Love Letter: Is it true love or love bombing?
Plus, destination weddings are moving closer to home.
Love Letter
August 7, 2026

Young people are dating far less than their parents and grandparents did, according to poll after poll. There’s a pretty obvious barrier for young New Yorkers trying to date: the cost. In the city, dinner dates, cocktails and movie tickets can quickly add up.

“It’s so expensive to live in this city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani, 34, said. “It’s even more expensive to love in this city.”

Click the link below to read more about why the economy is creating a barrier to love. You’ll also find a story about why the hottest club is now a wedding after-party and a closer look at how romance has become central to a Senate race in Texas.

P.S. Know someone who needs a Love Letter? Forward today’s newsletter their way.

POPULAR THIS WEEK

Diners are shown from above sitting a wooden restaurant counter.

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

A Barrier to Love

Gen Z can’t afford a first date.

A wide shot photo of the bride, left, in a wedding gown wearing a long white veil, holding the arm and kissing the groom, right, in a cream suit. They are on top of a grassy hilltop with a body of water and mountains in the background.

Kelsey Netting and Jacob Gomez/WithLoveMedia

Online Romance

He impressed the TikTok star the old-school way: by listening, in real life.

An illustration of a woman lying down next to a turtle.

Brian Rea

Safety in the Shell

No more sex, flirting, scrolling or swiping.

Article Image

Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times, Desiree Rios for The New York Times

Campaign Watch

In Texas’ most eligible Senate race, it’s bachelor vs. divorcé-to-be.

An illustration of a bear trap with a bouquet of flowers, a love letter, an engagement ring and a box of chocolates in the center.

Laura Edelbacher

Red Flag Potential

Is it true love, or love bombing?

MORE STORIES ABOUT LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

An illustration of a woman walking through a field as a bird flies away from her.

Grieving the Present

The marriage I cherished no longer existed.

Sara Tretter, left, in a white patterned wedding dress, stands next to JP Przewoznik, right, in a gray suit with a blue tie and a single flower tucked into their lapel. They are surrounded by trees and there are some bubbles floating in front of them.

Right Place, Right Time

After 23 years of missed connections, the third time was the charm.

An illustration of two hands drawing with pencils. A right hand draws a squiggly red line, while, below it, a left hand draws a row of straight red lines.

Quick Fix?

Can I ask my boyfriend to straighten and whiten his teeth?

Guests are seated in the foreground watching a bride, left, in a strapless gown, holding hands with the groom, right, while an officiant stands between them. They are standing on a platform above a grassy lawn, and there are mountains with trees in the background.

No Travel? No Problem.

Destination weddings are moving closer to home.

A black and blue illustration of an older man, driving a go-kart, racing a young boy on a bike.

Tiny Love Stories

“My now-husband had set me free.”

Three party-goers dance, foreground, with hands up the air in dimly-lit room with others in the shadowy background with Bombay Boiler neon sign on the distant back wall.

Wedding Raves

The hottest club isn’t a club at all. It’s a wedding after-party.

Ethical Dilemma

My partner lied about his marriage, then dumped me. Should I go quietly?

Warm your heart with our best stories on love, sex and relationships. Some will make you cry. Some might make you blush.

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Warm your heart with our best stories on love, sex and relationships. Some will make you cry. Some might make you blush.

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Thanks for reading.

This newsletter was written by Matt Yan and edited by Talya Minsberg.

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