+3 | — | 1h 53m 28s | |
| 5/6/26 | ![]() S08.33: Ian Mackenzie is DTF: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie✨ | historical romanceautism representation+3 | — | The Madness of Lord Ian MackenzieLord of Scoundrels+4 | — | historical romanceThe Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie+5 | — | 1h 36m 46s | |
| 4/29/26 | ![]() S08.32: Paris Romance with Kate Clayborn✨ | Parisromance+4 | Kate Clayborn | Random HouseThe Paris Match+1 | ParisChamps de Elysee | Parisromance+5 | — | 1h 34m 24s | |
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| 4/22/26 | ![]() S08.31: Trailblazer Ruby Dixon✨ | Ruby DixonIce Planet Barbarians+3 | Ruby Dixon | Ice Planet BarbariansThe Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie | — | Ruby DixonIce Planet Barbarians+3 | — | 1h 46m 02s | |
| 4/15/26 | ![]() S08.30: Irredeemable Characters: Morality Chain Redux✨ | irredeemable charactersromance+3 | — | Fated MatesThe Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie | — | irredeemable charactersromance books+3 | — | 1h 30m 12s | |
| 4/8/26 | ![]() S08.29: Jen & Sarah Answer Your Burning Questions✨ | listener questionsbook recommendations+4 | — | Fated MatesPatreon+1 | TorontoOhio | romance bookslistener questions+4 | — | 1h 24m 32s | |
| 4/1/26 | ![]() S08.28: Spring 2026 Preview✨ | romance novelsbook recommendations+3 | — | Fated MatesReturn to Kingscote+2 | — | romance2026+3 | Lavinia K. Darcy | 1h 37m 38s | |
| 3/25/26 | ![]() S08.27: Romance Baby: Not the Secret Kind✨ | kids in romancesingle parent romance+3 | — | Fated MatesThe Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie | — | romancechildren+4 | — | 1h 37m 58s | |
| 3/18/26 | ![]() S08.26: Ballet and Opera in Romance✨ | romance recommendationsballet+3 | — | University of MichiganFated Mates+1 | — | romanceballet+5 | — | 1h 38m 54s | |
| 3/11/26 | ![]() S08.25: Heated Rivalry Read-Alikes with Christopher Rice✨ | romance novelsbook recommendations+3 | Christopher Rice | Fated MatesHeated Rivalry+2 | — | romanceHeated Rivalry+3 | — | 1h 44m 08s | |
| 3/4/26 | ![]() S08.24: Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife by Julia Wolf✨ | marriage of conveniencefamily drama+3 | — | PatreonSincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife | Wyoming | Sincerely, Your Inconvenient WifeJulia Wolf+6 | — | 1h 41m 55s | |
| 2/25/26 | ![]() S08.23: The Chemise Protects You From Boning: Romance Wardrobe | 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!... | — | ||||||
| 2/18/26 | ![]() S08.22: Chart Topping Songs and Their Perfect Romance Novel Pairings | Our old pal Billy Shakes told us that music is the food of love, and we’re taking that to heart this week! By request from Eric (who’s never requested anything before), we’re looking at songs that charted in February over the years and matching them with romance novels that suit! We’ve got a little bit of something for everyone here, from historicals to paranormals, motorcycles to mafia to magical realism. Eric’s put together a playlist, and you can find links to that and articles about a bunch of these songs in show notes, or you can just head straight to reading the books. We don’t judge!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.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.NotesYou can listen to the accompanying playlist on Apple Music and SpotifyYou, too, may want to learn about this mahjong situation brewing in the Midwest with Barbara.It’s the Olympics. Defector is covering all the news stories we want to know about, including the Curling Drama between Sweden and Canada, the ice dancers are super villains, and this Norwegian skier is an idiot.Happy Black History Month! Jen did something cool at The Newberry Library. It was part of the Douglass Day transcribe-a-thon, transcribing information about the Colored Conventions. You can still participate using Zooniverse, and looking for the Douglass Day Project.Sarah enjoyed learning about the Asking Dumb Questions class at Yale.Tom Breihan writes a column The Number Ones at Stereogum, and Jen also enjoys a similar Slate podcast called Hit Parade.Here’s the spreadsheet of February hits, and a playlist of songs we talked about today! The Macarena is a song about love triangles! Bad Romance by Lady Gaga is on this list, but we only talk about books we like.The DJ book Jen couldn’t remember was Rival Radio by Kathryn Nolan.The Stud Budz, WNBA players Courtney Williams & Natisha Hiedeman, did a long livestream during the 2025 All Star Weekend, and they sang and danced to Pink Pony Club. Check out Babes Sports Bar if you’re ever in Chicago. Jen did an event there, cohosted by 831 Stories & Off the Dribble Chicago, an organization for basketball-playing women and girls in the city.Prince renamed himself as a symbol when fighting with his record label.SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Dylan Allen’s Rivers Wilde 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.MA Wardell, author of Peaches & Pucks, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Barnes & Noble, bookshop.org or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.Jennifer Iacopelli, author of Game, Set, Match, 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! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates. Beyond your <a href="https://mf.fatedmates.net/listen"... | — | ||||||
| 2/11/26 | ![]() S08.21: 🌹A Dozen Roses for Valentine’s Day🌹 | 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 & 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 & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Lyx Books, publishers of Brittany Cherry’s Eleanor & Grey, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & 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... | — | ||||||
