I’ve been to my fair share of bookstores, and all have left me with something to remember: a dazzling window display, a cozy nook, a roaming cat. My latest store visit can be summed up by the exclaimed observation of a fellow patron: “It’s a penis!”
This plush appendage sat atop a shelf in Happily Ever After (HEA) Book Boutique’s Iowa City Ped Mall pop-up shop.
Headquartered in Marion, HEA is dedicated to romance and its subgenres, including romantic comedy, romantic thriller, historical romance and “romantasy.” The steamy selections are plentiful and diverse, covering all races, genders and orientations.
A literary gem in the wordy Midwest, Happily Ever After is one of just 25 romance-only bookstores in the United States.
This past December, I had an opportunity to chat with HEA owner and sole employee Jenn Draper at the IC pop-up. Her space was bustling with dozens of shoppers that wintry day. An energy of curiosity and humor carried throughout the small but whimsical store, filled with books and cheeky (or should I say ballsy) décor.
“I’ve had writers in the community ask, ‘You can create an entire store on romance?’ and it shocks them when I share that romance books singlehandedly saved the publishing industry,” Draper said.
She’s not wrong: the romance genre generates over $1 billion in annual sales. Coupled with the support of social media’s #BookTok explosion, romance books are finding a new renaissance among readers of all shades, sizes and sexualities. HEA opened its doors in 2023 amid this booming market.
Watching Draper with her shop’s visitors was a masterclass in customer service. Everyone was all smiles, chatting about everything from the latest Colleen Hoover to plans for the upcoming holiday season. It was clear that Draper revels in what she does, providing a space for lovers of the naughty words to gather, gab and, most importantly, buy all the books.
While Draper admits that she “dabbles in writing,” the inspiration for HEA began to blossom during her school years. “As a child,” Draper shared with a nostalgic smile, “I would play ‘store’ and pretend to scan my Baby-Sitters Club books.”
Her affinity for bookselling continued as a young adult, working for a bookstore as a high school teen and keeping up with a voracious reading habit well into her college years. It’s no shocker Draper went from playing store to becoming Chief Book Babe — her official title at HEA.
Mid-conversation, my eye catches a wicker basket adorned with a paisley scarf. Inside are book-shaped presents, shrouded in the wrapping paper of the season. Draper explained it was a “Blind Date with a Book” display; you pick a wrapped item and buy it with only a short synopsis written on the front to guide your purchasing decision.
I asked her about representation. As a Black woman who has published a dozen romance novels, I was invested in knowing how HEA supports romance authors who are writing from an underrepresented perspective.
“My main goal is to build community around romance,” Draper said. “I’m blessed to have a vast network of writers.” Selections written by BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ authors like Esha Patel, Adib Khorram and Jasmine Guillory are featured prominently in HEA’s pop-up shop, store and social media feeds. “Your ‘happily ever after’ is represented here,” Draper insists.
If Draper has her way, the Chief Book Babe will be representing HEA throughout Iowa and beyond in 2025. With several events already on the schedule, the shop will be popping up in Dallas, Phoenix and Bloomington in 2025. HEA has national appeal, no doubt, but Draper hasn’t forgotten that home is where the heartthrob is.
“Within the next five years,” she said with much-earned confidence, “I’d like to see HEA in multiple locations, including Iowa City. I would also like to employ staff as well.”
Draper is truly a sister doing it for herself. With her dedication, humor and awareness, it’s not hard to imagine every one of her visions coming to fruition.
After an hour of non-stop customers and free-flowing laughs, our conversation ends, and my shopping begins. It takes me about 10 minutes to decide on my Blind Date tome. As Draper scans it, she says, “Something tells me you will love this book.” I’m intrigued by the assuredness of this lively woman who has known me for only an hour.
I rush out of the store as a flurry of new customers come in, hardly making it to my car before ripping off the candy cane-covered gift wrap. Lo and behold, it’s a queer romance by one of my favorite male authors. She was 100 percent right. They don’t call her Chief Book Babe for nothing.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s February 2025 issue.
