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Description
Welcome to Confessions of a Closet Romantic, a sweet and sexy show highlighting the smartest, most engaging romantic stories on the big and small screen — sometimes books— that share a common takeaway.
I'm a writer, former film student and book reviewer who has loved romance forever — those hopeful, heartwarming and dramatic stories about sex, romance, connection and love. I've always felt shamed for loving this genre, but not anymore!
Every two weeks, I'll be your ridiculously enthusiastic, gushing, affectionate companion as we explore a diverse range of sexy, compelling love stories. Romance lovers, never feel shame, and never watch alone! Join me!
130 Episodes
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Send us a text (Had a great time on my road trip, got back – and I've been sick ever since. This year has been one endless struggle bus ride, and there's room for more, so hop on :) Materialists seems to be a polarizing movie that isn't quite a romcom, isn't quite a straight up romantic drama, while ending happily, making it one of the most interesting hybrid stories I've seen in a while. Dakota Johnson is incredible as Lucy, a smart but cynical matchmaker who treats her clients as commoditie...
Send us a text (I'm going on another road trip with my sweetie, traveling parts of historic Route 66, so I'll see you towards the end of the month!) Taylor Swift just announced her fairytale engagement (which was obvious after they appeared on that recent New Heights podcast episode — have two people ever looked more in love?!) so it seemed like the perfect time to replay the episode I recorded a while back with one of my favorite guests and fellow fangirl Mariah, examining our parasocial bes...
Send us a text This is the year that we're saying goodbye (for now?) to some beloved big and small screen friends. Call it parasocial, call it learning through art, but tuning into these characters and their fictional ups and downs made me feel like I belonged to their charmed worlds in New York City and London, and lives full of fabulous fashion, awesome apartments, cool jobs, chosen family, hot romances — and plenty of drama. I truly feel sad saying goodbye, and I think these flawed yet fit...
Send us a text I found these poignant movies on a search for something else, and couldn't take my eyes off either one — they are stunners. Lyrical direction and pacing, spare soundtracks and understated, nuanced performances float gentle light layers of meaning into every scene in each of these stories. They're soulful, profound at times, revealing the struggles and authentic moments of connection in these women's lives. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com Pamela Anderson is a re...
Send us a text I've been thinking for a long time about the gendered sociocultural accusation of "too much" that's often directed towards women's behavior, especially how they love and connect to others, and how often this theme appears in romantic stories. This episode is the first in a little series I have planned, talking about female characters in romances who are shamed for being "too much," especially in costume dramas and 19th century romantic novel adaptations. Lena Dunham's fantastic...
Send us a text (I'm taking a short break in the next couple of weeks for a road trip with my sweetie. I'll be back soon!) My journey from a strict religious upbringing to discovering I'm mildly kinky in the right settings, and with the right partner, was quite the revelation. These fascinating, complex stories explore women also discovering their secret desires, vulnerabilities and sexual thrills through consensual BDSM kink. The movies are sometimes titillating, sometimes romantic but always...
Send us a text This episode from a few years ago is one of my most popular, and since life has been kicking my behind lately, I thought it was a good time to take a breather and forget it all by getting kinky. It's also the episode that best represents my growth as a partner, person and podcaster, all thanks to producing and hosting this show. I'm working on a new episode about kink and kinky romance inspired by the Nicole Kidman movie Babygirl, so look for that next time. Meanwhile, ho...
Send us a text One of my favorite romantic tropes in all the world is chosen or found family. Rock bands, the military, college besties, your work husband and siblings, your little clique in high school, your beloved pets past and present—if they choose you and you choose them, they're family. If you had a less than ideal upbringing, stories like these full of emotional complexity along with acceptance, loyalty and love, are so healing and remind us that relations are always our choice. https...
Send us a text After losing my sweet senior dog this week, I find myself mired in waves of grief, but in between, also feeling grateful for love: human, animal, loving relationships in all of their forms and however they come into our lives. The love of an animal is a very special experience, and my heart goes out to other pet guardians who may be experiencing anticipatory grief of their own. Support the show If you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your podcast app and tell your fr...
Send us a text It's hard to describe how sexy, funny yet heartbreaking this mini series is. Based on real-life best friends Molly and Nikki, who created a podcast about Molly's sexual adventures while in hospice, it's one woman's story of healing, emotional fulfillment and discovering who she is as a romantic and sexual being. It's also a comical, heartfelt, life-affirming look at the deep bonds and love shared between female friends. (CW: explicit descriptions of kink and sex, reference to c...
Send us a text I'm a true gore-phobe, but I was blown away by these unforgettable movies, and their amazing (and bloody) revenge moments. One is an intense, atmospheric Frankenstein horror story, the other a joyously funny Beauty and the Beast-inspired monster romcom with wit, hot monster sex and plenty of emotion. Different as they are, they're both about women coming into their own and reclaiming their power to scare away the monsters lurking everywhere, just waiting to tell them how imperf...
Send us a text I'm recovering from a nasty flu that has affected my voice, but hope to be back soon, so let's revisit one of my favorite episodes from the past few years. As you know, one of my favorite topics is finding hot sex, love and romance past the age of 40, 50 or even 60 — my sweetie and I have been living this dream for more than two years now and I can tell you, it's glorious. Never give up on your desires! Support the show If you enjoyed this episode, please click share in your po...
Send us a text (I'll be taking a break in the next few weeks for my sweetie's extended visit!) Seeking hot, healthy sex and love later in life is quite the adventure, as I have discovered. It helps to have a compassionate, wise guide for the journey like sex educator Dr. Donna Jennings PhD. I interviewed Dr. J a few years ago about healthy sexuality at every age, and how to identify your deepest sexual and romantic desires, and she's the positive role model we all need. https://www.co...
Send us a text The new Amy Schumer romcom Kinda Pregnant follows how far one woman will go to realize her fantasy of motherhood and a family of her own. After her best friend gets pregnant and tired of waiting for her own moment, she decides to wear a fake baby bump — only part time — and a hilarious, sometimes sad farce ensues. Schumer's trademark earthy humor grounds a mix of funny and emotional insights about romance, relationships, and women's role in the baby industrial complex. (CW: gra...
Send us a text (Some clips in this episode have minor spoilers). Oh I love a tone like this: funny, smart but also emotional, dark and dramatic: let's call it an American-neurotic cozy murder mystery. There is a mystery at the heart of this show, and an amazing house, but it's also about a beautiful neighborhood full of interesting couples grappling with serious issues and a desperate desire to own this classic Hollywood home, complete with mandarin tree, in trendy Los Feliz. Who does this...
Send us a text (I'll be taking a brief break in January – see you next year!) There's a unique flavor to British romcoms and especially British romantic holiday movies: a dash of vinegar mixed in with the sugar and spice, a grounding bite to the proceedings, a bittersweet gentle melancholy, an undercurrent that keeps it real and earns the emotion in every tiny moment and line. These movies hit just the right spot for me this year, reminding me that I'm not alone if I can bravely reach out, ...
Send us a text The world can be harsh place, but the grace of love — familial, chosen family, platonic and especially intimate and romantic love — always helps you through. It's a gift that keeps on giving and keeps you going, so let's be grateful for wherever and whenever we are graced with it. The best holiday movies and romcoms remind us that cultivating and growing relationships is never easy, but always worth it in the end. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com My favori...
Send us a text Who doesn't love a romantic meet cute? Who doesn't love a double meet cute, a story about fate, searching for the one — when the real one is right under your nose? Add a great script, good banter, two lead characters to root for from the first minute, a great supporting cast and some funny shenanigans while chasing a spare ticket to a sold out Pentatonix Christmas Eve concert: this sexy warm-hearted holiday romcom is just the cheer we need this year. https://www.confessionsof...
Send us a text It's the season: bring on the witchy energy. These movies could be called dark romcoms, because they center romantic love in their plots, and they're often funny, but it's a corrupted or disappointing love, with witches as the main characters scrambling to find their power and the right sorcery for success, illegal illicit or otherwise. On the way to making us laugh or cry, these movies explore some fairly serious themes around domestic violence, sexual consent, cultural condit...
Send us a text It took me a long time to check out this sport romance, but to say I was knocked over by this inventive, dramatic, erotic story is an understatement. It's about a threesome, a love triangle, sport prodigies, early promise, the pursuit of excellence, the thrill and disappointments of growing up, playing the game of life and love, sex as the game and the game being mostly about sex. How to explain? You just need to experience it. https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com "Th...
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