This week, we’re thrilled to be joined by the fabulous Sophia Benoit, sex columnist for GQ magazine and romance novel lover! We talk about romance, about why it’s so hard to talk about sex in the world, about the books Sophia has written and is planning to write, and about Jimmy Butler. Because, obviously.Happy New Year!  Next week is our first read along of 2021, Alexis Hall’s For Real! Get it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo.Show NotesWelcome GQ sex columnist, Sophia Benoit. She’s absolutely great on twitter and writes an amazing advice column, which is available as a Substack. Her book of essays, Well, That Was Exhausting will be out in the summer of 2021.The Sex and the City reference, of course, it to Carrie Bradshaw’s job as a dating columnist. Captain Sit on my Face.America has a sex education problem. Lollapalooza is very fun and the music is great and every time she’s attended, it has made Jen feel like she’s a million years old. Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina has a famous first line, but the rest of it is very long. HoCo, FauxCo, and Prom is Cancelled. If you’re looking for paranormal, all of season one is a read-along of the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. The Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds mustaches of the 80s were quite a thing. And if you look at the original covers of romances from that time, you'll see them in action.Wigs were big in the 1700s.Reddit’s Am I the Asshole (AITA) is a cultural touchstone for so many people. We are adding Jimmy Butler to our list of favorite athletes, which started with Jurgen Klopp. Here is a bunch of Jimmy Butler information for you: about the trade from The Bulls, about his minivan, about his love of country music, about his coffee company, about his teamwork, and about his fashion sense. The third member of the Fated Mates sports team is Ted Lasso.Next week, we’ll be reading For Real by Alexis Hall.

This week, we’re thrilled to be joined by the fabulous Sophia Benoit, sex columnist for GQ magazine and romance novel lover! We talk about romance, about why it’s so hard to talk about sex in the world, about the books Sophia has written and is planning to write, and about Jimmy Butler. Because, obviously.Happy New Year! Next week is our first read along of 2021, Alexis Hall’s For Real! Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/2L6m9he" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-real-alexis-hall/1121933440" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/for-real/id1364305995?ct=books_for_real&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, or <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/for-real-6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>.Show NotesWelcome <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/wap-oral-sex" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GQ sex columnist</a>, <a href="https://www.shawtyfireburninonthedancefloor.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sophia Benoit</a>. She’s absolutely <a href="https://twitter.com/1followernodad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">great on twitter</a> and <a href="https://1followernodad.substack.com/p/i-need-advice-on-dating-an-artist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">writes an amazing advice column, which is available as a Substack</a>. Her book of essays, <a href="https://amzn.to/3pNv0DB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Well, That Was Exhausting</a> will be out in the summer of 2021.The Sex and the City reference, of course, it to <a href="https://screenrant.com/sex-the-city-things-about-carrie-bradshaws-freelance-career-that-make-no-sense/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carrie Bradshaw’s job as a dating columnist</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/EricHaywood/status/935876674624815104?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Captain Sit on my Face.</a>America has <a href="https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/americas-sex-education/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a sex education problem</a>. <a href="https://www.lollapalooza.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lollapalooza</a> is very fun and the music is great and <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1027333946344910850?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">every time she’s attended</a>, it has made Jen feel like she’s a million years old. <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1027333946344910850?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina has a famous first line</a>, but the rest of it is very long. <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=HoCo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HoCo</a>, FauxCo, and <a href="https://youtu.be/q87sTz0WCqE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prom is Cancelled</a>. If you’re looking for paranormal, <a href="https://fatedmates.net/the-books" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">all of season one is a read-along of the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. </a>The <a href="https://youtu.be/X0cBMzOZqN0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom Selleck</a> and <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/09/06/burt-reynolds-let-us-observe-moment-silence-his-mustache/1214991002/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burt Reynolds</a> mustaches of the 80s were quite a thing. And if you look at the <a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTVlT6LQWgnO6b92q_q2w-54vT0NBb-BPXdJA&amp;usqp=CAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">original covers</a> of <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/images/uploads/Bound_By_Ecstacy.gif" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">romances from that time</a>, you'll see them in action.<a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31056/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wigs were big in the 1700s.</a>Reddit’s <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Am I the Asshole (AITA)</a> is <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/7/21503068/am-i-the-asshole-reddit-2020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a cultural touchstone</a> for so many people. We are adding Jimmy Butler to our list of favorite athletes, which started with <a href="https://twitter.com/FatedMates/status/1307870611977441281?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jurgen Klopp</a>. Here is a bunch of Jimmy Butler information for you: <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/revisiting-bulls-jimmy-butler-trade-2017-who-won-did-anyone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about the trade from The Bulls</a>, <a href="https://www.complex.com/sports/2017/10/jimmy-butler-drives-minivan-despite-making-20-million-dollars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about his minivan</a>, <a href="https://www.thecountrynote.com/in-the-news/nba-all-star-jimmy-butler-plays-favorite-country-songs-on-siriusxms-the-highway-channel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about his love of country music</a>, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2020/8/17/21371898/jimmy-butler-coffee-nba-bubble" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about his coffee company</a>, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2020/1/4/21049465/jimmy-butler-miami-heat-teammate-tyler-herro-bam-adebayo-locker-room-cancer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about his teamwork</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/1followernodad/status/1312937894307192833?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about his</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/1followernodad/status/1117161117199900672?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fashion sense</a>. The third member of the Fated Mates sports team is <a href="https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/12/16/22176285/ted-lasso-defied-the-odds-and-wrangled-our-hearts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ted Lasso.</a>Next week, we’ll be reading <a href="https://amzn.to/2KSFJOB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">For Real by Alexis Hall</a>.

S03.21: An Interview with Sex Columnist Sophia Benoit: Prom is Cancelled

WELCOME 2021!As is customary on Fated Mates, we’re releasing a special New Year’s Eve episode that requires headphones if you’re in mixed company! We brought some of our most favorite people together for a very special crossover episode of Fated Mates and Andie J. Christopher’s Instagram TV Juggernaut: Drunk Romance History, during which we drink a delightful mix of alcohol and talk about a delightful mix of erotic romance by the queen of the quick and dirty novella—Jessa Kane. We’re talking priests and daddy kink, mafia hitmen, billionaires, husky heroes, stepbrothers and what Joanna Shape refers to as the Kane-Trope-Wheel. Tracey Livesay has a mug with penises on it. Bring in 2021 right. (Also, if you, like Joanna and Jen have read all of the Jessa Kane’s, no worries! She released a new one today—BURLY—just in time for this episode! Shero!)Head over to Andie’s IGTV channel for the video version.Next week, we have a special guest episode, and in two weeks, our first read along of 2021, Alexis Hall’s For Real. Get it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo.Show NotesOne more chance for phone-banking is Monday 1/4/2021 at 5pm central. Listen to last year's New Year's Eve epsiode on Pegging with special guest, Sierra Simone!Have we mentioned Drunk Romance History on Andie's Instagram? We are joined today by our friends: Andie Christopher, Alexis Daria, Adriana Herrera, LaQuette, Tracey Livesay, Nisha Sharma, and Joanna Shupe. Get Tracey's penis mug here.Normalize sex toys. Today's guests are big fans of LELO products and recommend: The Ora2, The Sona2, and The Gigi2.

WELCOME 2021!As is customary on Fated Mates, we’re releasing a special New Year’s Eve episode that requires headphones if you’re in mixed company! We brought some of our most favorite people together for a very special crossover episode of Fated Mates and <a href="https://instagram.com/authorandiej?igshid=14kqclas6p656" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andie J. Christopher’s Instagram TV Juggernaut: Drunk Romance History</a>, during which we drink a delightful mix of alcohol and talk about a delightful mix of erotic romance by the queen of the quick and dirty novella—Jessa Kane. We’re talking priests and daddy kink, mafia hitmen, billionaires, husky heroes, stepbrothers and what Joanna Shape refers to as the Kane-Trope-Wheel. Tracey Livesay has a mug with penises on it. Bring in 2021 right. (Also, if you, like Joanna and Jen have read all of the Jessa Kane’s, no worries! She released a new one today—<a href="https://amzn.to/38WdQNA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BURLY</a>—just in time for this episode! Shero!)Head over to <a href="https://instagram.com/authorandiej?igshid=14kqclas6p656" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andie’s IGTV channel</a> for the video version.Next week, we have a special guest episode, and in two weeks, our first read along of 2021, Alexis Hall’s For Real. Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/2L6m9he" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-real-alexis-hall/1121933440" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/for-real/id1364305995?ct=books_for_real&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, or <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/for-real-6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>.Show NotesOne more chance for phone-banking is <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuceCuqTIvHt1hR31_Xxi19Ew7Pyl0GqOM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monday 1/4/2021 at 5pm central</a>. Listen to last year's <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/12/31/s0217-pegging-romance-interstitial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Year's Eve epsiode on Pegging</a> with special guest, Sierra Simone!Have we mentioned <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorandiej/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Drunk Romance History on Andie's Instagram</a>? We are joined today by our friends: <a href="https://www.andiejchristopher.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andie Christopher</a>, <a href="https://alexisdaria.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexis Daria</a>, <a href="https://adrianaherreraromance.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adriana Herrera</a>, <a href="https://www.laquette.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LaQuette</a>, <a href="https://www.traceylivesay.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tracey Livesay</a>, <a href="https://www.nisha-sharma.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nisha Sharma</a>, and <a href="http://www.joannashupe.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joanna Shupe</a>. Get Tracey's penis mug <a href="https://www.lookhuman.com/design/79318-floral-penis-purple" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.Normalize sex toys. Today's guests are big fans of LELO products and recommend: <a href="https://amzn.to/3rGeaZ7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ora2</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3rQMscv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sona2</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/2X0W2Lq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Gigi2</a>.

Jessa Kane New Year's Eve Extravaganza

It’s the Holidays and the end of 2020 and we don’t really know what’s happening, but Eric is keeping us honest with another AMA! This one was recorded during our Fated States postcard writing party for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — the Democratic candidates for the Senate Runoff in Georgia — answering reader questions that came in during the live recording! We talk about pen names, working class heroes, whether or not you should DNF books, and Rasputin’s penis. Come back tomorrow for a special treat, and get ready for our first read along of 2021, Alexis Hall’s For Real. Get it at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo.  Show NotesOne more phone banking opportunity for the Georgia Senate runoff is coming up on January 4, 2021 from 5-7 central. Join us!You should watch Drunk Romance History on Andie's Instagram.If you want more romance novels made into TV shows, you should watch Virgin River and Bridgerton. But everyone is watching Bridgerton, so that's great. Jen thinks you should DNF. We rattled off a bunch of historical romances with working heroes. Dreaming of You, of course, and American-set historicals, like Indigo by Beverly Jenkins. In England, A Matter of Disagreement by EE Ottoman, The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins, Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt, The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian, Honeytrap by Glen Aster Gray. Almost every KJ Charlesbook would qualify, as well as many by Sophie Jordan and Anne Mallory. Also, don't forget Sarah's Bareknuckle Bastards series. Annika Martin writes all the best bananas books. Rachel Hawkins is writing contemporary adult witches under the name Erin Sterling. Some historicals with characters from Imperial Russia? That's tough, but Sarah suggests the Stokehurst Duology from Lisa Kleypas, the first is Midnight Angel. And if you have kids interested in this time period, check out The Family Romonov by Candace Fleming. There is nothing about Rasputin's penis in that book, be assured.

It’s the Holidays and the end of 2020 and we don’t really know what’s happening, but Eric is keeping us honest with another AMA! This one was recorded during our Fated States postcard writing party for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — the Democratic candidates for the Senate Runoff in Georgia — answering reader questions that came in during the live recording! We talk about pen names, working class heroes, whether or not you should DNF books, and Rasputin’s penis. Come back tomorrow for a special treat, and get ready for our first read along of 2021, Alexis Hall’s For Real. Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/2L6m9he" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-real-alexis-hall/1121933440" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/for-real/id1364305995?ct=books_for_real&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, or <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/for-real-6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>. Show NotesOne more phone banking opportunity for the Georgia Senate runoff is coming up on January 4, 2021 from 5-7 central. <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuceCuqTIvHt1hR31_Xxi19Ew7Pyl0GqOM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Join us!</a>You should watch Drunk Romance History on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorandiej/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andie's Instagram</a>.If you want more romance novels made into TV shows, you should watch <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/12/virgin-river-renewed-season-3-netflix-1234658746/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virgin River</a> and <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a35083612/bridgerton-season-2-news-release-date-cast-spoilers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bridgerton</a>. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/arts/television/bridgerton-outlander-romance-novels.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">But everyone is watching Bridgerton, so that's great</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1150220499840098305?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen thinks you should DNF</a>. We rattled off a bunch of historical romances with working heroes. <a href="https://amzn.to/3aUd3iK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dreaming of You</a>, of course, and American-set historicals, like <a href="https://amzn.to/3pzkUWZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indigo</a> by Beverly Jenkins. In England, <a href="https://amzn.to/2WTK7Pt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Matter of Disagreement</a> by EE Ottoman, <a href="https://amzn.to/3pDSTh3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem</a> by Manda Collins, <a href="https://amzn.to/3pwD8bC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thief of Shadows</a> by Elizabeth Hoyt, <a href="https://amzn.to/3rAzXl0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Lawrence Browne Affair</a> by Cat Sebastian, <a href="https://amzn.to/2JsCdth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Honeytrap </a>by Glen Aster Gray. Almost every <a href="https://amzn.to/3mWrmWo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KJ Charles</a>book would qualify, as well as many by <a href="https://amzn.to/2Mko6Yf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sophie Jordan</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/38HMudW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anne Mallory</a>. Also, don't forget Sarah's <a href="https://amzn.to/3rCzHSw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bareknuckle Bastards</a> series. <a href="https://amzn.to/3n0CIbE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Annika Martin</a> writes all the best bananas books. Rachel Hawkins is writing contemporary adult witches under the name <a href="https://twitter.com/ladyhawkins?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Erin Sterling</a>. Some historicals with characters from Imperial Russia? That's tough, but Sarah suggests the Stokehurst Duology from Lisa Kleypas, the first is <a href="https://amzn.to/2L2zjvZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Midnight Angel.</a> And if you have kids interested in this time period, check out <a href="https://amzn.to/34TQYgu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Family Romonov by Candace Fleming</a>. There is nothing about <a href="https://www.cultofweird.com/curiosities/rasputin-penis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rasputin's penis</a> in that book, be assured.

Another AMA with Sarah and Jen

Holidays are about traditions and it's a Fated Mates tradition to rerun the previous year's holiday episode. So here it goes!

Bonus: Xmas recs (from 2019) + Holiday recs (from 2018)

It's the holidays and we're talking family romances because many of us are with our families or thinking about them this week. No matter whether you have a perfect family life or one that's a bit more of a journey, romances focusing on families have been around from the beginning -- this week, we're talking royal houses like the Westmorelands and the Malorys, the LeVeqs and the Montgomeries, and the Holmeses and the Hathaways. We also talk a lot about our own families...which was unintended, but there it is.You still have time to buy the Fated Mates Best of 2020 Book Pack from our friends at Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! Order here!Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! For the next week or so, we've got a lot of fun stuff in the hopper -- be on the lookout for a few extra episodes! And, if you're celebrating this week -- Merry Christmas!Show NotesRichard Gere wasn’t old when he filmed Pretty Woman, even though he was going gray.Samantha Jaxon posted a very upsetting TikTok, and that's all we have to say about that. The days of the big and small envelope in college admissions are over, but they do have the Common Appand that seems nice. Maybe, you too, would like a karaoke microphone for your future weather-person. The 1987 movie Roxanne with Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah is a Cyrano retelling, and it has lots of very funny jokes and one-liners. There is one more phone-banking opportunity on January 4, 2021. You should join us!Bridgerton drops on December 25th, along with Wonder Woman 1984. Virgin River is another Netflix show based on a romance series. Just a heads up about the photo array, I’m just including the first book of a family series because otherwise it will be overwhelming! 70s and 80s Old School romance series with families include: the Malorys by Johanna Lindsey, The Montgomerys and Taggerts by Jude Deveraux, and the Westmorelands by Judith McNaught. 90s families: the LeVeq family by Beverly Jenkins, The Cynster family by Stephanie Laurens, the Rocking M series by Elizabeth Lowell.2000s families: Brenda Jackson’s Westmoreland family, the Essex Sisters by Eloisa James, The Holmes Brothers by Farrah Rochon, and the Hathaways by Lisa Kleypas. 2010s families: The Blackshear family by Cecilia Grant, The Ravenels by Kleypas, the Duke’s Daughters by Megan Frampton, the Mackenzie series by Jennifer Ashley, the Greene sisters in the Uptown Girls series by Joanna Shupe, the Talbot sisters in Sarah’s Scandal and Scoundrel series, the von Hasenberg sisters in the Consortium Rebellion series by Jessie Mihalik, the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews, and the Sullivans by Bella Andre.Brenda Jackson was the first Black romance author to hit the New York Times bestseller list with the book Irresistible Forces in 2008. It's not a Westmoreland book, but the Westmoreland series is currently 30+ books and growing.

It's the holidays and we're talking family romances because many of us are with our families or thinking about them this week. No matter whether you have a perfect family life or one that's a bit more of a journey, romances focusing on families have been around from the beginning -- this week, we're talking royal houses like the Westmorelands and the Malorys, the LeVeqs and the Montgomeries, and the Holmeses and the Hathaways. We also talk a lot about our own families...which was unintended, but there it is.You still have time to buy the Fated Mates Best of 2020 Book Pack from our friends at Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! Order here!Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! For the next week or so, we've got a lot of fun stuff in the hopper -- be on the lookout for a few extra episodes! And, if you're celebrating this week -- Merry Christmas!Show Notes<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100405/trivia?item=tr3591597" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Gere wasn’t old</a> when he filmed Pretty Woman, even though he was <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/hair-turn-gray-2017091812226" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">going gray.</a><a href="https://twitter.com/BooksbySSJaxon/status/1339589213117767682?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samantha Jaxon posted a very upsetting TikTok</a>, and that's all we have to say about that. The days of <a href="https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-decisions/thick-college-envelopes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the big and small envelope in college admissions</a> are over, but they do have <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/common-app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Common App</a>and that seems nice. Maybe, you too, would like <a href="https://amzn.to/3mJAg9A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a karaoke microphone</a> for your future weather-person. <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/roxanne" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The 1987 movie Roxanne</a> with Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah is a Cyrano retelling, and it has <a href="https://youtu.be/Z1nYEH6EDwM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lots of very funny jokes and one-liners</a>. There is <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuceCuqTIvHt1hR31_Xxi19Ew7Pyl0GqOM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">one more phone-banking opportunity on January 4, 2021</a>. You should join us!<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80232398" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bridgerton drops on December 25th</a>, along with <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wonder_woman_1984" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wonder Woman 1984</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_River_(TV_series)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virgin River</a> is another Netflix show based on a romance series. Just a heads up about the photo array, I’m just including the first book of a family series because otherwise it will be overwhelming! 70s and 80s Old School romance series with families include: <a href="https://amzn.to/3nIf3Oz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Malorys</a> by Johanna Lindsey, <a href="https://amzn.to/3mDrREp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Montgomerys and Taggerts</a> by Jude Deveraux, and <a href="https://amzn.to/3h9HQZQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Westmorelands</a> by Judith McNaught. 90s families: <a href="https://amzn.to/3hdOoXe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the LeVeq family</a> by Beverly Jenkins, <a href="https://amzn.to/37EZyRM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Cynster family</a> by Stephanie Laurens, the <a href="https://amzn.to/37ILPtg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rocking M series</a> by Elizabeth Lowell.2000s families: <a href="https://amzn.to/34Fg4zw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brenda Jackson’s Westmoreland family</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/34BDtBD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Essex Sisters</a> by Eloisa James, <a href="https://amzn.to/3h9G8aZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Holmes Brothers</a> by Farrah Rochon, and <a href="https://amzn.to/2KsFSb7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Hathaways</a> by Lisa Kleypas. 2010s families: <a href="https://amzn.to/2Kxbigp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Blackshear family</a> by Cecilia Grant, <a href="https://amzn.to/3rpkvIy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ravenels</a> by Kleypas, <a href="https://amzn.to/34xn9C7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Duke’s Daughters</a> by Megan Frampton, <a href="https://amzn.to/34zZ7pS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Mackenzie series</a> by Jennifer Ashley, <a href="https://amzn.to/34C8DsM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Greene sisters</a> in the Uptown Girls series by Joanna Shupe, <a href="https://amzn.to/3rlRZHx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Talbot sisters</a> in Sarah’s Scandal and Scoundrel series, <a href="https://amzn.to/3nKpocC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the von Hasenberg sisters</a> in the Consortium Rebellion series by Jessie Mihalik, the <a href="https://amzn.to/2KwGnRx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hidden Legacy series</a> by Ilona Andrews, and <a href="https://amzn.to/37HssRr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Sullivans</a> by Bella Andre.Brenda Jackson was the first Black romance author to hit the New York Times bestseller list with the book <a href="https://amzn.to/3phjrnV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Irresistible Forces</a> in 2008. It's not a Westmoreland book, but the Westmoreland series is currently 30+ books and growing.

S03.20: Romance Families Interstitial

Julia Quinn

Miss Miranda

BRIDGERTON is nearly here! Make sure you have batteries in your remote and your Netflix subscription is up to date, because on 12/25, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series is coming to your TV courtesy of Shonda Rhimes! We are EXTREMELY EXCITED, and in honor of the series, we’re reading Sarah’s favorite Julia Quinn romance which, *surprise!* isn’t a Bridgerton book!If you want Bridgerton deep dives, do not miss the series at Learning the Tropes with our amazing friends Erin &amp; Clayton. But we’re reading The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, and we’ve got a LOT to say! Content note: This book and episode discusses miscarriage and pregnancy.You still have time to buy the Fated Mates Best of 2020 Book Pack from our friends at Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! Order here!Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Next week, we’ve got an interstitial, and the following week…honestly, who knows? It’s December! It could be ANYTHING!  Show NotesCan we brag for a minute? Our #FatedStates phone bank appeared in the Washington Post this week! Also, if you're looking for phone banking opportunites, we have one tonight 12/16 at 5 central, and another on 1/4/2021. Join us. December 25th is going to be a great day. Bridgerton drops on Netflix and Wonder Woman 1984 will be on HBO Max. If you want a podcast tackling all of the Bridgerton books, check out Learning the Tropes. Sarah was on the episode for Sir Philip with Love, which is her favorite. Jen’s favorite is The Viscount Who Loved Me, and if it’s yours maybe you’d like a “mallet of death” t-shirt from Linda. Her shop is on hiatus right now, but she'll be back in the new year. Here’s the Ted talk with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. Does Olivia get her own book? Of course she does, it’s called What Happens in London. Sarah’s favorite Jane Austen is Emma. Jen’s favorite Jane Austen is none of them. If you want to see some house party games in action, watch Season 4 of the Crown.Megan Markle recently wrote about her miscarriage in the New York Times. Jen wrote about miscarriage back when she blogged for The Book Queen, and it includes discussion of Sarah’s book, Day of the Duchess.The book with all the former heroes sharing their childbirth war stories is...well, we don't remember. If you do, please tell us!

BRIDGERTON is nearly here! Make sure you have batteries in your remote and your Netflix subscription is up to date, because on 12/25, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series is coming to your TV courtesy of Shonda Rhimes! We are EXTREMELY EXCITED, and in honor of the series, we’re reading Sarah’s favorite Julia Quinn romance which, *surprise!* isn’t a Bridgerton book!If you want Bridgerton deep dives, do not miss the series at Learning the Tropes with our amazing friends Erin &amp; Clayton. But we’re reading The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, and we’ve got a LOT to say! Content note: This book and episode discusses miscarriage and pregnancy.You still have time to buy the Fated Mates Best of 2020 Book Pack from our friends at <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia</a>, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Order here!</a>Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Next week, we’ve got an interstitial, and the following week…honestly, who knows? It’s December! It could be ANYTHING! Show NotesCan we brag for a minute? <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dmcpZm2DUOaTxJPN5cvj7-Ij4Mrqni9W/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Our #FatedStates phone bank appeared in the Washington Post this week!</a> Also, if you're looking for phone banking opportunites, we have one <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvcOyrqTMrGNej1U32G5jrpoR4SXoEZBq8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tonight 12/16 at 5 central</a>, and <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuceCuqTIvHt1hR31_Xxi19Ew7Pyl0GqOM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">another on 1/4/2021.</a> Join us. December 25th is going to be a great day. <a href="https://youtu.be/gpv7ayf_tyE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bridgerton</a> drops on Netflix and <a href="https://youtu.be/sfM7_JLk-84" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wonder Woman 1984</a> will be on HBO Max. If you want a podcast tackling all of the Bridgerton books, check out <a href="https://learningthetropes.podbean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning the Tropes</a>. <a href="https://learningthetropes.podbean.com/e/to-sir-phillip-with-love-bridgertons-book-5-by-julia-quinn-wsarah-maclean/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah was on the episode for Sir Philip with Love,</a> which is her favorite. Jen’s favorite is The Viscount Who Loved Me, and if it’s yours maybe you’d like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLindaLineStudio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a “mallet of death” t-shirt from Linda</a>. Her shop is on hiatus right now, but she'll be back in the new year. Here’s <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_your_elusive_creative_genius" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Ted talk with Elizabeth Gilbert</a>, author of<a href="https://amzn.to/2WlWnYV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Eat, Pray, Love. </a>Does Olivia get her own book? Of course she does, it’s called <a href="https://amzn.to/2IVMbTS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What Happens in London. </a><a href="https://amzn.to/37myoz2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah’s favorite Jane Austen is Emma</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1251148050992529408?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen’s favorite Jane Austen is none of them</a>. If you want to see some <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/crown-ibble-dibble-drinking-game/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">house party games in action</a>, watch Season 4 of the Crown.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/opinion/meghan-markle-miscarriage.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Megan Markle recently wrote about her miscarriage in the New York Times</a>. <a href="https://www.tbqsbookpalace.com/2018/02/lets-talk-miscarriages-in-romance.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen wrote about miscarriage</a> back when she blogged for The Book Queen, and it includes discussion of Sarah’s book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3gNMH2M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Day of the Duchess</a>.The book with all the former heroes sharing their childbirth war stories is...well, we don't remember. If you do, please tell us!

S03.19: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn: Because everyone else is doing the Bridgertons

Julie Garwood

This week, we tried something a little different—recording a live interstitial episode! We’re talking about Jen’s formative queen, Julie Garwood, and we dig into dialogue, alphas who are instantly gone for their heroines, heroines who tame wild animals, arranged marriages between children, and why every Garwood historical feels medieval whether or not it actually is. We recorded this episode live during a Fated States postcard-writing party to get out the vote for the January 5th runoff election in Georgia. If you’re a Georgia voter, please vote for Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, and let’s finish what we started with the blue wave! If you’re up for it, please consider joining us for a phonebanking session on the evening of January 4th!Next week, in advance of the launch of the Bridgerton series on Netflix (coming December 25th!), we’re reading Sarah’s favorite Julia Quinn novel, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. Get it at Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple or at your local indie via bookshop.org.Show NotesFated States is gearing up to phone bank on the evening of Jan 4 from 5-7 central time. Join us if you can! In Sarah’s OSRBC facebook group, there’s a longstanding search for a book where two people are on a beach and a wave throws them together, and then “oops they’re boning.” A few folks have suggested that maybe it was Pirate by Fabio. So check it out. His co-writer (a ghost writer is when they are unnamed) is Eugenia Rielly. A teenage horror/romance that both Jen and Kelly loved was called The Ghosts of Departure Point. Probably came from the Scholastic Book Club, if we’re being honest. In case you’re wondering, the copyright page will tell you if you’re holding a first printing or first edition. Here’s a bunch of people talking about why the edges of paperbacks were dyed. RT Book Reviews and the RT conference once had Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux on stage at the same time, and YouTube has the video! When Coronavirus is over, I highly recommend going to KissCon. Nora Roberts is our Queen and last week a poor unfortunate soul named Debra learned that the hard way. Obviously, Luke grew up on Tatooine. Hoth was that ice planet place, which is why the women in the Ice Planet Barbarians series call their new home Not-Hoth. We’d be interested in hearing your interpretation of The Bechdel Test. Jen thinks the women can still talk about men AS LONG AS they also talk about other stuff, but Sarah thought it required no discussion of men at all which is pretty tough to find in romance. FWIW, Jen mentioned it in regards to The Bride because Jamie is so isolated and largely without women friends. We like prologues and epilogues here at Fated Mates, but we understand not everyone agrees. The feud between the families in The Gift is “like the Montagues and the Capulets, but worse.” Speaking of which, Kate Clayborn’s upcoming book, Love At First, is an homage to Romeo and Juliet.This isn't exactly about the life expectancy in Scotland was in 1100, but it's close enough. Vanessa Riley’s site has a great explainer about Black people during the Regency on her site. We talked about the Carribean in the Regency when we read Gentle Rogue.It wasn't a "rip off" of Home Alone, it was just an allusion. Similarly, Nathan's whip reminded Sarah of Indiana Jones.Are these books on audio? Why yes they are and Jen listened to The Bride in between recording and release of the episode and greatly enjoyed it. Boats vs ships.Next week, we're reading The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

This week, we tried something a little different—recording a live interstitial episode! We’re talking about Jen’s formative queen, Julie Garwood, and we dig into dialogue, alphas who are instantly gone for their heroines, heroines who tame wild animals, arranged marriages between children, and why every Garwood historical feels medieval whether or not it actually is. We recorded this episode live during a Fated States postcard-writing party to get out the vote for the January 5th runoff election in Georgia. If you’re a Georgia voter, please vote for Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, and let’s finish what we started with the blue wave! If you’re up for it, please consider <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuceCuqTIvHt1hR31_Xxi19Ew7Pyl0GqOM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joining us for a phonebanking session on the evening of January 4th</a>!Next week, in advance of the launch of the Bridgerton series on Netflix (coming December 25th!), we’re reading Sarah’s favorite Julia Quinn novel, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/3ocmL37" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-diaries-of-miss-miranda-cheever-julia-quinn/1101911806" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-secret-diaries-of-miss-miranda-cheever" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-secret-diaries-of-miss-miranda-cheever/id360609404?ct=books_the_secret_diaries_of_miss_miranda&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> or at your local indie <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/5775/9780061340925" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">via bookshop.org</a>.Show NotesFated States is gearing up to <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuceCuqTIvHt1hR31_Xxi19Ew7Pyl0GqOM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">phone bank on the evening of Jan 4 from 5-7 central time.</a> Join us if you can! In Sarah’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/osrbc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OSRBC facebook group</a>, there’s a longstanding search for a book where two people are on a beach and a wave throws them together, and then “oops they’re boning.” A few folks have suggested that maybe it was <a href="https://amzn.to/3m5eBbG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pirate by Fabio</a>. So check it out. His co-writer (a ghost writer is when they are unnamed) is <a href="https://amzn.to/37Q6kTA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eugenia Rielly</a>. A teenage horror/romance that both Jen and Kelly loved was called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1561005.The_Ghosts_of_Departure_Point" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ghosts of Departure Poin</a>t. Probably came from <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/278097345713108706/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Scholastic Book Club,</a> if we’re being honest. In case you’re wondering, <a href="https://bookriot.com/first-edition/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the copyright page will tell you if you’re holding a first printing or first edition</a>. Here’s a bunch of people talking about <a href="https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-edges-of-paperback-books-colored/694715/13" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">why the edges of paperbacks were dyed</a>. RT Book Reviews and the RT conference once had <a href="https://youtu.be/svUyoJ3a9SY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux on stage at the same time, and YouTube has the video!</a> When Coronavirus is over, I highly recommend going to <a href="https://info.harpercollins.com/kisscon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KissCon</a>. <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/1/7/s0218-born-in-ice" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nora Roberts is our Queen</a> and last week <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/nora-roberts-a-beautiful-destruction/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a poor unfortunate soul named Debra</a> learned that the hard way. Obviously, Luke grew up on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatooine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tatooine</a>. <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Hoth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hoth</a> was that ice planet place, which is why the women in the Ice Planet Barbarians series call their new home <a href="https://iceplanetpod.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Not-Hoth</a>. We’d be interested in hearing your interpretation of <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/08/call-it-the-bechdel-wallace-test/402259/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bechdel Test.</a> Jen thinks the women can still talk about men AS LONG AS they also talk about other stuff, but Sarah thought it required no discussion of men at all which is pretty tough to find in romance. FWIW, Jen mentioned it in regards to The Bride because Jamie is so isolated and largely without women friends. <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/11/25/s0212-lord-of-scoundrels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">We like prologues and epilogues here at Fated Mates</a>, but we understand <a href="https://www.heavingbosoms.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">not everyone</a> agrees. The feud between the families in The Gift is “<a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/house-of-montague-2985036" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like the Montagues and the Capulets</a>, but worse.” Speaking of which, Kate Clayborn’s upcoming book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3oBmQh2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love At First</a>, is an homage to Romeo and Juliet.This isn't exactly about the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-economic-history/article/lifespans-of-the-european-elite-8001800/BE252C4B25C4AAC29ED62D591A1675AC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">life expectancy in Scotland was in 1100</a>, but it's close enough. <a href="https://vanessariley.com/blackpeople.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vanessa Riley’s site has a great explainer about Black people during the Regency on her site.</a> We talked about the Carribean in the Regency when we read <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/10/7/s025-gentle-rogue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gentle Rogue.</a>It wasn't a "rip off" of Home Alone, it was just an <a href="https://literarydevices.net/allusion/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">allusion</a>. Similarly, Nathan's whip reminded Sarah of <a href="https://youtu.be/artdREMlSoo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indiana Jones</a>.<a href="https://amzn.to/3grajKl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Are these books on audio? Why yes they are</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1336107113785987076?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen listened to The Bride</a> in between recording and release of the episode and greatly enjoyed it. <a href="https://www.marineinsight.com/types-of-ships/7-differences-between-a-ship-and-a-boat/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boats vs ships.</a>Next week, we're reading <a href="https://amzn.to/3qHP9w4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever</a> by Julia Quinn

S03.18: Julie Garwood Interstitial: Damnit, Sara! (Not our Sarah!)

Sally Thorne

There aren’t many recent romances you can point to and categorically label as game changers, but Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game definitely fits this bill. We talk about all the ways we love it, about sparkling dialogue and witty writing and what makes a romcom and how this book changed the cover game for a generation of romance. Oh, and yes, we get to the bottom (jk, there is no bottom) of Jen’s issues with first-person present.  You still have time to buy the Fated Mates Best of 2020 Book Pack from our friends at Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! Order before December 5th for Christmas delivery!Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Next week, we’ve got an interstitial, and the following week, in advance of the launch of the Bridgerton series on Netflix, we’re reading Sarah’s favorite Julia Quinn novel, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. Get it at Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple or at your local indie via bookshop.org.Fated StatesWe were really thrilled to be interviewed by Kelly Faircloth for her article about How Romance Novelists Are Mobilizing Voters in Solidarity With Stacey Abrams.Show NotesThe Hating Game was a juggernaut and will soon be a movie. Bridget Jones’s Diary came out in 1996 and the movie came out in 2001. Enemies to Lovers is a completely beloved romance trope. Rivals to lovers lives within the larger trope and is very fun because it is often a perfectly matched pair on an even playing field. Sarah wrote Brazen &amp; the Beast after being inspired by The Hating Game.Here’s what we mean when we say situational comedy.What is the plural of arch-nemesis?Jen hates present tense, but of course everyone should write what’s right for them. Is it chick lit or is it women’s fiction? Why do these labels even exist? Just go back and read The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing or Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. We don’t talk about voice that much, but maybe we should. There was a short lived Harlequin chick lit line called Red Dress Ink in 2001. Here’s what Jen teaches her kids about characterization. The Slate article about interiors and a very thorough rebuttal from Felicia Davin. We talked about another hero who came up through Twilight fanfic. If you like a scene where one main character tells off the family on behalf of their beloved, you should read Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz.In two weeks, we'll be reading The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. We are getting ready for Bridgerton and Wonder Woman 1984. If you're interested in the Fated Mates Best of 2020 book pack and you want it delivered by Christmas, make sure you order it by 12/5.

There aren’t many recent romances you can point to and categorically label as game changers, but Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game definitely fits this bill. We talk about all the ways we love it, about sparkling dialogue and witty writing and what makes a romcom and how this book changed the cover game for a generation of romance. Oh, and yes, we get to the bottom (jk, there is no bottom) of Jen’s issues with first-person present. You still have time to buy the Fated Mates Best of 2020 Book Pack from our friends at <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia</a>, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Order before December 5th for Christmas delivery!</a>Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Next week, we’ve got an interstitial, and the following week, in advance of the launch of the Bridgerton series on Netflix, we’re reading Sarah’s favorite Julia Quinn novel, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/3ocmL37" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-diaries-of-miss-miranda-cheever-julia-quinn/1101911806" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-secret-diaries-of-miss-miranda-cheever" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-secret-diaries-of-miss-miranda-cheever/id360609404?ct=books_the_secret_diaries_of_miss_miranda&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> or at your local indie <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/5775/9780061340925" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">via bookshop.org</a>.Fated States<a href="https://jezebel.com/how-romance-novelists-are-mobilizing-voters-in-solidari-1845750549" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">We were really thrilled to be interviewed by Kelly Faircloth for her article about How Romance Novelists Are Mobilizing Voters in Solidarity With Stacey Abrams.</a>Show Notes<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/best-romance-novels-of-2016/2016/11/17/42c9746e-9de0-11e6-9980-50913d68eacb_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hating Game was a juggernaut</a> and <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/global/austin-stowell-lucy-hale-mister-smith-the-hating-game-1234826960/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">will soon be a movie</a>. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/15/lets-celebrate-bridget-jones-turning-25-and-be-critical-of-her-too" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bridget Jones’s Diary</a> came out in 1996 and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/24/my-favourite-film-aged-12-bridget-jones-diary-renee-zellweger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the movie came out in 2001. </a><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/physics-of-great-romance-fiction/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Enemies to Lovers</a> is a completely beloved romance trope. Rivals to lovers lives within the larger trope and is very fun because it is often a perfectly matched pair on an even playing field. Sarah wrote <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/5775/9780062692078" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brazen &amp; the Beast</a> after being inspired by The Hating Game.Here’s what we mean when we say <a href="https://katherinephelps.com/2011/11/types-of-comedy-part-three-situational-comedy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">situational comedy</a>.<a href="https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b69fac6f-d8e0-4497-bfa8-ac778a2d15a4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What is the plural of arch-nemesis?</a><a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1260628374273306633?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen hates present tense</a>, but of course everyone should write what’s right for them. Is it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_lit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">chick lit</a> or is it <a href="https://lithub.com/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-womens-fiction/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">women’s fiction</a>? <a href="https://lithub.com/what-was-chick-lit-a-brief-history-from-the-inside/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why do these labels even exist</a>? Just go back and read <a href="https://amzn.to/36pk9cj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing</a> or <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/5775/9780743418171" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Good in Bed</a> by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/11/opinion/the-snobs-and-me.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Weiner</a>. We don’t talk about <a href="http://www.literarydevices.com/voice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">voice</a> that much, but <a href="https://kidlit.com/authorial-voice-third-person-voice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">maybe we should</a>. There was a short lived Harlequin chick lit line called <a href="https://www.writerswrite.com/harlequin-launches-red-dress-ink-11302001688" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Dress Ink</a> in 2001. Here’s what Jen teaches her kids about <a href="https://images.slideplayer.com/13/3795501/slides/slide_8.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">characterization</a>. The <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2020/11/romance-novels-interior-design-open-plan-minimalism.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Slate article about interiors</a> and <a href="https://wordsuitcase.substack.com/p/window-undressing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a very thorough rebuttal from Felicia Davin</a>. We talked about <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/9/1/s0303-fifty-shades-of-grey-by-el-james" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">another hero</a> who <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/10/5/s0309-fanfictions-influence-on-romance-with-christina-lauren" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">came up through Twilight fanfic. </a>If you like a scene where one main character tells off the family on behalf of their beloved, you should read <a href="https://amzn.to/36sfBC4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz.</a>In two weeks, we'll be reading <a href="https://amzn.to/3ocmL37" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever.</a> We are getting ready for <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a31018089/bridgerton-netflix-shonda-rhimes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bridgerton</a> and <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/wonder-woman-1984-hbo-max-release-1234804411/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wonder Woman 1984</a>. If you're interested in <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/?q=p.fated_mates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Fated Mates Best of 2020 book pack</a> and you want it delivered by Christmas, make sure you order it by 12/5.

S03.17: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: Lucy! Obviously Danny didn't send the roses! 

The Best Romance Novels of 2020! It’s the best and worst task of the year for us, because we read so many AMAZING books over the course of the year, and choosing ten and not one hundred is hard for us, ok? But here they are — ten gorgeous books  that we adored—books with badass heroines, larger-than-life heroes, brilliant structure, and outstanding writing. Buy the Fated Mates Best of Book Pack in one fell swoop from our friends at Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! Support fabulous authors and a woman-owned independent bookstore all at once!  Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Next week, we get back to doing what we do best: Reading Romance! We’re deep-diving on Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game. Get it at Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple or at your local indie via bookshop.org.The Best Romance Novels of 2020Fated StatesInterested in phone banking or writing postcards to voters in Georgia? Join us for our upcoming Fated States events: phone banking on 12/2/20 and 1/4/2021 and postcards on 12/5/2020.Show NotesConsider buying a Fated Mates pack of 7 of our 10 books (it doesn't include the self-published books) from Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virgina. You can also check out our Bookshop link.Can you believe that RWA debacle was 11 months ago? So you want to hear us talk about A Heart of Blood and Ashes, Like Lovers Do, Queen Move, or The Devil of Downtown? Cold War history is fascinating. Not only all the nuclear stuff, but Sarah's story about K Blows Top sounds fascinating. Some LitFic novels that play around with dual storylines are The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Possession, and the more romance adjacent Secret History of the Pink Carnation. All about danger banging. And of course there’s a button for that. Tammany Hall is often used as a historical example of total police corruption. Up next week, we'll be reading The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

The Best Romance Novels of 2020! It’s the best and worst task of the year for us, because we read so many AMAZING books over the course of the year, and choosing ten and not one hundred is hard for us, ok? But here they are — ten gorgeous books that we adored—books with badass heroines, larger-than-life heroes, brilliant structure, and outstanding writing. Buy the Fated Mates Best of Book Pack in one fell swoop from our friends at <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old Town Books in Alexandria Virginia</a>, and get the seven traditionally published books on the list, a Fated Mates sticker and a candle from the bookstore! <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support fabulous authors and a woman-owned independent bookstore all at once</a>! Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Next week, we get back to doing what we do best: Reading Romance! We’re deep-diving on Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game. Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/365ueto" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hating-game-sally-thorne/1122785062" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-hating-game-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-hating-game/id1059648341?ct=books_the_hating_game&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> or at your local indie <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/5779/9780062439598" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">via bookshop.org</a>.The Best Romance Novels of 2020Fated StatesInterested in phone banking or writing postcards to voters in Georgia? Join us for our upcoming Fated States events: phone banking on <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsfu2upz8rEtKN-GFp68g5Qzg7U6cBOEjp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">12/2/20</a> and <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qf-iqqjwjGtxdsDhBvWK-OB6hav_Lx1lm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1/4/2021</a> and <a href="https://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtdu-tqzsoHtQjr_hWOX1doA5hSROtQfue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">postcards on 12/5/2020.</a>Show NotesConsider buying <a href="https://www.oldtownbooks.com/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a Fated Mates pack of 7 of our 10 books</a> (it doesn't include the self-published books) from Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virgina. You can also check out <a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/s03-16-best-romance-novels-of-2020" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our Bookshop link</a>.Can you believe <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/romance-writers-america-sinking-ship/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">that RWA debacle</a> was 11 months ago? So you want to hear us talk about <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/9/15/s0305-a-heart-of-blood-and-ashes-by-milla-vane" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Heart of Blood and Ashes</a>, <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/9/6/s0304-friends-to-lovers-interstitial-with-tracey-livesay" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Like Lovers Do</a>, <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/7/6/s0244-freewheeling-with-kennedy-ryan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Queen Move</a>, or <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/6/23/s0242-unusual-historical-interstitial-with-joanna-shupe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Devil of Downtown</a>? Cold War history is fascinating. Not only <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1116681034152779778?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">all the nuclear stuff</a>, but Sarah's story about <a href="https://amzn.to/2V1bK8t" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">K Blows Top</a> sounds fascinating. Some LitFic novels that play around with dual storylines are <a href="https://amzn.to/3m3UTxG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The French Lieutenant’s Woman</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3m3tXhj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Possession</a>, and the more romance adjacent <a href="https://amzn.to/3ftuiaS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Secret History of the Pink Carnation</a>. All about <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1228787624619511808?s=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">danger banging.</a> And of course <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/product-page/danger-bang" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">there’s a button for that. </a><a href="http://nypdhistory.com/whats-the-deal-with-tammany-halls-corruption-of-the-new-york-city-police-department-chapter-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tammany Hall</a> is often used as a historical example of total police corruption. Up next week, we'll be reading <a href="https://amzn.to/362HTCJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hating Game</a> by Sally Thorne.

S03.16: Best Romance Novels of 2020

It’s  getting colder out there, so we’re getting hot in here! We’ve got the  fabulous Katee Robert with us to talk about ménage romance and why she  writes them so well. We get to the bottom of why it always gets shoved  into the taboo corner of romance, the fantasy of the trope, and why we  like it so very much. Also, we topple the TBR (as usual)!Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a  rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be  very grateful! Slight change of schedule to accommodate a fun thing we’re up to…next  week, just in time for your Thanksgiving sloth, we’re announcing our  best books of 2020! The following week, we’re reading Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game! Get it at Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple or at your local indie via bookshop.org.Show NotesWelcome Katee Robert! You can’t just make wikipedia pages about yourself. High fantasy has real meaning. When talking about romance, M and F (and NB for nonbinary) are used  to inform readers about the gender identity of the main characters. This  is an imperfect shorthand, but at this point in our understanding of  sex and gender, it seems like the most respectful way to acknowledge  that there is a huge range of sexual identities that exist for people of  all genders. For example, if we call a book with two women “a lesbian  romance” it might not take into account that one character is bisexual,  which adds to bi-erasure. So if a romance is labeled M/F, we know there  is a man and a woman in a romantic relationship, but that leaves room  for the sexual identity of the characters to be fully explored in the  book. In romance with more than two people, the order of the letters  matters. A book that is MFM would mean that the two men do not have a  sexual relationship with each other, while FMM or MMF means that they  do. There is nothing taboo about polyamory. Jen liked the progression of menage in Elle Kennedy’s Out of Uniform  series. The series starts with a non-swords crossing threesome, Hot and Bothered. The observing one was Heat of the Night  (available in the Hot and Heavy anthology), where Ryan watches  Annabelle have sex with his roommate. But as the series progresses,  there is contact between the SEALs in Feeling Hot and a fully formed menage relationship in Hotter Than Ever. Ellora’s Cave and Samhain were two of the original (and now shuttered) indie publishers that specialized in erotic romance and/or taboo romance. That article in Harpers about how men don’t have friends. The Anita Blake series went through a lot of changes, so just go with Katee’s method and start with #9, Obsidian Butterfly.Katee will be back to talk about morality chain in 2021. Next week, we’ll be airing our Best of 2020 episode, and then the first week of December, we’ll be discussing The Hating Game. 

It’s getting colder out there, so we’re getting hot in here! We’ve got the fabulous Katee Robert with us to talk about ménage romance and why she writes them so well. We get to the bottom of why it always gets shoved into the taboo corner of romance, the fantasy of the trope, and why we like it so very much. Also, we topple the TBR (as usual)!Thank you, as always, for listening! If you are up for leaving a rating or review for the podcast on your podcasting app, we would be very grateful! Slight change of schedule to accommodate a fun thing we’re up to…next week, just in time for your Thanksgiving sloth, we’re announcing our best books of 2020! The following week, we’re reading Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game! Get it at <a href="https://amzn.to/365ueto" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hating-game-sally-thorne/1122785062" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/the-hating-game-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-hating-game/id1059648341?ct=books_the_hating_game&amp;itscg=30200&amp;itsct=books_toolbox&amp;ls=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> or at your local indie <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/5779/9780062439598" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">via bookshop.org</a>.Show NotesWelcome <a href="https://www.kateerobert.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Katee Robert</a>! <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:An_article_about_yourself_isn%27t_necessarily_a_good_thing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You can’t just make wikipedia pages about yourself</a>. <a href="https://bookriot.com/high-fantasy-vs-low-fantasy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">High fantasy</a> has real meaning. When talking about romance, M and F (and NB for nonbinary) are used to inform readers about the gender identity of the main characters. This is an imperfect shorthand, but at this point in our understanding of sex and gender, it seems like the most respectful way to acknowledge that there is a huge range of sexual identities that exist for people of all genders. For example, if we call a book with two women “a lesbian romance” it might not take into account that one character is bisexual, which adds to bi-erasure. So if a romance is labeled M/F, we know there is a man and a woman in a romantic relationship, but that leaves room for the sexual identity of the characters to be fully explored in the book. In romance with more than two people, the order of the letters matters. A book that is MFM would mean that the two men do not have a sexual relationship with each other, while FMM or MMF means that they do. There is nothing taboo about <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/polyamorous#key-values" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">polyamory</a>. Jen liked the progression of menage in Elle Kennedy’s Out of Uniform series. The series starts with a non-swords crossing threesome, <a href="https://amzn.to/3f61DZe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hot and Bothered</a>. The observing one was <a href="https://amzn.to/3kGuip1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Heat of the Night</a> (available in the Hot and Heavy anthology), where Ryan watches Annabelle have sex with his roommate. But as the series progresses, there is contact between the SEALs in <a href="https://amzn.to/35FIBFP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Feeling Hot</a> and a fully formed menage relationship in <a href="https://amzn.to/36Lupuj" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hotter Than Ever</a>. <a href="https://thesteamyreader.com/what-the-heck-happened-to-elloras-cave" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ellora’s Cave</a> and <a href="https://goodereader.com/blog/indie-author-news/samhain-closes-is-amazon-to-blame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samhain</a> were two of the original (and now shuttered) indie publishers that specialized in erotic romance and/or taboo romance. <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">That article in Harpers about how men don’t have friends</a>. <a href="https://ew.com/books/2018/08/07/laurell-k-hamiltons-anita-blake-25th-anniversary/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Anita Blake series</a> went through a lot of changes, so just go with Katee’s method and start with #9, <a href="https://amzn.to/35FrkN5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Obsidian Butterfly</a>.Katee will be back to talk about <a href="https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Morality_Chain" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">morality chain</a> in 2021. Next week, we’ll be airing our Best of 2020 episode, and then the first week of December, we’ll be discussing <a href="https://amzn.to/35FqEaw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hating Game</a>.

S03.15: Menage Romance Interstitial with Katee Robert

Fated Mates is a romance novel podcast co-hosted by author Sarah MacLean and critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming. 

Love it, love Jen and Sarah!  They are so smart and so funny!

So excellent

I love this podcast!  Thank you for making the wait for Munro’s book bearable!

My IAD fix!!!!

Fated Mates is a romance novel podcast co-hosted by author Sarah MacLean and critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming.

Fated Mates - A Romance Novel Podcast

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, a like would be awesome!Our next read (in two weeks) will be No Rest for the Wicked — the story of Sebastian Wroth (vampire) and Kaderin the Cold-Hearted (valkyrie), and the beginning of the IAD Amazing Race mini-arc!Show Notes- Why do people hate the word moist?- There really are catacombs below Paris, and they seem very creepy.- Co-ed is a more dated word than you'd expect. According to the Oxford English dictionary, it's been in use since the 1880s. Game, set, and match to The Independent, which printed the following sentence in 1903: "Any college where the girls are commonly called ‘co-eds’ is not a truly co-educational institution."- The TSTL trope in romance heroines.- All about Mary Sues.- The Fated Mates trope.- Maybe you all missed the Kavanaugh hearings. I love myself, so we'll just stick to one informative infographic.- Jen's romance book club at 57th Street Books in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. If you're not in Chicago, bookstores and libraries across the country and online will be participating in The Great Big Romance Read in December 2018. Find your people!- Romance isn't the only genre examining old favorites through the lens of #MeToo. Molly Ringwald looked back at John Hughes and The Breakfast Club in The New Yorker. This podcast from WNYC is about pop culture in the #MeToo era.- The list of RITA award winners, sorted by year.- A million articles have been written about Twilight, but I like this one that looks at the big themes that bubble up time and time again.- Alisha Rai has said lots of smart things about toxic masculinity, as it turns out.- Representation in BDSM matters.- Take a crash course in modernity.-  A brief overview of Cassandra from Greek mythology.- The Devil in Winter, because everyone loves to read about a sex deal.- According to The Smart Bitches, a magic hoo-hah is "shorthand for the equally illustrious and many powers of the female sex organ, specifically the vagina. The Magic Hoo-Hoo tames the Mighty Wang, and becomes the magnetized true north for the hero’s trouser compass from the point of their first sexual coupling. The Magic Hoo-Hoo brings the hero to monogamous attachment, because after experiencing it, the hero will not be satisfied with anything or anyone else."- I'm sure everyone wants to learn more about moon phases.- Fury is an actual furie.- When we say Lothaire was a big deal, we mean there was an actual Lothaire bus touring around America.- Are you ready for No Rest for the Wicked?

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, a like would be awesome!Our next read (in two weeks) will be <a href="https://amzn.to/2RNICh9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Rest for the Wicked</a> — the story of Sebastian Wroth (vampire) and Kaderin the Cold-Hearted (valkyrie), and the beginning of the IAD Amazing Race mini-arc!Show Notes- Why do people <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/64984/science-behind-why-people-hate-word-moist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hate the word moist</a>?- There really are <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/paris-catacombs-180950160/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">catacombs below Paris</a>, and they seem very creepy.- <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Co-ed</a> is a more dated word than you'd expect. According to the Oxford English dictionary, it's been in use since the 1880s. Game, set, and match to The Independent, which printed the following sentence in 1903: "Any college where the girls are commonly called ‘co-eds’ is not a truly co-educational institution."- The <a href="https://kayedacus.com/2008/04/22/writing-the-romance-novel-caveman-and-tstl-heroine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TSTL trope</a> in <a href="https://readingromantically.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/would-you-be-tstl/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">romance heroines</a>.- All about <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mary-sue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary</a> <a href="https://www.tckpublishing.com/what-is-a-mary-sue/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sues</a>.- The <a href="https://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/romance-101-fated-mates/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fated Mates trope</a>.- Maybe you all missed the Kavanaugh hearings. I love myself, so we'll just stick to <a href="https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2018/9/28/17914308/kavanaugh-ford-question-dodge-hearing-chart" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">one informative infographic</a>.- Jen's <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/about-this-site" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">romance book club at 57th Street Books</a> in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. If you're not in Chicago, bookstores and libraries across the country and online will be participating in <a href="https://www.thegreatbigromanceread.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Great Big Romance Read</a> in December 2018. Find your people!- Romance isn't the only genre examining old favorites through the lens of #MeToo. Molly Ringwald looked back at <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/what-about-the-breakfast-club-molly-ringwald-metoo-john-hughes-pretty-in-pink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Hughes and The Breakfast Club in The New Yorker</a>. This <a href="https://www.wnyc.org/story/rethinking-pop-culture-light-metoo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast from WNYC</a> is about pop culture in the #MeToo era.- The list of <a href="https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=535" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RITA award winners</a>, sorted by year.- A million articles have been written about Twilight, but I like this one that looks at <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/11/at-its-core-the-twilight-saga-is-a-story-about/265328/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the big themes</a> that bubble up time and time again.- Alisha Rai has said lots of smart things <a href="https://frolic.media/magic-mike-xxl-smashing-toxic-masculinity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about toxic masculinity</a>, as it turns out.- <a href="https://www.elitedaily.com/p/what-fifty-shades-gets-right-wrong-about-bdsm-according-to-expert-8224269" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Representation in BDSM</a> matters.- Take a <a href="https://youtu.be/69VF7mT4nRU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">crash course in modernity</a>.- A brief overview of <a href="https://pantheon.org/articles/c/cassandra.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cassandra</a> from Greek mythology.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2JUX5oZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Devil in Winter</a>, because everyone loves to read about a sex deal.- <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2011/11/the-bitchery-glossary/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">According to The Smart Bitches</a>, a magic hoo-hah is "shorthand for the equally illustrious and many powers of the female sex organ, specifically the vagina. The Magic Hoo-Hoo tames the Mighty Wang, and becomes the magnetized true north for the hero’s trouser compass from the point of their first sexual coupling. The Magic Hoo-Hoo brings the hero to monogamous attachment, because after experiencing it, the hero will not be satisfied with anything or anyone else."- I'm sure everyone wants to learn more about <a href="https://earthsky.org/moon-phases/understandingmoonphases" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">moon phases</a>.- Fury is an actual <a href="https://pantheon.org/articles/f/furiae.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">furie</a>.- When we say <a href="http://www.murdershewrites.com/tag/lothaire/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lothaire was a big deal</a>, we mean there was an actual Lothaire bus touring around America.- Are you ready for <a href="https://amzn.to/2RMUvEc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Rest for the Wicked</a>?

