Fated Mates – S08.21: 🌹A Dozen Roses for Valentine’s Day🌹

Date: February 11, 2026
Hosts: Sarah MacLean & Jennifer Prokop

Episode Overview

In a festive twist for Valentine’s Day, Sarah and Jen present “A Dozen Roses for Valentine’s Day”—twelve romance-related (and sometimes pop culture) picks where "rose" features in a character, title, theme, or author’s name. The episode seamlessly blends heartfelt recommendations, tangential movie chatter, and signature banter, all while celebrating the genre’s resilience and creativity (and throwing in plenty of sly winks to longtime listeners).

Sarah and Jen also discuss the merging of romance fiction and broader pop culture, acknowledge the endurance of the romance community through Valentine season’s media takes, and highlight both classic and modern romance titles, brimming with as many hues and moods as the flower that inspired the episode.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

“Ladyhawke” & The Many Faces of Romance (00:31–05:25)

• The episode opens with a playful exchange about “Ladyhawke” (1985) and why it stands as a “truly romantic romance.”
  • Sarah: “Honestly, listen, fuck everybody who says that you can't make a romance. A really, truly romantic romance because this, this movie, it'll rip your heart out.” (01:25)
• The curse-driven star-crossed lovers premise is described in detail, painting “Ladyhawke” as a medieval romance ripe for modern fans.
• They liken the narrative’s emotional punch to the feelings romance novels can deliver.
• Meme-worthy moment:
  • “They can only see each other for the one second when dawn meets dusk, and it’s the most incredible moment.” —Sarah (03:52)

Announcing a Valentine’s Day Collaboration (05:55–07:41)

• The hosts tease a collaborative Instagram project with AH2 Productions—a blossoming historical romance Kickstarter from Adriana Herrera and Ali Hazelwood’s team.
• Listeners are invited to watch for rose-themed teasers and recognize “authors getting their flowers.”
• “...giving some of romance's most beloved authors their flowers. And we would like to be a part of that on this rose themed Valentine's Day episode.” —Jen (07:25)

On Valentine’s Media Season, Romance Reception, & ’Heated Rivalry’ (08:08–14:18)

• Valentine’s is not historically “their” holiday; the annual media critiques of romance are discussed, including mischaracterizations like “Heated Rivalry as Wuthering Heights—the Victorian heated rivalry.”
• “Everybody else is like, okay, I’m going to write, you know, this romance story, and romance readers are like, I want to die.” —Jen (08:36)
• They dissect upcoming pop culture moments, like the new “Wuthering Heights” film (“...with scare quotes”), and consider what it means to re-experience formative, messy-but-magnetic emotional texts.
• Sarah’s daughter’s take on Jacob Elordi in the film (“Oh my god, Jacob Elordi is in this.”) signals the generational shift in romance audiences (13:05).

Cinematic Bangers & Double Features (14:00–18:31)

• Sarah confesses her ignorance about the “Sinners” movie, only to discover its genre-bending delights: period drama, twins, vampires—“handsome people blowing shit up.”
• The hosts nostalgically praise the pleasures of watching films like “Sinners” in a theater, and encourage listeners: “You should do a doubleheader: Sinners and Ladyhawk. Bam. Two historical bangers.” —Jen (18:46)
• The concept of renting a whole theater for a group romance movie night: “It’s actually not very expensive… I think we should all do more like rent out a movie theater. Invite all your friends…” —Sarah (19:06)

The “Dozen Roses” Project—Parameters & Playfulness (21:25–24:03)

• Jen proposes the central gimmick: each shares six “rose” objects—any connection counts (character, title, author, theme).
• The premise: “A rose that will delight you.” —Sarah (22:56)
• The rules are playfully broad—almost anything “rose-adjacent” is fair.
• Banter about sneaking in non-romance roses: “That’s me sneaking in some like non-romance… sneaking in some roses.” —Sarah (25:19)

The Twelve Roses – Books, Tropes, and Oddities

(The following is a representative selection—tune in to the episode for the full list.)

1. Heated Rivalry (Rose Landry, Character) (25:39–27:44)

• Shane’s movie-star beard in “Heated Rivalry” is Rose Landry—discussion of her treatment in the book vs. TV adaptation and an adorable workplace “A Dozen Rosies” Valentine.
• “Listen, it’s perfect. So for your Valentine’s Day, if you have not yet watched ‘Heated Rivalry’ or [read] the Game Changers book, you will have a very nice time.” —Jen (27:38)

2. Just Wicked Enough (Kate Rose, Lorraine Heath) (27:49–30:53)

• Celebrating “Rogues and Roses” series: American heiresses in London, with Kate Rose’s book lauded for its “St. Vincent” vibes.
• “Love and sex are the same woman… I’m going to seduce you. And Kate is like, I’m gonna make you fall in love with me.” —Sarah (30:40)

3. Nero (S.J. Tilly) (rose-scented body wash, detail) (30:53–34:38)

• An amusingly intense scene with a hero obsessed over the heroine’s rose-scented body wash (“He steals this bottle of fucking body wash—which she doesn’t even... She wakes up the next morning.”).
• “He has left a $100 bill in the bathtub, like, where the body wash was. So she knows that he has taken it. And even though she has no defenses... she’s like, I think he likes me.” —Jen (34:15)

4. The Roommate (Rosie Danan, Author) (36:58–40:24)

• Rosie Danan’s debut gets pride of place for its sex-positive humor and sex worker hero.
• “One of the best executions of sex work in romance I think still, even now.” —Sarah (40:09)

