S06.45: Our Favorite Episodes, Tropes we Love, and Books that Take the Finger

It’s just a very normal first Tuesday in November, and you need — and deserve — a distraction! We’re here to help with an episode that not only avoids discussing anything that might or might not be happening in the US today, but also lacks anything remotely of consequence (we promise 100% vibes!). Today, we’re releasing the November 2024 Bantr+, which is usually exclusive to the Patreon, in the main feed, in case you need it. For no particular reason. (But for real, if you haven’t yet, please go out and vote. Don’t wait! Or, better yet, bring us with you and listen to us while you’re in line!) If you need further distraction/comfort/community (and more Bantr+ episodes), you might find what you’re looking for over at the Patreon.

Today we're talking mermaids with our friend, Zoraida 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 Zoriada Cordova and Natalie C. ParkerKiss the Girl by Zoraida CordovaThe Penguin Book of MermaidsFathomfolk by Eliza ChanWitchful Thinking by Celestine MartinThe Mermaid’s Knight by Jill MylesSoul Song by Marjorie M. LiuTentacles and Triathlons by Ashley BennettOne Night Standard by E.F. DoddSiren’s Secret by Debbie HerbertWhispers of the Deep by Emma HammWish out of Water by Holley TrentUpon a Starlit Tide by Kell WoodsTo Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra ChristoThe NotesWelcome Zoraida Cordova, our resident mermaid expert. Well, everyone’s mermaid expert.&nbsp;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!&nbsp;Have you ever googled a whale penis?&nbsp;Merman christmas ornaments. What a world.&nbsp;A huge group of YA books sold all at once:&nbsp; 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...

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 &amp; 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 &amp; Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford &amp; K. Elle MorrisonRules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay ShoreA Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese BeharrieUndertaking Love by Megan MontgomeryInheritance and The Mirror by Nora RobertsTemple of Persephone by Isabella KamalHaunted Ever After by Jen DeLucaMourning Wood by Heather OrgeronBig Witch Energy by Molly HarperThe NotesWe have one more Fated States phone bank, or maybe you want to try ballot curing phone banking, which might feel less stressful.Reborn Yesterday by&nbsp;Tessa Bailey was released on March 16th, 2020. Three days later, California became the first...

Happy anniversary, Firebirds! Seven years ago this week, we launched Fated Mates with our first Episode, "A Wolf Without a Foot," in which we planned a tight 18 episode series, here and gone before you'd know it. Seven years later, we're still here, and we're celebrating by doing the obvious: Talking about Sin! We've taken the seven deadly sins and assigned a great romance novel to each one, and we've dug deep into the dark recesses of our minds, our bookshelves and our psyches to do it. This is a long one (obviously), and full of some real "abandon all hope, ye who enter here" vibes. Thanks for being with us new listeners and longstanding ones...we love you! If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. Also! We stay phonebanking! Join us this Saturday and next to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksEnvyBarbarian’s Taming by Ruby DixonSin and Ink by Naima SimoneStaying in Vegas by Sam MarianoThe Earl Takes All by Lorraine HeathLustUncivilized by Sawyer BennettBass-Ackwards by Eris AdderlyStolen Desire by Robin LovettGluttonyFury on Fire by Sophie JordanCajun Hot by Nikita BlackBeautiful Stranger by Christina LaurenGreedClaiming the Courtesan by Anna CampbellWelcome to Temptation by Jennifer CrusieOne and Done by Cynthia SaxSlothHook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa BaileyFan Service by Rosie DananDon’t Let Your Dukes Grow Up to be Scoundrels by Louisa DarlingScandalous Desires by Elizabeth HoytWrath<a...

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 &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The Books Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O'KeefeThe Truth About Him by M. O'KeefeBurn Down the Night by M. O'KeefeWait for It by M. O'KeefeThe NotesRaise a glass to the Old School Romance Book Club on Facebook. They had their final zoom on October 14, 2024.Problematic vs. Dated originated with a discussion of Rocky Horror Picture Show on Twitter, a conversation that has been ongoing for a long time.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Researchers and law enforcement professionals have determined that nonfatal strangulation is a leading indicator of escalating violence in a relationship and an important risk factor for homicide in women, and the fact that choking is on the rise in teenage sexual encounters is especially troubling. The Sponsors1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Audrey Carlan's A Christmas Auction, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Aethon Books, publishers of Belle Walker's Blood and War, available in print, ebook and...

An episode for the old school romance readers in the audience, we're talking about kidnapping this week! A trope that either absolutely works for readers (aka us) or absolutely doesn't, we talk about why that is, how the original romances of the 80s and 90s installed these buttons and how we still see the bones of old school kidnapping in delicious romances of today. That, and Jen reminds Sarah of books wrote one time. If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Next week, our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksA Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLeanIt Happened One Autumn by Lisa KleypasThe Master by Kresley Cole&nbsp;Gentle Rogue by Johanna LindseyThe Windflower by Laura LondonA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtPerfect by Judith McNaughtDemon Lover by Kathleen CreightonPrisoner of My Desire by Johanna LindseyKiss of a Demon King by Kresley ColeThe Outlaw and the Lady by Lorraine HeathThe Hawk by Monica McCartyBurn for Me by Ilona AndrewsA Promise of Fire by Amanda BouchetThe Hostage Bargain by Annika MartinMafia Mistress by Mila Finelli&nbsp;<a...

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 &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. Looking for Sarah's Conflict Writing class? It starts this Sunday--find it right here. The BooksWhere Roses Grow WildAn Improper Proposal&nbsp;The Princess Diaries&nbsp;The Black Canary: Ignite&nbsp;The Mediator: ShadowlandEducating CarolineThe Boy Next DoorEnchanted to Meet You&nbsp;All-American GirlShow NotesMeg Cabot. has written over 50 young adult romances, including The Princess Diaries. Meg also wrote adult romances under the name Patricia Cabot, and her first book Educating Caroline has just been re-released under the name Meg Cabot.&nbsp;Jen recommends the book Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of 80s and 90s Teen Fiction by Gabrielle Moss.&nbsp;Publishing Professionals and Authors Mentioned: author <a...

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 &amp; Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The Books The Bride by Julie GarwoodA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtKiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsThe Secret by Julie GarwoodKnockout by Sarah MacLeanWorked Up by Tessa BaileyBombshell by Sarah MacLeanNaked In Death by JD RobbAmerican Royalty by Tracey LivesayThe Favor by Suzanne WrightWild Pitch by Cat GiraldoThe House on Mulberry Street by Jeannie ChinSuddenly You by Lisa KleypasThe Hating Game by Sally ThorneSweet Ruin by Kresley ColeDark Needs at Night’s Edge by Kresley ColeDemon from the Dark by Kresley Cole<a href="https://amzn.to/3XQ3IR1"...

Everything is new and crisp in the fall, as F. Scott Fitzgerald likes to say, and the romance novels are no different! We're starting to think about cozy fall reads under warm blankets with cider and pumpkin spice...and we're talking today about our massive autumn TBR piles! There’s something here for everyone — chefs, witches, sexy anthologies, vampires, sports, dragons, hot air balloons and, of course, dukes. If you also love romance, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.Our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us on Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers, Jen, Sarah, and special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle. The BooksContemporary&nbsp;I’ll Have What He’s Having by Abib KhorramMarriage and Masti by Nisha SharmaA Legend in the Baking by Jamie WesleyDeja Brew by Celestine MartinBest Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi&nbsp;Love in Bloom by Lucy EdenAdam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora NguyenGive It To Me by Angelina Lopez&nbsp;Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff / 831 StoriesPrime Time Romance by Kate RobbWished by Sarah ReadyFang Fiction by Kate Stayman-LondonAll Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer SnowLove and Sportsball by Meka JamesYA RomancePayal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot by Preeti Chhibber<a href="https://amzn.to/3B639tm" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

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.The BooksThe Other Side of Disappearing by Kate ClaybornLuck of the Draw by Kate ClaybornOn the Hustle by Adriana HerreraAn Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana HerreraClan of the Cave Bear by Jean AuelHollywood Wives by Jackie collins&nbsp;The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCulloughBet Me by Jennifer CrusieThe Gift by Julie GarwoodRun Posy Run by Cate WellsThe Devil in Winter by Lisa KleypasFlowers From the Storm by Laura KinsaleMagic Rises by Ilona AndrewsLover Eternal by JR WardDarkfever by Karen Marie MoningTexas Destiny by Lorraine Heath&nbsp;Only You by Elizabeth LowellLothaire by Kresley ColeThe NotesWelcome Kate Clayborn and <a...