1: We're Gonna Come Back to Biting - A Hunger Like No Other

Auspicious beginning, right? Don’t miss a single moment of our 2020 episodes — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!We’re back next week (WE PROMISE!) with Born in Ice, by none other than the queen herself, Nora Roberts. Read Born in Ice  at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or your local indie. SHOW NOTES: Jen misquoted a famous scene in Chinatown; it's actually "my sister and my daughter." Yikes.Pretty sure if you're fancasting us into this clip from Grease about the Pink Ladies, Sierra is Rizzo.We've talked a lot about Sierra's books on the podcast, but it was on the Small Town Romance interstitial that Sarah joked all of Sierra's books take place in Menage County, Kansas.The Romance for RAICES auction was the brainchild of Suzanne from Love in Panels and raised TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS! You should definitely support her blog and patreon if you can. The crisis on the border is ongoing and getting worse. Please continue to support romance's teams at RAICES and The Young Center.We were going to rickroll you by talking about Peggy Sue Got Married and pirate romances, but we're nice that way and didn't. FWIW, Jen still thinks the plot of Peggy Sue Got Married is haunting.Sierra is also, of course, the founder, owner, and operator of The Simone Scale, which does not include teabagging even, but has been, because she loves us, updated to include pegging. The image is on our website in show notes.We did a lot of research for this episode!Everyone wants the right pegging playlist, and of course there's one on Spotify. What a world! Besides Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman, we offer up for your consideration Back It Up, Boys by Peaches and Behind the Wheel by Depeche Mode.Here are some Sierra Simone recommended toys and harnesses. She says of the toys, "The small is VERY gently sized and some men may feel more comfortable with a toy is that isn’t a hyper-realistic reproduction of a cock."Elia Winters is a Fated Mates favorite, and we want to thank her for her help thinking through the implicatons for gender essentialism and cisnormativity in this discussion. Buy her books! Her latest Three For All has pegging.Sierra mentioned "that law about gas expanding to fill a space" -- well, I phoned Jonathan, a friend who teaches chemistry, and he says that's called entropy or Boyles Law of Kinetic Molecular Theory. Learn more about it here from Professor Dave, a Jonathan-approved chemistry youtube instructor.Samhain and Ellora's Cave (which was especially messy) were two earlier and now shuttered publishers of erotic romance.Jen Porter wrote a great twitter thread about erotic romance and character development.That's What She Said.Sarah mentioned "the RITA entry window" and goddamn if that's not a bitter pill to swallow right now. She's sorry.A little about what it means to be allosexual.Check out Roan Parrish's short story A Good Old Fashioned Chanukah Pegging, starring Ginger and Christopher from Small Change.Everyone knows you need a flared base on your butt plugs, or at least anyone who follows Jenny Nordbak knows.Romance as sex ed is complicated, but Scarlteen is on the job, and Teen Vogue would never steer you wrong.The Pegging Song that Adriana sent us from Twitter is amazing, and we want to thank @shutupaida for being so gracious about letting us play it during the podcast. Also, be sure to watch Big Mouth on Netflix, because she's writing for it now!I guess Katee Robert isn't the only one staging elaborate scenes with her Barbie dolls.The Rogue Anthologies are pretty great and there are quite a few of them.Jen had to do a major "retcon" on this hero in the Tamsen Parker book in order to read it. It's fine, really.Special thanks to our special guest Sierra Simone! You can find her on Instagram or Facebook. Read her New Camelot series, the first is American Queen! She also joined us on our MacRieve episode, and we talked about Priest, a book that blooded Sarah.You can buy a Pegging the Patriarchy button and other Romancelandia buttons at stickers at Jen's shop run by her best friend Kelly, and Sarah's t-shirts and swag from Jordandene.Next week, we'll be talking about Born in Ice by Nora Roberts! We mean it!Much thanks to all the members of the Pegging Cabal for their amazing, generous donation, and for asking us to do this episode: E is reading, Jennifer, Stephanie Blackhart, Amanda, Kini, Melinda, Tempest Bonds, Michelle Boule, JS Lenore, Eve Pendle, and Isabel. Give them a follow, or maybe this related account, Is There Pegging? But whatever you do, don't make everyone think that something is wrong with Colin Firth. We hope you enjoyed the episode!

Auspicious beginning, right? Don’t miss a single moment of our 2020 episodes — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!We’re back next week (WE PROMISE!) with Born in Ice, by none other than the queen herself, Nora Roberts. Read Born in Ice at <a href="https://amzn.to/2Pw5gLI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/born-in-ice-nora-roberts/1100316778#/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/born-in-ice/id357914515?app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR&amp;mt=11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/born-in-ice-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a> or <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780515116755" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">your local indie</a>. SHOW NOTES: Jen misquoted a famous scene in Chinatown; it's actually <a href="https://youtu.be/wnrdetFAo1o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"my sister and my daughter."</a> Yikes.Pretty sure if you're fancasting us into <a href="https://youtu.be/-MQNNzaEt2s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this clip from Grease about the Pink Ladies</a>, Sierra is Rizzo.We've talked a lot about Sierra's books on the podcast, but it was on <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/5/6/125-small-town-romance-interstitial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Small Town Romance interstitial</a> that Sarah joked all of Sierra's books take place in Menage County, Kansas.<a href="https://www.32auctions.com/RomanceforRAICES" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Romance for RAICES auction</a> was the brainchild of <a href="https://twitter.com/cerestheories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Suzanne</a> from <a href="http://www.loveinpanels.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love in Panels</a> and raised TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS! You should definitely support her blog and <a href="https://www.patreon.com/loveinpanels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">patreon</a> if you can. The <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-11-27/the-new-family-separation-migrant-parents-stranded-on-border-send-kids-across-alone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">crisis on the border</a> is ongoing and getting worse. Please continue to support romance's teams at <a href="https://www.classy.org/team/247823" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RAICES</a> and <a href="https://www.theyoungcenter.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Young Center</a>.We were going to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rickroll</a> you by talking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Sue_Got_Married" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peggy Sue Got Married</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/pirate-romance" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pirate romances</a>, but we're nice that way and didn't. FWIW, Jen still thinks the plot of Peggy Sue Got Married is haunting.Sierra is also, of course, the founder, owner, and operator of <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1212092587114467329" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Simone Scale</a>, which does not include <a href="https://youtu.be/Yrw_2Cl0G0Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">teabagging</a> even, but has been, because she loves us, updated to include pegging. The image is on our website in show notes.We did <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1195705061726412800" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a lot</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1184088562058321923" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">research</a> for this episode!Everyone wants <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/pegging_unkinked/comments/b5cv5m/any_recommendations_for_a_good_pegging_session/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the right pegging playlist</a>, and of course there's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6uJ7ATGHRrk3OUEl7cJEdY?si=foElR9WkQky5yRxcyFsdBg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">one on Spotify</a>. What a world! Besides <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/137861/is-ariana-grande-s-dangerous-woman-actually-an-ode-to-pegging-a-three-part-analysis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman</a>, we offer up for your consideration <a href="https://youtu.be/Bm6kKT5lIvY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Back It Up</a>, <a href="https://genius.com/Peaches-back-it-up-boys-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Boys by Peaches</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6L6KUZTSO6lscpKefW7o30?highlight=spotify%3Atrack%3A3mxIXe255fM3KvJ3PCa343" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Behind the Wheel</a> by Depeche Mode.Here are some Sierra Simone recommended <a href="https://www.tantusinc.com/collections/dildos/products/silk-small" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toys </a>and <a href="https://www.myspare.com/product/joque" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">harnesses</a>. She says of the toys, "The small is VERY gently sized and some men may feel more comfortable with a toy is that isn’t a hyper-realistic reproduction of a cock."Elia Winters is a Fated Mates favorite, and we want to thank her for her help thinking through the implicatons for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_essentialism" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gender essentialism</a> and <a href="http://queerdictionary.blogspot.com/2014/09/definition-of-cisnormativity.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cisnormativity</a> in this discussion. Buy her books! Her latest <a href="https://amzn.to/2SEJ84K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Three For All</a> has pegging.Sierra mentioned "that law about gas expanding to fill a space" -- well, I phoned Jonathan, a friend who teaches chemistry, and he says that's called entropy or Boyles Law of Kinetic Molecular Theory. <a href="https://youtu.be/8N1BxHgsoOw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more about it here from Professor Dave</a>, a Jonathan-approved chemistry youtube instructor.<a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2017/02/go-get-books-samhain-publishing-will-close-february-28-2017/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samhain</a> and <a href="https://dearauthor.com/ebooks/the-curious-case-of-elloras-cave/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ellora's Cave</a> (which was <a href="https://www.mhpbooks.com/is-amazon-responsible-for-the-elloras-cave-fiasco/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">especially messy</a>) were two earlier and now shuttered publishers of erotic romance.Jen Porter wrote <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferRNN/status/1191119312846819329" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a great twitter thread</a> about erotic romance and character development.<a href="https://youtu.be/ClzJkv3dpY8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">That's What She Said</a>.Sarah mentioned "the RITA entry window" and goddamn if that's not <a href="https://www.claireryanauthor.com/blog/2019/12/27/the-implosion-of-the-rwa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a bitter pill to swallow</a> right now. She's sorry.A little about what it means to be <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/allosexual" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">allosexual</a>.Check out Roan Parrish's short story <a href="https://bookandmainbites.com/story/42208" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Good Old Fashioned Chanukah Pegging</a>, starring Ginger and Christopher from <a href="https://amzn.to/2F68Jfb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Small Change</a>.Everyone knows you need a flared base on your butt plugs, or at least anyone who follows <a href="https://twitter.com/JennyNordbak/status/1066913559395717120" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jenny</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JennyNordbak/status/1066913775561797632" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nordbak</a> knows.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/opinion/sunday/romance-novels-sex-ed.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romance as sex ed</a> is complicated, but <a href="https://www.scarleteen.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scarlteen</a> is on the job, and <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/anal-sex-what-you-need-to-know" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teen Vogue</a> would never steer you wrong.<a href="https://twitter.com/shutupaida/status/1116548553906774018" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Pegging Song</a> that Adriana sent us from Twitter is amazing, and we want to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/shutupaida" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@shutupaida</a> for being so gracious about letting us play it during the podcast. Also, be sure to watch <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80117038" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Big Mouth on Netflix</a>, because she's writing for it now!I guess <a href="https://twitter.com/katee_robert" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Katee Robert</a> isn't the only one <a href="https://twitter.com/hayleyghoover/status/1211352682742657024" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">staging elaborate scenes with her Barbie dolls</a>.<a href="https://amzn.to/35fbdlO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Rogue Anthologies</a> are pretty great and there are quite a few of them.Jen had to do a major "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroactive_continuity" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">retcon</a>" on this hero in the Tamsen Parker book in order to read it. It's fine, really.Special thanks to our special guest Sierra Simone! You can find her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thesierrasimone/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheSierraSimone/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Read her New Camelot series, the first is <a href="https://amzn.to/2SSr33B" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American Queen</a>! She also joined us on our <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/4/29/12-macrieve" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MacRieve episode</a>, and we talked about <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/11/4/s029-priest-by-sierra-simone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Priest</a>, a book that blooded Sarah.You can buy a <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/product-page/pegging-the-patriarchy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pegging the Patriarchy button</a> and other <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/shop/fatedmates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romancelandia buttons at stickers</a> at Jen's shop run by her best friend Kelly, and <a href="https://jordandene.com/collections/romance-sarah-maclean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah's t-shirts and swag from Jordandene</a>.Next week, we'll be talking about <a href="https://amzn.to/2F5ZsDQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Born in Ice by Nora Roberts</a>! We mean it!Much thanks to all the members of the Pegging Cabal for their amazing, generous donation, and for asking us to do this episode: <a href="https://twitter.com/EisReading" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E is reading</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HEAorGTFO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/StephBlackhart" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stephanie Blackhart</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DCRomanceReader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amanda</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kinilei1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kini</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MelindaEdits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melinda</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TempestDarling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tempest Bonds</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/wanderingeyre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michelle Boule</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/p1013" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JS Lenore</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/EvePendle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eve Pendle</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/LePetiteGeneral" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Isabel</a>. Give them a follow, or maybe this related account, <a href="https://twitter.com/IsTherePegging" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Is There Pegging</a>? But whatever you do, don't make everyone think that <a href="https://twitter.com/SDGoBlue/status/1192151452845670400" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">something is wrong</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/EisReading/status/1192119066888212481" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colin Firth</a>. We hope you enjoyed the episode!

S02.17: Pegging Romance Interstitial

Lisa Kleypas

We’re back in two weeks with Johanna Lindsey’s Gentle Rogue, set on a ship with a heroine-in-pants and a hero who really deserves everything she delivers him. Find it at: Amazon, B&amp;N, Kobo, Apple Books, or at your local Independent Bookstore!Don’t forget to like &amp; subscribe in your favorite podcasting app so you don’t miss a single second of us in your earholes!Show Notes- Anyone know if Warby Parker is looking for a podcast to sponser?- Sarah &amp; Lisa spent time together because they were signing at Nora Roberts's bookstore, Turn the Page, in real-life Boonsboro, MD. Jen had some hard-core FOMO.-February 4th is Derek Craven Day, look at some of our tweets from that day.- A reminder of that 1992 election and what we should have learned from Anita Hill. But Stormy Danielsis more in control of her narrative.- Josh Lyman never calls it a recession, call it a bagel.- We love Steve Ammidown at the BGSU pop culture library.- IRL, Matilda was Pamela. But that ending, classic Lady or the Tiger or The Sopranos.- The second casino is in Devil in Winter, where Ivo Jenner's daughter falls in love with Sebastian, St. Vincent, whom many think is Lisa's best hero. They are wrong.- We're back on Moonstruck with that mother-in-law and "Bring me the big knife!"- More about some of those Jungian archetypes.- Jen meant coitus interruptus in the Urban Dictionary way, not the Merriam-Webster way.- This article seems to think head hopping is more common in roamance, but I don't know if that's true.- Close third person POV or Free Indirect Speech &amp; Jane Austen.- Have you listened to our bodily autonomy episode?- Dangerous Liasons the book has been around for a long time, but Jen is talking about the 1988 movie.- "She leaves the gun on the table" is a reference to a famous writing precept by Chekhov.- Doing spectacles better than F. Scott Fitzgerald.- Gentle Rogue is coming up in two weeks.- Kelly has some Fated Mates swag and Romancelandia buttons for sale.- Derek Craven would never.- Fated Mates is produced by Eric Mortensen

We’re back in two weeks with Johanna Lindsey’s Gentle Rogue, set on a ship with a heroine-in-pants and a hero who really deserves everything she delivers him. Find it at: <a href="https://amzn.to/2loAJ7i" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gentle-rogue-johanna-lindsey/1001868593?ean=9780380753024#/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gentle-rogue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/gentle-rogue/id446885889?app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR&amp;mt=11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, or at <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780380753024" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">your local Independent Bookstore</a>!Don’t forget to like &amp; subscribe in your favorite podcasting app so you don’t miss a single second of us in your earholes!Show Notes- Anyone know if <a href="https://www.warbyparker.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Warby Parker</a> is looking for a podcast to sponser?- Sarah &amp; Lisa spent time together because they were signing at Nora Roberts's bookstore, <a href="https://www.ttpbooks.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Turn the Page</a>, in real-life Boonsboro, MD. Jen had some hard-core <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ritual-and-the-brain/201804/the-science-fomo-and-what-we-re-really-missing-out" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FOMO</a>.-February 4th is Derek Craven Day, look at some of <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/960281122918862848" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1092522175184232453" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tweets</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1092522824475045888" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">from</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1092465905181831168" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">that</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1092469854186156032" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">day</a>.- A reminder of that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/12/30/a-guide-to-the-allegations-of-bill-clintons-womanizing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1992 election</a> and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-phelps-anita-hill-christine-blasey-ford-kavanaugh-20180918-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">what we should have learned from Anita Hill</a>. But <a href="https://twitter.com/StormyDaniels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stormy Daniels</a>is more in control of her narrative.- Josh Lyman <a href="https://youtu.be/_sSW4daqRSc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">never calls it a recession</a>, call it a bagel.- We love <a href="https://twitter.com/stegan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve Ammidown</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/BGSU_PopCultLib" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BGSU pop culture library</a>.- IRL, Matilda was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela;_or,_Virtue_Rewarded" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pamela</a>. But that ending, classic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady,_or_the_Tiger%3F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lady or the Tiger</a> or <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/the-sopranos-ending-does-tony-die.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sopranos</a>.- The second casino is in <a href="https://amzn.to/2mrWQtN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Devil in Winter</a>, where Ivo Jenner's daughter falls in love with Sebastian, St. Vincent, whom many think is Lisa's best hero. They are wrong.- We're back on Moonstruck with that <a href="https://youtu.be/O66m3X5mYpU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mother-in-law</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/wUPc7frUlD8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Bring me the big knife!</a>"- More about some of those <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/transcending-the-past/201605/mothers-witches-and-the-power-archetypes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jungian archetypes</a>.- Jen meant coitus interruptus in <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=coitus%20interruptus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Urban Dictionary way</a>, not <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coitus%20interruptus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Merriam-Webster way</a>.- This article seems to think <a href="https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2014/04/30/head-hopping-fiction-writing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">head hopping</a> is more common in roamance, but I don't know if that's true.- Close third person POV or <a href="http://jasna.org/publications/persuasions-online/vol37no1/white-smith/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Indirect Speech &amp; Jane Austen</a>.- Have you listened to <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/5/18/135-freewheeling-with-sarah-and-jen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our bodily autonomy episode</a>?- Dangerous Liasons the book has been around for a long time, but Jen is talking about <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dangerous-liaisons-1989" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the 1988 movie</a>.- "She leaves the gun on the table" is a reference to a famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">writing precept by Chekhov</a>.- Doing spectacles<a href="https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/gatsby/symbols/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> better than F. Scott Fitzgerald</a>.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2n3e5C7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gentle Rogue</a> is coming up in two weeks.- Kelly has some <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/product-page/fated-mates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fated Mates swag and Romancelandia buttons for sale</a>.- <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1025069638550540294" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Derek</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1097853712087826434" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Craven</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1176551649969463296" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">would</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1172184981227094016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">never</a>.- Fated Mates is produced by Eric Mortensen

S02.3: Lisa Kleypas Does Spectacles Better than F. Scott Fitzgerald: Dreaming of You

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review!In two weeks, we’re moving across the pond to Beverly Jenkins’s Indigo, with one of Sarah’s favorite heroines ever—Hester Wyatt, Underground Railroad conductor! Read Indigo at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or your local indie.Show NotesIn between our recording and release of this episode, Kristen Callihan did release a new book, Outmatched, which is cowritten with Samantha Young. But don't miss Scottie from Managed, who will appear later in season 2 as a book that blooded Jen.Munro. That's it. That's the show note.Some of the best of 2019 lists from Bookish, NPR and Kirkus. Sarah's website has all of her past Best of the Year Lists for the Washington Post. Amazon also has a best of the year list, but the Goodreads Award list is strange.Emma Donoghue's Room was a big literary fiction book back in 2010, and it was on all the end of the year lists.Jen will be appearing at The Book Cellar on Dec 7, 2019 if you're looking for something to do. She'll be talking about the best books of the year with other critics.Around the same time we recorded this episode, Kini at SmexyBooks wrote this thoughtful piece about transparency in romance reviewing.Kylie Scott's Repeat was also on our Amnesia episode.Love's Sweet Arrow is a romance-only bookstore in Chicago's south suburbs.Quelle suprise!.Jen also likes Rebecca Zanetti, who also resists romantic suspense that is just "women in peril" plots.Face/Off is a very goofy movie from the late 90s. So of course they're going to remake it.In this Juno Rushdon series, Jen wants the boss's book.We're talking about historicals, but we're not talking about Brazen and the Beast even though Jen wants you to know it's spectacular and you should definitely read it.I guess we're singing this episode: Just One Night is a twist on Phil Collins's One More Night in the Moulin Rouge movie and All Night Long.Jenny Nordbak recommended Dare to Love a Duke to Sarah, and after the unreliable narrators essay, Amy Jo Cousinsrecommended Any Old Diamonds to Jen.Who wouldn't want to talk about Frankenstein, Shelley, and Wollstonecraft?Don't sleep on the Gilded Age.Kennedy's Basketball series is also great. But in The Kingmaker duet, she also tackles the problem of missing and murdered indiginous women and land grabs on Native land. Here is a list of #OwnVoices Native American authors from BookRiot, and another from Smart Bitches, but Jen specifically recommends Pamela Sanderson.Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.Jen interviewed Robin Lovett for Kirkus. And our friend @Bandherbooks was quite taken with the "space chaise" in this book.Jen and Sarah tried so hard to undersatnd the cinnamon roll phenomenon.Maybe you want to check out Jen's many amazing Pinterest boards featuring very specific romance novel cover kinks.Looking to buy some swag? You can buy Fated Mates buttons from Best Friend Kelly and Sarah has an awesome line of romance themed t-shirts and other swag from Jordanene.This week, our listener-recomended books are When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn and Truly, Madly, Yours by Rachel Gibson.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review!In two weeks, we’re moving across the pond to Beverly Jenkins’s Indigo, with one of Sarah’s favorite heroines ever—Hester Wyatt, Underground Railroad conductor! Read Indigo at <a href="https://amzn.to/35udOci" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indigo-beverly-jenkins/1102327463?ean=2940013443266" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/indigo/id584318143?app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR&amp;mt=11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/indigo-5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a> or <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781495368219" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">your local indie</a>.Show NotesIn between our recording and release of this episode, <a href="https://www.kristencallihan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kristen Callihan</a> did release a new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2OHuveD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Outmatched</a>, which is cowritten with <a href="https://authorsamanthayoung.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samantha Young</a>. But don't miss Scottie from <a href="https://amzn.to/2LgrQqq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Managed</a>, who will appear later in season 2 as a book that blooded Jen.<a href="https://kresleycole.com/books/munro/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Munro</a>. That's it. <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thats-it-thats-the-tweet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">That's the show note</a>.Some of the best of 2019 lists from <a href="https://www.bookish.com/articles/the-best-books-we-read-in-2019/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bookish</a>, <a href="https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&amp;year=2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NPR</a> and <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/lists/best-romance-novels-2019/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kirkus.</a> Sarah's website has <a href="http://www.sarahmaclean.net/reviews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">all of her past Best of the Year Lists for the Washington Post</a>. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_BOTY19_4a1_w?node=17296235011&amp;pf_rd_i=17296235011&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=b07b9b1f-1ce6-40b9-93ec-1f225bf9865b&amp;pf_rd_r=Q2C0QVFK9NYFWA9JY7Y6&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&amp;pf_rd_t=101" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon also has a best of the year list</a>, but the Goodreads Award list is <a href="https://youtu.be/E3N83-xK_hQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">strange</a>.<a href="https://amzn.to/2swGjaW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emma Donoghue's Room</a> was a big literary fiction book back in 2010, and it was on <a href="https://www.emmadonoghue.com/books/novels/room-the-novel.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">all the end of the year lists</a>.Jen will be appearing at <a href="https://www.bookcellarinc.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Book Cellar</a> on Dec 7, 2019 if you're looking for something to do. She'll be talking about the best books of the year with other critics.Around the same time we recorded this episode, Kini at SmexyBooks wrote this thoughtful piece about <a href="https://smexybooks.com/2019/11/transparency-in-romance-my-thoughts.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">transparency in romance reviewing</a>.Kylie Scott's Repeat was also on our <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/11/11/s0210-amnesia-romance-interstitial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amnesia episode</a>.<a href="http://lovessweetarrow.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love's Sweet Arrow</a> is a romance-only bookstore in Chicago's south suburbs.<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quelle_surprise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quelle suprise!</a>.Jen also likes <a href="https://rebeccazanetti.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rebecca Zanetti</a>, who also resists romantic suspense that is just "<a href="https://screenrant.com/scariest-woman-peril-movies-ranked/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">women in peril</a>" plots.<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/faceoff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Face/Off</a> is a very goofy movie from the late 90s. So of course they're going to <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/09/face-off-remake-paramount-pictures-john-woo-john-travolta-nicolas-cage-1202729685/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">remake it</a>.In this Juno Rushdon series, Jen wants <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1198396482480726016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the boss's book</a>.We're talking about historicals, but we're not talking about <a href="https://amzn.to/2YbEZG8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brazen and the Beast</a> even though Jen wants you to know it's spectacular and you should definitely read it.I guess we're singing this episode: Just One Night is a twist on Phil Collins's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKVq-P3z5Vg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One More Night</a> in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxLaO8Xzjsk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moulin Rouge movie</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/nqAvFx3NxUM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All Night Long.</a><a href="https://twitter.com/JennyNordbak" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jenny Nordbak</a> recommended Dare to Love a Duke to Sarah, and after the <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/can-romance-fiction-have-unreliable-narrators/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unreliable narrators</a> essay, <a href="https://twitter.com/_AJCousins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amy Jo Cousins</a>recommended Any Old Diamonds to Jen.Who wouldn't want to talk about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frankenstein,</a> <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shelley</a>, and <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wollstonecraft</a>?Don't sleep on <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/gilded-age/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Gilded Age.</a>Kennedy's <a href="https://amzn.to/2Y80APQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basketball series</a> is also great. But in The Kingmaker duet, she also tackles the problem of <a href="https://www.csvanw.org/mmiw/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">missing and murdered indiginous women</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/native-american-land-grab-2010250967.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">land grabs</a> on Native land. Here is a list of <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/01/04/native-american-romance-novels/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#OwnVoices Native American authors</a> from BookRiot, and <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2019/01/the-rec-league-native-american-romance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">another from Smart Bitches</a>, but Jen specifically recommends <a href="https://amzn.to/2OFPtuv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pamela Sanderson</a>.<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/red-hot-chili-peppers-blood-sugar-sex-magik-10-things-you-didnt-know-121474/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.</a>Jen interviewed <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/robin-lovett/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robin Lovett</a> for Kirkus. And our friend <a href="https://twitter.com/bandherbooks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Bandherbooks</a> was quite taken with the "<a href="https://twitter.com/bandherbooks/status/1134137423242379264" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">space chaise</a>" in this book.Jen and Sarah tried so hard to undersatnd the <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/10/13/s026-cinnamon-roll-romance-heroes-interstitial-with-andie-christopher" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cinnamon roll phenomenon</a>.Maybe you want to check out Jen's many amazing Pinterest boards featuring <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jenreadsromance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">very specific romance novel cover kinks</a>.Looking to buy some swag? You can buy <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/fated-mates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fated Mates buttons</a> from Best Friend Kelly and <a href="https://jordandene.com/collections/romance-sarah-maclean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah has an awesome line of romance themed t-shirts and other swag</a> from Jordanene.This week, our listener-recomended books are <a href="https://amzn.to/2P3WFPS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">When He Was Wicked</a> by Julia Quinn and <a href="https://amzn.to/33NAG5f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Truly, Madly, Yours</a> by Rachel Gibson.

S02.13: Best Romance Novels of 2019 

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review.In two weeks, we’re finishing up the Game Makers series with arguably Kresley’s most broken hero (don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this ranking on the episode), Dmitri Sevastyan! Basically, July is “Sarah’s favorite books” month, so settle in for that…we’ll be joined by one of our favorites, Kate Clayborn, who will reveal the name of our group text thread! Read The Player at Amazon, B&amp;N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show Notes- Short chapters make for quick pacing.- The Morior are like the Super Friends...but evil.- All about The Starship Enterprise.- More about a witch's familiar.- Runes are actually from Norse Mythology. You'd think Rune would use the internet to learn more about them.- Rune is poison to everyone but her. Jen's never read The Poisoner's Handbook, but everyone says it's amazing.- Thinking about theme as a literary device isn't just for English class.- Our twitter friend Aunt Angelique has changed her username, so follow her for interesting tidbits like this.- That cock tweet.- All about edging. - The Mariana Trench is real deep, y'all, but we've still discovered plastic there.- Uluru is a sacred place for Aborigines, and Australia reverted to officially using this name in 2002.- Revenge is stupid.- Jen loves that scene where Captain America beats the shit out of everyone in the elevator.- In case you need help finding Shipper Names.- The What Would Allixta Do Button.- The story of Supergirl.- Speaking of our Heaving Bosoms friends, It wasn't Melody, it was Erin who said she doesn't read epilogues!- Speed is a romance. Don't at Jen or Bandherbooks.- The Player is coming up after our next interstitial!- Pre-order Brazen and the Beast, and if you say "Fated Mates" in the notes, Sarah will include a Fated Mates sticker!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review.In two weeks, we’re finishing up the Game Makers series with arguably Kresley’s most broken hero (don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this ranking on the episode), Dmitri Sevastyan! Basically, July is “Sarah’s favorite books” month, so settle in for that…we’ll be joined by one of our favorites, Kate Clayborn, who will reveal the name of our group text thread! Read The Player at <a href="https://amzn.to/2XnkOZ0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-player-kresley-cole/1123445876" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-player/id1086804667?mt=11&amp;app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-player-27" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, or <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780997215113" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">from your local Indie</a>.Show Notes- Short chapters <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/improve-my-writing/7-tools-for-pacing-a-novel-keeping-your-story-moving-at-the-right-pace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">make for quick pacing</a>.- The Morior are like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Friends" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Super Friends</a>...but <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Crime_Syndicate_(Earth_3)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">evil</a>.- All about <a href="https://www.startrek.com/database_article/enterprise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Starship Enterprise</a>.- More about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familiar_spirit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a witch's familiar</a>.- <a href="https://norse-mythology.org/runes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Runes</a> are actually from Norse Mythology. You'd think Rune would <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/runes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">use the internet</a> to learn more about them.- Rune is <a href="https://youtu.be/L-Q5aFU8X3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">poison</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1143163076759474176" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">to everyone but her</a>. Jen's never read <a href="https://amzn.to/2LyQ9Rk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Poisoner's Handbook</a>, but everyone says it's amazing.- Thinking about <a href="https://literarydevices.net/theme/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">theme as a literary device</a> isn't just for English class.- Our twitter friend <a href="https://twitter.com/GothamCitySista" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aunt Angelique has changed her username</a>, so follow her for <a href="https://twitter.com/GothamCitySista/status/1143125342040842240" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">interesting tidbits like this.</a>- <a href="https://twitter.com/katebig/status/1143290420350181381" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">That cock tweet</a>.- All about <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/edging-orgasm-control" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">edging</a>. - <a href="https://www.marianatrench.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Mariana Trench</a> is real deep, y'all, but we've still discovered <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/plastic-bag-mariana-trench-pollution-science-spd/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">plastic</a> there.- <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-06-27/how-did-uluru-and-kata-tjuta-form/8572068" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uluru</a> is a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/01/some-aborigines-say-to-disturb-uluru-is-a-curse-australia-says-climbing-it-will-soon-be-crime/?utm_term=.744a8ed79b3d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sacred place for Aborigines</a>, and <a href="https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/on-this-day/2013/11/on-this-day-uluru-given-its-aboriginal-name/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Australia reverted to officially</a> using this name in 2002.- <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/201401/five-biggest-problems-revenge-and-its-best-remedies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Revenge is stupid</a>.- Jen loves that scene where <a href="https://youtu.be/jqIBGEcKhGs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Captain America beats the shit out of everyone in the elevato</a>r.- In case you need help finding <a href="https://couplenamegenerator.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shipper Names</a>.- The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsqvjTvlqfn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What Would Allixta Do</a> Button.- The story of <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Supergirl_Origins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Supergirl</a>.- Speaking of our Heaving Bosoms friends, It wasn't Melody, <a href="https://twitter.com/Heaving_Bosoms/status/1066925990725607424" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it was Erin</a> who said she doesn't read epilogues!- <a href="https://www.quotes.net/mquote/89394" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Speed is a romance</a>. Don't at Jen or <a href="https://twitter.com/bandherbooks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bandherbooks</a>.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2RTM9fd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Player</a> is coming up after our next interstitial!- <a href="https://www.wordbookstores.com/SarahMacLean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pre-order Brazen and the Beast</a>, and if you say "Fated Mates" in the notes, Sarah will include a Fated Mates sticker!

16: Was It as Good For You as it Was For Me? Sweet Ruin

Next week, we’re digging into one of our original alphas, Derek Craven! You can find Lisa Kleypas’s Dreaming of You at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or at your local indie. It's currently $2.99 in digital everywhere, so snatch it up!Show Notes- The alpha, the beta, and the cinnamon roll.- You should all follow Cora Harrington (lingerie addict) on twitter. It's all so beautiful.- Jen screams about first person a lot, but MOSTLY about first person present.- It was Demon Rumm by Sandra Brown that was all in the male POV, and this review is so great. Jen's going to follow Alaina, the author, on twitter. UPDATE: The Browne Pop Culture Library was able to find the descriptions of Demon Rumm, and as Jen predicted, they were in the back matter of the previous month's books! Thanks, Steve!- Alec Kinkaid, The Montgomerys, James Mallory, and the Westmoreland heroes.- Did you somehow miss us talking about The Professional?- It the Movie may or may not be your cup of tea, but this discussion of Jane Doe with Victoria Helen Stone has some really interesting points about horror and romance.- Bourne from A Rogue by Any Other Name is "Sarah's worst hero" by which she means it was just reall satisfying to break him.- You have to listen to our antiheroes episode if you want to know what it means to "take the finger."- P in V is great, but 2Ps in V is even better.- Hillary Clinton was wrong about romance novels, and Lisa Kleypas explains why.- Adriana Herrera's American Dreamers series is one of our faves.- What it means to be a Kinsey 2.- Romance for Raices has a few more days. Spend enough money and you can pick an upcoming interstitial topic!

Next week, we’re digging into one of our original alphas, Derek Craven! You can find Lisa Kleypas’s Dreaming of You at <a href="https://amzn.to/2N8tsVI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreaming-of-you-lisa-kleypas/1100214939#/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/dreaming-of-you/id360607873?app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR&amp;mt=11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dreaming-of-you-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, or <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780380773527" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">at your local indie</a>. It's currently $2.99 in digital everywhere, so snatch it up!Show Notes- <a href="http://www.sherrythomas.com/blog/2007/10/11/the-thinking-woman%E2%80%99s-alpha-hero/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The alpha</a>, <a href="https://frolic.media/alpha-versus-beta-who-runs-mf-romance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the beta</a>, and the <a href="https://oliviadade.com/2017/12/11/warning-extra-gooey-cinnamon-roll-heroes-ahead/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cinnamon roll</a>.- You should all follow <a href="https://twitter.com/lingerie_addict" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cora Harrington</a> (lingerie addict) on twitter. It's all so beautiful.- Jen screams about first person a lot, but MOSTLY about <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1147131945702383616" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first person present</a>.- It was Demon Rumm by Sandra Brown that was all in the male POV, and <a href="https://thtswhatsheread.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/fiction-demon-rumm-by-sandra-brown/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this review</a> is so great. Jen's going to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/WillBeFunOrElse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alaina</a>, the author, on twitter. UPDATE: The Browne Pop Culture Library was able to find the descriptions of Demon Rumm, <a href="https://twitter.com/BGSU_PopCultLib/status/1174320725085147136" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">and as Jen predicted, they were in the back matter of the previous month's books</a>! Thanks, <a href="https://twitter.com/stegan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steve</a>!- <a href="https://amzn.to/34SSayG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alec Kinkaid,</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/32RleVQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Montgomerys</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/34PH0Lh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Mallory</a>, and the <a href="https://amzn.to/300Plgi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Westmoreland heroes.</a>- Did you somehow miss us talking about <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/6/27/17-the-player" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Professional</a>?- It the Movie may or may not be your cup of tea, but <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/310-heroine-sociopaths-and-emotional-suspense-an-interview-with-victoria-helen-stone/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this discussion of Jane Doe with Victoria Helen Stone</a> has some really interesting points about horror and romance.- Bourne from <a href="https://amzn.to/303MqUd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Rogue by Any Other Name</a> is "Sarah's worst hero" by which she means it was just reall satisfying to break him.- You have to listen to our <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/7/29/185-antiheroes-interstitial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">antiheroes episode</a> if you want to know what it means to "take the finger."- <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=p%20in%20the%20v" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">P in V</a> is great, but <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1166682674699935746" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2Ps in V is even better</a>.- Hillary Clinton was wrong about romance novels, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/hillary-you-are-a-romance-novel-heroine/2017/12/08/64bac658-dc2e-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lisa Kleypas explains why</a>.- Adriana Herrera's <a href="https://amzn.to/2Qi8g1V" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2NmFU4f" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dreamers</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2O7QHPs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">series</a> is one of our faves.- What it means to be a <a href="https://kinseyinstitute.org/research/publications/kinsey-scale.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kinsey 2</a>.- <a href="http://www.loveinpanels.com/romanceforraices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romance for Raices</a> has a few more days. <a href="https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/55109/auctions/68631/auction_items/1891836" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spend enough money and you can pick an upcoming interstitial topic</a>!

S02.2 The Alpha in Romance Novels - Interstitial

Lothaire is here! We’re so excited, we don’t know what to do with ourselves, but FYI, this is a longer episode than usual -- so get ready! We're talking morality chain romance, how Lothaire is a pure ass but incredibly funny, and how Ellie is pretty much the only mate he could ever have. Also, we love Nix &amp; Lothaire a lot.

