In February 2025, a month famous for love, Zipless recorded an episode of the podcast in front of a live audience at The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Brooklyn, NY.
Joined on stage by fellow romance novel narrators Samantha Brentmoor, Gideon Frost, and Robert Hatchet, Allie and friends broke down the art of romance narration, how artistic performance can affect meaning and storytelling, and how they all approach the wide range of tropes and spice levels in the books they narrate.
From Chaucer’s 12th century courtly prose to a ‘meet-cute’ scene by up-and-coming romance author Kate Cole (written especially for this episode), the four talented actors on stage brought stories of love to life.
And in the spirit of sharing the love out loud, Allie called on budding narrators from the audience to come up to the mic and give us their best shot at sultry.
What better place to explore the language of love than in the most iconic romance bookstore in town?