First Dates & Soulmates

39: Football Romance with Alexa Martin


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Strap in, romance fans, because this episode is intercepting all your expectations!

We’re chatting with the MVP of football romance, Alexa Martin, about romance in the era of Taylor Swift’s NFL, the behind the scenes stories of being (and writing) football WAGS (wives and girlfriends).

🏆What’s in the playbook this week for Meg, Nikki, & Alexa?

* How Vanity Fair declared Alexa the queen of football romance (and why she both cheered and cringed at the article).

* Why her heroines are always hot messes (in the best way) and what makes a truly likable unlikable heroine.

* Football wives, mean girls, and the ride-or-die friendships that make sports romance sparkle.

Plus, we get into the nitty-gritty of sports romance as competency porn (yep, we said it) and why falling in love is always the least convenient thing that can happen to your main character.

About Our Guest:

Alexa Martin is the award-winning author of Better than Fiction, Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes, and the Playbook Series. Her novels have been chosen by NPR and Amazon for the best books of the year and her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR.

She lives in Dallas with her husband, four children, and German Shepherd.

The Playbook Series was inspired by the eight years she spent as an NFL wife and her deep love of all things pop culture, sparkles, leggings, and wine.

When she’s not dreaming up her next romance hero, you can find her catching up on whatever Real Housewives franchise is currently airing or filling up her Etsy cart with items she doesn’t need.

https://www.alexamartin.com/

https://www.instagram.com/alexambooks/

Books & Media We Mention:

Elemental Men series by Louisa Masters

Traitors (USA, TV Show)

Shrinking (TV Show)

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Follow the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstDatesSoulmates

Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo

View the full show notes on our Substack.

Order Meg’s debut novel, Peppermint Bark, No Bite (affiliate link)

Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative

Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!



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First Dates & SoulmatesBy Meg Casebolt & Nikki McKnight

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