Stepping into The Ripped Bodice is like a fairytale come to life, but it's also a missed opportunity for a writer's paradise. Illustration by Clara Waldheim Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where Creative Writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach periodically reviews a place in New York City you could write at and tackles a writing topic that has been weighing on your mind. This week we look at The Ripped Bodice, “a romantic bookstore,” located at 218 Fifth Ave. in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Hello, charming readers and writers. I've been expecting you. Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and regardless of how you're feeling about it, I couldn't pass up the chance to review something romantic. Besides, your valentine can always be a good book — and no, that's not sad (unless the book is truly heinous). So even if your love life isn't going the way you want, you can still escape into the romance you desire, whether that's slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating-turned-real, or grumpy-meets-sunshine (and there's so much more). You name it, you can find it, and I know just the place. Nestled in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, near the corner of Fifth Avenue and President Street, lives and breathes The Ripped Bodice: a relatively new bookstore devoted almost entirely to romance reads. The store opened to critical acclaim in August 2023 with a line stretching down the block, according to The New York Times. Their flagship storefront in LA opened in 2016, and both branches of the independent bookstore are proudly women and queer-owned by sisters Bea Hodges-Koch and Leah Koch. The Ripped Bodice. Photo by Arianna Gundlach The pink storefront with white stenciling on the windows beckons you from the street. But from the window, you can't stroke the book spines or smell the fresh pages. Window shopping is almost cruel in this case, purposefully keeping yourself a mere few feet from pages and pages of romantic sparks, tension, and heartbreak. Going inside is your only option once you have the store in your sights, or the single heartbreak […]
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