Looking For Love? Meet Us at the Romance-Only Bookstore
Lifestyle Guide: Bookstore Edition, by Aubrey Nevkinda
Is it just us, or are romance books really having a moment?
We put on our Nancy Drew hats to do some research, and it turns out, it’s not just us. According to Publishers Weekly, there was a 52.4% increase in sales of romance books in 2023. Plus, 7 of the top 15 NYT best sellers right now are Romance novels — Emily Henry and Rebecca Yarros, we’re looking at you!
It seems like the New Adult and Romance genre are keeping the publishing business alive right now, and we’re here for it. And who is supplying all this endless smut, enemies-to-lovers plotlines, and fairie porn? Romance-only bookstores, duh.
Let’s explore some of the cutest romance-only bookstores.
Best romance-only bookstores
The Ripped Bodice: Los Angeles, California & Park Slope, Brooklyn
Image from Ripped Bodice
The Ripped Bodice is an indie romance-only bookstore that is women and queer-owned. Sisters and owners Leah Koch and Bea Hodges-Koch opened their doors in 2016 after a successful Kickstarter campaign helped them fund their dream.
We love that the store’s name is a play on “bodice-ripper,” a dismissive nickname given to the romance genre in the 1980s. We’ve come a long way from the Fabio-on-the-cover romance books our moms read back then. And TRB is all about the new wave of romance readers.
Bea and Leah are trendy, cool, and committed to creating a safe space for anyone who wants to read romance — we want to be their best friend.
In 2023, The Ripped Bodice opened its second location in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to a crowd of excited readers. We can’t wait to see what they do next — like opening a bookshop in our town? Please?
Meet Cute Bookshop: San Diego, California
Image from Axios
Located in sunny San Diego, the Meet Cute Romance Bookshop is a queer-owned, feminist bookshop.
Named after one of our favorite romance tropes, the meet-cute, this bookstore aims to create a space for romance readers to bond over books.
Becca Title, the owner, is a lifelong reader of the romance genre — so you can trust her to pick out the best books to fill the shelves of her adorable shop. She opened this store after the Pandemic when she realized the huge demand for romance books.
If, like us, you’re sadly located a long way from this adorable store, Check out their Meet Cute Book Pod for virtual and in-store events.
Lovebound Library: Salt Lake City, Utah
Image from The Salt Lake Tribune
Inspired by the Ripped Bodice, Lovebound Library, Utah’s only romance-only bookstore, opened its doors in 2024.
Owner Courtney Stookey, like so many others, discovered her love for romance books during the lockdown. When a spot opened up in a women-owned local shopping area, she jumped at the chance to bring her dream of opening a bookshop to life.
And the book community welcomed it with open arms — the opening day of Lovebound Library was so packed that visitors could hardly move! We visited this bookstore recently and can attest that on a Wednesday night, 30 minutes before closing, it was packed to the brim.
Blush Bookstore: Wichita, Kansas
Image from Wichita Mom
This gorgeous shop is located in a cottage in Kansas (yes, a cottage) and opened in April 2023. The owner, Jaclyn Wooten, opened the store after she saw the romance genre explode in recent years.
Honestly, this bookstore had us googling, “Is Wichita cool?” And, from a quick Google search, we think this might be the perfect small town for a cold-hearted executive to move to fall in love with someone who owns a Christmas tree farm.
Not located near Kansas? Check out their gift selection online.
Grump & Sunshine Bookshop, Belfast, Maine
Image from Grump & Sunshine
Named after everyone’s favorite romance trope, Grump & Sunshine opened its doors in 2022. This store is located in a historical building in a small coastal city in Maine, and every wall is painted “romance” pink.
The owner opened the store to create a community of “shameless romance readers.” We checked out pictures of the bookshop online, and they have a whole section devoted to Alien Romance, so count us in.
Their website has a fun and flirty section of adult toys and their merch is adorable. Okay — we’ll stop gushing now.
Under the Cover: Kansas City, Missouri
Image from Under the Cover
Under the Cover is located in the heart of Kansas City (a tragically underrated city, if you ask us) and owned by a book lover named Carley Morton. Carley opened Under the Cover to share her love of romance novels with other readers.
They are hosting a “Spice on Ice Author Signing” with a lineup of hockey romance authors in case you need an excuse to book an urgent last-minute flight to Kansas City.
The Romance Era Bookshop: Vancouver, Washington
Image from OPB
This cozy used bookstore is located in Vancouver, Washington, owned by a queer POC, who launched a crowdfund to help start their new businesses in 2022. The Romance Era Bookshop opened its doors in 2023, focusing on selling romance and related subgenres.
They host events like bracelet-making parties, book retreats, and readathons. The owner, Ren Rice, opened this bookstore to showcase an increasing number of BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ authors in the romance genre.
Ways to support
Okay — that wraps up our virtual bookshop tour.
We can’t help but feel inspired by all these female and queer-owned bookshops started by readers just like us and supported by communities of people who just want to read about love.
Gone are the days of romance books being known as trashy and poorly written bodice rippers. The romance genre is taking the publishing world by storm.
Not located near any of these stores? Don’t worry; we linked their Instagram pages and websites so you can support them from afar while you pine over the idea of someone opening a romance book store in your hometown.