Under the Cover, Kansas City’s first ‘romance-only’ book store, officially opens Nov. 25.
But also you can 100% go buy a book there right now, today.
Owner Carley Morton // Photo by Zoe Strohm
Under the Cover [605 E 31st], Kansas City’s first romance-only bookstore, began with a smut podcast, wisdom teeth removal, and a dream.
Romance books are nothing new to owner Carley Morton. Morton and her friend Jesicha Fontana, with the help of friend and producer Kelly Weddle, have hosted the podcast Smut Stuff since December 2022, where they read and talk about romance books.
Together they visited the Romance GenreCon at MidContinent Public Library in August, where they met with romance authors and fans alike. This is where they heard of a brand new idea in the book scene: romance-only bookstores. At the time, there were only ten romance-exclusive sellers in the country.
Publisher’s Weekly reported that romance genre sales were up 33% in the first half of last year. Despite this, corporate bookstores tend to have small romance sections to accommodate a wide array of products.
The idea of owning a romance-only bookstore in Kansas City stuck with Morton, and the help of wisdom teeth removal and some strong painkillers led her to pitch the idea to her husband.
“I just had my wisdom teeth taken out, so I was on a lot of drugs,” says Morton. “I told my husband, ‘I don’t want to work at my job anymore. I want a bookstore, and I want it now.’ He did some research, and we decided it was feasible.”
The Midtown location was secured in September, and in just eight weeks, it went from an empty storefront to a warm and cozy, plant-filled bookshop. Morton wants Under the Cover to be the romance book haven that many readers crave.
“Romance has always been looked down upon,” says Morton. “Even people who write other genres are just like ‘romance writers are just trash.’ I think it’s more of an empowering thing now because even if the genre is looked down on, more women are doing it.”
Under the Cover hosts a wide variety from the most popular “BookTok” titles to smaller self-published authors. There is a book for every romance reader alike.
“I wanted something for everyone and to make sure I represent queer people, people of color, and marginalized authors and readers,” says Morton.
In addition to books, Under the Cover also sells candles from local maker Effing Candles, as well as postcards, bookmarks, and stickers.
Just in time for Small Business Saturday, the grand opening celebration on November 25 will go from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Happy Belly will serve food from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., J. Rieger will offer samples from 1-3 p.m., and there will be a live artist demonstration by Kelsey Pike.
Follow Under the Cover on Instagram and check out their website for online ordering.
