This guest post comes from Jen! Jen is an over-educated wonk who likes reading and writing both cool real-life stories and cool made-up stories. To her surprise, she currently lives in Denver, but will always be a Californian at heart.

…

If SBTB was a physical place, it might look a lot like the Spicy Librarian in Denver. It’s a store designed by people who adore the genre, have a dollop of humor, and believe in the power of romance to empower people to give up shame and organize. Also, there’s a secret door leading to a room of sex toys.

The sign on the sidewalk said, “Come Find your Fictional Boyfriend” and “Follow the Roses to the Entrance.” A trail of rose petal sidewalk decals leads you to an entrance that would be somewhat hidden except for the fact that the owners have installed a profusion of fake flowers and greenery around the door to make it an entrance.

The front table has another flower archway, which gives me strong Netflix Bridgerton vibes. Nestled inside of a collection of books I have definitely seen on SBTB is a sign that says “I buy my books from bookshops not billionaires.”

It was crowded on a Sunday morning, and taking photos without photographing other patrons was a challenge. There were mostly women, although a few uncomfortable-looking men followed partners around or hung out in one of the many cozy chairs. Some women were alone, strolling through the shelves. Others were with friends, chatting with each other about how much they loved this one book or how you could totally skip this one. One woman was sifting through the stand of “blind date with a book” packages while chatting on the phone. “Do you think Cathy would like this one?”

Each “blind date” is a wrapped mystery book with a label telling you the tropes. Included are stickers (like “this ghoul reads smut” with a ghost on it) and a tea bag.

Sections include an adorable kid’s section; Contemporary; Local; Historical; LGBTQ+; Dark; and Fantasy. Each section has been cheekily decorated. Above the Contemporary section is a flower-festooned bedspring; above the Historical section is a trunk spilling over with lacy old-timey underwear. The Fantasy section has a wallpaper of an enchanted-looking forest; the Dark section has a mirror with “Good Girls Read Dirty Books” scrawled on it in “lipstick.” Throughout the bookstore are lots of cozy corners with comfy armchairs and couches; the owner really took advantage of the oddly-shaped loft space. On a pink couch, a group of women were filling in a penis in a coloring book.

The owner is a former kindergarten teacher, and the bookstore site states that one of its missions is to “Empower women to feel less shame about their pleasure and their love for romance books.” As if that wasn’t cool enough, 5% of the proceeds go to the Purple Leash Project, an organization that is “dedicated to providing pet-friendly shelters and resources for survivors of domestic abuse.” The bulletin board in the store advertised book clubs (general, fantasy, and queer), a book swap and picnic, local author events, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and reproductive healthcare access.

And of course, there is The Vault.

The door looks like a bookshelf with definitely-not-suggestive cherry and mushroom knickknacks and an “18+” sign. You pull the doorknob and ta-da! You’re in a secret sex toy section, with a small but curated collection. A sign on the wall assures you that you can ask for help from the staff without shame.

And “without shame” is what the Spicy Librarian is all about: it’s about loving this genre and yourself without shame and to build a community around it. So if you’re ever in Denver, be sure to follow the rose petals to this bookstore.

…

Thank you for the trip report, Jen! If you’d like to write a trip report about your visit to a romance-focused bookstore, I would LOVE to hear from you.