Meredith sits down with two smart people who have spent a lot of time studying relationships – how we make them, what we look for in other people, and the “rules” that color these big decisions. Lamont White is a dating coach and matchmaker. Angela Bahns is a social psychologist whose work raises an important question: Is it actually true that opposites attract? Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Love Letters

S6E7: These Rules Are Meant for Breakin'

Ayesha Mattu was supposed to marry a man whose background mirrored hers: Pakistani, Muslim, and from a certain caste. For a time, that was the plan. Then, one night in a dimly lit club, she saw a cute guy dancing. And thus their adventure began. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S6E6: Dancing With a Stranger

When the pandemic hit, Iz was a junior in college with a vibrant social and academic life. They also had a serious partner, with whom they’d been in a monogamous relationship. COVID turned all of that upside down. So Iz decided to try something radical: to forego app dating and look for love IRL. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S6E5: The Old College Try

Just about everybody in a long-term partnership worries they’re not having the right amount of sex. It’s easy to wonder: What is “normal?” For Katie and her husband, this became a central question in their marriage – until she realized she should just stop asking. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S6E4: 98 Percent Perfect

When Ian Coss talks about the legacy of divorce in his family, he’s not kidding. Everybody split up -- parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, multiple aunts and uncles. So when Ian fell in love himself, understanding these broken commitments became his way of avoiding the same fate. Plus, writer and podcaster Christina Tucker on whether universal rules even exist in love and dating. Email us at loveletters@boston.com. (Next episode: Jan. 4)

S6E3: So Long, Splitsville

Naomi and Chandler didn’t know each other before deploying to the same air base in Afghanistan. But they had much in common — they both came from big families and small towns, and neither was looking for love. They also knew the military frowned upon relationships on base. And yet… Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S6E2: In Love, on Duty

Welcome to Season 6! Our theme for this season is “Breaking the Rules.” It’s all about people who went against the grain, challenged convention, or ignored those relationship myths and tropes we’ve all heard. In the first episode, Meredith tells the story of fellow journalist Kimberly Atkins Stohr, who made an unexpected choice upon getting married. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S6E1: Because I Wanted To

Meredith talks to fellow advice columnist John Paul Brammer on the occasion of his new book, “Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons.” Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Bonus: A Conversation with John Paul Brammer

Meredith has a glass of frosé with Erin, whose dating journey Love Letters chronicled in Season 2. Erin gives an update on her love life, shares what changed for her during the pandemic, and admits to crushing on a guy in a cemetery. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

Bonus: Erin’s Hot Girl Summer

In the final episode of the season, Meredith turns hosting duties over to her sister, Brette. And for an important reason: It’s finally time for Meredith to share her own story -- her own new beginning. It’s a story about saying “yes” when that feels right, and about the growth that comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S5E10: Meredith, Explained

Knowing whether your partner is "the one" can be hard. Especially when you meet earlier in life. It’s tough to know who is truly here to stay, and who may just be right for the moment. That was true for Monica, who fell for a guy in college and then wasn’t so sure. Hers is a story about multiple new beginnings, and about the importance of getting to know yourself before going all in on someone else. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S5E9: Save It for Later

Many of us have clear expectations for our romantic lives. We envision a certain kind of partner, a certain kind of relationship. But Nicole found her new beginning after giving herself permission to change course. The end result? She’s built a life she never imagined for herself. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S5E8: The Connecticut Wife

Trenni used to pity the “boyfriend people” -- women she knew whose lives seemed to revolve around a guy. She valued her independence and wore it like a badge of honor. Then, a chance encounter on the street led her to a life-changing discovery. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S5E7: Boyfriend Person

When a step-parent enters the picture, it can be an especially fraught new beginning -- for everyone involved. Stacie discovered this after she and Tim decided to make a life together. Tim came with two kids; Stacie had none. Nor did she have any idea -- at first, anyway -- what it meant to be a step-mom. Plus, Meredith and her sister, Brette, sing Mary Poppins. Sort of. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S5E6: How to Step-Mom

It’s hard to not worry about the future. We all want to know how things are going to work out. For Meighan, her romantic path seemed clear. Until … it didn’t. That’s when she learned to let go of tomorrow and just live for today. Email us at loveletters@boston.com.

S5E5: This Beautiful Thing for Right Now

A single, burning question about love and relationships, every season. Explored through stories. Hosted by Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein.