Romance Unzipped

NBA highs, grief lows, and Sid King—the world’s greatest baller—drive Ty 'Pretty Boy' Washington’s story in Loving the Legend, by Kit Grey. An M/M sports romance with high steam, high angst, and a (newly coined trope just for this book!) very hot Gentle Sports Daddy in the spectacular form of Sid King. As Sid and Ty’s love unfolds, Ty works to grow from a young heartbroken man to a top-tier NBA star who has to face his PTSD and depression or lose the man he loves. Mental health themes and grief are heavy in this one. As is a very b*dass, head-on approach to shutting down homophobic bigotry in professional sports. Kit Grey writes awesome dialogue as Sid King, the seasoned NBA champion who falls for Ty. Sid, and Ty's teammates lines responding to invasive questioning about their private lives will have you taking notes for your next family reunion. AND, obviously, we all need a Gentle Sports Daddy like Sid to get us monogrammed slippers for the yacht and our first edition print of The Three Musketeers and really all the love and affirmation and neck hickeys one could ever need. Sid's mentorship of Ty and their eventual love is a beautifully written. As is the author's creation of two emotionally attuned apex athletes. How refreshing and unique to read about the two actual best B-ball players in the world also being sensitive and thoughtful, while also both being alpha in their own right. Join us for a rollercoaster of emotions, spicy takes on DP, and very excellent pun-uenndos. The good times are waiting for you in the full episode! #LovingTheLegend #MMRomance  #RomanceCommunity #NBAromance #SportsRomance #GentleSportsDaddy

Who doesn't love a good ol' age gap romance? We explore the high paced fashion world of Vivian Carlisle, the powerful editor-in-cheif of a fashion magazine giving shades of Anna Wintour meets Miranda Priestly. Things get interesting when she finds out she's pregnant in the midst of a contentious divorce and she pulls her devoted assistant, Julia, into an increasingly personal and vulnerable role as her ultimate caretaker. Julia feels equally terrified and mesmerized by her boss, and can't help but fall head over heels. These two are hot for each other. The build up is slow throughout Truth and Measure, the first book in the duology, but then really picks up steam in Above All Things. Roslyn Sinclair takes us on a steamy ride as they navigate their tricky power imbalance. Be sure to check this book out if you are looking for an FF love story without a 3rd act breakup.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.

Need M/M second-chance fake-dating? Julian Winters delivers. Braylon + Denz, two super attractive college exes turned, ‘holy sh*z heartbreaker, it’s been literal years, but my fake date flaked on me, my parents are walking up to meet the relationship I lied about to trick them into believing I’m emotionally mature enough to vie for CEO of the family empire, and I am in a BIND. So, although it’s our first interaction in half a decade, and I haven’t even said hello, will you pretend to be my boyfriend? no pressure.' It’s romance, so obvi Braylon tells Denz yes. Characters develop, fake and real lines blur, and love wins in the end, again. Thank god! Julian Winters’ writing is fun, the dialogue darling, the ‘growing up emotionally’ story line entirely relatable, with a VIP invite into the fancy Atlanta party scene as a bright backdrop to it all. Join us on @RomanceUnzipped as we book podcast this slowburn, medium steam, low angst—but emotionally intelligent—romance novel. Side note: we need to read Julian Winters’ next book titled, ‘As You Walk on By,’ solely for the tagline, ‘The Breakfast Club Meets Can't Hardly Wait’.

Ready to be immersed in a lyrical world of familial ties, cultural reverence and comforting food? Join us on the Bunchberry reservation in Dani Trujillo's Lizards Hold the Sun. Xiomara and Callehan are instantly connected, but they hold their cards close for an achingly sweet slow burn as they navigate through their own grief and family responsibilities. This is a beautiful debut novel that's just what you need to break out of a reading slump.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.

Cozy stoner monster romance? Berries and Greed, by Lily Mayne, a m/f, soft femdom munchie-heaven escapism love fest turns it all upside down w/ 35-year old accidental ingenue bailing on her sex cult via a 7-foot, outwardly sexy, inwardly socially dying monster of a man. Late night snacks ensue. Then some very creative sexy times. Join us on Romance Unzipped where we're bookclubbing the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks outta the world's greatest genre. Get your lit on and learn about new lands with a new book review each episode. Have you read Lily Mayne before? And most importantly, would you date Gried?

