S05.33: Bingeable Romance Series

After a number of conversations and requests, we’re talking about the best long-running romance series today! We’ve got something for everyone — paranormal, historical and contemporary — and we’re getting your long, lingering summer reading TBR sorted! We talk about why series work so well for romance, what makes them rewarding, and what we’re looking for when we dive in.

Next week, we’ve got another read along! Join us to read one of our very favorite short novels, Sarah Mayberry’s Her Best Worst Mistake, which sets the bar for every other enemies to lovers romance ever. Get it at Amazon, B&N, Kobo or Apple Books.

Notes

• There are lots of words for snow, including graupel.
• We loved our conversation with Christine Feehan, and it got us thinking about series. This is also a great essay about series from Ilona Andrews, who have lots of great long-running series (some of which we mentioned today) and talk about the difference between episodic vs. progressive series.
• Author Heather Burch shared her description of the novel with Sarah as: "an unforgettable character, a relentless threat, and an impossible situation." You can check out Heather's books here.
• In this EW interview with Nora Roberts, she said the In Death series was supposed to be a trilogy set in the near future.
• Here’s a USA Today interview with Joanna Wylde about writing the Reapers Legacy series.
• You can turn off popular highlights, btw.
• Our next read along, next week, is Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry.

Books

• The Casino Series by Sarah MacLean
• Westmoreland Series by Judith McNaught
• In Death Series by Nora Roberts
• Brown Sisters Series by Talia Hibbert
• The Sullivans Series by Bella Andre
• Chicago Stars Series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
• Reapers MC Series by Joanna Wylde
• Argeneau Family Series by Lynsay Sands
• Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward
• School for Heiresses by Sabrina Jeffries
• Heart of a Duke Series by Christi Caldwell
• Pink Carnation Series by Lauren Willig
• IAD, baby by Kresley Cole
• Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews
• Hidden Legacy Series by Ilona Andrews
• Everything I Left Unsaid Series by M. O'Keefe
• VIP series by Kristan Callihan
• Stage Dive Series by Kylie Scott
• Stage Dive Series by Kylie Scott
• Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

The Rest

• For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2023/5/2/s0533-romance-series
• If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest joining our Patreon? Aside from an additional episode every month you get access to our Discord, where other romance readers are talking about books they love (and many other things!) all the time. It’s so fun! Learn more about the Patreon and go join those cool people who love romance as much as you do at patreon.com/fatedmates.
• Beyond your favorite podcast app, you can find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, Tumblr, and probably some other places, too, if you look hard enough.
• If you've never listened to our Stop Book Banning episode, there's no better time than now.

00:00.000 Bantr

06:27.000 Thinking About Series

09:29.000 Terminal vs. Continuing Series

22:09.500 SPONSOR: Max Monroe

23:58.500 The Sullivan Series by Bella Andre

29:01.000 The Reapers Series by Joanna Wylde

36:02.000 SPONSOR: Annmarie Boyle

38:33.500 The Argeneau Series

44:31.500 The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward

48:36.500 School for Heiresses Series by Sabrina Jeffries

52:48.500 The Heart of a Duke Series by Christi Caldwell

54:08.500 The Pink Carnation Series by Lauren Willig

59:06.000 The Art vs. Commerce Collision

01:08:46.000 Outro

01:11:22.000 SPONSOR: Max Monroe