A smart, funny, sometimes spicy podcast about romance novels, women’s desire, and the stories that shape our lives.
Hosted by professional romance narrator,
Allie Martina
Signal Award Winner, Silver
Conversation Starter
Webby Award Nominee
Experimental & Innovation Podcast
THE TRAILER
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? And 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?
Hosted by Allie Martina, a professional romance novel narrator, Zipless explores these questions and so much more.
LATEST EPISODES
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.
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.
ABOUT THE SHOW
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 cameo 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.
Listener discretion advised.
-
Jill Ruby and Allie Martina may seem from the outside to be an unlikely pair. However, through their collaboration, they have become close friends and dedicated work partners. With laughter and hard work, they have bonded over this shared passion project (pun intended), creating a first-of-a-kind podcast that explores the sounds and stories behind romance. Jill and Allie put their hearts and souls into making Zipless entertaining and introspective and it shows.
-
Allie Martina
HOST, PRODUCER, CO-CREATOR
Allie Martina is a classically trained actor with thirty-five years of professional experience in voice acting and a BAAS in Theater Arts from University of North Texas. As a narrator for audiobooks, she has narrated over 80 titles. Her commercial and corporate voice acting client list includes Nike, Fisher-Price, Expedia, Cracker Barrel, McDonald’s, Mattel, Keebler, and Aquaphor, among many others. Allie also voices the iconic characters of Catwoman and Black Canary in the long-running massive multiplayer online action game, DC Universe Online.
-
Jill Ruby
PRODUCER, EDITOR, CO-CREATOR
Jill Ruby has developed and produced radio, podcasts, and television series for various esteemed organizations, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, George Washington University, American Academy of Pediatrics, PBS, A&E, Nickelodeon, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Court TV, and HGTV. Holding a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University, she is an active member of New York Women in Film & Television and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Jill serves as a judge for the Webby Awards and the Signal Awards, and has previously judged the Daytime Emmys. Her recent accomplishments in podcasting include winning multiple awards, such as four Webby-Anthem Awards, five Signal Awards, and being recognized as a 2024 Webby Honoree for Best Live Podcast.