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 ethics of journalism in romance novels (looking at you, A Christmas Prince),

* and what it means when your characters start bossing you around as a writer!

Books & Media We Mention

* Fake Out, Trick Play, Deke by Eden Finley

* I Can’t Say Goodbye by Eden Finley (next-gen spinoff)

* Rebound and It’s Complicated (mid-series novellas)

* Puckboy and Mike Bravo series (Eden Finley)

* Franklin University books (Eden Finley & Saxon James)

* Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

* Calling Chaos by Grae Bryan

* A Christmas Prince (Netflix)

* Lady Whistlethreads on Substack

Pre-Order Meg’s next book, All Twerk No Play: https://amzn.to/3Ee2O9Z releasing May 15, 2025!

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

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

View the full show notes on our Substack.

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

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

Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe