First Dates & Soulmates: A Romance Podcast

By Meg Casebolt & Nikki McKnightTV & Film Society & Culture Arts Books

First Dates & Soulmates: A Romance Podcast episodes

October 07I Licked It, It's Mine: Breaking Down Werewolf Romance
Kicking off spooky October, Meg and Nikki tackle the second installment in their paranormal-archetype series (following last year's vampire deep dive). Nikki mapped werewolf and wolf-shifter romance onto three central archetypes — the Cursed Creature, the Big Bad Wolf, and the Alpha — plus two structural tropes that cut across all of them: Fated Mate and Pack/Found Family. Along the way: why werewolves keep winning the genre's search-volume war against vampires, the true (and very messy) origin story of the Omegaverse, and why "alpha" reads as a red flag in real life but a fantasy on the page.
In this episode:
The three core werewolf archetypes and what each one represents psychologically
Why L. David Mech's "alpha wolf" research is scientifically bunk — and romance ran with it anyway
Vampires vs. werewolves: hot/cold, family/solitude, and why the two species always seem to hate each other
The Omegaverse's real origin (a 2010 Supernatural real-person kink-meme prompt)
Google Trends data on werewolf vs. vampire search volume since 2004
What's coming next week: a queer werewolf readalong of Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Deep dive on our website:
Get the full show notes
Read the werewolf archetype
Get our full list of 25+ werewolf romance books
"The real alpha is a family man. Romance got that part right by accident." — Nikki"Why does alpha read as hot in romance, but is the ultimate red flag in real life?" — Nikki"The wolf is basically a very large, very hot dog... cuddly little werewolf becomes something that will protect us and sleep at the foot of our bed with extra benefits." — Meg, paraphrasing Nikki's research"It's the internet. Everybody's got a laptop with access to LiveJournal, to Fanfic.net... that also made a big difference in the speed at which this was adopted." — MegBooks & Media Mentioned
Bitten — Kelley Armstrong
Moon Called — Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson series)
Slave to Sensation / Kiss of Snow — Nalini Singh
A Hunger Like No Other — Kresley Cole
The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate — Kate C. Wells
Enchanted (Hopeless Bless series, book 4) — Lark Taylor
The Kincaid Pack series — Kiki Clark
The Wolf Man (1941, 2025), An American Werewolf in London, Ginger Snaps, Teen Wolf (MTV), Twilight, Underworld / Rise of the Lycans, True Blood
Harry Potter (Remus Lupin), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Oz)
Referenced: the show's prior vampire-archetype episode; the show's episode with "Dr. Fandom" Katie Freund on fandom's role in modern romance

Where We've Discussed This
Vampire archetype deep dive
Twilight / Warm Bodies: YA paranormal film study episode
Ice Planet Barbarians / alien romance episode

What We're Shipping This Week
Meg: The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate by Kate C. Wells — a rejected-mate story that subverts the fated-bond consent problem by literally letting the heroine have the bond magically removed
Nikki: Enchanted by Lark Taylor (Hopeless Bless series, book 4) — angel/seraphim romance, heavy angst, terminal illness and healing-powers premise
51 min
September 30The Love Hypothesis Movie: Believe Olive! But Also? Fire Tom.
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-page
Why cutting Adam's book-only decision that he's been quietly in love with Olive since the bathroom scene changes his arc
The missing Holden subplot, and how much narrative work a best-friend character was doing to humanize Adam
Casting notes on Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, and Rachel Marsh as Anh
The FAKING IT framework's Agreement stage, and how well the negotiation-scene structure maps onto it
Why 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 fucking 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 Referenced
The 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 This
Our original Love Hypothesis book episode
Full book review: The Love Hypothesis — book review
The FAKING IT Framework
Our favorite Fake Dating Romance Books

