S08.34: Historical Romance with Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera

Summary

Fated Mates – S08.34: Historical Romance with Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera

Date: May 13, 2026
Host(s): Sarah MacLean (A), Jen Prokop (B)
Guests: Ali Hazelwood (D), Adriana Herrera (C)

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Overview

This lively and uproariously fun episode of Fated Mates dives deep into the enduring charm and vibrant legacy of historical romance. Hosts Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop are joined by best-selling authors Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera to celebrate the launch of the “Historical Trailblazers” box set—a lavish, lovingly curated collection of five foundational historical romance novels. Beyond discussing the box set’s creation and features, the group explores what makes historical romance so irresistible, shares personal favorites and recommendations, and revels in the genre’s most deliciously unhinged moments. For fans of romance, this episode is a joyful manifesto and a “Keeper Shelf” treasure trove.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Revisiting Omegaversity and Genre Evolutions

(Starts ~03:00)

• The group opens with self-aware jokes about their previous “Omegaversity” themed episodes, riffing on evolving trends and subgenres in romance, including Omegaverse and why it so often echoes werewolf lore—except without the actual shapeshifting.
• Ali Hazelwood: “Everything about them is werewolf. Except there’s no shifting. There’s no shape shifting.” (05:30)
• The hosts affectionately mock their inability to keep a straight face through the wildest romance tropes (“semen buckets,” “breeding,” etc.), highlighting the freedom and boundary-pushing spirit that defines both romance subculture and its fandom.

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Introducing the “Historical Trailblazers” Box Set

Project Genesis & Vision

(10:08 – 18:50)

• Adriana Herrera explains that the project emerged from late-night brainstorming between her and Ali Hazelwood, driven by a shared desire to create extravagant, collector-worthy editions of the books they love most: “We want to make things that we really want to exist and we want to make them exactly as extra as we feel they need to be.” (10:20)
• The collaboration grew naturally with Sarah and Jen, leveraging Fated Mates’ ongoing efforts to archive and honor the genre’s trailblazers.

What’s Inside the Box?

(13:24 – 20:18) A detailed, art-heavy, multi-format collector’s set including:

• Five hardcover, leather-bound special editions:
  • Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
  • Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin
  • The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles
  • Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
  • Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
• Features include: reversible dust jackets (‘give them their flowers’ gold floral & clinch art), stepback art, custom chapter headers, foil-stamped design, gold-foiled author signatures, ombre edges, and actual “slipcase” box.
• Full-cast audiobooks for Lord of Scoundrels and Indigo, narrated by Julia Whelan and Robin Lee.
  • Jen: “Julia Whelan doing Jessica Trent and Robin Lee doing Hester is, like, mind-blowing.” (16:36)
• Exclusive new content: author letters, intros by the project team, and transcripts from Fated Mates’ deep dives with the authors.
• Ali Hazelwood: “Every single thing that is going to be part of this set is going to be the most beautiful thing you will ever own… See, touch, kiss, if that’s what you do with your books.” (13:21)

Publisher & Author Care

• The authors personally approved every single piece of art or design for their book, something standard publishers rarely offer.
• The set is positioned as both a “gift to historical romance fans and a public act of honoring the foremothers of the genre.” (17:18)

On Doing It Themselves

• The group notes the lack of investment by traditional publishers in special editions for historical romance, despite its foundational importance:
  • Ali: “There haven’t been these amazing special editions that there are for so many other books.” (19:42)

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Kickstarter & How to Get the Trailblazers Set

(20:25 – 28:43)

• Box set will be Kickstarter-exclusive, meaning it’s a limited print run, only for backers.
• Multiple backing tiers for different budgets: digital-only, audio, the box set, mega editions with art prints, book club bundles, bookseller bundles, etc.
• UK/EU-friendly fulfillment to make shipping affordable for international readers.
• Sarah: “If you want to order this right now, aside from go to show notes and click on the link, go to the Kickstarter page, select the tier that you want to buy, and then you will be a backer.” (26:12)
• Bonuses: each new series gets its own Regency Amorosa plushie.

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Discussion: Why Historical Romance Still Shines

(36:05 – 40:40)

• The guests reflect on the “joy of historicals”:
  • Ali Hazelwood: “At the end I will always go back to historicals is that they go there.” (36:35)
  • Historical settings free the author to indulge in the truly bonkers and melodramatic—“bee venom sucking,” “secret cervix pockets,” mantillas, commando-styled Romantasy energy.
  • Adriana Herrera: “You don’t have to understand history to enjoy historical stuff.” (38:24)
  • The community laughs about how all historical heroes are improbably tall with perfect teeth.

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Book Recommendations & Memorable Commentary

Passion by Lisa Valdez

(41:04 – 55:37)

• Ali Hazelwood’s pick and an extended comic highlight.
• Features a notorious plot—hero with a “massive” appendage (womb piercer), heroine with a “secret cervix pocket.” Utterly over-the-top, steamy, and formative for Ali.
  • Ali: “You guys, this man has a giant dick… Like, no, very, very long. You’re also leaving out the fact that she has like a super secret pocket in her cervix.” (43:57)
  • Jen: “TikTok discovered Passion… No, really, it will fit.” (51:06)
• Book simultaneously ridiculed and revered for its “omega verse coded” sex and wild (but earnest) dramatics.
  • Ali: “Fate is the ultimate polyclore. Your internal muscles will be healed by fate.” (49:20)

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Other Standout Book Recommendations

(58:13 – 111:00, Recurring)

Nighthawk by Beverly Jenkins (Jen)

• Plot, adventure, “train romance,” and a hero who “can never love again.”
  • “The whole thing is just like, like scene after scene after scene where you are like I am watching an action movie, only it’s a romance.” (60:31)

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (Adriana)

• The “unforgivable hero” redeemed, Quaker heroine, math, religious trauma, intense transformation.
  • Adriana: “He is just like a reprobate… On the first page, like, this man is not nice.” (65:38)

Lenora Bell’s Can’t Get Enough of the Duke (Sarah)

• New, witty, zany—includes war wounds, pencils as weapons, guardianship misunderstandings, and fast-track marriage.
  • Sarah: “She pulls a pencil out of her hair and stabs him in the cheek.” (76:15)

My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas (Ali & group speed round)

• Enemies-to-lovers with a Chinese assassin heroine, martial arts, deep angst, and adventure; “perfect for Romantasy fans.”
  • Ali: “If you like romantasy, this book is for you. The two main characters meet for the first time in many years and they are both shocked to see each other because they both think that they had killed the other person. But they used to be lovers.” (80:53)

Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens (Jen)

• The original “he’s into her from page one, but she has to be convinced” dynamic.
• “The whole rest of the book is her being like, I just don’t think you’re really… That’s not what I want.” (88:57)

Enlightenment Series by Joanna Chambers (Adriana)

• MM Regency Scotland trilogy, “deep, escalating stakes,” legal and societal barriers to love, gorgeously written.
• “One of my favorite series ever… It really works better if you just read the three books.” (92:19)

A Deal with the Devil by Alexandra Harvey (Sarah)

• Bookselling, blackmail, rooftop escapes, compulsive gambler dads, a devil hero, and—naturally—a pet hedgehog.
  • Sarah: “She stole from him. No one steals from the Devil of Mayfair… he realizes that she doesn’t have any shoes on…he can’t stop thinking about the fact that she hasn’t. She’s not wearing shoes.” (99:51–101:55)

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Rapid-Fire Honorable Mentions & “If You Could Add One More”

(104:05 – 111:00)

• Julie Garwood’s Ransom and The Bride (classic Scottish historicals—“worn out multiple copies”) (104:24)
• Sherry Thomas (Not Quite a Husband; Tempting the Bride; Beguiling the Beauty)
• Meredith Duran, Gaelen Foley, Judith Ivory’s The Proposition (the “mustachioed rat catcher” hero), Judith McNaught’s Kingdom of Dreams (toxic masculinity, “every rule gets broken”).
• Jennifer Ashley’s The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie (“trailblazing for neurodivergent heroes”).

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On historicals and speculative appeal:
  • “If something is set in a period and location that just feels far away… it’s okay for characters to just do bonkers things… that’s why we are okay with the whole, oh, he has to suck the bee juice from her tit.” – Ali Hazelwood (36:35)
• On the special editions' beauty:
  • “When I saw the final product in the videos, I was overwhelmed by how pretty…The gestalt of it. It’s even better than the sum of its parts.” – Ali Hazelwood (17:49)
• On women’s agency in historicals:
  • “You find that historical romance is going to serve you up these women who are like, I’m not gonna put up with that… I’m going to live the life I want.” – Jen Prokop (90:10)
• On fearless, maximal storytelling:
  • “Historical is about fearlessness in a lot of ways.” – Sarah MacLean (86:09)

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Time-Stamps for Reference

• Omegaverse, trope riffing: 03:00 – 09:47
• Box set deep dive: 10:08 – 20:18
• Kickstarter explainer: 20:25 – 28:43
• Why historicals work/their inherent joy: 36:05 – 40:40
• Book recs & cackle-worthy banter: 41:04 – 111:00
• Wrapping up (“If you could add one more…”): 104:05 – 112:21

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Tone and Style Notes

• The episode is informal, exuberant, heartily self-referential, and always irreverent—embracing fandom in all its mess and joy.
• The hosts and guests are always quick with a joke, entirely unembarrassed by even the wildest tropes.

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Conclusion

This episode of Fated Mates is a celebratory deep-dive into the audacity, maximalism, and heart of historical romance—led by the creators of the genre’s most anticipated special editions. With sparkling banter, passionate recommendations, and a spirit of fannish glee, the conversation is a love letter to every reader who’s ever swooned for a duke, penciled in their own “keeper shelf,” or just wanted a bit more plot with their pining. For those who cherish romance, or are seeking an entry point, this episode is a must-listen and a masterclass in why “bonkers” should always be a compliment.

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Find the Historical Trailblazers Kickstarter:
Check the episode show notes, FatedMates.net, @fatedmatespod and @a2squareromancecollections on Instagram.
Back by June 2, 2026, for your only chance at the box set.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, everyone, it's Sarah. And I just wanted to take a quick minute before we start the episode with Adrianna and Ali today to tell you that as of right now, the paperback version of these summer storms is on shelves wherever you get your books. You can get this wonderfully floppy if you listen to the podcast. You know, I love a floppy paperback. It's floppy and perfect and exactly what you want to throw into your beach bag for a summer read it. Also, the first printing of this special paperback comes with sprayed edges in this gorgeous blue with a wave motif. And the book also comes with a book club discussion guide. So if you've been waiting to read Storms because you wanted it in paperback, or if you have been talking to your friends about doing a book club about Storms, now's the time to do it. I wrote the questions myself, so I'm really excited to hear the discussions that come from them. And I am so grateful, as always, for all of you for supporting the podcast and supporting my writing. Now on with the show. I'm so excited for this. I'm so excited for all the things that we have to get through today because we have, like, a lot of stuff. There's a lot of content to cover some big ground.

[B]

I'm going to let Sarah, like, be the classroom teacher on this one. But just know already, I am like, oh, boy, we're about.

[C]

I'm ready.

[A]

Oh, boy, we've already. We're. We already have said save it for the pod like six times and we haven't even started recording. But I'm very excited because it's Omegaversity Redux. Except it's really not. But we have Adriana Herrera and Ali Hazelwood with us again to. To talk about historical romance, a big project that we're all sort of working on, something that's going to make fate of mates listeners really excited. Historical romance. But first things first, I want to just for a moment, revisit Omegaversity. Well, actually first. First things first. Welcome everyone to Fated Mates. I'm Sarah Maclean. I read romance novels and I write them.

[B]

And I'm Jennifer Prokop, a romance reader and editor. Introduce yourselves, friends.

[A]

We're here with ah too. Adriana Herrera.

[C]

Ale. Hello.

[A]

And Ali Hazelwood. Hello.

[D]

I consider myself. My title is Omegaverse Expert. Thank you.

[B]

I'm glad somebody is because Sarah's about to tell you a story about where we are.

[A]

So listen, I feel like we took the class.

[B]

We did.

[A]

We took the class. I took notes. If any of you missed it. Two New Year's Eves ago, Adrianna and Ali joined us. I think it was three. Was it three?

[B]

We did milking, and then we did breeding, and I think Omega Versity was three ago.

[C]

All important topics.

[A]

Omega Versity, like, led us into breeding, which feels right. I'm breeding into milking, which all.

[B]

I mean, like, just absolutely a clear progression. Listen, trust me, though, everybody. Next year's New Year's Eve will in no way be babies.

[C]

Not gonna happen.

[A]

No, that's.

[C]

No, It's a mabooshka doll, really. Of topics. A nesting doll of.

[D]

But what is the pearl at the center of the matriarch?

[A]

Oh, the pearl. That's what's next. Just.

[C]

I was gonna say it's gotta be semen.

[A]

Buckets.

[B]

Buckets.

[C]

It's gotta be semen.

[A]

It's too much. So, okay, but here's the deal. I genuinely believe that I am a fairly good student, like, in the world. And I've taken this Omega Versity class from the experts, and I took good notes. And then Kayla Gross, who is one of our very favorites here at Fated Maids, released last week, an Omegaverse novel, which is. Mm, F, M. That's the order of the letters. And under the name K, Lyn. And I was like, I'm gonna read this because I love Kayla Gross, and, like, I feel prepared for Omega verse. I open this book, I start reading it, and about a third of the way through, I took a screenshot. It's very hot. Lots of sex, lots of, like, heat. Lots of, you know, throbbing wants.

[C]

Breeding, organ nodding. Okay.

[A]

Just a lot of talk about breeding. She's on. She's. She's a movie star. So, like, she's on birth control. But, like, a lot of disgust. Discussion of breeding. Right. There's a nest involved. Like, there's a lot happening. And I'm like, okay, okay. And about third. Third of the way through, I take a screenshot of, like, two paragraphs that are, like, about nodding. He, her, omega, his prime alpha, the nest, the whole thing. And I send it to Jen. And I was like, are we sure that they're not werewolves?

[C]

They're not. But. But.

[B]

Because I are everybody.

[A]

But they are.

[B]

Like, you have to understand, I've never read one of these and not been like, ok, but when. But it's. When is the moon going to.

[A]

But they're def. They're going to shift.

[C]

Everything about them is werewolf. Except there's no shifting. There's no shape shifting.

[D]

Yeah, precisely.

[C]

Why.

[D]

And I.

[A]

But why?

[C]

Because really, you're there for the.

[A]

I Mean, also biting. Also biting. There's markings for sure. It's just everything at first.

[C]

I personally read about eight Omegaverse novels in the last week. As I am working on something, I'm working on something. And so I can. I just got refreshed on a lot of this, so I can. As an aside, I can take you aside and explain. Thank you.

[B]

I just had like an actual moment where I was like, oh, I guess I'm a furry. Because I just was really like. I really was like, I think I need them to shift if I'm going to have to go through all this. If someone's biting someone else.

[A]

You want a wolf hologram?

[B]

Correct. I just was like, I don't get it. I don't. I don't understand. It's like you're gonna do all that and not get like a Right.

[A]

Well, here's.

[B]

And then I was like, oh, I guess now I understand something about myself. Fine, fine.

[A]

I really enjoyed this whole kin business. I really did. They. She goes into heat on a movie set and like the director, the head writer, the lead actor and some other guy are all like, I gotta. Absolutely, we gotta take care of her. And they all smell like a mojito.

[C]

I love when they go like a little exotic with the scents. Like, oh, she smells like cardamom and like orange rind.

[A]

Well, like on the inside of a

[C]

BMW in the random car scent. Oh my God, why doesn't no one.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Everyone loves that smell.

[B]

I mean, take it. Listen, these are ideas gift from Jen. All of them are for you.

[C]

How is an Alpha not smelling like brand new car scent?

[B]

I mean, okay, since we're talking about terrifying things, I'm going to tell you all a story about which I don't ever really talk about my students. But in this case, I was car shopping and kids are nosy. So, like, they see my computer and they're like, hey, hey, miss. Are you, you know, car shopping? I was like, yeah, kind of, I guess. And one of the kids says, you should get a Bentley. And I said, I'm a teacher, right? I'm a teacher. And the kid said, yeah, but what about Jen Reed's romance? And I was like, pardon, Let me alight into another plane of being.

[A]

Now I kind of know some of

[B]

them know because they're nosy. And I was like, well, okay, like, maybe that's like nicer than Mazda money, but it's not Bentley money. You know what I mean? So anyway, I just think, like, my point here is that there's a lot of things I don't understand in the world right now. And why aren't they shifting? And why do my kids know about genre romance? All sorts of things.

[D]

I. I love the idea that they would think that there is millions.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

Romance podcasting, guys.

[C]

No, like, like, why is there not a Bentley up on their screen right now? Since you are sitting on piles of cash. Yeah.

[A]

Why aren't you recording from your Bentley?

[B]

I mean, and then. But now I'm like, okay, but maybe a hero who smells like the inside of a Bentley. Meanwhile, I was like, I'm pretty sure that if approached the Bentley dealership, I don't even know where one buys a Bentley. It would like, like that devil trying to enter into hell. I would imagine there's just a force field that would just like, compel him just, like, right out. Like, just loop and he's like, thrown out of heaven. I think that that's what happens when you're a poor and you try and go into a Bentley.

[A]

They can sniff it out.

[B]

Yeah. And you just like, the doors won't even open. Like, they just like, boom. And you're like all, you know, across the street, back at the Volkswagen dealership where you belong.

[C]

It's like one that, like in superhero movies, when there's like an invisible glass wall and they keep running into it and get repelled out back. And they keep running into it and repelled.

[B]

That is me at the Bentley dealership, Correct. Yeah. I don't even know where you buy Bentley in Chicago. I bet you can. I mean, there are rich people here, so.

[A]

In Chicago. Sure, sure.

[B]

There's probably three. There's like one in Chicago, one in New York, one in la, one in Miami, whatever.

[C]

Miami for sure has a Bentley. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Well, what we do know about is historical romance in this group, though. And what we need to talk about is a big project coming from, ah, two with. In partnership with fated mates, the historical Trailblazers box set, which is so exciting.

[B]

It is so exciting.

[A]

Adrianna, I'm going to tap you to talk a little bit about first of all, what the project is and where it came from.

[C]

Yes, well, it came from usually where everything comes from when it comes to this. This ven. This project, which is Ali and I texting at inappropriate hours of the night and being like, you know what would be amazing? I mean, truly for us with this, with the romance collections. What we. We want to make things that we really want to exist and we want to make them exactly as extra as we feel they need to be like we want.

[B]

And they deserve books.

[C]

Yes. As they deserve. And for this one specifically, Ali and I have a shared love of many things in romance, including O Vega verse as its public knowledge. But one of the things that really like both of us really kind of started in paranormal and historical were kind of like our two big. Our two big spaces in Romans that we really fell in love with the genre. So we share a lot of the same favorites and we wanted to do a collection and we had been talking with Sarah, like Sarah, we had been talking to you like we really should do a historical project and what. What that could be. And we had a lot of different ideas. Some ideas are still being percolated and one of them was like, we should do a trailblazers collection because you have. You guys have been doing this amazing archiving of the voices and the stories of the women who built the genre. And so it just felt like a natural collaboration. H squared. We want to make beautiful books so that we can have our favorite things in the most beautiful way that we can make them and do this like celebration of some of the books that we really think have made an impact on the genre that are the canon. Some of the books that are in the canon as like really groundbreaking seminal texts that everybody that's a romance lover should know and have read and.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So tell us a little bit about the actual concrete project. What are readers getting from this book? This project?

[C]

Allie, you want to talk about it?

[A]

No, really?

[D]

Because I am really bad at explaining everything, but I am so good at doing jazz hands in the background.

[A]

Unfortunately, you need to figure out an audio jazz hand.

[B]

Yeah,

[D]

that was very Zeitberg, I can tell you. I do think that Adriana should be Ariana is really the logistical mastermind. But I do want to say that every single thing that is going to be part of this set is going to be the most beautiful thing you will ever own. See Touch, kiss. If that's what you do with your books.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

You might want to kiss these.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

You might want to kiss this. We actually just saw. We'll probably the. You'll probably have seen them by the time this airs, but we just got the videos and photos of the actual proofs of like how the books are going to look and they are honestly just amazingly beautiful. But what you will get in this collector's edition is a box set with five hardcover leather bound titles which are Indigo by Beverly Jenkins, Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lynn, the Magpie Lord by K.J.

[D]

charles.

[C]

Dreaming of youf by Lisa Clay Bass. Because it had to be Dreaming of youf by Lisa Kleipass. Given that this is a collaboration with the women that founded Derek Cravenday and also Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.

[A]

Just that little last.

[B]

These little ones. Yeah, these.

[C]

These just small end cap. The end cap to end. All end caps.

[B]

Right?

[C]

So, like, that is what you're getting in the collector's box that they are. You know, we. We really kind of went overboard with the art. We have so much art for this. For this collection. We have reversible dust jackets. So there's one dust jacket. The theme of the collection is, let's give them their flowers.

[B]

So beautiful.

[C]

Yeah, Like a floral design for the front that's gonna be gold floral.

[A]

And by the way, everyone, the colors of the original first editions of each of these books.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Just every little detail is perfect.

[C]

Yes, yes. So we have that. Then we're doing clinch art on the reverse side. And we selected five different artists because we really wanted the art to really be as representative or, like, as rendered as beautifully as we could. So, you know, for Ms. Bev, we had to get an artist that we knew could capture Hester and Galen. So, anyway, so we have that. We have also step back art that is also going to be bound into the book. We have custom chapter headers. They're going to be full color. We have this beautiful foil stamp design.

[A]

The edges are all the edges.

[C]

Gorgeous ombra edges. We have also the signature of the authors, gold foiled and foil stamp design. And then we have also two of the books we were able to license for a full cast recording. And we are partnering with the incredible Julia Whelan for those two recordings. We're doing a full cast recording of Lord of Scoundrels, and we're doing a full cast recording of Indigo, which is so unreal, everybody.

[B]

I think what I want to say about this is I've known about that part for months, right? I was like, I can keep a secret. And I did. And yet the day that it was announced, I still was, like, gleeful in a way. Like, I had just learned it. Like, just like, oh, my God. Julia Whelan doing Jessica Trent and Robin Lee doing Hester is, like, mind blowing. Literally. I couldn't even, like, I was like, my brain's just like Burt. And so this is so exciting.

[C]

I know. And I mean, Allie. When we emailed Julia about it, Allie and I were like, we really want to do audiobooks. Like, let's figure out how we can do it. And I think we sent the email to Julia and, like, within a couple hours, she had replied. And she's like, I have never replied to an email as fast as I did. It was like an immediate. Yes. The moment I read the email, amazing.

[D]

I love how much she is a romance lover. Like, she just. Yeah, she's one of us.

[B]

She's one of us.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely.

[D]

So happy.

[A]

And then content. There's fresh content. There's a letter from every author.

[C]

Yes, that's right.

[A]

Intros from us, from the four of us, transcripts from faded mates. Because every one of these books, not only have we done deep dives of every one of these books, but we've had interviews with every one of these authors about their career and their impact on the genre. So it really is a gift to romance lovers, to historical romance lovers, but also really honoring these authors and their place in the pantheon.

[D]

Yeah. And I do want to say I feel like Adrianna has been showing us the art and the layout and the COVID and still when I saw the final product in the videos, I was overwhelmed by how pretty. Yeah, it's like, oh, my God. Like, it. Just the.

[B]

The.

[D]

The gestalt of it. It's even better than the sum of its parts. I am so happy. The slipcase. We didn't talk about the slip gaze.

[C]

Oh, yes. We're doing also, like, a go full. I mean, I also, like. And. And because I'm in the weeds with it, like, I am doing a lot of, like, the, you know, the back and forth with the artists and like, so I see. So we see so many versions of the art and we do tweaking. I tried to make it very collaborative. So, like, you know, I would send. We have, like, our chat group and I'm like, so what do you think about this? And making changes? But seeing it all together honestly was like, this is.

[B]

It's going to be gorgeous as we

[C]

wanted it to be. And I also want to say, like, for every piece of art that's in the books, like, every one of the authors saw every piece approved, every piece was consulted on every. Of every piece of art, because we really also wanted to make them feel like a part of the project and that we take all of this very seriously and we love these books very, very much, and we want them to be as happy and joyful about the books and how they look as we are. So I just wanted also to say that all of the authors are very much aware and involved and have had approval of everything that's going in the books especially because.

[D]

Can I be petty a little bit?

[B]

I'm a Scorpio babe. Lean in.

[A]

Yay.

[D]

A lot of the, a lot of these books have been around for years and a lot of the publishers that own the rights to these books, you know, like they have had their, you know, 10 year anniversary or 20 year anniversary and there haven't been, you know, traditional publishing is not investing in historical right now. And there haven't been these amazing special editions.

[B]

Right.

[D]

That there are for so many other books.

[B]

Right, exactly.

[D]

So we're just excited that, you know, it's happening. Yeah, yeah, it's happened. It needed to happen and now it's happening and now the world is at peace. Actually, it's not. It is very much not this one nice thing.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

It's like they went to the moon. And also we're doing a box set of.

[D]

Exactly.

[B]

Now I do want. One of the things I do think is also important to talk about is like the Kickstarter of it.

[D]

All.

[B]

Right. So potentially people are going to be like, okay, cool, I'll just go to my local, you know, romance bookstore or whatever and pick these up. And that is, it's like a very different process when it's a Kickstarter. And so maybe it would be a good idea to sort of talk about like kind of like how it works and why it works that way and then like what you, then everybody listening needs to do to make sure you're in on this.

[A]

Because the Kickstarter is live now, so.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So tell us how it all works.

[C]

So the Kickstarter, basically the Kickstarter is like, it's a crowdfunding campaign. So the idea is that we need backers so that we can bring the physical, like do the print run of these books that we have created. Ali and I have done one previously. We did after the end last year, which was an amazing project. And if people, I mean it was amazing for us. We completely were blown away by the support. We did not expect it to go the way it did and are very, very grateful for it. And so the idea is that you essentially are doing a pre order if we fund the campaign. So we usually have like a, an amount of money that funds the campaign. So once the campaign is funded, then anybody that wants to back it can back it. And then once it's finished, then we are able to create the books. We do our own print run, so we have a printer that we work with overseas and they make the books for us. And then we have a fulfillment partner here in the US that distributes the book. Actually, for this one, we are trying to partner. We are in the process of partnering with a fulfillment partner in the UK and the EU because the shipping prices for Europe and the UK when you send them from here are astronomical. So we are partnering with a shipment and a fulfillment partner in the UK and the EU that has warehouses there. And then that way the prices for shipping for EU and UK backers can be a lot more accessible. So that's something that we really wanted to do for this one because the last. The prices are crazy. So anyway, so what you do is you essentially go on our Kickstarter page. It would be the historical trailblazers Kickstarter. And there's going to be different tiers that you can back and then you back, you pick the one that you want, you select that you won't be charged until the campaign closes, which closes on June 2nd. And then, you know, a few months later, you will get your beautiful, amazing book. And for the audio backers, you will get. Get the audiobook once they're finished. We the. The schedule for the audiobooks is for them to be ready in September, October, like in the fall.

[B]

And then one other thing is like, you can do sort of like a pay over time on Kickstarter, right? There's sort of a way to, you know, you don't, if you're looking at that and like, you're like, I really want these, but, you know, this money right now, but, you know, if I knew I could pay in, you know, installments essentially. So there are like, little, there are options and, you know, there's just lots of ways to like, support this. Right. And so we just hope that everyone is really excited about it. I am. I think this is, I don't know, like seeing these books and just really, like, giving them their flowers. I'm really saying, like, these books are, these authors, these are foundational to like, historical romance, Romance itself. You know, we all deserve these, like, beautiful books. I just cannot wait.

[C]

Yeah. And groundbreaking in so many ways. Like, Eugenie Lin's book was the first historical romance that was traditionally published that was set in ancient China. And you know, K.J. charles kind of brought in not only like, mm, romance into historical, but also, I mean, it had been before, but like the genre, like the genre mashing that she did is historical. It's horror, it's paranormal, some mystery.

[B]

Yeah, it's got it all.

[C]

Right. Yes, it's got it all. And of course Indigo, which is, you know, I think when that book came out, I don't think there really was anything else like it that was being published. And it's still, to this day. Like, I've read that book, I don't know, four or five times since we started this project because for different reasons, I had to reread it. And it's honestly, like, so timely. Like, it could have come out last month and it would still be that relevant.

[B]

Yeah, well, and I think, like, that's the part if you're, you know, I mean, if you're. If you are a historical romance reader, like, you know, how illuminating they can be about our time. Right.

[D]

Like, sort of.

[B]

There's so many ways to, like, connect with historical. And so, you know, once we're done talking about the campaign and sort of all the exciting things about it, right, we're gonna talk about other historicals. We love that. We think you should read just for, like, vibes to get you ready. But, you know, I just feel like so many of the books right in the collection are books I just think about over and over that they just, you know, it's like the very definition of, like, a keeper shelf. But now we are giving you versions that, like, match, like, the product. You know what I mean? The book itself matches, like, the way I feel about it. Right. And that's a beautiful thing. So what do we do if we

[A]

want to order this book right now? Aside from go to show notes and click on the link, go to the

[C]

Kickstarter page, select the tier that you want to buy, and then you will be a backer.

[A]

And the tiers, how do the tiers work?

[C]

So. So we have different tiers. We want it because we have audiobooks. We also. We always want to have, like, a digital option so that the pricing is accessible at a lot of different price points. So the way that we've done the tiers is we have the box set tier. And then of course, there's going to be, like, the mega box set where you can get the audiobooks and all the art prints and the box set together. And then there's different tiers. If you just want the box set. If you just want the audios, we also have a book club tier, which is three copies of the same book. Because we try to make it a collection so that people, you know, sometimes, you know, people will want to, like, pick and choose just one book. And, like, the idea is that we want you to, like, we curate these collections very careful.

[A]

You're gonna love all five of these books. Enjoy yourselves.

[C]

But we Also know that, you know, there's these books have a lot of different readerships. So for, like, we. For someone that we really just want, like, this book, like the, like, you know, the compromise that we came to us. So we can give you a book club tier where you and two friends can come together and get three copies of the same book. And those will have also their own slip case. So you won't. You won't get, like, you will be able to get your suitcase with it. And then we'll also have bookseller bundle, and the bookseller bundles are for any independent bookstores out there that want to carry these box sets. We have an option for them as well. And there's also, like, the audiobook tier. So you have an audiobook tier, which is both audiobooks, and then you can get each audiobook individually so that we can give people a lot of entry points in terms of, like, just price points. We wanted to have, like, an option that was less than $100. We wanted to have an option that was less than, you know, like, that kind of thing.

[D]

You forgot the most important thing.

[A]

Oh, the raccoon.

[D]

See, Sarah didn't forget. I like you, Adriana.

[C]

That's right. And we also have a Regency Amorosa plushie. Cute, cute. Which collect all.

[B]

All Omarosas.

[C]

We. That is our plan for, you know, any collections that we do have a different version of Omarosa, the beanie baby of romance Corre.

[B]

Except it comes with books.

[C]

Because she is labuba sized.

[A]

You guys have done an incredible thing. And, like, listen, the historical author and lover in my heart is just so excited about this project and about just finally seeing historical get the love that I know it deserves. I said when we started this, the first thing I said to all of you was that I have just spent the last, like, two days prepping for this episode, just reading historical romance and, like, just having pure joy. And I'm so excited for this project. So thank you for the project. Thank you for letting us be a part of it. Fated mates. Listeners are definitely going to be over the moon to get all of the books, especially our. Our sweet baby Derek Craven.

[C]

Derek Craven. There's so many versions of Derek Craven in this special edition. One that looks suspiciously like Tom Hardy.

[A]

What my favorite is, every time there was a piece of art that came through, I was like, where are the spectacles? And Adrianna was like, these spectacles are really getting their work done.

[C]

Yes. Everywhere.

[B]

Everywhere.

[A]

Basicly, this loves a talisman, and so do I.

[C]

Listen. And she. When we sent her the Art, of course, like, you know, like, Ally and I had a moment of like, she has perceived us. She is aware of the fact that we are people in the world and exist. And she really loved this special edition she sent us. I love them in like all caps. Like, she really, really loves it. Yeah, this is fine.

[D]

It's okay. It's fine. We're good.

[B]

We're good.

[D]

We're breathing still.

[C]

Totally cool. Not like totally normal.

[B]

We're all cool. You know, one last thing I, I think is, you know, the books for after the end have come in.

[A]

You have seen them.

[B]

And so, you know, you also really can speak from experience and saying, like, these books don't just look beautiful. It are not gonna just look beautiful in photos or look beautiful in videos. Like, you have had your hands on sort of like what is coming from your printer. And so you can really say, like, these books are going to just be. Feel great in your hands too.

[A]

Everybody, we had a moment.

[D]

We went to the warehouse and well, after, after, after. Adriana was very mean to my cats, we went to the warehouse and we were like. Yeah, I was kind of speechless, honestly.

[C]

Yes, it was kind of a moment because this, I mean, I have to say, like, Ali and I have done it. Like this entire thing started from a place of like, we just want to see certain things celebrated in this space and we just like, I feel like we have to take matters into our own hands and we can't do it all, but we can't do a couple or a few things and do them with like the most love that we possibly can. And we are certain that there's going to be people out there that want this as much as we want it to exist. And the response that we got with after the end was so overwhelming. Like, we honestly still cannot believe it and we want into the Foot Warehouse and it was like wall to wall palettes of romance novels that we had printed ourselves. Like, it was just, I don't know, this, this fandom. And I mean, not fandom. I. Sorry, I'm like, still in hated rivalry.

[D]

The romance community is a fandom in a way, if you think about it.

[C]

Absolutely. And this romance, this community, like, I, you know, there's so many things that you could say, but there is one thing that is true and is that we love this genre with such passion. And there are people that really, I feel like, have that sense of, like, there are so many more things that we could be doing in this genre to celebrate the voices that don't get as much platform and so we are, we were, we still are amazed with the response to after the end and we hope that we can do. Can people come to the trailblazers again?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it was, it was really special going to that warehouse. Like, Ally was and I were like,

[A]

did we do this?

[B]

This week's episode of Faded Mates is brought to you by Dawn Banks, author of the Spreadsheet Situation.

[A]

So Evie Watson is wild about her job. She is a librarian in a small town called Sapling Grove, which is maybe a little too small town for her. The libra there requires that all their librarians sort of assume quote, other duties as a sign. So she's a little bit of like problems here and there, kind of sticking to boundaries and creating them for herself. Her anxiety is through the roof because the library short staffed and there's like a condescending English professor who just keeps coming in and out and like irritating her. But one thing Evie can do and one thing that she knows she does very well is like manage a spreadsheet. This is a woman who like, give her a task and she can complete it. And the. Which is very helpful because history professor Andrew Brandt is in the library one day with, needing some serious help with Excel, which is, listen, this is perfect. Evie has a crush on him. He's a super nerd. He loves to cook. She's very into him. And so, you know, maybe she can teach him how to like, fill a cell or two and convince him that he needs her for the long term.