11: Woof. Hope Your Headphones Didn't Fall Out! - Lothaire

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review.Our next read (in two weeks) will be Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night — and the witches are coming! WDOAWN is the story of Bowen MacRieve (werewolf) and Mariketa the Awaited (witch)…and the book that really breaks open the wide world of IAD. We’ll be joined by the brilliant Adriana Herrera, and you won’t want to miss it. Get ready for the read along at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books or your local indie.Show Notes- Some fun facts about The Amazing Race.- The Valkyeries in mythology, and maybe you didn't notice that "Val Hall" is a play on Valhalla. - Vampires in pop culture &amp; literature.- Remember your high school English teacher talking about characters who are foils of each other? This is not to be confused with your algebra teacher talking about how to solve quadratic equations.- On Urban Dictionary, I want to kiss the person who defined Frigid it as "An outdated, Victorian term used to describe women who aren't interested in sex. Only used today by drunk men in bars to explain why the woman they attempted to pick up wasn't interested."- A wacky look at some potential real life examples of time travel.- Just out of curiosity, this is what you'll find if you google "Bad Ass Estonian General." IMPRESSIVE.- Sarah's wet noodle joke is part of a long literary tradition where vampires just need a good dose of viagra.- All about beta heros, cinnamon roll heroes, and a link to a lot of talk about the latter from Ana Coqui's November 2018's #RomBkLove. - Sarah mentions "the vampire chained to a bed" and she's talking about Conrad Wroth, the hero of Dark Needs at Night's Edge (book 4).- Just a brief review of birth control, how we use it, and why it is so important to women's rights.- In case you were wondering why Jen talked about "no one ever has to go to the bathroom." It's a thing. Sarah accused Jen of RUINING ROMANCE, but clearly that's not the case because here we are.- More about lightning and planes.- Chicago's Bubbly Creek. That's real. If you ever want to nerd out on this history, Jen recommends a book called Nature's Metropolis. Honestly, you really have no idea how fascinating grain elevators are.- The short and incomplete list of magical items introduced in this book: Kaderin gives the Furies armor that can't be pierced and a battle axe that can kill Lore beings without having to behead them. The New Zealand coven of Valkyeries has a choker that allows the person wearing it to sing a siren's song. No one knows what happend to the armband that makes the wearer feel overwhelming sexual desire. Amphitrite's tear is a bead that will heal any wound. The Blade of Honorius never misses its target. Thrane's Key was the time-traveling prize in this Hie, and at the end of the book, Riora gives Sebastian one to use at his discretion.- Deus Ex Machina is fun to say, but kind of a bummer when that's how an author gets her characters out of a jam.- All the cool vampires from the mid-2000s carry RAZR phones.- Diamonds are a construct, just like virginity.- Sarah is pro-Kardashian.- Bowen &amp; Mariketa are coming up next, but the thing she was excited about at the end of that book actually happened at the end of Dark Needs at Night's Edge.- Swineherds vs. shepherds, and the only time Jen ever felt truly understood on Reddit.- The Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin, and if you think Jen wasn't dying to update Genius with this Kresley Cole reference, you don't know her at all. But maybe the video is more your speed.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review.Our next read (in two weeks) will be <a href="https://amzn.to/2FKzGZ1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night</a> — and the witches are coming! WDOAWN is the story of Bowen MacRieve (werewolf) and Mariketa the Awaited (witch)…and the book that really breaks open the wide world of IAD. We’ll be joined by the brilliant <a href="https://adrianaherreraromance.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adriana Herrera</a>, and you won’t want to miss it. Get ready for the read along at <a href="https://amzn.to/2FKzGZ1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-deeds-on-a-winters-night-kresley-cole/1100623132" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/wicked-deeds-on-a-winters-night/id381503024?mt=11&amp;at=1l3vpAR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a> or <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781849834148" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">your local indie</a>.Show Notes- Some fun facts about <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/surprising-amazing-race-fun-facts-2018-7#the-teams-have-to-buy-plane-tickets-for-their-crew-members-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Amazing Race</a>.- The <a href="https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/valkyries/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valkyeries in mythology</a>, and maybe you didn't notice that "Val Hall" is a play on <a href="https://norse-mythology.org/cosmology/valhalla/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valhalla</a>. - <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/10/vampire-evolution/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vampires</a> in pop culture &amp; literature.- Remember your high school English teacher talking about characters who are <a href="https://literarydevices.net/foil/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">foils</a> of each other? This is not to be confused with your algebra teacher talking about how to <a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2JYgvG4cquQ/maxresdefault.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">solve quadratic equations</a>.- On <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Frigid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Urban Dictionary, I want to kiss the person who defined Frigid</a> it as "An outdated, Victorian term used to describe women who aren't interested in sex. Only used today by drunk men in bars to explain why the woman they attempted to pick up wasn't interested."- A wacky look at some potential <a href="https://www.wired.com/2010/11/time-travel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">real life examples of time travel</a>.- Just out of curiosity, this is what you'll find if you google "<a href="http://badassoftheweek.com/index.cgi?id=39684745806" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bad Ass Estonian General</a>." IMPRESSIVE.- Sarah's wet noodle joke is part of a long literary tradition where <a href="http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/lust-love-and-the-literary-vampire/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vampires just need a good dose of viagra</a>.- All about <a href="https://bookriot.com/2014/10/15/romance-101-beta-heroes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">beta heros</a>, <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/beautiful-cinnamon-roll-too-good-for-this-world-too-pure" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cinnamon roll</a> <a href="https://oliviadade.com/2017/12/11/warning-extra-gooey-cinnamon-roll-heroes-ahead/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">heroes</a>, and a link to a lot of talk about the latter from <a href="https://twitter.com/anacoqui" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ana Coqui</a>'s <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L8p7FjxZL_n94LNMsrj2UE3syXa_1z7esbdOIFqqPnU/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">November 2018's #RomBkLove</a>. - Sarah mentions "the vampire chained to a bed" and she's talking about Conrad Wroth, the hero of <a href="https://amzn.to/2BApzla" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dark Needs at Night's Edge</a> (book 4).- Just a <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/contraceptive-use-united-states" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">brief review of birth control</a>, how we use it, and why it is so important to women's rights.- In case you were wondering why Jen talked about "no one ever has to go to the bathroom." <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/974342217644040194" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's a thing.</a> Sarah accused Jen of RUINING ROMANCE, but clearly that's not the case because here we are.- More about <a href="http://time.com/4910412/plane-struck-lightning-safety/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lightning and planes</a>.- Chicago's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubbly_Creek" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bubbly Creek</a>. That's real. If you ever want to nerd out on this history, Jen recommends a book called <a href="https://amzn.to/2E12kTZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nature's Metropolis</a>. Honestly, you really have no idea how fascinating grain elevators are.- The short and incomplete list of magical items introduced in this book: Kaderin gives the Furies armor that can't be pierced and a battle axe that can kill Lore beings without having to behead them. The New Zealand coven of Valkyeries has a choker that allows the person wearing it to sing a siren's song. No one knows what happend to the armband that makes the wearer feel overwhelming sexual desire. Amphitrite's tear is a bead that will heal any wound. The Blade of Honorius never misses its target. Thrane's Key was the time-traveling prize in this Hie, and at the end of the book, Riora gives Sebastian one to use at his discretion.- <a href="http://www.literarydevices.com/deus-ex-machina/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deus Ex Machina</a> is fun to say, but kind of a bummer when that's how an author gets her characters out of a jam.- All the cool vampires from the mid-2000s carry <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ghosts-of-christmas-past-the-original-motorola-razr/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RAZR phones</a>.- <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/diamond-de-beers-marketing-campaign" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Diamonds are a construct</a>, just like virginity.- Sarah is <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/romance-novelist-sarah-maclean-explains-170914859.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pro-Kardashian</a>.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2BBwTwX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bowen &amp; Mariketa</a> are coming up next, but the thing she was excited about at the end of that book actually happened at the end of <a href="https://amzn.to/2BBwDht" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dark Needs at Night's Edge</a>.- Swineherds vs. shepherds, and the only time <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/359quu/given_swineherd_and_cowherd_shepherd_should_be/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen ever felt truly understood on Reddit</a>.- <a href="https://genius.com/Led-zeppelin-the-battle-of-evermore-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Battle of Evermore</a> by Led Zeppelin, and if you think Jen wasn't dying to update Genius with this Kresley Cole reference, you don't know her at all. But maybe the <a href="https://youtu.be/88b0OYxdtyM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video</a> is more your speed.

2: The Best Led Zeppelin Song is by Pink Floyd: No Rest for the Wicked

Show NotesLord of Scoundrels has its own wikipedia page, which in case you're curious, is kind of unusual.If you haven't listened to our episode on Dreaming of You, what are you waiting for?Maybe you want to find out what you first ordered in your Amazon account.Jessica Trent is not a Mary Sue.Erin from Heaving Bosoms is famous for not liking epilogues, but it's a pretty good reason why. But prologues are fine.You've been lawyered is from How I Met Your Mother.Sarah wrote the prologue to a new edition of The Transformation of Philip Jettan.Maybe watch out when taking DNA tests. Or not.Stronzo! And maybe some more if you're interested.Love's Sweet Arrow is a romance-only bookstore in the Chicago suburbs. It's awesome.Gentle Rogue started too late.More about Russian religous icons, but maybe you want to buy some.The gloves scene in the Age of Innocence movie. All that repressed longing from Daniel Day Lewis! In the book, it's this chapter where Newland Archer "bent over, unbuttoned her tight brown glove, and kissed her palm as if he had kissed a relic."All about Beelzebub.If you want to know about demon seals and the Wroth brothers, then listen to season one of Fated Mates.What does it even mean to dance a waltz in the Continental style? Probably not this Continental-style.The Beverly Jenkins book where the heroine shoots the hero is Tempest.Reading the banns and a list of people who were married at Saint George Hanover Square.You'll be shocked to know that Jen has some theories about internal vs. external conflict.When they're at the wrestling match, Dain says his friend could have "stayed comfortably at home and pumped his wife."She Walks in Beauty Like the Night is a glorious poem, but that doesn't make Byron any less of a scumbag. That Ada Lovelace was Byron's daughter is kind of wild, but we're glad she's known for being her own person. Despite Sarah trying to create an authorship question for Byron, that's not really a thing. There's no such person as the Duke of Summerville. Jen just made that up.If you're interested in The Romantics, you can find Jen's old college syllabus here. Lots of Wordsworth, but no Bryon, which is just fine. But we still love the way Loretta Chase used Don Juan in the text of Lord of Scoundrels.Friend of the pod Adriana Herrera has been reading Lord of Scoundrels for the first time and her tweets about it are honestly the most amazing thing.Maybe you want to buy some romancelandia buttons or some of Sarah's t-shirts.Coming up next on December 11, 2019, Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

Show NotesLord of Scoundrels has its own <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_Scoundrels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wikipedia page</a>, which in case you're curious, is kind of unusual.If you haven't listened to <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/9/24/s021-lisa-kleypas-does-spectacles-better-than-f-scott-fitzgerald-dreaming-of-you" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our episode on Dreaming of You</a>, what are you waiting for?Maybe you want to find out <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-your-first-ever-amazon-order-2015-7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">what you first ordered in your Amazon account</a>.Jessica Trent is not a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary Sue</a>.Erin from <a href="https://heavingbosomspodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Heaving Bosoms</a> is famous for <a href="https://twitter.com/Heaving_Bosoms/status/1153030261157744640" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">not liking epilogues</a>, but it's a pretty good reason why. But <a href="https://twitter.com/Heaving_Bosoms/status/1169029315083874306" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">prologues are fine</a>.<a href="https://youtu.be/hCrN0nrHnqU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You've been lawyered</a> is from How I Met Your Mother.Sarah wrote the prologue to a new edition of <a href="https://amzn.to/35xEIzO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Transformation of Philip Jettan</a>.Maybe <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/18/your-fathers-not-your-father-when-dna-tests-reveal-more-than-you-bargained-for" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">watch out when taking DNA tests</a>. <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dna-test-showed-dad-wasnt-my-father_n_5ca23245e4b09786986a5771" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Or not</a>.<a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=stronzo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stronzo</a>! And maybe <a href="https://icebergproject.co/italian/2015/09/8-swear-words-in-italian-to-add-sass-to-your-vocabulary/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">some more </a>if you're interested.<a href="http://lovessweetarrow.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love's Sweet Arrow</a> is a romance-only bookstore in the Chicago suburbs. It's awesome.Gentle Rogue <a href="https://overcast.fm/+PKWSJxnNI/21:00" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">started too late</a>.More about Russian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_icons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">religous icons</a>, but maybe you want to <a href="https://russianicon.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">buy some</a>.The gloves scene in the <a href="https://youtu.be/6tetrxzT_dM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Age of Innocence movie.</a> All that repressed longing from <a href="https://youtu.be/SE6eST2hlMw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Day Lewis</a>! In the book, it's <a href="https://www.bartleby.com/1005/29.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this chapter</a> where Newland Archer "bent over, unbuttoned her tight brown glove, and kissed her palm as if he had kissed a relic."<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Beelzebub" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">All</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Beelzebub" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">about</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelzebub" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beelzebub</a>.If you want to know about demon seals and <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/tag/Sebastian+wroth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Wroth brothers</a>, then listen to season one of Fated Mates.What does it even mean to <a href="https://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/waltz.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dance a waltz</a> in the Continental style? Probably not this <a href="https://john-wick.fandom.com/wiki/Continental_Hotel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Continental</a>-style.The Beverly Jenkins book where the heroine shoots the hero is <a href="https://amzn.to/2OmjFe2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tempest</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banns_of_marriage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reading the banns</a> and a list of <a href="https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008695843" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">people who were married </a>at <a href="https://www.regencyhistory.net/2015/09/st-georges-hanover-square.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saint George</a> Hanover Square.You'll be shocked to know that <a href="https://www.tbqsbookpalace.com/2018/07/jens-review-unraveled.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen has some theories about internal vs. external conflict</a>.When they're at the wrestling match, Dain says his friend could have "stayed comfortably at home and <a href="https://thoughtcatalog.com/jim-goad/2014/12/400-euphemisms-for-sexual-intercourse/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pumped</a> his wife."<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43844/she-walks-in-beauty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">She Walks in Beauty Like the Night</a> is a glorious poem, but that doesn't make <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/lord-byron" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Byron</a> any less of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scumbag</a>. That <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/12/10/ada-lovelace-walter-isaacson-innovators/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ada Lovelace</a> was Byron's daughter is kind of wild, but we're glad she's known for <a href="https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-ada-lovelace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">being her own person</a>. Despite Sarah trying to create an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_question" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">authorship question</a> for Byron, that's not really a thing. There's no such person as the Duke of Summerville. Jen just made that up.If you're interested in The Romantics, you can find <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5RcAZ5Ax6m/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen's old college syllabus here</a>. Lots of Wordsworth, but no Bryon, which is just fine. But we still love the way Loretta Chase used <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21700/21700-h/21700-h.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don Juan</a> in the text of Lord of Scoundrels.Friend of the pod Adriana Herrera <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199109168554270720" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">has been reading</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199297486256521218" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lord of Scoundrels</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199304157229920261" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">for the</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199393058665771012" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first time</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199393073664540673" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">and her</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199414462329036803" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tweets about</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199465639771066369" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it are</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199470198824275968" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">honestly the</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199494625637142540" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">most amazing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera/status/1199504421173858304" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thing</a>.Maybe you want to buy some <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/shop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">romancelandia buttons</a> or some of <a href="https://jordandene.com/collections/romance-sarah-maclean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah's t-shirts</a>.Coming up next on December 11, 2019, <a href="https://amzn.to/2OMulBJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indigo</a> by Beverly Jenkins

S02.12: Lord of Scoundrels: Reel or be Reeled

It’s Scotland week, Lads and Lassies! We’re talking about the great green jewel to the north of England, where the ladies are bold and the lairds are brawn, and we're all just wishing we could get wrapped in a plaid and cuddled through a cold Highland night.

7.5: Scotland Historical Romances - Interstitial

Stay tuned for the second half of the episode in December! Next week, just in time for your tryptophan induced coma, we’re talking Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels, which was on both Jen &amp; Sarah’s list, and is on the lions’ share of Best Romance Novels Ever lists. We’ll get into why. Read Lord of Scoundrels at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo or your local indie.Show NotesQuestion 1: Ennis from New York asked, "is like Lothaire by Kresley Cole or Cold Cole Heartby K Webster, where the hero is someone who would be a villain in any other book. A megalomaniac, horribly damaged, murderous, whatever- and a heroine who takes NONE of his shit and brings him to his knees."Our Recommendations: The name of this trope is "morality chain" which might help you on your search for books like this. Sarah's Summer 2020 release Daring and the Duke is perfect for this question, but since it's not out yet, try The Masterpiece Duet by Skye Warren. The first is The King.Question 2: Lesley from Washington DC asked for books "with Jewish heroes and heroines, does not have to be holiday themed."Our recommendations: : Jen suggests Knit One, Girl Two and Cinnamon Blade by Shira Glassman. In fact, Jen was a special guest on the Heaving Bosoms podcast taking about Cinnamon Blade. Sarah recommends Craving Flight by Tamsen Parker and Dalliances and Devotion by Felicia Grossman. Stacey Agdern also writes about Jewish representation in romance and has written some novellas in the Rogue Anthologies. We also mentioned a great point that inspired a great thread by Felicia Grossman about Jewish characters in literature.Question 3: Daniela from Winnipeg had this AMA question: If there was a battle royale between all the IAD heroes, who would win? Does the answer change if they can't use weapons?Our Answer: The Wroth brothers would band togehter, Declan Chase has a real shot, and Lothaire wouldn't care. No matter who wins, Thronos goes down first. Jen mentioned someone who wrote about what would happen if all the US Presidents were in a knife fight. Enjoy.FWIW, Daniela also asked a question we skipped because we couldn't think of anything: A historical that has a silver fox duke and a spitfire heroine who exhausts the hell out of him. IDEAS? Let us know on twitter.Question 4: Kristen from DC! asked, "LGBTQ romance easily available in PRINT for my book club???? We do it through a local indie bookshop, and are having a hard time finding things other than Cat Sebastian/Olivia Waite from Avon."Our Recommendations: Adriana Herrera's American Dreamer series! Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. We think Vanessa North and KJ Charles might be print on demand, which many indie bookstores won't carry. Dreamspinner is a mess right now, but many great authors are there, including LaQuette's latest, Under His Protection, which Jen bought a copy of at Love's Sweet Arrow. Carina titles might be more easily available, so try Syncopation and the rest of the Twisted Wishes series by Anna Zabo. Jen mentioned Being Hospitable by Meka James, but it's just in E. But you should still read it for fun.Question 5: Courtney from the Bodice Tipplers Podcast wants to know what books made us fall in love with the genre.Our answer: Well, just listen to all of season 2 of Fated Mates! But Sarah mentioned Nobody's Baby but Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Jen mentioned a new book that has made her feel that way is The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux were old-school authors we both loved back in the day.Question 6: Ali in NYC had an AMA and a question: How is Eric Mortensen so good at podcast editing?Our answer: Well, he just is and you should contact him if you need podcast editing help.Ali also wanted recommendations about historicals with witches/magic. Our recommendations: So many of these are old school, because this is not a very popular trope right now, so please proceed with caution. Sarah recommended Bewitching by Jill Barnett and Jen recommended a pair of books by Teresa Medeiros, Breath of Magic and Touch of Enchantment. In fact, Jen reviewed Touch of Enchantment for The Book Queen. Post-recording, we thought of Sex and the Psychic Witch by Annette Blair, which is the first of a series where three sisters use their "magic powers for good and their good looks for seduction."Question 7: Hannah from Texas asked for a romance that "has a Lucy Liu in "Set It Up" type heroine getting her actual HEA. I need ball-busting energy falling in love with a guy/gal/whoever that deserves her."Our Recommendations: Sarah recommended The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma which has a corporate espionage plot. Jen was maybe thinking of Set it Off and recommeded Elle Kennedy's Out of Uniform series. Jen mentioned Getting Hotter by Elle Kennedy, but upon further reflection, also thinks The Heat is On (in an anthology called Hot &amp; Heavy) might work. But since Hannah was actually talking about Set it Up, which is about assistants and bosses, maybe try The Assistant by Ramona Gray or check out this extensive goodreads list of boss/employee romance novels.Question 8: Jenica from New York asked for a book that has "Childhood friends to enemies to lovers, preferably contemporary."Our recommendations: : We don't say it here, but one strategy Sarah and Jen use all the time with more popular tropes is searching for a Goodreads list. If you can find a book with a title or two you like on it, you might like others! Jen recommended His Until Midnight by Reese Ryan, and also noted that Sarah's book A Rogue by Any Other Name has this trope. Sarah recommended Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas. And a trailing suggestion was trying Christina Lauren, who has written many great enemies to lovers books and maybe one also has childhood friends. We didn't mention it on the podcast, but if you like YA, Jen loved Not if I Save You First by Allie Carter. That one would definitely work!Question 9: Holly from Chapel Hill asked for a book that "Has all the mutual pining. Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, doesn't matter. Give me every last drop of pining."Our recommendations: Sarah suggests Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath. Jen recommends On Broken Wings by Chanel Cleeton. After we realized that there is lots of pining in Lisa Kleypas, but we think Again the Magic might be best.Holly had a follow up AMA, "What would your ideal book-centered vacation be?" Sarah said a beach, Jen has always wanted to stay at The Library Hotel, and that led to a discussion of Nora Robert's Boonsboro Inn, in Boonsboro, Maryland. But Jen also loves to read locally, which means reading books set in the places you are traveling.Question 10: Kara asked for a recommendation that "Has some sort of adventure or quest but is also slow burn."Our recommendations: Slow burns aren't our speciality. Jen joked she likes a "fast, incendiary burn." Please check out the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews, and the second one where they finally do it is called White Hot. The first one is called Burn For Me, it's right in the title! If you like fantasy, try Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon. Sarah mentioned A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. And Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik could count for this category and for pining!Question 11: Chase from Germany wants "Has m/m with a happy ending and the trope enemies to lovers?"Our recommendations: Sarah recommends Goalie Interference, which has enemy hockey players. Annika Martin has a good series, the first is called Enemies Like You, and Jen also likes a series by Layla Rayne called Agents Irish and Whiskey. Cask Strength also appeared in Jen's list of Who Did It Better on a Pool Table. You're welcome.Question 12: Caitlin from Wisconsin wants a book that "Has a plus size heroine, emphasis on fashion...vampires would also be nice."Our recommendations: We had to handle these two separately. For a curvy heroine with fasion, we recommended Take Me by Bella Andre and The King of Bourbon Street by Thea De Salle. For vampires, try Tall Dark and Hungry by Lynsay Sands. It's about a vampire who writes vampire novels. The Sherrilyn Kenyon book Sarah was thinking about is called Night Play, but it's actually about a werewolf. Oh well.Question 13: Jess asked, "Has an alpha submissive (I’ve tasked Sarah with this before and want more!)"Our recommendations: Jen doesn't think this exists, but Sarah recommends The Duke I Tempted, Giving It Up, The Devil's Submission and Sierra Simone's New Camelot series. If you can roll with Kristen Ashley's prose style, try Deacon. There is no pony play involved.Jess had a follow up AMA: "I would love to hear more about audiobook production. How much say authors have. Do they get to check in during production to make sure jokes are being delivered properly, etc?" Sarah replied that the answer is ... authors don't have much say at all, except maybe a choice of narrators. Sarah loves her narrator, Justine Eyre.Question 14: Lesley from San Francisco asked for a book that "Has a heroine over 50 who is single (not divorced or widowed)."Our recommendations: This was a hard one, and we are hoping that listeners will chime in with answers. We don't think any of these heroines are single--all widowed or divorced. But try Apples Are Red, Driving in Neutral, Bound with Love, or Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure. But, you can check out this facebook group for seasoned romance, and Donnaposts a weekly Frolic column of seasoned romances. Finally, Sarah recommended London Hale's Talk Dirty To Me.Question 15: Carly from Atlanta is looking for “there’s only one bed,” historical edition (bonus points if they don’t have sex that time, but do later).Our recommendations: There are so many of these that we had a hard time answering. Yikes! But A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong is amazing. Later in Season 2 of Fated Mates, we'll read Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens, but the ohter one Sarah was thinking of was The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae Afterwards, we thought of The Duke Buys a Bride and Tycoon.Question 16: Shannon in Atlanta said, "Ghosts. I need all the ghosts. I’m regrading Lynn Kurland’s Stardust of Yesterday to see if I am still madly in love with Kendrick like 14 yr old me was. But I need more ghosts. For spooky season and for always."Our recommendations: So obvioulsy the best IAD book is Dark Needs at Night's Edge. But Halloween Boo and Hot Ghost might also be of interest. After recording, Jen thought of The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz and Sarah thought of For the Earl's Pleasure by Anne Mallory.Question 17: Natali from Tampa asked for romances with "a sexy but serious body guard- saves heroine from her evil husband OR serious sexy body guard that is hired by father to care for wild heroine. And/Or sexy but consensual teacher-student relationship."Our recommendations: Sarah and Jen both liked The Professor by Charlotte Stein. Sarah also recommended The Unrequited by Saffron Kent. Bodyguards for some reason we didn't have specifics, but check out Sexy/Dangerous by Beverly Jenkins, which has a female bodyguard. Fallen by Rebecca Zanetti will work. But also, Jen is convinced that something in Lexi Blake's Masters and Mercenaries series will work.Question 18: Nisha wants books that are "bananas sexy."Our recommendations: Ice Planet Barbarians forever. But Brill Harper anything will work, and Jen especially recommends Altogether. Everyone on twitter thinks White Whiskey Bargain is super hot, and The Red is amazingly sexy. Grace Goodwin's Interstellar Brides series is also pretty hot.

