Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

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.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 by Anne MalloryBeach Read by Emily HenryBookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee GuhrkeThe Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie ArcherThe Adrien English Mysteries by Josh LanyonNotesA guide to upcoming shopping holidays, because America: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. Some more info about the best time to buy a TV. Returning a perfectly good item after you’ve used it for a holiday (do we call the Super Bowl a holiday? Probably, if Taylor Swift is in attendance.) is called “wardrobing.” Back in 2018, LL Bean changed their famous lifetime return policy. I guess if you need some Chicago stuff, you should check out The Silver Room, and you can use Bookshop.Org to find a local indie bookstore to support. It’s not called Library Thing (that’s an app to catalog your own library), what Jen was talking about is the Library Extension.WTF, You’ve Got Mail, the 90s what an innocent time. You've Got Mail is a retelling of the 1940s Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullivan film The Shop Around the Corner which, incidentally, is a perfect movie for a lazy holiday weekend with several generations in attendance.SponsorsBook 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 STUFFED before December 2nd, and TINSEL anytime in December! Remember to tell them Fated Mates sent you!Sara Cate, author of Keep Me, available in print, ebook or audiobook from your local independent bookstore, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.Blue Box Press, publishers of Darynda Jones's Graveyard Dog, available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon.Melissa Dymond, author of Holiday Wedding, available in print or ebook from your local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/11/24/bookstores-and-booksellers 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.

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 of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie ScottEveryone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae MarvelLips Like Sugar by Jess K. HardyThe Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne LongSex, Lies, and Sensibility by Nikki PayneHans by S.J. TillyNo Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth HoytSleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie CanaRules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay ShoreThe SponsorsAvon 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.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2024/11/17/0711-the-best-romance-novels-of-2024 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.

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 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. The SponsorsMax 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.

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, 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 ChristoThe 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 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.The SponsorsAvon 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.

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 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 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.The SponsorsBrianna 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.

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 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 HoytWrathA Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane Wait for It by Molly O’KeefeNero by SJ TillyPrideThe Bride Price by Anne MalloryDouble Standards by Judith McNaughtThe Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne LongFlowers from the Storm by Laura KinsaleThe NotesAs 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 SponsorsBlue 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.

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'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. 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 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.

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 & 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 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 Twisted Pride by Cora ReillyTaken by Charlotte SteinSavage Hearts by JT GeissengerHell Breaks Loose by Sophie JordanCaptive of the Horde King by Zoey DravenThe Grabbed Series by Lolita LopezMy Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie MorelandChieftain: The Outlander Book Club…in Space! By Annie LucasThe NotesNobody has ever quoted me back to me beforeLearning 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. The SponsorsJune 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.

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. The BooksWhere Roses Grow WildAn Improper Proposal The Princess Diaries The Black Canary: Ignite The Mediator: ShadowlandEducating CarolineThe Boy Next DoorEnchanted to Meet You 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. 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 Feron, 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. The SponsorsBook 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.