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Meg and Nikki come back from a summer hiatus to dig into the film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis, starring Lili Reinhart as Olive and Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlson. Both hosts loved it as a movie (Nikki: 9/10) while grading it more critically as an adaptation (Nikki: 8/10) — faithful through roughly the first half, then increasingly divergent in the back third, especially around the Tom subplot and how the story resolves it. Spoiler warning: this episode discusses the full plot of both the book and the film adaptation in detail. In this episode: What the adaptation gets right: Olive's competence-under-nerves characterization, the negotiation scene, keeping the "fake dating" trope named on-pageWhy cutting Adam's book-only decision that he's been quietly in love with Olive since the bathroom scene changes his arcThe missing Holden subplot, and how much narrative work a best-friend character was doing to humanize AdamCasting notes on Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, and Rachel Marsh as AnhThe FAKING IT framework's Agreement stage, and how well the negotiation-scene structure maps onto itWhy the film's choice to remove the audio evidence of Tom's misconduct weakens the third act — and why "believe her" isn't the same as "there will be consequences"What's coming next: October's paranormal spooky season kicks off with werewolves and wolf-shifters Story Summary (Spoiler-Free)The film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood's The Love Hypothesis follows Olive, a PhD student at Stanford, who fake-dates standoffish professor Dr. Adam Carlson to convince her best friend Anh that she's moved on and isn't standing in the way of Anh dating Olive's ex. What starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement — negotiated, timelined, and initially very stiff — slowly becomes real, complicated by lab politics, a predatory colleague, and two people who are both much better at hiding their feelings than showing them. "It wasn't arrogance, it was just a fact. Arrogance would require a level of pride... but it wasn't. It was competence, not arrogance." — Meg, on Adam Carlson"What is it about Adam that Olive likes? Yes, he's gorgeous. Yes, he's helpful. Yes, he's kind of funny in a snarky way. But what about him as a human makes her go, 'I do actually wanna spend time with him'?" — Nikki"We live in the real world where we know nothing will f*****g happen to Tom... We need evidence. We need irrefutable evidence." — Nikki, on the film's choice to remove the audio recording of Tom's misconduct"The solution was in the source material, and that's where it fell apart." — MegBooks & Media ReferencedThe Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood (the book this film adapts)Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998, referenced for comparison)Riverdale (Lili Reinhart's prior work)The Island — Briar Prescott (Meg's ship of the week)Tracking Wolf — Lucy Lennox, Maid Marian Legacy book 4 (Nikki's ship of the week) Where We've Discussed ThisOur original Love Hypothesis book episodeFull book review: The Love Hypothesis — book reviewThe FAKING IT FrameworkOur favorite Fake Dating Romance Books What We're Shipping This WeekMeg: The Island by Briar Prescott (read from Nikki's earlier recommendation) — childhood-best-friends-to-lovers, bi awakening, stranded-on-a-desert-island survival romanceNikki: Tracking Wolf by Lucy Lennox (Maid Marian Legacy book 4) — dad's-best-friend age-gap romance with a road-trip chase Media we mentioned: "Newfoundland is an Island" video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTyfMutnK/

We're pulling this one out of the vault because the movie's almost here — The Love Hypothesis hits Prime Video on September 23, with Lili Reinhart as Olive and Tom Bateman as Adam. Consider this your reread assignment before the adaptation drops. In this episode of First Dates and Soulmates, Nikki and Meg dive into The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood—a fan-favorite academic rom-com that sparked an entire wave of STEM heroines. Click play on this week’s episode to hear: Why Olive is a chronic overthinker and why Adam is a misunderstood grump (who totally has a soft side)How this book walks the line between swoony slow-burn and sexy payoffThe balance of realistic vs. wildly fictional about academiaThe Title IX runner that starts as a joke and becomes the whole emotional throughlineWhy we're both so glad this book stayed in Olive's POV only — and what it would've lost with a dual-POV structureThe recording that saves Olive from her worst moment in the book (f*ck Tom)The 12 stages of physical intimacy framework, and how this book uses it to build a