Once upon a time (read: 2018), the prospect of whipping out a Fabio-fronted novel on your train journey to work was, well, a little embarrassing. For years, romance fiction has been discounted as nothing more than trashy chick-lit, a genre to be consumed behind closed doors and certainly not one to be proud of. Recently though, thanks to a little something called BookTok and a few passionate defenders of the category, romance fiction is finally getting its time in the sun.
For author Scarlett Hopper, she knew romance’s moment was coming all along. Having authored seven romance novels over eight years, her love of the genre was unwavering. When BookTok and its literary influencers started making romantic fiction hot, Hopper thought it was finally time to act on one of her fantasies: open a bookstore dedicated exclusively to it.
Barely a year old, Romancing The Novel in Sydney’s Paddington has already cultivated a community of longtime readers and romance newbies alike. The store’s opening in June of 2024 was the very definition of striking while the iron was hot: excitement around the upcoming movie adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us was reaching fever pitch; everybody and their mother was reading A Court of Thorns and Roses; and BookTok was abuzz with spirited discussions on Emily Henry’s oeuvre. Unsurprisingly, Hopper’s bookstore has become a crucial third space for both voracious readers and those who aren’t, but are curious about a genre that’s proudly reclaiming (and rewriting) its once-daggy identity.
You’ll find the romance classics at Romancing The Novel, but shelves also proudly hold indie, limited edition and self-published books you won’t find in major retailers. Chances are, you’ll find your new favourite author too.
You can visit Romancing The Novel everyday except Tuesday at 2 Heeley Street, Paddington and catch Scarlett Hopper as a judge of Cosmopolitan Australia’s Cheeky Chapters Erotic Fiction competition. Submit your steamy entry here!
