We're talking about the worst possible thing that can happen to a romance heroine today (it's always the heroines) -- ruination! Whether the hero did it, another man did it, or society simply decided that she's ruined, there's simply nothing to be done about it...except revenge, a triumphant return, or the crowning of a new reigning queen. We cover all three here, with almost entirely new to the pod books, and even get some contemporaries into the mix!

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Our next read along is Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, which you can get in print, ebook, audiobook or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited. Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

Books Mentioned In This Episode

• Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
• The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath
• A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean
• Wicked & The Wallflower by Sarah MacLean
• Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
• The Magic of You by Joanna Lindsay
• A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
• The Harlot Countess by Joanna Shupe
• Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas
• Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
• Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins
• The Rake by Suzanne Enoch
• Compromised by Kate Noble
• Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley
• After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M Lopez

Notes

• The space domination of Katy Perry is depressing compared to the space demotion happening to real women scientists.  
• In terms of plotting and the hero, Anne Stuart’s Breathless (2010) might be a good precursor to what we call dark romance today.
• Actually, you say ratafia like this.   
• Check out the 2025 Lift for Autism auction, sponsored by Kennedy Ryan.
• Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a sneak peek of the audiobook of Piper Rayne's The One I Didn't See Coming.

Sponsors

• 1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Pride and Passion: A LGBTQIA+ Love Collection, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• Jess K Hardy, author of Wish You Were Here, available in print or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• Mara Moody, author of The Reunion Recipe, available in print or ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or wherever you get your books.
• Piper Rayne, author of The One I Didn't See Coming, available in print, audiobook or ebook, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

The Rest

• For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2025/4/21/0732-ruination
• 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.