Atlanta romance bookstores deliver happily-ever-afters in a multitude of genres
When romance bookstore All the Tropes opened in Kirkwood in August 2024, literature professor Kim Manganelli was there opening day — and she’s been back almost every week since. She’s one of many readers fueling Atlanta’s new wave of romance bookstores, part of a national boom that’s turned a once-stigmatized genre into a communal celebration of love stories.
“It’s a beautiful sanctuary to romance novels, and when I come in, it’s not just to buy a book but to find out what the staff have been reading,” said Manganelli, who now captains the store’s dark romance book club. “They know my name and ask what I’m in the mood to read.”
All the Tropes is one of dozens of romance bookstores that have opened up across the country since the pandemic. In 2020, there were just two; now, there are 20 and counting, according to a 2024 article in The New York Times. They offer a real-world way to find community for one of publishing’s fastest-growing genres — fueled by social media, self-publishing and the rise of audiobooks and e-readers that make it easier to enjoy even the steamiest stories. And Atlanta’s scene is heating up, too.
The newest romance bookstore, Kiss and Tale, opened in downtown Decatur in September. Run by sisters Jen and Molly Kamrath, the store offers 1,200 square feet of spicy stories in genres from sports romance to Westerns. On opening day, readers lined West Ponce de Leon Avenue waiting up to two hours to get a glimpse of the floral-wallpapered space. “We were overwhelmed and have been furiously ordering books ever since,” Jen Kamrath said.
For anyone following literary trends, the current demand is as predictable as the end of a romance novel. According to the New York Times article, romance novel sales more than doubled between 2020 and 2023. Between the pandemic and a pivotal presidential election, many readers seeking a happily ever after got hooked on the genre.
“With the current state of the world, knowing that I can escape to a place where everything will be all right in the end is very comforting,” said Carrie Mason, an Atlanta health care worker and patron of All the Tropes.
During the pandemic, All the Tropes owner Kate McNeil, a high school teacher at the time, found herself with lots of down time at home. To fill the idle hours, she devoured 500-page epic romantic fantasies ― aka romantasy, a genre that has surged in recent years. She joined online romantasy book groups but wished for a real-life space of her own to connect.
“I wanted to do the same thing that I was doing teaching — creating this space where people feel seen, heard, understood and where they can connect on a different level,” McNeil said. “You can let go of your everyday life and connect with these fantasy realms or these book boyfriends.”
While she continued to teach, McNeil started making plans to open a romance bookstore. Her research included a pilgrimage to the Brooklyn location of the first romance bookstore that launched the concept in 2016, The Ripped Bodice. By 2023, most major cities had a romance bookstore except Atlanta. McNeil decided to make the first move and opened All the Tropes in summer 2024.
Romantasy was what also infatuated the Kamrath sisters. Costumers in the film and TV industry, they turned to romance to escape the industry’s slowdown following the 2023 writers and actors strikes. While swapping reading recommendations, they dreamed about opening their own bookstore after hearing of others across the country. They started hosting romance bookstore pop-ups, launching at the Decatur Book Festival last year, and opened their brick-and-mortar store above Mellow Mushroom in Decatur last month.
“We have spiciest of spiciest and darkest of darkest, but we also have light spice or cozy cute little feel-good romances,” said Jen Kamrath. “We can’t carry everything, but we wanted to make sure we have space so everyone can go and find something they like.”
Cultivating community is a big part of romance bookstores’ appeal. All the Tropes attracts patrons by hosting book clubs, midnight release events, bookbinding workshops and author appearances like a recent visit from dark romance novelist Brynne Weaver who sold out 250 tickets in 24 hours.
“The book clubs have been such a positive experience for me,” said Mason, an All the Tropes dark romance book club member. “I look forward to seeing my people every month.”
Many customers discover the shop through TikTok, where BookTok has supercharged the genre’s popularity, and some drive from as far away as central Florida or Alabama.
“Romance is a genre that’s often dismissed, especially if it’s only online, but it generates so much revenue,” Manganelli said. “I think that women’s pleasure needs to be given space.”
Kiss and Tale hosted its first author event with local writer Trilina Pucci this month, and readers are encouraging them to launch book clubs.
For Atlanta’s growing community of romance readers, these bookstores provide the happily-ever-afters they seek.
“A romance bookstore is more than just a place of retail,” said Katie Auchenbach, a nonprofit worker and member of All the Tropes’ queer book club. “It’s a safe space in the community for many who get to see themselves, their wishes and their desires represented in the books they read.”
All the Tropes. 27 Doyle St. SE, Atlanta. 470-692-7023, allthetropesbookstore.com
Kiss and Tale. 340 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. 404-748-1840, kissandtalebookshop.com
3 new books by Atlanta romance writers
Nineties-era slasher movies meet romance in the first of Trilini Pucci’s new duology. Dressed as a dinosaur for Halloween, Goldie meets the man of her dreams, but he harbors a secret that could kill the spark in this scary and spicy novel featuring Pucci’s signature dark humor. (Amazon Publishing, $16.99)
“Once Upon A Time in Dollywood”
The Great Smoky Mountains seem like the perfect escape for a playwright running away from her personal life until she moves in next to a recently divorced dad in this novel by Ashley Jordan. Full of humor and heart, Jordan’s debut marks her as one to watch in the genre. A Reese Book Club pick. (Berkley, $19)
Georgia’s romantasy queen Rebecca Ross continues her reign with a new young adult novel set in her “Divine Rivals” world. Written in Ross’ signature lyrical prose, a goddess and a mortal man meet and fall in love in his dreams. (Saturday Books, $32)
