We’re wrapping up season seven by asking ourselves a simple question. Do we like this stuff? Yes? No? Maybe so? 

We’ll be back in two weeks for the start of Season Eight of the podcast. Honestly, we remain amazed that y’all are with us on this journey. In a world full of madness, you bring us calm, joy and purpose, and we couldn’t be more grateful for you. Thank you so much for listening.

While you’re waiting for Season Eight, you’re welcome to 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. 

Notes

• The Komboucha Girl was sick of seeing her face back in 2019, and yet here we are. 
• Hozier in concert was great, even if his parents were not stars on the NBC soap, Days of Our Lives. That was John and Marlena. The visuals on Eat Your Young and Nina Cried Power were especially moving and inspiring. Someone made a playlist of the Nina Cried power songs, and now is a great time to listen to protest music. 
• The impact 50 Shades had on the sales of ties (and other things) was real. 
• An article from MEL about the wet problem, not just in romance, I guess. (that’s a NSFW link based on the headline and content, okay.) Butts tie these two clips together: Miranda on SATC on “are we doing this now?”  and Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle thinking  “some lady is going to want to do it her.” But overall, spit is important. 
• Fucking her ass, saving her life is a quote from a Shayla Black book and this amazing review from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Truly a Romancelandia classic. 
• EM Forester described flat and round characters in Aspects of the Novel (1927).
• “The second shift” is a phrase used by author Arlie Russell Hochschild to describe the housework and childrearing responsibilities faced by women after coming home from their day jobs.    
• Commuting is really bad for your wallet and bad for your health. 
• Go to a farmer’s market if you must.

Books

• Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
• What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
• These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
• Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean
• The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe
• Hans by SJ Tilly
• The Club by Lauren Rowe
• Merrily Ever After by Jenny Holiday 
• Lothaire by Kresley Cole
• Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley
• Stuck Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
• The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson

Sponsors

• Blue Box Press, publishers of the Hearts and Hidden Secrets: A Family Romance Collection featuring Devney Perry, Helena Hunting, Lauren Blakely and Tijan, available at Amazon.
• Rose Prendeville, author of Grace on the Rocks, available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
• Avery Flynn, author of Head Witch in Charge, available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, or 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/2025/8/21/0749-season-seven-ends-with-the-kombucha-gif
• 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.