Sarah McLean (1:19)

But wait, what was I gonna say?

Jennifer Prokop (1:22)

Something sexy? Something you saw.

Sarah McLean (1:24)

No, I know. And then you thought about. Then you were talking about men and fur and then I don't know. There I had like a separate thing.

Jennifer Prokop (1:29)

That I wanted and it wasn't Kiki Winders.

Sarah McLean (1:32)

No, it's not. So listen to so today. But it is he rivalry related, everybody. Like, it's just. It's he. I know what I was going to tell listen, I'm all over the place. But it's all heated, rivalry related. I have not seen it yet because as I said on a previous episode, for those of you who listen regularly, I did not suffer through commercial breaks as a child to like have to wait for the show I want to watch. So I was like, listen, I'm fine. I also don't like feel compelled to do like water cooler chat about media.

Jennifer Prokop (2:04)

So like I was like, okay, I'm.

Sarah McLean (2:06)

Sure I'll watch it all together at the end. And also everybody, like, I've read the book and also I don't care about spoilers so there. All these things come together to, like, Sarah will get to heat of rivalry when all the show. All the episodes are out. All the episodes are out. Problem is my child is also out of school. So I said to Jen yesterday, I was like, listen, I'm a relaxed and groovy mom, but I think even I, like, there is a level of relaxed and groovy that is not allowed. Like, it does not allow you to watch that show while your child is awake.

Jennifer Prokop (2:37)

Yeah, well, I mean, I watched episodes one and two with my child, but he's, you know, a young, you know, 22. It's fine.

Sarah McLean (2:44)

He's a grown ass man. He.

Jennifer Prokop (2:46)

He's a grown man.

Sarah McLean (2:48)

I mean, his brain is mush still. Everybody but.

Jennifer Prokop (2:50)

I know, but old enough to watch heated Riler without, you know, CPS coming.

Sarah McLean (2:54)

But was he. Was he a little bit like, are we doing this, Mom?

Jennifer Prokop (2:57)

You know, here's what's interesting.

Sarah McLean (2:59)

We.

Jennifer Prokop (2:59)

Yeah, I mean, for sure. I sort of pressured him into it.

Sarah McLean (3:01)

And I don't think I would be able to do that with my mom.

Jennifer Prokop (3:05)

Here's what I said to him. You know, the other show that he kind of watches, we watch together that he really likes is called Criminal Minds.

Sarah McLean (3:14)

I'm familiar with it.

Jennifer Prokop (3:15)

Yeah, it's like. And we are like, way back in, like season three. It's a procedural, but they're all like serial killers. And all the serial killers, it's like sexual violence. And I said to him, I was like, you and I sit down and watch a show where people are like, strangled and raped and stabbed and like, it's no big deal. And now I feel like we are. If we can watch that together, we can watch two people having sex because it's. They're horny and in love. It's fine.

Sarah McLean (3:40)

Correct.

Jennifer Prokop (3:40)

How are you going to argue with that?

Sarah McLean (3:42)

No, I like that a lot.

Jennifer Prokop (3:43)

You can't.

Sarah McLean (3:43)

So that's what I like to say to other moms when they suggest to me that my books should not be in the hands of their children.

Jennifer Prokop (3:50)

Oh, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Sarah McLean (3:54)

Your child is in the ninth grade. You think she hasn't figured out all of this?

Jennifer Prokop (3:57)

You guys, they can watch porn on their phones. I need everybody to calm down.

Sarah McLean (4:00)

So, access to Reddit, because you'd rather she's reading Brazen and the Beast. I'm just saying.

Jennifer Prokop (4:08)

Exactly.

Sarah McLean (4:09)

Anyway, but the sexiest thing that I saw today was that so these two very handsome young men who are in heat of rivalry, made like A$50 an episode because they were paid by Canadians, and they need some money. And I assume that Quinn, the audio erotica app, has, like, chucked a whole truckload of money at them because they are releasing. Quinn is releasing an audio with them soon, like, in a. It'll be out by the time this episode is out.

Jennifer Prokop (4:40)

Yeah.

Sarah McLean (4:41)

And I'm sure you'll have seen it all over the Internet, or at least reference to it, because. So, of course, the Internet, like, lost its living mind when it became clear because Quinn is an audio app. I'm very interested in Quinn as a concept. First of all, everybody, welcome to Faded mates. I'm Sarah McLean. I read romance novels and I write them.

Jennifer Prokop (5:05)

And I'm Jennifer Prokop, a romance reader and heated rivalry fan.

Sarah McLean (5:14)

Okay. I'm really interested in Quinn, and here's why. So, as you all know, and this is all.

Jennifer Prokop (5:19)

They might not know what it is, so maybe talk about what it is.

Sarah McLean (5:21)

Yes. My interest in Quinn is related to my interest in what's going on in romance right now. And so maybe we'll do a little just, like, chatter about it, Jen, because I know that you are like. That is not for Jen. So Quinn is an audio erotica app, and it's been around for a couple of years. It's not new. I mean, it's new in the. It's. It's not new in the lens. Through the lens of the Internet.

Jennifer Prokop (5:43)

Right.

Sarah McLean (5:45)

It was created by a woman. I've done a lot of, like, research over the last week or so about it. It was created by a woman whose book Brother invented Snapchat. So I assume, like, he connected her with a bunch of venture capitalists. And she had this idea, and the concept is very, very straightforward, which is it's an audio app. It. It active. It acts as similar to, like, a music app. The.

Jennifer Prokop (6:08)

The.

Sarah McLean (6:08)

The user experience is very similar to that. And on this app are a number of. And I want to qualify. Like, I haven't spent a lot of time on this app. I did subscribe to it about a week or so back because I was really interested in, like, what was going on with it actually predating heated rivalry. And so if I'm wrong, please feel free to, like, send us a note or whatever and tell me that I'm wrong and. And I'll fix it in a few future episodes. But as I understand it, they have all this venture capital money, and what they did was she had this idea that was, like, women largely are interested in porn, but they're interested in porn through the female gaze. Like, a very particular kind of Porn. She acknowledged the sort of rise in interest in audiobooks, a rise in interest in audiobooks that are very sexy, and came up with this idea, which was, what if we took audio porn, which has existed for many, many years, and we created a kind of like, place where all the big, like, audio porn narrators could come together and. And also. And, you know, be in one place. I don't quite understand the financials of it, but I do think. But what I understand is that Quinn, as a company invites narrators to join, essentially the app. And you have to be like, invited in. It's not like KU in that sense. Like, it's not just sort of like the doors are open and there's no gatekeeping. In this case, I think Quinn is gatekeeping. And it started out as, I understand, as like, there were several. There were kind of like some big name audio porn, like audio, you know, erotic audio actors who produce their own content, who came on as sort of the early. In the early stage. And then they hired a handful of. Or hired. They contracted a handful of like very well known actors to come into the app and narrate stories that I think they are either written by staff at Quinn or like that they have commission from writers. Right. But let me be clear, the writers are not the sell on any of these things, right?

Jennifer Prokop (8:29)

Oh, yeah, the voices are, sure.

Sarah McLean (8:31)

So like Andrew Scott, for example, who is the hot priest from Fleabag. Manny Jacinto, who was in the Good Place.

Jennifer Prokop (8:38)

The Good Place, Right.

Sarah McLean (8:40)

A character from the Gilded Age has a story on there. An actor from the Gilded Age. And I went in because I heard about the Andrew Scott story, and I think he's fantastic. And I was like, well, this is really interesting because I also. And this is not to diminish any of the other names that I just named because they're all very skilled actors. But he's a guy who like, could win an award.

Jennifer Prokop (9:03)

Yeah.

Sarah McLean (9:04)

You know, like, he's like a real actor.

Jennifer Prokop (9:08)

I mean, if you've ever seen his, like, Shakespeare videos, like, did I say is it. When is it Hamlet or.

Sarah McLean (9:14)

I was like, with Ophelia. Yeah. Anytime that goes by on my, on my, like, threads, I'm like, I gotta stop and spend three minutes watching this. No, he's like our real deal guy. And so his thing is a three part medieval kind of romance where he's the queen's guard and he falls in love with. She's an evil queen and he falls in love with like some woman and it's super sexy. And on the in the third one, like, he, like, fingers the character and, like, comes and it's like, very sexy. Now here's the deal, Quinn. And this is where we lose Jen. The directive from Quinn, kind of like up on High, which I just learned about when I read this article, is all of the Quinn audios have to be in second person, which means so.

Jennifer Prokop (10:05)

They address, like, you, the listener.

Sarah McLean (10:07)

You, the listener, are the character in the story. And it's interesting because this, like, Andrew Scott one that I listened to, it's actually not. It's. It's like there's like a step away from the youe the Listener piece, which is like, you are a very unnamed character. Like, it's second person, but, like, you're playing a very specific character who has a name and identity, a backstory, et cetera. But the rest of this is usually just like, hey, I came home from work early and now we're gonna fuck on the.

Jennifer Prokop (10:40)

You know, that seems like a nice time.

Sarah McLean (10:42)

The washing machine, which, like. Yeah. Or like, you're my. I'm best friends with your older brother and, like, we're keeping our relationship a secret and it's a Christmas party and now we're like, fucking on the coats in the, like, bedroom.

Jennifer Prokop (10:54)

Seems nice.

Sarah McLean (10:54)

Listen, I support everyone if this. But it's. What's interesting is the numbers on this app are really fascinating. And this is where I'm. This is where I. Six minutes into this conversation about Quinn, this is where I. I'm interested in, where I think it intersects with romance and what's happening in romance right now. Because it's something like 80% of the people on this app are women. That makes sense to me. That's like, not an even a little bit surprising to me. And like 70 something percent of the people on this app are under the age of 30. And I think. And that means users, not obviously, the narrators. And I think what's really fascinating about this is I think it intersects with thick, and I think it intersects with the popularity of like, you know, short erotic romance on KU that we've sort of lost. Like the short erotic romance on K.

Jennifer Prokop (11:51)

U. Oh, yeah, sure.

Sarah McLean (11:52)

Has sort of like disappeared.

Jennifer Prokop (11:54)

Yeah. Everything's so long now. Yeah. Yeah.

Sarah McLean (11:56)

And these are like 20 minutes, 30 minutes, like, really quick shots.

Jennifer Prokop (12:00)

Right.

Sarah McLean (12:01)

And also the rise of audio in here. Like, these. Like, if you're. If you're a Quinn subscriber, like, you could be, like, on your morning walk listening to, like, filthy shit. Like, and like, no one at the, you know, pond that you walk around has Any idea? But I also think like this is really interesting because I think what's happening is we've talked so much on the podcast about like the discoverability problem, which this is all sort of intersecting with like what this episode is too. Right. Like we are all struggling so much to find books and to find like the books we want to read and to find books that we think are good and to find books that other people like are interested in. To find books that are like straight, sexy like shots. And we used to be able to reliably find those things and it just is taking longer to find them. It's right. It's more difficult. And in this case like that kind of one handed read feels like if you're not, you know, you and me, Jen, who are like committed to the one handed capital R read.

Jennifer Prokop (13:12)

Why not the one handed listen?

Sarah McLean (13:13)

Why not the one handed listen?

Jennifer Prokop (13:15)

Well actually you don't need any hands to listen, so that's true.

Sarah McLean (13:22)

So even better, weirdly, this is intersected because like they had not announced this heated rivalry thing. When I sort of started thinking about Quinn, you know, I don't know, a couple weeks ago, I think and now I think. And then of course they announced like these two handsome, charming actors were gonna do a Quinn story and this morning they announced it was gonna be Romantasy, which feels just like the age of the users. Like it's just really smart. So smart. And this is me just saying like I'm very happy for everybody because allegedly they are paying people very, very well and I hope they paid those young men a great deal of money and, and I'm very excited for everybody, including like the big heat of rivalry fans. And apparently, Jen, it's not in second person.

Jennifer Prokop (14:18)

I support everyone. I do. I think that sounds great.

Sarah McLean (14:21)

It's just the two of them being hot with each other.

Jennifer Prokop (14:23)

Sure. And I love that there's like so many different ways now. I mean, I think one of the things that's really interesting is like storytelling. I think, you know, my brother in law, my sister in law writes for tv, but so does her husband. And I won't like really get into it right now, but we had this really interesting conversation once where he was talking about like how important it is to meet the. Like storytelling has to meet the listener or the viewer or the reader, wherever that is. Sure. And I think one of the things we're just really seeing now is like storytelling really like trying to meet, meet people where they are. And so, you know, I think that this is brilliant and I'M really excited for everyone. And as I've said, I've exited the station at this point. But you know that, and that's okay. Like, there are gonna be other things that will be for me. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have a great time and love it. I don't think everybody should have this particular case. Like, the self insert is, like, really almost impossible for me to like, I'm like, so.

Sarah McLean (15:27)

No. And I. But I think that that's part of it, right? Like, self insert and fix. Self insert in this audio erotica. Like, there's a reason why it's working so well.

Jennifer Prokop (15:34)

Yeah.

Sarah McLean (15:36)

And then what I would say is the sexy thing that I saw today was. So this was announced, I don't know, yesterday, the day before, like, and Threads has been, like, losing its mind and collectively. And today, this morning, some young whippersnapper posted.

Jennifer Prokop (15:51)

Oh, I saw this.

Sarah McLean (15:52)

I'm gonna. Don't worry if you're not a Quinn subscriber. Don't buy it, don't subscribe. I'm gonna download the audio and then I'll post it here for free. And everybody was like, what the fuck? Like, this is real. Don't pirate shit.

Jennifer Prokop (16:07)

Don't pirate shit.

Sarah McLean (16:08)

But then Quinn just slid into replies and was like, hi, we're the lawyers at Quinn, and here are the legal statutes that make what you just posted fully illegal. Not just amazing, but, like, what you posted is intent to infringe copyright and intent to distribute erotica potentially to minors. So you better take this down or we're gonna stick our lawyers on you.

Jennifer Prokop (16:35)

Yeah, it was amazing. Oh, yeah.

Sarah McLean (16:37)

Well, no, my panties flew right off.

Jennifer Prokop (16:42)

Like, the last time lawyers ever really did it for I want.

Sarah McLean (16:45)

It was like a very stern romance daddy kind of moment.

Jennifer Prokop (16:49)

Amazing. Amazing. Yeah. You know, I do. I think it is really exciting. And I think, you know, with storytelling, just, like I said, like. Like, essentially, like, spreads out and, like, is ready to meet its moment. There are going to be lots of ways to, like, interact with story in. In different capacities. And, you know, sometimes I get real, like, about it, but mostly I'm like, listen, millions of people are so excited for this, and I think that is thrilling. And, you know, these nice. My son's got a nice paycheck.

Sarah McLean (17:21)

No kidding.

Jennifer Prokop (17:24)

This week's episode of Faded Mates is brought to you by Lucy Morris, author of Reclaiming His Viking Queen.

Sarah McLean (17:32)

Yes, Lucy Morris knows the job, Jen, and you are going to be very excited about this one because it involves men in fur. My favorite Agnar has Been called by many names in his life. Usurper, warlord, wolf trash for warlord.

Jennifer Prokop (17:51)

Sorry.

Sarah McLean (17:52)

Still, there is one role he is hell bent on claiming. Scotty's husband. Except she rejected him years ago. Marrying another while despite making a promise to marry Agnar, he will be denied no longer because that man is dead and he is very much, much alive. He is gonna storm her hall. He is gonna tame this warrior queen, if she'll let him. Of course. Scotty thinks that Agnar killed her husband. Oh, boy. And I don't know, because of Viking rules, she'll surrender her hand, but she refuses to submit. Except behind Agnarr's fury lies a man deeply wronged. And when Scotty starts to realize, like, maybe he didn't kill her husband, she can't help but warm to him and his fur and wonder what it might be like to climb in there with him.

Jennifer Prokop (18:48)

I cannot wait to find out what happens here, everybody. So Reclaiming His Viking Queen is available in print and ebook. And if your podcasting app supports it, you can click on the chapter title right now to be taken to buy the book. Thanks to Lucy Morris and all the Vikings for supporting and this. Sorry. Thanks to all the Vikings. Thanks to Lucy Morris and the Vikings for supporting this week's episode. Okay, so this week we are doing our winter preview, right? So everybody knows.

Sarah McLean (19:25)

Discoverability buddies.

Jennifer Prokop (19:27)

That's right. Here we go. So it's January, February and March titles. And just as a reminder, everybody, this is like a really good time to go to the. The show notes, right? Like, all of these books will, like, you know, in order, you know, with the covers. It won't be on your app. There's just too many of them. And as also a quick reminder, Sarah and I have read probably almost none of these. We'll mention if we have, because, like, like, just like for you, this is like a discoverability kind of thing for us, right? Like, what is coming out? What are we looking for? What are we interested in? I'm gonna, like, restrict us, I think for timing purposes. We're gonna try and do, you know, like many per month and then that's it. And hopefully if you're then looking for something new, you can just go to our page and just be clicking and finding out really what else, what's out there, what is something that you're excited about. And in return, we hope to hear from you. As a reminder, it's sometimes really hard to predict indie authors who tend to publish on a faster, less predictable schedule. So this is going to skew kind of really heavily towards traditionally published titles and, you know, know. But every week on the regular podcast, we are constantly trying to talk about, like, indie books and authors that we are excited about and love. So, you know, just because we didn't hear about it or it's not here doesn't mean that some of your favorite authors don't have books coming out. Just like, we might not have known. Okay.

Sarah McLean (21:02)

Correct.

Jennifer Prokop (21:03)

Why we give that disclaimer every time, but who knows? Okay, so, Sarah, do you want to start? We're doing January titles.

Sarah McLean (21:12)

We're starting with January. I don't have anything for the last week of December this year. This time I do have fun keeping it tight. Well, then you better go. You. You just volunteer. I'm volunteering you.

Jennifer Prokop (21:23)

I. Okay, so I will. It's Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget.

Sarah McLean (21:28)

All right.

Jennifer Prokop (21:29)

By Zuri Day, who's an author I really love.

Sarah McLean (21:33)

I love Zuri Day.

Jennifer Prokop (21:34)

I know, Exactly. So Jamila is an entrepreneur with, like, refined taste. She's running her own restaurant, which is a dream come true, but she's. She is struggling. Right. And so her. Her restaurant is really, like, on the brink of collapse until Rashad White, who is a newly released ex con and a culinary genius, like, shows up. Now, these two clash at every turn. They bicker over the menu items and the cooking methods, but the attraction between them really heats up things in the kitchen. So I love this author. I was really excited to see this. I somehow, like, missed this one coming around. And so it comes out, like, literally this week, you know, when we were recording it December 30, which is why I didn't know about it. So that's practically January. Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget. Perfect.

Sarah McLean (22:25)

I am going to talk about Lizzie Dent's Drive Me Crazy because. And I think it's apt that it's the first book that I talk about for 2026, because I think we're about to see a bunch of F1 romances come through. We saw obviously last year there were a couple that came through. I think, like, F1 is going to be a big. A big sport this year. So this one is by Lizzie Dent. It's called Drive Me Crazy. And what I'm about to say, Jen, is about to just blank out for a moment because I'm going to say a lot of things that you don't understand. So.

Jennifer Prokop (22:59)

Okay, well, rough, rough out here.

Sarah McLean (23:04)

So the heroine, Chloe, is the first one of the first female team principals in Formula one racing. And she is determined, obviously, because of, like, gender in Formula one to prove herself and transform a, like, failing team. She's been hired to TR To. To work for a, you know, back of the pack team to champions. And she has a strong, very clear strategy. Except, of course, a new driver has been added to her team. And he is not only a kind of cocky older sports guy who's, like, trying to make a final hurrah for his career. I love one of those a real Susan Elizabeth Phillips vibe here. But he is also her estranged childhood crush. When she was a kid, she was, like, really into him. And that feels very much like a For Sarah kind of book. So you've got a driver who's aging out of the sport. He needs a comeback, and a young woman who is about to run a table team and prove herself. And these two things run counter to each other. And I'm super excited for this one. So that is Drive Me Crazy by Lizzie Dent.

Jennifer Prokop (24:22)

Okay, so I am going to do Silver and Blood by Jesse Mihalik. This is actually one I have read. I really love Jesse's sort of like, big space opera series. This one is more romantasy. And what happens is we have Rayla. She is, like, pretty, like, in her late 20s, which I also really liked, by the way. I liked that she wasn't, you know, sort of like, I liked that she was like an adult adult. And she is living in this, like, little village. And a really weird thing happened in the past year, which is like, she thought she didn't have any magic. And then, like, the. Her village was threatened by flooding. And all of a sudden, this magic, like, just like, bursts out of her in a torrent. And she manages to save the village from this. Everyone is kind of looking at her, like, looking at her differently. So anyway, then there's like, a monster supposedly in the, like, local forest. And the villagers, I mean, it's honestly pretty terrible. Are basically like, you have to save us. Go, go. And they're kind of clearly willing to sacrifice her to save the village. And once she's in there, she meets instead a very handsome and very beautiful, like, witch named Garak. And he ends up taking her back to his. Like, this part of the story had really big Beauty and the beast vibes to me, right? Like, there's all this, like, magic in the castle. And, you know, he'll just be like, I'm hungry, and food will appear. And supposedly she should be able to do this too, but somehow she can't. And so what he realizes is that she has. There's something really strange about her magic and she clearly is unpracticed, which makes it unsafe for her. So he decides to teach her how to use her magic. And then there's all these like secrets and lies between them and, you know, sort of this. Who is she? What's her hidden identity? You know, he's got somebody who's like essentially he's been essentially like there's different realms and he's. Or like, I don't know, like multiverses almost. And he's been like, cut off from his homeland and is stuck in this magical forest. And I just, I really liked it a lot. So this to me was just. I love Jesse's writing and I just felt like it was a really fun kind of like romantasy that didn't like, feel too overwhelming to me.

Sarah McLean (26:50)

You know what I mean?

Jennifer Prokop (26:51)

Like, I felt like I could really kind of get my, my head around it and it ends in kind of an hfn. But it's clear that the next book in the series is going to be them going off on an adventure together as well. So I really loved it. Silver and Blood. Cool.

Sarah McLean (27:07)

All right, I'm going to talk about a historical by a new to me historical author named Josie Johns. This one's called I A Scandal Changes Everything. And it's the first book in Josie's Society of Women Revolutionaries series. The premise is very fun. The heroine, Sophia, is a cautionary tale to London's young ladies. She had been found in a scandalous situation with a man, a ruinous situation. And she is pretty upset about it because she didn't actually do the thing that everybody thinks thinks happened while the she and this man were together and alone. So she decides that she is going to write about it and she's going to pen a fair number of speeches about and and essay is for newspapers as Lady Sour. The speeches are sort of like seditious and and angry relate and feminist that sort of real, real takedowns of the way that London society treats women. The unfortunately this puts her in the crosshairs of a number of powerful men who don't like having this happen. They certainly don't like an uppity woman writing seditious pamphlets creating battalions of other uppity women in their lives. And so the Prime Minister asks Roman Montvillier, the widowed Earl of Haslemere, to find this woman and root her out. So and then Roman wants his own political career and he knows that this is the path to his own political aspirations. So he goes looking for Sophia. But when he finds her he's into her. And then what will happen? I think I'm gonna figure it out. So that is A Scandal Changes Everything by Josie Johnson.

Jennifer Prokop (29:11)

Okay, perfect. All right, so I am going to talk about a real fated mate's favorite here, Adrianna Anders, who has.

Sarah McLean (29:19)

That's on my list too, of course.

Jennifer Prokop (29:21)

Dom Calm. Coming up. I honestly mostly am, like, how did this not exist?

Sarah McLean (29:28)

This is the only person I would trust to write a book called that.

Jennifer Prokop (29:30)

So here we go. Exactly. So what this is is Ray Jensen is essentially, like, really. She's submissive. She's really, like, interested in exploring kink, but she, like, kind of can't, like, has to convince herself to, like, walk through the door of this, like, sex club she's found. And meanwhile, what. When she finds this, like, of course, brooding, ridiculously handsome guy who says, everyone here calls me the General, she's like, okay, I think I can figure this out with this guy. So his name's Grant Bowman. He's really not typically into, like, kind of playing with newbies, but she's so sweet. One night can hurt. And then, of course, they discover that in real life, they're working together on a new consulting job. So our kinky sex club romance has just turned into a workplace romance. What's not to like? So I'm really excited about this. Like you said, I. The only person I trust to write a book with this title is, in fact, Adriana Anders. So that's Dom Calm.

Sarah McLean (30:37)

This week's episode of Faded Mates is sponsored by Eve Silver, author of Darkest at Dusk.

Jennifer Prokop (30:44)

Okay, everybody, this is a Victorian Gothic romance. I know. Okay, so Isabella Barrett sees ghosts, but the dead aren't the only ones watching her. She has been left penniless and alone after her father's sudden death. I believe that's required in a Gothic. And so she has no choice but to accept a position at Harrogate Manor, an isolated estate shrouded in secrets and sorrow. Her employer is the enigma Rhys Caradoc. He has claimed that he needs her help cataloging his rare book collection. But as she's there, she starts to realize, like, right, like, there's whispers that stalk the halls and icy fingers grazing her skin. Shadowed figures watching from the dark. The spirits here want something from her, and their intentions are growing darker. And Rhys, who, you know, he was like, oh, come catalog my rare books. Instead, he seems to know far more about her gift and her past than he should. So as the line between the living and the dead begins to blur and harrow gates, buried horrors claw their way to the surface, Isabella must decide if Rhys is her protector or something far more dangerous.

Sarah McLean (31:58)

Well, I know part of Rhys that's very dangerous, and I bet Isabelle is going to get up close and personal with it. If you also love that, then you are going to enjoy Darkested, which is available right now in print or ebook. If your podcasting app supports it. You can click on the chapter title to be taken to buy the books. Thanks to Eve Silver for sponsoring this week's episode. Well, you said Faded Mates favorite, and that makes me think of Kristen Callahan. I am so excited that there's a new Kristen Callahan book coming out this January and it is already downloaded onto my Kindle. This one is called Only on Game Day, and it's a fake fiance story between a top NFL drag pic. No drag pick. That's not right.

Jennifer Prokop (32:53)

That sounds fun too, though.

Sarah McLean (32:54)

That does. Wouldn't that be fun if we could combine those two things? I might watch. Sure. A top NFL draft pick and who sort of does some boneheaded stuff, goes viral for being stupid, and then has to get his act act together and he turns to a childhood friend, or rather not friend from his childhood, his mother's best friend's daughter who always fled the room and kind of couldn't stand him when they were children. But now she has a problem. Her grandparents have passed away, she's inherited their house and she cannot pay the estate tax on it, so she needs cash and he needs needs a fiance to make it seem like he's got himself together. So these two are gonna fake date and then they'll end it and it'll all be easy and not at all difficult and not at all messy the way Kristen Callahan loves to write.

Jennifer Prokop (33:54)

Perfect.

Sarah McLean (33:55)

I'm kidding. Of course it'll be messy. And I can't wait.

Jennifer Prokop (33:58)

Okay, so I am going to talk about Janae Sanders Second Time around by Laquette Another faded Movie Mates fan favorite. In this one, Jana has essentially just divorced, right? And she's like, I am not interested in romance anymore. She's got her son James. She's got her besties in this savvy, sexy and single club. And she's just like, whatever, I don't need a man. Until at her 20th high school reunion, her high school heartthrob Adam Henderson essentially comes crashing back into her life. Now she's like, would consider dating again for ad but the new superintendent of her son's school has slashed the arts program. And so Janae's like, okay, I'm gonna protest this. And it turns out of Course that, you know, Adam is, like, all tangled up in this. This has to do with his new job back at. Back in. In the hometown. So after a school board meeting where they'd sort of decide that they're on opposite sides, they've been, like, dating the enemy, essentially. Janae's basically like, restore the program or lose me.

Sarah McLean (35:07)

Right?

Jennifer Prokop (35:07)

And Adam is like, no. Like, let's take a weekend and really, like, talk this through and figure it out. And so, you know, this is really a story about a woman who's like, can I risk it all? And is it worth it to. To, like, even do that again? So I love a second chance romance, especially when it's really clear both people have had, like, a full, interesting life. And, you know, Laquette will do a great job with that story. So that's Janae Sanders second time around.

Sarah McLean (35:36)

I want to talk about Joe Segura's the Lust Crusade. Joe writes these awesome adventure rom coms often related to archaeologists kind of in the middle of nowhere, tracking down, like, ancient artifacts. Very kind of Indiana Jonesy, but this one really sounds like Romancing the Stone in a certain sense. So Daniela Gutierrez has been in love with her brother's best friend for as long as she can remember, except a year ago, he went missing during an archaeological expedition. She goes on a solo trip to Greece in order to kind of, like, see, you know, she. She goes looking essentially for him and discovers that he is very much alive, but he is being held hostage by a bunch of criminals, unlike circumstances.

Jennifer Prokop (36:28)

I'm sorry, I laughed. And held hostage.

Sarah McLean (36:30)

So Theo is an expert in ancient Greek archaeology. There's a priceless gemstone called the Eye of the Minotau. And it turns out that he went looking for this thing because he was trying to get Danny out of his system, which we know always results in men doing stupid shit like getting, you know, taken hostage. Sure. So now Dany's been caught, she's tied up next to him, and the two of them have to figure out how they're gonna get released, which means they have six days to find this magical jewel, to, like, upend whatever this criminal enterprise is, and to fall in love. That is Joe Segura's the Lust Crusade.

Jennifer Prokop (37:13)

Perfect.

Sarah McLean (37:14)

I love that title, too.

Jennifer Prokop (37:15)

Yeah, that's great. Okay, I'm gonna talk about the Ex Dilemma by L. Wright. Now, this is, like, one of those things where everybody. E.L. wright is an author I really like. I read a bunch of her sort of really fun contemporaries like, maybe, like, four or five years ago. And then either Like, I. And I actually have to look at her. It's kind of impossible tell from someone's Amazon page anymore. I was like, did she take a long break or did I just sort of like, forget about her? Right. And so anyway, I think, you know.

Sarah McLean (37:43)

That'S why we need discoverability.

Jennifer Prokop (37:45)

Exactly. And then you see a name that you're like, oh, my gosh, I love her book. So in the X Dilemma, we have Wesley Bachelor. He needs an image reboot, like, basically stat, because he's like a. He's an air right to a big family fortune in Detroit. But a social media influencer, a mysterious one keeps basically revealing all of his secret hookups. And it's kind of like not only messing with his mojo, but getting him in trouble with his grandmother and his boss at Bachelor Enterprises. And so basically what happens is his ex private detective, Albany Keys, is recruited to track down, like, who has been, like, leaking all of these details about Wes's life. And so basically, Albany agrees to help Wes as like, kind of a, you know, she remembers his grandmother or his boss or something. And so basically. And she's recovering from a really disastrous divorce. And so, like, the money is going to really help her, but is it worth getting her heart rebroken by the only man she's ever loved? Well, we are about to find out. By the way, this has a truly, really cute cover. And I am really, like, really genuinely was like, oh, yeah. So that is the X Dilemma by L. Wright.

Sarah McLean (39:11)

So I want to talk about Hannah Murray, who we've talked about before on the podcast. She has a book coming out called Wish I May that is a polyamorous queer erotic romance. Chloe, our heroine, has a perfectly happy life. She's got, know, a job that she really loves. She's got friends she really loves, but she doesn't have a sex life. And that would be fine, except her aunt's bar where she works is going is being renovated by two extraordinarily hot people named Jesse and Knox, who not only are business partners, but are married and proudly bisexual. But she's like, every time I see them and I think to myself, like, I really want to have a threesome with these two. She feels guilty because. Because, like, they're married to each other and like, they've never. They. While they, like, kind of look at her, they've never given her any indication that, like, they'd be.

Jennifer Prokop (40:09)

They'd be open.

Sarah McLean (40:09)

They have an open mind. Right, exactly. So she turns to a sex worker to, you know, work out her. Get them out of her system, you know, I love that. And she gets a little nervous because she is is because it's a small town and she expects that like, people might know this guy when he comes into town, when he like shows up to like, you know, do his job with her. And in discussion with Jesse and Knox, she kind of like reveals that she, she hired this sex worker because she really wants to have a threesome with the two of them. And all of a sudden they're like, well, but wait, what if we did have a threesome with you?

Jennifer Prokop (40:56)

Seems nice.

Sarah McLean (40:57)

So listen, there's a sex worker in this who's like part of the whole experience, but really this is a poly romance between the three. Chloe, Jesse and Knox. As I understand it, Hannah Murray writes a great absolutely fire romance novel. So I expect this one will be really delicious and very erotic. So that's called Wish I May by Hannah Murray.

Jennifer Prokop (41:21)

Fun. Okay, I'm gonna talk about Almost One night stand by A.J.

Sarah McLean (41:27)

Pine.

Jennifer Prokop (41:28)

Just because like this plot really caught my attention. It's almost in fact like the exact opposite, which is Hattie Martin is leaving Chicago for a teaching gig in a really small town in Illinois. And she's just like, kind of like leaving that life behind. So when she stops at a hotel to like rest for the night, she like sees this really handsome man, a nameless stranger, perfect one night stand material. Except Sarah, she chickens out at the last minute. Oh no. Which I just feel like too real right now. Very real. This is like the opposite of the, like, you do have the one night stand and you end up, you know, working for the guy. Essentially same thing. She, she, she's just like, oh, thank God I'll never see him again. Except when she gets to her new home, her landlord has essentially doubled the rent. And their other like tenant either is Levi Rourke, right? This gorgeous man that she bailed on the night before. So, you know, now all of a sudden they're roommates and she's like working with him daily in the school soccer field because he's the coach for the boys team and she's the coach for the girls team. And so, you know, he's, but he's, listen, leaving as soon as the school year is up and she's just like not going to have it. So I just thought that sounded honestly really cool. Cute.

Sarah McLean (42:47)

Almost.

Jennifer Prokop (42:48)

One night stand by A.J. pine.

Sarah McLean (42:52)

Let's talk about Denise Williams, who has a book coming out the end of January called the Redo List. This is another brother's best friend. Willow Experiences has experienced all her big Firsts with her high school sweetheart. But of course there was a very big public breakup and she wants a redo on all those important moments, which I love as like a structure for romance novel. So she's dog sitting for her brother and she's spending some time with his best friend and she sort of like mentions that she has this redo list. Like she wants another first kiss, she wants all her firsts again, first dance, first kiss, etc. And Deacon basically is like, well, I promised your brother that I would look out for you while he was, you know, deployed. And so I think obviously I am going to have to be the person to do this operation, Rudyu, because you cannot trust just anyone with this work. But also big problem because he also promised her brother that he wouldn't touch her. My favorite.

Jennifer Prokop (43:58)

Of course.

Sarah McLean (43:59)

So the list of firsts happens and Deacon is giving Willow all of those firsts and then they turn to seconds and thirds and fourths. And the big question is, what's gonna happen when her brother comes back and Deacon Hun and Willow are together? Fun. So that is the redo list by Denise Williams.

Jennifer Prokop (44:25)

I have a mystery romance called Definitely maybe Not a Detective two. Sorry, I have all of that. I'm sure we all have overlapping ones, right? You guys, my list of is like 20 long. I won't.

Sarah McLean (44:37)

I know. I have so many Januarys.

Jennifer Prokop (44:39)

Yeah, okay, so Definitely not maybe A Detective by Sarah Fox is like a romcom mystery where a woman named Emerson Gray is like not a detective. She's unemployed, 28 year old, raising her niece right. We do y. And her dirt bag ex boyfriend ran off with her life savings so she has no choice but to basically be living in like a rundown seniors only apartment complex complex that needed tenants when her best friend comes up with a perfect plan for Emerson to get her money back. Which is basically like, like essentially create like a fake detective who's gonna like step in, you know, Wyatt investigations and like basically just like intimidate the ex boyfriend into giving the money back. The stranger they get to actually do this, his name is coincidentally really is Wyatt. So real life Wyatt, it is super hot. And you know, in basically what happens though is the superintendent of the apartment building she's living in wind up dead and the neighbors turn to the fake boyfriend, like the fake detective with the cards. And now Emerson and Wyatt, neither of whom I understand it, are detectives, are now investigating this murder and of course going to fall in love. Love. This looks really great. It's called Definitely maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox.