[B]

Amazing. So if you would like to check out, the Spreadsheet Situation is available right now in print and ebook. And also the second book in this series comes out next month. So you can read the spreadsheet situation and get yourself ready for the boyfriend setup. If your podcasting app supports it, you can click on the chapter title right now to be taken to buy the books. Thanks to Dawn Banks for sponsoring this week's episode.

[A]

Well, let's talk a little bit about historicals. Since we're talking about historicals. Everybody here loves a historical romance. So what we've done is we, you know, our listeners know that we, a couple times a year do a historical specific episode where we just talk about books that we love because we will always talk about historicals, whether or not publishing comes from or not traditional publishing. And can we do some talking about historicals that we all love that you, that you guys love? We've asked everybody to come with some books that they want to talk about. I know Ali has two specific bangers to speak about. One of which is like a literal banger.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Which she was. Was. She was ready to tussle in the chat group. Like, just so you know.

[A]

Just so you know, you don't get to have this one. I have things to discuss. Okay, so. But before we get to Rex, can we just talk about, like, historicals at a high level? Like, what is it that gives us this, like, absolute joy about historicals? And, Ali, I'm gonna put you on the spot because I know the other two have been recorded talking about it.

[D]

I think the reason why at the end I will always go back to historicals is that they go there. You know, like, they go everywhere. There is that sense of. And. And to be clear, I also think that the same reason people love romantasy now is that romantasy is better able to capture the essence of historicals than contemporary. It's this idea. If something is set in a period and allocation that just feels sort of far away or separated from where we are in time, it's okay for characters to just do bonkers things and experience bonkers things. And that is why we are okay with the whole, oh, he has to suck the bee juice from her tit or whatever.

[C]

Classic. We were robbed, by the way, in season two of Bridgerton.

[A]

I write a letter to Shonda Rhimes daily about this. Hi, Shonda, it's me again. Me again.

[B]

What were you thinking there?

[D]

You are not yet forgiven, Shonda. Goodbye, Sarah. But yeah, that is, I think. And again, like, I stand by what I get, what I tell everyone who tells me.

[B]

I don't.

[D]

I'm not really into contemporary. I just, like, romanticy is like. But have you checked out historicals? Because it's very much that same vibe to me. I also want to say I am a dumb person when it comes to history. I've just never been very good at it. You don't have to understand history to enjoy historical stuff.

[B]

I mean,

[D]

it's important to me that people who are like me who are like, I don't know the difference between Regency and Victorian. And I am just gonna.

[A]

Do you need to.

[D]

I'm gonna vary it all.

[B]

No one starts with a V. One starts with an R. Whatever it does.

[C]

And as someone who loves history and is, like, very much into, like, the finer details of, like, when. That you also can enjoy it very much, even if it's not perfectly historically accurate.

[A]

Everyone bathes all the time. Everyone has perfect teeth. Everyone has an air pack.

[B]

That's totally how that works.

[C]

Spectrum work here. Okay.

[A]

Somehow all these Men are like six and a half feet tall but never hit their heads.

[B]

Yeah, right. Can you imagine how crazy that would be if you met somebody that tall from 200 years ago? Everyone was shorter. Anyway, it's.

[D]

I. I was reading. It's kind. Well, not really a historical romance and not even a romance, but Mystery of Time. I was reading it like I think last year, a couple of years ago she. This is someone from. Again, I don't know what historical era. Somewhere in the 1900s or late 1800s, whatever. So what? It's a man from the past who is brought to the present and the main character says he was 57 or something, which would have been a super tall for his time, but not very tall for our time. And I was like, shut up. They were all 6, 10 and above in the Regency era. We all know that.

[B]

Come on. That's how that works.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Anyway, excellent book. Highly recommend.

[C]

Amazing book.

[D]

Aside from these incorrect detail, that minor historical inaccuracy.

[C]

Details we don't need to know.

[D]

Exactly.

[A]

I just retcon it in my head. Like everybody says that Lysa Klepus, Marcus Westcliffe is a short king. Not in my head. In my head he's like 6:10.

[D]

You know, Marcus is like 6:3, which is slightly shorter.

[A]

Yeah, that's it.

[D]

The other guys who are 6, 5 and above. That's it.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, so let's talk about some books. Who wants to go first? She's got one. Well, Allie, since you're going. Yes.

[C]

I was like to go.

[B]

We're ready. Like tee it up.

[A]

Launch us.

[D]

What should I. You guys know what my choices are? Which one should I start with?

[A]

Start with a bang with a banger.

[D]

Okay, I don't even have a physical copy, but it's this. This is audio only, right?

[B]

Yes, correct.

[D]

Eric, do not add that, please.

[A]

Okay, well.

[D]

Okay, my first one is going to have to be Passion by Liza Valdez, which A classic. A classic.

[A]

A trailblazing penis truth.

[C]

A groundbreaking phallus. Oh my God.

[D]

Okay, all of these jokes will make much more sense to you guys once you read the book.

[B]

You know the thing though, that is amazing. I want you to tell the story that I like didn't let you tell, which is like how you first acquired this.

[D]

So it's a. I actually don't even know what year it was, but I can tell you that I. Maybe I was a minor. I don't know when I read this book, I'm not sure, but it was the early 2000s at some point. And so again I was living in Italy. My English was not. Not super good. And probably like, if I heard of this book at that time, it must have been from All About Romance. But at the time may have been called like Laurie likes books or something. Do you guys remember those olden times? So that would have been where I would have gotten the book recommendation. And I feel like even back then people were like, this book is not like anything else that has ever been written. So Passion is the story of this young widow who goes to. Again, history is a mystery. Some big great expo in London.

[A]

It's the World's Fair. Isn't it the World's Fair?

[C]

Yes, it's the World's Fair.

[B]

The Crystal Palace World Fair.

[C]

Right?

[D]

The longest Crystal Palace. Yes, yes, yes. And she meets some guy who. And they're like just immediately hot for each other. Now you're gonna be like, this sounds really sketchy, but everything I'm gonna say is actually played straight in the book. It's just a very purple. Purple prosy. Like the book takes itself seriously and I take it very seriously. Yes, I will fight over this book. So they just see each other across. I don't know, like this is where the expo hall and they. I believe they. They like sort of bump into each other and 10 minutes later they are banging behind one of those like screens or something.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, sure. An expo screen.

[D]

It makes so much sense, guys. In the text you're like, oh, no. Yes, of course. What else?

[A]

She's a widow.

[D]

She just needs a widow.

[A]

She needs it. It.

[D]

He's hot and.

[A]

Yeah, and. Well, you're leaving out the main conflict of the book. The main conflict of the book.

[D]

You guys, this man has a giant deck and he.

[C]

It's a giant menace.

[A]

Under. Underline, underline, underline.

[C]

Giant.

[B]

Like, no, very, very long. You're also leaving on the fact that she has like a. A super secret pocket in her cervix.

[D]

Yeah, I was gonna. Getting there. I'm sorry.

[B]

Okay. It's both. And everybody is what I'm trying to say.

[A]

So long. You are jumping ahead.

[C]

I want to make an aside here. This book is actually prophetic and very omega verse coded. Let's continue.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

That's why I'm like, this is formative to me. Like, this is people. I know people have been making fun of the book since it came out, but yeah, I. No, like, I. It made me. It molded me into who I am.

[A]

It's awesome. Very hot. Oh, it's so hot.

[B]

Yeah. This week's episode of Fated Mates is brought to you by Juniper Butterworth, author of the King in the Forest.

[A]

This is the conclusion to Juniper's Goblins and Cheese quartet and which is fantasy adventure romance featuring goblins, cheese and an MMF pairing. So our F. In this book, Elson has been queen of the land for one year and things are not going well. There are strange and terrible fairies who are marauding the land and attacking her subjects. Cheese distribution to the hungry cannot happen fast enough. The wizard Ildar is missing. Her consort Kandar has made it a habit to throw noblemen like down hills when they annoy him. They do deserve it, but. But still. And Ben, Kandar and Elson's lover is rumored to have killed his mother. Though it's totally fine she's alive and just stealing cheese in the background. Worst of all though, Elson has to go it alone while Kandar and Ben travel on a mission to figure out what's going on. That's bringing kind of chaos and mayhem to the world around them. And what they uncover is something pretty terrifying. Cruel fairy lords, fire worshiping dukes, ancient betrayals. And what needs to happen is the three of them have to come together and then partner with unlikely allies in the battle for the Elson kingdom, including, you know, making friends with the cheese thieves, I guess.

[B]

Amazing. So a lot to happen here in this final book. So if you are looking to figure out what is going to happen to all of these magical creatures, goblins, fairies, queens, kings, all that stuff, then check out the King in the Forest. It is available now for pre order. The book comes out on May 26th and everybody's gonna be safe in the end and hea will be had by all and there'll be a romance horse.

[A]

He's very heroic. It says. What else do you need to know?

[B]

Everybody. So thank you to Juniper Butterworth for sponsoring this week's episode.

[D]

Anyway, so here's the conflict. Is that Mark, the main character, the dude, he's an earl or duke or something. History. I don't know, I don't.

[C]

Hair.

[D]

He has a title, but he's also an architect. So he is a man of sake.

[C]

Yes.

[D]

Just. Just putting it out there.

[A]

He not biology.

[D]

He has this monstrous palace. Humongous that he has never been able to get into a woman as much as he wanted to. But at the awards expo behind that faded screen he is able to get into passion apparently. Just not quite. Not quite as deep as he would like.

[A]

The pocket is not fine because they're standing.

[D]

They're standing. Exactly, exactly.

[A]

It needs a full Laying down.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But he sees the potential in her body. And that is why they start a relationship now without too many spoilers. This man is engaged, but he's only engaged because he's been blackmailed by someone who actually happens to be close to passion. This is. This gets very complicated, but like messy. Yeah, so messy. Again, this type of messiness like in contemporary people these days would be like emotional cheating or whatever. And I'm like. But he has found the pocket

[A]

penetrator Cervix. Exactly.

[C]

It came with a built in dig pocket. Like get with it.

[A]

This lady also has a cervix with no nerves.

[C]

So none.

[A]

Okay, so you.

[C]

If you have the pelvic floor in history.

[A]

Exactly. She's been doing her. This predates Kegel.

[C]

Oh, God. Concrete pelvic floor.

[A]

This is.

[D]

Listen, it's so good, you guys. You don't understand.

[A]

It's so hot.

[D]

Once Sandra, who is one of my favorite like just person who talks. She's. I want to say an influence. She's someone who talks about actually a lot of historical romance and she's one of my favorite. She once said that fate is the ultimate lubricant. And I would also say fate is the ultimate polyclore. Like that is just like your, your, your. Your internal muscles will be healed by.

[C]

Sure.

[D]

The fact that you are fated to be.

[B]

Mark.

[A]

Mark. There's also so much Bible in this book.

[D]

She. It's actually, it's a, it's a. It's a Bible.

[A]

Solomon. It's right.

[D]

Her favorite. She has a favorite scripture or whatever, which is something his brother teases him about. It's like you are doing a woman who has a favorite part of the Bible.

[C]

This is weird.

[B]

You know what's amazing for me, it was like when I, I mean, I read that book, I look 2010, like on my own. I had no, I had no one to know to be like, you came through it late, huh?

[A]

You came to it late. You.

[D]

You picked it up at the store without knowing.

