Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

Latest Episodes:

S091.11: True Blue, Stacey Abrams We Love You Nov 11, 2026

Show notes

We’re still riding that blue wave! We don’t know what you’re seeing where you are, but it’s all blue where we are (upbeat), so we figured we’d cut the romance pie a little differently this week and recommend some of our favorite books that are blue! We have blue covers, characters named blue, characters who vote blue, characters who are blue, and of course, Stacey Abrams, the reason we’re all so happy. We also try to explain what went on last week to our international listeners and honestly — forgive us, civics teachers everywhere…our heart is in the right place.

Learn more about Stacey Abrams’s organization Fair Fight, about the work The States Project is doing for downticket races across the country, and take this as a sign to Run for Something. Sign up to be notified when Fated States phonebanking starts up again.

To talk with other readers about your favorite blue books, join our Patreon, which gets you access to the Fated Mates discord (there’s a special group in there for politically active firebirds), and gets you one additional episode every month.

Blue Books

Sponsors

Blue Box Press, publishers of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s A Crown of Ruin: A Blood and Ash Special Edition Novella, now availble in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or wherever you get your books.
Kristen Jennings, author of Spindle Touched, preorder now in print or ebook at Amazon.
Lucy Score, author of The Heist Before Christmas, available in print, ebook, audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle +.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/11/10/0911-true-blue-stacey-abrahms-we-love-you
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00 Democracy Bantr

15:52 AD: SPINDLE TOUCHED

18:10 Cheers to Stacey Abrams!

21:37 Blue Books

23:22 Covers

29:10 AD: A CROWN OF RUIN

35:03 Indigo

37:40 Forever Blue

41:02 Natural Born Charmer

43:39 The Duchess in his Bed

45:56 The Suffragette Scandal

47:38 AD: THE HEIST BEFORE CHRISTMAS

49:49 Forever Your Earl

54:24 Simply Sinful

56:15 A Duke by Default

1:01:50 Sapphire Sunset

1:04:28 Sapphire Flames

1:07:10 The Duchess Effect

1:11:01 Lover Eternal

1:13:34 A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

1:16:41 Single Malt

1:18:53 The Rogue of Fifth Avenue

1:25:07 Forbidden Desire

1:27:33 Have Yourself a Billionaire for Christmas

1:30:14 Blue Blue Blue!

1:33:43 Wrapping Up!

S09.10: Tropes People Love to Hate Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

(🎉)

Sarah headed off to the 831 Stories conference a few weeks ago, and was on a panel about tropes people hate, so of course she brought that conversation back to the pod! We’re talking about babies, about second chances, about virgins, about celibacy and about friends-to-lovers!

Tell us your most hated tropes over on the Fated Mates discord! Join the Fated Mates patreon to get access, and you also get one extra episode a month from us!

When we recorded this episode, we didn’t know how things would shake out this week, but now we do and we’re having a great day. Hope you are, too!

Books

Notes

There are so many shows based off romance novels hitting the screen lately: of course the juggernaut of Heated Rivalry. At Amazon, they have the Off Campus series based on books by Elle Kennedy, The Love Hypothesis based on the book by Ali Hazelwood, and Drive based on the books by Tamara Lush. Also, they have made casting announcements for Butcher and Blackbird and 4th Wing. Here’s the story about Ride or Die and why it might have been cancelled despite its positive reviews and ratings.
Speaking of TV shows, Sarah has news about These Summer Storms!
Coming to Nextflixt next month is In a Holidaze based on the book by Christina Lauren, in which Rob Lowe plays someone other than Sodapop Curtis.
On Friday the 13th, go watch Wicker with Sarah, Adriana, and Ali if you’re in New York; otherwise, have a nice time with your lady at a local theater near you.
Sarah was at the 831 RomCon in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, and a game she played on a panel inspired this episode. Back in Season 3, we did a Trope off with Christina and Lauren for the release of The Soulmate Equation.