S02.11: Romance Recommendations: Stump Jen and Sarah

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform so that you know the moment we start Season Two (in early September)!Next week, it’s the end! WHAT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! We’re talking Sian (HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS) &amp; Lila with Wicked Abyss, featuring the literal King of Hell, and the Queen who takes fully no shit from him. Get Wicked Abyss at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or at your local indie!Show Notes- What is the appeal of the antihero?- Fangirl Jeanne wrote a really interesting thread about why she ships villains and what it means to believe in an HEA for everyone.- The Sierra Simone Scale seems relevant here.- We here at Fated Mates love a grovel.- Morality Chain is a very specific trope.- Jen's goodreads search for books with criminal heroes versus criminal heroines.- Take a minute to donate to RAICES because we do have concentration camps on our border, and it's so hard to know what to do about it.- Jen and Sarah talked about female antiheroes in pop culture: Catherine Zeta Jones in Traffic and Mary Louise Parker in Weeds.- Jen's Rita thread about how white guys get to be anitheores.- Movie time references: Sarah is Italian, so since there are no Italian mafia guys anymore, watching The Godfather is the only choice. The "one armed man" reference is to The Fugitive.- What are we talking about when we talk about billionaire money.- A "diamond of the first water"- Molly Fader, Molly O'Keefe, and M. O'Keefe are three pen names for one author who really knows her branding. #Blessed- Wicked Abyss in next and then...we're done with season one. Commence mourning.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform so that you know the moment we start Season Two (in early September)!Next week, it’s the end! WHAT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! We’re talking Sian (HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS HORNS) &amp; Lila with <a href="https://amzn.to/2ynTc6S" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wicked Abyss</a>, featuring the literal King of Hell, and the Queen who takes fully no shit from him. Get Wicked Abyss at <a href="https://amzn.to/2ynTc6S" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www2.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-abyss-kresley-cole/1124115501?type=eBook" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/wicked-abyss/id1135492505?mt=11&amp;app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wicked-abyss-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, or <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501120381" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">at your local indie</a>!Show Notes- What is <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/broadcast-thought/201309/rise-the-antihero" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the appeal of the antihero</a>?- Fangirl Jeanne wrote a really interesting thread about why she ships villains and <a href="https://twitter.com/fangirlJeanne/status/1143903026287038464" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">what it means to believe in an HEA for everyone</a>.- The <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1142410957467148289" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sierra Simone Scale</a> seems relevant here.- We here at Fated Mates love a <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/post/rombklove-day-3-groveling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">grovel</a>.- <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MoralityChain" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Morality Chain</a> is a very specific trope.- Jen's goodreads search for books with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13508.Villain_as_romantic_love_interests" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">criminal heroes</a> versus <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/criminal-heroine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">criminal heroines</a>.- Take a minute to <a href="https://www.raicestexas.org/donate/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">donate to RAICES</a> because we do have <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a27813648/concentration-camps-southern-border-migrant-detention-facilities-trump/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">concentration camps on our border</a>, and it's so hard to know what to do about it.- Jen and Sarah talked about female antiheroes in pop culture: <a href="https://playitagaindan.wordpress.com/2015/12/22/catherine-zeta-jones-in-traffic-2000/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Catherine Zeta Jones in Traffic</a> and <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/television/14-Fascinating-Things-Mary-Louise-Parker-Revealed-During-Her-Reddit-AMA-62105.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary Louise Parker in Weeds</a>.- Jen's Rita thread about how <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1114880492711624710" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">white guys get to be anitheores</a>.- Movie time references: Sarah is Italian, so since there are no Italian mafia guys anymore, watching <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/62427/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-godfather" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Godfather</a> is the only choice. The "one armed man" reference is to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/08/the-fugitive-harrison-ford-25-years-later/566729/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Fugitive</a>.- What are we talking about when we talk about <a href="https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/billionaire-wealth-grows-by-25-billion-a-day-while-poorest-wealth-falls/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">billionaire money</a>.- A "<a href="https://candicehern.com/regency-world/glossary/diamond-of-the-first-water/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">diamond of the first water</a>"- <a href="http://mollyfader.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Molly Fader</a>, <a href="https://www.molly-okeefe.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Molly O'Keefe, and M. O'Keefe</a> are three pen names for one author who really knows her branding. #Blessed- <a href="https://amzn.to/33bwdKI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wicked Abyss</a> in next and then...we're done with season one. <a href="https://grief.com/sixth-stage-of-grief/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Commence mourning</a>.

18.5 : Antiheroes in Romance: Interstitial

Show Notes- Our special guest this week is romance author Adriana Herrera. American Dreamer, her debut novel with Carina Press, comes out in March of 2019. -Jen interviewed Adriana about domestic violence in romance for the Smart Bitches.- Jen and Sarah both loved The Opposite of You, a food truck romance by Rachel Higginson, and Sil at Book Riot made a list of food truck romances.- Kresley's historical trilogy is called The MacCarrick Brothers, and you can get all 3 bundled together, of course. - There's nothing more amazing than warring think-pieces. So here's Huffington Post and Slateteaching us about fuckboy, and Jezebel telling us how they're doing it wrong.- The five witches' castes are warrior, healer, enchantress, conjurer, and sorceress. Jen's going to make a Buzzfeed Quiz that tells you which witch strength you'd have. (This is a lie. Jen does not know how to make Buzzfeed quizzes. But it's a good idea, right?) -Speaking of vibrators, the best Romancelandia blog is the Bawdy Bookworms, which features review of both books and sex toys!- Here's a serious video explainer of the Hero's Journey, and also a slightly more silly one.- This blog is dedicated to looking at feminism and Snow White in American culture.- Deconstruct Disney for yourself or for your kids.- There's an IAD wiki, and it's pretty useful for when you're listing Hekate, Haxa, and can't remember the third one is Hela.- As symbols, apples do a lot of heavy lifting.- Mirrors and feminism have a long complicted history. And since we're talking action movies, check out this think piece by Carolyn Petit about feminism, movie criticism, and John Wick's house of mirrors. And then I found this article about Sylvia Plath's senior thesis at Smith and it's very far afield from the current topic, but this is a super interesting read.- Jack Ryan on Amazon.- There isn't a video for Cardi B's Money yet, but here are the lyrics.- How young women have internatlized the Girl Power vs. Feminism dichotomy. - There's a famous image that illustrates the difference between equality and equity. It's most often used in the context of race, but can be used as a way to envision any kind of oppression.- Romance has been thinking about consent for a long time. Jen wrote a review of a graphic novel for teenagers called What Does Consent Really Mean?- Our next Dark Needs at Night's Edge is next.Lost Limb Count(Leg - 2, Arm - 1, Eye - 1)- Lachlain tears off his own leg to reach Emma. He regenerates. (A Hunger Like No Other)- Sebastian pulverizes most of his right arm during the Hie. He regenerates. (No Rest For the Wicked)- Bowen loses an eye and most of his forehead during the Hie. Mariketa has cursed him and he can't heal until he returns to her. (Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night)- Mariketa's skull is fractured and her leg is torn from her body. She heals herself after Bowen lays on the ground. Ivy grows over her and heals her. (Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night)

Show Notes- Our special guest this week is romance author <a href="https://adrianaherreraromance.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adriana Herrera</a>. <a href="https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/11/20/american-dreamer-cover-reveal-adriana-herrera/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American Dreamer</a>, her debut novel with Carina Press, comes out in March of 2019. -Jen interviewed Adriana about <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2018/09/domestic-violence-in-romance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">domestic violence in romance</a> for the Smart Bitches.- Jen and Sarah both loved <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ux3hbz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Opposite of You</a>, a food truck romance by Rachel Higginson, and Sil at Book Riot made a <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/07/13/food-truck-romances/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">list of food truck romances</a>.- Kresley's historical trilogy is called <a href="https://amzn.to/2EbB5Fu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The MacCarrick Brothers</a>, and you can get all 3 bundled together, of course. - There's nothing more amazing than warring think-pieces. So here's <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/03/f--kboy-definition-take-that-haters_n_7471142.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a> and <a href="https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/08/what-does-fuckboy-mean.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Slate</a>teaching us about fuckboy, and <a href="https://jezebel.com/the-definition-of-fuckboy-is-not-what-bad-trend-pieces-1725157828" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jezebel</a> telling us how they're doing it wrong.- The five witches' castes are warrior, healer, enchantress, conjurer, and sorceress. Jen's going to make a Buzzfeed Quiz that tells you which witch strength you'd have. (This is a lie. Jen does not know how to make Buzzfeed quizzes. But it's a good idea, right?) -Speaking of vibrators, the best Romancelandia blog is the <a href="https://bawdybookworms.com/shop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bawdy Bookworms</a>, which features review of both books and sex toys!- Here's a <a href="https://youtu.be/Hhk4N9A0oCA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">serious video explainer of the Hero's Journey</a>, and also a slightly more <a href="https://youtu.be/yZxs_jGN7Pg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">silly one</a>.- This blog is dedicated to looking at <a href="https://fairytalesandfeminismblog.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">feminism and Snow White</a> in American culture.- <a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/news/deconstructing-disney-lesson-plans" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deconstruct Disney</a> for yourself or for your kids.- There's an IAD wiki, and it's pretty useful for when you're listing <a href="http://immortalsafterdarkiad.wikia.com/wiki/Haxa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hekate, Haxa, and can't remember the third one is Hela</a>.- As symbols, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_(symbolism)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">apples do a lot of heavy lifting</a>.- Mirrors and feminism have a long complicted history. And since we're talking action movies, check out this think piece by Carolyn Petit about <a href="https://feministfrequency.com/2017/02/22/hall-of-mirrors-facing-patriarchy-in-the-media-facing-ourselves/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">feminism, movie criticism, and John Wick's house of mirrors</a>. And then I found this article about <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/sylvia-plaths-magic-mirror/#!" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sylvia Plath's senior thesis at Smith</a> and it's very far afield from the current topic, but this is a super interesting read.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2QGD7Eg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack Ryan on Amazon</a>.- <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8489733/cardi-b-teases-gold-look-money-music-video" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">There isn't a video for Cardi B's Money yet</a>, but <a href="https://genius.com/Cardi-b-money-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here are the lyrics</a>.- How young women have internatlized the <a href="https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/how-girls-question-feminism-yet-embrace-girl-power" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Girl Power vs. Feminism</a> dichotomy. - There's a <a href="http://www.thebuzzonhr.com/2018/03/14/blackblogsmatter-defining-inclusion-equality-and-equity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">famous image that illustrates the difference between equality and equity</a>. It's most often used in the context of race, but can be used as a way to envision any kind of oppression.- <a href="https://jezebel.com/the-romance-novelists-guide-to-hot-consent-1822991922" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romance has been thinking about consent</a> for a long time. Jen wrote a review of a graphic novel for teenagers called <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/guest-review-consent-really-mean-pete-wallis-thalia-wallis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What Does Consent Really Mean</a>?- Our next <a href="https://amzn.to/2QHsgtI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dark Needs at Night's Edge</a> is next.Lost Limb Count (Leg - 2, Arm - 1, Eye - 1)- Lachlain tears off his own leg to reach Emma. He regenerates. (A Hunger Like No Other)- Sebastian pulverizes most of his right arm during the Hie. He regenerates. (No Rest For the Wicked)- Bowen loses an eye and most of his forehead during the Hie. Mariketa has cursed him and he can't heal until he returns to her. (Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night)- Mariketa's skull is fractured and her leg is torn from her body. She heals herself after Bowen lays on the ground. Ivy grows over her and heals her. (Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night)

3: A Great Lay or All the Knowledge in the World: Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

We’re back with the werewolves this week, with one of our very favorite books in the series, Pleasures of a Dark Prince, featuring Garreth MacRieve and Lucia the Huntress, a Valkyrie who is burning it all down. This episode, we’re discussing the way this book wraps up the first movement of IAD and preps readers for what’s to come (SPOILER: IT’S TORTURE ISLAND), we get into how the books are becoming more political, we update the lost-limb count, begin Lothaire-Watch, and dig into why it’s just plain futile to try to stay away from a werewolf mate on the night of a full moon. More than all that, we’re interviewing moon expert Summer Ash about moon business, and Jen is beyond excited.

We’re back with the werewolves this week, with one of our very favorite books in the series, Pleasures of a Dark Prince, featuring Garreth MacRieve and Lucia the Huntress, a Valkyrie who is burning it all down. This episode, we’re discussing the way this book wraps up the first movement of IAD and preps readers for what’s to come (SPOILER: IT’S TORTURE ISLAND), we get into how the books are becoming more political, we update the lost-limb count, begin Lothaire-Watch, and dig into why it’s just plain futile to try to stay away from a werewolf mate on the night of a full moon. More than all that, we’re interviewing moon expert Summer Ash about moon business, and Jen is beyond excited.

8: Triggering the Chastity Clause: Pleasure of a Dark Prince

MacRieve is here and so is friend of the pod, Sierra Simone! We’re so excited to talk about The Full Kresley, what makes erotic romance, The Simone Scale™ of taboo romance, why MacRieve is so tough to read, why Sarah thinks it might be Kresley’s best book, and why Chloe is such a badass. There’s a lot of hysterical laughter, and Sarah is preparing for legal action.

12: Do Not Let the Lykae into the Yankee Candle Store: MacRieve

DEMONS ARE HERE! We’re talking Dark Desires After Dusk, starring Cadeon Woede  (Prince of the Rage Demonarchy) and Holly, his human fated mate (SPOILER SHE ISN’T HUMAN, WHAT!). This one is the first in what we will end up calling the Demonarchy Duology — and we encourage you to read the next book in the series, Kiss of A Demon King as soon as you can after reading Dark Desires. Each book makes the other better. We’ll cover female rage, sex shaming, fast cars, food, feminism and…maybe a pot joke? Also, Sarah waxes on about horns. A lot.

5: That Vessel Business: Dark Desires After Dusk

Show Notes- Sarah and Jen have both loved The Kiss Quotient. Sarah reviewed at for The Washington Post. Jen's been turning her friend Ernie into an occasional romance reader, and live-tweeted his read of TQK.- Escorted by Claire Kent, which is a pen name of Noelle Adams- Virginity is a construct -Romancing the Stone is an 80s movie classic. Kathleen Turner plays a romance writer on an adventure to retreive a missing emerald. -Curio and the Curio Vignettes by Cara McKenna- The Smart Bitches made a list of competence porn romances, where all the characters are just really good at their jobs.- Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas. Here's the Twitter thread where Jenny Nordbak alerts everyone to the sexiness factor.- The Companion Contract by Solace Ames- Burn Down the Night by Molly O'Keefe- The Duke by Gaelen Foley- Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell- Journalist Melissa Gira Grant writes about sex workers and the politics of sex work. You should follow her on Twitter.- The Master by Kresley Cole- Get ready for No Rest for the Wicked

Show Notes- Sarah and Jen have both loved <a href="https://amzn.to/2RZbxza" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Kiss Quotient</a>. Sarah reviewed at for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/sarah-maclean-picks-the-best-romance-novels-to-read-this-month/2018/07/12/6152ca58-8483-11e8-8553-a3ce89036c78_story.html?utm_term=.185d882254d3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>. Jen's been turning her friend Ernie into an occasional romance reader, and <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1039160673459208192" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">live-tweeted his read of TQK</a>.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2RZxWvZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Escorted</a> by Claire Kent, which is a pen name of <a href="https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Noelle Adams</a>- <a href="https://everydayfeminism.com/2013/08/losing-virginity-for-good/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virginity is a construct</a> -Romancing the Stone is an <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/romancing-the-stone-1984" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">80s movie classic</a>. Kathleen Turner plays a romance writer on an adventure to retreive a missing emerald. -<a href="https://amzn.to/2Dy6j9g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curio and the Curio Vignettes</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/caramckenna" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cara McKenna</a>- The Smart Bitches made a list of <a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2017/09/rec-league-competence-pr0n/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">competence porn romances</a>, where all the characters are just really good at their jobs.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2FDBy5Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Suddenly You</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/LisaKleypas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lisa Kleypas</a>. Here's the <a href="https://twitter.com/WckdWallflowers/status/1014541403425202176" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter thread</a> where Jenny Nordbak alerts everyone to the sexiness factor.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2OQxezs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Companion Contract</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/solacewrites" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solace Ames</a>- <a href="https://amzn.to/2KboxyI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burn Down the Night</a> by Molly O'Keefe- <a href="https://amzn.to/2KdFcSz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Duke</a> by Gaelen Foley- <a href="https://amzn.to/2FGoiNR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Claiming the Courtesan</a> by Anna Campbell- Journalist <a href="http://melissagiragrant.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melissa Gira Grant</a> writes about <a href="https://psmag.com/news/recognizing-work" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sex workers</a> and the <a href="http://reason.com/archives/2013/01/21/the-war-on-sex-workers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">politics of sex work</a>. You should follow her on Twitter.- <a href="https://amzn.to/2Kkne0B" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Master</a> by Kresley Cole- Get ready for <a href="https://amzn.to/2ORMhJ1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Rest for the Wicked</a>

1.5: Escort Romances - Interstitial 

Don’t miss a single moment of our 2020 episodes — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!In two weeks, we’ve got another of Jen’s pics, Kristen Callihan’s Managed, which you may recognize as “SCOTTIE,” which is how Jen refers to it because she loves him so much. We think you’ll love it, too, and if you have time, read the next in the series, Fall, which is one of Sarah’s top 10 romances ever. Read Managed at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo.Show NotesWho knows what the RWA situation is when you read this, but as of this podcast, the absolute best source is Claire Ryan's blog post outlining the timeline of events. There was lots of national news coverage, but the "come on girls" comment was on NPR.The 2019 RITA ceremony was amazing, and one that celebrated the history of romance. In between when we recorded this episode and when it was released, RWA cancelled the 2020 RITA awards. When Sarah said "it was a check the organization couldn't cash" she's alluding to a less well-known section of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech."La Nora" is how many people refer to Nora Roberts. Sarah mentions some of her earliest category romances, including Gabriel's Angel, an early Nora from the Silhouette Intimate Moments line. She's also read Naked In Death (Jen hasn't), but Jen loved The Brides quartet, which was probably the last Nora Roberts series she read.Sarah said she feels like readers should at least have read ten percent of an author's backlist for full romance competency. Should the "Ten Percent Rule" be a plank of the official Fated Mates Romance Reader platform? Discuss.When we talk about Nora Roberts, we used a lot of superhero language: her origin story; her vanquishing of a villanous and duplicitous plaigiarist--twice!; owning her own town; her complete dominance of the bestseller lists. None of it is hyperbole. It's possible she actually is a superhero.Lots of authors made statements about the RWA situaton. Here is Nora's, and then JR Ward's.Virginity in romance has come a long way. PS. Virginity is a construct.Somewhere in the 43 minute mark, Jen says "ope," which is the most Midwestern of sayings. If the twitter account Midwest vs. Everybody doesn't make you laugh so hard you wheeze, you're probably part of the everybody.Jen isn't the only one who thinks smoking is a short cut for villainy. She thinks The X-Files is to blame. Also, PSA: vaping is really bad for you, too.Birth control in romance has changed so much, listen to our episode on bodily autonomy for more discussion of this topic.What does it mean to do something in a fugue state?Sarah wrote a column for the Washington Post in December 2019 about how technology is changing romance.Sarah's big thread about why authors shouldn't be afraid of the problematic content in their old romances.If you're interested in a big interesting book about The Troubles, Jen recommends Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe.What's a moor anyways?So you wanted to know what it was like to fly the Concorde?Buying a car? Sounds like that other Grey. Too bad this Gray was a Confederate apologist. Saying the Civil War was about "a way of life" instead of slavery is a classic Lost Cause myth. As Courtney Milan says, the devil doesn't need your advocacy.Buy buttons and stickers from Kelly, tshirt and swag from Jordan, particpate in a 2020 reading challengewith Jen and Sarah, and fill out this survey for Eric.In two weeks, we'll be discussed Managed and Fall by Kristen Callihan. If you have to pick one, make it Managed. As of this episode airing, Jen has tweeted just the word Scottie with a swooning gif at least 11 times.Our listener call in book was Star King by Susan Grant.

