The XO Interview: The Ripped Bodice

Chatting with Bea & Leah Koch, founders of the romance focused bookstore

It is the perfect premise for a romance series: two sisters launch a bookstore dedicated to romance novels and they call it The Ripped Bodice. As many of us know, it is also real life! I’ve been a fan of Bea and Leah Koch, founders of The Ripped Bodice, ever since they opened their first storefront in L.A. and I’m now thrilled that they just opened an outpost in Park Slope, Brooklyn so those of us on the East Coast can have the pleasure of browsing for hours and spending all our money on romance novels while supporting a woman owned Indie bookstore. I chatted with Bea and Leah about magical memories in the store, “Off The Wall Erotica” and bookstore proposals.

How did you first discover the romance genre? Which book was The One for you?

Leah: I wish I could remember the specific first book (and I should have just made one up and lied in my first interview!) but I do remember that the first author that had a huge impact on me was Nora Roberts. I loved how her books were often about women with interesting jobs and dynamic friendships and full, rich lives. She gave so much weight and importance to people's inner emotional lives and that was really fascinating to me as a young teenager. 

You both opened the first Ripped Bodice bookstore in 2016 in Los Angeles, before most Indies even carried romance. Now you’re opening your second store in Brooklyn this month. I bet it’s been a wild ride since then. Are there any magical moments that stand out to you?

Bea: Yes and it's very hard to choose just a few, and time works in funny ways and it feels like it's been so long, and no time at all. 

Leah: I pretty vividly remember our grand opening in LA and getting to meet so many people from the romance community that I was a fan of. Anytime couples have gotten engaged at the store (3!) has been some of my favorite moments. The time a customer invited our whole staff to her wedding and we all went was something I never could have imagined doing when we started this. And then smaller moments like helping someone who's just come to terms with a new part of their identity find a book that reflects that and talking to the middle schoolers we work with on our menstrual products drive about what they are reading. 

As a bookstore devoted to romance, you see up front what readers are gravitating to. What are readers clamoring for these days? And what do you see readers hankering for that isn’t on the shelves yet?

Leah: I find romance trends to be very cyclical, so everything comes back around! But right now, contemporaries that have big bold emotions are selling really well. As well as... let's call it Off The Wall Erotica. Stuff like krakens and gargoyles, a lot of which doesn't take itself too seriously which I think people enjoy. 

Bea, you’ve written a wonderful book called Mad & Bad: The Real Heroines of the Regency which some people (me) have called “important and enlightening.” It’s about real life women who defy our narrow expectations of Regency women. The women you highlight are diverse, rebellious, and accomplished. What inspired you to write this book?

Bea: Owning our bookstore inspired the book! Our customers had such a hunger for and interest in the real people who inspire romance novelists. I loved directing readers to nonfiction about the genre and regency time period and I wanted to add another book casual readers and genre enthusiasts alike would enjoy.

What can folks expect from the new store in Brooklyn?

Leah: I think a lot of the same design sensibility of playfulness and joy but I know what I'm doing now (in terms of renovating and designing) a lot more!

Bea: We hope to build another great community and respond to the needs of our local environment. Or put another way, give the people what they want! That may not look exactly like LA but we don't know yet. It's fun to get to know people and see what they are hungry for. 

How do romance novels give you joy?

Leah: reading them is fun! 

Bea: They are based on such true parts of our lives that they reflect something real and emotional while also letting us indulge in escapism and fantasy.

The Ripped Bodice in Park Slope, Brooklyn opens August 5th, 2023. See you there!