Plot is Optional
A podcast where we read, share our love of, and talk about smut. Plot is Optional is a (mostly) lighthearted book club style podcast in which cohosts Alli and Trey (and anyone else they can rope into being a guest host) read and discuss a new piece of erotic fiction each episode. They aim to cover a variety of books and other media, while trying to include works that may otherwise not get the spotlight. Many of the selections feature nontraditional characters or relationships, LGBTQIA+ characters and themes, or come from diverse perspectives. PiO is a celebration of erotic fiction in its many forms and the joy of talking about the weird, the wonderful, the beautiful, and of course the smutty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Hey PiO pals! Just a heads up that Alli and Trey will be back in February 2026 for more smut-loving pod fun with all new episodes of Plot is Optional. We have some things to do to get ready to serve it to you hot in the new year. We are excited about what is coming around the corner for you. Talk to you soon, just in time for Valentine's. And as always, we love you!
Music by Cody & Alex
Music by Cody & Alex.
Another for the holidays! The Plot is Optional crew hangs out with Brandon of Swampflix! Together they talk about hot raptors, Christmas magic (time travel?), and of course movies!
Holiday theme written and performed by Ukulele Jake.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this very special holiday episode the Dianas from the Double Dianas podcast join Alli and Trey as the deck the halls with tentacles. This week they decide whether tentacles are hot or not, try to count exactly how many tentacles there were, and attempt to decipher cryptid tentacle anatomy. They even ponder the phenomenology of cryptid cephalopods’ senses of taste.
Holiday theme written and performed by Ukelele Jake.
Music by C...
Jo returns, joining Alli and Trey as they take a foray into monster f-ing with Lily Mayne's Soul Eater. This episode covers Louisiana accents, hot boy meters, and the nuances of body fluids in smut. Your PiO pals also crunch the numbers and give you the tight ball count stats you crave. Enjoy this extra-long episode with an extra-special guest host.
Editor’s Note: Sorry about the audio, we recorded this awhile back before we had...
Alli explains orc culture while Trey tries to forget all the times that this book talks about scents. They are diving into a fantasy romance novella this week with full orc on orc action. Trey finds out what clan of orcs he would be. And, of course, they touch on mage fingering, anal reiki, and perineum sunning.
Content Warning-
Due to the plot of this book, coerced sex and sexual assault are themes throughout the entire episode.
Alli and Trey dive into the omegaverse like a penguin into the sea. They discuss the intricacies of shifter culture both penguin and polar bear, omegaverse anatomy, and mpreg with eggs. So get into your tux, polish your resumé, and have your pebbles ready because it is pebble gifting season!
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What is the omegaverse? Do you know? Alli does, though she's not the most omegaversed out there.
Here's a quick intro for the uninitiated.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli and Trey ask the tough questions. How can a ginger tan? Why is beer the standard can of comparison? Can a life on the move make you seem 5 years older than your actual age? How many times can Trey accidentally hit his mic boom during a single recording? All this and more as we tackle the first installment of the Sweet and Stocky trilogy.
Music by Cody & Alex
Music by Cody & Alex.
Alli assures Trey that this week’s read is not problematic as they dive zucchini first into the final installment of the Single Dads Club trilogy. And no, you didn’t miss any episodes. Sometimes at PiO, we eat dessert without dinner. Sometimes, that dessert is a bear dad who falls in love with the new employee he hires at his bar, the formerly straight-identifying ex-boyfriend of his adult daughter. Music by Alex and Cody.
Content W...
Alli and Trey keep it short and sweet this time around, yet manage to ramble all the same. They discuss the final book of the Roll for Love trilogy by Charlie Novak. They talk Pokémon, body fluid ballistics, ADHD in a capitalist society, and non-linear space.
Music by Alex and Cody.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hey there George fans, Alli let Trey back on the podcast. They dive in deep, two at a time, into the second installation of the Roll for Love trilogy. We are talking wild coincidences, hate sex, tentacle dildos, DPing, and panty boys. Sorry Charlie and thank you for your service.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli is joined by one of her bestest friends Trey! They discuss Natural Twenty by Charlie Novak. Also, they talk about DnD (naturally), small businesses, and fantasy dildos!
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli and Ashlee are back to talk to you about a piece of unhinged Christmas smut! They talk various fetishes, the definition of monster, and literary analysis.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you miss us? We sure missed you!
Alli is finally getting her stuff together! This coming new year expect more of us talking about books! More silliness! And more of us loving love!
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli interviews Latrexa Nova, author of the Sacrificed to the Monster Gods series, Love the Sin Hate the SInner, Jacked Up, and the Mated to the Xrirashi series. Together they talk about representation in romance, Southern California as a place for weird and exciting things, and their shared love of historical romance.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for ...
Alli tells Ashlee all about the Dracula social media romcom Your Coffin or Mine by Jacklyn Hyde. They also talk about real life Vlad Tepesh, make bad puns, and just generally have good times.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli interviews author Ash Raven. Ash Raven is a queer author who writes romances featuring queer characters, plus sized characters, non white characters, and monsters! Together they talk about their love of the romance genre, Disney Channel original movies, and all the wonderful books Ash has written.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli and Ashlee read Found by the Lake Monster. They talk about the Gilman, monster romcoms, and ovipositors.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For this episode, the format is a little different again. Ashlee and Alli recreate their frequent phone calls, where Alli talks at Ashlee at length about a book she's currently reading.
This time it includes a hot Mothman, discussions of second person perspective, and soup (?).
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alli and Ashlee do something a little bit different and discuss some "would you rather" scenarios instead of specific titles. It gets very silly. We love love.
Music by Cody & Alex.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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