Romance Bookshop 'The Ripped Bodice' Readies Steamy Park Slope Opening

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A romance-only bookstore promises to soon bring stacks of ribald adventures and swoony tales of true love to Park Slope.

The Ripped Bodice's opening Saturday along Fifth Avenue doubles as the store's East Coast expansion.

Sisters Bea and Leah Koch founded their cheekily ribald business — which offers a diverse and inclusive selection of romance books, author signings, book clubs, writing workshops and more — in Los Angeles.

But, apparently, the siren call of New York enraptured them.

“After 7 1/2 years of thriving in Los Angeles, and quite a long time keeping this a secret, we are so excited to share with our community our expansion to the East Coast," Leah Koch said in a statement.

The Park Slope location at 218 Fifth Ave., near President Street, will be run by Leah Koch, who also did most of the store's build out in the weeks before opening.

Koch's DIY creations, which use old books to create large art installations, will be featured in the store, a release states.

And expect the bookstore to offer more than the stereotypical Fabio-bedecked romance novels.

"We always strive to create a space where everyone feels welcome and represented, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, and we look forward to building a vibrant community of romance readers and writers in Brooklyn," Koch said in a statement.

The grand opening will feature signings by two New York City authors.

Casey McQuiston, author of "Red, White and Royal Blue" will sign books at 12 p.m. Alexis Daria, who penned "Take the Lead," will sign books at 2 p.m.

The Ripped Bodice's Instagram, Twitter and TikTok accounts can be found here, here and here.