Sarah McLean (46:05)

This week's episode of Faded Mates is sponsored by Lux Books, publishers of Selena May's Lessons in Faking, the first in her Hall Back universe.

Jennifer Prokop (46:14)

Okay, so Athalia Presley has one really important thing she is trying to do, which is like, really fix, like, a broken relationship with her twin brother, Henry. So they've been really distant. She's really starting to feel like she is, like, making some progress when, unfortunately for her, problem in her statistics class lands Athalia with an unexpected tutor, her brother's sworn enemy, and campus Golden Boy, Dylan McCarthy. So suddenly, she has her brother's undivided attention, which she likes, but for a bad reason. So she kind of hatches maybe what is, I don't know, probably a plot that's gonna misfire on her, which is essentially talking super hot Dylan McCarthy into, like, a fake situation where that way, like, Henry will keep paying attention to her. So these two draft a contract, rules are set, boundaries are drawn. But as these tutoring sessions that turn into elaborate stage dates start into turning into real feelings, Azalia really does not know what to do. McCarthy had one. Well, he had lots of rules. But rule number seven was don't fall for me. And she has done it.

Sarah McLean (47:25)

Now what? Well, now what? This is the first in Selena's Hallbeck University series, Lessons in Faith. And you can read that right now in print, ebook or audiobook. You can learn more by clicking the chapter title. In the past AD we talked about Lux Books as being a YA imprint. It is not a YA imprint. It is a full open door romance imprint. So head on over, learn more about Lux Books, and, I don't know, get it done to you, I guess. Also, the next book in the Hallbeck University series comes. Comes out next month, so you'll be all caught up when that arrives. Thanks to Lux Books and to Selena May for sponsoring this week's episode. Okay, let's talk about Lauren Rowe. Who? I have really loved Lauren Roe books in the past, and I'm excited about this one. This is a football romance, so Lauren wrote Chasing the Ring. Actually, now I see it's the deluxe limited edition. I wonder if it's new or not. Not.

Jennifer Prokop (48:27)

Well, it's new to us, and you haven't read it, and I haven't either. So I think you should talk about it because I felt the same way. Yeah, okay. Okay.

Sarah McLean (48:36)

So Iris, our heroine, her wedding day goes viral for all the wrong reasons. She discovers that her fiance was lying to her, cheating on her, and she has a blowup with him at the Altar and leaves on a solo honeymoon, which is a great trope. Loudly announcing that she is going to find out what good sex is all about.

Jennifer Prokop (49:01)

So I love it.

Sarah McLean (49:03)

She heads off hashtag horny runaway bride, but ends up double booked, of course, in a bungalow in Hawaii with an NFL quarterback. This is very realistic. Listen, this is the kind of romance realism that I want.

Jennifer Prokop (49:25)

Correct.

Sarah McLean (49:26)

Double booked on your honeymoon with an NFL quarterback who she doesn't recognize. Which is my favorite.

Jennifer Prokop (49:34)

Right?

Sarah McLean (49:34)

Because now we've got celebrity normie romance. And he is like, what do you mean you don't recognize me?

Jennifer Prokop (49:44)

Listen, I want it so bad.

Sarah McLean (49:46)

And she walks into this hotel room, she finds him naked in the shower and she just pivots. She's like, great. You seem like exactly the kind of person who can teach me what good sex is all about. And Roman is not the kind of man to leave that offer on the table.

Jennifer Prokop (50:01)

No, of course not.

Sarah McLean (50:03)

So they have this sexy fling in paradise and then things are gonna go haywire. I'm expecting after that week. And they get home and she realized that she is dating a celebrity and he is dating hashtag horny runaway bride. And I'm gonna read the shit out of this book. So that is Lauren Rose chasing the ring.

Jennifer Prokop (50:24)

Okay, you said wedding, so I'm going to do last First Kiss by Julian Winters. Okay. In this one we have a second chance. Gay romance. When an unlucky in love event planner named Jordan Carter, he works for his. Essentially he's like just like really focused on his. His family has an event planning company called 24 Carter Gold, which I love. And his boss assigns him to plan a new client's high profile wedding. However, the bra. The bride's man of honor is none other than Jamie Peters, the boy he like first kissed. Right? Like the first kiss that he had way back probably in high school. And so, you know, essentially Jamie though was like made it really clear that like Jordan was not going to be the right man for him. That Jamie had things to figure out. They both did. And so now all of a sudden, as the wedding gets closer, Jordan's relationship with Jamie goes from sarcastic kind of banter asides into steamy hookups. But can Jordan afford to pursue Jamie if he's still unsure of who he is or is knowing who he loves? And all the wedding stuff sounds so fun here. Venue shopping, cake tastings, dress fittings with the man he can't forget. So I think this sounds really, really great. So that is last First Kiss by Julian Winters.

Sarah McLean (51:50)

I want to talk about this is another NFL romance. I mean, it sort of feels like it makes sense because it's football season, right?

Jennifer Prokop (51:58)

Yeah.

Sarah McLean (51:58)

So this one's called Playing for Kids Keeps. It's the new Alexandria Bella Fleur book everybody knows. I really love Alexandria's books. This one is about two press people, like PR people publicists who are forced to work together when their incredibly famous clients begin to date. So I like this because it's like a. Structurally, we've seen so many books about the client's dating. This is the two publicists. So Poppy Peterson is thriving as the publicist of NFL most promising quarterback and her childhood best friend Cash. But she really is up to her eyeballs in mess when Cash makes a very public pass at America's like pop star darling and her publicist, the pop stars publicist, Rosalind Sinclair, reaches out. Poppy is ready to like, face some the music on behalf of her client and her best friend, but instead learns that actually this pop star is interested in dating her clients. So what this does is throw Poppy and Rosalind together, determine each of them determined to protect their own client's interests, their own client's future, their own client's brand. Poppy can't really get a read on Rosalind's cool demeanor, but at the same time she's like, eager to impress her and also kind of starting to catch feelings for this leg. Like very sort of cool and unflappable person who suddenly she wants to flap. So here we'll have like a little bit of a messy romance between these two unexpected feelings and a workplace romance that they can't quite escape because it sounds like the people that they work for are definitely getting themselves into some trouble too. So that's playing for two keeps from Alexander Bellefleur.

Jennifer Prokop (53:59)

Okay, I am going to suggest that we should transition to February.

Sarah McLean (54:04)

Okay.

Jennifer Prokop (54:04)

Two, you can quickly drop name drop two more and I'll name drop two more. I'm thinking of my even photo arrays, everybody. Sorry. So we're at 16. That will. Yes.

Sarah McLean (54:13)

Oh, you're keeping. Of course you are.

Jennifer Prokop (54:15)

Yeah, right. Well, cuz that way I know that we're at the same number.

Sarah McLean (54:18)

You care a lot. Well, we don't have to drop them anymore. That's fine.

Jennifer Prokop (54:22)

There'll be future episodes.

Sarah McLean (54:23)

Everybody. Yeah, we can't talk about it, but just know everybody. There's a book called Falling for the Fake Lumberjack and I.

Jennifer Prokop (54:29)

That's on my list too. There's a book called into the Midnight wood by Alexandra McCollum which takes place in a magical version of Ohio. I was like, yeah, I want these things.

Sarah McLean (54:40)

And Nalini Singh has her first thriller coming out. And there's a romance in it.

Jennifer Prokop (54:43)

Yes.

Sarah McLean (54:43)

It's called Such a Perfect Family.

Jennifer Prokop (54:45)

Yes. And then there's another book I really think has a great title, we who have no Guys Gods by Liza Anderson.

Sarah McLean (54:52)

That's a good title.

Jennifer Prokop (54:53)

It is a good title. Okay, so we're just gonna name drop those. There you go. All right.

Sarah McLean (54:56)

So, Jen, for. For the sake of even photo arrays.

Jennifer Prokop (55:00)

Well, also. Yeah, I want them to be the same. I support you. Okay, thank you. All right, so we are going to transition to February and I'm going to start off with Falling for the Rabbi by Jennifer Wilk.

Sarah McLean (55:14)

I have that one too.

Jennifer Prokop (55:16)

Yeah. I mean, why wouldn't you? These are, you know what I category Romance. Right. Is the best.

Sarah McLean (55:21)

Okay, well, didn't we like 2 weeks ago talk about nursing the rabbi or nursing from the ra?

Jennifer Prokop (55:28)

I'm sorry, but that's.

Sarah McLean (55:29)

It's a very different book.

Jennifer Prokop (55:33)

Excuse me, Sarah. I don't know anything about that. I'm just a baby girl. So that happened. What?

Sarah McLean (55:39)

What happens on New Year's Eve, stays.

Jennifer Prokop (55:40)

On New Year's Eve. I don't even. I was. It's like Vegas.

Sarah McLean (55:44)

Okay, that's last year.

Jennifer Prokop (55:48)

Exactly. Okay, so, Josh Axelrod.

Sarah McLean (55:52)

Jen, I'm sorry, no. We have to talk about one more January book.

Jennifer Prokop (55:57)

Okay.

Sarah McLean (55:57)

And that is because Odette Stone has.

Jennifer Prokop (56:00)

A new book coming out. Okay, sorry. All right. We're back in January. Everybody.

Sarah McLean (56:04)

Everybody, I'm so sorry. I'm really fucking up Jen's photo array. It's fine. But I gotta talk about Wild Russian Storm.

Jennifer Prokop (56:12)

You. Honestly, you do? Okay.

Sarah McLean (56:14)

Everyone knows I love Odette Stone so much. I love her so much. I'm so excited for this book. It's coming. It's the third in like the Russian Mafia series where they're just upset. They just hate feelings so much.

Jennifer Prokop (56:32)

I'm honestly thrilled about it.

Sarah McLean (56:34)

I don't even. There's like no information about this online. Somebody told me in the discord that it was coming out the 9th of January, but I have no evidence this is the case. But listen, if you are out there and you are Odette Stone.

Jennifer Prokop (56:51)

This is coming out. No. On January 7th. It's happening. It's happening.

Sarah McLean (56:56)

And I just. I want it so badly. I love the title, Wild Russian Storm. I know he's gonna hate feelings and I just can't wait. Oh, I can't wait. And anyway, so that is my most looked forward to book of 2026.

Jennifer Prokop (57:16)

I keep on, like, literally, honestly, I'm like, I'm gonna go to this lady's website and invest.

Sarah McLean (57:21)

I went there. Do you think I didn't go there? I'm not a dummy.

Jennifer Prokop (57:26)

Calm down, Sarah.

Sarah McLean (57:28)

My God. Went there. There's no information. I signed up for a newsletter and everything. And that's how you know it's serious.

Jennifer Prokop (57:35)

That's how you do know that it's serious.

Sarah McLean (57:38)

Want that in my inbox?

Jennifer Prokop (57:42)

Okay. God, we are, like, just all right. Truly crazy today.

Sarah McLean (57:48)

All right. Already an hour in.

Jennifer Prokop (57:50)

I know. That's why I was like, sarah, we.

Sarah McLean (57:52)

Had a lot to discuss. Listen, everybody, just. It's fine for you to take a break, okay? Our husbands would be like, it's fine. Just.

Jennifer Prokop (58:01)

Just shut up, everybody, okay? Falling for the Rabbi by Jennifer Wilk is a Harlequin special edition that comes out in fe. Josh Axelrod is incensed because his matchmaker date brought along her annoying best friend, Emma something or other. This same Emma is ruining this house filled with his young. Right. His childhood memories, and turning it into a bookstore. Okay, yes, she is grabbing his attention too. But no, no, Emma is impulsive. She's out there and he is a rabbi, for God's sake. Except I'm like, literally just reading this brilliant back cover copy. I'm not even really. This is not me. This is just this book telling you how great it is. Except now it seems it's impossible to avoid her. And with every encounter, no. Feels more like, yes, perhaps Josh and Emma were the match that was meant to be, not whoever he was out on that first date with. So anyway, this is adorable and looks really cute. And falling for a rabbi, I don't know what to tell you. It seems perfect. This week's episode of Faded Mace is brought to you by Steam Bookworms, a book box for monster romance lovers.

