Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People

We are back from vacation and Torture Island is back — surprising no one more than us! It’s Dark Skye week, Lanthe & Thronos are doing some weird stuff with holey-sheets, y’all. We talk about religion and romance, the work this book does in the larger series, and—as always—patriarchy. Friend of the pod, SS Jaxon joins us, too! 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. We’ve got an interstitial lined up for next week, then we’re back to the Game Makers in two weeks with Jen’s favorite of the three books, The Master, and one of our favorites, Sophie Jordan! Get ready for chastity belts and string bikinis! Read The Master at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesThronos, not Thanos.Childhood best friends to lovers to enemies to lovers is one of Sarah's favorite tropes. She wrote one once, and it's only $1.99 in Kindle!We mention a lot of adventure movies in this episode, including Groundhog Day, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Time Bandits, Labrynth, and The Matrix.We also mention some of classic literature that we think Kresley might be alluding to in Dark Skye, including: Paradise Lost, The Inferno, The Odyssey, Alice in Wonderland, and many Bibilical stories including Jonah and the Whale.At one point Jen calls it "classic sci-fi" when she really meant to say fantasy. Ooops!In case you're planning to read Ulysses, make sure you have a copy of Ulysses Annotated. But I guess now there's an app for that.All about hairshirts. Ouch.If you want more about what it would be like on Feverus, maybe check out Robin Lovett's sexplanetseries.Welcome S.S. Jaxon! Here's her vagina thread and her one about the IAD cult.Are there any people having sex with a sheet with a hole in it?The tale of Icarus. If you haven't read it yet, Daedalus makes an appearance in the novel Circe by Madeline Miller, which Jen highly recommends.More about Bandherbooks love for fainting couches and the space chaise.Munro is in the wind. Someone write us some fanfic.Our next episode will be The Master, the second book in The Game Maker series.Keanu Reeves is very swoonworthy. Have you seen Always Be My Maybe yet? We have very different opinions about it, but agree that Keanu is the best.Lost Limb CountArms and Hands (8)Conrad cuts off his own hand with a rusty axe so he escape the "witched" chains his brothers locked him in. (Dark Needs at Night's Edge)Cadeon has both of his hands burned off in the same scene where he loses an eye. There's description of what Cade's baby fingers look like as they are re-growing. It's...kinda gross. (Dark Desires After Dusk)Sebastian pulverizes most of his right arm during the Hie. He regenerates. (No Rest For the Wicked)Lucia peels all the skin off from her hand in order to free herself from some handcuffs. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)In order to retrieve the ring from La Dorada , Lothaire cuts off her finger. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lanthe and Carrow cut off Fegley's hand so they can use his thumb to unlock their torques. He's later killed. (Demon from the Dark)After receiving Lothaire's heart in a box, Ellie cuts off her middle finger and sends it to him. (Lothaire)Chloe's shoulder is dislocated in the escape from her auction (MacRieve).Chest and Torso (7)Omort severs Rydstrom's spine and punches through his torso in a fight. Sabine saves him and enlists Hag to help heal him. (Kiss of a Demon King)Lucia's neck is broken. She regenerates. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)On Torture Island, Regin,MacRieve,and Brandr are vivisected. It's pretty terrible. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Declan's skin is peeled off by the Neoptera as a child. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Lothaire rips out his own heart and sends it to Ellie in a box. (Lothaire)Head, Face, and Eyes (6)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)Cadeon loses an eye and part of his forehead and hair when fighting. It all regenerates. (Dark Desires After Dusk)During a rugby match, Garreth has his teeth knocked out and swallows them. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lothaire kicks out La Dorada's remaining eye and throws her over a cliff. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)In the Bloodroot Forest, the tree grows over Lothaire's lips and tongue. (Lothaire)After she gains her immortality, Chloe's hair grows, but she cuts it off every morning. (MacRieve)Lanthe agrees to have her tongue cut out to save herself and Thronos, knowing she can still use the power of persuasion telepathically. (Dark Skye)Horns (2)Cadeon cuts off his own horns to prove to Holly that he is worthy of being her mate. She tells him to let them grow back (Dark Desires After Dusk)Malkolm is captured by his enemies in Oblivion and taken to the city of Ash. The publicly cut off his horns and then intend to kill him, but Carrow saves him. (Demon from the Dark)Legs and Feet (3)Lachlain tears off his own leg to reach Emma. He regenerates. (A Hunger Like No Other)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)Thronos is chasing Melananthe and loses a foot when a portal closes on it. (Kiss of a Demon King)While in Pandamonia, Thronos is trapped in a Groundhog Day like trap, doomed to repeat his worst nightmare over and over again. When he believes that Lanthe is about to die, he repeatedly tears of his legs in order to reach her. He never actually loses a limb, but he was willing, so we're counting it. (Dark Skye)Beheading as a Romantic Gesture (4)The first time Garreth spies Lucia, it's when she shoots an arrow and beheads a kobold. He notices that it's "a fantastical shot" and he's super into it. Later, he helps her pick up the head because he's a real gentleman like that. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Later in the book, they are under attack from vampires and Lucia asks him to help. Garreth promises to "give her their throats" and beheads two vampires. But she's upset about it because of a previous bad experience with cannibalism. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Malkolm beheads men that attacked Carrow in Oblvion, and he throws them to prove he's a worthy mate. (Demon from the Dark)Declan fights and beheads several creatures as they escape Torture Island, including squeezing one dude so hard his eyes pop out and then he twists his head off. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Thronos beheads several foes during fights, which impresses Lanthe; but he also beheads Felix, a sorcerer who once tricked Lanthe and stole her sorcery. (Dark Skye)Beheading as a Non-Romantic GestureEllie cuts off Lothaire's head, leaving a slender 1/8 of an inch left. It was kind of an accident, but he deserved it. (Lothaire)Maybe?Does Garreth's losing his connection with his mortal soul count? (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)When Soroya inhabited Ellie's body, she subjected her to a full Brazilian wax. Ellie doesn't realize it's happened until she takes control of her body again. (Lothaire)The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/6/4/14-dark-skye 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.

Y’all asked for more rants, and boy do we have some for you this week! Alabama passed a terrible law, Georgia and Ohio are right there with them, and other states are following suit. Jen and Sarah are talking bodily autonomy — contraception, pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, hysterectomy and abortion and how they exist in romance novels. Get your pens ready — we’ve got a library full of books to talk about. 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.We’re taking a break next week (Happy Memorial Day! Eat a cheeseburger for us!)…but will be back to regular IAD programming in two weeks with Dark Skye. Get ready to have your heart ripped out by these childhood lovers turned enemies turned lovers again! Poor Lanthe has been running from her Vrekener, Thronos since Kiss of the Demon King, and finally she gets her story! Read Dark Skye at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesThat Victoria Dahl tweet about hysteria.More about the forced birth laws sweeping through several states, and where you can donate your money if you're so inclined.How transgender and gender nonconforming people might be especially endangered from this recent spate of laws.Sarah's twitter thread asking about romances with abortion.Fanny Hill and some of the illustrations.Tinctures, tonics, and teas.The portrayal of abortion in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.The perils of abstinence-only education.Romance is a powerful tool for sex-education, but not all authors view it as a responsibility.Romance euphamisms FTW.Screenshots from the scene Sarah referenced in Jane Feather's Vixen.All about the efficacy of birth control.French Letters had to soak for two hours (at least)...oh! And we forgot the best (ACTUAL WORST) part: They were reusable. --scream emoji--Sarah says we should all watch the TV show Harlots, and not just because it shows French letters."220/221 whatever it takes," is a quote from Mr. Mom. Actually, we talked about a lot of 80s movies on today's episode, including The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally. But we didn't mention Dirty Dancing which has a botched back alley abortion. We meant to...but this is what happens when you don't take good notes before you rant.This 2011 paper about condoms and birth control in romance is VERY INTERESTING.A link to the Twitter conversation about PrEP.Pulling out is weirdly more effective than you'd think for preventing pregnancy, but not at all effective for preventing STIs.All about Plan B.The Pop Culture Library at Bowling Green University is a place both Jen and Sarah would like to visit. Librarian Steve Ammidown is the 2019 RWA Librarian of the Year.Kelly Faircloth writes great articles about romance for Jezebel.Endometriosis deserves more attention than it gets.What it means to be "childless by choice."Jen's post about miscarriage in romance, and some statistics about how often miscarriages happen.25% of American women have had an abortion.Sweet Liar is the only romance that Sarah can think of that references a vasectomy--please tell us if you've got other examples?The Jezebel article wondering how many more abortion stories we have to share.If you're on FB, check out Sarah's OSRBC (Old School Romance Book club).

The Game Makers Series! Kresley’s first foray into contemporary begins with The Professional, which is some kind of book, y’all. Originally released in three parts over six weeks, The Professional stars Natalie, an American Ph.D. who happens to be the long lost daughter of a Russian mobster, and said mobster’s bodyguard, who can’t get enough of watching her in the tub. Or on his cellphone. Or tied up in a sex club. You’ll see! 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 back to IAD, just like the original Kresley fans were! Get ready to have your heart ripped out by these childhood lovers turned enemies turned lovers again! Poor Lanthe has been running from her Vrekener, Thronos since Kiss of the Demon King, and finally she gets her story! Read Dark Skye at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesWhen we asked about the serialization of The Professional, listener Sarah Asnaashari came to the rescue!Serialization of novels used to be very common, and although we've all heard the myth that Dickens was paid by the word, in fact he was paid by the installment.Roxie Rivera is the author of the Her Russian Protector series, relevant to everyone's interests, she also wrote a "prison planet romance" series under the name Lolita Lopez.Eastern Promises is a great movie.Scroll down this list for the description of Edward's creepiness in Twilight.Sookie Stackhouse is a telepath in the books and TV show. This is an interesting essay on why Hollywood should stop talking about telepathy as a disability.That Wayne's World flashback noise.Jen will never get tired of the greatest real estate listing ever.Real hurricanes form over the Atlantic very similarly to the way Jen describes a hurricane of an alphahole forming.We want characters to have agency.The story of Anastasia Romanov is pretty amazing. Jen recommends this YA book called The Family Romanov for both adults and middle school readers.George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice is an awesome album, and Jen still thinks Freedom is one the greatest music videos of all time. Sarah's theme song is Too Funky.Jen recommends (in that "this book is terrifying way") The Man without a Face: the Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. But if you just want the quick and dirty version, read this story about how Putin stole a superbowl ring from Robert Kraft.The Pirate's Code.Romance author Jayne Ann Krentz often talks about how author's have a "core story."Dark Skye is our next IAD book.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/4/22/13-the-professional 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.

Small towns! Jen (Chicago) and Sarah (NYC) do not understand them IRL, but we are talking about them in fiction this week! Listen to us talk about their genesis, what they represent, and why Romancelandia can’t get enough of them. Books by Sierra Simone, Vanessa North & Alisha Rai!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. Also — if you have a romance loving friend, please let them know that we don’t just talk about vampires & valkyries, and maybe they’d like us, too? In fact — In two weeks, we’re not talking about vampires at all! (Except we kind of are) The Game Makers series read-along begins with Kresley’s first contemporary, The Professional. Get ready for Wroth Brother fanfic that Kresley herself refers to as “way sexier” then IAD. Get The Professional at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesIn case you missed the Signet Regency era of romance.More about the Regency period, and Sarah would like you to know that she knows “a bunch of people” didn’t come between George IV & Victoria. One person did: William IV.Everyone's favorite Darcy and Darcy-esque figure.Jane Austen and her world, Georgette Heyer and hers.Cleveland DOES rock, and yes the Cuyahoga River caught on fire, but that whole story is kind of a myth.Y'all know who Jen means when she talks about Kelly, right?The word Jen was searching for when talking about small town romances was "revisionist."Maybe it wasn't "some Russian" who talked about the two stories.Colson Whitehead is amazing and Jen definitely recommends seeing him in person if you ever have the chance. You can read his post 9/11 essay at the New York Times.The Whiting AwardAll about how Americans live: urban, suburban, or rural.Nora Roberts was profiled in the New Yorker and talks about her favorite small town: Boonsboro.Farrah Rochon also writes a great series of small town romances.How WalMart changes small towns.As it turns out, there is not a Menage County, KS.Did you say RITA books?Jen's favorite cupcake place in Chicago is Sweet MandyB's.A Roller Derby glossary and some video tutorials for all your favorite moves. Stay safe, kids!Montagues & Capulets. Hatfields & McCoys. Chandlers & Kanes.The saddest discovery Jen made while working on this week's show notes is that Hot as Hades is no longer available as an eBook! Oh no!On Twitter, Bree Bridges of Kit Rocha asked people to reply with the size of a "small town."In Brooklyn, go to Butter and Scotch for cake, and based on this website, they have some very Romancelandia-friendly swag.Have you pre-ordered Brazen and the Beast yet?

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.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 starting Kresley’s contemporary series The Game Makers (we’re reading the books in original publication order) with The Professional. Get ready for Wroth Brother fanfic that Kresley herself refers to as “way sexier” then IAD. Get The Professional at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesThe NECRWA conference always sounds so great!I don't even know where to start with Andie Christopher and her Chris Evans obssession.Avengers Endgame, that ol' chesnut.We stan Sierra Simone, and we love The Sierra Simone Scale™. Check out her two latest, Misadventures of a Curvy Girl and A Lesson in Thorns.Debbie Macomber is a queen of small town contemporary romance.You can't stop me, you can only hope to contain me is a play on a very catchy ESPN phrase from back in the day.Adriana Herrera wrote about how to ethically write about sexual trauma for Smart Bitches. She also joined us to talk about Food Romances & her most recent release.Adriana Anders' Under Her Skin explores a story of a woman's traumatic past, as does Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan.Suzanne from Love In Panels wrote a great explainer about content warnings and why we use them.This is a powerful critique of sexual violence in Game of Thrones.Just last year, two books about women and anger were published: Rage Becomes Her by Soraya Chemaly and Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister.More about emotional dysregulation.The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux is an old school classic.Dick flu is definitely some BDE.You'd be surprised about how much writer's advice you can find about the evils of the info dump.The history of the Wingding.There's an entire subreddit dedicated to ranting about Comcast.Yankee Candle will eff a werewolf up.You can listen to Kresley on the Wicked Wallflowers podcast.Snakes on a plane!The story of Sir Walter Raleigh throwing down his cape for Queen Elizabeth to walk over is not historically accurate, but it still makes for a great scene in Shakespeare in Love.The Fifth Element is a completely rewatchable movie.All about the Mothman, who, it bears pointing out, Lothaire says exists.Here's the beginning of Sarah's stalking of Sierra after reading (and loving) Priest.Next time, we're going off road and have decided we'll be reading the first book in The Game Makers series, The Professional. Here's the reading order for the rest of Fated Mates Season One.Lost Limb CountArms and Hands (8)Conrad cuts off his own hand with a rusty axe so he escape the "witched" chains his brothers locked him in. (Dark Needs at Night's Edge)Cadeon has both of his hands burned off in the same scene where he loses an eye. There's description of what Cade's baby fingers look like as they are re-growing. It's...kinda gross. (Dark Desires After Dusk)Sebastian pulverizes most of his right arm during the Hie. He regenerates. (No Rest For the Wicked)Lucia peels all the skin off from her hand in order to free herself from some handcuffs. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)In order to retrieve the ring from La Dorada , Lothaire cuts off her finger. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lanthe and Carrow cut off Fegley's hand so they can use his thumb to unlock their torques. He's later killed. (Demon from the Dark)After receiving Lothaire's heart in a box, Ellie cuts off her middle finger and sends it to him. (Lothaire)Chloe's shoulder is dislocated in the escape from her auction (MacRieve).Chest and Torso (7)Omort severs Rydstrom's spine and punches through his torso in a fight. Sabine saves him and enlists Hag to help heal him. (Kiss of a Demon King)Lucia's neck is broken. She regenerates. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)On Torture Island, Regin,MacRieve,and Brandr are vivisected. It's pretty terrible. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Declan's skin is peeled off by the Neoptera as a child. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Lothaire rips out his own heart and sends it to Ellie in a box. (Lothaire)Head, Face, and Eyes (6)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)Cadeon loses an eye and part of his forehead and hair when fighting. It all regenerates. (Dark Desires After Dusk)During a rugby match, Garreth has his teeth knocked out and swallows them. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lothaire kicks out La Dorada's remaining eye and throws her over a cliff. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)In the Bloodroot Forest, the tree grows over Lothaire's lips and tongue. (Lothaire)After she gains her immortality, Chloe's hair grows, but she cuts it off every morning. (MacRieve)Horns (2)Cadeon cuts off his own horns to prove to Holly that he is worthy of being her mate. She tells him to let them grow back (Dark Desires After Dusk)Malkolm is captured by his enemies in Oblivion and taken to the city of Ash. The publicly cut off his horns and then intend to kill him, but Carrow saves him. (Demon from the Dark)Legs and Feet (3)Lachlain tears off his own leg to reach Emma. He regenerates. (A Hunger Like No Other)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)Thronos is chasing Melananthe and loses a foot when a portal closes on it. (Kiss of a Demon King)Beheading as a Romantic Gesture (4)The first time Garreth spies Lucia, it's when she shoots an arrow and beheads a kobold. He notices that it's "a fantastical shot" and he's super into it. Later, he helps her pick up the head because he's a real gentleman like that. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Later in the book, they are under attack from vampires and Lucia asks him to help. Garreth promises to "give her their throats" and beheads two vampires. But she's upset about it because of a previous bad experience with cannibalism. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Malkolm beheads men that attacked Carrow in Oblvion, and he throws them to prove he's a worthy mate. (Demon from the Dark)Declan fights and beheads several creatures as they escape Torture Island, including squeezing one dude so hard his eyes pop out and then he twists his head off. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Beheading as a Non-Romantic GestureEllie cuts off Lothaire's head, leaving a slender 1/8 of an inch left. It was kind of an accident, but he deserved it. (Lothaire)Maybe?Does Garreth's losing his connection with his mortal soul count? (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)When Soroya inhabited Ellie's body, she subjected her to a full Brazilian wax. Ellie doesn't realize it's happened until she takes control of her body again. (Lothaire)

Are you a sports ball fan?! Do we have romances for you! We’ve got the brilliant Jenny Nordbak from The Wicked Wallflowers podcast back for a sports romance interstitial! Listen to us chat about why we love sports books, the alpha, competence porn and books by Kennedy Ryan, Tamsen Parker, and Naima Simone!Next week, it’s (FOR REAL THIS TIME) MacRieve week with Sierra Simone! We’re so excited, and Sierra is the perfect guest for this sex-driven book! Get MacRieve at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesWelcome back to our guest Jenny Nordbak from the Wicked Wallflowers podcast!Everyone loves a trip to the hairdresser.Here's a list of the RITA finalists, and a link to Jen's new twitter account which tracks her reviews of the finalists.Author Bronwen Fleetwood crunched a bunch of RITA data from the past 20 years, which is how we know there are more winners named Susan (and Elizabeth, Barbara, Karen, Jennifer, Ann, Jill, Linda...) than WoC finalists.Famously, the Hugo Awards also struggled with recognizing the best books in their field.Here's what we are talking about when we talk about how PoC are underrepresented in publishing.Um, actully Sarah, Ulysses is a twitter thread.This week, Sarah told a pretty solid competence porn story about her neurosurgeon on Twitter.Kennedy Ryan has been on the Wicked Wallflowers podcast. Twice.Content warnings for Long Shot.Adriana Herrera, author and friend of the Pod, recently wrote a very important piece for the Smart Bitches about how to portray sexual assualt in romance.Why the Ray Rice elevator video is important.Jen's written about the whiteness of hockey romances for The Book Queen. Don't believe Jen? Back in 2012, commenter #11 left a plea for more hockey romances on this Smart Bitches post. I bet they are happy now.Susan Elizabeth Phillip's Chicago Stars series is a romance classic.There's no crying in baseball.Jen reviewed all of Tamsen Parker's Snow and Ice Games series.Olympics atheletes are busy, y'all.6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon was an amusing 90s pop culture game.Tennyson is a romance heroine and a famous poet.Listen to Naima's interview on the Wicked Wallflowers.Fumbled is a new football romance by Alexa Martin, and it deals with CTE.Get ready for MacRieve.

Jen and Sarah were together in the same city in the same room and just couldn’t pass up the chance to do a real-deal AMA while looking at each other’s faces! You asked, we answered…but get ready. There are some weird things in here (mainly said by Jen). Next week, it’s MacRieve week with Sierra Simone! If you think things got weird this week, just you wait! Get MacRieve at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesAt KissCon, Sarah and Sophie Jordan hosted a session called "Bananas Books" and friend of the pod Beth took notes and listed all the titles.Jen's Best Friend Kelly runs The Resistance Button Club, makes avatar buttons, and also designs stickers and swag for Romancelandia.You can see the signed copy of Wicked Abyss on our insta.Jen wrote about making new TBR collections for her Kindle on Twitter.Soren is one of the characters in Tiffany Reisz's Original Sinners series.Check out the IAD fan Facebook group.Check below in the photo array for the Kleypas books with talismans.Fridging is a comics term, and this explainer uses Deadpool 2 to explain the history of this problematic trope.Close 3rd person point of view is very common in romance.Unreliable narrators are very uncommon in romance.Here's how to make a Chicago-style hot dog.A quick primer on archetypes.Next week, we're talking about MacRieve with the magnificent Sierra Simone.Sarah's newest book, Brazen and the Beast, comes out in July and you should pre-order it now!The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/4/15/115-ama-with-jen-amp-sarah 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.

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 & Lothaire a lot.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, one of our favorite people, Sierra Simone, is joining us to talk about The Full Kresley, and MacRieve! It's going to be a great time, we promise. Get MacRieve at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesLearn about tone-policing so you won't make Jen mad.Maybe we haven't recommended audiobook narrator Robert Petkoff to you enough.Justine Eyre is the audiobook narrator who was nominated for an Audie for Sarah's book Never Judge a Lady by her Cover.Love Between the Covers is an amazing documentary about romance, and you might be able to find it on Netflix.Everyone knows the difference between hardback and paperback books, but learn the difference between mass-market and trade paperbacks.During the Lothaire bus tour, Kresley wrote her fans this Facebook letter about the experience.Paul Marron is a very handsome man.The morality chain trope.Other famous series with villains-turned-heroes include Lisa Kleypas's Wallflowers (Devil in Winter), Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane ([Duke of Sin])10, and Sarah's Scandal & Scoundrel (Day of the Duchess).Italy discovers what happens when everyone is raising a mammone.Lothaire breaks his life up into tasks, sort of like Hugh Grant in About a Boy.When Robert Downey Jr. starred at Sherlock Holmes, he can forecast the moves his opponents will make in a fight.On Twitter, Melanie did a very thorough count of all the times Lothaire punched a wall.Lothaire is very funny. Andie Christopher, friend of the pod, is very pro his cock slapping gnomes joke.Old Friends is a very sweet song by Simon & Garfunkle, even if you aren't learning to play the ukulele.Check out the Romance Sparks Joy read-along on Twitter and Facebook. Get M. Malone's Bad Blood for the April 15th Read!MacRieve will be next, and Sierra Simone will be joining us!Lost Limb CountArms and Hands (7)Conrad cuts off his own hand with a rusty axe so he escape the "witched" chains his brothers locked him in. (Dark Needs at Night's Edge)Cadeon has both of his hands burned off in the same scene where he loses an eye. There's description of what Cade's baby fingers look like as they are re-growing. It's...kinda gross. (Dark Desires After Dusk)Sebastian pulverizes most of his right arm during the Hie. He regenerates. (No Rest For the Wicked)Lucia peels all the skin off from her hand in order to free herself from some handcuffs. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)In order to retrieve the ring from La Dorada , Lothaire cuts off her finger. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lanthe and Carrow cut off Fegley's hand so they can use his thumb to unlock their torques. He's later killed. (Demon from the Dark)After receiving Lothaire's heart in a box, Ellie cuts off her middle finger and sends it to him. (Lothaire)Chest and Torso (7)Omort severs Rydstrom's spine and punches through his torso in a fight. Sabine saves him and enlists Hag to help heal him. (Kiss of a Demon King)Lucia's neck is broken. She regenerates. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)On Torture Island, Regin,MacRieve,and Brandr are vivisected. It's pretty terrible. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Declan's skin is peeled off by the Neoptera as a child. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Lothaire rips out his own heart and sends it to Ellie in a box. (Lothaire)Head, Face, and Eyes (5)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)Cadeon loses an eye and part of his forehead and hair when fighting. It all regenerates. (Dark Desires After Dusk)During a rugby match, Garreth has his teeth knocked out and swallows them. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lothaire kicks out La Dorada's remaining eye and throws her over a cliff. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)In the Bloodroot Forest, the tree grows over Lothaire's lips and tongue. (Lothaire)Horns (2)Cadeon cuts off his own horns to prove to Holly that he is worthy of being her mate. She tells him to let them grow back (Dark Desires After Dusk)Malkolm is captured by his enemies in Oblivion and taken to the city of Ash. The publicly cut off his horns and then intend to kill him, but Carrow saves him. (Demon from the Dark)Legs and Feet (3)Lachlain tears off his own leg to reach Emma. He regenerates. (A Hunger Like No Other)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)Thronos is chasing Melananthe and loses a foot when a portal closes on it. (Kiss of a Demon King)Beheading as a Romantic Gesture (4)The first time Garreth spies Lucia, it's when she shoots an arrow and beheads a kobold. He notices that it's "a fantastical shot" and he's super into it. Later, he helps her pick up the head because he's a real gentleman like that. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Later in the book, they are under attack from vampires and Lucia asks him to help. Garreth promises to "give her their throats" and beheads two vampires. But she's upset about it because of a previous bad experience with cannibalism. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Malkolm beheads men that attacked Carrow in Oblvion, and he throws them to prove he's a worthy mate. (Demon from the Dark)Declan fights and beheads several creatures as they escape Torture Island, including squeezing one dude so hard his eyes pop out and then he twists his head off. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Beheading as a Non-Romantic Gesture (2)Ellie cuts off Lothaire's head, leaving a slender 1/8 of an inch left. It was kind of an accident, but he deserved it. (Lothaire)In the fight with Ruelle, MacRieve and Munro's mother is beheaded by a envenomed vampire boy. Their father then beheads the vampire. Ruelle is also killed. (MacRieve)Maybe?Does Garreth's losing his connection with his mortal soul count? (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)When Soroya inhabited Ellie's body, she subjected her to a full Brazilian wax. Ellie doesn't realize it's happened until she takes control of her body again. (Lothaire)The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/4/8/11-lothaire 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 one has to be a top-ten universal trope…were talking fake engagements! Listen to us chat about why ladies love a fantasy, the royal wedding, marriages of convenience, and books by Elle Kennedy, Talia Hibbert, Chelsea M. Cameron and Kate Clayborn!GIRD THY LOINS, LOTHAIRE IS NEXT!A jumbo episode with this jumbo jerk face dreamboat! Get Lothaire at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie…and if you’re an audio lover, you are not going to want to miss Robert Petkoff on this one — Jen hearts it baaad.Show NotesAna Coqui is the force behind #RomBkLove.The twitter thread where Mary Lynn Nielsen perfectly described the fake engagement trope.In historicals, the trope is usually called marriage of convenience.Chelsea M. Cameron vs. Chelsea Cameron.Garrets are empirically great romance heroes.Kate Clayborn joined us for our Best Friend's Sibling episode.The royal wedding of Harry & Meghan was so delightful. We wish them many years of happiness.New adult is a genre descriptor that not everyone loves, but there are lots of wonderful NA romances.She's All That is a 90s teen romance starring Freddie Prinz Jr. and Rachel Leigh Cook."That Six Pence None the Richer" song is called Kiss Me.2 historicals that Sarah mentioned this week are His at Night by Sherry Thomas and Pleasure for Pleasure by Eloisa James.Lothaire is next. We can't even.The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/4/1/105-fake-engagement-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.

Mr. Vivisection is here, and it’s a whole lot! Regin the Radiant is on Torture Island, and just her luck, the guy running the whole show is a berserker reincarnate who she’s loved in five earlier lifetimes. Declan Chase is a highly controversial Kresley hero, and Dreams of a Dark Warrior is a book Sarah and Jen always skip on the reread…but this week, we’re talking about it and *gasp!* we’re kind of on #TeamDeclan by the end?! UP IS DOWN! This episode, we’re digging into the way Kresley builds characters and lays the brickwork for the rest of the IAD series. We’re talking about torture, about childhood, about packing for the end of days, and about Lothaire’s Guide to Wooing Women. We’re joined by the wonderful Sarah Hawley, co-host of the Wicked Wallflowers podcast, and Declan-stan.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, strap in because Lothaire. Is. Here!!! We’re so excited we don’t know what to do with ourselves, but FYI, this is gonna be a double episode for SURE. Gird your loins. Get Lothaire at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.Show NotesIn Salman Rushdie's novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories, juggling is often used as a symbol for storytelling.There's not much better than a snowed-in romance. Or maybe marriage in trouble is more your speed."That just happened" is a quote from a very funny scene of a movie with Alec Baldwin called State and Main.Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the single sexiest hate fuck ever filmed. /fans selfThe heist movie slow walk is iconic.Villains as heroes: hard to write, delicious to read.Sarah Silverman interviewed a woman who escaped from the cult of The Westboro Church.Revenge is a good plot.Talia Hibbert had to quit this one.The Lord of the Rings Ring is super fancy. And super creepy.Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame has a TED talk. Of course he does.Welcome to Sarah Hawley from The Wicked Wallflowers PodcastKylo Ren is Han & Leia's jerk son. Presumably he'll get a redemption arc, but the jury is out on whether he deserves it.The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a good book and a great movie. Don't at Sarah (MacLean).The Morality Chain trope, and some romance examples.White Satin by Iris Johansen. "I think it's time for beer," is what FDR said after while the country was deep in the Great Depression before he sent word to Congress that he wanted to end Prohibition.Lothaire is coming, and just clear your whole day for what will likely be a three hour podcast. Also, maybe you want to brush up on The Odyssey (free for Kindle).A huge shout out to Heather Pagan, who helped us with medieval French and edits the Anglo Norman Dictionary. Here’s the official translation of the Medieval French, along with some fascinating notes on historical swearing, which you all know is our favorite! Go copulate with a pig - Va foutre un porcel! (literally, go fuck a pig). Unless the joke is that they are being formal (ie. copulate and not fuck) in which case: Va couvrir un porcel!You defend that rampart female? - Femme / Dame, defendis tu le terrail?To the death, prick*! - Jusqu'a / A la mort, ribaud! OR Jusqu'a / A la mort, paillard! OR Jusqu'a /A la mort, pautener!* There are lots of words for penis/prick in Old French, but I don't have any evidence that they were used as insults (and that's a whole 'nother book about when we began to use genitalia as offensive words...) I've chosen to translate it with a bunch of words that mean 'jerk'. The words I used are all ones that end up being borrowed into English (ribald, pailliard, pautener) for someone who is base / rascally / a scoundrel / someone of low status etc.Thoughts (or why you never ask an academic for a translation...) We actually don't know overly much about medieval swearing. What we know about language use during the period is based on what was written down, and what was written down (gross generalization ahead) tended not to be 1) direct / indirect speech or 2) of a less formal register. Nevertheless, we do have some record of what people said, and in some cases, how they would curse each other. A lot of these curses were be religious in nature - damning them, accusing them of bad faith etc. We have one amazing set of texts, referred to as the Manieres de Language, which were an early type of phrase book for Englishmen wanting to learn French in the late fourteen century. These include my favourite section - insults! So this is mainly what the translation is based on - though insults of the time were a bit different. Here are some from the phrase book (translated): You're lying, you evil bastard; Go hang yourself, you bastard; Go away you bloody son of a whore; You will pay!; Kiss my ass (I am very pleased that this has been the eternal insult!); Kiss the devil's ass; Go to the devil!Lost Limb CountArms and Hands (6)Conrad cuts off his own hand with a rusty axe so he escape the "witched" chains his brothers locked him in. (Dark Needs at Night's Edge)Cadeon has both of his hands burned off in the same scene where he loses an eye. There's description of what Cade's baby fingers look like as they are re-growing. It's...kinda gross. (Dark Desires After Dusk)Sebastian pulverizes most of his right arm during the Hie. He regenerates. (No Rest For the Wicked)Lucia peels all the skin off from her hand in order to free herself from some handcuffs. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)In order to retrieve the ring from La Dorada , Lothaire cuts off her finger. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lanthe and Carrow cut off Fegley's hand so they can use his thumb to unlock their torques. He's later killed. (Demon from the Dark)Chest and Torso (5)Omort severs Rydstrom's spine and punches through his torso in a fight. Sabine saves him and enlists Hag to help heal him. (Kiss of a Demon King)Lucia's neck is broken. She regenerates. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)On Torture Island, Regin,MacRieve,and Brandr are vivisected. It's pretty terrible. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Declan's skin is peeled off by the Neoptera as a child. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Face and Eyes (4)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)Cadeon loses an eye and part of his forehead and hair when fighting. It all regenerates. (Dark Desires After Dusk)During a rugby match, Garreth has his teeth knocked out and swallows them. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Lothaire kicks out La Dorada's remaining eye and throws her over a cliff. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Horns (2)Cadeon cuts off his own horns to prove to Holly that he is worthy of being her mate. She tells him to let them grow back (Dark Desires After Dusk)Malkolm is captured by his enemies in Oblivion and taken to the city of Ash. The publicly cut off his horns and then intend to kill him, but Carrow saves him. (Demon from the Dark)Legs and Feet (3)Lachlain tears off his own leg to reach Emma. He regenerates. (A Hunger Like No Other)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)Thronos is chasing Melananthe and loses a foot when a portal closes on it. (Kiss of a Demon King)Beheading as a Romantic Gesture (4)The first time Garreth spies Lucia, it's when she shoots an arrow and beheads a kobold. He notices that it's "a fantastical shot" and he's super into it. Later, he helps her pick up the head because he's a real gentleman like that. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Later in the book, they are under attack from vampires and Lucia asks him to help. Garreth promises to "give her their throats" and beheads two vampires. But she's upset about it because of a previous bad experience with cannibalism. (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)Malkolm beheads men that attacked Carrow in Oblvion, and he throws them to prove he's a worthy mate. (Demon from the Dark)Declan fights and beheads several creatures as they escape Torture Island, including squeezing one dude so hard his eyes pop out and then he twists his head off. (Dreams of a Dark Warrior)Maybe?Does Garreth's losing his connection with his mortal soul count? (Pleasure of a Dark Prince)The RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2019/2/11/10-dreams-of-a-dark-warrior 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.