An episode for the old school romance readers in the audience, we're talking about kidnapping this week! A trope that either absolutely works for readers (aka us) or absolutely doesn't, we talk about why that is, how the original romances of the 80s and 90s installed these buttons and how we still see the bones of old school kidnapping in delicious romances of today. That, and Jen reminds Sarah of books wrote one time.

If you want more romance content, maybe you want to join our Patreon, where you get another episode from us each month, and access to the incredible readers and listeners and brilliant people on the Fated Mates discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon.

Next week, our first read along of Season 7 will be Molly O'Keefe's Everything I Left Unsaid duology, selected by Jen which despite the first book being a cliffhanger should not surprise you because she contains multitudes. The second book is The Truth About Him. Read them both and get ready for Jen to talk to you for hours. You will thank us.

Also! We're back on the phonebanking train this election season! Join us Saturdays between now and Election Day to phonebank with fellow romance lovers. Jen & Sarah are joined by special guests who will knock your socks off! Learn more and register at fatedmates.net/fatedstates. If phonebanking isn't your thing, we're also raising money for downticket house and senate races, because state legislatures may not be sexy, but they sure hold all the power. Learn more, and give what you can at fatedmates.net/givingcircle.

The Books

• A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
• It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
• The Master by Kresley Cole 
• Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey
• The Windflower by Laura London
• A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
• Perfect by Judith McNaught
• Demon Lover by Kathleen Creighton
• Prisoner of My Desire by Johanna Lindsey
• Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
• The Outlaw and the Lady by Lorraine Heath
• The Hawk by Monica McCarty
• Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
• A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
• The Hostage Bargain by Annika Martin
• Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli 
• Twisted Pride by Cora Reilly
• Taken by Charlotte Stein
• Savage Hearts by JT Geissenger
• Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan
• Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven
• The Grabbed Series by Lolita Lopez
• My Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie Moreland
• Chieftain: The Outlander Book Club…in Space! By Annie Lucas

The Notes

• Nobody has ever quoted me back to me before
• Learning the Tropes has covered every Kleypas book if you’re in the mood for that. 
• Next week, our read along is Everything I Left Unsaid and The Truth About Him by M. O’Keefe, so get to reading.

The Sponsors

• June Westwood, author of Grave Temptation, available in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• KL Parsons, author of Love By a Landslide, available in print and ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• Jenni Bara, author of The Foul Out, available in print and ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.