Hosted by Allie Martina, a professional narrator and voice actor, Zipless is a Webby Award nominated podcast giving listeners a fresh look at romance novels. A spicy, fun, and informative show–Martina interviews your favorite romance authors while exploring how the genre has influenced and reflected women’ s lives for centuries. Here are our favorite episodes out right now.
“Ep. 013: The Hunting Wives: One-on-One with Author May Cobb”
In this episode, Allie Martina interviews May Cobb, the bestselling author of The Hunting Wives and other sexy, suspenseful novels. Cobb talks about the highly successful Netflix adaptation, writing morally questionable heroines (and not being sorry about it), her themes of bicuriosity, messy friendships and voyeurism, and the taboo of infidelity in romance novels.
“Ep. 03: Fantasies and F-bombs: Breaking the Rules with Sierra Simone”
USA Today bestselling romance author Sierra Simone joined the Zipless podcast to discuss why romantasy has become such a taboo to talk about and yet such a joy to read. Simone and Martina discuss how to break the taboo and why readers love the genre so much. Simone recently released Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl with Julie Murphy. This steamy novel set in a college town follows the romance between a single-dad professor and a spirited law school graduate turned nanny.
“Ep. 08: Fantasy vs Reality? Finding Balance with Xiao Axelrod”
This episode hosts Xio Axelrod, a USA Today bestselling author who just released Girls with Bad Reputations. Axelrod and host Martina discuss the balance between fantasy and reality–how to write realistic, challenging relationships that can still end in happily ever after with your dreamy boyfriend. Her new novel is the sequel to The Lillys, a three-part series about the members of a rock-and-roll band. This time readers follow drummer Kayla as she navigates her newfound success in the music industry while reconciling with her complicated past–not to mention her budding relationship with the tour bus driver Ty, who is trying to make a new life for himself after being released from prison. The novel explores themes of racial pressure in the working and middle class, prison culture, and racial bias amidst a sweet, slow-burn romance.
“Ep. 010: Dream On: Exploring Sapphic Romance with Ashley Herring Black”
Allie Martina interviews Ashley Herring Blake about her new novel Dream on, Ramona Riley. They discuss first love, first kisses, and how true love comes about when you’re true to yourself. Her sapphic romance novel follows two women who shared a childhood first kiss: a Hollywood actress, Dylan, and a small town waitress, Ramona. However, the two reunite when Dylan returns to film a new movie and they explore a romance that leads to self-discovery.
“Ep.011: Seeking Intimacy and Hiding from Zombies: Reading Romance with Olivia Dade”
Special guest Olivia Dade, author of the new release ZomRomCom, speaks with host Martina about what it means to be truly sexy. She argues that desire and devotion are more important than sex or the perfect body. Her new romance novel stretches the genre into a zombie apocalypse where the love interest is desperate to keep his heroine safe. Dade pushes for body inclusivity in romance, discussing how all bodies deserve lust and love. Dade also delves into her own struggles with depression and isolation, especially during COVID-19, and how these experiences have affected her romance writing to focus on light and heart-warming love between her characters.
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