Sponsors

The Nightstand App, a book tracking app for readers. Visit nightstand-app.com/fatedmates for your 7-day free trial, and use the code FATEDMATES for 30% off your annual subscription.
Penguin Young Readers & Berkley XO, publishers of Charlotte B. Plumb’s Reap & Sow, available now in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
Meghan Quinn, author of Christmas Staycation, available in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or wherever you get your books.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/11/3/s0910-the-tropes-people-love-to-hate
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00 Romance TV/Movie Bantr

16:25 Harry Styles

20:20 AD: NIGHTSTAND

22:30 Wicker

29:56 Sarah Attended Brooklyn RomCon

36:08 AD: REAP & SOW

38:09 Accidental Pregnancy & Secret Baby

50:55 AD: CHRISTMAS STAYCATION

52:39 Virginity & Celibacy

56:24 Tropes & Microtropes

59:16 Love at First Sight vs Instalove

1:06:07 Friends to Lovers & Second Chance

1:15:43 Flashbacks are a Problem

1:22:55 Oblivious to Love

1:32:34 Wrapping Up

RERUN: Moonstruck: A Wolf Without a Foot Redux! Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

It's Election Day and we are just vibrating! We're not the only ones.

The first and best way to get through the day is to volunteer. Visit mobilize.us to find volunteer opportunities near (or not so near) you.

The second way is to listen to us yammer about Moonstruck.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2022/10/11/s0505-were-moonstruck-on-our-200th-episode
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00 Start Your Romance Novel Today!

01:42 Our 200th Anniversary!

07:47 Moonstruck's Influence

11:38 The Moonstruck House

15:28 Frozen in Time

17:43 SPONSOR: Grand Central Publishing

20:08 Loretta's Bad Luck

26:48 The Multigenerational Family

32:33 Ronnie

37:39 Love and Loss

39:53 SPONSOR: Alyxandra Harvey

41:28 Marker 12

44:09 Loretta and Ronnie

49:46 Cosmo's Moon

55:58 The Next Day

57:46 SPONSOR: Lumi Labs

58:52 Marker 17

1:01:21 A Night at the Opera

1:06:57 Why do Men Chase Women?

1:11:05 A NIght of Speeches & Choices

1:18:31 A Reckoning (over oatmeal)

1:32:47 Outro

ANNIVERSARY RERUN: We're Gonna Come Back to Biting Oct 31, 2026

Show notes

We started this podcast in October of 2018! Eight years and 420 episodes later, we came back to biting.

Join Fated States tomorrow, November 1st, for the final phonebank before Election Day. We're calling Michigan for Abdul El-Sayed!

S09.08: Halloween Grab Bag Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

It’s demons and death and decorative gourd season, and we’re talking about all of them, along with sewer monsters and twelve-foot tall skeletons and a vampire or two! If you’re looking for a Halloween read, we’ve got you this week with a little something for everyone. This is the next in a long line of spooky reads episodes, so when you’re done with this one, head over and listen to the rest (a list of them is in show notes!)

Fated States, our democratic phonebanking initiative wraps up this weekend—we’ll be calling Michigan to get out the vote for Abdul El-Sayed ! There will be games, prizes and special guests! Learn more and register to phone bank with us at fatedmates.net/fatedstates.

If you’d like to come over and talk about Halloween reads with us, please join us on the Fated Mates Discord, where you’ll find a few thousand other listeners who love talking about these books we love. Join the Fated Mates patreon to get access, and You also get one extra episode a month from us!!

Books

Notes

It’s (finally) Scorpio season!
We’re talking about Michigan and Maps, which is just our regular brand of off topic nonsense and has nothing to do with this episode. South Detroit is actually Canada, and the Model T was invented by Henry Ford in Michigan, and that’s why all the American car companies were headquartered in Detroit.
Sarah says you can just watch the end of Ted Lasso for Roy and Keely.
Luckily, Brill Harper has rereleased Demon’s Curvy Mate on all platforms after we did email, that’s just how hard we are willing to work for you! But you should still get aBrooklyn Public Library card if you want.
It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers is a classic from McSweeney’s.
Turns out a lot of classroom skeletons are real, and some schools found out and had funerals for their own Mr. Bones-Jangles. That’s a reference to famous dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and if you’ve never watched his stair dance from 1932, you should.
If you’re looking for more Halloween reads, listen to our past episodes on: Spooky Stuff, Romance Demons, Devils, Ghosts, Morticians, and the Dead, Manimals!, Monsters, Witchy Romance, and Why Horror.

Sponsors

The Nightstand App, a book tracking app for readers. Visit nightstand-app.com/fatedmates for your 7-day free trial, and use the code FATEDMATES for 30% off your annual subscription.
Maria Vale, author of Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death, available in print, ebook, audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
Lucy Score author of The Dead Guy Next Door, the first in the Riley Thorn series, available in print, ebook and audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle+.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/10/26/0908-halloween-grab-bag
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00 Scorpio Season

03:32 Fated Maps

14:20 AD: MOLLY MALLOY AND THE ANGEL OF DEATH

16:40 The Demon’s Curvy Angel

26:15 Decorative Gord Season

31:22 AD: NIGHTSTAND

33:25 No Bones About It

40:35 A Date with Death

48:41 AD: THE DEAD GUY NEXT DOOR

50:23 What Happens at Nightfall

56:07 Fangbanger

1:02:47 Demons & Diplomacy

1:08:07 The Romance Revival

1:13:26 Jenny Will Eat You Now

1:21:50 Die for Me

1:28:19 Wrapping Up

RERUN: Devils in Romance Novels Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

Early voting is happening in most states, with the remaining few coming online in the next few days. Enjoy this Season six episode on the way to or from the polls.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2023/10/24/s0607-happy-halloween-devils-in-romance-novels
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

S09.07: Why Horror with Stephen Graham Jones and Becky Spratford Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

We’re talking about the mythmakers again this week with a chat about romance’s sister genre, horror! We’re joined by NEA fellow, Bram Stoker Award winner and bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones, and librarian and horror expert Becky Spratford. We talk about Stephen’s lifelong love of horror, the way horror reflects the world, the rules of horror and how romance and horror are actually two sides of the same coin. Happy spooky season, book lovers.

Fated States, our democratic phonebanking initiative continues this week—we’ll be calling Tennessee to get out the vote for Justin Pearson in the Tennessee 9th, and into Montana to get out the vote for Sam Forstag, candidate in the Montana 1st! There will be games, prizes and special guests! Learn more and register to phone bank with us at fatedmates.net/fatedstates.

If you’d like to come over and talk about horror with us, please join us on the Fated Mates Discord, where you’ll find a few thousand other listeners who love talking about these books we love. Join the Fated Mates patreon to get access, and You also get one extra episode a month from us!!

Horror Fiction, Film, and Television Mentioned in This Episode

Sponsors

Avon Books, publishers of Emily Rath’s Devour Me, available in print, ebook and audiobook, at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, wherever you get your books, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
Piper Rayne, author of Chasing Smoke, available in print, ebook, audiobook at Barnes & Noble, wherever you get your books, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
Meghan Quinn, author of Christmas Staycation, available in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or wherever you get your books.
Penguin Young Readers & Berkley XO, publishers of Charlotte B. Plumb’s Reap & Sow, available now in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/10/19/horror-with-stephen-graham-jones-and
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00 Why Horror?

10:10 Goosebumps or Babysitters Club

16:21 AD: CHASING SMOKE

18:51 Tropes & Horror Shorthand

21:16 The Emotionally Satisfying Ending

27:53 AD: REAP & SOW

29:34 A Worthwhile Fight

33:10 The Bully Dynamic

36:12 Comedy and Genre

42:14 AD: CHRISTMAS STAYCATION

44:15 The Stakes in Horror

50:57 AD: DEVOUR ME

54:45 The Literary Circus

59:51 Thee Dread vs. Terror Axis

1:03:14 Cozy andthe Difficulty of Levels

1:07:11 What do you Love? What are we Carrying?

