Podcast Summary: Fated Mates – S08.18: Shotgun Weddings with Jayne Ann Krentz

Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Sarah MacLean & Jen Prokop
Guest: Jayne Ann Krentz

Overview: The Allure and Evolution of the Shotgun Wedding Trope

In this lively, insightful episode, Sarah and Jen are joined by legendary romance author Jayne Ann Krentz to explore the enduring trope of "shotgun weddings"—marriages of necessity, force, or convenience—and how this narrative has shaped and reflected the romance genre, adapting to changes in society, genre expectations, and reader desires. With reflections on past and present, industry nuances, and plenty of book recommendations, the panel delivers a masterclass in both the mechanics and meaning of forced marriage plots in romance fiction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Branding, Pen Names, and Reinvention in Romance Writing

• Jayne Ann Krentz warns aspiring writers against adopting multiple pen names:

  “My public service announcement to all writers out there or wannabe writers out there is whatever you do, do not use pen names. Stick with one.” (01:09)

• The history of why pen names were used—publishers “owned” names and demanded authors use separate ones for different houses.
• The challenge of brand consolidation in the modern social media era.

2. Introducing "The Shop on Hidden Lane"

• Krentz’s latest release features “a romance dog,” Bruce, who’s psychic—a nod to a long tradition of animals as mirrors for romantic protagonists.

  “This particular dog has got a psychic vibe because he's descended from one of the animals that was affected when the government's big experiment went awry… and everybody woke up with psychic talents.” (07:33)

3. Romantic Suspense as Shotgun Wedding: High Stakes and Accelerated Love

• Krentz defines her genre—romantic suspense—as naturally suited to forced-proximity/high-stakes unions.

  “Under the force of survival, you're going to learn a lot about a person in a hurry… Those are all going to get crammed into a shorter [timeline], which is lucky for me because most of my stories take place in about a week.” (08:31)

• The trope demands quick trust, probes questions of agency, and compresses emotional development.

4. Shotgun Weddings and Power: Historical and Contemporary Functions

• Differentiating “shotgun weddings,” “arranged marriage,” and “marriage of convenience” tropes.
• In historicals, marriage increases women’s agency, providing legal and social power otherwise withheld.
• The foundation of the forced marriage trope is often “marriage for revenge” or to restore honor.

  “The earliest version of that, where the real power and energy comes from, is the marriage of revenge.” (23:58)

5. Conflict, Agency, and the Modern Age

• Contemporary romance often struggles with high-stakes conflicts, leading to softer plots.
• The political and social realities of today (abortion rights, bodily autonomy) make the classic accidental pregnancy/shotgun wedding plot challenging for some readers to enjoy or accept uncritically.

  “I feel like I'm essentially like reading the romance book equivalent of like a trad wife TikTok... because they never ever actually interrogate it.” (32:34)

6. Worldbuilding, Genre, and Escapism

• The mechanics of making forced marriages work in contemporary settings often hinge on adjusting reality (e.g., ‘romance law’ for inheritance requirements) or magnifying genre elements (mafia, fantasy, psychic abilities).
• Mafia romance is highlighted as a spiritual successor to medieval forced marriage stories, providing room for larger-than-life stakes and conflicts:

  “All mafia is medieval, right. Into a room to, like, consummate the marriage. And they want to see blood on the sheets… And I was like, he's the greatest. I don't care that he tortures people for a living. He's amazing, right?” (74:04)

7. The Evolution and Future of the Trope

• The trope of forced marriage persists because it’s fundamentally about commitment, trust, and the forging of partnership under duress.
• The importance of power balance in the romance happy ending:

  “The power cannot all be in one corner at the end of a good romance. That power has to be diffuse and shared.” (84:09)

• The necessity of “suspension of disbelief”—making the world and its stakes large enough to justify extreme scenarios.
• Krentz remarks on genre boundaries:

  “If you're looking for a genre that pushes the boundaries, you can't beat romance.” (80:32)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Pen Names & Branding: 01:04 – 04:25
• Introducing The Shop on Hidden Lane: 06:41 – 07:33
• Romantic Suspense and Shotgun Weddings: 08:06 – 09:42
• Differences in Forced Marriage Tropes: 21:05 – 25:04
• Political Complexity of the Surprise Pregnancy Plot: 31:26 – 36:27
• Worldbuilding for Forced Marriages (Mafia, Fantasy, Heritage): 41:04 – 44:22
• Book Recommendations & Examples—Mafia, Historical, Rom Coms: 47:15 – 59:31
• The Role of the Gothic & Suspense: 69:19 – 72:10
• Inventiveness in Romance Genre: 80:32 – 81:06
• Krentz’s Own Use of the Trope ("Ravished"): 81:11 – 83:06

Notable Quotes

• "My public service announcement to all writers out there or wannabe writers out there is whatever you do, do not use pen names."
  — Jayne Ann Krentz (01:09)

• "If you pick up one of my books, you're probably going to get a murder and certainly a mystery. I don't know how to plot… What else are these idiots going to do while they fall in love?"
  — Jayne Ann Krentz (08:06 & 08:26)

• "It's forcing two people to learn to commit to each other because they can't risk committing to anybody else… It all comes down to trust."
  — Jayne Ann Krentz (22:47)

• "The power cannot all be in one corner at the end of a good romance. That power has to be diffuse and shared."
  — Jen Prokop (84:09)

• "If you're looking for a genre that pushes the boundaries, you can't beat romance."
  — Jayne Ann Krentz (80:32)

• "At the end of a romance novel, there's always the foundation of a new family… Even if there's no baby on the horizon, or even if it's two guys or two women, there's a family that has been formed because of the commitment that these two people are willing to make."
  — Jayne Ann Krentz (53:04)

• “We don't learn about honor from real life. We learn about it from fiction.”
  — Jayne Ann Krentz (88:41)

Book Recommendations & Examples Referenced

• Jayne Ann Krentz — The Shop on Hidden Lane (latest novel, psychic dog named Bruce)
• Judith McNaught — A Kingdom of Dreams (quintessential medieval forced marriage)
• Stacy Reid — The Duke's Shotgun Wedding (compact historical with forced marriage)
• Nevra Altaj — Broken Whispers (Arranged Marriage series, Mafia romance)
• Mafia Virgin by Millie Fanelli (Joanna Shoup’s pen name)
• Rachel Grant — Into the Storm (romantic suspense, agency with pregnancy plot)
• Ruby Dixon — The King's Spinster Bride (over-the-top fantasy arranged marriage)
• Christina Dodd’s series about Romeo & Juliet’s daughter
• Chelsea Cameron — Marriage of Unconvenience (queer contemporary, friends to lovers, inheritance)
• Historical: Julie Garwood, classic forced marriage structures
• Jayne Ann Krentz (as Amanda Quick) — Ravished
• Darcy Burke — Because the Baron Broods (classic compromise)
• Lenora Bell and Diana Quincy—historical romance authors crossing to thrillers

Thematic Takeaways

• Shotgun/forced marriages remain vital to romance for their exploration of trust, commitment, and power—mirroring real-world negotiations in heightened, often fantastical, circumstances.
• Evolving social norms (around gender, sexuality, autonomy) change how these stories are told, but don’t erase their appeal or importance.
• The genre’s willingness to bend or invent reality to better serve emotional truth and escapism is a unique strength.
• These narratives continue because they allow both writers and readers to engage with fantasies of safety, risk, agency, and transformative love—often dialing up the stakes to fantastical degrees.

Closing & Future Topics

The episode ends with the hosts inviting Jayne Ann Krentz to return for a dedicated conversation about revenge plots—a thread only partially explored here. They also promote Krentz’s upcoming books and encourage listeners to share further favorite arranged/forced marriage romances.

For lists of all referenced books and further discussion, visit fatedmates.net or follow @fatedmatespod on Instagram and Threads.

End of Summary