[B]

Well, I think I probably read it early. But like, that's when I have my Kindle. Like, right. Essentially.

[C]

Honestly, it has a great cover.

[D]

The green. Yeah.

[A]

But I fan.

[B]

You just have to understand, like back in the day, before social media, you were just on your own.

[D]

Oh yeah.

[B]

Reading these books, being like, what the

[A]

fuck did I say? And nobody was saying he has a massive dick.

[B]

No, nobody was there. They were like, listen, check this shit out. I just. Who knows? Who knows how I found it, right?

[D]

It's true. I Feel like there were. It's a new thing to be like. I recommend this book because it's so spicy. Like, I. I feel like back at the time, people would have been like, oh, the story enthralling.

[A]

TikTok discovered passion. They like, no. Why has Tick like, it's so spicy. Takes on a new level when he's penetrating your cervix pocket.

[D]

You guys, please, please. Can one of you tick tock influencers make this book blow up so that. So that I can just like, talk about it with everyone? This is very important.

[C]

Historical. In one fell swoop.

[A]

He's also a twin and the bees match.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

At one point, he and the brother are like, God, it's such a drag that we can't find a lady with a service pocket.

[D]

The brother's younger.

[A]

There's like a little song they made up.

[D]

Yeah, they have the song which was like. Basically the song is a fancy way of saying, if she can take my whole deck, I'm gonna.

[B]

Then she's the one that.

[A]

She's the one.

[B]

It's like the princess in the pea, essentially. Exactly.

[C]

Honestly, like, if you just read it.

[A]

The letter P. If you have read

[C]

an Ali Hazelwood book, you can see

[D]

that Lizabald is my mother.

[C]

The blueprint of Lisa Valdez. It is. It is there for you to discover

[D]

also the villainous villains. Like, we're talking, like, there's so much

[A]

black males, so much drama.

[D]

Truly, it's a very misogynistic book. Like, every woman who is in Passion is pretty much a terrible person. You know, it's fine.

[B]

We will.

[C]

It's very of the time. Yeah, it's very of the time.

[D]

And it's. I don't know, it has like this drama, like, the drama of it all. I. I'm.

[C]

We're talking.

[D]

We're laughing about it, but literally, like, these two fall in love and it's so they're doomed.

[A]

The revelation of the actual conflict, the like. Like who he is engaged to, how it is all tied together is brutal.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And I really do think this is where historical sings is the, like, what is the worst possible scenario that these two will have to overcome? Make it so at least if Valdez knows that job. Oh, yeah.

[D]

And I mean, this is the. The sequel, which is about the. The younger brother and her younger. And Passion's younger sister, Patience is also Patience. Yes. Which goes deep in like, BDSM stuff. But of course, they didn't know what BDSM was at the time.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Until Iterum. It's It's a very. Yeah. It's another one that you're. You're like, oh, wow.

[A]

Like, and this books came out what, like 2007. 2000.

[D]

Okay. I want to say. Okay. Passion, like early 2000s, I think patience came out like seven years later. Even though supposed to come out like two months.

[A]

I know. Came out like two weeks after my first romance novel in 2010.

[D]

That was because it was delayed a lot. Right?

[A]

Yeah. And then.

[D]

But I was waiting all those years and then Primrose still waiting. So, Lisa, if you're listening to this, like, I will buy 100,000 copies of Primrose.

[A]

Also, Lisa, we've been trying to reach you to come on the podcast. We love you. We're good. Ali and Adrianna will tell you that we're very nice.

[D]

They are very nice.

[C]

We will A squared can do a special edition of Primrose.

[D]

Lisa, literally, like, I will. We will be your publisher and make you food while you write because, like, I have been waiting for. I have read the first chapter of Primrose at the end of page multiple times. So many times. And you are my hero and I love you. And yeah, let me polish your shoes or something.

[C]

Like, it's. To me, it's like also, like, it's like not a big deal now in 2026, 2024, 2020, to write a whole book where a big part of the conflict is his dick is enormous. But let me tell you something. There was not a lot out there in 2005. 2006, with like groundbreaking central theme.

[A]

Well, I mean, like, there's sort of the classic conundrum, which is it will never fit. But then what she did was she

[B]

was like, no, really, it will fit.

[C]

Yes. No, really, like this quest. Yeah.

[A]

A quest

[C]

to find the right noble quest. Pelvic floor. And he found it beautiful.

[A]

Our first. So this is. These are books for. For you to read to tide you over while you wait for the historical

[D]

trailblazers collection and to do me a personal favor which.

[A]

And yeah, also you could just call Ally up at the end to dig

[C]

deeply into the Aliez. Yeah, exactly.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

You're gonna real.

[B]

It is true. You really did show your hand there.

[D]

I know who made me. I know who made me. And I. And I think of them every day.

[A]

This week's episode of Faded Mates is sponsored by Elle Kennedy, author of the Off Campus series and its first book, the Deal. And also the new romance Amazon show.

[B]

Exactly. Everybody's been waiting for your next romance show to drop. And here it Is if you haven't read this book, it is terrific. Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. She's super confident in every area of her life.

[C]

Life.

[B]

She is crushing it in school, but she's really nervous about like sex and seduction. And so she just cannot figure out how to get her crush's attention. Until Garrett Graham comes into the picture. Not her crush. Instead, he is the essentially like the bad boy of the school's hockey team. She wouldn't even think to have a crush on someone like him. He is the most popular kid at Briar U. Until what happens is he needs help. Help essentially passing a class that he shares with Hannah. Everybody has completely bombed this test except for her. And she convinces and he convinces her to tutor him in the class. And he will make her essentially the coolest girl in school by pretending to be interested in her. She's like, surely that won't work. And he's like, well, men are really stupid, trust me. And a great romance is born. So if you haven't had a chance to read the deal, you should. But also watch the terrific looking trailer for this new show at Amazon, which drops this week.

[A]

Well, if you would like to get started on the off campus series with the deal, you can do that right now in print, ebook and audiobook. It looks like they've got a movie tie in cover already for the series, so that's exciting too. You can click on the chapter title if your podcasting app supports it and you'll be taken to buy the book. Thanks so much to Elle Kennedy for sponsoring this week's episode.

[B]

So I'm going to talk about one of my favorites which is Nighthawk by Beverly Jenkins. And I think the thing that historical also really does for me especially kind of now is like these are books where there is plot. Things happen, right? Things happen in these books. And so I think that is like really appealing to me. I'm a person who like, likes a lot of plot. I really like a lot of ex. External conflict. You know, I. I like to feel like it's like these two people against the world, right? Like pleasing. It's like if you take heroin against the wall and then turn it to like people against the world, like I am all in. And so in Nighthawk, what we have is Maggie. She's our heroine and she has like been orphaned since she was very young, you know, 10 or 12, essentially has been on her own and she essentially. And again, like this is like, I don't know, like, I guess this would come with like a boatload of content warnings and now. But you know, she essentially is almost, almost sexually assaulted. And in the process of like getting away, the man is killed. Like I think he like she like pushes him off and he trips and you know, essentially hits his head on the corner of a table which, you know, in a historical romance will kill you. I don't know if that's true in real life. And you know, now you have to have like. I don't actually want to talk about it. Anyway, so Ian Vance, who is Preacher, right, is sent, is a bounty hunter and he is sent after her to essentially like take, take her, you know, to the law. Now you have to understand this man, this poor man, he had a beloved wife. She died six or seven years ago, whatever. And he can never love again.

[A]

He just can't. That's just fact.

[C]

That is is a fact.

[D]

No weedoware can ever love again.

[B]

He can never love again and ever.

[C]

His heart is broken, Correct?

[B]

He is broken. His heart is broken, but he doesn't have a heart. So he can't talk about it.

[A]

He can just science. The heart just removed.

[B]

It's just replaced with a, a star. From the fact that he's a lawman, right. That's, it's, that's what his heart is now. I love that you refer to him

[A]

as, as a lawman.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

Well, because all cops are bastards, but Preacher is not. So anyway, he goes and he like collects her. And then I will tell you, these two go on the most rip roaring historical adventure, right? Like they are on a train. There are bad guys after them. They are, right? There's like, you know, hotels and like you can't go there. And I mean it's just like unreal. The whole thing is just like, like, like scene after scene after scene where you are like I am watching an action movie, only it's a romance. And because of course, you know, he can't love again. And she is like. Nina really has been on her own for so long. So such like a rich, beautiful conflict. And like I was rereading. It's been a while since I've re reread it. And I was rereading the part where he basically gets this like idea in his head that they should get married. Married. So like now she knows he can't love. She said, you know, basically as much. And so he asked her to marry him and she's kind of like, why do you want to do that? And he's like, just say yes. But they're having sex. So she's like, yes. And so. And she's excited, right? Because she's just basically like, look, I can. I would just want to be with him. I don't know. It is like, to me, the pinnacle of like, kind of what historical does so well in that it is like, I love that. Like, I. I'm broke. I'm a broken man.

[A]

I can never love again.

[B]

And here I have met this beautiful, spectacular, perfect woman. Oh, no. Plus a train adventure. So that is Nighthawk by Beverly Jenkins. I'm going to tell you one other thing. One of the reasons that this is my favorite is because I secretly suspect that this is also one of Bev's favorites. If you have ever heard her talk about this book or this cover, she just gets a special little extra twinkle in her eye and if you know what I mean. And I remember the first time I saw her, her, like, sort of mention preacher, and you know, she has that raspy laugh and I was like, oh, this is one of her favorites. And in fact. So I don't know if that's true, but I feel that it is true.

[A]

Adrianna, what do you got?

[C]

Well, I. I was gonna. I have two because you told us to, but I'm gonna talk about Flowers from the Storm by Laura.

[B]

Yeah, I know. We're already. Right, exactly.

[C]

So this book, I mean, I think. I mean, it's a. Well, I mean, again, a well known text for historical romance lovers. Laura Cail is one of those authors that kind of has like her own space for writing.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Is not like anybody else's. Like, I think it. She. She's one of those romance authors, which I think is kind of one of my favorite kind of romance author who really kind of sticks to the conventions, but turns them all in their head. She really is a. Just writes kind of in her own lane and always picks really weird settings. She loves France in the 1700s. I almost picked Prince of Midnight, which, by the way, the heroine was in a sex cult and he rides a horse in a harlequin suit. So you do with that what you want.

[A]

Historical romance is unmatched.

[C]

You do. And he has a wolf dog. Like, it's a little wolf. So you do know what you want. It's. It's out there for you to read Prince of Midnight. He also has vertigo, so, you know, and he rides a horse.

[A]

So he rides a horse with vertigo.

[C]

So. Yeah.

[B]

So he's a romance hero, Sarah.

[A]

Never falls off.

[C]

No, yeah. No, not. It's a problem. That's why he's he's retired because he used to be like a. Like a vigilante. He's. Why am I talking about Prince of Midnight? Well, it is.

[A]

Welcome to fated mates, everyone.

[C]

You should definitely read it. I'm going to talk about Maddie. Girl from the storm. So this book is. Let's just start with the fact that she's a Quaker and so, so much religious trauma.

[A]

Yeah, she's a Quaker.

[C]

This one came out in what? Let me look. 1992. And, you know, there were not a lot of Quaker heroines being written.

[A]

She's a Quaker. Everyone else like what?

[B]

We're like, yeah, of course. Obviously, she's a Quaker.

[C]

And her being a Quaker is such a huge piece of arc because she really is not trying to be a part of this oppressive colonialist system. Like, this woman is out here trying to be an abolitionist, okay? And so she ends up getting hooked up with this man who is, by the way, the first chapter. He's cheating. He's having sex with someone's wife.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I mean, straight up.

[C]

Not her. She's a friend.

[B]

And she's like, I think I might be pregnant. He's like, well, you better pass that off to your husband. I don't want anything to do with it.

