If Jane Austen's heroines ever became entrepreneurial and opened a bookshop, the Ripped Bodice would be it. Owned by sisters Bea and Leah Koch, the store has become a haven for romance lovers and bookish women with its pink and white confection of an interior. The Ripped Bodice offers friendly, personal customer service — the sisters know so much about the romance genre that they can easily recommend a book to seasoned and new readers alike. The sisters' eye for detail expands beyond the shelves to their monthly themed window displays and thematically curated book-club menus, which have featured elderflower punch for a Regency-era novel. What really sets the store apart is its events schedule, which includes standard bookshop fare such as author signings, a community book club and monthly reading salons. They also host monthly stand-up romantic comedy nights and special one-off evenings, such as a “Welcome Summer” party. At this cheery, feminist business, happily-ever-afters abound, in both the books on the shelves and the opportunity for customers to gather in an unapologetically female space that's all about celebrating sex, love and romance.

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