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In a post-pandemic world where many of our cherished “third spaces” have diminished, a fascinating movement is emerging in the Milwaukee area and beyond. Dedicated romance bookstores that serve not just as retail spaces but as vital community hubs. On the one-year anniversary episode of Romance on the Rocks, hosts Nicole and Meghan interviewed two pioneering bookstore owners who are transforming the literary landscape for romance readers.
Natasha Meyer and The Well Red Damsel
The rise of niche bookstores represents a significant shift in how readers engage with literature and each other. While Milwaukee has several excellent independent bookstores, Natasha Meyer from The Well Red Damsel explained their romance sections remain limited due to their need to accommodate all genres. This gap inspired her to launch first as a pop-up venture. She then expanded to a 1,500-square-foot brick-and-mortar location that opened in June 2023. The response was overwhelming. Her first pop-up drew hundreds of visitors with lines lasting throughout the event. And her grand opening attracted over 800 people despite a scorching 95-degree heat advisory.
What makes these spaces particularly significant is their role in community building. Both bookstore owners emphasized how their shops have become places where strangers become friends, where readers who previously felt isolated in their romance reading habits now find belonging. Natasha shared how she witnesses people at events who look like they’ve been friends for years when in reality, they only met at one of her bookstore gatherings a few months prior. This organic community-building addresses a critical social need in our increasingly isolated society.
Kerrie Berg and Thirst
Kerrie Berg from Thirst echoed similar sentiments, describing her journey from corporate interior design to bookstore ownership as driven by passion and the desire to create something unique. Her “pink palace” is designed as a “tribute to femininity but also inclusivity,” emphasizing “romance is for everyone.” What surprised her most wasn’t just the steady flow of customers but how many relationships have formed beyond the transactional — customers becoming friends and community members engaging with the store in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
The strategic locations of these bookstores within vibrant neighborhood corridors contribute to broader community revitalization. Thirst sits within what Kerrie proudly calls “Milwaukee’s Romance District,” surrounded by other small businesses including a wedding florist, bagel shop, and independent coffee house. This clustering of small, passionate businesses creates a synergy that benefits the entire neighborhood.
More Than Just Book Shelves
Both bookstores have embraced creative programming to foster community engagement. The Well Red Damsel has events scheduled through 2026, including an innovative partnership with the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team that brought 220 romance readers to a game last year and will feature romance authors at this year’s event. Thirst offers late-night “after hours” events on Tuesdays (new release days) and hosts multiple book clubs with waiting lists. These activities transcend typical retail operations, positioning the stores as cultural anchors in their communities.
The success of these specialized bookstores reveals something profound about our current cultural moment. People are hungry for authentic connection around shared interests. As traditional social spaces have contracted, these romance-focused bookstores offer something uniquely valuable: environments where people can proudly discuss books that have historically been dismissed or stigmatized. By creating spaces dedicated to celebrating romance literature, these bookstore owners are simultaneously validating the genre and creating vital community infrastructure.
Have you visited either of these fabulous romance bookstores? If you haven’t yet and have the opportunity, we highly recommend it! You can also support these women owned businesses by ordering online from their websites. Click here for The Well Red Damsel and here for Thirst. Want to listen to the podcast episode? We’re available on pretty much all your favorite podcast streaming services. Or you can visit our podcast player page here.
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