[A]

And you're like, this is not what

[B]

is actually happening right now.

[C]

Let me go drink some hot chocolate.

[A]

Let me go drink some hot chocolate.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

One star unforgivable hero. Would not. Would not dnf. No redemption. DNF after one chapter.

[A]

Then what happens to it?

[D]

Exactly.

[C]

And then, whoops. Has a stroke. Cannot talk. He has stroke. So here's the thing about. I think the mark of. To me, what is one of the. Like, when the hero does something that's unforgivable, like, page one, like, you know, you're in for a great fucking time.

[A]

He is gonna have to crawl over broken glass.

[C]

Also, he's a math genius. So is her dad. So they correspond, sending each other asylum.

[D]

That's right. The asylum.

[C]

Her dad's blind, so she's the one that does the letters for him switch. Like, they are, like, exchanging theorems and shit, like, in a correspondence. He's a math genius. Her dad's a math genius.

[A]

He.

[C]

He is disappears. He's actually in an asylum. He's been like, you know, because, you know, he was, like, sleeping around with people's wives, so he's now, like, stuck in this prison. She finds him. Is able to bring him back to life.

[A]

I love math. With math.

[C]

With math. I love a story of a woman like he's in a coma. He is, you know, can't speak anymore. But he sees her and like, all of it comes back. So he sees her. She literally saves him. Maddie girl. And then it's literally from there it is. I can't even. Like, there's so many, like, it's like crazy thing after crazy thing and everything gets even. It's. It's such a. It's very much like a road trip romance for a little bit. The queen shows up at one point. Like, it's a lot of different. Like, it's a great time. And it really, I think, is one of those books, I always say, like, historical romance is like the Broadway musical of romance. Like, I feel like, you know, all the heroes are like John Valjean and they just kind of like come into the scene and break into song. Laura Kinsale's books really feel like that to me. Like, the heroes are. I mean, all historical romance heroes are larger than life. But her character characterization is so intricate. Like, the. These men have so many layers to them. And this one specifically, I think it's. She does a really fun book. I think people don't give her as much credit because her books, I think are really funny and have, like, a lot of, like, comedic, like, elements to them that are really great. But also there is, like, you, like, in this book specifically, and that's something that Sarah always talks about. It's like, why can't they be together? And like, with this book specifically, to the last page, she is just fighting this because she really does not want to leave the world that she knows she has to turn her back on because she can no longer be a part of. She can't be a friend anymore if she is going to be with this man. And it is something that really is so hard for her to turn her back on this world that has been safe for her and something she believes in. Like, she's so tight to her values. And he is just like a reprimate. Yes. Like, really truly. Like, on the first page, like, this man is not nice. Okay. He is, like, sleeping with other people's wives and then also being like, what about it? Like, you're pregnant. Well, I'm thirsty.

[A]

That's on you, my friend.

[C]

Yeah, I'm thirsty. Let me go drink some hot chocolate. Like, it's literally like, unhinged. And he is not a nice guy. And then she really transforms him. Like, his is. He really becomes a better person because she's in his life. And I love this book. Like, Laura Canale's prose is unmatched. I really think she is one of the most beautiful at a sentence level. And you don't need to be like at the sentence level. This is beautiful. But she really does write a beautiful book.

[A]

And

[C]

that's my pick. Flowers from the Storms. I think it's also one of the classics of the genre. I think everybody that loves romance should read this book at some point, because that man is a lot.

[A]

This week's episode of Faded Mates is sponsored by Blue Box Press, publishers of Larissa I Own's Legacy of Desire, a new Demonica Birthright novel.

[B]

Yeah, and this is gonna be super sexy. Why choose Demonica Birthright, everybody?

[A]

What?

[B]

So what we have here is Scotland. She is a warrior in her own right, right? And the daughter of one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse War. I mean, you know, and she has dedicated her life to fighting evil with her two demon best friends, Mace and Blade. They have an extraordinary bond and uncanny ability to operate in perfect unison, and this has made them legends on as on their demonic activity response team. So essentially, they have agreed, though, to, like, essentially never talk about Rome romance because they might ruin a good thing between these three teammates. But as things kind of devolve, there's a recent tragedy. Mason Blade can no longer ignore their feelings. Scotty has determined to lose her virginity and ask these two for help figuring out who might help her with this task. And so now one teammate's in the hospital, the other one is in Scotty's arms. What's going to happen between the three of them?

[A]

How could she possibly decide?

[B]

Maybe she doesn't have to. No.

[A]

Why choose? Why choose, Jen? You don't have to anyway if you also don't have to choose. If you want to read a paranormal romance with a why choose, then? This one is absolutely for you. If you've ever read anything by Larissa, you know it's going to be blazing hot and very fun. And you can get it right now in print, ebook or audiobook, wherever you get your books. If your podcasting app supports it, you can click on the chapter title to be taken to buy the book. Thanks so much to Blue Box Press and Larissa I own for sponsoring this week's episode. All right, well, I picked something very, very new. I picked Lenora Bell's Can't Get Enough of the Duke, which is out. Which was out last month. Month. And I picked it because, I think, like I said, I've spent the last, you know, couple of weeks reading a lot of historicals for this, but like the last few days, really, like, just basking in the glow of historical. And I think all the time about what you just said, Adriana, about historical being the Broadway of romance. But I also think about the fact that I feel like historical leaves nothing on the table. Like. Like every idea a historical writer is having at the moment that they are writing this book goes into the book they are writing. And there's never a moment where it's like, maybe that's too much, like. No, just pack it in. You know, I think about Lord of Scoundrels and how, you know, the sort of very classic. And I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read it, although it is from the 90s, so go read it. Or read it when it comes to your house in beautiful hardcover. But there's sort of a very classic moment where Jessica puts on a very beautiful mantilla and goes and does a thing. And it happens in your head. You think to yourself, like, that must be the end of the book. But it's actually chapter eight, Right? Like, there's.

[B]

Yeah, the.

[A]

I mean, they're just. Everything gets packed in. So I think Lenora Bell writes a really wonderful, Very funny. She has such an ear for humor like these. But her books are so, so clever. And in this book, this book begins on the battlefield in France during the Napoleonic wars where a man has been lanced to death by a terrible Frenchman. And he calls over his best war friend and he says, he, whose name is the Duke of Warburton because name is destiny. And he says, says, listen, my daughter is now an orphan. She has no one to love her. I need you to be her guardian and go home and take care of her. And he's like, you know, there's battle raging all around him. And he says, I've, you know, I swear it will be done. And then immediately gets stabbed by a Frenchman. And that's the end of chapter one. And then we open, like, years later, and this man has spent years searching, you know, with scars all over his big, massive, beautiful body for this woman, which is probably 5, 7, exactly 6, 11, possibly 7ft. And he's been searching London for her because, of course, like, he was in a, you know, I don't know, sword coma. And she, like. She didn't.

[D]

She didn't have any.

[A]

I'm writing.

[B]

She didn't have any money.

[A]

There was no money. There was no father. Like, no one came home. And so she, like, was in the win. She had to leave her finishing school and, like, no one knows what happened to her, but he's very clever. And in the portrait that his. Her dead father pressed into his hand on the battlefield, she is wearing emeralds. And he's like, well, she's gonna have to pawn these emeralds. So he's waiting for these emeralds to be pawned, and finally a pawn shop in, like, the worst neighborhood of London has them. Turns out she's like, in a. In a, like, you know, know, terrible situation there. And so he goes to find her, and she is also. She is like. She is. Has been. The reason why she's in a terrible situation is because she has been working for this, like, lady writer who was writing romances as their. Her companion, like, as her secretary. But then the lady writer died, and her terrible nephew tried to assault her. And so this woman, like, ran. The heroine ran. And now she's, like, stuck trying to write a dragon novel, like, for her of her own, trying to get found. And he finds her and he's like, I'm your guardian. I'm gonna take care of you. And she's like, fuck you. And she pulls a pencil out of her hair and stabs him in the cheek.

[C]

Not fucking stabbing him again.

[A]

Ah. Gives him a whole new scar.

[C]

Absolute magic.

[D]

Does he go in a pencil coma?

[A]

Wait, no. Pencil coma, no. But she's. Then there's like a. Then there are bad guys who show up at this moment. Were you guys. We're in chapter. Like, two things happen. This is perfect.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Bad guys who show up and they're like, well, do you need our help? But it's clear that, like, they're worse than he is. And so she's like, no, he's my brother. Like, there's a whole back and forth, and then. Then they're running away, they're leaving. And she's like, wait, that's my good pencil. And it's on the ground. And he says, I'll buy you hundreds of pencils if you'll just come with me. And you'll never want. You'll never need anything again. Even pencils. Like, I'll make sure that you have plenty of pencils. Just don't stab me with them. They get home and it's just chaos.

[B]

Like, she.

[A]

There's like, this mystery room with this desk, and she wants. She, like, dreams of writing at this desk. It has a beautiful, like, picture window. And he's like, no one goes into this room.

[B]

Yeah, I love a room.

[A]

She takes over the room, and, like, she's just. Everything he says he's like, you can't do that. And she's like, fudge you. I'm doing it. Stab you, the pencil. Knee in the groin. Take your desk, move your mirrors.

[C]

I love that. That.

[A]

And then of course, she's like, I love erotic texts, but, like, I've never experienced any of this. Would you help me with my research? What does kissing feel like? And he's like, I'm your guardian. I mean, she's 20 something now.

[B]

Like, she's sure. Of course it's fine.

[A]

Also a fiery redhead, because of course she is.

[D]

And Z six months older than her. And it.

[A]

Exactly. And she's like, what does kissing feel like? And he's like, shut up. Don't ask me questions. I'm brooding. And then she's finally like, I'm going to kiss you. And then, of course, his, like, dowdy aunt walks in and is like, well, now you have to marry. And she's like, no, I don't want to marry. And he's like, we have to marry. It's the rules. And now we're in chapter, like five, and now they're married. It's perfect. Exactly. Exactly.

[C]

Amazing.

[A]

Yay. I had a great time. Can't get enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell. It is in trade paper, but it's clearly. It is a ma. A straight up mass market cover, and it came out last month. And everybody's gonna have a great time.

[B]

You know, one of the things I think about a lot too is, like, when they just get married real early, you don't have to, like, play these games that you kind of do in historical where you're like, oh, no, now the UPS man has rung the door doorbell. We can never kiss again for 300 more pages, you know?

[A]

No, I, like, Lenora would never do that to you.

[B]

Thank. Thank you. Thank you, God and Lenora patronage.

[A]

All right, so wait, where are we at now?

[D]

I. I'm sorry, I need to talk about this book. Okay, let's.

[C]

Let's give My Beautiful enemy, like, a minute because we can give all of

[B]

them just like, we'll do a speed round quick. Okay.

[D]

My speed round choice is My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas. And the reason I really want to recommend it is that first of all, it's my favorite Sherry Thomas. And Sherry Thomas is probably my favorite writer with Nalini Singh. Like, I am obsessed with her to the degree that I have befriended her and she thinks I'm her stalker. And it's fine. I'm okay with it. So this book is very much an adventure book. But also it's like it has some very, you know, classic Regency slash Victorian. Again, we have established that. I don't know what history is, but like it's. You know, there is a London season and all of that. But at the same time the main character is a half Chinese assassin who is basically superpowered. If you like romantasy. This book is for you.

[C]

You.

[D]

It's just the most like. I have never read a more enemies to lovers book than this one. I am just telling you that when the book opens the. The two main characters meet for the first time in many years and they are both shocked to see each other because they both think that they had killed the other person. But they used to be lovers. True. So we have an sort of like dislike to lovers to enemies. And when I say enemies is they literally like they were like, oh, I've killed this other guy who was the love of my life, but he deserved it. And now they are together again and there is like these espionage slash like just assassin going about, you know, the London town. And they. They both have to figure this out. They both have these like past that they are hiding. He is engaged to someone else. And that is just like delicious pain

[A]

because Sherry loves that. My God, the angst.

