First Dates & Soulmates: A Romance Podcast

Meg and Nikki tackle Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez and the book club is in session! They’re breaking down all the sandy, swoony, and slightly chaotic details of this “one summer only” love story. There’s fake dating, complicated exes, secret emotions, and exactly the kind of drama you'd expect from a romance that promises to be temporary. Listen in for: * Parental trauma, lake house love, an...

This week, Meg and Nikki play a wacky round of Romance Would You Rather, where the questions are unhinged, the stakes are fictional, and the answers reveal way too much about their taste in book boyfriends. It's trope vs. trope, kink vs. kink, and sometimes just pure chaos (would you rather walk in on a shifter in animal form… or not know your partner was a vampire until you’re mid-bite?). Listen...

Meg and Nikki unpack the logistics (and impractical magic) of the “love on vacation” trope! From beach house hookups to European cruises , they debate whether the vacation romance can survive real life, compare road trip playlists, and revisit their favorite books and movies that deliver the hot summer goods. Listen in for: * Tropes like friends-to-lovers-on-holiday, destination wedding mix-ups, a...

It's the episode where the suits are sharp, the heroines are divorced, and the kisses last less than three seconds! Nikki and Meg dive headfirst into the romantic comedies of the 1940s—specifically The Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday —and come out with hot takes on censorship, fast-talking career women, and whether a second chance romance really needs to end in remarriage. Listen in for: *...

It’s the favorite kind of debut: when a podcast superfan becomes a published author and takes the mic! This week, we welcome Olivia Carter (aka Andréa Jones) to chat about her new romance novel Soft Launch , the first in the Zeta Love series. Nikki & Meg talk about: * Her path from reader to writer (including whispering sex scenes while holding a baby) * Navigating shame, self-doubt, and “soft lau...

What if your PhD was in fanfiction? (Spoiler: our guest actually did that.) In this episode, Nikki & Meg are joined by scholar and fandom queen Dr. Katie Freund to talk about the queer roots of fandom, transformative works, and the power of rewriting stories that didn’t get it right the first time. From slash fic to spite fic, they explore how fandom creates space for identity, reclaims representa...

This week, it’s all about the L in LGBTQ+. Nikki & Meg dive into the world of women-loving-women romances: the genre’s underrepresentation, share standout books they’ve read recently, and explore their own relationships to sapphic stories. Listen in for: * Why FF romance still doesn’t get the love it deserves * Stereotypes vs. archetypes and how to tell the difference * Trope differences across FF...

In this author spotlight, Nikki & Meg sit down with romance writer DJ Jamison to talk about crafting queer love stories with heart, heat, and a whole lot of character growth. Listen in for: * Navigating reader expectations to balancing spice levels across her different series * What makes a series stick (and when to wrap it up) * Why she gravitates toward underdog characters who just need someone...

It’s Pride Month, and Meg & Nikki are kicking things off with a reflective conversation about queer identity and coming out romance stories we love (especially the messy, nonlinear, and sometimes late-blooming kind). Listen in for: * What shaped their early understandings of sexual identity and orientation * The multiple “F’s” in a framework designed for awakening…tingles…in the groiny bits… * The...

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 b...

It’s the one-year anniversary of First Dates & Soulmates — and Nikki & Meg are getting a little misty-eyed about it. In this retrospective episode, they reflect on how the podcast came to be, how their reading (and recording) habits have changed, and what surprised them most over the last 54 episodes. Listen in for: * The emotional support voice notes that started it all * The differences between...

All Twerk No Play drops May 15th! Head over to the ‘Zon and download/buy your copy ASAP. Support indie writers! https://amzn.to/3Ee2O9Z Now onto the show… In this episode, Nikki interviews co-host Meg—er, Bailey Seaborn—about her newest release “All Twerk, No Play”, the second book in the All or Nothing series and follow up to “Peppermint Bark, No Bite”. Join them as they dig into: * Why Victoria...

Don’t forget, Meg’s new book All Twerk No Play drops May 15th! So get thee to the ‘Zon and download/buy your copy ASAP. Support indie writers! https://amzn.to/3Ee2O9Z Now onto the show… This week on First Dates & Soulmates, we're cracking open the windows, cranking up the tension, and diving into one of the most underrated romance environments: neighbours to lovers . Meg and Nikki break down why t...

First off, Meg’s new book All Twerk No Play drops May 15th! So get thee to the ‘Zon and download/buy your copy ASAP. Support indie writers! https://amzn.to/3Ee2O9Z Now onto the show… This week on First Dates and Soulmates, Nikki and Meg unpack “Hothead” by Stella Rhys—a spicy sports romance that kicks off with a bar fight, a public meltdown, and a viral paparazzi photo that leads to fake dating. T...

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 pa...

This week on First Dates and Soulmates, Nikki and Meg dive into the first three books in Eden Finley’s Fake Boyfriend series—Fake Out, Trick Play, and Deke. Each features the beloved fake dating trope, but through different emotional, thematic, and public/private lenses. Listen in as they break down: * What works and what stresses us the hell out * The joys of chaos gremlin side characters * The e...

Continuing our April theme of fake dating, this week’s pick is Just Go With It (2011), starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston—and spoiler: Meg hated it. In This Episode: * When your “Save the Cat” moment is… never * Catherine deserved a raise, not a ring * Hawaii as the ultimate fake dating backdrop * How this movie failed at its own emotional payoff * Why all rom-coms should show the reveal A...

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 t...

This week we wrap up our month-long Secret Identity theme with the most opulent trope of all: Secret Billionaires. We discuss “Butt-Dialing the Billionaire” by Annika Martin and… * The "specialist boy" framework: time, money, title—and how power imbalance is managed (or not). * What readers love about billionaire books: wish fulfillment, lifestyle fantasy, and… not having to cook dinner. * Why thi...

How do you fix a secret spy marriage? Blow some stuff up. This episode, Nikki and Meg discuss two classic secret identity action romance films, 1994’s True Lies & 2005’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Inside this episode: * Which spy couple actually had the healthier marriage? * How do you balance of action, romance, and insane sexual tension WITH GASLIGHTING? * Why do both of these movies feature the worst...

This week the March theme of secret identities continues by diving into secret royalty romance: the ones where princes, princesses, and future kings just want a little taste of normalcy… until love (and a dramatic reveal) ruins their plans. Nikki & Meg are diving deep into two secret royal books: Cordina’s Crown Jewel by Nora Roberts, and Felix & The Prince by Lucy Lennox. Listen in as they discus...

Have you ever fallen for someone only to realize they’re secretly a billionaire? Or a prince? Or, oh, just a government spy with a kill count ? This week, Nikki and Meg are diving deep into one of the most over-the-top, high-drama romance tropes of all time: SECRET IDENTITY ROMANCE. What’s inside this episode: * The "Love Me Despite" Factor: Why the conflict in these stories is always I want to be...

What do you get when you mix Cyrano, The Parent Trap, and two insanely charming leads? You get “Set It Up”, the Netflix rom-com that had us yearning for the days of classic romantic comedies. Push play and hear all about: * Workplace romances that don’t make us feel bad and don’t require an HR intervention * Meet cutes, friends to lovers, grand gestures, and other common tropes that are given a mo...

If you’ve ever read a historical romance and thought, “I would 100% sneak into a gambling den just for the drama”, then this week’s episode is for you! This week, Nikki and Meg are diving into Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean, a book that’s all about flouting societal expectations and reforming the bad boys of the aristocracy. Inside the Episode: * Why we think regency ro...

It’s Nikki & Meg’s birthday, and they’ll rant about romance tropes if they want to! Our hosts are back with a special mailbag episode, where they challenge each other with the most ridiculous, thought-provoking, and delightfully unhinged romance scenarios they could find. No prep. No planning. Just pure chaos and strong AF opinions. Check inside this birthday episode and their debates on: 🎁 Grand...