5 best podcasts to listen to for Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re making special plans, bitter over a breakup or hoping to get some insights into dating, podcasts are here to help on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is sneaking up on us, once again, and it has me in the mood to watch more romantic comedies (like the new Netflix original When We First Met — would recommend for a movie night), read more romance novels and listen to more romance-focused podcasts.

Honestly, rom-com classics have a pretty set list at this point, with favorites like The Notebook, The Holiday, Love Actually and more. Romance novels are pretty subjective. That leaves us with podcasts.

Check these five out as you get into that lovey-dovey February phase:

Modern Love

The New York Times has partnered with WBUR to share “stories of love, loss and redemption” through this podcast. It’s hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, WBUR, and Daniel Jones, NYT editor of the Modern Love column. Each episode, a celebrity reads one of the essays published to the weekly NYT column of the same name. The podcast, produced by WBUR, also includes updates from the essaysists themselves.

Jules and James

Follow along with this fictional podcast — as good as a novel but with the added ability to multitask — and listen as Jules, a filmmaker, calls James, a painter, at a wrong number, looking for her friend Emma. Despite the mixup, they begin a discussion. She becomes his “sign” to keep him in Paris and to continue his painting. The conversation continues from there.

Call Your Girlfriend

Valentine’s Day is about more than romantic love. Catch up with best friends Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow each Friday (produced by Gina Delvac) on Call Your Girlfriend, the “podcast for long-distance besties everywhere”. Listen as they discuss popular culture, politics, social culture, conduct interviews and more. And don’t forget to show your own BFFs, those close and far, some love this V-Day!

The Love Love Love

Listen to this podcast for “every” kind of love story with Yan Palmer as she hosts and discusses love stories of all shapes and sizes and situations. Palmer says the podcast is about questions rather than answers. She kicks off her podcast by sitting down with ex-husband, Martin Palmer, and discussing their story. The podcast is meant to explore the “healthy and livable” definition of love.

U Up?

Obsessed with dating today? Interested in the swiping trends? Thinking about what has changed in the dating scene with technology and how social trends have played a part? Check out U Up? from Betches Media to take in Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid’s thoughts as they examine the issues and benefits that come with modern dating. Hear them answer listener questions, explore their own questions and more.

Bonus: Bad Romance Podcast

If you really are in an opposite-Valentine’s day mood, check out the Bad Romance Podcast. Spend an hour to listen and laugh as Jourdain Searles and Bronwyn Isaac, two comedians rip apart Hollywood’s “worst” romantic films including Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, The Layover and others — even The Santa Clause 2.

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This Hallmark holiday always puts me in a good mood. Not only is Valentine’s Day the perfect reason to send around cards and eat tons of chocolate (I’m strong believer that calories don’t count on V-Day) but it celebrates one of the best features of human life: love. Tune in to these podcasts to add another fun element to your holiday!