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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
Lois Beckett in Los Angeles

Sexily ever after: how romance bookstores took over America

grid of four photos showing romance novel bookstores. 'meet cute' has a lavender exterior; 'slow burn books' has two women in front drinking from wine glasses; 'the ripped bodice' has its sign over plants, with two smiling people below; 'lovebound library' has a fun font and a red door
Clockwise from top left: Meet Cute in San Diego, owned by Becca Title; Slow Burn in Calgary, with its owners Nicola and Shannon MacNaughton; the Ripped Bodice in Los Angeles, owned by Leah Koch and Bea Hodges-Koch ; and Lovebound Library in Salt Lake City. Composite: Courtesy of Meet Cute/Slow Burn/Ripped Bodice/Lovebound Library

When Jonlyn Scrogham decided to open a romance novel bookstore last year in Louisville, Kentucky, the 37-year-old had modest expectations. The space she rented was tiny; her annual sales projections were small, too.

Though she had been an avid romance reader for decades, she wasn’t sure how many others shared her excitement. She worried that people would think the concept was silly, or that not many people would visit.

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