slow burnWhy Olive's demisexuality lands as specific and earned, not just a labelThe Deep End easter egg — yes, Dr. Adam Carlsen and Dr. Olive Smith show up in Ali Hazelwood's 2025 release too And if you loved the fake dating premise & you're looking for more like The Love Hypothesis, check out our 20+ favorite fake relationship books and our list of professional-student romances that don't feel gross. Books & Media We Mention * The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood * Deep End by Ali Hazelwood * Reacher (tv show) * To Love a Psycho series by CF White (Dream a Little Dream, Kiss me Honey Honey) * The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang * The 12 stages of sexual intimacy Follow the show: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Strap in. We’re going deep. This week on First Dates & Soulmates, it’s a trope episode! And we’re dissecting every glorious and absurd nuance of fake dating. Nikki may think this trope is the Chardonnay of romance (she’ll drink it if you serve it), while Meg is out here creating full frameworks while waiting in line at Disneyland. In This Episode: * Why so many fake dating books fall apart if the initial premise isn’t strong * Why romantic vulnerability matters more than jellybeans * The difference between fake dating for good vs fake dating for damage control * The role of the designated extroverted friend and why we all need one * When fake dating turns into real cheerleading, and why that’s hot This episode developed the FAKING IT Framework — First Dates & Soulmates' analytical guide to fake dating romance, built around the eight structural elements every fake dating story needs. Meg loves a third-act breakup. Nikki wants to be your fake date and your designated hype woman. Leave a review, comment on Substack, tell us your favourite fake dating books, or ask Nikki to be your designated fake fiance so you can get that promotion! View the full show notes at: https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/episode/fake-dating-trope Get our full list of our top 20 favorite fake dating romance books! Fake Dating Movies: * How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days * The Proposal * 10 Things I Hate About You * The Bachelor (Chris O’Donnell movie) * Purple Hearts * The Firm * Sleepless in Seattle * Bridgerton * Sex and the City * Just Go With It Follow the show on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ Follow the show on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates Follow the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Order Meg’s debut novel, Peppermint Bark, No Bite (affiliate link) Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

October starts with a bite as Nikki and Meg dive fang-first into the many flavours of vampire romance. From broody immortals to leather-pants predators, they trace the evolution of the undead in pop culture and argue over who deserves to be booped on the nose. What you’ll hear: Sparkly vampires that aged like milk (sorry, Edward)Why Alexander Skarsgård should never own pants that aren’t leatherThe four vampire archetypes: tragic baby, sexy predator, protective dad-vamp, and monster with a secret squishy centerNikki’s theory of “booping the tiger” as peak vampire romance energyMeg’s dream vampire power: orgasms on demand (yes, really) This episode developed the Vampire Archetype Framework — First Dates & Soulmates' guide to the four faces of the vampire romance hero and the cultural history of which type dominates in each era. We also used this episode to build our Vampire Romance Books & Series Recommendations. Nikki’s Vampire Book List: Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR WardArgeneau series by Lynsay SandsAnita Blake series by Laurell K HamiltonTwilight by Stephenie MeyerDark series by Christine FeehanA Discovery of Witches by Deborah HarknessLords of Discord series (and Lords of Chaos spinoff) by Jocelynn DrakeLark Taylor's Reckless Damned SeriesGrae Bryan's Vampire's Mate seriesFirst Blood by Eliot GraysonOne Bite with a Vampire by Louisa MastersThe Necromancer’s Dance by Sheena JolieBite me! You know I like it by Fae QuinCronin's Key by NR WalkerThe Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA by AJ SherwoodFated Mates series by AJ SherwoodBite Marks & Broken Hearts by TJ RoseImmortal Assassins series by Mia MonroeVampire Related Crimes Series by Alice Winters Books/Media Mentioned: Twilight series by Stephenie MeyerInterview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (book and film)Queen of the Damned (film)True Blood (HBO series) and Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine HarrisVampire Diaries (TV series)Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (book and film)Immortals After Dark series by Kresley ColeCasual Felonies by Kelly FoxHot Blooded by Heather Guerre How You Can Support The Show Follow Us On Social: instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Email us at [email protected] Share the show with a friend or loved one! Got a Little Extra Money to Spend? Buy our official merch on TeePublic: http://tee.pub/lic/6TtnpmFagAk Get Meg’s Latest Book: All Twerk No Play: https://amzn.to/3Ee2O9Z