5. Compass Rose (Anna Burke)—Sci-Fi Lesbian Pirates (40:33–44:12)

• Sci-fi, adventure, and a heroine literally named Rose who acts as a “human compass.”
• “...really like about Rose herself being sort of trapped into this like really kind of strange situation. And then it’s just like a big rip roaring adventure.” —Jen (43:50)

6. Her Perfect Affair (Priscilla Oliveras; Rosa Perfect, Heroine) (44:22–49:00)

• “Everything is coming up roses for Rosa,” until a one-night stand leads to pregnancy and complex family/faith stakes.
• “What’s really cool about this book is Priscilla writes a beautiful big family book. All of her series have these big, big family stories...” —Sarah (47:07)

7. Vegas Underground Series (Renee Rose, Author) (51:10–53:58)

• Mafia-tinged romance recommended by Joanna Shupe; the hosts reminisce about the wild ride and fun, light take on otherwise “dark” themes.

8. Love Her or Lose Her (Tessa Bailey; Rosie, Heroine) (54:06–57:11)

• Marriage-in-trouble romance—communication and dirty talk abound, with noteworthy characters and a “groovy therapist.”
• “It is really about... these two are wild about each other, but they cannot work through the fact that, like, their communication is fucked the shit.” —Sarah (56:12)

9. The Taming of Jessie Rose (Beverly Jenkins; Jesse Rose, Heroine) (58:28–64:49)

• Classic Jenkins: ranch wars, gritty heroines, chosen family, and deep-rooted historical detail.
• “Heroin against the wall. And Jesse Rose is a heroin against the wall... It’s just a rip roaring Beverly Jenkins adventure as they all right as one does.” —Jen (58:53, 63:26)

10. Karen Rose (Author—romantic suspense) (67:08–70:07)

• Spotlighting the enduring appeal of Karen Rose’s thrillers and her skill at weaving robust romance into suspense.
• “Karen Rose knows how to write a mystery. She understands how to keep the, like, romance in the story instead of it, you know, these two are together the whole book...” —Sarah (69:14)

11. The Rose / The Red (Tiffany Reisz; Erotic Romance) (71:11–76:17)

• Erotic, mythologically-inspired art adventures. “Nobody really writes erotica like Tiffany” and “super sexy, but kind of with like the fun vibe of art” are the lines to remember.

12. Dreaming of You (Lisa Kleypas; Sarah Rose Fielding, Heroine) (79:52–82:10)

• Iconic moment: “...one of the greatest sex scenes in romance has to be when Derek Craven lays her down on the bed and then covers her, sprinkles rose petals across her, and then just does the business, destroys her and the bed.” —Sarah (81:37)

Honorable Mentions & Lightening Rose References

• Rose from Titanic & Rose from Golden Girls: Both mentioned for romance/life delight potential.
• Rosie in S.J. Tilly’s “Dear Rosie” and Stephanie Rose (author of contemporary “soft” romances) get shout-outs.
• Sarah’s own books (“A Rogue by Any Other Name”, “One Good Earl Deserves a Lover”): A reflection on covers, roses in titles/covers, and accidental motifs.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “A rose that will delight you. I love that.” —Sarah (22:56)
• “Sometimes I feel like, you know, we start with talking about the 80s, but here we are talking about 20, 25.” —Jen (18:33)
• “Sometimes, something ends up as part of your... publishing system. It arrives kind of on your desk and you think like, oh, now do I like, is this, is this a thing I do now?” —Sarah (78:34)

Romance Community, Whimsy, & The Reason for Roses

• Both hosts riff on their ongoing affection for flowers (and their figurative role in romance fiction).
• “If you don’t want actual roses, you can just read about roses or rose scented body wash or whatever you want. Rosies, Rosas.” —Jen (83:45)
• Jen’s show note tip: Goodreads lists abound for "Rose" in Romances.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:31–05:25: Ladyhawke, movies as romance, “star-crossed” tropes
• 05:55–07:41: AH2 Productions collaboration and “historical trailblazer” project
• 08:08–14:18: Valentine’s media, Wuthering Heights “remake,” pop culture
• 14:00–18:31: Movie-going confessions, “Sinners,” and why audience matters
• 21:25–24:03: “Dozen Roses” set-up, rules for the episode
• 25:39–82:20: Main “Dozen Roses” segment – each book/discussion as detailed above
• 83:00–87:18: Event announcements (Chicago, Rhode Island, etc.)
• 87:18–89:02: Closing encouragement, romance community bonds

Tone & Style

• The episode is warm, witty, unfiltered, and imbued with the hosts’ deep knowledge of romance culture and fandom.
• Sarah and Jen go on tangents but always circle back to the joy of the genre, embracing both nostalgia and new discoveries.
• No book snobbery, only infectious enthusiasm for all forms of romance—plus a welcome lack of “kink shaming” or genre shaming.

Listener Takeaways

• Romance novels (and movies) are a way to reclaim and reshape love stories outside of mainstream clichés—roses and all.
• Fans can celebrate Valentine’s however they choose—watching banger historicals, hunting down rose-themed reads, or joining the romance community online and in person.
• Countless recommendations are scattered amid laughter and literary discussion; check their show notes for all the “roses” you can handle.

“Be silly. Embrace whimsy.” —Sarah (87:13)