Don’t miss a single moment of our 2020 episodes — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!In two weeks, we’ve got another of Jen’s pics, Kristen Callihan’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3005Aa7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Managed</a>, which you may recognize as “SCOTTIE,” which is how Jen refers to it because she loves him so much. We think you’ll love it, too, and if you have time, read the next in the series, <a href="https://amzn.to/36JcEe9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fall</a>, which is one of Sarah’s top 10 romances ever. Read Managed at <a href="https://amzn.to/3005Aa7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/managed-kristen-callihan/1124037490?ean=2940158465680" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/managed/id1129493045?app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR&amp;mt=11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, or <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/managed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>.Show NotesWho knows what the RWA situation is when you read this, but as of this podcast, the absolute best source is <a href="https://www.claireryanauthor.com/blog/2019/12/27/the-implosion-of-the-rwa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Claire Ryan's blog</a> post outlining the timeline of events. There was lots of national news coverage, but the "<a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/01/04/793572217/racism-scandal-in-the-romance-writing-industry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">come on girls</a>" comment was on NPR.The 2019 RITA ceremony <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/how-romance-awards-are-changing-and-why-its-about-/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">was amazing</a>, and one that celebrated <a href="https://youtu.be/shL1kNwr0nA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the history of romance</a>. In between when we recorded this episode and when it was released, <a href="https://ew.com/books/2020/01/06/romance-writers-of-america-cancels-rita-awards-contest-racism-controversy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RWA cancelled the 2020 RITA awards</a>. When Sarah said "it was a check the organization couldn't cash" she's alluding to a less well-known section of <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/did-mlk-improvise-in-the-dream-speech/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Martin Luther King's</a> <a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"I Have a Dream" speech</a>."La Nora" is how many people refer to Nora Roberts. Sarah mentions some of her earliest category romances, including <a href="https://amzn.to/36yqz6l" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gabriel's Angel</a>, an early Nora from <a href="https://www.fictiondb.com/series/silhouette-intimate-moments~14147.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Silhouette Intimate Moments line</a>. She's also read <a href="https://amzn.to/2tIDm7J" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Naked In Death</a> (Jen hasn't), but Jen loved <a href="https://amzn.to/35sVIa8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Brides quartet</a>, which was probably the last Nora Roberts series she read.Sarah said she feels like readers should at least have read ten percent of an author's backlist for full romance competency. Should the "Ten Percent Rule" be a plank of the official Fated Mates Romance Reader platform? Discuss.When we talk about Nora Roberts, we used a lot of superhero language: her <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/06/22/real-romance-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">origin story</a>; her <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/queen-hearts-gives-her-throne-172376" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vanquishing of a villanous and duplicitous plaigiaris</a>t--<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/books/nora-roberts-plagiarism.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twice</a>!; <a href="https://www.town.boonsboro.md.us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">owning her own town</a>; her <a href="https://noraroberts.com/did-you-know/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">complete dominance</a> of the <a href="https://airtable.com/shrpsuycrbo3rlJ4M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bestseller lists</a>. None of it is hyperbole. It's possible she actually is a superhero.Lots of authors made statements about the RWA situaton. Here is <a href="https://fallintothestory.com/my-pov-on-rwa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nora's</a>, and then <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JRWardBooks/posts/some-of-you-may-be-aware-of-the-rwa-situation-im-not-going-to-go-into-all-the-pa/10157041782658231/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JR Ward's</a>.<a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2011/12/virginity-cliches-in-romance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virginity</a> in romance has come a long way. PS. <a href="https://www.hercampus.com/school/western/why-virginity-social-construct" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virginity is a construct.</a>Somewhere in the 43 minute mark, Jen says "<a href="https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/May-2018/Ope-The-All-Purpose-Expression-of-Midwestern-Politeness/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ope</a>," which is the most Midwestern of sayings. If <a href="https://twitter.com/midwestern_ope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the twitter account Midwest vs. Everybody</a> doesn't make you laugh so hard you wheeze, you're probably part of the everybody.Jen isn't the only one who thinks <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/the-burning-issue-only-villains-smoke-in-hollywood-5347107.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">smoking is a short cut for villainy</a>. She thinks <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarette_Smoking_Man" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The X-Files</a> is to blame. Also, PSA: <a href="https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/vaping-4-risks-for-kids" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vaping is really bad</a> for you, too.Birth control in romance has changed so much, listen to our episode on <a href="https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/vaping-4-risks-for-kids" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bodily autonomy</a> for more discussion of this topic.What does it mean to do something in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue_state" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fugue state</a>?<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/technology-is-transforming-our-love-lives--and-our-romance-novels/2019/12/13/bc893c2e-1de1-11ea-b4c1-fd0d91b60d9e_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah wrote a column for the Washington Post in December 2019 about how technology is changing romance</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1211303904144695297" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah's big thread</a> about why authors shouldn't be afraid of the problematic content in their old romances.If you're interested in a big interesting book about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/world/europe/northern-ireland-troubles.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Troubles</a>, Jen recommends <a href="https://amzn.to/2ZXsFKM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe</a>.What's a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorland" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">moor</a> anyways?So you wanted to know what it was like to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/concorde-flying-what-was-it-like/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fly the Concorde</a>?Buying a car? Sounds like <a href="https://www.charactour.com/hub/characters/view/Christian-Grey.Fifty-Shades-of-Grey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">that other Grey.</a> Too bad this Gray was a <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1068686940050993152" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Confederate apologist</a>. Saying the Civil War was about "a way of life" <a href="https://psmag.com/education/of-course-the-civil-war-was-about-slavery-26265" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">instead of slavery</a> is a classic <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-i-learned-about-cult-lost-cause-180968426/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lost Cause myth</a>. As Courtney Milan says, <a href="https://twitter.com/courtneymilan/status/1211307985097646081" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the devil doesn't need your advocacy</a>.Buy <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/shop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">buttons and stickers</a> from Kelly, <a href="https://jordandene.com/collections/romance-sarah-maclean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tshirt and swag</a> from Jordan, particpate in a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18123181900012231/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2020 reading challenge</a>with Jen and Sarah, and <a href="https://survey.fatedmates.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fill out this survey </a>for Eric.In two weeks, we'll be discussed <a href="https://amzn.to/2T3Mv5u" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Managed</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2tHDtQV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fall</a> by Kristen Callihan. If you have to pick one, make it Managed. As of this episode airing, <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1208551124141260802" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen has tweeted just the word Scottie with a swooning gif</a> at least 11 times.Our listener call in book was <a href="https://amzn.to/2ZYJO6K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Star King</a> by Susan Grant.

S02.18: Born in Ice: The One Where the Hero Smokes

Don’t miss a single moment of our 2020 episodes — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!Next week, we’re talking Kristen Callihan’s Managed, which you may recognize as “SCOTTIE,” which is how Jen refers to it because she loves him so much. We think you’ll love it, too, and if you have time, read the next in the series, Fall, which is one of Sarah’s top 10 romances ever. Read Managed at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo.Show NotesRWA imploded and it's such a long, complicated story, but this article from Vox and this timeline by Claire Ryan are what will catch you up.Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start: there are seven romance subgenres: historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal, inspirational, erotic romance, and YA.When it comes to the grandmother of historicals, don't forget that Jane Austen was writing contemporaries.Johanna Lindsey died in October, and her family announced it publicly in December. The New York Times obituary was trash, so read the Washington Post or Entertainment Weekly one instead. Check out the Twitter hastag #MyFirstJohanna for people's stories about their first book by Lindsey (including Sarah's), and maybe listen to our episode on Gentle Rogue.Support Farrah Rochon for an organ in her sister's memory. And come this summer, buy her upcoming book The Boyfriend Project.In Born a Crime, Trevor Noah wrote about what his mother said about her second husband wanting to put her in a cage: For a long time I wondered why he ever married a woman like my mom in the first place, as she was the opposite of that in every way. If he wanted a woman to bow to him, there were plenty of girls back in Tzaneen being raised solely for that purpose. The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. He’s attracted to independent women. “He’s like an exotic bird collector,” she said. “He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage.”Mary Wollstonecraft is all the evidence you need that feminists have been around for a long time.Jen recommends In the Dream House by Carmen Marie Machado, which is about domestic abuse in a queer relationship. The quote from Jose Estaban Munoz is, "When the historian of queer experience attempts to document a queer past, there is often a gatekeeper representing a straight present."When talking about The Doctor's Discretion by EE Ottoman, Sarah is very excited about a book called The Butchering Art by medical historian Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, whose sometimes very gross Instagram is amazing. Doctor James Berry was trans man who lived and worked in London in the mid 1800s.If you haven't listened to our episode about Beverly Jenkins's Indigo what are you waiting for?Avon Red was a short-lived series, but then again, so was The Red Shoe Diaries. Sarah recommends On These Silken Sheets by Sabrina Darby from that series.Whores of Yore is a great blog, and definitely proves Jen's assertion that as soon as someone invented cameras, someone else wanted to get naked in front of it. Dr. Kate Lister, who founded the site, has a book called A Curious History of Sex coming out Feb 2020.Next time you are in New York, visit The Museum of Sex. Sarah recommends Hallie Rubenhold's The Covent Garden Ladies: Pimp General Jack and the Extraordinary Story of Harris' List (which out of print, but available in audio, and is the book Harlots is based on). Hallie Rubenhold's The Five is not out of print, and also excellent--it is very not a romance, and about the victims of the Ripper killings.KJ Charles is so ridiculously good. Sarah's favorites are Wanted a Gentleman and Think of England and Jen loves Band Sinister. Nicola Davidson's Surrey Sexual Freedom Society series is fantastic. Alyssa Cole's An Extraordinary Union is amazing. Monica McCarty wrote a historical series that imagines Highlanders as being kind of like Navy SEALs. Sarah talked about one of the books in the series, The Arrow on the Scotland interstitial. Honestly, we talked about so many authors, so just click on any one of the images in the photo gallery below for some of our favorites by those authors.But stickers and buttons from Kelly, tees and bags from Jordandene, take our reading challenge, and answer our survey.

Don’t miss a single moment of our 2020 episodes — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast if you’re so inclined!Next week, we’re talking Kristen Callihan’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3005Aa7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Managed</a>, which you may recognize as “SCOTTIE,” which is how Jen refers to it because she loves him so much. We think you’ll love it, too, and if you have time, read the next in the series, <a href="https://amzn.to/36JcEe9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fall</a>, which is one of Sarah’s top 10 romances ever. Read Managed at <a href="https://amzn.to/3005Aa7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/managed-kristen-callihan/1124037490?ean=2940158465680" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a>, <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/managed/id1129493045?app=itunes&amp;at=1l3vpAR&amp;mt=11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Books</a>, or <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/managed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kobo</a>.Show NotesRWA imploded and it's such a long, complicated story, but <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/1/10/21055125/rwa-what-happened-resignations-courtney-milan-damon-suede-backstory-2020-ritas-conference" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this article from Vox</a> and <a href="https://www.claireryanauthor.com/blog/2019/12/27/the-implosion-of-the-rwa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this timeline by Claire Ryan</a> are what will catch you up.<a href="https://youtu.be/1RW3nDRmu6k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start</a>: there are seven romance subgenres: historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal, inspirational, erotic romance, and YA.When it comes to the grandmother of historicals, don't forget that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jane Austen</a> was writing contemporaries.Johanna Lindsey died in October, and her family announced it publicly in December. <a href="https://twitter.com/JenReadsRomance/status/1209095021019963398" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The New York Times obituary was trash</a>, so read the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/johanna-lindsey-master-of-historical-romance-novels-dies-at-67/2019/12/23/bd5e7cca-2590-11ea-ad73-2fd294520e97_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> or <a href="https://ew.com/books/2019/12/23/johanna-lindsey-romance-novelist-dies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Entertainment Weekly</a> one instead. Check out the Twitter hastag #MyFirstJohanna for people's stories about their first book by Lindsey (<a href="https://twitter.com/sarahmaclean/status/1209131730705305600" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">including Sarah's</a>), and maybe listen to our episode on <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/10/7/s025-gentle-rogue" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gentle Rogue</a>.Support <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/church-organ-in-honor-of-tamara-roybiskie?utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link-tip&amp;utm_source=customer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Farrah Rochon</a> for an organ in her sister's memory. And come this summer, buy her upcoming book <a href="https://amzn.to/3adQgLN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Boyfriend Project.</a>In <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8052600-abel-wanted-a-traditional-marriage-with-a-traditional-wife-for" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Born a Crime</a>, Trevor Noah wrote about what his mother said about her second husband wanting to put her in a cage: For a long time I wondered why he ever married a woman like my mom in the first place, as she was the opposite of that in every way. If he wanted a woman to bow to him, there were plenty of girls back in Tzaneen being raised solely for that purpose. The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. He’s attracted to independent women. “He’s like an exotic bird collector,” she said. “He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage.”<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/mary-wollstonecraft-britains-first-feminist/zkpk382" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary Wollstonecraft</a> is all the evidence you need that feminists have been around for a long time.Jen recommends <a href="https://amzn.to/2NtNYOZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In the Dream House by Carmen Marie Machado</a>, which is about domestic abuse in a queer relationship. The quote from Jose Estaban Munoz is, "When the historian of queer experience attempts to document a queer past, there is often a gatekeeper representing a straight present."When talking about <a href="https://amzn.to/2QRmfd7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Doctor's Discretion</a> by EE Ottoman, Sarah is very excited about a book called <a href="https://amzn.to/2FS2FHk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Butchering Art</a> by medical historian Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, whose <a href="https://www.instagram.com/drlindseyfitzharris/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sometimes very gross Instagram</a> is amazing. <a href="https://www.them.us/story/james-barry-ej-levy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doctor James Berry</a> was trans man who lived and worked in London in the mid 1800s.If you haven't listened to <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/12/9/s0214-indigo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our episode about Beverly Jenkins's Indigo</a> what are you waiting for?<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/corporate/press-releases/introducing-avon-red-new-line-from-leading-womens-fiction-publisher-offers-the-pinnacle-of-sexy-fiction/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Avon Red</a> was a short-lived series, but then again, so was The Red Shoe Diaries. Sarah recommends <a href="https://amzn.to/30j7cMy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On These Silken Sheets</a> by Sabrina Darby from that series.<a href="https://www.thewhoresofyore.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Whores of Yore</a> is a great blog, and definitely proves Jen's assertion that as soon as someone invented cameras, someone else wanted to get naked in front of it. Dr. Kate Lister, who founded the site, has a book called <a href="https://amzn.to/2Nqsdja" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Curious History of Sex</a> coming out Feb 2020.Next time you are in New York, visit <a href="https://www.museumofsex.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Museum of Sex</a>. Sarah recommends Hallie Rubenhold's The Covent Garden Ladies: Pimp General Jack and the Extraordinary Story of Harris' List (which out of print, but <a href="https://amzn.to/2FPpg7p" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available in audio</a>, and is the book <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/harlots-18edbd1f-3e9f-46a0-8dc4-02ff7b1eef63" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harlots</a> is based on). <a href="https://amzn.to/2tVZ3l9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hallie Rubenhold's The Five</a> is not out of print, and also excellent--it is very not a romance, and about the victims of the Ripper killings.<a href="http://kjcharleswriter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KJ Charles</a> is so ridiculously good. Sarah's favorites are Wanted a Gentleman and Think of England and Jen loves Band Sinister. <a href="http://www.nicola-davidson.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nicola Davidson</a>'s Surrey Sexual Freedom Society series is fantastic. <a href="https://alyssacole.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alyssa Cole</a>'s An Extraordinary Union is amazing. Monica McCarty wrote a historical series that imagines Highlanders as being kind of like Navy SEALs. Sarah talked about one of the books in the series, The Arrow on the <a href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/1/7/65-scotland-interstitial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotland interstitial</a>. Honestly, we talked about so many authors, so just click on any one of the images in the photo gallery below for some of our favorites by those authors.But <a href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/shop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">stickers and buttons from Kelly</a>, <a href="https://jordandene.com/collections/romance-sarah-maclean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tees and bags from Jordandene</a>, take our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18123181900012231/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reading challenge</a>, and answer our <a href="https://survey.fatedmates.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">survey</a>.

S02.19: So You Want to Read a Historical

We’re tackling the novellas this week, and finishing up the Wroth Brother Quartet with The Warlord Wants Forever (Nikolai) &amp; Untouchable (Murdoch), as well as their incredible Valkyrie mates. This episode, we’re talking about Myst’s weird chain, Danii’s loneliness, the responsibility of authors to readers, to themselves, to the text, and to literary history, and the way Untouchable hints at the enormous world that IAD is about to become.

We’re tackling the novellas this week, and finishing up the Wroth Brother Quartet with The Warlord Wants Forever (Nikolai) &amp; Untouchable (Murdoch), as well as their incredible Valkyrie mates. This episode, we’re talking about Myst’s weird chain, Danii’s loneliness, the responsibility of authors to readers, to themselves, to the text, and to literary history, and the way Untouchable hints at the enormous world that IAD is about to become.

7: Ghost Pepper Town: Warlord Wants Forever & Untouchable

The best podcast episodes of anyone with an interesting story. With famous guests like Obama, LeBron James, Drake, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, to anyone who has a unique and interesting story to tell. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Personal Stories & Great Interviews

The best podcast episodes on non-current politics. Covering topics such as universal basic income, democracy, poverty & justice and more. For anyone interested in learning more about politics that affect that world, not just now, but in the longer term. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!