This week Nikki and Meg sit down with author Jessica Topper to dive into the world of rock star romance. A librarian-turned-romance-writer, Jessica shares how her real-life concert experiences and love of music shape her stories — including her beloved Love & Steel series. They explore: * What makes musicians such compelling romantic leads * Why found family dynamics hit differently in fictional bands * The behind-the-stage drama of redemption arcs, messy characters, and their thoughts on bodyguard and manager relationships Don’t worry, there’s enough fictional eyeliner to last you a lifetime. (For more details about the recent changes in Rockstar Romance, check out our essay: From Fantasy to Trauma: How Rockstar Romance Learned to Tell the Truth About Fame) About Our Guest Jessica Topper has been in love with the beauty of the written word ever since she memorized Maurice Sendak's Chicken Soup with Rice at the age of three. After earning a B.A. in English Literature and her Master's Degree in Library Science, Jessica went on to work as a librarian in New York City before trading in the books for bookkeeping. For seventeen years, she worked in the production office of an international touring rock band. Jessica broke the rock romance mold with her 2013 debut novel LOUDER THAN LOVE. Her follow-up romantic comedy, DICTATORSHIP OF THE DRESS, was named one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2015. She lives in Western New York with her family - including two cats that love to walk across her keyboard. Follow Jess: Website: www.jessicatopper.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/JessicaTopperAuthor Instagram - www.instagram.com/jessicatopper/ Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/jessicatopper BookBub - www.bookbub.com/profile/jessica-topper Get our complete list of rockstar romance book recommendations Jessica’s Recs: Under Your Spell - Laura WoodCharm City Rocks - Matthew NormanJuliet, Naked - Nick HornbyHow to Kill a Rock Star - Tiffanie DeBartoloDon't Sleep with your Drummer - Jen Sincero Meg’s Recs: VIP series (Idol, Managed, Fall, Exposed) by Kristen CallihanStage Dive series (Lick, Play, Lead, Deep) by Kylie ScottDrive by Kate Stewart (but not the sequel, Reverse)The Happily Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez Nikki’s Recs: Atrous trilogy by NR Walker (Code Red, Code Blue, Code Word) -- and listen to our full episode about AtrousFallen Angels series by Ella Frank and Brook BlaineFix It Up by Mary CalmesReplay series by KM NeuholdFamous series by Eden FinleyGASP! by ZA MaxfieldCaffeine Daydreams series by Lark TaylorRhythm of Love series by Neve WilderJumping Jude (Made Marian book 3) by Lucy LennoxStarting From Series by Lane HayesThe Player by Lily Morton

Ever fall in love on vacation? Nikki hasn't — but she's got a cautionary tale about a family friend who did, and it did NOT end well. Meg's convinced the only version that actually works is the friends-to-lovers group trip. This week, Nikki and Meg unpack the logistics (and the impractical magic) of the "love on vacation" trope — from beach house hookups to European cruises to why a grand romantic gesture at the airport is a logistical nightmare and disrespectful to TSA lines. Listen in for: — Tropes like friends-to-lovers-on-holiday, destination wedding mix-ups, and stranded road trip partners — Nikki's campaign against cruise ships, always — A pitch for a merch line that will definitely get banned — The emotional difference between "honeymoon with your ex's sibling" and "strangers in Venice" — When Meg turned into a Scottish bar singer on a dare (it worked) — Why a grand gesture at the airport falls apart the second you think about the logistics Also covered: runaway grooms, coconuts and questionable toppings. Full show notes: https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/episode/love-on-vacation/ Nikki, on why forced-proximity vacation romance works: "I think it can be a factor, but most good stories have some sort of ticking clock so that way you get some urgency and some stakes raised."Meg, on the real rule underneath every vacation romance: "It can start as something that happens by chance, but it has to end with a choice."Nikki, on why the honeymoon-gone-wrong trope works for her: "I think when it does become a little bit more hard won, you're like, no, they're already putting in the effort. This was not just because of proximity." Get our full list of beach read recommendations: http://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/beach-reads-romance-books Books & Media We Mention & Recommend * Only One Beach House by K.M. Neuhold * Waiting for You by Cora Rose * Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren * People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry * Every Summer After by Carley Fortune * Wild Seasons series by Christina Lauren * Up in Flames by Eden Finley & Saxon James * Beat Me Next Christmas by Lindy Bell * Love on Vacation by Keira Andrews * Cruising by Sean Ashcroft * Married to My Best Friend by Riley Hart * Three’s Company by NR Walker * Up in Flames by Eden Finley and Saxon James * Time Out by Vinni George * Cuckoo’s Call by Lily Morton * Thick as Thieves by Lucy Lennox * How to Say I Do by Tal Bauer * Gaycation in Paradise by Ariella Zoelle * Private Charter by NR Walker * KM Neuhold’s Palm Island series * Snow Way In Hell by Charlie Novak * Shore thing series by Jaclyn Osborn * California Crush series by Mia Monroe * Waiting for you by Cora Rose * The Holiday (2006) * Letters to Juliet (2010) * How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) * Poseidon Adventure (1972) * Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) * The Philadelphia Story (1940) * Palm Springs (2020) * To Catch a Thief * Love Actually We're Shipping: — PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly — Himbo Hitman by Saxon James

Nikki and Meg sit down with bestselling author Eden Finley to talk all things generational romance, character crossovers, and the chaos of collaborative writing. From her Fake Boyfriend series to Puckboy, Eden shares how she builds interconnected worlds where the HEAs don’t stop with one couple but they span generations. Listen in as they discuss: * Why gay hockey is such a reliable niche * Keeping track of a sprawling cast across multiple spin-offs and shared universes * Eden’s writing process (spoiler: chaos is embraced) * Tropes, tension, and the line between sweet and spicy Grab Eden’s latest release, The Office Bet at https://mybook.to/TheOfficeBet About Our Guest: Eden Finley didn't start writing until the age of 28. She always loved being creative and writing stories for English and Lit classes in high school but never thought she could make a career out of it. The reason she is where she is today is because of a list of 30 things she wanted to do before she was 30, one of them being 'write a book.' One turned into two and kept growing, and now she is an Amazon top 10 bestseller. https://linktr.ee/edenfinley https://edenfinley.com https://www.instagram.com/finley.eden/ Books & Media We Mention: * Fake Boyfriend series by Eden Finley * Puckboy series (co-written with Saxon James) * Franklin University (shared universe series) * Calling His Bluff by Charlie Cochet * Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood How You Can Support The Show Follow Us On Social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Email us at [email protected]

Episodes 5 and 6 of Heated Rivalry deliver what can only be described as a masterclass in slow-burn payoff. This is the episode where a broken collarbone, a loopy hospital confession, and an invitation to a Canadian cottage somehow add up to two men who finally, finally sit down and use their words like adults — and it happens across what both hosts agreed feels less like two separate episodes than one continuous, hour-and-a-half emotional gut-punch. Meg and Nikki are once again joined by Andréa Jones — and this time, Nikki's read all the books, which means the "furious about the Long Game" energy you'll hear in this one is fully earned. In this episode: Why Episodes 5 and 6 fully deserve being some of the highest-rated TV episodes ever — and why Nikki "will not stand for the Skip slander"The injury → hospital → cottage pipeline, and what actually changes between Shane and Ilya once they're finally aloneThe loopy, post-surgery "I love you, man" moment — and why the real I-love-you, said in a different language entirely, might matter moreThe musicality of "I'm coming to the cottage" (Nikki wants it as a ringtone, and she's not kidding)What the show's small budget and single-location choices reveal about adapting a slow-burn faithfully instead of "fixing" itNikki's post-book-read fury at Montreal, the Long Game, and exactly how badly that organization treated its own dynastyBig-picture fandom energy: the Empty Netters podcast finale livestream, the Quinn app's audio erotica pivot, and what it means that hockey bros and romance readers are suddenly in the same comment section Don't miss any of our Heated Rivalry episodes: Check out our two other Heated Rivalry episodes: Episodes 1-2, “Rookies” & “Olympians”Episodes 3-4: "Hunter" & "Rose"Episodes 5-6. “I’ll Believe In Anything” and “The Cottage”:Our guide to what to read after you’ve binged the whole Gamechangers series Meg, on the weight of Ilya's confession before he's ready to act on it: "It's like, I'm, I love you and I'm not willing to tell you and I'm not willing to take action on it. And even if I could take action, I don't know what that action would be. There's a lightness to being able to say it out loud, but also a heaviness to it." Andréa, on the cottage episode's place in the whole series: "The cottage — literally the cottage — is the pinnacle to me of what this book series is." Meg, on why the adaptation earns its faithfulness: "Jacob Tierney really stayed both faithful and trusted the viewers to go with us — to say we're gonna spend an entire episode with literally four people, one location." Nikki, on "I'm coming to the cottage" as a text message: "The musicality of that entire thing was so well done. I want this like remix as a ringtone. I need it." Nikki, on finally reading the books: "F**k Montreal." (No further context provided. You'll have to listen.) Follow Us On Social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Email us at [email protected]

For many of us, romance is an escape from our day to day lives where we can just focus on the witty repartee, brooding good looks, and all of the tingles in the groiny bits. This month, Nikki and Meg are sharing a book they somehow love yet it contains their most hated trope(s). Nowhere on Meg’s TBR list would we expect to see a grumpyXsunshine western single dad romance with a nanny AND A SURPRISE BABY. But surprise, it’s time for Meg’s pick, Heartless by Elsie Silver. In this episode we chat about: how a GRUMPY single dad turns out to be the most emotionally mature character of all timepanty-dropping meet cute moments in weirdly named coffeeshopsa nanny who is neither Julie Andrews as a nun nor “not like other girls”, but just awesome, reallyhot, hot, hot tub moments Read our full written Heartless book review Get the full show notes at https://www.firstdatesandsoulmates.com/episodes/elsie-silver-heartless From the book (read aloud by Nikki), on Cade's internal monologue: "I hate myself. I want to take it back and throw Willa over my shoulder and drag her home with me where she belongs. But I pushed her off on a perfectly nice guy because I've convinced myself that the f*****g nanny is out of bounds. It doesn't take a psychologist to know I'm the issue."From the book (read aloud by Nikki), Cade and Willa's fear/commitment exchange: "I'm scared. I'm scared you're too young, that you haven't lived enough, that you're too far out of my league. I'm scared I'm not enough, you're gonna walk away and I'll be stuck here in shambles again — but so will Luke this time." ... "I'm scared too, but not too scared to try again."Nikki, on Cade as a character: "Cade, like, him in the dictionary next to emotionally mature, super hot, sexy man — it's gonna be Cade."Meg, on why the central relationship works: "Cade needs Willa more than Willa needs the job." Books & Media We Mention: * The Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver (the rest of this series) * Fool Hearts (Plum Valley Cowboys Book 1) by Emmy Sanders * How to Say I Do by Tal Bauer * To the Moon & Back by NR Walker * The Nannies of New York series by K. Sterling * Descript software for transcription, podcast editing & Reel creation * Money Honeys Podcast with Freddie, Chantel, and Dev

Nikki's got a cool work opportunity that means she's stepping away from recording for a bit — so we're taking a short hiatus and re-releasing some of our favorite episodes in the meantime (all labeled, so you know what's a rerun). While we're off, I'll be writing Elijah's book, spending time with family, and doing some behind-the-scenes upgrades — including moving fully off Substack. If you followed us there, make sure you're subscribed on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss anything. All our show notes, frameworks, and book recs now live at firstdatesandsoulmates.com. We're also close to a big YouTube milestone — if you've got a second, hit subscribe at Youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates. It genuinely helps, even if you mostly listen elsewhere. Miss us already? Check out: 🎙️ Would Recommend — Nikki's podcast on customer experience 🎙️ Aggressively Human — Meg's podcast on keeping business human in the age of AI 👯 Nikki as a guest on Meg's podcast talking customer service in the age of AI See you in the fall. 💛

