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Episode Description
Something remarkable is happening in Milwaukee. It’s a renaissance of dedicated romance bookstores creating vital community spaces where readers connect over shared literary passions. As we celebrate our one-year podcast anniversary, we’re thrilled to spotlight two visionary women transforming the local literary landscape.
Meet Natasha Meyer from The Well Red Damsel. She transitioned from pop-up to permanent space after seeing hundreds line up at her very first event. “I look around at our events and see people talking like they’ve been friends for years when they actually met at one of our events a few months ago,” she shares. Her bookstore has become more than a retail space. It’s a community hub where readers find belonging, connection, and validation for their romance reading habits.
Then there’s Kerrie Berg from Thirst. She left a corporate interior design career to create what she lovingly calls her “pink palace” — a space celebrating both femininity and inclusivity. “Romance is for everyone,” she emphasizes. She delights in how couples shop together and strangers become friends among her carefully curated shelves. Located in what she’s dubbed “Milwaukee’s Romance District,” Thirst exemplifies how specialized bookstores contribute to neighborhood revitalization alongside other passionate small businesses.
Both stores offer imaginative programming beyond merely selling books — from hockey game partnerships and overnight adventures to after-hours release parties and waitlisted book clubs. They represent a powerful antidote to post-pandemic isolation, filling the gap of diminished “third spaces” where people once gathered.
We’re witnessing the beautiful collision of entrepreneurship and community-building through these romance-focused havens. As Nicole and Meghan prepare to visit both stores (by the time you’re hearing this, they’ll have already been!), join us in celebrating — not just our podcast milestone — but the flourishing of spaces where romance readers can proudly discuss, discover and delight in the genre they love.
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(the best way to get your smut while supporting a fabulous women-owned business and our podcast!)
Cocktails for this Episode:
Meghan — Dirty Shirley
Nicole — Vodka Iced Tea with lemon slices
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Credits:
Theme Music Created by Adam Wroblewski
Main Art by PersonalisePortrait
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