We sit down with Leah Koch, co-owner of the Ripped Bodice bookstore in Culver City, Los Angeles to put our thumb on the pulse of 2021 romancelandia. Together we discuss the history of the Ripped Bodice, traditional vs. independent publishing, the fallacy of publishing trends, how booktok (book side of tiktok) has influenced the world of romance, and how Leah finds the next big romance books. We also have a serious discussion about how romance and romance publishing is failing us, the consumers. So buckle in sparkly romance nerds, it's time for some real talk with some good laughs along the way.

Content Warning: language use and some shame upon Nicholas Sparks and James Patterson...sorry not sorry.

What is Booktok?

Ripped Bodice information

• Instragram @TheRippedBodice
• Tiktok @ TheRippedBodice
• Twitter @ TheRippedBodice
• Read, Romance, Repeat

Books/Authors we talk about

• Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch (signed edition!)
• The minotaur book...sorry guys, please don't open this link in view of other people, for your own credibility
• Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn
• Jennifer Probst
• Rebekah Weatherspoon
• Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
• Get a Life Chloe Brown also by Hibbert
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
• The Roommate by Rosie Danan
• Witch Please by Ann Aguirre
• Saint by Sierra Simone

Other romance bookstores!

• Love's Sweet Arrow
• Ever After (Australia)