S08.27: Romance Baby: Not the Secret Kind

S08.27: Romance Baby: Not the Secret Kind

Author: Fated Mates March 25, 2026 Duration: 1:37:58

It never fails to surprise us when we realize we’ve never talked about a really classic trope even now…eight years in. This week, we’re talking about kids in romance—which we’ve somehow never done before?! We’re covering Romance Babies, Romance Kids, and Single Parents in Romance — but so sorry to the Secret Baby lovers out there, that one deserves its own episode (someday). We’re talking babies, toddlers and teens, the appeal of the single parent romance novel, and that one Erin St. Claire book that Sarah can’t get out of her head.

If you want more Fated Mates in your life, or you want to talk more about Romance Babies/Kids, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to 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 is The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

Notes

  1. The Silhouette Intimate Moments line eventually turned into Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Erin St. Claire is one of Sandra Brown’s many pen names.
  2. Wet nurses have been around for a very long time, baby bottles not so much. I say this only because Sarah said “Bottle service” and that’s something different.
  3. Red ink has been around for a long time, actually. So maybe that’s how Sophie had access to it during the Regency?
  4. So there’s not a whole lot of evidence that birthmarks are hereditary. Shocking, I know.

Sponsors

  1. The Romantasy Letters, a new kind of romantic fantasy storytelling, delivered right to your door twice monthly. Use the code FATED to get 20% off your year's subscription. Learn more at RomantasyLetters.com.
  2. LJ Andrews, author of Heir of Twisted Lies, available in print or ebook. Get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, or wherever you get your books.
  3. Neyha Liu, author of Midnight at Soulfield, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
  4. Lucy Score, author of Mistakes Were Made, available in print, ebook or audiobook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Get it 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
  • 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.


Co-hosted by bestselling author Sarah MacLean and critic Jen Prokop, Fated Mates-Romance Books for Novel People digs into the genre with a blend of scholarly enthusiasm and pure fandom. This isn't just a book club; it's a deep, weekly examination of why romance novels work, how they mirror and challenge our world, and why they are often dismissed despite their massive cultural impact. The conversation is always grounded in the text itself, often through structured read-alongs of seminal works, where Sarah and Jen unpack character motivations, tropes, and narrative structure with the detail they deserve. You'll hear lively discussions that treat the genre seriously-analyzing its function as a subversive force and a powerful tool against patriarchal norms-while never losing the joy and sheer fun of a good love story. The tone is inclusive, insightful, and famously without kink-shaming, creating a space where appreciation and critical analysis coexist. Tune into this podcast for a dialogue that celebrates complexity, champions the reader's experience, and consistently argues for the intellectual and emotional heft of romance fiction.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People
Podcast Episodes
S09.02: Romance by Numbers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:54
This is a fun one! We’re talking romance novels with numbers in the titles today, a wide collection of books from zero to infinity! While we came prepared to talk about four or five books each, we ended up playing a litt…
S09.01: Cloud Nine: Romance in the Sky [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:40
Nine seasons of talking about romance, and no signs of quitting! We’re starting a new season, full of much of our same old nonsense, now with more nonsense, because who needs tropes when you can talk about microtropes! T…
RERUN: S06.10: Men in Fur: Aliens, Warlords, and Vikings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:36
Today we're revisiting a 2023 episode. It's a fun one. While the episode is unchanged, we did spend a full hour of our morning updating the Men in Fur Mood Board. (revA)The RestFor even more info about this episode, and…
S08.49: A Rogue By Any Other Name [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:50
It’s the end of Season 8 (what! how!), and we usually celebrate the end of the season with a read along of Sarah’s new book, but since there is no new book, we have no choice but to go back to the beginning of “The Casin…
S08.48: Long Live Historicals, Volume II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:14
We are once again celebrating a wide swath of historical romances that are recently published and by authors we’ve not talked much about on the podcast! Saddle up, because we’re talking the Titanic, submissive heroes, he…
S08.47: Romance Tattoo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:45
We’re talking tattoos and body art this week! You might not have a tattoo, but odds are you’ve read a few thousand of them, as romance novels love a main character with a message…right on their skin. We talk about some o…
S08.46: Photographers in Romance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:24
Why is photography so hot? We’re tackling this question this week, talking about why romance novels featuring photographers work so well and push so many sexy buttons. We’re talking about characters who notice, about cha…
RERUN: S04.17: Roy Kent Redux [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:08
Show NotesRoy Kent screensaver videoDiamond Dogs Book ClubThe RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2021/12/30/s0417-roy-ken…
08.45: Judith McNaught's Perfect: Content Warning, the 90's [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51:58
We’ve been talking about the end (almost end) of this one since we started the podcast, so it seemed high time we did a deep dive on it! Judith McNaught’s Perfect is the most 90s thing we’ve ever read, so gird your loins…
RERUN: S03.48: The Ted Lasso Episode: Is Roy Kent a Romance Hero? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:26
Just revisiting an old fav as we approach season four of Ted Lasso.Show NotesDiamond Dogs Book ClubThe RestFor even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedma…