
The most listened to romance novel podcast, Fated Mates is co-hosted by bestselling author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and lively discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting the patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 395 | Founded | 7 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | ArtsSociety & CultureDocumentaryBooks | |||

It’s time to fill those TBR piles again! April means the start of Spring and also another quarterly upcoming romance episode! We’re talking about romances hitting shelves and ereaders during April, May & June 2026! Whether historical, paranormal, con... more
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,... more
Someone said something real stupid, and that means we get to hit back in the best way possible — with romance recommendations! Today we’re talking about the Opera and the Ballet in Romance! We’re talking about historicals and contemporaries, about ma... more
Calling all Loons! You’ve heated and reheated the rivalry, and now it’s time for us to talk about what you should read between now and Season 2. We’re joined by friend and fave of the pod, Christopher Rice, who writes m/m and sometimes m/m/m romance ... more
People also subscribe to these shows.




This podcast is a mood boost every week. I am constantly delighted by Sarah and Jen, and feel better about society for having them in it.
Listening to Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop freaking love on the Romance genre, prop it up, critique it, dissect it, cackle about it… it’s the perfect combination of brilliant nerdiness and gleeful joy.
I just want to say, the way that I almost burst into tears when I saw Lisa Kleypas’ name as this week’s guest proves everything Jen and Sarah have ever tried to say on Fated Mates: that romance and the work it does in our lives is so very important and that it matters. I have been incredibly emotional about the state of our world - ICE raids and the ongoing Epstein files releases (I feel like I’m living in a matrix, going CRAZY, what’s even real anymore??) - and seeing Lisa’s name here made me f... more
From a craft perspective, I love their roundup episodes that highlight what makes romance so compelling.
The trailblazer author interviews give me chills! You two could write a nonfiction on the early days of romance.
For readers, get ready to add to your TBR! I’ve been reading voraciously for 25 years and they surprise me in every episode
I discovered Fated Mates somewhat recently and am so glad I did. Sarah and Jen are the best hosts - they have such a depth of knowledge on romance books, and I appreciate how much they have to share. They’re also hilarious. Thank you and keep it up!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #38 | |
Apple Podcasts | #104 | |
Apple Podcasts | #43 | |
Apple Podcasts | #129 | |
Apple Podcasts | #181 | |
Apple Podcasts | #56 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
The show centers romance novels and the craft of storytelling, featuring lively discussions, author interviews, and thoughtful playlists of recommendations. Hosts bring deep industry knowledge and a love for the genre, often exploring how romance both reflects and challenges societal norms, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and feminist perspectives. Episodes mix critical analysis, author insights, and bright banter, making it a go-to for both readers seeking nuanced conversations and newcomers looking for engaging book recommendations.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Fated Mates. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Fated Mates and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Fated Mates, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Fated Mates, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers Fated Mates has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
These podcasts share a similar audience with Fated Mates:
1. Culture Study Podcast
2. Pop Culture Happy Hour
3. Book Riot - The Podcast
4. Maintenance Phase
5. Reading Smut
Fated Mates launched 7 years ago and published 395 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Fated Mates from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Fated Mates. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on Fated Mates include:
1. Christopher Rice
2. Jayne Ann Krentz
3. Lauren Billings
4. Christina Lauren
5. Louisa Darling
6. Joanna Shupe
7. Jessica Luther
8. Pamela Sanderson
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.