Penny sees the best in everyone - her terrier with two legs, her goat with indigestion, and especially Gabriel Duke, the hunky grump next door who has a reputation for ruining lives. If you are looking for a fun way to kick off the new year, join us in #WalkYourPetMonth as we talk about the menagerie of outcast animals in Tessa Dare's The Wallflower Wager. We get a light-hearted peak into the London aristocracy, complete with debut balls, the society pages, dowries, and an unfortunate dancing incident involving a hedgehog.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Check out Tessa Dare at https://tessadare.com/

Holiday Romance! Friends-to-lovers! Soft steam,* sweet, M/F contemporary race-to-make-Christmas-in-Ireland travel disaster, mistletoe-kissing, happy family-full, feel good romance. Listen up and get your holiday tank filled up with all the charm and banter of Molly + Andrew in Holiday Romance, by Catherine Walsh. This episode unzips the classic 'Friends to Lovers' trope, explores the impact of family traditions, serious levels of Christmas cheer, big Irish families, explores character development via plot devices, how a character's professional life shapes personal dynamics, and ways to bring depth to a golden retriever MMC. *Did we just make that up? Because if not, it feels like 'soft steam' should be a real humdinger of a sub-genre theme. Thanks Catherine Walsh, for writing this darling book, and who we've never met but sure do appreciate. And listen all y'all, we trust you to read any kind of content warnings before you read any books of any kind so take good care of that nice self of yours. Because on Romance Unzipped we read romance books of all kinds and tropes and loves and sub-genres and things can get pretty spicy/wild/dark ... silly/fantastical/downright outrageous. So, we trust you to know what's good for you! WE LOVE TO BOOKCLUB ROMANCE. IT IS KIND OF OUR THING. (We being Hollie and Annie, the royal collective we of Romance Unzipped.) And also, we're writing a contemporary romance and that's coming along quite nicely, thank you!

What does a bounty hunter even do? We still don't know, but that didn't stop us from flying through Cynthia Eden's Holding Out for a Holiday Hero, watching Jake protect True and get to the bottom of the mystery of the dead man lying beneath her Christmas tree. We discuss the comfort in reading an easy novella to get into the Christmas spirit. Then we take a moment to dig into our writing process and talk about the romcom that we're currently writing.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 23: Thank you to Cynthia Eden who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at https://cynthiaeden.com

🎧 Fated shifter mates, a lady assassin on the lam, a besotted wolf, and some seriously villainous family-enemies. 'Nothing But the Wolf In Me,' a contemporary M/F shifter romance by Nikki Clarke, dishes out spicy adventure and a huge plot with tons of characters packed surprisingly well into a ~200 page story. And this is just one of a 12-part series. So. You might as well start your binge now. 🐺✨ Join Hollie and Annie as we analyze plot, solve everyone's codependency, and learn just how a good bone solves denial. Listen along with us now! ..#RomanceUnzipped #Wolfshifter #SpicyReads #contemporaryromance #nikkiclarke #BlackValleyShifters #NothingButTheWolfInMe #mfshifter #fatedmates #shifterseries #suspenseromance #actionromance #smalltownromance #spicyromance #steamyreads #noirvember #shadowkissed #morallygrey #romanticsuspense

Pay-per-Heart by Grace McGinty. Contemporary, why choose, F/MMM, rom-com featuring three Beverly Hills cam boys and one sausage king, all with goldarn hearts of gold. And Blake, the sweet, small town girl they all fall in love with. Shenanigans ensue. Join our raucous fun as we explore the playful and cheeky writing style of Grace McGinty, celebrate the downright bananas premise of the book, and revel in more hot dog puns then you can shake a bun at. It's jam-packed with meat jokes and full of flirty fun. Join us! #RomanceUnzipped #PayPerHeart #gracemcginty #polyromancenovels #contemporaryromance #camboyromance #fmmmm #romancepodcasts #romancebookclubpodcast #bookclubbingromance

Have we ever met a book boyfriend quite so lovable and charismatic as Dalton Cavendish? Step-siblings or not, we wanted Essie and Dalton to get together right from the start. We talk all about masks, camming, and the detailed anatomical descriptions of Dalton as we review Rebecca Kinkade's Masks and Mishaps.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 21: Thank you to Rebecca Kinkade for giving us a great read this week.*Check her out at https://www.rebeccakinkade.com/

We enjoyed a cozy read this week, living vicariously through Nicole as Ian doted on her every move in Sophie Andrew's Right Next Door, a low angst literary hug that delivered on simps and cinnamon rolls. For those playing romance bingo, this book has a hunky tattoo shop owner, a quirky independent book store, and a cat. What more could we ask for?*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 19: Thank you to Sophie Andrews for giving the world more cinnamon rolls.*Check her out at https://sophieandrewsauthor.com/

Swoony duke meets b*dass doctora in Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, a smart + sexy M/F historical romance by Adriana Herrera. There are back alley escapes and sexual trysts and nary a corset bone in sight. Set in Paris, 1889, the scalpel-sharp defenses of penniless Mexican-born heiress, Dr. Aurora Montalban, get steamrolled down by the newly aristocratic Colombian-born Duke of Annan, Apollo César Sinclair Robles. The two resist love as they fight for social justice across the personal and national stage.

STEM meets BDSM in Deep End, an M/F college athlete contemporary romance, by Ali Hazelwood. Damnnnnn y’all. It's even better than you thought. Unprecedented spice, complex characters, grade A+ writing, and an actual Swedish swimming caretaker god who loves up Scarlett hella hard. It’s not often we claim a book boyfriend, but when we do, it’s Lukas Blomqvist. Treat your brain and read this book. Oh, and watch our episode about it, too. We want to bookclub with you! ..Thank you, Ali Hazelwood for writing hot and smart and for real feelings and experiences. And for writing Lukas. Everyone, support this person's fabulous creative work: https://alihazelwood.com/

After the (literal) cliffhanger of last week, we're reviewing Sins of Silas, the second book in Kylie Snow's Otacian Chronicles . Everyone loves Lena, but her heart will always belong to Silas. As the gang goes on their epic journey to build allies and defeat King Ulric, the romantasy gets darker and more magicy. This week we are joined for the entire episode by a softly snoring Sofie!*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 16: Thank you to Kylie Snow who writes so quickly we don't have to wait long between books of the series.*Check her out at https://kyliesnow.com/

Dive into the world of Otacia with us, in Kylie Snow's dark romantasy Lies of Lena. We can't help but root for Lena and Silas, even though they both hurt each other deeply. This book kicks things off in the Otacian Chronicles and we discuss what makes it such a polarizing pick on BookTok. The world-building and pacing are first class, which makes this book imminently readable.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 15: Thank you to Kylie Snow who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at: https://kyliesnow.com/#captions are in the video

Secretly shy, 6’7”, serious n’ sexy rancher Jesse Pleasant has his stoic walls shredded when Lily-Grace Leroux returns to Charming in a blaze of emotion. This M/F romances is a small town, slow burn with spice, enemies-to-lovers, 37-year-old inexperienced man hunk trading swim instruction for sex lessons with The Only Girl He’s Ever Wanted. Shenanigans ensue. Emotional needs are met. Ex-boyfriends are served. And Jesse finally gets some (love). All in 200 pages! Join us as we review this smart and escapist charmer.

Lola loves Alphas, but so far, they don't love her. In Lola & The Millionaires, by Kathryn Moon, this lovely Beta has lost all confidence, and her beauty career is down the drain. Her road to love recovery is sweet and sexy and full of fabulous fashion. A chance meeting with Leo, the packs' bossy babe Beta, and a blooming relationship with Rake, the male model Omega dream, have Lola (and us) daring to hope for more. This is a slow burn, omegaverse, contemporary romance is between a female beta and her seven-man pack.

Sexy mascots, minor league baseball life, and sweet slow burn romance in KT Hoffman's The Prospects, an M/M baseball sports romance. Luis, a cisgender man, and Gene, our endearing narrator and a trans man, are rivals to lovers who overcome internal fears and professional funks to embrace true love. All the while, their team—the Beaverton Beavers— fights for wins and their Portland Major League dreams are almost in sight. Join us to discuss baseball culture, character arcs, and have a lot of serious fun. *We're Annie + Hollie and we're bookclubbing the world's greatest genre. Each episode we review a romance novel—leaving no love, sub-genre, or trope left unturned! Romance Unzipped started because we're co-writing our own romance and read SO MANY ROMANCE NOVELS that we couldn't keep it in. Each episode is a love letter to the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 12: Thank you to KT Hoffman for writing juicy queer sports romances! *Support his writing at https://www.kthoffmanwrites.com/

Ethical vampire seeks hot blood mate 🩸Contemporary M/F vampire romance slow burn with Amos, a 150-year old vamp with a powerful thirst, and Tessa, an ER nurse in need of income who signed up for a blood donation service. Amos—who hasn't had human blood in 100 years—battles the feral nature fighting to break free when he discovers Tessa, his curvy bombshell blood donor is real reactive to vampire venom. Reader, orgasms ensue. Join us as we discuss the evolution of vampire pop culture, the thrill of primal play, and super consensual consensual non-consent. Who wouldn't love to be Amos' bloodmate? Hot Blooded, by Heather Guerre.**We're Annie + Hollie and we're bookclubbing the world's greatest genre. Each episode we review a romance novel—no love, sub-genre, or trope left unturned! Romance Unzipped started because we're co-writing our own romance and read SO MANY ROMANCE NOVELS that we couldn't keep it in. Each episode is a love letter to the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 11: Thank you to Heather Guerre for writing sweet and steamy romance for us to enjoy. Support her writing!*https://www.heatherguerre.com/

Ready for Romeo—a disillusioned a-hole with a broken inner child? Neither is Dallas—the pretend ditz being pawned into marrying him. There's high-stakes revenge, light kidnapping, semi-consensual nuptials, and more daddy issues than you can shake a Lambo at in My Dark Romeo, by LJ Shen & Parker S. Huntington. Come for the enemies to lovers banter and stay for the hard-won romance between these two hard-headed soulmates.M/F Contemporary Enemies-to-Lovers romance, as always, check your TW. This one's not dark romance, but it's dark adjacent. *We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 10: Thank you to LJ Shen and Parker S. Huntington for writing fabulously racy books to read all night. *Check them out at:https://www.authorljshen.com/https://parkershuntington.com/

Rafa Romero—The Gentleman Mafioso—always gets what he wants. And after nearly hitting the innocent, far-from-home Guinevere—when she darts from dark fields on a starry Italian night, this hardhearted criminal decides he wants her. That's right friends, your mafia trope has arrived! My Dark Fairytale, by Giana Darling, (one of Annie's fave authors) is a M/F Mafia romance and Giana's first in the mafia sub-genre—although girlfriend is no stranger to a criminal (see: the Fallen Men MC series). Be warned, My Dark Fairytale ends on a cliffhanger doozy (book 2 slated 10/2025). There are sexy man ankles in Italian loafers, flowing black silk robes with low-slung lounge pants, impeccable tailoring, and Guinevere wears some stuff, too. Oh---and of course there's a great plot, building intrigue, and some verrrry spicy Italian food scenes. Plus, Annie accidentally came as Kimmy Gibler so you can't go wrong if you join us! *We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode Nine: Thank you to Giana Darling who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at https://gianadarling.com/

We covered a blockbuster! Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry is a M/F Contemporary Romance featuring, you guessed it, two writers! The divine Emily Henry loves to write some writers and her latest, GBBL, delivers on just that. It's a bold merge of romance and a sweeping multi-generational family drama. If you love Emily's broody hunks and competent ladies, plus quirky characters and artist angst, this book will not disappoint. Come along for our (hopefully) smart and definitely slightly silly book review served with a side helping of ridiculously high-brow innuendos.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode Eight: Thank you to Emily Henry who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at https://www.emilyhenrybooks.com/

A tender-hearted and tattooed ex-con, a gang playing for keeps, a vibrant East LA neighborhood, and the woman who has Sal's heart. Join us on our journey through Thirsty, by Mia Hopkins. With top-notch writing, complex characters, and a triumphant storyline that made us work for that HEA, we fell in love. Thirsty is an M/F Contemporary Romance. Come along and read with us. We're Annie + Hollie and we're bookclubbing the world's greatest genre. Each episode we discuss a new romance novel, talking about structure, style, and—of course—steam. Separately, we're also co-writing our first romance! *Episode Seven: Thank you to Mia Hopkins who wrote this beautiful book and had us cheering and and crying and falling in love with Sal Rosas. Mia, may we one day meet and thanks for your stories! *Check her out at https://www.miahopkinsauthor.com/

Craving the hot impact of a legit Enemies-to-Lovers M/M Hockey Romance? Friend, look no further. We've never read such a delicious clash of two alpha athletes or such a full-on ride from enemies to lovers. We LOVED Poetry on Ice by Jesse H. Reign. It's dirty, it's darling, the dialogue is so darn clever. Come swoon with us as Robbie charm bulldozes his love all over Ant's life. *We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode Six: Thank you to Jesse H. Reign who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at https://www.authorjessehreign.com/

A mistress, a samurai billionaire, and criss-cross blackmail. Today we talk the high-stakes, wild world of His Revenge Baby, and author Theodora Taylor's titular plot twist. Get ready for unexpected escorting, serious genre jumps, and brutal corporate powerplays. Book 2 in The Ruthless Bosses series. Buckle up, revenge baby, let's ride as we review this action-heavy M/F Contemporary Billionaire / Blackmail / Revenge Romance. *We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode 5: Thank you to Theodora Taylor who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at www.theodorataylor.com

Would you milk for money? A mystery job at a medical milking farm seems innocent. But Violet can't keep her hand job professional with Roarke, the manly minotaur. Morning Glory Milking Farm, by CM Nascosta, is straight up monster-bait, but is also the sweetest, coziest, little love story you'll read this year. The book is explicit, as is this episode. So, only appropriate listeners this time, please. If you're new to minotaur romance, as we were, buckle up for the gravitron ride of your life. Plus, there's an onscreen cameo by Sofie the wonderpup!*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode Four: Thank you to CM Nascosta who is one saucy minx with her fabulous monster romances. Thank you for writing for us to enjoy! *Check her out at https://cmnascosta.com/

This week we're discussing Beard Science by Penny Reid. Who can resist Cletus, with his thick beard, cunning wit, and wacky scheming? Jen Sylvester, the town's Banana Cake Queen, sure can't. This quirky M/F Slow Burn Small Town Romance had a side of intrigue. The steam hits late, but it's worth the wait. *We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode Three: Thank you to Penny Reid who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read.*Check her out at http://pennyreid.ninja

Broody billionaire, anyone? We talk Failure to Match, by Kyra Parsi, a matchmaker, M/F Enemies-to-Lovers, Contemporary Romance. Expect dirty talk, a derpy cat, and melting the iceberg heart of Toronto's sexiest cynic.*We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode Two: Thank you to Kyra Parsi who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read. *Check her out at kyraparsi.com!

Bookclubbing, baby! Today's a rollicking romantasy titled That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf, by Kimberly Lemming. We talk tentacles, shifters, and the sexiness of consent while exploring Kimberly's story structure and style. We love reading romance and we know you do, too. Join our book review of this playfully sexy M/F Shifter Werewolf Romance and all the good times on tap you need. *We're Annie + Hollie and we're co-writing our first romance. We mention our writing process, but mostly each episode is a love letter to the world's greatest genre, its authors, and the sheer joy of reading irresistible HEAs.*Episode One: Thank you to Kimberly Lemming who has no clue who we are but is kind enough to write super fun romance for the world to read. *Check her out at kimberlylemming.com & @kimberlylemming