| 2/4/26 | ![]() S08.20: Trailblazer Lisa Kleypas | It’s finally happened! In a perfect Derek Craven Day celebration, our Trailblazer conversations continue this week with thee Lisa Kleypas, historical romance royalty, who changed the game when she brought working class heroes to historicals. We discuss her four decades of work in romance, from historical to contemporary to magical realism and now into historical fiction, touching on the Kleypas hero, the way she builds series, and the ways that she continues to push herself as a storyteller. And yes, she was kind enough to play a round of Derek Craven Would Never.We are so grateful to Lisa Kleypas for making time for us, for her amazing books, and for Derek Craven Day.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.Lisa Kleypas Books Mentioned This EpisodeThen Came You by Lisa KleypasDreaming of You by Lisa KleypasChasing Cassandra by Lisa KleypasForever My Love by Lisa KleypasThe Vallerands Series by Lisa KleypasThe Wallflowers Series by Lisa KleypasAgain the Magic by Lisa KleypasThe Devil in Winter by Lisa KleypasMarrying Winterborne by Lisa KleypasLove in the Afternoon by Lisa KleypasDevil in Spring by Lisa KleypasHello Stranger by Lisa KleypasSugar Daddy by Lisa KleypasThe Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa KleypasNotesWelcome Lisa Kleypas. This fall, she’s releasing her first historical fiction novel, The Queen of Lombard Street.People mentioned: editor Carolyn Nichols, editor Ellen Edwards, author Laura Kinsale, author Rebecca Brandewyne, author Stephanie Laurens, author Julia Quinn, editor Jen Enderlin, editor Carrie Feron, author Eloisa James, author Jennifer Crusie.Other notable mentions: Louisa May Alcott’s House in Concord MA, William Crockford the inspiration for Derek Craven, the observation about industry vs crime was (of course) made by Sanj, and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson the inspiration for Dr. Garrett Gibson.Keep up with everything Derek Craven!SponsorsBlue Box Press, publishers of Audrey Carlan’s Marriage Auction Series novellas Madam Alana and A Christmas Auction. Available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Learn more at TheBlueBoxPress.com.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.Jennifer Iacopelli, author of Game, Set, Match, available in print, ebook and audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Lumi Labs, creators of 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/2026/2/2/0820-trailblazer-lisa-kleypas 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... | — | ||||||
| 1/28/26 | ![]() S08.19: Ice Planet Barbarians | 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 & 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 & 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 & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.Jennifer Vido, author of Simplicity by the Sea, available in... | — | ||||||
| 1/21/26 | ![]() S08.18: Shotgun Weddings with Jayne Ann Krentz | The brilliant Jayne Ann Krentz, romance trailblazer and royalty, joins us this week to talk about one of her favorite tropes--the shotgun wedding! We're talking all things forced marriage...how it differs from marriage of convenience, how it underscores the inherent conflict in romance, and how it often ends up being more like romantic suspense than one would expect! We also talk a bit about how secret babies (and babies in general) play into this trope. Did Jayne also say something that Sarah had to stop the interview to write down? Of course she did!If you have favorite forced marriage/shotgun weddings, maybe you want to join the Fated Mates patreon? There, you get an extra monthly episode from us and access to the incredible readers and brilliant people on the FM 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 & Noble, your local indie, libro.fm, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.The BooksThe Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann KrentzInto the Storm by Rachel GrantA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtBroken Whispers by Neva AltajThe Duke’s Shotgun Wedding by Stacy ReidBecause the Baron BroodsStolen Touches by Neva AltajMafia Virgin by Mila FinelliThe King’s Spinster Bride by Ruby DixonRavished by Amanda QuickNotesWelcome Jayne Ann Krentz, who also writes as Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick. Her new book is The Shop on Hidden Lane. Listen to Jayne Ann Krentz's trailblazer interview.“Shotgun wedding” is an American phrase dating back to 1929, but forcing people to get married because of pregnancy, politics and patriarchy has been around for a long time.Get your own bank account, women.You can listen to our trailblazer interview with Elda Minger to hear more about the first condom in romance.A romantasy that Jen liked a lot (with no pregnancy plot, that’s why it’s in show notes instead of the photo array) is Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik.When talking about The King’s Spinster Bride, Jen kept saying “epilogue” when she meant “prologue.” I have no excuse for this.SponsorsLexi Davis, author of Pretty Vicious, available in print and ebook at Amazon or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.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.Sotto Voce Scents, candles for the romance lovers in your life. Go to sottovocescents.com and use code FATEDMATES for 10% off your order.Lee Taylor, author of A Satchel of Richards, available in print or ebook from Amazon or B&N. | — | ||||||
| 1/14/26 | ![]() S08.17: Setting New Year's Reading Resolutions | 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 & 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&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&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. | — | ||||||
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