First Dates & Soulmates

Meg Casebolt & Nikki McKnight

Two avid romance readers discuss their love of the genre, the writing process, and share their favorite book recommendations. firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com

  1. 1D AGO

    93 | Morning Glory Milking Farm: Yes It’s About Milking, No That’s Not the Point

    This week, Nikki and Meg finally dive into Morning Glory Milking Farm: the monster romance that launched a thousand awkward recommendations and at least one “wait… is this actually good?” group chat spiral. We talk: * Monster anatomy (briefly), consent (extensively), capitalism (of course), and why this book works far better than it has any right to. * From Minotaur milking logistics to Violet’s deeply relatable millennial “I just need a job that pays rent” energy * Monster romance as labor commentary (yes, really) Plus: capitalism discourse, bodily autonomy, and why Minotaurs might be better boyfriends than most humans. This week’s ships: NikkI: Wet by Cambria Hebert: https://amzn.to/4qYRi5i Meg: Mercy by Sara Cate: https://amzn.to/45QfjTP How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    51 min

  2. FEB 4

    92 | Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1: Mistresses, Masquerades, and Maid Wars

    The first four episodes of Bridgerton Season 4 are here and they might be the strongest opening since Season 1. SO MANY SPOILERS. Nikki and Meg break down: * Benedict Bridgerton as a flawed hero (and why the internet needs to relax) * Upstairs vs. downstairs storytelling (maids, money, power, respect) * The Lady Whistledown problem now that everyone knows who she is * Violet Bridgerton’s late-in-life desire arc (icon behaviour) * Lady Danbury, the Queen, and choosing your own damn shoes And be sure to come back in March for part 2 of season 4 :) How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 27m

  3. JAN 28

    91 | Benedict Bridgerton & Cinderella? An Offer from a Gentleman

    We’re continuing our march through the Bridgerton universe with Benedict’s book, An Offer From a Gentleman, the Cinderella-inspired romance featuring a masquerade ball, a missing glove, and one heroine who absolutely refuses to become a kept woman. Listen in for: * Cinderella romance tropes and secret identity reveals * Sophie Beckett as a heroine with principles and punch * Why “I’ll take care of you” isn’t romantic (or is it??) * Violet Bridgerton as the blueprint * Book vs show differences and Season 4 speculation How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Pre-order Two Wrongs Don't Make a Playwright: https://amzn.to/4r6Vr6S Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 4m

  4. JAN 21

    90 | The Second Annual Tingly Awards: Our 2025 best romance novel recommendations

    It’s awards season, romance-style. Nikki and Meg are back with the second annual Tingly Awards, where spreadsheets fear us and yearning reigns supreme. This episode is a full retrospective of everything that gave us tingles in 2025: books, series, tropes, authors, movies, TV, rereads, rabbit holes, and the unhinged emotional damage we willingly signed up for. Once you do something twice, it’s a tradition. Science. In This Episode: * Rereads, first-time reads, and “how did I end up here?” rabbit holes * Why emotional devastation is sometimes the goal * Romance as escapism, nervous-system regulation, and personal attack * Books we never would’ve read without this podcast (and survived anyway) * The joy of discovering new authors through interviews and themed episodes And Meg & Nikki’s picks for: * The Year of the Reread * Unexpected Plot Twists We Did Not See Coming * Most Bingeable Authors * Trilogies That Emotionally Wrecked Us (Affectionate) * Top Fantasy / Paranormal / “Why Is This Actually So Good?” Reads * Weird Stuff We Only Read Because of the Podcast * Favorite New-to-Us Authors * Romance TV & Movies of the Year * Best New Series * Book of the Year Want to check out our award winners? Note, these are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission on any purchases at no additional cost to you: The Fall by Tal Bauer: https://amzn.to/3ZlBg9u A Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams: https://amzn.to/49vROSh Pounded by Produce by GM Fairy https://amzn.to/49IR0Ix My Date with An Ampersand by Nicole Parker https://amzn.to/4sJBeWB Skyland by Kennedy Ryan: https://amzn.to/4qYQZXP Friendship by Kate Canterbary https://amzn.to/3LC5Cl2 Las Leonas by Adriana Herrera https://amzn.to/49OmOf3 The Atrous series by NR Walker https://amzn.to/3NStT6T Teachers in Love by MA Wardell https://amzn.to/45hINJX Love & Steel by Jessica Topper https://amzn.to/3LzghwP Matzo Ballers by Jessica Topper and Amanda Usen https://amzn.to/4jNAZ8N The Playbook by Alexa Martin https://amzn.to/4jQiUqz By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin https://amzn.to/45g8hYb Soft Launch by Olivia Carter https://amzn.to/4sVftTR The Wages of Sin series by Neve Wilder & Onley James https://amzn.to/3LzdJyL Secret Service by Tal Bauer: https://amzn.to/49F3fpn The Luckless series by Cari Z: https://amzn.to/3ZltLzm The Year of Us by EM Denning & Kate Hawthrone: https://amzn.to/4jQmz7N The Jilted Exes’ Club series by Riley Hart https://amzn.to/3LqIjdU Charmed Away Temp Agency series by Amy Padilla https://amzn.to/4pIPADX Lovers of the Damned series by Colette Rivera : https://amzn.to/49uTATJ The Brannon Boys series by Katherine McIntyre https://amzn.to/4sEPjEy Leather & Lattes series by Katherine McIntyre https://amzn.to/4pKSxUk Dungeons & Dating series by Katherine McIntyre https://amzn.to/49OmHA9 Raven of the Woods by Mary Calmes https://amzn.to/45F4J1Z A Matter of Time by Mary Calmes https://amzn.to/3Nu5Gnp Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon https://amzn.to/460xhCS Atlantic City Most Wanted by Charity Parkerson https://amzn.to/49EsHLO Sent to a Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me by Jaclyn Osborn: https://amzn.to/4qy3nhR Adopt a Vampire by AJ Sherwood https://amzn.to/49LvDX9 Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: https://amzn.to/49IMBoN 10 ways to accidentally fall in love by Emmy Sanders: https://amzn.to/4pIktYX The Edge of Fate by Sheena Jolie: https://amzn.to/45jWAje How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    49 min

  5. JAN 14

    89 | People We Meet on Vacation: Great Chemistry, Questionable Choices

    This week, Meg & Nikki are unpacking the latest Netflix romcom: Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation. In this episode, they dig into: * Why this story feels like the romance version of a beef trifle: enjoyable, chaotic, structurally confusing * Friends-to-lovers, long-term pining, and the danger of resetting the conflict instead of escalating it * The When Harry Met Sally comparisons and differences in payoff * The travel fantasy: gorgeous locations, fun moments, and being the best version of YOU while away from home They also talk adaptation choices, missing connective tissue from the book, and why adult conversations could have solved… basically everything. How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr

  6. JAN 7

    88 | Heated Rivalry's "I'll Believe In Anything" and "The Cottage"

    Episodes 5 and 6 of Heated Rivalry deliver what can only be described as a masterclass in slow-burn payoff. We get hugs and cuddles, hard truths, loopy Shane declarations, the iconic cottage invitation, and finally (finally!!) two men who sit down and use their words like adults (growth!). In this third Heated Rivalry episode, Meg & Nikki are once again joined by Andréa Jones to break down: * Why Episodes 5 & 6 fully deserve being some of the highest rated TV episodes EVER * The injury → hospital → cottage pipeline and what finally changes between Shane and Ilya * That music drop, those callbacks, and the slow-burn payoff we were promised * The “I love you” moment(s) and why language matters here * What the show gets right that most romance adaptations don’t * Nikki’s thoughts on finally reading the books (and why she’s FURIOUS at Montreal). We wrap with big fandom questions, season-wide reflections, and what Heated Rivalry getting this right could mean for future romance adaptations (especially queer ones). How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 51m

  7. 2025-12-31

    87 | Holiday Touchdown: A Hallmark Buffalo Bills Love Story [with Sara Frandina]

    What happens when the NFL decides it wants Hallmark’s audience and Hallmark decides it wants football money? You get Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, a G-rated Christmas movie stuffed with snow, Bills Mafia, stadium lore, and enough exposition to qualify as cardio. Nikki and Meg are joined by Buffalo native and Bills superfan Sara Frandina to break down Hallmark’s second NFL crossover, unpack why Buffalo was the obvious choice, and ask the real questions. Like: * Why is this doctor never at work? * Why does every mystery require a receipt from 50 years ago? * The “he falls first” trope being wasted on an oblivious heroine * East Aurora standing in for “small-town Buffalo” (lol) * Joe Pantoliano quietly acting circles around everyone * Why this movie could have been 45 minutes shorter and lost nothing If you came for holiday cheer, you’ll stay for the Bills culture, Hallmark logic, and a surprisingly deep dive into fandom economics. How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 8m

  8. 2025-12-24

    86 | Romantic Holiday Microtropes: Gingerbread Disasters & Other Seasonal Love Languages

    It’s Christmas Eve, which means one thing in the FDSM universe: extremely specific holiday tropes, deeply unserious games, and a shocking number of dead bodies lurking just offstage. This week, Meg and Nikki dig into the microtropes that make holiday romances and Hallmark movies so bingeable. Then Meg unleashes not one but two games, including a rapid-fire “Love or Murder?” guessing round and a full-on fantasy-draft-style build-your-own holiday romance. Yes, ornaments have traumatic backstories. Yes, someone gets stranded on a bridge. Yes, we absolutely turn the romances into cozy murders at the end. It’s festive. It’s chaotic. It’s extremely on brand. If you’ve ever thought, “This movie exists solely to justify one kiss in falling snow,” this episode is for you. Want to play along? Grab the “Write Your Own Romance” guide here: https://linktr.ee/firstdatesandsoulmates How You Can Support The Show 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 Download your copy of the 2025 book bingo card at https://bit.ly/fdsmbingo Email us at firstdatesandsoulmatespod@gmail.com 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 Shop our affiliate book recs on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/caseboltcreative Upgrade to a paid tier on Substack Get full access to First Dates & Soulmates at firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com/subscribe

    43 min
See All (95)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Two avid romance readers discuss their love of the genre, the writing process, and share their favorite book recommendations. firstdatesandsoulmates.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Meg Casebolt & Nikki McKnight
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    95
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Meg Casebolt
  • Show Website
    First Dates & Soulmates

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