Pride and Prejudice. Gone with The Wind. The Notebook. They are regarded as three of the top romance novels of all time, their legendary status perhaps reaffirmed by their adaptation by Hollywood into feature films. These days, romance novels rank as the most popular genre of fiction books sold in the world with millions of copies flying off shelves every year.

Romance novels tap into universally embraced themes of joy, love, acceptance, connection, and the feeling of being part of something greater. Fans say there is something powerful about knowing characters will overcome obstacles and find a happily ever after. On top of that, there are usually dollops of intrigue in these books including love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, fake relationships, the ingredients inside a delicious cauldron of spiciness that have helped to make this genre of books wildly popular.

In the heart of the Tinley Park, a suburb of Chicago 30 miles south of the heart of the downtown, an independent bookstore has embraced the romance book revolution. Love’s Sweet Arrow, co-owned by Roseann Backlin and her daughter Marissa, bills itself as the second brick and mortar in America that exclusively sells romance novels.

“It’s probably two-thirds steamy passion,” Roseann said when describing the type of romance books in her store. “Probably one-third of our books is what we call ‘Closed Door,’ which means there’s no romance on the page. Then we have erotic romance, where the whole emphasis of the book is the passion.

“We sell all kinds of genres and tropes and everything you could think of as far as what’s available for romance,” said Roseann with a smile. “In order to be considered a romance book, it has to have an H-E-A, which is a happily ever after. That’s what makes a romance. If it does not have a happily ever after, it is not a romance.”

A new chapter begins

The backstory of Love’s Sweet Arrow is as much about a love of reading as it is about the bond between a mother and daughter. Roseann has been a devoted romance reader for as long as she can remember.

“I was reading romance novels way before I should have been reading romance novels, absolutely,” Roseann admitted with a laugh. “And if my daughter was here, she would say the same thing, because I used to catch her!

“As an adult, I’m like, oh my gosh, I can’t believe I was reading my mom’s books at that stage, because a lot of the early romance did not have consent like there is today. It was a lot more graphic and not necessarily in a good way. Women in the stories just put up with it,” explained Roseann about how contemporary romance novels are written. “Today it’s much more about consent and the characters are always asking for consent and giving consent in romance novels.”

Although a shared love of romance book reading for this mother-daughter duo became the foundation for their bookstore, Roseann said Love’s Sweet Arrow was not on her radar early in her professional career.

“My every day job before this was I used to run a kitchen at an elementary school,” Roseann recalled. “I hadn’t done retail for at least 30 years. But, I think when there’s something that you’re really passionate about, even though it’s a lot of work, it’s still a joy to do it. When I get up in the morning, I’m like, ‘Okay, I get to go to work today,’ and it’s never like, ‘I have to go to work today.’”

The idea for Love’s Sweet Arrow was inspired by another pioneering bookstore. Roseann said it was not long ago there was one romance bookstore in the country, Ripped Bodice in Los Angeles.

“We ordered from them because we thought it was such a cool premise. And then we were just like, ‘You know, we could do this,’” said Roseann. ‘And if we’re going to do it, we need to do it now because you only go around once.’”

Roseann said that she was confident they were on the right track for a unique business and that they would find success in Chicagoland.

“Since romance was primarily what we were reading, we noticed you had to go to the big box bookstores and search through all of their fiction to find the romance books,” explained Roseann about their idea. “We made this store strictly full of romance. So anywhere you look, on every shelf, it is what you’ll find.”

The mother-daughter team took their time developing their vision before opening their doors in 2019.

“We spent a year actually preparing because there’s a lot of things you have to do to open any business including your business plan and all that stuff,” Roseann said.

“It is fabulous to own a business with your daughter,” Roseann noted as she described how she share’s ownership of this store with her daughter. “She is actually the person who has her pulse on what’s going on. If something happens in social media, she’d be like, ‘Did you just hear this?’ And I’m like, ‘No, thank you for telling me about it.’ Or details about a new book that’s coming out in a year. She already knows about it, which is fabulous.

“She has a regular full-time job, whereas I’m here full-time. She is a special ed preschool teacher. She loves coming in here when she can. Because this is so much more relaxing.”

Since opening their doors roughly six years ago, Love’s Sweet Arrow has become a trendsetter in a growing national movement.

“I think there are 60 other romance bookstores in the country now,” remarked Roseann with a satisfying look. “In my opinion, it’s because it’s always a happy ending. There’s not a lot of physical violence against women or children. You’re in there looking for a happily ever after, and you’re not going to be upset about what you’re reading.”

The store was welcomed by customers from the start, but like many businesses, it faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think from the get-go when we opened, we were pretty well received,” Roseann said. “The biggest thing was when we closed down for Covid, that was, ‘What’s going to happen?’”

Roseann and Marissa decided to go digital during the pandemic and to share their passion for romance books on a YouTube channel so that customers could find compelling interviews with authors and panel discussions about books. Today, their YouTube channel is still going strong.

“We still do that because some of our authors are out of state or out of the country,” observed Roseann. “This is a way to bring them into your house.”

Writing a success story

Roseann said the majority of customers at Love’s Sweet Arrow are women between the age of 18 – 65, but that they do have men who come in and shop for themselves.

“The reception has been fabulous. We were recently on a TV show in Chicago. We’ve done lots of pop-ups with local breweries, coffee houses, and even regular bookstores so they can offer romance books alongside their usual selection. We still have people finding us.”

What seems to set Love’s Sweet Arrow apart is the store’s unique ability to connect authors with readers.

“People come here, because when we do preorders for books, unlike the big box stores, authors often provide something special that customers can only get through us,” explained Roseann about what makes the store special. “Whether it’s a signed bookplate, a signed copy, or exclusive artwork, we offer things you can’t find anywhere else.

“Everyone who is in here is going to help you find what you’re looking for,” explained Roseann about what customers will find on the shelves. “We have genres that are contemporary, paranormal historical, romantic suspense, dark romance, and erotic romance. We even have a shelf full of signed books from authors who’ve visited. So, we can find you anything.

“We have LGBTQ romance interspersed on our shelves,” noted Roseann. “If you don’t know what you’re looking for, we can help you.”

Roseann then bubbled with delight as she recalled a story that she was eager to share.

“When we first opened, a middle-aged woman came in looking for specific LGBTQ books because her sister was marrying her longtime partner, and that was their wedding gift. We went through the shelves and pulled six books, and that’s what she gave them for their wedding.”

Roseann said the books she sells are more than more than escapism for customers, but empowering and status quo shattering for female readers.

“Women are portrayed in these books as heroines,” stated Roseann. “They’re the heroines of their own story. They’re women who have their own business acumen, are leaders, big corporate lawyers, and have every kind of job that men have. This is a very positive thing for women, especially young women coming up. These books show women having their own happily ever after, making their own decisions, and being forces to be reckoned with.”

As a bookstore owner, Roseann’s love for reading is as strong as ever.

“I actively read 4 to 5 books a week,” Roseann told us. “But I don’t read what’s on the shelf. I’m reading the books before they come out. Publishers or authors send us what they call ‘ARCs’ or advance reader copies that we can read ahead of time.

“I still have the bug. It’s addicting,” Roseann admitted with a laugh. “My husband used to say when I first opened the bookstore, ‘You’re reading a book again, but you’re at home.’ And I’m like, ‘I own a bookstore. I’m always going to be reading.’”

Support independent bookstores

Roseann hopes to impress upon lawmakers in the state that independent bookstores like Love’s Sweet Arrow have something special to offer.

“What I’d like to tell politicians of Illinois about retail is that Amazon is not an independent bookstore,” explained Roseann with a serious tone. “If you want your independent bookstores to be successful, stop making them compete with Amazon.”

Whether it is through book recommendations, author events, or simply sharing a love for romance novels, Love’s Sweet Arrow has become a sanctuary for readers.

“I’ve had a customer who came in here for the first time, and now she’s a regular,” smiled Roseann. “When she walked in, she almost cried because none of her friends read romance. She came in and said, ‘I found my people.’ That’s what we do. We help you find your people.

“Romance books have always been a passion and a love of mine. So now I’m getting to sell them. It’s like my dream job.”