Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

It’s one of our favorite tropes this week — get your pens out, because we’re talking about about a thousand books that tackle Partner in Danger! You know what we’re talking about: “Oh no! This person I sometimes bone is in danger! WAIT! I am feeling feelings!!!” It’s great. We’re going to talk about why. Sarah would like to apologize in advance, because it was really hot in her house when we recorded, and it scrambled her brain.We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!Next week, it’s erotica week! We’re reading a book that Sarah loves, Nikki Sloane’s Three Little Mistakes, which we’ve talked about before on the podcast, but we want to deep dive on. Get Three Little Mistakes from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo … and don’t forget your favorite indie, which is probably shipping books right now and definitely needs your patronage!Also, if you love the music in this or any of our episodes, check out our Spotify playlist, which includes it all!Show NotesAs of last week, going outside looks like a pretty safe thing to do.In fact, there is less central A/C in New York City. So watch out for the window units.Zoom fatigue is real.You know, there is quite a large assortment of "Dorothy in the Sheets, Blanche in the Sheets" merch on Etsy. In case you need to talk a call from your editor.We all struggle with the illusion of control.The trope of the damsel in distress has been around for a long, long time. So let's not fridge more women, mm'kay.Friend of the pod Adriana Herrera has some words of wisdom about writing trauma in romance. And also Jen and Adriana did a Facebook Live chat on the topic. (link & audio forthcoming).Pour one out for planes. And cars. And alcohol from mysterious European lands.In case you missed Blood Blow Jobs: please refer to Fated Mates Season One, Lothaire and Rune.Jen looked it up a map. In Reborn Yesterday, the heroine is dropped onto the Belt Parkway, not the Long Island Expressway. Still seems bad.Edward saved Bella from a careening van in the school parking lot. And from a bunch of drunk guys.The Most Dangerous Game is a pretty great short story, classically used to teach person v. person conflict.Morality Chain is a great trope. Look for an upcoming interstitial on this topic soon!In Pretty Woman, she rescues him right back.Preorder signed copies of Daring and the Duke from WORD bookstore in Brooklyn and you'll get swag from Sarah and this special yellow Fated Mates sticker.Books referenced this week:Judith McNaught's PerfectLisa Kleypas's It Happened One Autumn, Devil in Winter & Dreaming of YouJoanna Shupe's The Prince of Broadway & The Devil of DowntownKresley Cole's LothaireMilla Vane's A Heart of Blood And AshesTessa Bailey's Reborn YesterdayEmmy Chandler's HunterClaire Kent's HoldStephenie Meyer's TwilightMolly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid, The Truth About Him, Burn Down the Night & Wait for ItSarah's Wicked & the Wallflower, Brazen & the Beast, Daring & the Duke, The Rogue Not Taken, and No Good Duke Goes UnpunishedSierra Simone's American QueenKati Wilde's Hellfire RidersHelenKay Dimon's The Secret She KeepsRobert Munsch's The Paper Bag PrincessNana Malone's Protecting the HeiressKresley Cole's The MasterThe RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/5/19/s0237-partner-in-danger-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.

