Romance Unzipped

Your HEA Bookclub
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Bookclubbing the world's best genre. All tropes embraced. Annie + Hollie—super friends turned co-authors who read, write, and obsess about all things romance—explore the mechanics and the magic of the book they're reading this week. Sometimes our dogs, Sofie and Talisker, even make an appearance, too.

  1. Apr 21

    30. Loving the Legend by Kit Grey, an M/M Sports NBA BasketBall Romance

    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

    51 min

  2. Mar 10

    29. Truth and Measure by Roslyn Sinclair

    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.

    41 min

  3. Feb 24

    28. I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

    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’.

    28 min

  4. Feb 3

    27. Lizards Hold the Sun by Dani Trujillo

    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.

    42 min

  5. Jan 20

    26. Berries + Greed by Lily Mayne Cozy Monster Romance

    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?

    32 min

  6. Jan 6

    25. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

    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/

    38 min

  7. 12/26/2025

    24. Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh

    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!

    36 min

  8. 12/09/2025

    23. Holding Out for a Holiday Hero by Cynthia Eden

    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

    34 min
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About

Bookclubbing the world's best genre. All tropes embraced. Annie + Hollie—super friends turned co-authors who read, write, and obsess about all things romance—explore the mechanics and the magic of the book they're reading this week. Sometimes our dogs, Sofie and Talisker, even make an appearance, too.

Information

  • Creator
    Your HEA Bookclub
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Your HEA Bookclub
  • Show Website
    Romance Unzipped