This week Nikki and Meg are joined by Megan Eckman, author of PDX Spellbound, to talk about the genre that promises exactly one thing: it's gonna be okay. Cozy romance isn't about the absence of conflict — it's about the absence of catastrophe. No mafia basements. No miscommunication tropes. No throwing your therapist for a loop. Just adults, having adult conversations, in a world where the worst thing that happens is a bakery running out of cinnamon rolls. Listen in for: What actually defines cozy romance — and why it's not the same thing as low heat or closed doorThe real difference between cozy and slow burn (hint: it's pace, not tension)Why "healing" might be the most important word in this entire genre — for the characters and for the readerA deep dive into cozy fantasy: Sabrina the Teenage Witch, That's So Raven, and Howl's Moving Castle as the blueprintWhether cozy romance can exist in a big city (yes — otaku office workers and a cat café in Montreal say hello)A very funny detour into K-dramas, J-dramas, and the six-episode hand-holdMegan's real-life "I love you" letter and the mailbox panic attack that followed The Framework, In Short: cozy romance is defined less by what's absent (violence, high stakes, explicit heat) and more by what's present — hope, kindness, and communities that catch people instead of testing them. The pace is slow, but that's not the same as slow burn: slow burn runs on simmering tension that eventually ignites, while cozy runs on the absence of tension doing the narrative work instead. And underneath the cinnamon buns and magic coffee cups, the genre's real throughline is healing — not just for the characters, but for the reader borrowing a couple hours inside a fundamentally safe world. https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/episode/cozy-romance/ Pull Quotes: Megan: "It's a book that when you enter it, even more than romance, the promise is like, it's gonna be okay, like times 10."Meg: "Some people went dark and weird, and some people went cozy... the dark weird folks were like, I want to escape into a world that's worse than mine so that at least I'm not living in a mafia basement."Megan: "It is slow burn, but in a different way... it's almost more just slow pace."Nikki: "The lack of that momentum is actually what creates the momentum... it's a little bit antithetical to how plot movements work."Nikki: "I think it's interesting that you use the word healing, because it's not one that I associated with cozy... but I like the word healing in this because I think it's also healing something in the reader — not just for the characters."Megan: "The magic exists, the world is still a happier place, and magic is simply used to solve everyday problems... it's what are the ways that we would have used that ability to make our lives a little bit better."Meg: "That's what I actually want my life to be. I want my life to be cozy... having that in book form feels safer."Megan: "I think I like seeing my sort of romantic relationships reflected back at me."Nikki: "The pace of the story is slow, and that actually does a lot for my anxiety... it's the rest for my brain."Books & Media We Mention: Love is Hard for OtakuAgnes Obel's Mystical Cat ShelterLore OlympusHowl's Moving Castle (book and film)Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the Melissa Joan Hart one)That's So RavenAn Amateur Witch's Guide to Murder by K. ValentineAssistant to the VillainThe Duchess War by Courtney Milan (Meg's ship)Dynamite Kiss (Megan's ship)Game Changer, Season 8 (Dropout) (Nikki's ship)Keith Plays a Porn Game in Heaven (Try TV) (Nikki's ship) About Our Guest Megan Eckman (she/her) grew up on fantasy books, 90s rom-coms, and BBC sitcoms in equal measure. She's been writing silly, magical stories since college. PDX Spellbound, her monthly rom-com series, is her love letter to Portland's weird, wonderful energy. She lives in Vancouver, WA — just across the river from Portland — with her husband and one very opinionated tricolor cat (the inspiration for her very opinionated magical cats). Get a free month of PDX Spellbound: https://pdxspellbound.com/

Somewhere between You’ve Got Mail and a phone plan you forgot to cancel, a whole subgenre of rom-coms decided that the sexiest thing you can do is fall for someone’s grief-texts before you know their face, their name, or the fact that you have no business reading their voicemails. Nikki and Meg dig into Voicemails for Isabelle and its 2023 cousin Love Again — two films built on the same bones: someone’s dead loved one’s number gets reassigned, a total stranger becomes an accidental witness to someone else’s rawest, most unguarded grief, and instead of doing the normal human thing (saying “wrong number, so sorry for your loss”), they just... keep listening. Nikki and Meg discuss: The “anti-dating app” premise — no photo, no bio, no strategically fished fish pic, just someone’s unfiltered interior life, and why that’s simultaneously the most romantic and most deeply unhinged foundation a relationship can be built onWhy staying silent is the real betrayal here — not the wrong number, not the listening, but the choosing not to say anything while your crush becomes increasingly based on surveillanceThe redemption math: what actually has to happen for “I’ve been secretly listening to your dead sister’s voicemails for weeks” to be forgivable, and why both movies kind of chicken out on making their heroes grovel enough for itSister acts, San Francisco food trucks, and why Wes might be the blandest man to ever accidentally fall in love with someone’s griefA grand unified theory of the wrong-number romance, tracing the DNA back through You’ve Got Mail, P.S. I Love You, and a stack of “we’ve been texting and I don’t know it’s actually you” books If you’ve ever wanted to yell “just tell her!” at your television, this is the episode for you. "The core romantic fantasy of this is you fall for the person before you even see their face — you're falling in love with the inner person, the unguarded you, the one that comes out when no one else is watching." — Nikki"I witness your mess, and it doesn't turn me away." — Meg"If you're worried about losing them when you tell them the truth, you've got bigger issues, my dude." — NikkiMedia MentionedFilms Voicemails for Isabelle (Netflix) — Zoey Deutch, Nick RobinsonLove Again (2023) — Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan; remake of a German film based on a novel by Sophie KramerSet It Up — Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell (referenced as an earlier FDSM episode)You’ve Got MailP.S. I Love YouPractical Magic (+ upcoming Practical Magic 2) Books Top Secret by Sarina Bowen & Elle KennedySpoiler Alert by Olivia DadeQueer Ways to Fall in Love series by Jax CaldnerP.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connelly This week’s ships: Top Secret by Sarina Bowen & Elle KennedyMac’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town by AJ Sherwood (final book in the Mac’s Marvelous Manifestation series)First book in series: Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted ChristmasFull series reading order

The Grump isn’t just the villain and the Sunshine isn’t just a naive ingenue. It only took 115 episodes to get here, but Meg and Nikki are finally doing a full deep-dive on grumpy x sunshine — one of the most popular character dynamics in romance, and one with more actual structure to it than "opposites attract." What makes a grump different from just an a*****e? What stops a sunshine character from reading as a doormat? And why does this specific pairing show up in AO3 tags, Christmas novellas, and workplace romance in equal measure? We get into all of it — plus a real answer to whether queer grumpy x sunshine escapes the genre's usual body-type stereotypes (spoiler: not as much as it should). Want the full structural breakdown? Read the Grumpy/Sunshine Framework. Listen in for: Why “opposites attract” is too broad a label, and what actually separates grumpy sunshine from its cousins in the family tree (black cat/golden retriever gets its own dissection)The hard line between grumpy and cruel, and why a grump who punishes people for existing isn’t playing this trope anymoreFandom’s fingerprints all over this one, from Geralt and Jaskier to Bones and Kirk to a Zootopia fic (?) Nikki wishes she’d never gone looking forHow the dynamic shifts (or stubbornly doesn’t) when the pairing goes queer, and the body-type stereotypes still doing a lot of quiet work underneath it Nikki, on the difference between a grump and just an a*****e [11:07]: "If he ever falls into the territory of punishing people for existing, that's not gonna be really this trope for me. That's just gonna be an a*****e, and that's different."Meg, on the sunshine character's real boundary [15:08]: "They can be optimistic, they can be continuously trying to reach out, but they're not relentless. At some point they're gonna be like, 'Okay, fine.' They're not dumb about it."Nikki, on what the resolution actually requires [38:19]: "It's the grump doesn't need to perform okayness, and I'm the only one they'll do that for... that's the idea of rest. You don't have to perform or manage how you appear."Nikki, on whether queer grumpy x sunshine escapes gendered stereotyping [40:55]: "The sunshine one is usually a twinky, thin blonde, and the grumpy one is like a big, jacked-up bear of a character... there's still a shit ton of stereotypes that go with it." Books & Media Mentioned: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne It Happened One Summer A Deal with the Devil by Elizabeth Rourke The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert Fae Quinn’s Christmas Daddy series Peppermint Bark No Bite by Bailey Seaborn What we’re shipping: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan (start of the Brothers Sinister series) Magpie by Lucy Lennox

The 1970s gave us Star Wars, Watergate, the sexual revolution, and what critics apparently decided to call romantic comedies. Nikki and Meg are back with the next chapter of Rom-Coms Through the Ages, and this week’s entries are Grease (1978) and Annie Hall (1977). Nikki and Meg discuss: * Why Grease is ‘50s nostalgia dipped in ‘70s cynicism and how the candy colours and hand jive are doing a lot of heavy lifting over some genuinely dark material lurking underneath * The Woody Allen of it all: how Annie Hall uses genuinely innovative filmmaking techniques (fourth-wall breaks, non-linear narrative, walk-and-talks) to dress up a script that is, and we quote, “a complete self-indulgent, navel-gazing piece of shit” * The Pygmalion problem that connects Grease, Annie Hall, and My Fair Lady and why all three films named after women are actually about what men want those women to become * Why Rizzo is the character Meg wanted to be at 14 and the character she actually is at 40-something (and why Sandy’s whole arc hits differently in retrospect) If you’ve ever wondered why your favourite ‘90s rom-com feels so warm and alive by comparison, this episode is the origin story. Books We Mention: * Shadows Never Lie & Shadows Never Leave by Lark Taylor * The Prince and the Player (The Prince Pact, Book 1) by Nora Phoenix How You Can Support The Show Share the show with a friend or loved one! Rate, review, and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice Discover your romance trope and get a custom play list at https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/quiz/ Follow Us On Social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Threads: https://www.threads.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates Email us at [email protected] Share the show with a friend or loved one! Got a Little Extra Money to Spend? Check out our sponsorship opportunities: https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/sponsor/ Buy our official merch on TeePublic: http://tee.pub/lic/6TtnpmFagAk Get Meg’s Latest Book: https://amzn.to/4altuTv Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative

If you’re into your 100th reheat of Heated Rivalry and you’re looking for your next favourite, Nikki and Meg have you. This week they’re breaking down what actually makes the Game Changers series work and the emotional formula underneath the fandom. What they get into: * The “soft, squishy boy hiding behind a stoic f*****y facade” formula and where else you’ll find it in the wild * Secret relationship pressure cookers from competing NHL teams to the president’s Secret Service detail (yes, really) * The rivals-not-enemies dynamic that hits differently than enemies to lovers * The long-distance logistics that make every reunion explosive The formula is rivals plus yearning plus impossible logistics plus one person who has no idea how to say the thing out loud. Meg and Nikki have a reading list for every single piece of it. Books We Recommend: Game Changers series (Heated Rivalry) by Rachel Reid Him / Us by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy Puckboys series by Eden Finley and Saxon James Zero Hour series by Amy Nicole Walker Love Logic series by K.M. Neuhold Bedside Manner series by C.G. Macington Dear Plant Daddy by Shenee Howard The Worst Best Man by Kate Canterbury Diving in Deep by K.A. Mitchell Gravity by Tal Bauer Secret Service by Tal Bauer Saddles to Sunup by Emmy Sanders Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston PS I hate you by Lauren Connelly Mistakes were made by Meryl Pilsner Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen How You Can Support The Show Share the show with a friend or loved one! Rate, review, and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice Discover your romance trope and get a custom play list at https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/quiz/ Follow Us On Social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/firstdatesandsoulmates/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates Threads: https://www.threads.com/@firstdatesandsoulmates Email us at [email protected] Share the show with a friend or loved one! Got a Little Extra Money to Spend? Check out our sponsorship opportunities: https://firstdatesandsoulmates.com/sponsor/ Buy our official merch on TeePublic: http://tee.pub/lic/6TtnpmFagAk Get Meg’s Latest Book: https://amzn.to/4altuTv Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Get a paid subscription on Substack for one month or for many months! Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates: Romance Podcast at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe