The Ripped Bodice

Owners: Leah and Bea Koch

Founded: March 4th, 2016

This bookstore is devoted to helping you find your perfect match- quite literally. The Ripped Bodice, located in downtown Culver City, is “A Romantic Bookstore.” Yet underneath the genre of romance, the store’s selection contains a wide variation of titles.

Currently, The Ripped Bodice is one of three romantic bookstores in the United States. As you can see, their speciality has proven to be a royal affair.

The first thing you might notice about The Ripped Bodice is the beautiful decor. Book art flows from the ceiling and paper mache flowers line a glass case full of Jane Austen editions.

In addition, there is a living room area with vintage sofas and pink chairs to curl up on with your next read. I love when bookstores offer a space to hang out and The Ripped Bodice is especially inviting to its customers with its charming atmosphere and tea bar!

One of the most unique aspects of The Ripped Bodice is their “Blind Date with a Book” section. The books are wrapped in gift paper so you don’t know what (or who) you are choosing, but you get a small clue from the name tag. It is a creative and exciting idea, one that I was happy I tried.

THE STORY

Two sisters- Leah and Bea- had a dream of opening a bookstore devoted to their favorite genre. At the time, there were no romantic bookstores in the United States. They wanted to create a place for the romance community, a type of safe haven that would celebrate the genre they loved most.

Over the past four years their store has undergone multiple changes and additions, including a full-service hair salon in the back of the store, a tea bar, and an attic full of used books. They have transformed their bookstore into a community space, and you can sense the openness and positivity of the community when you experience their store.

The Ripped Bodice hosts multiple free events and they try to have something for everyone, whether that's writing classes, children’s story hour, or standup comedy shows every month.

Leah and Bea live for helping their customers find the right book, and are just as excited as you when you find the perfect match!

NOTABLE SECTIONS

The obvious answer to best sections is Romance, but there are subcategories to check out- some maybe you have never heard of before. For instance their paranormal and erotic sections probably won’t be found in many other bookstores!

I was immediately impressed by their dedication to inclusivity and women-empowerment. This is reflected in the array of small press titles and representation of LGBTQ and women authors.

Another unique feature of their store is all the little knick-knacks. They sell candles, jewelry, buttons, and cards from different small makers around the country, supporting local communities outside of their own.

Whatever your romantic interests are, from blood sucking vampires to 18th century underground novellas, you are bound to find your match.

Used Books: ✓

Rare Books: ✕

Cafe: ✓

Wifi: ✓

Pets: ✓ (“Yes absolutely! We looooooove when people bring their pets. The whole staff is animal lovers. Obviously we get mostly dogs but we have had the odd cat or two on a leash!")

Visit their website and social media for updates on new arrivals and fun store events!

Website: www.therippedbodicela.com

Twitter and Instagram: @therippedbodice

 

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