A few weeks ago at an apéro after recording this episode, I found myself gushing to some friends about today’s podcast guest. In the middle of my long-winded retelling of her story and our conversation and what it all seemed to boil down to in the end I blurted out: “You know what? She’s a sexual savant!” Immediately a guy across the room who I had no idea was listening to us stopped mid-banter and said, “Wait, I need to know this woman!” I told him he’d have to wait for the episode to drop. Because let’s be honest: you don’t get to tease a hot new episode like this every day.
And so… here we go.
Today, I have the absolute pleasure of sharing the wisdom and wildly inspiring life journey of the one and only Robinne Lee. If you don’t know Robinne yet, you’re in for a real treat. She’s a Jamaican-Chinese writer, actress, and producer, a graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, who has spent the past three decades building an impressive career in film and television — with standout roles in Hitch, Seven Pounds, 13 Going on 30 and the Fifty Shades franchise. She even made a cameo in an Usher video (Confessions II, for the aficionados).
Robinne in a scene with Will Smith in the movie, Seven Pounds
But today, she’s perhaps best known as the author of the breakout novel The Idea of You, which has become an international bestseller, translated into over a dozen languages, and adapted into an Amazon Studios movie starring Anne Hathaway. She’s currently working on her anxiously awaited second novel, due out in 2026.
I discovered Robinne through a dear friend of mine,
who told me, “You HAVE to read The Idea of You — you’ll love it.” And she was right. I tore through it, became obsessed, and right after finishing, begged Ajiri to introduce me to Robinne, who, lucky for us, also lives here in Paris. Full discloser: before we recorded this conversation, we met for an epic three-hour lunch in the Marais and basically didn’t stop talking. So if you catch us cackling or referring to our lunch mid-conversation, now you know why.
The proud author with a copy of her bestselling book, which was made into an Amazon Studios movie!
So what’s The Idea of You all about, and why did I need to bring Robinne onto this show, for this special season devoted to creativity in midlife?
The novel tells the irresistible story of Solène. A nearly 40-year-old, freshly divorced mom of a teenage daughter, who unexpectedly falls in love with 20-year-old Hayes, the charismatic lead singer of the world’s biggest boy band.
In the book, this striking, independent woman — juggling a mortgage, single parenthood, and a thriving L.A. gallery championing women and artists of color — finds herself swept into an international love affair that cracks her wide open, revealing parts of herself she didn’t know were hidden, and living out a fantasy she never realized she was starving for.
What’s not to love about that premise, right?
But The Idea of You is so much more than a midlife woman’s ultimate wet dream. It’s a daring, tender, and deeply honest exploration of what it means to feel alive, desirous, and sexually empowered at midlife. A time when society often expects women to fade away into the background and just take care of everyone else. But no! Solène (and Robinne) have other plans for this chapter of life. And they’re hot, hot, hot!
Robinne with her sister, mom and cousin during her Freshman year at Yale, where Robinne met the man she would marry years later.
And in the book, Robinne also demonstrates her expertise in the “seductive arts” (something she studied as a precocious adolescent reading Shere Hite’s sexuality reports) and, we can only assume, wisdom she’s gathered from the field.
Both Solène and Hayes, the main characters, deliver a masterclass in how true intimacy builds — not just through obvious gestures, but through small, electrifying moments. The sexiest G-rated foreplay in the book (which I couldn’t wait to ask Robinne about) is when Hayes slips his finger into the double wristband of Solène’s Hermès watch to gently caress her pressure point on their fist date. It drives her bananas!!!
In our interview, Robinne mentioned reading Shere Hite’s seminal sexuality books as part of her early fascination with human sexuality. Here, Hite is pictured holding a copy of The Hite Report upon its publication in 1976
So, in today’s conversation, we dive into the deeper themes of the book and Robinne’s own creative unfolding:
How Paris — with its beauty, history, and seasonal sensuality — awakens her curiosity and creative drive.
Why fantasy isn’t just escapism, but a portal back to the hidden, electric parts of ourselves.
How she developed a deep understanding of sexuality, intimacy, and seduction long before she ever had the chance to fully live it.
How speaking honestly about the complexity and fullness of women’s lives is an act of rebellion.
And how midlife sharpens our hunger to live, truly and unapologetically.
Robinne (who moved to Paris in 2022) with her pooch in the City of Lights.
We also talk about the way Robinne’s acting background shaped the stunning audiobook version of The Idea of You, which I cannot recommend enough. She inhabits her two main characters so completely, it’s as if you’re living inside the story with them. Truly, if you’re tempted to skip the book and just watch the movie… don’t. Read the book. Listen to the audiobook. Trust me.
One quick heads-up: the sound is a little rocky in the first few minutes of this interview, but it smooths out quickly, I promise you’ll want to stick around for the full conversation.
And if today’s subject stirs something in you. If you’re feeling your own creativity, your own hidden longings asking for more space, just remember this is exactly the work I support my clients with through my coaching practice.
Now, let’s get into it.
xxx
Zeva
PS. You can listen to the episode on the player above or on Apple, Deezer, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
PPS. I’m about to announce the dates for my Creative Camp, a series of intimate, in-person experiences in Paris designed to ignite your imagination and reconnect you with your creative fire. Spots are limited, and paid subscribers get first dibs. If you want early access to claim your place before doors open to the public, now’s the time to upgrade your subscription below.
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