We're thinking about Chicago, DC, and LA this week, and standing in solidarity with the people living and resisting in those cities. While reading isn't action, it can supplement it, and keep us joyful as we do the hard work of standing up. To that end, this week, we're recommending books that feature Chicago, Washington, DC & Los Angeles as settings. We're also sharing resources and ways you can stay informed, help communities of immigrants, and get involved in whatever way possible.

Note: We recorded this episode just as the National Guard was sent to Portland, Oregon, which is why Portland-set romances are not included in this episode. Please feel free to share your favorite romances set there in comments or on social media. Tag us so we can share!

Our next read along is Gorilla Twins, AKA Lorraine Heath's The Earl Takes All. Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

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. 

The Notes

• Learn more about Ramón Ayala, the King of the Accordion.
• There goes your social life. 
• It's too late to go to The Gothenburg Book Festival this year, but there’s always next year. One of the first internationally known Swedish romance writers is Simona Ahrnstedt. Crime fiction is a big deal in Sweden, and Sarah met Camilla Läckberg and Anders de la Motte.
• Terrible awful things happening in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Portland. Many of these raids are apparently being filmed to make propaganda for the regime. 
• Support local, independent news organizations in your town. This is how you can find out information about what is going on across the country. You might start by checking out: Unraveled Press, Block Club Chicago, The Triibe, LA Taco, WBEZ chicago or your local NPR station, The Chicago Sun-Times.
• You should also find local organizations that do work you care about and find a way to support them. In Chicago, for example, two vital organizations are The Brave Space Alliance and The Love Fridge. And, find out who is supporting immigrants where you live and find out what they need and how you can support their work. For example, The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights in Illinois, and CHIRLA, The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in LA.
• Find a local Latinx-owned bookstore near you by using this list from the Latinos In Publishing account.  Here's a list of Latinx bookstores in LA if you're looking there.
• The Chicago North Romance Writers hosts a writing conference called Spring Fling, it’s happening in April of 2026. Some of the great people Jen has met from the group or around town at local romance events: Pamala Knight, Shannyn Schroeder, Kelly Farmer, Victoria Hamel, Kathy Douglass, and Chandra Blumberg. 
• Find other people in your community who are working to fight authoritarianism and tyranny at Mobilize.
• Not sure how to contact your reps? Try using 5 Calls and Resistbot. You, too, can Run for Something. It’s not too late to donate money to our Giving Circle for the upcoming election in Virginia.
• Listen to Amanda Litman from Run For Something on Fated Mates
• Listen to Melissa Walker from The States Project on Fated Mates

Books

• Noelle the First by Nicole Falls
• I’ll Get Back to You by Becca Grischow
• The Matched to Perfection Series by Priscilla Oliveras
• The Vega Family Love Stories by Natalie Caña
• The Crowne Legacy Series by Sherelle Green
• The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev
• The Curse Bearer Series by Veronica Roth
• Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
• The Eastside Brewery Series by Mia Hopkins
• The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo
• The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Jayne Ann Krentz
• His Girl Hollywood by Maureen Lee Lenker
• The Sapphire Cove Series by C. Travis Rice
• Love Will Always Remember by Tracey Livesay
• Something Cheeky by Thien-Kim Lam
• Streams and Schemes by Rebecca Kincade

• The Rest

  • For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/10/6/0804-we-love-you-chicago-dc-and-la
  • 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.
  Feral Warriors Series by Pamela Palmer
• Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne
• The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
• The Blackout Billionaire Series by Naima Simone

Sponsors

• Lindsay Barrett, author of Savannah Royals series, available at in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• Vedentro, premium leather accessories. Use code FATED at checkout to get 30% off.
• Jamie Varon, author of Charlie Quinn Lets Go, available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.