What We're Shipping This Week
Meg: The Island by Briar Prescott (read from Nikki's earlier recommendation) — childhood-best-friends-to-lovers, bi awakening, stranded-on-a-desert-island survival romance
Nikki: 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/
56 min
September 23[Re-release] The Love Hypothesis Movie is Here! Let's Talk About the Book First
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 payoff
The balance of realistic vs. wildly fictional about academia
The Title IX runner that starts as a joke and becomes the whole emotional throughline
Why we're both so glad this book stayed in Olive's POV only — and what it would've lost with a dual-POV structure
The 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 burn
Why Olive's demisexuality lands as specific and earned, not just a label
The 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!
58 min
September 16 [Re-release] Fake Dating Trope: The 8 Stages That Make Us Believe It's Real
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!
55 min
September 10[Re-Release] Vampire Romance: Brooder, Predator, Protector, Monster
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 leather
The four vampire archetypes: tragic baby, sexy predator, protective dad-vamp, and monster with a secret squishy center
Nikki’s theory of “booping the tiger” as peak vampire romance energy
Meg’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 Ward
Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands
Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Dark series by Christine Feehan
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Lords of Discord series (and Lords of Chaos spinoff) by Jocelynn Drake
Lark Taylor's Reckless Damned Series
Grae Bryan's Vampire's Mate series
First Blood by Eliot Grayson
One Bite with a Vampire by Louisa Masters
The Necromancer’s Dance by Sheena Jolie
Bite me! You know I like it by Fae Quin
Cronin's Key by NR Walker
The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA by AJ Sherwood
Fated Mates series by AJ Sherwood
Bite Marks & Broken Hearts by TJ Rose
Immortal Assassins series by Mia Monroe
Vampire Related Crimes Series by Alice Winters

Books/Media Mentioned:
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (book and film)
Queen of the Damned (film)
True Blood (HBO series) and Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris
Vampire Diaries (TV series)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (book and film)
Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole
Casual Felonies by Kelly Fox
Hot 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
56 min
September 02[Re-release] Rockstar Romance with Jessica Topper
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 Wood
Charm City Rocks - Matthew Norman
Juliet, Naked - Nick Hornby
How to Kill a Rock Star - Tiffanie DeBartolo
Don't Sleep with your Drummer - Jen Sincero

Meg’s Recs:
VIP series (Idol, Managed, Fall, Exposed) by Kristen Callihan
Stage Dive series (Lick, Play, Lead, Deep) by Kylie Scott
Drive 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 Atrous
Fallen Angels series by Ella Frank and Brook Blaine
Fix It Up by Mary Calmes
Replay series by KM Neuhold
Famous series by Eden Finley
GASP! by ZA Maxfield
Caffeine Daydreams series by Lark Taylor
Rhythm of Love series by Neve Wilder
Jumping Jude (Made Marian book 3) by Lucy Lennox
Starting From Series by Lane Hayes
The Player by Lily Morton
57 min
August 26 [Re-Release] Love on Vacation: Summer Romance Trope Deep Dive
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
55 min
August 19 [Re-Release] Eden Finley Discusses Her Shared Hockey Romance Universe
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]
1 hr 23 min
August 12[Re-Release] Heated Rivalry: We're Going To The Cottage
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 alone
The loopy, post-surgery "I love you, man" moment — and why the real I-love-you, said in a different language entirely, might matter more
The 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" it
Nikki's post-book-read fury at Montreal, the Long Game, and exactly how badly that organization treated its own dynasty
Big-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:
"Fuck 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]
1 hr 52 min
August 05[Re-Release] Heartless by Elsie Silver: cowboy, nanny, grumpy-sunshine AND surprise pregnancy? Bring it on.
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 time
panty-dropping meet cute moments in weirdly named coffeeshops
a nanny who is neither Julie Andrews as a nun nor “not like other girls”, but just awesome, really
hot, 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 fucking 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
56 min

About First Dates & Soulmates: A Romance Podcast

From the publisher's feed

First Dates & Soulmates is a romance podcast where craft meets culture, hosted by romance author Meg Casebolt and pop culture devotee Nikki McKnight. Expect trope frameworks, feminist film…