Some of my favorite love stories aren’t from books or movies; they’re from podcasts. The advent of audio fiction has lead to some beautiful fictional love stories, but even in nonfiction, there’s some stunning tales of romance to be found. The following list is some of the most romantic podcasts for Valentine’s Day to date–not arranged in any order, but instead, just a collection of shows we’d like to send a love note to.
Love and Luck is the story of two queer men in Austalia who fall in love, start a cafe, and realize they have magical abilities. Told through voicemail, this story is sweet and tender, making sure that even when there’s drama and turmoil, the plot always returns to being delicate. As the cast expands, more love stories manifest, but the love of the two main characters stays central to the show’s focus.
Listen: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Pocket Casts | RSS
36 Questions is a musical audio fiction about a wife who aims to reunite with her estranged husband by using the “36 questions to fall in love”–the same way they fell in love on their first date. Shrouded in mystery and turmoil, explored through beautiful songs, this melancholic will-they-won’t-they story packs a shocking amount of chemistry into just three episodes.
Listen:Apple | Google | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS
Created by the team behind CRIMINAL, This Is Love is a look into love in all its iterations. What does love mean to two closeted gay men, to a woman dealing with the loss of a child, or to an incredibly rare snail? Each true story is told with such a sincere level of interest and respect, no matter the story being told. It’s a reminder that even in real life, love is something beautiful, strange, and magical.
Listen: Apple | Google | RadioPublic | Spotify | Stitcher
While Deck the Halls (with Matromony!) is Christmas-themed, it’s sweet and fun enough for a year-round listen. Told in movie-length episodes, Deck the Halls (with Matromony!) starts out as a classic romantic comedy that only gets zanier and more fun. If you’re a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, or even off-the-wall romances like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Deck the Halls (with Matromony!) is a great fit for you.
Listen: Apple | Stitcher | PlayerFM | RadioPublic
Kaleidotrope is an audio fiction about two opposites hosting a radio show on a magical college campus. This podcast is filled with classic romcom tropes; in fact, it’s baked right into the name and the plot of the show. As these hosts try to help fulfill the tropes of love stories around campus, they find themselves falling into one of their own.
Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher
Wonderful! isn’t necessarily about love, but love permeates everything about it. It’s a podcast hosted by a husband and wife in which each week, both discuss two things they love. It’s a simple premise, but what makes the podcast stand out is how much these two love each other. Their dynamic is so sweet and goofy, it’s hard not to come away from each episode with something new to check out, but also swooning at what absolute marriage goals the hosts are.
Listen: Apple | PlayerFM | Spotify
The Bright Sessions is an audio fiction about Dr. Bright, a therapist for the “strange and unusual”–people who not only have psychological troubles, but also superhuman abilities. There are two love stories in the plot: that of a time traveler and someone stuck in time, and that of an empath and the only person who doesn’t disrupt their emotional state. Each love story develops slowly over each character’s individual arc, giving the listener plenty of time to really feel the impact of each story.
Listen:Apple | Spotify | Stitcher
The Shadows is both a love story and an anti-love story; it’s a listen that might be best for people who don’t see Valentine’s Day as a celebration as much as a time to brood. The Shadows follows the fictionalized Kaitlin Prest (producer of The Heart) as she falls in love–or what she thinks might be love–with a fellow actor, only to realize she might not know what romantic love is at all.
If you like your love stories with aliens, political intrigue, and suspense, Steal the Stars is a must. This audio fiction is about the workers in a secret government facility built to study a deadly alien. Because the stakes of the job are so high, no intimacy–even close friendship–is allowed between employees. This becomes almost impossible, though, when a new worker is brought on to the project, and he’s problematically gorgeous.
Listen: Apple | Google | Stitcher | Spotify
Or maybe what you need is something so ridiculous you’ll be laughing so hard you cry. Look no further than Pounded in the Butt by My Own Podcast, a Night Vale Presents show in which guests read hilarious, absurdist erotica by Chuck Tingle (known as “tinglers”), usually to some kind of audience. Some of the tinglers read on the podcast include Slammed in the Butt by My Handsome Laundry Detergent Pod, Unicorn Butt Cops: Beach Patrol, and Monday Pounds Me in the Butt.
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