If there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing about love and dating in Los Angeles, it’s that the games, the players, and the heartbreaks all look a little different depending on your zip code—but the chaos is always universal. After years of decoding West Coast situationships and hunting for “the one” in a city that runs on Erewhon smoothies and existential dread, I realized something: LA doesn’t have a monopoly on messy love stories. In fact, there’s one place that rivals it in romance, drama, and sun-drenched delusion: Scottsdale, Arizona. That’s why I couldn’t be more excited to announce that Love, Sex, LA is expanding…

Welcome to Love, Sex, Scottsdale.

You might think desert dating is all cowboy boots and cacti, but here in the Valley, it’s so much more. Think: “permanent summer,” too many Brads, and a never-ending stream of brunch plans and bottomless mimosas that make you question your life choices (in the best way). It’s the land of the finance bro, the Pilates princess, and the ghoster who texts you every time Mercury goes retrograde. And who better to lead you through this cactus-flanked minefield than our very own Love, Sex, Scottsdale feature writer, Aki Sagi?

Aki is a Hyderabadi-born, Scottsdale native, which means her earliest memories are baked in Arizona sun and reek of SPF 50. From high school in the Valley to business school at Arizona State University, her situationship with AZ has blossomed into a full-blown love affair. Aki’s perfect day? It starts with a good book, a great friend, and an iced chai at one of Scottsdale’s perfectly desert- minimalist coffee shops. A quick reformer pilates class or a scenic- but-mildly-regrettable hike later, comes bottomless brunch in Old Town with a side of piping hot tea. Finally, a sun-drenched rooftop pool followed by a sticky dance floor at The Little Woody with her four best friends and a rotating cast of side characters. Scottsdale, sun, and shitty situationships. What else could a group of gals need?

Through Aki’s eyes (and group chats), you’ll get unfiltered diaries, cringe-worthy dating stories, and deep dives into the ways the Arizona heat turns situationships into full-blown mirages. Expect real talk on romance, brutal honesty about the Valley’s dating scene, and a healthy dose of dry humor (because let’s face it, in 120-degree heat, it’s the only thing that survives).

So, Scottsdale—consider this your official welcome to the madness. Grab a spicy skinny marg, slip into your cutest linen set, and get ready to dive headfirst into the sunniest, messiest, and most unforgettable dating scene in the Southwest. Because whether it’s Love, Sex, LA, or Scottsdale—one thing’s for sure: we’re all just trying to figure it out, one sunburn and situationship at a time.

With love (and SPF),

Alexandria Rizik

XO