1:21:01 Horror Recomendations

1:31:55 Wrapping Up

1:33:00 AD: CHASING SMOKE

RERUN: Vampire Romance Novels Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

Revisit this season four episode on your way to or from your local No Kings March!

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2022/4/16/s0431-vampire-romance-interstitial
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

S09.06: Fated Mates: You Are Our Mystical Battery Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

This one is very meta (complimentary): Fated Mates (the duo) explains Fated Mates (the trope) on Fated Mates (the podcast). We can’t believe all these years in, we’ve never talked fated mates! We’re rectifying that right now with a collection of paranormal romances (and a few that aren’t) that are going to give you a lot of joy. We talk about demons and vampires and alpha’s and ice planet barbarians, star-crossed lovers and soulmates and what it really takes to convince a reader you’re fated.

Fated States, our democratic phonebanking initiative continues this week—we’ll be calling Texas to get out the vote for James Talarico and democrats up and down the ticket! There will be games, prizes and special guests! Learn more and register to phone bank with us at fatedmates.net/fatedstates.

If you’d like to come over and talk about your favorite fated mates romances (or your favorite fated mates podcast), please join us on the Fated Mates Discord, where you’ll find a few thousand other listeners who love talking about these books we love. Join the Fated Mates patreon to get access, and You also get one extra episode a month from us!

Books

Notes

Check out our website, especially the list of DRM audiobooks.
Our first road trip romance interstitial was one that was really important to our evolutions (before we figured out the season numbering protocol!)
This list of fated mates book on goodreads has nearly THIRTY THOUSAND TITLES, so good luck to you and I don’t actually know how that’s possible.
It’s a portal fantasy!
The way you know that Jen doesn’t read Omegaverse is the way she OVER AND OVER AGAIN say that Lilah in Pack Darling was a beta, but I think she was an omega. Sorry! What we do know is that no one in the book was a wolf, and honestly, that’s kind of a win for us?
What is The Cut (or Vulture, or NYMag) going to say about romance this week?
Of all the gin joints in all the world…
Will Liz Lemon end up with Wesley Snipes, her future husband?

Sponsors

Avon Books, publishers of Joanna Shupe’s The Gilded Rose, available in print, ebook and audiobook, at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you get your books.
Elle Kennedy, author of Bad Idea, preorder now in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo or wherever you get your books.
Attic Wall Books, publishers of Isobel Lynn’s Godhunter, available now in print, ebook or audiobook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episdoes/2026/10/12/0906-fated-mates
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00 BDE Bantr

03:00 Fated Mates (the podcast) Lore

14:57 How to Choose & How it Works

25:04 Demon from the Dark

29:04 AD: GODHUNTER

31:10 Wicked Abyss

37:21 Rejected

42:33 The Tyrant’s Alpha Rejected Me

46:51 AD: THE GILDED ROSE

49:20 Old School Suffering

53:21 Ice Planet Barbarians

57:21 Claimed by the Orc King

1:00:00 AD: BAD IDEA

1:04:25 The Question of Consent

1:06:50 Hot Blooded

1:14:24 Pack Darling

1:21:13 The Mane Event

1:34:20 Fated Mates in other Subgenres

1:46:47 Wrapping Up

RERUN: Spooky Stuff! Halloween Romance Oct 10, 2026

Show notes

Spooky stuff is timeless, so we're sharing a Halloween episode from back in season five.

Please consider contributing to our Fated States Project Giving Circle. We're only half way to our goal and we're running out of time.

The Rest

For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2022/10/24/s0507-halloween-and-other-spooky-romances-interstitial#spooky
If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.