The Ripped Bodice: A Romance-Only Bookstore

Who doesn’t love a good bodice ripper? And by that I mean, a romance book. Now, you all know I love a good romance, especially if it’s a good regency-era historical romance. I am weak for them. But it’s not just those. I’ll take any kind of romance, and if you too are in the market for just any type of romance, then you should stop by The Ripped Bodice in Culver City, California. 

The Ripped Bodice
The Ripped Bodice, the first romance only bookstore in North America. Owners, Leah and Bea Koch, and Fitzwilliam Waffles, DDS., EsQ. by Jenn LeBlanc

This store is not only super cool for its amazing name—I love the name— but it is also quite unique. The Ripped Bodice is a romance-only bookstore. Isn’t that so fun? And not just historicals, either. Odds are that any romance one could think of will be carried by the store. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s first learn about the origins of this lovely little establishment.

The Ripped Bodice

The Ripped Bodice is owned by sisters Bea and Leah Koch. The shop was opened in 2016 and has been going strong ever since. Now, not only is this female-owned, but it is queer-owned as well.

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The catalog of books that has found a home upon the tables and shelves of this lovely shop isn’t just romance. Well, yes they are romance, but they are also diverse romance books. In every sense of the word at that, including LGBTQIA+ and holding within them protagonists of every heritage that can be imagined. 

What Makes The Ripped Bodice Unique

In my own personal experience, I feel it can be a little hard to find unique independent bookstores. I mean, for a quick run in and out type of deal, the big box store is ok—the Barnes and Nobles, or for the European readers, Waterstones. Those are nice for an “I know what I’m looking for” type of deal or if you just wish to peruse the shelves. But when you want a really unique experience, that’s when you look for the shops that seem like little surprises that you happen to stumble upon. 

That, my lovely readers, is The Ripped Bodice for you. 

The supply of books can range from traditionally published books to some lesser-known indy or independently published books. This includes authors who perhaps you’ve not come across outside of the ebook format and didn’t know there was a physical format of the book. All of these can be found at this lovely place. 

The Ripped Bodice
Bea & Leah Koch, owners of The Ripped Bodice (Photo by Jenn LeBlanc)

A couple of my personal favorite historical authors can be found here, and if you’re not into the historicals, there are loads of contemporary books as well. However, let’s move away from books for the moment to discuss what else makes this store absolutely brilliant. As stated before, this is women- and queer-owned, and they house a collection of LGBTQIA+ romance books. The owners also make it a point to stock items from shops that are from and completely support women-owned businesses. 

Dear reader, there are so many amazing things to point out about this shop. It’s very rare, actually, I would say it is next to impossible to find a bookstore that is devoted to one genre. Yet, here we are, a shop that does just that…a shop that does that and does so extremely successfully. To see what the Koch sisters have created from a kickstarter to a storefront is absolutely incredible. They have designed a space that welcomes all, no matter the background, and that allows so many people to walk in and feel a sense of relaxation and comfort. 

In a world that seems to scream at a person from all sides, it’s nice to find a little oasis within the chaos. Now, I know there are some who call romance books predictable, and I suppose they are, as the end result is usually the same. But, sometimes having a simple Happily Ever After at the end of the story is just the type of comfort someone needs. I know I love it every so often and I can’t be the only one. 

The Ripped Bodice is a place to go to discover another happily ever after, even if it’s perhaps an angsty one. Maybe it’s a friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, or one of my personal favorites, a grump and sunshine trope. Believe me when I say whatever trope you’re finding yourself having a taste for, you’ll find it at The Ripped Bodice. A bodyguard romance? Forbidden love? Unexpected love? Second chance romance? How about a fantasy romance? I won’t lie, I have a weakness for those as well. There are so many romance tropes to explore and unpack…perhaps another time.

These lovely owners make it a point to uplift various authors that are for the most part ignored in many aspects of the publishing world. Their “The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Report” is something everyone should read, and I highly recommend it. With these statistics, they examine the percentage of romance books that are published by BIPOC authors and by which publishers. 

The Ripped Bodice
The Ripped Bodice, the first romance only bookstore in North America. Owners, Leah and Bea Koch, and Fitzwilliam Waffles, DDS., EsQ. by Jenn LeBlanc

The Ripped Bodice hasn’t stuck to a simple storefront as they have branched off into having a subscription box filled with, yes, all the romance you could ever wish to read. Read, Romance, Repeat brings various different romance books of different tropes straight to your door, along with a few other goodies. The fun bit is that you never know exactly what you’re going to get—a fun new title to check out, perhaps an author that you didn’t know existed who you come to love. My favorite is getting an author you did know about and have wanted to pick up one of their books for ages and now you have one. 

I’m going to be a bit cliche here and say that The Ripped Bodice is your one-stop romance shop for sure. But also, do not ignore how much good these lovely ladies do for various communities by using their position to give others a voice and that is truly amazing. Happy reading!

*The Ripped Bodice is located at 3806 Main St, Culver City, CA 90232 and can be found on Facebook and Instagram