S08.09: Our Favorite Romance Microtropes

We had a great week, and so we decided we all need nice things, which means it's time to just talk about the stuff we love in romance. We're talking about our favorite microtropes in romance novels--the things that give us pure shots of joy. There's all sorts of stuff in here: contemporaries, historicals, paranormals, mafia, hockey, tattoos, piercings, kilts, families getting their comeuppance, and much much more.

If you'd like more romance chat in your life, please consider joining our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! There, magnificent firebirds hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.

Our next read along will be KJ Charles's The Magpie Lord. Get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

Notes

• It’s not too early to donate to our Fated States Giving Circle, or maybe you want to Run for Something.
• You can check out the Collections page for more great book lists (made by humans!), and we also talked about the breeding kink episode in case you want to see just how unhinged we get on New Year’s Eve.
• The Mandela Effect is in fact named after Nelson Mandela.
• Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a researcher who has described universal pleasure centers.
• Monkey Island is a real place called Cayo off the coast of Puerto Rico or a video game.
• Here’s an amazing dissection of a microtrope beloved by Mary Balogh: stern men who can’t stop skinny dipping.
• If you are in Brooklyn this week, stop by on Thursday November 13, 2025 to see Sarah and several other authors from the Ladies in Waiting collection.

Books

• Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz
• The Billionaire’s Bargain by Naima Simone
• The Beast Prince by Marian Perera
• Lothaire by Kresley Cole
• Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
• The Bride by Julie Garwood
• Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli
• Mister O by Lauren Blakeley
• Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi
• Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey
• Redemption by Nikki Sloane
• Funny Feelings by Tarah DeWitt
• Hellfire Riders: Jack and Lily by Kati Wilde
• Tempest by Beverly Jenkins
• Mountain Boss by SJ Tilly
• Beautiful Sinner by Sophie Jordan
• The Hostage Bargain by Annika Martin
• Hans by SJ Tilly
• Streams and Schemes by Rebecca Kinkade
• Puck Me Secretly by Odette Stone
• Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
• Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
• Lead by Kylie Scott
• Oops Baby for the Mafia Boss by Evie Rose

Sponsors

• Lily Riley, author of Phoenix's Last Heist, available in print and ebook at Amazon or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• Lumi Gummies. Go to lumigummies.com and use code FATEDMATES for 30% off your order.
• Kylie Scott, author ofSo My Ex-Boyfriend is a Serial Killer, available in print, ebook and audio at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

The Rest

• For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/11/10/s0809-our-favorite-romance-microtropes
• 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 Bantr

05:32 Microtropes are Fun

14:17 AD: PHOENIX’S LAST HEIST

16:45 Jennifer Lynn Barnes & the Universal Pleasure Centers

30:27 AD: SO MY EX-BOYFRIEND IS A SERIAL KILLER

33:07 Family Dinner

38:43 Mine's Broken

42:36 The Bride Has it All

46:35 AD: LUMI GUMMIES

48:35 The Bride Has it All

49:16 The First and Forever Rule of Romance

53:30 Romance Clothes, Romance Piercing, and Romance Tattoo

59:25 He's Having a Bad Day

1:06:04 Forced Proximity in Weird Places

1:13:09 Her Cooking Sucks

1:14:52 We're Gonna Die

1:18:04 Lightning Round

1:24:34 Outro