The Ripped Bodice

Romance novels have long been associated with women, but not altogether positively. As television shows like Jane the Virgin and Outlander help reshape preconceptions about the romance novel, the world is becoming turned on to the feminist side of the genre. The Ripped Bodice—the first all-romance bookstore in the U.S.—carries a vast and diverse selection of romance fiction, and its stock goes beyond just books. The store also offers a wide selection of gifts that focus on supporting independent, female-owned businesses. The store is owned and operated by sisters Leah and Bea Koch, who raised the $91,000 they needed to open the store on Kickstarter.