Zipless

About Zipless

A (sometimes spicy) podcast for romance lovers and listeners. Women have been reading and writing about romance for centuries. But what was once considered a scandalous and secretive pastime, the romance novel has now burst proudly onto the open market. In fact, romance novels account for nearly a quarter of all adult print fiction sold in the United States. And with more and more women listening to romance books, it also matters how these books sound. Hosted by Allie Martina, a professional romance novel narrator, Zipless explores how the language of romance is shaped by writers and narrators, and asks 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? Can narration, depth of a male voice, or cadence in artistic performance affect a romantic scene? When it comes to the language of love, can the romance novel finally take words long considered shameful and flip them into words of empowerment? In interviews with bestselling romance authors including Evie Dunmore, Sara Cate, Sierra Simone, Stephanie Archer, Xio Axelrod, and more, Zipless explores how romance novels change and reflect women's lives on and off the page. And in one-of-a-kind cameos appearances, professional actor and romance novel narrator Gideon Frost joins Allie in exploring how performance, delivery, and the language of romance can impact the hearts and minds of an audience. For more information about the show, guests, and forums to share your thoughts, go to ziplesspodcast.com Zipless is produced by Allie Martina and Jill Ruby. Listener discretion advised.

Publisher

Allie Martina

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

4 Dec 2024

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Ep. 23: Witches, Werewolves, and Fated Mates with Avery Flynn

   Just when you think you have it all under control, a werewolf on a motorcycle comes into your life and turns it all upside down (because of course he does).  Author Avery Flynn joins us to talk about her new book Hexy Beast, and whether true love is fated or an uncontrollable beast of its own.

2. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Ep. 22: Lacing Up with Lana Ferguson

   Why are hockey players all the rage in romance? What is it we love about men in skates? And seriously... why is hockey so hot? Author Lana Ferguson joins us to talk about The Final Score, where a sunshine pro hockey player and a grumpy grad student discover there may be a lot more below the surface. We talk hockey, mental health, the surprising sexiness of enthusiastic consent, and why stories about love never get old.

3. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Ep. 21: Pop Stars, Professors, and Passion with Rachel Lynn Solomon

   Former teen pop star? Check. Complicated crush? Check. Emotional identity crisis? Definitely. Rachel Lynn Solomon joins us to talk about her latest romance and why becoming yourself can be the greatest love story of all.

Who has been a guest on Zipless

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Julie Murphy
• Sierra Simone
• Kate Golden
• Liana De La Rosa
• May Cobb

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

39

Social presence

94

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Zipless

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Zipless