[D]

It's the angs truly. And. And this book is the number two in a duology. You do not have to read the first one. I really like the first one, but it's more of an adventure coming of age book book. It's. It feels almost like an a Y A book where you learn how the main character and became this like. It's. It was basically like you know, the. The traditional like wuxia Chinese movies. That's how she became such a great fighter because she really like just.

[A]

She can kick ass.

[D]

She's amazing. Again, like if you like, if you have never read a historical and you're like I really loved Fourth Wing. This book is to going to put like you're going to be obsessed with this book. It's just great.

[C]

It's very much like Girl with Knife. You know what I mean?

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Like, yes. Like it. And one thing I love about. I mean I think the romance. This is a perfect gateway from someone that loves Romancy.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Because her arc is also like that kind of heroine who's isolated is kind of almost just like a quest that is like secret. It's like all on her her and she just can't trust anyone. And then the person that she's supposed to trust the least is the Person that ends up being her ally. It really is. Like, if you really love romance, it is actually a perfect entry into historical romance.

[D]

Absolutely. Yes. It's heartbreaking. It's beautiful. Yeah. And it's one of the things I, I, I think it's okay to share this, but I was talking to Sharon. I, I keep telling her how this is my favorite of her books, aside from her contemporary, which I also love. But like, and Sherry once told me that it hasn't sold like it, it's the, her least selling book. And it was the first time that she published a book in which, so Sherry is Chinese. Like she grew up in China. She didn't move here until I think she was in her teens. And like, she told me that this was her least selling book, even though it was the first time that she actually wrote a Chinese character. And that is, is mind blowing to me. And I'm like, especially knowing that it really is one of her best works. And it just kind of, I just need again the same person who's about to go to Book Talk and like make passion blow up. Could you actually first do My Beautiful enemy? Thank you. This is very important to me, I have to say.

[C]

Like, Sherry, like I, I, she shared this, I think at some point that she tried like her first time to try to get published with a book that was like, you know, with Chinese characters. And she could not get published and so she ended up writing.

[D]

Yeah, I, I think this or the Heart of the Blade or I think of the, the, the number one in the duology might have been the first thing she has ever written or something like this was a book that she sort of picked up, up later and try to like make so that publishing would, you know, give her characters a chance.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. I love Sher Thomas. We all love Sher Thomas in this space. She is also one of my favorite authors ever. No one does a second chance romance like Sherry Thomas.

[B]

That's true.

[C]

People that like, I mean, truly tempting. The brightest. My personal favorite. But what she doesn't like, and it's like heartbreaking to me, she's like, it was so hard to write that amnesia plot, but like perfectly executed.

[D]

She's really good at writing characters who behave terribly if it makes sense for them to behave terribly. Yes, right.

[B]

She doesn't shy away from that.

[D]

Yeah, exactly. Which is something that I think is, I mean, I myself when I'm writing, I'm like, what would Sherry Thomas do? And I wish I'm gonna try to do it more and more because I Just. I love it. She writes what makes sense versus what, you know, people might complain about.

[A]

That is that. Is it right? Like, it's fearlessness and that it's. It runs through the whole sub genre.

[D]

Like. Yes.

[A]

Historical is about fearlessness in a lot of ways.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean. Yes. And I just want to say, if you enjoy a book where he does the most awful things first, Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas.

[D]

My God, Adam

[C]

going. And there's. I mean, that book has a lot going on, but he really does the absolute unforgivable first.

[D]

And if you enjoy Somnophilia, also read Not Quite a Husband also.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

If you're a fan of an audience or you enjoy.

[D]

I'm sorry.

[B]

No, I love you. Perfect book.

[D]

No criticism, nothing. You can come to my house if you don't like Not Quite a Husband and I will fight, fight you and then feed you to my

[B]

fighting in this episode.

[C]

Mess with anybody, but not with him.

[B]

Well, it is. All right. I'm really torn about what to do next, but I think I'm going to really go. I mean, we're like in old school land, so I just really want to talk about Devil's Bride by Stephanie Lawrence.

[A]

And the thing I was thinking about

[B]

is, like, kind of like, why was I recommending these? Like, why are these I wanted to talk about? And I feel like in some ways, ways, I understood that I was coming to the space. Like, these are like, sort of correctives. The thing that I think are boring in contemporary romance, right? And so, like, one of the things I find incredibly boring, I'm like, why is this so boring? Right? He's been into her all along. I just don't. I'm like, why am I reading this then? And then I was like, okay. But in Devil's Bride, basically what happens is you've got Devil Sinister, who's like, you know, home from the war and, you know, he's a duke and he's just basically like, I'm the master of the universe.

[C]

And so.

[B]

So what? Call me Devil. Call me Devil. I mean, it's just right there in the name, right? And the way this book opens is that he essentially is riding out on his horse on the lane and whatever that means, and finds essentially himself. Is it Honoria? I feel like I'm always, like, pronouncing her name wrong anyway. And in. In, like, you know, she's out there, he, like, saves her. They're. They spend the night in the gameskeeper's cottage or whatever. And. And he is Essentially like, this is the one. I'm going to marry her. So he's into her. And the whole rest of the book is her being like, I don't know. I just don't think you're really. That's not what I want. It's not what I want, frankly. It's just not what I want. And so he has to then be like, okay, but just give me a chance. Like, can't you just think about it? And it's not in like a, like a thirsty or pathetic way, but he's just like, well, I. It's what I want. And then the pole was. Rest of the book is like Clash of the Titans, right? Yeah. And I think that to me is like, it's. If he is into her all along,

[A]

she has to be like,

[B]

not sure you're really good enough for me. And that's what I want. And the whole, like the whole rest of the book is her just, you know, even at the point where they get married, she's like, ah, I guess. Right. You know what I mean? And the whole thing is just great. It's just the entire thing is just the two of them. Just like these two people are so self assured, so confident. Right. Even though she. And it's. It's also what's really interesting to me is like her situation is one where like, you know, she, she's going to be a gov, like a finishing governess because she's like, I think what I really want is a job. And you're kind of like, but you're rich. She's like, I don't care about that. I mean, it really is just so great. And so I think like for me one of the other things about historical is you really see even women who like we all have been sort of trained to believe that like women in the past had less choices, less freedoms. You find that historical romance is going to serve you up. These women who are like,

[C]

I don't,

[B]

I'm not gonna put up with that. I, I will not bend to your. What you want from me or what society says I should have or who I should be. And that to me is like one of the most compelling things about historical is really watching like these characters who like again, because of our like belief that we have more freedoms, we have more. Right. And these women who are just like, no, that's not actually what I want. I'm going to live the life I want. And I guess if you prove yourself to me, then I will allow it.

[C]

Right?

[B]

And I think that to Me is like one of the greatest things about this book. There's like a subplot where like, you know, someone's trying to kill him and you know, she saves him a bunch of times and you know, she also. There's this amazing scene where she's like, they're already married and he's like with his cousin. Cuz he's always with his cousins or brothers or something.

[A]

Something.

[B]

This family just births man after man. There's just. They come out as men, you know, and she like appears at the top of the stairs wearing essentially like a. Like a. A negligee that just has like covered with feathers. That's it. But she's so worried about devil where he's been, you know, and he's just like, you can't be out there wearing that. My brother cousin is right there and she's just like. But I was worried, you know, she like runs down the stairs and honestly, it's like greatest scene in romance.

[C]

It really is.

[A]

Also shout out to Stephanie Lawrence for basically inventing the 25 page sex scene.

[B]

Correct? Yes, correct. All of that.

[D]

Okay. This was the series where she did the whole series and then she did the parents story and like he had cheated on her. I rem. I remember speed reading this series in like a month and loving it.

[A]

These are also men who are like,

[B]

I am really into you, but I cannot feel love.

[C]

I love.

[B]

Listen.

[A]

Impossible to feel. Not one a feels a feeling. Nothing.

[C]

Yeah, I.

[D]

They have the man pain.

[A]

They have the man pain.

[C]

The man pain.

[D]

Respect the man pain.

[A]

Adriana, what do you got?

[C]

Well, I was going to say forbidden baby Ry Jenkins, which I feel everybody should.

[B]

Everybody should.

[C]

But I have. I'm going to go with my be because we already talked about Ms. Bev. So I'm going to talk about one of my favorite series ever. And it's really. I'm going to talk about the first book, but really you should just read all three because it's the same couple over the three books. And it really works better if you just read the three books. It's called the Enlightenment series by Joanna Chambers and it is a series that I read at least two times a year. It is an MM series and it is about. So it's basically set in Regency Scotland and it is about this man who is David Larson, who is a solicitor, and this viscount, the son of a viscount. And it's like kind of their. Their story. So it's very much like, like, why can't they be together? They cannot be together because one of Them doesn't believe in love in general. Two, it's illegal. And three, the other one is just, like, he doesn't want to lose the life that he has built for himself. He has, you know, perfect. He's able to become a lawyer, and then now if he ends up kind of like, getting together with his bike count, everything's going to be destroyed. But the reason why I love this scene series a lot a, it's because it really is one of those that, like, the stakes are upped. In every book. Like, every book, there is something, like, it ends in something that, like, there's no way this is gonna work out. And at one point, like, one of them almost dies. And so it's. The characterization is amazing. The writing's amazing. The love story is so deep. I think it's the reason why MM really works for women. I think it's the reason, like, I like this specific series that's like, if you have never read mm, you should read this. It's because there is just something about, like, the way these men's, like, journeys and characterization is portrayed that just, like, really, really works for me. And it's just like. I don't know, it's like Scotland. I feel like always when Scott. Scott. Scottish men are depicted in historical. It's like they're like a brute and a kilt.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

Nothing wrong with that.

[C]

Is that a problem with that? But I just found it, like, fascinating to see, like, this. This, like, Edinburgh as, like, a place of, like, men who are businessmen. It was, like, a very specific time in Scotland because it was one like, the prince, like, the, like, the only visit of the prince virgin to Scotland. So, like, it was. It's like, there's like, a piece of history there that's interesting. And I just really love this series. I honestly think it's, like, probably one of the best MM series out there. And it's a great historical, so I'm going to recommend that. And, like, so it's the first one's provoked. The second one is. No, the first one's beguiled. Second one's provoked. The third one is enlightened. And you should definitely read it. It is also incredible. Hot.

[D]

I had never heard about it.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[D]

Excited about this.

[C]

There's the audiobooks. Are.

[A]

Is it hot from book one?

[C]

Yes. I mean, they're like the second chapter, there's like a blowjob scene in an alley.

[D]

Perfect.

[A]

A plus.

[B]

Well, if.

[D]

If I must subject myself to reading,

[C]

there's like, a hanging and, like, so they Kind of meet on the road. They're both like, in, like, on, like this, like, he's going to Edinburgh and the other guy's going to London. So they kind of have like, this up, you know, they're never gonna see each other again. And of course, at a dinner party two months later, they end up together. And from there it's like, I can't stay away from you, even though I don't believe in love because my heart is destroyed.

[B]

Sure, of course.

[C]

And perfect.

[B]

You don't even have heart. That's how it works.

[C]

I honestly read this series at least twice a year. Like, I'm not even exaggerating.

[A]

Amazing.

[C]

Well, I.

[A]

My second pick is. Also. Is an. Is a newer author. This book came out last year and it's also a devil because.

[B]

Perfect.

[A]

Why not? So, okay, this is a Deal with the Devil by Alexandra Harvey. And this is the book that. This morning I was like. Like, we could have so many more books about fathers gambling away their daughters. And instead we don't.

[C]

We don't.

[A]

Instead, I'm reading the 43rd Friends to lovers book I've read ever. So I.

[D]

For a second I thought. And instead we have a book in which a daughter gambles away her father.

[C]

Well, that would.

[A]

I was like, wait, tell me more. No, no. So, okay, we have Kitty, who is our heroine. And she is. She is a purveyor of erotic texts. She owns an erotic. Like, she collects erotic books. She also. She is a bookseller, but she has this, like, special back. Back room where she, like, she sells erotic texts. And she has a. We. We open on something called Devil's Night, which is like a bacchanal run by an earl who calls himself Devil. The Devil. He's known as the Devil of Mayfair. And at these nights, he, like, gambles and collects secrets. And he has. He just is ruthless and brutal and very attractive. But he runs this Devil's Night. And as part of Devil's Night night, this woman has, like, convinced the people who put it together to let her sell her, like, erotic books at this. At this event, because her father is definitely going to go there. And her father is a compulsive gambler and has gambled away everything that they have and is definitely that night planning to gamble away her younger sister, who is the most beautiful woman in London. So Kitty is there. She's there to sell these books, but really it's a ruse to, like, protect her sister. And what she realizes is that some is going down. And at one point, and like, again, chapter One, a body gets, like, tossed over the balustrade of this house and lands, like, dead or, like, broken next to her. He's not dead, I don't think. And she's like, oh, like, this is not the right place for me to have my, like, book stall. So she, like, runs up the stairs and she runs into. She sort of runs into Devil, the man who. The man who keeps all the secrets. And she watches him put a voucher from, like, a wager into his, like, pocket. And then, like, she bangs into him and she pickpockets the voucher from him. And so now she has this, like, like, thing that she's stolen from him. Cut to the next. Like, I don't know, like a couple weeks later. He's been searching for her because no one steals.

[C]

She stole from him.

[A]

No one steals from the Devil of Mayfair.

[C]

It's very Derek Craven.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

Derek Craven coated. It also is a little bit. Thea Harrison.

[C]

Right?

[B]

The dragon.

[A]

Boundaries.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

She, like, no one steals from me. And so he finds her. And he finds her. He happens to be outside her house on the morning that her youngest sister has, like. Is supposed to be, like, literally packed up and shipped to Gretna Green with this man who has won her in a game of cards from her father. And this man has had three wives in three years, and they have all died in, like, mysterious ways.

[C]

No bueno.

[A]

And so Kitty is like, fuck this. So she takes her sister and she's like, you have to crawl out the way. You have to go out the window. And the sister's like, but I have a pet hedgehog. What do I do? And so she, the sister and the hedgehog are, like, out on, like, in a cage. Are out on the roof. And then, like, Kitty is out on the roof with them because, like, bad shit is happening in the house. Like, they are looking for them. And he, the devil is down on the ground just watching. He doesn't step in. He doesn't go to save them. He's just watching them as they climb across the rooftops. Everybody knows I love a rooftop. Climb across the rooftops of their house. Of their house, like, through their neighbors, like, rooftops, to get to, like, a neighbor where there's like a. He's just installed, like, a brand spanking new, like, no one's ever heard of it. Fire escape down to the garden so they can get away. So they do. And then they're, like, running through the streets of London. And then he, like, stops them and he's like, you have. He Stops them, like, on the run. And he's like, hey, Miss Kitty, you have something of mine. And no one steals from me. And that through, like, a confluence of events, like, there is like, chaos and there are some spinsters who arrive to. To like, help save the day. And there's a sort of tussle. And he realizes that she doesn't have any shoes on. That she like, was rushing to get out of the house so quickly that she didn't put on shoes. And this man, who has never felt a feeling is like, why enraged? Why is she wearing shoes? Like, it enrages him that, like, she. She has her, like, feet. Like, he can't stop thinking about the fact that she hasn't. She's not wearing shoes. And then basically what she does is she's like, yes, I did steal from you. And I know now, like, what your secrets are. I know how to access your secrets. And I am going to continue to do this and reveal to everyone the truth of you if you don't help me save my sister from this terrible man. And so then the two of them, it's also like a mystery where they're trying to like, prove that this man has murdered his wives. And it is great. These are like, she is like, fiery and brilliant and like, it's super sexy. Because of course, like, they both know a lot about sex and it's just really fun. And also there's like chaos and people chasing them and like danger and it's so fun. There's such like a big, you know, story here. There's a big plot here. And he can't stand how she consumes his thoughts and she finds him just contemptible in every way. But of course, they are just hot for each other.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

That is Alexander Harvey's A deal with the Devil.

[C]

Light plot. Light plot. That's historical. Just like a light plot. Seven to 500 things happening.

[B]

That's what I want.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. You're in chapter four, Blackmail as meet cute.

[C]

You gotta love it.

[A]

So that is that. I do have one more question for everybody before we go. And that is in honor of the AH2 collection, the historical Trailblazers collection. If you could choose one more book to add to the collection, what would it be?

[B]

A Julie Garwood, probably Aleksandra Cade. Yeah, I'd have to. I'd love that. I. I have worn out the original mine.

[A]

The original mine.

[B]

I have worn out multiple copies of that book.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I expect Ally to say something, so I'm going to reserve my answer.

[D]

I was actually Thinking I really do love Julie Garbo. My favorite is. I don't remember if it's a D. Ransom or ransom.

[B]

Ransom.

[D]

And I would. I would love that. I don't know what you expect me to say. I also don't know what to say.

[C]

I thought you were going to say my beautiful anime by car Tom.

[A]

Yeah, Sher Tom.

[D]

But I just talked about it. So it's like.

[C]

But remember this is to add to our collection, like if we did.

[A]

No, that's true.

[D]

I just kind of, you know.

[C]

Or the womb Piercer. AKA Mark.

[A]

The womb piercer.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Maybe something by Meredith Duran.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Oh, a good one. Also.

[D]

Also super bonkers. Super fun, super weird. I don't even know if I know I'm pronouncing it right. Galen Guyin Foley. Galen Foley. Her books bonkers. The Duke.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. But this is the one where he like princess breastfeeds from her.

[D]

Oh yeah.

[A]

On the regular probably though.

[D]

Yes. It probably would be as Sherry Thomas. It probably would be. You know, I don't know which one.

[C]

Lucky. Yeah. Not quite. I mean, not quite a husband to me. Well, because tempting the bride is hard. Even though it's my favorite because it is the third one.

[D]

It's the third. So I mean, honestly, beguiling the beauty bonding over dinosaur fossils. It's my jam.

[C]

Oh yeah. They're having sex for the entire time that they're crossing the freaking Atlantic. He doesn't see her face.

[A]

Which is. That's right.

[D]

It's very Beast by Judith Ivory ConEd. And that is also a favorite of mine. I don't know, you guys. I pass because I am unable to make a decision. So I make all of these decisions.

[C]

Perfect segue from my answer. Which is the Proposition by Judith Ivory. Because that's. That's it. That's.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Mitch the cat rat. The rat catcher is actually the hero, the mustachioed hero that we all need in. In. In romance. Like imagine that man on an end paper. Okay. In a clinch cover that man refers

[A]

to his mustache as his lion hearted virility.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

I support you all on this.

[A]

I do.

[C]

I love that book. He has a little dog named Magic. He has a ferret. It's actually.

[A]

It's obsessed with her legs.

[C]

Obsessed with her legs, with her calves, with her calves. He is.

[A]

Has an leg just off the calf.

[C]

Just. Just a little bit of ankle and calf and he's like beside himself. That would be my addition. The Proposition by Judith Ivory.

[A]

Yeah. And my pick is Judith Mcnaught's the Kingdom of Dreams.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good one.

[A]

For about a thousand rules that get broken during that book. But also because on the reread in 2026, which I do, you know, regularly, the way that woman comes hard for toxic masculinity. Like every in the text, the hero is like toxic masculinity.

[B]

Oh, yeah, it's amazing. That's a good one.

[C]

Oh, my God. The art that we could do for that book. That scene when her family a up.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[A]

The original step back of that book is the. Is the closeup of the two of them and they're. It's just their heads. I mean, we'll put it in, you guys. We'll put this in show notes and I'll text it to you.

[B]

It is, it's. It's amazing.

[A]

Beautiful. Step back I've ever seen. And the art. Bring back. Step backs then bring back.

[C]

Wait, yeah, yeah, yeah. That book, the. That there's no Audi book for that book.

[B]

I know. Oh, I.

[D]

Well, okay, which one was the one where he's a genius and she's also a genius, but she's very pretty. Is it Almost Paradise?

[A]

You mean the contemporary? It's a contemporary.

[B]

No, her.

[D]

His name name is Ian. I think I forgot what her name is. Anyway, whatever. I, I have to, I have to go on.

[B]

There's like three historical romance names. It's like Ian, Sebastian, Devil. Devil. That's it.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

There's only three names to pick from. That's it.

[C]

Can I, can I add an add on? If we had an A box and then we had an add on not because, but just because. The madness of Lord Ian McKenzie. I think trailblazing book.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

A perfect thing for you to say because that's our next.

[B]

Our next.

[A]

Actually, I think it's probably.

[B]

Oh, it already just happened.

[A]

We just did a deep dive of the madness of.

[C]

To me, that is a trailblazing romance.

[A]

A tremendous book. And up there with Flowers from the Storm. In a lot of ways, I think

[C]

for me it's of. I had. It really was one of those books that when I read it, I was like, I've never read anything like this. And since then you, you have a lot of different. Like you have a lot more like neurodiversion and like, kind of like an understanding of mental illness. But that book

[A]

also. So sexy.

[C]

Yeah, so sexy. Oh, my God. That. The characterization in the, that book on both the hero and the heroine are amazing.

[A]

And if you want a hero, if you love a hero who is down bad jump.

[C]

Yeah, I got to reread that.

[B]

But also, I cannot love.

[C]

I'm not saying.

[A]

I'm not saying I won't.

[B]

I'm saying I can't.

[A]

Can't do it.

[B]

Can't do it. It's impossible, right? I might. You might as well listen. Would have better luck sending a man into a store and having him come out with the right brand of Tampa Pons than these men falling in love, right? They're. They just. It can't do it. It cannot be done.

[A]

Oh, God, I love it.

[B]

Amazing.

[C]

I love it.

[B]

Well, anyway, everybody, you better get on this historical tray of laser box. That's all I have to say.

[A]

And enemies to lovers and selling your sister into marriage.

[C]

Girls with knives. We got it all, baby. Just come over.

[A]

Listen, whatever you love in Romantasy, we got it.

[C]

Absolutely. We don't have dragons, but we got wolf dogs.

[A]

Hey, Lenora Bell's heroine is right in a Romantasy. It's right there in the text. The beginning chapter headers are all Romantasy.

[D]

And a lot of dogs are dragons, basically.

[C]

And a lot of these horses are like dragon slate Danes.

[B]

Horses. Yes, exactly. Right. Exactly.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Well, all right. As a reminder to everyone, we are here to celebrate the historical trail of lasers Kickstarter from AH2 Productions. You can find it right now on Kickstarter. Links are in show notes. And also you can find. We'll have a big link on Faded Mates as for the next month. You can find it here. You can find it on Instagram. Instagram at Fated Mates Pod. You can find it on the AH2 Instagram, which is what you guys, it's

[C]

a square romance collections.

[A]

Okay? And so we'll put links to obviously everything in show notes. We are so excited because we are Faded Mates and we are here with Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera. And if you love historical as much as we love historical, you are going to be over the moon with this collection. We are so excited to be a part of it. This is Faded Mates. You can find us every Wednesday wherever you listen to your podcasts or@faded mates.net thanks, everyone. Go read a historical, come back and tell us what bonkers thing happened in it. Love you,

[C]

Sam.