It's been the longest month of our lives and as self-care, we're not thinking about billionaires this week (or at least for the duration of this episode). Instead, we're talking about those men who are rich in other ways, in throwing a punch, chasing a tornado, camping, playing an instrument, you get it. We've got a bunch of books we love and not a ten-figure bank account to be seen!

If you want more Fated Mates in your life, 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.

Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of the audiobook of Charlotte Stein's My Big Fat Fake Marriage.

Our next read along is Julie Anne Long's What I Did For a Duke, available in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.

The Books

• Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
• Thirsty by Mia Hopkins
• Stealing the Rogue’s Heart by Erica Monroe
• A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
• In the Morning Sun by Lena Hart
• An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles
• Whirlwind by Kayla Gross
• Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle
• Take Me Home Tonight by Erika Kelly
• Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday
• Drilled by Brill Harper
• Sinner (was Sinful Temptation) by London Hale
• Pardon my Frenchie by Farrah Rochon
• Sleeping With the Frenemy by Natalie Caña
• Common Ground by Melanie Greene
• Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole
• Morning Glory Milking Farm by CM Nascosta
• Rock and Soul by Lauren Sattersby
• Losing Sight by Tati Richardson
• Unloved by Payton Corinne

The Notes

• There have always been rich people in romance, but we think it could be argued that Christian Grey and 50 Shades invented the billionaire romance genre.
• Jen started writing a newsletter, leaning back into the romance reader “and critic” part of the job. You can check it out here. It’s free and who knows how long it will last.
• Bobby Tom is the hero of Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
• If Jen refers to something being “a basic” please know she is referring to a line from Strictly Ballroom.
• Maybe you want to learn about a rookery.
• Anti-miscegnation laws in the United States prevented people from marrying someone of a different race.
• Storm chasing seems honestly like a very dangerous activity. There is no evidence that I could find that a tornado can rip your clothes right off your body, but Kayla Grosse probably read this webpage for research. (lol)
• Dyscalculia is a learning disability rooted in math and number.

The Sponsors

• Piper Rayne, authors of Mr. Heartbreaker, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
• Megan Frampton, author of The Devil's Charm, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books or wherever you get your books.
• 1001 Dark Nights, publishers of Riches and Romance: A Billionaire Romance Anthology from Dylan Allen, Kendall Ryan, Lexi Blake and Melissa Foster, available with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
• Charlotte Stein, author of My Big Fat Fake Marriage, read by Imogen Wilde, available from Audible, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Libro.fm, or wherever you get your audiobooks. Enter the Macmillan Audio sweepstakes to win one of five free copies of the audiobook.
• Lucy Score, author of Story of My Life, available in print, ebook, audio, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, 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/2025/2/24/0724-hes-not-a-billionaire
• 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.