'Rapturous' BK Romance Readers Were Waiting For Utopia — It's Here

PARK SLOPE, NY — The Ripped Bodice is not the dimly lit, heavily wooded bookstore of years past.

The Los Angeles-based romance bookstore opened its first New York City outpost in Park Slope this month, offering romance readers a pink paradise on Fifth Avenue.

"East Coast romance fans have been quite rapturous in their excitement," said co-owner Leah Koch.

Decked out with a hand-painted patterned floor, floating book pages and highly Instagrammable nooks, the store boasts bright shelves of titillating page turners — offering a higher level of personalization and variety than the average bookstore's romance section.

In an age where major sellers like Amazon's book prices are unbeatable, co-owning sisters Leah and Bea Koch set out to make a euphoric reading experience in a remodeled pet store.

"We want it to be [welcoming], pleasing," Koch said. "We want it to be fun."

Plans for a second location go back before the pandemic. After some recent searching, Brooklyn was an obvious choice, Leah Koch told Patch.

"I think it fits our vibe," she said.

After ensuring she wouldn't redirect foot traffic from other independent bookstores, Leah Koch started to remodel — a process she documented on social media.

She tore off layers of ceiling layered in by previous owners to reveal the property's original beaming, and the size of the space has surprised long-term neighbors.

The floor needed to be redone anyway, so Koch decided to paint it a pattern she long had her eyes on.

The local response has been phenomenal, she said. They've only been open since Aug. 5, but it feels like "it's been four years," Koch said.

Independent bookstores and romances sellers far and wide have welcomed The Ripped Bodice with welcome arms, and even inexperienced romance readers are showing up.

"People have been really really kind and excited and welcoming," Leah Koch said. "They have been waiting for us."

But community support has always been part of The Ripped Bodice's story — a Kickstarter campaign in 2016 helped the sisters open their first location in Los Angeles, according to the store's website.

Years later, dozens of eager readers lined up for the Brooklyn store's opening this month, some even having traveled hours to be there, the New York Times reported.

And thousands more took to social media to share their excitement about the opening.

"I finally get my first visit to the LA location next week, and am adding Brooklyn TRB to my bucket list. Congratulations to all of you," one person wrote on Instagram.

"I love knowing this bookstore exists in the world," another said.