AUSTIN, Minn. — At least twice a month, Maggie Taylor drives 90 miles one way to Austin for her book club. While there are book clubs in Winona where she lives, there is nothing quite like the Hey Darling romance club.

“Being able to go in person and just talk about books is like a dream come true,” she said. “It’s the thing I do for myself, make time to go and talk about books with other book lovers.”

Trish Marin opened Hey Darling on Oct. 12, 2024. It is the second romance-only bookstore in Minnesota. Tropes & Trifles in Minneapolis opened on April 13, 2024. The first romance-only bookstore to open in the U.S. was in 2016 — The Ripped Bodice in New York City.

In the almost decade since, dozens have opened up across the nation. (According to Romancing the Data, a data analysis site, th

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