Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

• RERUN: S04.38: These Books Bang: The Sexiest Romance Novels

  Headphones in, y’all. We have sixty-nine (that’s right, 69, by pure unplanned luck!) recommendations for you this week — everything from bonkers to bloody to blazing hot…naughty bits that we believe deliver the whole banana (and sometimes no banana at all, if you know what we mean). Pencils ready…your time starts…now.This week’s episode is thanks to Julie Block, the Fated Mates listener who won an episode of the podcast in the Romance for Reproductive Justice auction sponsored by The Meet Cute Romance Bookshop and Fizzery in La Mesa, CA. Julie made a generous donation to the Collective Power Fund at the National Network of Abortion Funds, and in doing so, got to pick the episode topic — Books that Bang!Show NotesThanks to Julie Block for suggesting this episode and donating to abortion funds for the Romancing for Reproductive Justice Auction, sponsored by The Meet Cute Romance Bookshop & Fizzery, opening fall of 2022 in La Mesa, CA. It is not too late to donate to the Collective Power Fund at the National Network of Abortion Funds.While we name checked some Fated Mates classic recommendations like Tessa Bailey, Jessa Kane, and London Hale, somehow we recorded this episode without once mentioning the name of Charlotte Stein. So raise a glass to her and all the other authors writing super hot books that we forgot to mention.Probably you want to see Jen Porter's illustrations of the drilldo. (PS. Protip: you might put "drilldo" in the search field of twitter thinking that Jen's tweets will come up, and that would be a mistake unless you want to see it real and in action. Ask me how I know.)SponsorsMelissa McTernan, author of Married to the Fae Queen, the second book in the Fairy Realm series, available in print and through Kindle Unlimited.Lumi Labs, creators of Microdose Gummies. Visit microdose.com and use the code FATEDMATES for 30% off and free shipping on your orderThe RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2022/6/7/s0438-these-books-bang 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

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• S07.30: Getting Things Done (to them): Romance with Lists

  We're crossing off a classic romance novel structure this week -- the list! Whether life changing to-do lists, bucket lists, or lists for kinky exploration, these romances take characters and readers on remarkable rides, reminding us all that sometimes it really does pay to be organized. 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 is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The Books Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLeanGet A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia HibbertThe Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie ScottWicked Nights with a Lover by Sophie JordanWhat Heals Us by Maggie GatesThe Ending I Want by Samantha TowleCamera Chemistry by Chelsea Curto30 Days and 30 Nights by Christine d’AboThe Seal’s Rebel Librarian by Anne CalhounHow to Fail at Flirting by Denise WilliamsRockaway Bride by Pippa GrantMr. Swoony by Piper RayneThree Little Mistakes by Nikki SloanAll Played Out by Cora CarmackShow NotesWe’re excited about these author and listener created lists at the Fated Mates Collections Department. And in case you want to see the one from Competitive Yam about Skinny dipping, here it is.

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• S07.29: Spring 2025 New Releases: Teasing Your TBR

  It's our quarterly discoverabilibuddy episode! Get your TBR piles structurally sound and exercise that preorder clicking finger, because here are nearly 50 books coming out in the next three months that we're excited to read! Eric said next time we have to split it into two if we're going to keep talking about what's coming for hours... In the meantime, we're ungovernable! Tell us about the books you're waiting for...and if you're a romance novelist and have a book coming this year, please head over and fill out our handy Google form to let us know!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 is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books. The Books MARCHWitch of Wall Street by MJ EtkindA Wager at Midnight by Vanessa RileyLush by Tinia MontfordAPRIL Royal Bride Demand by LaQuetteWyoming Double Jeopardy by Juno RushdanAny Trope but You by Victoria LavineWhisk Me Away by Georgia BeersPlaying for Keeps by Lainey DavisThe Nanny is Off Limits by QB TylerMarriage Bargain with the Comte by Parker J. Cole A Lady’s Guide to London by Faye DelecourThe Duke and the Widow by Christina DianeNaked in Naknek by Lolu SinclairFly by Night by Kelly CainThe Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed

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• S07.28: Everything We Know About Horses Comes From Romance

  This week, for some reason, we're talking about romance novels with horses in them! Do we know anything about horses? Of course not! Do we let that stop us? It never has before! We're talking about the ones where the horse dies, the ones where they do it on a horse, the ones where she's a horse whisperer, and the ones where she just really likes horses. Giddyup! 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.Take the Fated Mates Season 7 listener survey at fatedmates.net/surveyThe BooksA Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaughtA Very Private Love by Melinda CrossThis Fierce Splendor by Iris JohansenThe Secret by Julie GarwoodBlack Lyon by Jude DeverauxMontana Sky and Irish Thoroughbred by Nora RobertsThe Siren of Sussex by Mimi MatthewsThe Trouble with Anna by Rachel GriffithsCold-Hearted Rake by Lisa KleypasLegends Lake by JoAnn RossAll Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin CrewsThe Wildest Ride by Marcella Bell A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah WeatherspoonSanctuary Island by Lily EverettThe NotesWho Did it Better… on a Horse? In an elevator? In the library? At Thanksgiving? And on a pool table? “It’s a fun book, there’s no sex in it,” is something Sarah said about Pride and Prejudice, which is just funny. In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the MacFayden/Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice, they are releasing it again in theaters the weekend of...

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• S07.27: What I Did for a Duke: This Gentleman is Completely Composed of Revenge Molecules

  It's deep dive day here at Fated Mates and we're reading an absolute banger of a historical -- Julie Anne Long's fifth Pennyroyal Green book, What I Did for a Duke. We talk about great romance kisses, about age gaps and how they operate in books, about house parties and art and sacrifice and how sexy it is when someone actually sees you for who you are. If you haven't read this one yet, do yourself a favor and do it right now. It's so great.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.The BooksWhat I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long The Pennyroyal Green SeriesShow NotesThe main building you think of when you think of the New York Public Library with the lions is officially called the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. From what I can tell, it didn’t actually have anything to do with Andrew Carnegie, but he did donate $5 million to ensure that the New York Public Library had branch libraries in communities around the city. He also donated a lot of money to other things, that’s a fun thing billionaires used to do. Read more about doing the forbidden kind of “romance stuff” in the library. Jen talked to the New York Public Library's Best New Romance List Committee Co-Chairs Kate Fais and Grace Loiacon back in February.In 2022, we recorded our “Break in case of emergency” episode, and it was in fact two sisters, Cait and Kara who requested the episode. PS: We are in emergency. Feel free to break those out now.Julie Anne Long’s The Beast Takes a Bride was on our Best of 2024 episode. What I Did for a Duke is the 5th book in her Pennyroyal Green series. “It must have been a lie,” is what Jen’s grandma Betty used to say if you lost your train of thought and couldn’t remember what you were saying. This is a good speech from Crash Davis, the pitcher played by Kevin Costner in the 1988 movie Bull Durham (also, Nuke says “what’s all that molecule stuff?” which is pretty funny considering the title of this episode).The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston had a Titian exhibition back in 2022 called Women, Myth and Power, and it seems like a thing Genevive would have liked it a lot.

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