It’s a Jen week this week! We’re reading Bet Me this week, the book many people put right on the top of Best Contemporary Romance lists — one of Jen’s favorite books and a book Sarah liked to tell people she loved but has now discovered she’d never actually read. Minerva and Cal are absolutely terrific, as is this book, and we’re having a rollicking conversation about fat rep, about friendships in romance, about food (Sarah’s love language), about shoes, and about why grown people at little league games are a weird thing.Show NotesWe're big fans of Carly Lane-Perry from SyFy Fangirls. We especially like her newsletter, Kissing Books--Jen wrote about grandmothers in romance.Is it criticism if it's all positive?Baby Foot is sold out, but there are lots of other terrifying alternatives you can try.Janet Dailey is famous for plagiarizing Nora Roberts. Before that happened, she wrote the Americana series, with one book set in every state. The one set in Ohio was called The Widow and the Wastrel, and Jen's twitter thread about the book unearthed several early covers for the book.Sarah asked if Jenny Crusie is from Ohio? She is.This was Sarah's first time reading Bet Me, just like it was Jen's first time reading Gentle Rogue.Minerva and Diana probably wish they weren't named after Roman goddesses.So: you want to be an actuary. You want to learn about chaos theory. You're wondering about the gender essentialsim of a book with a title like Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus. You want to learn more about the band Cake.Love Me Tender is a beautiful song.Penn and Teller explain the Cup and Ball trick. Oh, and did you hear Sarah mention it's going to appear in Daring and the Duke? Pre-order from WORD in Brooklyn, and you'll recieve a free limited edition yellow Fated Mates sticker.With these many characters, it might as well be a Robert Atlman movie.Learn about dyslexia, our understanind of which has dramatically changed over time. Erin McCarthy's Hard and Fast (2009) also has a dyslexic hero.Another utterly fantastic family dinner gone wrong scene is in Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz.Jeanne Lin knows how to write some really sexy kissing.The fairy godmother is a hallmark of Cinderella, and Sarah's own magical modiste is Madame Hebert.There are so many homages to great rom-coms of the 90s. Diana loves the music from Julia Roberts movies. Elvis Costello's She appeared in Notting Hill, the lead up to the big wedding was like Four Weddings and a Funeral, and of course Diana turns into a Runaway Bride. Min's visit to the magical modiste is like one of the greatest makeover sequences in movies, Pretty Woman. The "I love your shoes" was like The American President. All the wolf references, of course reminded us of Moonstruck. Cynthie's sexy clothes at the little league game were reminiscent of this great scene in Bull Durham.Order buttons from Kelly in Jen's shop, and t-shirts from Jordan Dene.Next up, we'll be reading Three Little Mistakes from Nikki Sloan.Books We Mentioned This Week:Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer CrusieBet Me by Jennifer CrusieThe Widow and the Wastrel by Janet DaileyGentle Rogue by Johanna LindseyDaring and the Duke by Sarah MacLeanHard and Fast by Erin McCarthyThe RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/5/12/s0236-bet-me-by-jennifer-crusie 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.

Sophie Jordan is back again! She’s got a new book out, The Virgin and the Rogue, and she’s back with us to freewheel about old school romances, aphrodisiac plotlines and just what do we mean when we say “taking the finger?” It’s a delightful hour. You won’t regret it.We love having you with us! Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!Next week, we’re reading a book that blooded Jen, Jenny Crusie’s Bet Me! Which you can get bundled with Welcome to Temptation (get this one — it’s $2. cheaper than getting Bet Me alone!) from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo … and don’t forget your favorite indie, which is probably shipping books right now and definitely needs your patronage!Also, if you love the music in this or any of our episodes, check out our Spotify playlist, which includes it all!Show NotesWelcome Sophie Jordan, who was last on the pod talking about The Master. Come on five times and you get a Pink Ladies jacket.How are the Introverts faring during the pandemic?Chewy.com will deliver your cat litter and also massive bags of cat food.Annika Martin's Dark Mafia Prince inspired Sophie and Sarah to coin the phrase "taking the finger," which Jen has co-opted with glee. Not sure what counts as worthy of "taking the finger"? The Simone Scale TM is here for you.Jen's "control rods" metaphor is because she's a big old nuclear nerd.Aphrodesiac books we know of: The Virgin and the Rogue; Robin's Lovett's Planet of Desire series takes place on a planet where the atmosphere is an aphrodesiac; in A Taste of Her Own Medicine by Tasha Harrison, the grandmother whips up a "come to me" potion; Johanna Lindsey's Secret Fire sounds bonkers; Wild Card is one by Lora Leigh that Joanna Shupe recommends. Does the shortbread in How the Dukes Stole Christmas count? What else have you got?Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune taught Jen everything she needed to know about the backbone of good criticism, everything else she's making up as she goes along.We talked about bodily autonomy in season one.Sarah talked about watching the trailer for this very terrifying 60s movie The Lady in a Cage.Order Sophie's signed books from Katy Budget Books and Sarah's from WORD in Brooklyn -- including pre-orders for Daring and the Duke.Oh, you want to read Sophie's story about a stablemaster and a maid? No horses were harmed, so it's fine.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/5/5/s0235-freewheeling-with-sophie-jordan-a-taking-the-finger-explainer-episode-W1FeR 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.

Sometimes there’s a writer who’s so transformative to your experience as a reader that you forget she even was a part of it until you remember, and then you remember every book she’s written. It’s Sandra Brown week here at Fated Mates, and we have loved so many of her romances that we just didn’t know what to read, so strap in, because both Jen and Sarah read Texas! Chase, and then two roads diverged, only to discover some real deep-rooted kinky stuff. Strap in. This one left Eric shellshocked!We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!In two weeks, we’re reading a book that blooded Jen, Jenny Crusie’s Bet Me! Which you can get bundled with Welcome to Temptation (get this one — it’s $2. cheaper than getting Bet Me alone!) from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, or Kobo … and don’t forget your favorite indie, which is probably shipping books right now and definitely needs your patronage!Also, if you love the music in this or any of our episodes, check out our Spotify playlist, which includes it all!Show NotesJen's been thinking about how we're going to archive the Quarantine Times and so are historians. Steve Ammidown was kind enough to make some videos about archiving for Jen's TikTok.Turns out that tweet about the Spanish epidimologist was not true! Blessed be the fact checkers.Lori Lightfoot is Jen's mayor and her Coronavirus memes are the best.Everyone knows who Tom Brady is, but not many people seem to like him.Sandra Brown was in the first class of authors acquired by Vivian Stephens. Her Loveswept #1 was Heaven's Price, and her Harlequin American Romance #1 was Tomorrow's Promise. Steve Ammidown was also kind enough to dig into the archives and pull out some early interviews with Sandra Brown and about the founding of Loveswept.Benjamin Dreyer definitely wants you to know the difference between the em dash, en dash, and the hypen.The Rana Look cover has the author and McLean Stevenson from MASH as the cover models. Whoa.You can still join the Doubleday Book Club. Who knew!Jeff Wright has a very funny TikTok (which he crossposts to Twitter and Instagram) and a very distinctive way of saying Oh Wow.Sheikhs & Native Americans in romance are full of racist, harmful stereotypes.Jennifer Porter took the hit on Texas! Lucky for us.Oil Futures aren't looking good for the Tyler family; it's not looking great for the rodeo, either.The primordal 80s Don. Not him. That was the 70s.Sunny Chandler's job as a Mardi Gras costume designer seems pretty sweet. Here's a cool interview with Patricia Halsell-Richardson, a woman who designs Mardi Gras costumes in Mobile.A quick primer to the waves of feminism and what people thought about working women in the 80s.Sandra Brown's house was blown up for an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. A show that is making a comeback, as it turns out.Ann Richards was pretty great, and so is her daughter Cecile.GQ has some instructions on how to be a DILF, but our current favorite is by Katee Roberts.Slow Heat in Heaven has a plot about dogfighting, but Sarah mentioned a romance where the dogs fall in love back when we talked about non-Sandra Brown category romances.The 80s Primetime Soap Operas were a force to be reckoned with.Next time, we'll be talking about Bet Me by Jenny Crusie. For some reason, it's cheaper to buy it bundled with Welcome To Temptation. /rolls eyes at eBook pricing on a 20 year old book.

Tasha Harrison is joining us this week to talk about an old reliable trope — enemies to lovers! This is one of those that we return to again and again — and of course, since it’s a Pandemic, we have to ask…if you’re into enemies to lovers and you haven’t read Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark, what are you waiting for? Season 1 is here for you! Otherwise, we’re freewheeling with Tasha on everything from the best Chris to the real inspiration for The Wire, so strap in. It’s a ride!We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!Next week, we’re reading Sandra Brown! Jen and Sarah will be reading Texas! Chase, but it’s dealers’ choice! Pick your favorite old Sandra Brown or ask us for a rec on Twitter or Instagram! Maybe you want That Rana Look? Or Slow Heat in Heaven? Or French Silk? You can find them wherever books are sold (but the Texas! series isn’t in ebook format yet, sadly) — and don’t forget your favorite indie!Also, if you love the music in this or any of our episodes, check out our Spotify playlist, which includes it all!Show NotesThe internet is so slow.Remember that time when Michelle from Destiny's Child felland then got right back up?The Fraggle Rock Trash Heap.Jen wrote about Enemies to Lovers for Kirkus.Apparently, it's called a Proprietary Eponyms when a brand name becomes a verb or common noun.The question of whether or not fiction should be "timeless" is one that authors deal with in different ways.Robert Redford was a snack. Kevin Costner was named The Sexiest Man Alive, but Jen thinks the only time he was truly sexy was in Bull Durham.Can there ever be a definitive ranking of the Chrises? Jen likes Pine, Sarah likes "the Australian one," and Tasha isn't interested in any of them. Sarah has Chris Evans blindness, but Tasha points out that he's got a little of the wild one in him. Check him checking out this reporter's boots.We just had Christina Lauren on our show! Beautiful Bastard is better than Fifty Shades in a lot of ways, especially for that elevator scene. Either way, it's a good illustration of the myriad problems with a workplace romance.Speaking of Lucy Eden, she and Jen had THE STRANGEST thing happen at the 2019 RWA conference.Babies are complicated in romance and complicated in real life. Maybe what we're really going to see is a boom in "marriage in trouble" romance. Kids are complicated, too, especially if you buy the wrong poop bags.Tasha's dad inspired the character of Norman Wilson on The Wire! The Baltimore paper The Afro-American can be read online. The real life Baltimore Mayor he worked for was Martin O'Malley.These Italian Mayors want you to stay inside. If only all the American governors and mayors were the same. Cardi-B is worried about Coronavirus-- so stay home and stay safe!The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/4/21/s0233-enemies-to-lovers-interstitial-with-tasha-harrison-bwm6H 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.

We’re back to a more recent book that taught Sarah about contemporary romance, Victoria Dahl’s Taking the Heat. Use headphones for this one, because we’re talking about the best BJs in romance, the power of a great sex scene, and how we want you all to be in a sex pantheon. We’re also talking about flawed characters, true cinnamon rolls, and why Victoria Dahl is a fricken great author.We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!In two weeks, we’re reading Sandra Brown! Jen and Sarah will be reading Texas! Chase, but it’s dealers’ choice! Pick your favorite old Sandra Brown or ask us for a rec on Twitter or Instagram! Maybe you want That Rana Look? Or Slow Heat in Heaven? Or French Silk? You can find them wherever books are sold (but the Texas! series isn’t in ebook format yet, sadly) — and don’t forget your favorite indie!Also, if you love the music in this or any of our episodes, check out our Spotify playlist, which includes it all!Show NotesSure, Sarah's new computer makes her feel like Lightning McQueen, but it's her new version of Scrivener that is the most exciting thing.Jen isn't the only one who likes Starburst jelly beans.Sarah has planner envy. We both love Blackwing pencils. If you also love Blackwing pencils, we highly recommend this video by comedian David Rees on Artisinal Pencil Sharpening. There's also a book! We don't quite understand washi tape, but we're happy for those who love it. If you want to talk planners, Nisha Sharma, Kate Clayborn, and Tracey Livesay are your people.RIP BEA 2020, we look forward to 2021.Jen is addicted to jigsaw puzzles, just like everyone else in the world.The city junk problem is actually pretty great.Victoria Dahl also writes as Victoria Helen Stone. Jen rediscovered contemporary romance with the Tumble Creek series, and also the Fast Track series by Erin McCarthy.Gabe's job was to introduce eBooks to the library. We've come a long way, baby.Jackson, Wyoming is the setting of this book, and apparently there's a lot to do there -- like skiing and rock climbing. It's all outdoorsy, so we can't really speak to it.The big city to small town trope is a cornerstone of romance. It's just not a corner we visit that often.The advice columnist is experiencing a huge resurgence these days, and in the age of the internet, everyone can give advice.Some useful resources if someone you know is sharing their thoughts of suicidal ideation.That Elizabeth Hoyt book with Winter Makepeace is called Thief of Shadows, and it also has a great blow job scene. In case you're into that sort of thing.Watch the Ending of Crocodile Dundee if you've never had the pleasure.If you are looking to try a new podcast app, we both love Overcast. Along with being a great listening device, you can use it to find and share any podcast clips online!Preorder Daring and the Duke! Support your local indie bookstore, Sarah's is WORD in Brooklyn and Jen's is 57th Street Books in Chicago. And everyone's is Love's Sweet Arrow or The Ripped Bodice.Next time, it's choose your own Sandra Brown adventure. We'll both read Texas! Chase, which believe it or not isn't on Kindle, but it is on audio! We'll also post a thread of some other Sandra Brown favorites. And if straight thriller is your thing, try OutFox, which is the one Sarah's mom enjoyed.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/4/14/s0232-taking-the-heat-by-victoria-dahl 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.

This week, we’ve got two tremendous guests and we’re coming to you from four different time zones! Coronavirus silver lining — time has literally no meaning any longer. We’re talking to the brilliant duo Christina Lauren about their new book, The Honey Don’t List, and forced proximity romances — which is a crowd favorite…or at least was a crowd favorite until we were all forced into forced proximity!Next week, we’re reading Victoria Dahl’s Taking the Heat. We know it’s tough to get it in print, but find it in e at your local library or at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or in print, mailed from your local indie (which is probably still shipping!)We hope you’re staying safe!Show NotesWelcome Christina Lauren! Check out their new release, a forced proximity romance called The Honey Don't List. Perhpas, like Sarah, you need to understand the "honey do" list.If you're worried about zombies running, there's an app for that.Christina and Lauren said their cover reminds them of Lizzo's big inflatable butt at the 2019 AMAs.Jen wrote a Kirkus column about why "only one bed" is one of the most delightful subsets of the "forced proximity" trope.Amanda Diehl reviews for BookPage and also for Smart Bitches Trashy Books. Here is her inteview with Christina Lauren.Sarah mentioned the great New York City Blackout of 2003, but it turns out a field in Ohio caused the problem."He is poison to everyone but her" is of course a reference back to Sarah's favorite IAD book, Sweet Ruin.All about wheelwrights.Wondering what it's really like for scientists on Antarctica is no place you'd want to be trapped, and certainly no place for a danger bang.Outbreak and Contagion are the top movies on Netflix right now.You can order The Honey Don't List with signed bookplates from Books a Million, not sure directly how to order from the one in Hunstville, AL, but try calling the store. Check out the audiobook of the Honey Don't List, starring Patti Murin and Jon Root.While you're whiling away the hours in self-isolation, don't forget to check out our Spotify playlist, which includes the full versions of every song we've ever used on Fated Mates -- or head over and watch all the music videos of all those songs on our site!The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/4/7/s0231-forced-proximity-interstitial-with-christina-lauren 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.

We are feeling really proud of ourselves this week because Nobody’s Baby But Mine was the perfect isolation read for us both. The reread confirmed to both of us that this is, beat-for-beat, one of the best romcoms of all time. We’re talking problematic plots, the 90s, what we expect from jerk heroes and how Susan Elizabeth Phillips is better at flawed characters than anyone else in the game.We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!In two weeks, we’re reading Victoria Dahl’s Taking the Heat. We know it’s tough to get it in print, but find it in e at your local library or at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or in print, mailed from your local indie (which is probably still shipping!)Show NotesAmericans are stress buying chickens. Yes, eggs are more expensive, but this is not a good idea.Speaking of chicks, now that Jen knows what happens to the chicks in the hatchery at the Museum of Science and Industry, she's back on Team Train Room.One day, we'll be able to visit the Butterfuly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History again.Nick Heath and Conor McGahey have figured out a way to keep those announcing skills sharp.Jen's interviewing YA authors on TikTok.When it comes to the SEP-Multiverse, we like the whackadoodle one at the circus (Kiss an Angel), the one with Bobby Tom (Heaven Texas), the one with the lazy golfer (Lady Be Good), and the one with Sugar Beth (Ain't She Sweet).What happened to the Lamont House romance collection?Charlotte Stein has a suggestion for authors of contemporary romance.Last year, Sarah wrote about technology in romance for the Washington Post.We talked about Prisoner of My Desire with Joanna Shupe, which is another book about a heroine who has done something very wrong.Maybe you're looking for actual secret baby books.The one with bad sex is Call Me Irresistible.After 9/11, Saturday Night Live and The Onion had to figure out how to be funny again.Our next book is Taking the Heat (aka Cunnilingus Gabe) by Victoria Dahl.

We are very pro health care workers these days — we love all of you…doctors, nurses, EMTs, home health aides…if you know how to work a stethoscope, we’re into you. This week, we’re taking about some of our favorite medical romances. Listen for Jen getting thoughtful, and Sarah getting wildly inappropriate. We’re all just doing our best.We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!Next week, we’re reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s Nobody’s Baby But Mine, and we cannot WAIT. We know it’s tough to get it in print, but find it in e at your local library or at: Amazon (free in Kindle Unlimited!), Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or in print, mailed from your local indie (which is probably still shipping!).Show NotesAs we all shelter in place, romance twitter has been very entertaining. Julia Kelly posted a thread where she posed her pets as romance novel covers, and everyone had fun with it. Sarah also loved this one about a dog who howls along with the Law and Order theme song.We forgot to tell you last week when we talked about Devil's Bride that Stephanie Laurens has a new book out, The Inevitable Fall of Christopher Cynster. We also have added information about how to pronounce Honoria and details about peach silk.Now is the time to get the BookBub daily romance email. Here's Sarah's Bookbub page.The nurse and doctor books were the backbone of early Mills and Boon romances, and the forerunner of the modern Harlequin Medical Romance; whereas Americans often find big, soapy hospital dramas on TV.Budleigh Salterton looks like a very nice place to hang out unless you are a bored American 12 year old.The roots of American and British romance are different, as proven by this absolutely WRONG LitHub romance essay. (They're wrong about romance a lot.)Sarah has talked about Radclyffe and the origin of Bold Strokes Books, but many of her romances are about doctors or set in hospitals.Jen doesn't really care too much about job details. Sorry not sorry.No one likes a Bloodletter. We want our historical doctors to be foreward thinking. Or as Eloisa James does in When Beauty Tamed the Beast, use a modern TV character like House as model for a hero.In Tempest, Jen spoke out inequities in acess to medical care for black patients, and that's still true today.If you're looking to see some "don't fuck your doctor" romances that definitely fall somewhere on the Simone Scale. Wrong by Jana Aston and Medicine Man by Saffron Kent.Jurgen Klopp wants you to put your hands away, and this amazing thread by comedian Laura Lexx and support all the Liverpool fans out there (especially Jen's brother).Jen's cool TikTok project is up and running, she's interviewing YA authors and hoping to get kids to read while they are sheltering in place.You can order buttons from Kelly and t-shirts from Jordandene.Next time, we'll be reading Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/3/24/s0229-health-care-workers-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.

This week we’re reading a favorite of both Sarah & Jen — Stephanie Laurens’s Devil’s Bride! We’re so excited to talk about ridiculous (we mean amazing) nicknames, about 30 page sex scenes, and about how we crushed our SATs thanks to romances like this one! We’re also hoping you are keeping a safe distance from others and washing your hands lots!We love having you with us! — subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and like/review the podcast, please!Next week, we’re reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s Nobody’s Baby But Mine, and we cannot WAIT. We know it’s tough to get it in print, but find it in e at your local library or at: Amazon (free in Kindle Unlimited!), Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or your local indie.Show NotesPlease stay inside and stay safe if you can, and remember not to believe screenshots from your cousins.Here are some interesting and well-sourced tweets about coronavirus from a Fos (Friend of Sarah).Want to know the other books Jen ordered back in 2001? It was Grand Passion by Jane Ann Krennz, Prince of Swords Anne Stuart, and Innocence by Suzanne Forester. She still swears she didn't read any of them.Captain Jack's Woman was Stephanie Laurens' debut novel, not Devil's Bride. But it's the Bar Cynster that made her such a popular writer.Sometimes (ok, a lot) Jen shit-posts on twitter about conflict and writing. Sarah can't always have eyes on her, sorry.Jen thinks it was Amanda Quick that brought back old-fashioned names, but the only truly great Sylvesteris from disco."Eyes on stalks" is a real phrase, and so is rapaciously. On the other hand, here's a bunch of sex scene euphamisms.The Cynsters were at Waterloo, so we're not sure why busting through the hymen is such work for them.All about the Greek chorus.Lady Osbaldestone does have her own books, as do Devil and Honoria's kids.Veronica Mars illustrates the fan service problem.Jen is obsessed with the idea of "the imperial period" for musicians--and other kids of artists.Next time, we'll be reading Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2020/3/17/s0228-devils-bride-by-stephanie-laurens 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.