Sarah McLean (59:13)

Yeah. So I love this. This is a book box that was created by a reader who loves monster romance. And every other month, if you're a subscriber, you receive two special edition no AI ever in the design books paperback books of monster romances.

Jennifer Prokop (59:34)

And the.

Sarah McLean (59:34)

The theme sort of shifts a little bit every other month. But this month, January, you can get insatiable and drenched. The first two books in the Primal Sins collection by author Sapphira. These are curvy romance heroines who fall into dark, spicy, a little bit horror monster romance. The first one is a Halloween story that's a little stalkery. And the second one is a horror romance featuring a merman who sucks a curvy heroine down into the depths of the sea and probably other things. Other things too, but those you can get this month, complete with special edition art, sprayed edges, new covers, stickers, and always a little extra in the box.

Jennifer Prokop (60:28)

So yeah, so here's the subscription deal. Subscriptions are open, meaning you can even just subscribe to like one box and like check it out and see how you like it. And one thing that I think is really cool is that they have like different levels even of boxes. So a full box has those two foiled illustrated soft covers. Not safe for work, art, print stickers, the candle right. Of things like that. But you can also just get a box that's the books plus the art or the books alone. If you are interested in learning more about these books, you should go to their website, which is steamybookworms.com or if your podcasting app supports it, you can click on the chapter title right now to be taken to the site. There you will find out everything you need to know about these really fun book boxes. You could get on the list for the January box, explore previous boxes and other merchandise. So this is like a really a full service monster romance situation. Thank you to Steamy Bookworms for sponsoring this week's episode.

Sarah McLean (61:32)

Listen, it's Olympics and to be honest, Jen and I are already discussing like we're going to try and do an Olympics episode like we always do, but who knows? But we've got an Olympics book coming called skate it till you make it by I. I apologize in advance if I mispronounce this name, but Rafaro Faith Mazarura. And this is very cool because Ari Shimba, our heroine, never expected to make it to the Winter Games, let alone to be the lead kind of captain of Great Britain's women's ice hockey team. So here's some hockey for you heated rivalry fans. Unfortunately, when her teammate's unexpected injury catapults Ari into the role of captain, she is sort of reluctant. Reluctant to take on the responsibility because she's got some family drama, she has a toxic ex, and some other things going on. Drew Dlamini has always feared taking risks. And after breaking up with his girlfriend and dropping out of college to handle a family crisis, he is dying, desperate for a fresh start as a professional photographer. So he finds himself in London for the holidays. Ari and Drew meet at a New Year's Eve party. Neither of them are looking for love because they have a lot going on between them and Ari has got to, like, stay focused. The Olympics are coming. Their chemistry is instant. They Live on opposite sides of the Atlantic. They have one kind of night, you know, together, and then unexpectedly cross paths in the Swiss Alps two months later, while she is trying to stay focused on her sport, and he is trying to make a go of it as a photographer. So this is a fun. This seems like it's a, like, fun Olympics focus, like, kind of. I think it'll feel very. Like the world will be very immersive, and I'm excited about reading it. That's Skate it till you make it by Rufaro Faith Mazaror.

Jennifer Prokop (63:36)

Okay, Sarah, I'm about to tell you about what I feel is going to be the greatest reading experience of my year.

Sarah McLean (63:43)

Okay. Whoa. Big, big choices. Early. A big. A big call for early in the year, but go on.

Jennifer Prokop (63:49)

And that is because it is called Subatomic Love by Shannon Kirk. And I was like, is this a nuclear romance? And friends, it fucking is. Yay. Wait, listen. Finally, eight years in, plus a time travel element. So, yes, In October of 1971, Dr. Cecilia Reibold makes a conscious choice to defy death itself, because her nuclear reactor is basically about to fucking melt down. And so she and her true love, Mitch, which is, right, they're best friends and a fellow physicist, essentially have a theory how they can harness the laws of physics to direct their own reincarnation. Sarah, energy cannot be destroyed.

Sarah McLean (64:36)

All right?

Jennifer Prokop (64:37)

Right. So they devise a method to ensure that their bond won't either and vow to find each other across lifetimes. Then, nuclear disaster. Hello. A half a century later. I'm sorry, I, like. I know I'm garbage.

Sarah McLean (64:52)

Amazing.

Jennifer Prokop (64:53)

Souls are fully entrenched in their subsequent lives. Cecilia is now known as Vienna. She finds Mitch, now Marcelo, in a fateful encounter. And so basically, they have to, like, she has to figure out how to, you know, how are they gonna, like, make this all happen? I don't know. It's time travel. It's nuclear disaster. I literally could not be happier. I know I'm just climbed. I'm gonna be climbing into a dumpster immediately after recording today, but I'm excited. Subatomic Love by Shannon Kirk.

Sarah McLean (65:24)

Shannon, Amazing.

Jennifer Prokop (65:26)

Well, I know hear my son soulmate.

Sarah McLean (65:28)

You said time travel. And as you know, this is my other prediction for this year is, like, we're about to travel is time travel, time slip, time magic, et cetera. And in February, we've got the book over and over coming from Becky Hunter, and this one is a big speculative romance. Two soulmates who have met in past lives but have never connected. And so Lissa, our Heroine is at a very low point in her life. When she meets Ash, they have an instant connection and it feels to her like they have met before. Like she knows him somehow. And then she starts to have these flashbacks, like images of places she's never been to, times she couldn't have possibly lived in. But she is sure that these memories are of past lives. And in those lives, he. He is always there. Sometimes he is.

Jennifer Prokop (66:29)

He.

Sarah McLean (66:30)

He looks different in every. In every. In every life, but he is himself. It is always Ash. And she falls in love with him every time. And every time it ends badly. So they know that they have to do something different this time. She knows that she's doomed to make another mistake and she is determined, determined not to. So this is two people just like chasing each other through time and trying to figure out how to make it work. So that is over and over by Becky Hunter.

Jennifer Prokop (67:01)

Yeah, there's a lot of time travel books we're having. Planning a time travel episode, everybody. So don't worry, we're going to be reading these. It's going to happen.

Sarah McLean (67:08)

Yep.

Jennifer Prokop (67:09)

Okay, I am going to talk about Whispers and Wildfire by. Oh, crap. Hold on, please. Sorry. Whispers and Wildfire by Claire Kingsley. So I don't know, this just sounded great to me. You know how it is sometimes. Okay, so Luke Haven is basically an adrenaline junkie. Everyone in his tiny little small town thinks he's like squeaky clean Mr. Nice Guy, but he like, they do not basically like, know the truth about him. And so, so what it is is Mel. And now meanwhile, Melanie Andolini, like is starting over in her 30s. She's moving back to her hometown and she runs into Luke. They dated in high school and like sparks basically fly again. But Melanie like, has this secret about like things in her past. And you know, he's got whatever all this business is that he's up to. And so I think it's like gonna be one of these great stories where, where like they're the only ones who can, like they can tell the truth to each other about. Right. So I'm really excited about it and I think that it sounds, I don't know, it just sounds really fun. I like a, I don't know, I like, like a small town romance where everything's really hidden from everybody as opposed to like a small town romance where like everything's like cupcakes.

Sarah McLean (68:39)

Nice.

Jennifer Prokop (68:40)

So that's Whispers and Wildfire by Claire King.

Sarah McLean (68:45)

I want to talk about the Lovers by Kristen Cast. Kristen wrote ya for a long time and was hugely successful. And this is a romantasy set around Tarot, which I'm. We talked about tarot on an episode because I really enjoy that. Gemma Summers is like really at her wits end. Like she is broke, she is burnt out. She is three weeks away from being forced to move back in with her parents. Her career has imploded and the last thing she needs is a run in with Alder Hawk, who is her sort of charming ex who she can't quite get out of her system. He's a billionaire, he could totally buy her a new life. But like it just didn't work with Alder. But a magical tarot card sends them spiraling literally into another realm where they land in a steampunk world inspired by Kingdom of Cups. And Gemma is forced to rely on this man who like broke her heart and continues to summon her big feelings. Survival in this world is not simple. They are caught kind of having to fight lots of different enemies and they are going to have to learn to work together and trust each other again. And she ends up being caught between, between Alder and this kind of roguish dethroned king who sees through all of her defenses. So there are secrets, there are identities that are complex and Gemma's heart is on the line and she needs to decide is she going to. Who's she going to choose? And which version of herself is she going to choose for her future. So the this one is for anybody who loves a romantasy with two extraordinarily hot, angry, frustrated men. I'm into it. That's me.

Jennifer Prokop (70:41)

I mean, who isn't? Okay.

Sarah McLean (70:43)

And that is called the Lovers. Like the Tarot card by Kristen Kast.

Jennifer Prokop (70:47)

Yes. Okay, you mentioned YA authors transitioning into adult romance. So I'm going to talk about. I know, I'm so excited. One and Only by Maureen Goo. I have talked about every single YA Roman that Maurene Goo has ever written on this podcast because I think she writes she's the best. The best, right? Like they are so fun. And so this is her first adult romance and I'm super excited about it. So Cassia park believes in soulmates. And the reason why is because it is her family's business and has been for centuries, from Korea all the way to modern day Los Angeles. That the park women could peer into a client's past lives to find their one true love. Like they're fated. And this magical secret is what makes one and only matchmailing, one and only matchmaking, like the family business, basically a 100% guarantee for everyone but Cassia, right? So for 10 years, she has been on the search for this man who's. Who's faded for her. A man named Daniel Nam. But he's nowhere to be found. So on the night of her 40th birthday, she's basically like, I'm gonna have a good time. You know, it doesn't matter. So she has a fling with Ellis, who's 28 and handsome and not destined to be the love of her life. But this fling is starting to feel like something more. Up until the moment he introduce her to his boss, Daniel Nam. I know. So she's basically like, oh, is it fate or chance? Do I go with my belief in the family, Belief and soulmates, or can I use logic and this other guy? Like, what am I supposed to do? So Cassia will have to decide if she'll follow her fate or make her own. And I am so excited to read this book. So that is one and only by Maureen Goo.

Sarah McLean (72:33)

I want to talk about Lydia San Andres, Only Friends, which sounds very cute and like a kind of perfect middle space for historical romance lovers who are looking for more to read right now. After being fired from her day job and ghosted by her boyfriend and facing a bad case of writer's block, aspiring screenwriter Mariel Rivera is one spilled coffee away from crying on the subway. Good for you, Marielle.

Jennifer Prokop (73:01)

I have.

Sarah McLean (73:02)

I have cried on the subway for less. So when she is rescued from a Times Square kerfuffle by a very handsome model dressed in Regency garb, Mariel has no idea what's to come, which is that Dashwood Bennett, of course. Bennett has been modeling for years, but currently his portfolio includes some more risque stuff. And now he's putting on his Regency breeches and taking them off again in front of the camera because Mariel has decided that they should make some Regency, like, kind of sexy social media content he plays. He'll play the Duke of Harding, a character she's created to capture viewers attention and be part of her spicy historical shorts online. The problem is, is that once he puts on that sexy Regency outfit, Marin wants to test the waters of being a Regency fan forever. And these two are gonna, I think.

Jennifer Prokop (74:06)

Do it a bit, so I hope so. My goodness.

Sarah McLean (74:10)

So that's Only Friends by Lydia San Andres.

Jennifer Prokop (74:13)

Okay, you said Regency, so I'm gonna talk about the Regency switch by Helen Gaskell. And this is a time traveling, but like a time travel, like, with two people. Okay. So basically, Etta Moore is like D Day in the office when her morning commute ends in Regency England, and she has essentially switched places with her ancestor, right, Ms. Henrietta Bainbridge, or Mad Hetty, as she's known in the ton. So they switch bodies. So suddenly, Etta and Hetty must have come to grips with the new worlds they find themselves in. So for Etta, it's like, goodbye dating apps and the daily commute and list. And now she's got to, like, figure out what ladies aren't supposed to do. Luckily, the dashing Lord Stanhope is on hand to aid her through even the most shocking of her faux pas. Meanwhile, Hetty, who's always felt like unseen and unknown and a real, like, wallflower, finds her truest self blossoming with the help of 21st century medicine and welcome attentions of the rather beautiful adult learning teacher Stella that she meets. So 200 years away from everything they've ever known, might Etta and Hetty have actually found the place where they truly belong? So I love this idea of, like, swapping with your ancestor. Hello. It sounds great.

Sarah McLean (75:34)

It's really classic old school feel.

Jennifer Prokop (75:36)

Yes. And so that's the Regency switch by Helen Gaskell.

Sarah McLean (75:43)

I want to talk about. It's all in your head by Sabina Nordquist. This is seems like a very cool little. A very cute little idea. Skylar, our heroine, is living with a chronic illness, and she basically spends most of her free time in an online chronic pain support group. And when sort of a new guy turns up in this support group, she kind of can't help but be interested in him. I mean, part of it is that he's just like a new face in this new.

Jennifer Prokop (76:17)

Or a new.

Sarah McLean (76:18)

A new string of words, string of, of text in this new. In this group. And a chaotic night kind of forces her to pose as his, like, emergency girlfriend online. And she reluctantly agrees to keep up the charade in real life. And she ends up discovering that he's not just like a normal person. He is a professional snowboarder who. An Olympic snowboarder whose career ending injury is like, very infamous, as is his kind of playboy past. He doesn't talk about any of that. And the two of them have this kind of immediate fake relation or this, like, fake relationship where they find, like a lot of solace in each other's company in the way that they understand each other and like, the way that their lives are now. And they do a lot of bed sharing and a lot of late night chatting, and all of a sudden it becomes really difficult for them to pretend because they have finally found somebody who understands what they're going through. So this is really a book about dating while disabled and also like the public invasive questions and experiences that come with that. And it sounds like it's a really. It sounds like the kind of romance that we need in genre. So this is it's all in youn Head by Sabina Nordquist. And I actually really love the tagline, which is your fake relationship shouldn't come with chronic feelings.

Jennifer Prokop (77:54)

Perfect.

Sarah McLean (77:56)

Perfect.

Jennifer Prokop (77:57)

Okay, I am going to talk about Books and Bewitchment by Isla Jewell. This is like a kind of a cozy, witchy rom com, which I really honestly do love these books. So Rhea Wolf is like living a pretty simple, boring life with her pet parrot in small town Alabama. She doesn't really love her desk job. She works at an insurance agency. She has kind of an on again, off again boyfriend. It's not like a fiery passion like she reads about in her favorite books, but still, like things are stable and she has young sisters who depend on her. And so it's fine. Now when Rhea's estranged grandmother dies and leaves her everything, including a magical heritage she didn't even know she carried, she finds herself in Arcadia Falls. This is a quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. She has inherited a defunct video store that needs a lot of serious upgrades and work. And the resident handyman, Hunter Blakely, is more than happy to help. He's super easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, he is the grandson of her grandmother, grandmother's sworn enemy in witchcraft. So Rhea is planning to convert the video store to the bookstore of her dreams. But should she have to pay for her grandmother's bad choices? I just don't know. So there's a bunch of mysteries that's happening. Each clue points to Arcadia Falls magic hanging in the balance. Rhea wants to keep everything safe and get herself, her man and her bookstore. And I think that also sounds nice. Books and Bewitchment by Isla Jewel.

Sarah McLean (79:35)

Let's talk about sex lessons. What's my favorite? Alice Murray has a book out called A Little Buzzed in February. And the premise is Scout Porter. Our Heroine is a 26 year old virgin who has sworn off love and sex because of a terrible relationship. But the problem is that she is also the head engineer of Buzz Core, which is a sex toy startup. And the entire staff there just found out that she's a virgin and has been like. And is basically like, what? How could. What? How?

Jennifer Prokop (80:16)

Right?

Sarah McLean (80:17)

Look at what you do. And so she's like, listen, I need everybody to get focused on this upcoming launch of this, like, new sex toy. And. And if. If the way that we can all stay focused is for me to lose my V card and fast, then I'm going to go find Hudson Bailey.

Jennifer Prokop (80:35)

Sure.

Sarah McLean (80:35)

Who is the software developer hired to build the app for Scout's latest creation. The only problem is that he doesn't have much experience with sex toys. So he's going to teach her about sex and she's going to teach her about toys and they are going to have then. And that's that they're going to just sort it out, Jen, and then go back to. To business and never think about it again.

Jennifer Prokop (80:58)

Correct.

Sarah McLean (80:59)

Except obviously their chemistry is off the charts. And now Scout's gotta rethink her relationship to relationships and Hudson is going to have to, I don't know, be super sexy. I think that'll be okay though, because Alice Murray knows how to write a book. So that is Alice's a little buddy.

Jennifer Prokop (81:23)

Amazing. Okay, so I'm gonna talk about in her Spotlight by Amy Spalding. In this one we have Hollywood actor Tess Gardner. And she's like, not the kind of famous she set out to be, right? She's basically got, like, kind of like cheesy Princess Platinum of the, you know, kind of big series. Everything's like cgi. And she really wanted to be like, a really, you know, like, serious actress. And so Tess lands apart working with a really acclaimed stage director. And she's really, like, excited, right? This is gonna be the chance to prove her real acting chops. But a scandal forces out that director and his replacement is none other than hip, buzzy director Rebecca Free. And this Rebecca essentially was one of. This is one of the. Tess is like first lovers, but Tess is really firmly closeted and Rebecca is not. And so one of the things that happens is, like, you know, Tess is like this a list life is just really hemming her in. And, you know, Hollywood has made it really clear that, you know, the girl next door, superhero, you know, superheroes can't also be a lesbian. And so she can't really come out. And so Rebecca is like, I'm not putting up with this. So, you know, what is Tess going to do? Is she going to, like, sort of let the curtain close on this second chance at happiness with someone she's always had this connection to or take a leading role in her own life? So that is in her spotlight by Amy Spalding.

Sarah McLean (83:03)

Ashley Herring Blake has a new book out in February called Get Over It. April Evans. April's Life Again in Shambles we love a heroine who's in. In a mess and she has had to close her tattoo shop and sublet her house and largely because like basically her life fell apart when her ex fiance left her for a younger woman years ago. She's asked to teach a summer art class at a new resort in town and she jumps at the opportunity because cash, money and the job comes with boarding. And she heads in until she. She meets her roommate Daphne Love, who is the woman who stole her ex fiance. And Daphne has no idea who April is. So Daphne on her side of things, just thinks she's cursed in love. Like she's. She had this like great girlfriend. She thought she like it was forever and now she's single again and altered and like brokenhearted. But. But she has this roommate who seems to hate her and she can't quite figure out why. This is a like very tense relationship that gets more and more shaky when they find themselves competing for like, for the art for an art show in London that will explode their careers. And then barriers start to fall and they start to feel feelings for each other. But what's going to happen when they realize like exactly how their relationship is all taken tangled up? So that is Ashley Herring Blake's Get Over It, April Evans.

Jennifer Prokop (84:41)

Okay, so I'm going to talk about Personal Bodyguard by Danielle M. Haas. This is the second book in the Sunrise Security series. This is a Harlequin romantic suspense. We're the first one and really like it and liked it. So in this one we have Eve Tilly. She's tough. As you know, she's tough. She can take care of herself. But after being attacked at work, her friend Reed Summers goes into into full bodyguard mode. She really does not think she needs 247 protection. It seems unnecessary even though he's in the security business. But then there's like a clearly a stalker after her. So, you know, in, you know, for Reed, this is really personal. Eve is his friend. Their friendship means everything to him until it starts turning into so much more. So, you know, he has always sort of refused to take a chance on her, like afraid of losing her. But now she might lose her in another way if he does not protect her body, Sarah. So it's time to prove it.

Sarah McLean (85:48)

Protect her body.

Jennifer Prokop (85:49)

She's gonna have to protect her body.

Sarah McLean (85:51)

24 hours a day, especially at night in bed.

Jennifer Prokop (85:53)

And see, we all know how this works. So that's Personal Bodyguard by Danielle Hannah.

Sarah McLean (86:01)

Jill Chalvis has a new book out which is going to make a lot of contemporary romance readers Very happy. It's called free falling. Retired hockey player. Another hockey player, everyone. Caleb Colburn is now working for his family business. There's, like, a big construction project that he needs to prove himself on because his whole family thinks, like, what are you, some hockey player? How are you going to do this? And Emma Sumner, an architect, the architect on the project. It happens to be his college nemesis, and she is in town assigned to the project. They are going to have to see each other almost every day. They absolutely hate each other. And she fully intends to make his life a living hell. And Emma, however, at least that's what Caleb thinks, because Emma. What he doesn't know is that Emma's job is on the line with this big project. And she. The moment she discovers that Caleb is involved. Involved in it, she knows that she is going to have to somehow hold it together. Even though back in the day, Caleb had snagged the. The scholarship that she needed to stay in college. So she's been living hand to mouth ever since. And she does not have any intention of forgiving him for this, like, thing that happened in the past that he doesn't even really know quite, quite what happened. Anyway, this building is renovating, is being renovated. This is for anybody who loves a renovation romance. This is the project. A project that they are both really in love with. And like in all romances, mutual adoration for something is going to bring these two common ground. And what's going to happen when that admiration turns into traction for each other?

Jennifer Prokop (87:46)

I think we know.

Sarah McLean (87:48)

Do it. Jill Chalvis knows the job.

Jennifer Prokop (87:55)

She does. I have read many a Jill Shelvis and she, in fact, does know the entire job.

Sarah McLean (88:01)

How many more to make your even.

Jennifer Prokop (88:04)

We got to move on. We're. We're on to March.

Sarah McLean (88:06)

We're moving on.

Jennifer Prokop (88:07)

February's out. Everyone listen, I had more.

Sarah McLean (88:09)

So sorry.

Jennifer Prokop (88:10)

So did I. 16 per month is a lot. I feel like that's true.

Sarah McLean (88:14)

You guys won't be able to read more than that.

Jennifer Prokop (88:16)

No, exactly. So it's. It's time for March. We're marching on to March.

Sarah McLean (88:20)

Okay, fine.

Jennifer Prokop (88:21)

All right, so I am going to start off by talking about Rears and Vices by Em Caro. All right? This is queer poly spicy historical romance, which, like, basically pitched to be as Black Sails meets Hamilton.

Sarah McLean (88:37)

Oh, all right.

Jennifer Prokop (88:38)

Plus, yeah, so like pirates, everybody. Okay, so it's 1816. The wars with France and America are over. Everard Anderson and duh, there's. I don't know. He's got a lot of names. Anyway, Everard Thought he'd be a hero by now and it would mean something. Instead, this 20 year old royal Navy career man is sailing the peacetime Great Lakes, which is like, I'm sorry, really funny. Demoted to a captain of a tiny 10 gun schooner. When Preston, his former lieutenant and handsome ex flame for warns him about a court martial that they're going to have to judge, Everard is, you know, kind of grateful. On the docket, however, is Vitali. Gray Everard is Everard. I don't know. Anyway, they crossed paths before, not strictly as enemies, but the charges mean that Vitali is going to hang for sure. So with quick thinking and quite a lot of perjury, Evrard delays the trial. It costs them everything because it turns out that Vitali has like a true identity. He's the infamous pirate fleet captain and weapon smuggler.

Sarah McLean (89:46)

I got it.

Jennifer Prokop (89:47)

At least three crowns want him dead. But I think these three instead are going to have. There's jailbreak, philosophical debates, proposals, pirate marriages, by the way, no strings. And so all these three head off to the Gulf of Mexico and I honestly just think they're gonna have a great time. So, so fun. So we have, like I said, it's the. I mean, I'm sorry, it's called rears and vices. I don't know what else you want me to tell you. Everybody, this is someone who clearly knows the job. They've very clear about it.

Sarah McLean (90:21)

You're going to have a great time.

Jennifer Prokop (90:22)

There you go.

Sarah McLean (90:23)

Jen.

Jennifer Prokop (90:23)

Yes.

Sarah McLean (90:24)

You said pirates.

Jennifer Prokop (90:25)

I did say.

Sarah McLean (90:25)

I heard Vikings. Same thing.

Jennifer Prokop (90:27)

Really.

Sarah McLean (90:28)

Men in fur.

Jennifer Prokop (90:31)

That's right. Correct.

Sarah McLean (90:34)

Stolen by her Viking enemy. By Roxy Harper, Coming in March. Very exciting. Shield maiden Cara has suffered her stepfather's cruelties to ensure her secret daughter's safety for years. And the problem is, is she got seized at sword point by Axel, her stepfather's ruthless enemy.

Jennifer Prokop (90:54)

Oh, I want it already. Listen, it's so wrong.

Sarah McLean (90:57)

She's like, I've just exchanged one terrible man for another. And he's like, yeah, but have you? Cuz then he takes his armor off and she's like, hang on a second. That doesn't look like my stepfather. Is it possible that you hate him just as much as I do? And Axel is like, is it possible you hate him just as much as I do? Because. Because revenge can be sweet and sweeter if the two of us get it together also while boning. So.

Jennifer Prokop (91:24)

Correct.

Sarah McLean (91:25)

I'm not going to say anything more because I think I've made that. I made it very clear what's happening in this book and why it's going to be great for everyone. Men and fur. Vikings stolen by her Viking enemy. In case you didn't know, this is definitely a Harlequin.

Jennifer Prokop (91:39)

I mean, no one is as committed to Vikings right now as Harlequin, and I just want to thank them for their service. Right, Exactly.

Sarah McLean (91:45)

I support them. Roxy Harper, thank you very much, and I can't wait to read your book.

Jennifer Prokop (91:49)

Okay, so you said men in fur. I'm gonna say men in barely anything. And that's because the next book is Hold Me Like a Grudge by Celine Ong. And this is a rivalry between two professional wrestlers.

Sarah McLean (92:04)

Nice.

Jennifer Prokop (92:05)

Right. And so here's the thing. I mean, right?

Sarah McLean (92:08)

Yeah. All right.

Jennifer Prokop (92:09)

I'm like, I don't know again. I'm like, do I need to? But I'm going to. Okay. So in professional wrestling, of course, everything is, like, kind of a gimmick, right? Like, the stunts and all of their, like, fake fighting and all of that business. But in real life, Asher Ross actually does hate Caleb Knight. Okay, okay. That part is real. So. But Asher gets drafted to Globally Global Elite Wrestling's main roster, and he basically is, like, playing the role of Caleb's worst enemy. Um, this should be really easy. That means he gets to kick his ass all the time and. And ide. Strip him. Strip him of his world championship title. I think they'll be stripping other things too. It's fine. But they are really surprised to find this chemistry is so sizzling. It's obviously for more than just the cameras. So as they train and rehearse and, you know, go through injuries and everything else, Caleb's icy demeanor melts away, and Asher begins to really see, like, the real man behind the Persona like, that Caleb has in the wrestling arena. So Asher and Caleb have to grapple with what they want. In an industry with a history of denying queerness, they have a forbidden relationship that comes crashing down on them. And these men have to decide, is their relationship real enough to last and how much they are willing to fight for it.

Sarah McLean (93:30)

Oh, boy.

Jennifer Prokop (93:31)

I know, right? So that's Hold Me Like a Grudge by Celine Ong.

Sarah McLean (93:35)

Well, you said wrestler.

Jennifer Prokop (93:37)

I did.

Sarah McLean (93:38)

And I heard MMA same.

Jennifer Prokop (93:41)

Those are also the same.

Sarah McLean (93:43)

And also this week, I'm feeling really, like, very happy with the situation in mma. Justifiable face punching remains unmatched this week. A lot of terrible racists are getting just knocked down and just destroyed.

Jennifer Prokop (93:58)

Yeah.

Sarah McLean (93:59)

In MMA fights. And I like it for all of us. I do. So here's one where Lily Parker Name of this book. Oh, sorry. This one's called Sparring Partners, obviously by Aaron Rose, who knows how to title a book. Sure this is okay. So it's been a year since Lily Parker fled to Chicago, your hometown, my hometown. Hoping to lose herself among millions of people in a big city. And she's become a new content creator for a Southside MMA gym, which is a chance to save the gym and help women. That is also like funding women lessons for women who. Who want to learn to protect themselves. But when a gorgeous, scarred and tatted up MMA coach decides that Lily is his enemy, there is definitely something spicy brewing between them. Kieran Sullivan only knows how to use use his fists. His body is a testament to survival and to protection of those he loves. Sarah's entered the chat here and that does not include the gym's newest employee, though. A video goes viral and the two of them of the two of them fighting. And Kieran and Lily have to play nice in front of the cameras to keep the gym's fans happy. And now the Internet is obsessed with them. And the Internet has basically decided that these two are definitely gonna fuss, which makes it a lot harder for them to both fuck and stop wanting to fuck. So here it is. This is a quick paced romance that you can read in one sitting according to the back cover. And I am going to test that theory.

Jennifer Prokop (95:42)

Amazing. Okay, I am going to talk about Fallen Hero by Riley Edwards. Because it's been a minute since I read a SEAL romance and I was like, oh, they're still out there. Delightful, right? Like, remember when I was like, I'm so tired of, you know, the billionaire SEALS lumberjack adventure.

Sarah McLean (96:00)

But now former Navy SEAL locks his heart away.

Jennifer Prokop (96:03)

Click. Correct. So what we have here is former Navy SEAL Mason Hughes locked his heart away. Click. That's all you need to know. But he's out on a dangerous mission when he comes face to face with enigmatic Calista Ventura. She is also on her own mission for vengeance. And the last thing she needs is the tempting distraction of the infuriating and irresistible Mason. But when their missions become dangerously entangled, she really finds herself relying on his lethal skills to stay alive. So they're going to work together to expose an international trafficking ring and then work together to take off all their clothes. I don't know what else to tell you. So there is this chance at love worth risking everything they fought to protect. Can he unlock his heart for her? I bet he can. But yeah, I was like, navy seal, I'm down with that.

Sarah McLean (96:58)

It's been a long time.

Jennifer Prokop (96:59)

It has.

Sarah McLean (96:59)

I mean listen, it has been military industrial complex aside.

Jennifer Prokop (97:03)

Sure. The only military industrial complex.

Sarah McLean (97:06)

Romance.

Jennifer Prokop (97:06)

Military. Oh, amazing. A Fallen Hero by Riley Edwards.

Sarah McLean (97:17)

Let's talk about Mia Sosa, who has a new book out, the Starter X. Mia, as you know, I think is, you know, one of the very best rom com writers out here. Her books are laugh out loud funny. And here we've got Vanessa Cordero, who used to run a profitable side gig that is very clever, which is for a reasonable fee, she would date your crush, make his life miserable and then just pave the way for you to roll in and be like. Like a perfect alternative to a terrible girlfriend. Enter Jason Taurus, a certified commitment phobe who does not plan on getting married anytime soon, much to his mother's dismay. And what he needs is a temporary girlfriend, a very inappropriate girlfriend who his mother will hate so she will finally abandon her dream of getting him to the office alter this seems very sensible on Jason's part.

Jennifer Prokop (98:20)

Obviously.

Sarah McLean (98:22)

Vanessa's younger sister Lisa has her eye on Jason and convinces Vanessa to basically like come out of retirement and do this kind of starter X job one last time, go in, be a terrible girlfriend, pave the way for Lisa to then roll in and maybe Jason will find will see her finally. Of course this is gonna be a big mess because Vanessa can't ditch Jason even though that's the job and her sister loves him or likes him. Oh, so much drama. Dramarama.

Jennifer Prokop (99:03)

So fun.

Sarah McLean (99:04)

That is Mia Sosa's the Starter X that looks very full of conflict and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Jennifer Prokop (99:12)

Okay, so I am going to talk about A Change of Pace by J A Stevens. This is a Sapphic historical set in 1813 London, like the height of the Regency, where we have kind of a slow burn romance between a trans femme woman and a rakish CIS woman, which is kind of rare in romance. So what we have here is Georgina George Pace, right, has charmed many beautiful women in her day. She's really cavalier with love, deep, but like really cares a lot about her, her family and her friends. And so she will do anything for them. So when she learns that an acquaintance of hers, Mr. Coombs, has been targeted by a corrupt gaming house, she will stop at nothing to protect him. Ms. Pace's quest for justice leads her to the enigmatic and intriguing Lady Mortimer, who offers assistance while keeping her cards close to to her chest. Will miss, will miss Pace risk it all or will she keep herself safe and surrender to her feelings? So that is. Sounds like a really fun, queer Regency romance. That's a change of pace by J A Stevens.

Sarah McLean (100:26)

So you said queer Regency. So I'm gonna go to queer Victorian. A Lady for all seasons by T.J. alexander. So T.J. is a gentleman's gentleman. Came out last year and we loved it. So in this case. Oh, it's not Victorian. This is Regency.

Jennifer Prokop (100:48)

So it is.

Sarah McLean (100:49)

We've got Verbina Montrose, and Verbina has to save herself and her odious family from abject poverty and to what she lacks in dowry, she makes up for in the corporate currency of gossip. She is really good at understanding, like, what's going on. She's got her ear to the ground. She's always. She's the person everybody goes to to get information about society from. She hears an alarming rumor about her queer friend Etienne that could ruin him. And so she comes to his aid with a proposal, basically a marriage of convenience. But Verbena discovers that a mysterious and sort of celebrated poet by the name of Flora Wicked has published verses that hint that Flora is on to the Verbena Etienne scheme. And Verbena has no choice but to protect her friend and her future and head off to pretend to be a poet herself to confront Flora in a local salon and unexpectedly be charmed by her. Flora is, in turn terrified and smitten with Verbena in equal measure. But she has a secret of her own. He is also William Forsyth, a struggling novelist, fifth son of a minor noble family. And if circumstances don't allow Flora to woo Verbena, William can. So all of a sudden, Verbena has two suitors and a fiance who. And though she's been always very clever and able to survive in society, she starts to realize that this also might be just a little much for society and starts thinking about how she can move outside of society's constraints to find true happiness with all of the people involved. So that is A Lady for all seasons by T.J. alexander.

Jennifer Prokop (102:43)

Okay, so I am going to talk about Casually Yours by Vivian Gia Lock. In this one we have essentially, like, they were, like, best. Okay, so Danny and Parker were, like, kind of best friends when they were growing up, right? Like, they grew up in Oregon. He was the quintessential boy next door, right? But, like, once they left for college that, like, their friendship just sort of came to an end. And in the seven years since, Dani has really, like, moved on. She's in New York, she is pursuing a writing career, you know, and she's just, like, not really interested in going back to her hometown. And that Kind of, kind of means like that she's lost, lost touch with Parker. But now she's had a chance encounter that brings her face to face with him again. He is now the hotshot sports marketing director on a temporary assignment in New York. Right? He's, you know, traded his sports gear for like designer suits and an Aston Martin. And she, you know, he really, like, is determined to be friends again. And Danny cannot resist his plot. So sparks fly. They have like kind of drift into a really sexy affair. But also she kind of turned MC presses him into an agreement, right? Which is like, this is only going to happen while we are in New York. Just sex, no strings attached. So unfortunately, I think it seems that Parker is really determined to not lose Danny again. So what's going to happen once the lines blur between. Between lust and something deeper? We'll call it love. So that's casually yours.

Sarah McLean (104:20)

I want to talk about another time travel one.

Jennifer Prokop (104:22)

Of course.

Sarah McLean (104:23)

Kate Bromley's in my tutor era.

Jennifer Prokop (104:26)

I saw this one too. Okay.

Sarah McLean (104:28)

I'm so excited. Lily, our heroine, is headed to England with her best friend. And it's supposed to be a reset. She's had a stressful year in grad school. She's had some disastrous dates. But she heads to Hampton Court palace and to get the full tutor experience. And accidentally gets the real full Tudor experience when she falls through to Tudor England and ends up in the body of Catherine Howard, King Henry's fifth wife, who, if you remember your poetry, is beheaded. So everyone's calling her Catherine. Catherine. She realizes that she's caught the eye of King Henry and her PhD is in psychology, but not history.

Jennifer Prokop (105:13)

Amazing.

Sarah McLean (105:14)

She has got to figure out how to avoid dying as Catherine Howard, which is not going to go well considering she can't seem to keep her eyes or hands off of Simon Gainsford, the King's champion James jouster. Simon is a jock with a heart of gold. So here's a sports romance for you historical lovers. And he seems to understand her better than any man she's ever met. Even though now they're having this like, white hot affair. There's a smoldering courtier who seems to think that they're secretly married. And. And the King's sinfully handsome groom, Thomas Culpepper, is also persistent. So this is the Tudor era. Rumors definitely can get you beheaded because we know that for a fact. And Lily is determined to change Catherine's fate. But this story ends with a very, very, very well known tragedy. So how's she going to avoid it? And who's she going to avoid it with?

Jennifer Prokop (106:23)

That's.

Sarah McLean (106:24)

That's Kate Bromley's in my Tudor era.

Jennifer Prokop (106:28)

Okay, so I am going to talk about Second Chance duet by Anna Hogan. And in this one, it's. We have. This is, I think her second book. I read her first one last year and really liked it. So here we have Celia Garcia. She's always had one goal, right, to compose film scores. But she's been basically making a living doing everything but that, right? Composing advertising jingles and all that kind of stuff. And so the dream just feels almost like impossibly out of reach until an old college friend presents her with a life changing opportunity. There's basically a big name director who is really desperately needs a composer for his TV debut. So much so that he's willing to take a chance on someone new. Only one catch. Celia has to work with and live with her college nemesis, Oliver Barlow. She remembers Oliver as being arrogant and rude and entitled. He was. Was like, just like the scion of Hollywood royalty. But soon their late nights and long days working together reveal how much Oliver's changed. And maybe that all that rivalry that she felt between them wasn't quite as mutual as she thought. But in an industry where she needs to work twice as hard to be seen as half as good, a romance with Oliver could really end her career. And so even though things are, I don't know, like, the chemistry between them is so perfect, it seems like the stakes are too high for her to take that chance. So that second chance duet.

Sarah McLean (108:02)

Let's talk about Lauren Blakely. It seemed like a good idea. Lauren has written a bunch of very sexy contemporaries and this one is a grumpy sunshine bodyguard romance. So the heroine of this book runs a small town lavender farm.

Jennifer Prokop (108:24)

Oh, that's so nice.

Sarah McLean (108:27)

And the problem is that her identical twin sister has just booked the movie role of a lifetime and it's being shot in her hometown. And she needs a. The heroine needs a bodyguard to protect her because nobody can tell the difference between her and her identical twin. Her new broody, tattooed protector is none other than the guy she had a one night stand with the month before love starts. And he's. Listen, that one night stand was freaking great. Except he ran out on her without saying goodbye. And of course, when he arrives in this tiny hometown where the film is, where the film is shooting, he saves. He comes right in the nick of time to save her at the pop. From paparazzi. At the market I love has saved her from paparazzi moment. Everybody knows that um, he just is, like, following her around and, like, protecting her from terrible cameramen at the market and the coffee shop and the dress shop. And it's hard to stay. Stay mad because every time he rescues her, she falls a little bit more in love with the, like, whole myth mythology of the bodyguard protector. Um, but she's got a plan, which is maybe another night just to, like, get it out of her system, because he did run away the first time. And then one night turns into another, and then they're talking a lot and they're sharing secrets, and he's leaving and she's staying, and, like, they can't be together longer than the summer, can they?

Jennifer Prokop (109:56)

We'll see. No.

Sarah McLean (109:59)

So that is Lauren Blakely's. It seemed like a good idea.

Jennifer Prokop (110:04)

Okay, I am going to talk about 30 love by Tom Velner. This seems like it's gonna really hit for all of the people who are still trying to come down off of the heated rivalry to train. And so this is a gay sports romance set against the world of tennis. And so American tennis star Leo Chambers has, like, had a, like, a longtime life goal of winning the US Open by 30, right? Because that's the age in tennis where, you know, you're almost. You know, everyone, like, kind of sees that. Like, that, you know, your. The window is closing, retirement is looming, and he's just a year away from that dreaded birthday, but he can't find his focus. He's in the closet. He hasn't told anyone he's gay. He's clashing with his strict coach, which. That's his dad. And he can't figure out how to beat his longtime nemesis on the tour, Gabe Montoya, who, well, you know, hits different. So Gabe is playing better than ever. Leo cannot seem to escape him, and maybe he doesn't want to. So Leo is basically determined to have no distractions right there. There is too much pressure on him. But when Gabe makes a shocking announcement, Leo is thrown off his game in more ways than one. And so what is going to happen with these two and all of the, like, various, like, threats that they face both inside and outside the world of tennis and from their own hearts. So that's 30 Love by Tom Velner.

Sarah McLean (111:32)

This is my last one, right?

Jennifer Prokop (111:35)

You could do two more.

Sarah McLean (111:36)

Oh, I have two more.

Jennifer Prokop (111:37)

Yes.

Sarah McLean (111:38)

Okay. Well, then I think I should do Convenient Wife Conditions.

Jennifer Prokop (111:42)

Obviously you should.

Sarah McLean (111:44)

By Rebecca Hunter.

Jennifer Prokop (111:46)

Also on my list.

Sarah McLean (111:47)

Listen, this is a Harlequin Presents, and I'm so excited. Massimo Carandini is trying to redeem his family's name. And the best way for him to do that. Listen, here's why I love, love this idea. Because when we do fake engagement or fake relationship or fake marriage, invariably we're like, you know, there's like a whole rigmarole of lead up to it. And then he says, why don't we fake date? And then she says, okay, that's fine. And then we do a whole rigmarole after. Let me tell you how Rebecca Hunter is going to tackle this. Massimo needs to enhance his reputation. We've heard this story. We've sung this song before, okay? He says, I need a fake fiance. She says, great, I'm very happy to be your fake fiance. And her name is Katarina because. Because you're super hot and I'm super into the idea of us, like, having a real, like, passionate marriage. We'll figure it out as we go into it. Except then he discovers. She discovers, like, he has no intention of ever touching her because this is fake. And all it is. He has a rigid, like, concrete control. He's not going to let himself, like, feel feelings for this woman. He's not going to do any of that business. That's not what Massimo is about. And when Katarina discovers this, she's in the fucking wind.

Jennifer Prokop (113:10)

I love it.

Sarah McLean (113:11)

So she's like, wait, I like, you make me feel big feelings every time you're around me. And I'm. We're not doing this if we don't. If we aren't sleeping together. And so when she's in the wind at the the of beginning, beginning of this book, he's like, shit, I have to go find her. He goes, he finds her in a cabin in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm. And what are they gonna have to do, Jen? They are gonna have to work it out. And work out in bed during this snowstorm, obviously, because Katharina's like, listen, I have conditions. And those conditions are we have to bone. And. And this is. That is a convenient wife condition.

Jennifer Prokop (113:53)

I mean, I just think that sounds exactly what we all just really need right now.

Sarah McLean (113:59)

Listen, it's gonna snow hopefully in March, and you'll be able to read this book, Convenient Wife Conditions by Rebecca Hunter.

Jennifer Prokop (114:06)

Perfect. Okay, I am going to talk about Anderson In Bloom by Jennifer Duggan. This is really sexy, fun, enemies to lovers, kind of second chance romcom about former child stars. Okay, so one of these women is Andy Anderson, Andy Duane, and she's hiding, right? And has honestly kind of been for a long time. So six years earlier, she Basically cut ties to everybody, picked up, moved to coastal New England and is working in a flower shop. She's running away from toxic relationships, embezzling agents, and everything else about her Hollywood life. She tried to tell herself she was running towards something, but frankly it, she just couldn't handle it anymore. So anyway, then all of a sudden her infamous ex and former co star Nicole Nikki Price announces that she is going to write a tell all book about growing up in Hollywood. And like the tumultuous time that these two had on the Nick and Andy show feels really hurt and betrayed. And so after one too many drinks, she does something really stupid, which is she texts Nikki for the first time in years. And no one is more shocked than Andy when Nikki actually shows up in the florist shop looking for answers. And Andy's just basically like, I'm going to send her away. But Nikki feels like they have unfinished business. And now that she finally knows where Andy's been hiding, she is not going to let her go so easily. But Andy's really worried about Nikki ruining her carefully rebuilt life or, and you know, causing a fresh heartbreak. So this just sounds really fun. I love the idea of like ex childhood stars who fell in love and now need to fall in love all over again. So that's Anderson in Bloom by Jennifer Duggan.

Sarah McLean (116:08)

Love it. My last pick is Things that Break Us by Michelle Hurd. This one sounds like pretty heavy, so check your content warnings. I think this is a lot about grief, but it is a celebrity normie romance and we all know how I feel about those. So Easton Rowe, the hero of this book is an actor who hates the limelight. He is very, very popular, very wealthy, very famous, and it is impossible for him to have a real relationship basically with anybody. So he doesn't even try. He's very cut off from the world. The only person in his life who he or people in his life who he's really connected to are his sister and her daughter. And his, her sister is dying. His sister is dying. So he goes home to be near her and Nova, her sister's best friend who has been there his whole life, is there still trying to, trying to help during this like really brutal time in his life. And he is focused on his dying sister and her daughter and Nova is just sort of quietly there carrying grief alongside him. And they are, this is a, this is a romance that is going to bloom and grow alongside loss. And I love a book like this. So it's very much for, for me. And if it's for you, I think it'll deliver a really like sexy romantic story. This is called Things that Break Us by Michelle Heard.

Jennifer Prokop (117:49)

All right, well I feel like, listen, you now have plenty of books to choose from so get yourself pre ordering, get it together and tell us what you're looking forward to.

Sarah McLean (118:02)

48, eight books for the first three months of the year.

Jennifer Prokop (118:05)

Exactly. And that's it. We have more episodes coming every week. Everybody, I'm going to need you to get serious. I have list about reading in 2026.

Sarah McLean (118:14)

Exactly. Everybody, I have more books but Jen told me I had to stop.

Jennifer Prokop (118:17)

Eric is right now penning me a thank you note. Thank you, Jennifer for keeping this whole thing on track. Take it away, Sarah.

Sarah McLean (118:30)

Everyone, thank you so much for being with us. Happy New Year to everybody. It's January. We have a lot of big, big episodes coming over the course of the next few months. We are getting very excited about what's to come. Our next read along is Ice Planet Barbarians. Don't miss that. Definitely. You should read it in advance of our, of our chat about it. That'll be in the next couple of weeks sometime. We always drop those in when we sort of feel like it. The vibe is right. I'm Sarah McLean. I'm here with my friend Jen Prokop. We are Fated Mates. You can find us every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts or online@fatedmates.net where you can see if you click on Show Notes, a full photo array of all the books we talked about today. All the books we talk about every episode, including Show Notes when we have conversations and the banter at the beginning of the episode. All the links to the heated rivalry content, content we dropped early in the episode will be there. Enjoy yourselves. If you are Heated Rivalry fans, we also are available online at Instagram and threads at Faded Mates pod and on Blue sky at Faded Mates. You can let us know about the books that you're looking forward to for the next few months. And if you're a debut, if you're not a debut, I mean yes, if you're a debut, but if you have, if you are an indie published author and not on Netgalley or Edelweiss, which is how Jen and I do most of our looking for books for these discoverability episodes. Feel free to drop us a note, drop us a comment, drop us a a message on Instagram or Threads or Blue sky about your upcoming romance novel this year. We would love to know about it and what else.

Jennifer Prokop (120:11)

That's it, everybody.

Sarah McLean (120:13)

That's really it, everybody. Everybody have a great time. Enjoy yourselves. We are manifesting great reads all year long.