Zipless

Why are we drawn to reading about stories that would terrify us in real life?  New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver joins us to talk about dark romance, desire, vigilante killers, and why the things that scare us in real life can become irresistible in fiction.

Author Emma Alban joins us to talk about her latest book Like in Love with You , a sapphic rivals-to-lovers regency romance that begs the question: What if Cady and Regina just kissed? (IYKYK)

Why has female desire always been treated like something dangerous? From the story of Lilith to the vampire brides of Dracula, we've been taught to fear women who want. Today, female desire - and the fear of expressing it - are still powerful drivers in modern storytelling.    In this episode, #1 New York Times bestselling author, Scarlett St. Clair joins us to talk about breaking that cycle throu...

With toys, boys, me-time, and a few extra batteries, Alys Murray joins us to talk about her latest rom-com A Little Buzzed and to celebrate love in all forms.  

In this special episode Allie and Gideon narrate an original meet-cute to life written by Kate Cole as a love letter to romance lovers and listeners everywhere.  Happy Valentine's Day!  xoxo Zipless

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are best friends who  realllly know how to celebrate Christmas - and each other.  Writing partners for over a decade, Julie and Sierra join us to talk about late night writing sessions, spicy love in Christmas Notch, and their upcoming release Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl. (Oh, and pie. Lots and lots of pie.) 

Slow burn? Smooth voice? Stealing flirty glances in front of a crowd of thousands? Yes, please! And then I'll take an encore. Kate Golden, author of If Not For My Baby , joins us to talk about her new rock star romance and the beauty of falling in love on and off the stage.

In her  Luna Sisters series, USA Today bestselling author Liana De La Rosa turns Victorian England on its head infusing it with Mexican history and fierce women who rewrite the rules of love. Liana joins us to talk about how culture, intention, and a little flirtation can shape love and connection.

Help Zipless win a Signal Award!   We're finalists in the  Conversation Starter category and up for the Listener's Choice Award. Vote by the EOD on  Wednedsay,  October 8, 2025  at  vote.signalaward.com : Search  Zipless. Cast your vote. Confirm by email. Or you can also click on this link to go directly to our category to vote:  https://tr.ee/ VoteForZipless   Thank you for supporting our little...

Netflix's summer blockbuster series  The Hunting Wives has captivated audiences on screen but its roots are on the page.  May Cobb, bestselling author of sultry suspense novels including  The Hunting Wives, A Likeable Woman  and  The Hollywood Assistant,  joins us to talk about writing sexy, complicated, and morally questionable women - whether we like them, or not.   Description highlights: The N...

"The language of romance has a code."  Jayne Ann Krentz, who also writes under the pseudonyms Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick, has written over a hundred romance novels - more than 50 of which have been named New York Times bestsellers. Jayne joins us to break down the 'code' of romance novels, their unifying themes, and why these books are so timelessly appealing to women.  

Love, laughter, and... zombies?  Romance covers a wide range of genres, but what connects them all is an underlying yearning for friendship and intimacy. Author Olivia Dade joins us to talk about her new book  Zomromcom , and how her main characters find love through joy, vulnerability, challenge, and yes, running from zombies.   --- In this episode of Zipless, Allie Martina dives deep into what t...

Love is love.  But sometimes your first love makes your heart beat fastest.  Ashley Herring Blake joins us to talk about her latest book Dream On, Ramona Riley ;   first dates, first kisses, and how the most romantic stories are born when lovers are true to themselves.

Whether it's through words or wands, falling in love and sharing the burdens of life with someone you love and trust is a power we all wish to possess.  Romantasy author LJ Andrews joins us to talk about how the fight for romance - spoken or otherwise - is always magic.

A great romance novel knows how to deliver the fantasy of a perfect relationship and the reality of one.  Author Xio Axlerod joins us to talk about how she balances dreamy boyfriends with the gritty reality of what makes relationships work.

If the saying "love is blind" is true, then why are most of the men in romance novels hot, ripped, and over 6 feet tall?  Allie and fellow romance novel narrator (and Zipless male-voice-in-residence) Gideon Frost explore what the 'perfect man' looks like in romance, and just as importantly, how he sounds.    

Dark themed romances can take readers through some pretty hairy situations, but the scariest scenes involve affairs of the heart. Authors Jennifer Hartmann and Chelley St Clair, two experts at breaking your heart and putting it back together, join us to talk about how the best dark romances can balance scaring us to death with a really good cry.

Whether we're getting cozy with a paperback or escaping with an audiobook, we love all types of romance novels.  In our first interview in front of a live audience, Allie and fellow romance novel narrators Samantha Brentmoor, Gideon Frost, and Robert Hatchet break down the art of romance narration at the most iconic romance bookstore in town.

Want  Zipless in person?  We're recording our show live at The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:00pm. Guests include romance novel narrators Gideon Frost, Samantha Brentmoor, and Robert Hatchet. Go to ziplesspodcast.com or therippedbodice.com/events for ticket info!

Grumpy hot shots? Charming playboys? Lovable cinnamon rolls?  Book boyfriends come in all shapes and sizes, and discovering the traits we like in our leading characters may help us find out which ones we like in real life.  Stephanie Archer, a rom-com queen and author of hot, funny romances including the spicy hockey series "Vancouver Storm" joins us to talk about how the search for 'your person'...

Readers may not be ready to blurt out their fantasies in public, but they're obviously eating this stuff up in private.  Why do romantic fantasies feel so right and the way we talk about them feel so wrong?  Best selling author Sierra Simone joins us to talk about breaking taboo in every way possible, and why readers love it so much.

The language of love is forever changing, but a constant theme throughout time has been the use of sexualized words to label women, shame them, and take away their power.  Modern romance novels are one of the ways women are taking back the language of sex, and flipping words and behaviors - once deemed inappropriate - into scenes of empowerment and independence.  Evie Dunmore, historical romance a...

From pillow talk to praise kinks, romance novels have the power to uncover women's deepest desires and bring them to life in the pages of a book.  Allie Martina explores the stories and sounds of taboo, forbidden romances, and independent women from across a century of writing, and tops it all off with an interview with best-selling author Sara Cate. Listener discretion advised.

What is it about forbidden love, age gaps, love triangles, friends to lovers, and steamy sex scenes that women find so timelessly appealing? Do romance novels offer windows into the lives women want, or mirror the lives they already have? With more and more women listening to romance audiobooks, how does narration, depth of a male voice, or cadence in artistic performance affect a romantic scene?...