Fated Mates Podcast – RERUN: Here Comes Santa Claus (December 24, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this lively and festive episode, Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop dive into the unexpected and ever-expanding world of "Santa Rodica"—romance and erotica featuring Santa Claus and his mythos as holiday heroes. The hosts discuss why Santa is suddenly having a moment as a romance archetype, share their favorite Santa-themed romance novellas, analyze tropes, and delight in the inventive, over-the-top worldbuilding of holiday romance. The conversation is frank, joyful, and filled with recommendations, both for serious readers and for those in the mood for holiday fun.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Is Santa Sexy Right Now? (06:00–08:07)

• Trends in Romance Heroes: The hosts discuss a wider trend in romance—heroes are becoming “kinder, softer, gentler, more giving.” Santa fits as the ultimate soft, giving hero with a magical twist.
  • Quote, Sarah (06:31): "I wonder if there's some appeal to the kinder, softer, gentler, more giving hero being also magical in some way. Like, Santa is sort of all of those things. He is the best of us in a lot of ways."
• Holiday Stress and Escapism: Many fans crave comfort and escapism during the holidays. The "Santa lover" trope allows readers to imagine being taken care of in an otherwise stressful season.
  • Quote, Jen (07:12): "Everyone tells you when you're little that, like, it's all magical... The truth is that behind the scenes... there are a lot of people working to make a lot of magic happen."
• Santa as Fantasy Giver: The idea of being “given to” at a time when you’re always giving is particularly appealing.
  • Quote, Jen (07:56): "As opposed to this time of year where it feels like all you're doing is giving. It would be nice to be given to."

2. The Power of Mythology: Inheriting Santa (09:11–13:03)

• Santa as a Family Business: Several recommended books posit that “being Santa” is a role, inherited generation to generation, adding layers of mythology akin to a royal or magical lineage.
  • Quote, Sarah (09:56): "My favorite of all... are all books that rely heavily on that, basically invent a mythology for Santa."
• Inventive Worldbuilding: The fun is in how each author reinvents or deepens the Santa mythos, enabling a blend of the familiar and the fantastical.

3. Notable Book Recommendations and Quick Takes

a. Her Night With Santa by Adriana Herrera (10:26–12:28)

• A novella featuring Christiana Kringle and Farnaz, with Santa as a family inheritance. Features inventive worldbuilding, queer romance, and playful holiday energy.
• Quote, Jen (12:11): "The other thing you need to know is that it's 61 pages according to Kindle. And I honestly feel a little ashamed of Adriana that she couldn't have turned out eight more pages. Why? It was right there."

b. The Naughty List by Ellie Mae MacGregor (13:03–15:04)

• Nikolai inherits "the Santa job" after his brother retires; features a lonely divorced mom (Kate) and a magical, sexy Christmas at home.
• Quote, Sarah (14:57): "The tagline for this book is, Santa comes more than once this year, which is—I can confirm."

c. Sleigh Bell's Ring by Jody Griffin (16:02–18:14)

• BDSM Santa novella with reindeer shifters, polyamorous dynamics, and a playful, free download available from the author.
• Quote, Jen (16:41): "And Santa is a dom. And so when he's, like, whipping the reindeer to get them to go faster, that's like foreplay. And his favorite reindeer this year is Vixen. Of course."
• Memorable Moment: Jen and Sarah marvel at the included "glossary" of what various reindeer are into.

d. Frosty Twisted Hearts by Kay Draper (21:55–25:57)

• Poly romance with a Frost woman, a Krampus, Santa, and Cupid—all mythological winter creatures—in a wild resort setting.
• Quote, Sarah (25:57): "If you've ever thought to yourself, what if Santa and Krampus and a Frost all had Cupid involved in a hotel room?... Frosted Hearts by Kay Draper is the book for you."

e. In Love With Alien Santa by Zara Zhenia (27:30–31:27)

• Santa is secretly an immortal alien—he performs Christmas miracles and falls for a folklore-studying heroine whose life he once saved.
• Quote, Jen (29:06): "Romance is the final boss. The rest of literature... they're just thinking, those ladies, they don't know what they're talking about."

f. Santa Claus is Going to Town on Me & Plowed by ML Eliza (Marie Lipscomb) (31:54–36:09)

• Santa as a big, giving, plus-size hero from a pocket dimension where time moves differently; deeply tongue-in-cheek, satisfying holiday fun.
• Quote, Sarah (32:30): "This Santa is so giving. So giving. So anyway, this Santa turns up at her house... Delivers exactly what you want."
• Memorable Moment: Worldbuilding logic—Santa’s pocket dimension lets him make toys for everyone by stretching time.

g. A Christmas Wish by Leisha McCoy (36:16–40:41)

• Contemporary set in Lapland, with a heroine who finds meaning in being Santa's seasonal employee during a lonely year. Touches on deeper themes of infertility and found family.

h. Heart of Winter by Rizzo Rose Leah Espinosa (40:52–41:50)

• A darker, more fantasy-oriented "snowed-in with Santa" tale with danger, monsterish relatives, and rich worldbuilding.

i. Santa's Baby by Chloe Maine (dad’s best friend trope) (48:07–49:54)

• Her dad's bearded best friend steps in as Santa at her elder care facility; afterwards, they weather a storm together—at a lighthouse.

j. Santa's Helper by Shea Sanders (Mall Santa) (49:54–53:37)

• Black Santa representation. The heroine reconnects with a high school acquaintance turned mall Santa, offering a refreshing, emotionally honest take on parenting post-divorce.
• Quote, Jen (52:46): "To just have this woman be like, I love my children, but you know what? He's a good man and a good father. And this is what parenting is gonna be now is half them, half me... I was literally like, wow."
• Memorable Moment: Jen calls it "revolutionary" to have a mother openly embrace joint custody and her own happiness.

k. The Secret Santa by Katie Wilde (44:16–47:57)

• Office romance/secret identity with a brooding boss who orchestrates a special Secret Santa for the heroine, delivering heat, humor, and classic holiday tropes.

4. Novella Length and the Kink Unlimited Era (18:35–19:53)

• The hosts note that most "Santa Rodica" and holiday romance stories are best in novella form (120 pages or less), fitting readers’ busy December schedules and offering concentrated holiday cheer.

5. The Joy of Ridiculous Tropes and Puns (Throughout)

• They lavish praise on punny, over-the-top titles ("Santa comes more than once", "Santa Claus is Going to Town on Me") and agree “the promise of the premise” is critical for readers who want both erotic fun and emotional warmth.
  • Quote, Sarah (32:26): "The promise of the premise, it's just all right there if you can't figure out what's gonna happen."

6. Reflections on Holiday Traditions & Media (54:40–58:45)

• The episode closes with a warm, humorous conversation about Christmas movies, annual traditions, and why Bridget Jones's Diary stands the test of time—while Love Actually, for many, has lost its magic.

Memorable Quotes

• On Santa Romances:
  • Sarah (06:31): “Santa is sort of all of those things. He is the best of us in a lot of ways.”
  • Jen (14:57): “The tagline for this book is, Santa comes more than once this year, which is—I can confirm.”
  • Sarah (32:30): “This Santa is so giving. So giving.”
• On Romance as a Genre:
  • Jen (29:06): "Romance is the final boss. The rest of literature... they're just thinking, those ladies, they don't know what they're talking about."
• On Parenting Representation:
  • Jen (52:46): "To just have this woman be like, I love my children, but you know what? He's a good man and a good father. And this is what parenting is gonna be now is half them, half me... I was literally like, wow."
• On Holiday Media Routines:
  • Jen (56:25): "Tell us what your favorite holiday tradition is. What's the book that you reread every time? [...] And tell us what movie you watch every year."
  • Sarah (57:00): "It took eight or nine years before we were like, [Love Actually] isn't actually very good."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:00–08:07] — Discussion on why Santa is hot now, "giving" heroes trend
• [09:11–13:03] — Family business mythology, favorite takes on the Santa role
• [10:26–12:28] — Adriana Herrera's Her Night With Santa
• [13:03–15:04] — Ellie Mae MacGregor's The Naughty List
• [16:02–18:14] — Jody Griffin's Sleigh Bell's Ring (BDSM Santa & shifter reindeer)
• [21:55–25:57] — Kay Draper's Frosty Twisted Hearts (poly, Krampus, Cupid)
• [27:30–31:27] — Zara Zhenia's In Love With Alien Santa
• [31:54–36:09] — ML Eliza’s Santa Claus is Going to Town on Me and sequel Plowed
• [36:16–40:41] — Leisha McCoy's A Christmas Wish (trigger warnings noted)
• [40:52–41:50] — Rizzo Rose’s Heart of Winter
• [44:16–47:57] — Katie Wilde's The Secret Santa
• [48:07–49:54] — Chloe Maine's Santa's Baby (dad's best friend/lighthouse keeper Santa)
• [49:54–53:37] — Shea Sanders' Santa’s Helper (mall Santa, joint custody heroine)
• [54:40–58:45] — Holiday movie/reading traditions, Love Actually/Bridget Jones musings

Tone & Atmosphere

• Warm, irreverent, and explicitly sex-positive. Sarah and Jen are both scholarly and delightfully fangirlish, combining careful analysis with raucous laughter and zero shame about even the silliest tropes.
• Direct language, puns, and playful innuendo abound alongside genuine appreciation for romance as resistance, community, and joy.

For Listeners in a Hurry

• This episode is a treasure trove of holiday romance novellas featuring every possible Santa (magical, poly, Krampus-adjacent, mall, alien, etc.), spanning sweet and spicy to gloriously bonkers. If you’re searching for escapist holiday cheer with a feminist, kink-friendly twist, this is your essential wishlist episode.
• The deeper appeal: Santa romances let readers imagine a magical giver—fulfilling needs (emotional and otherwise) at the heart of a stressful season. And, as Sarah and Jen say repeatedly, the world could use a little more giving these days.

Final Note

“Do whatever it takes to survive, y’all. And if that means alien, small—yeah. Lighthouse Santa, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. We are here for you.” – Sarah (54:05)

Happy holidays—or, as Fated Mates says, may Santa deliver exactly what you want.