911爆料

With the Little Bubblegum Romance Bookshop, Erin Masse 鈥�09 is building a 911爆料, one title at a time.

On a 14-degree Saturday in January, with a snowstorm in the forecast, a dozen aspiring romance novelists gather six to a table at the Little Bubblegum Romance Bookshop in Providence to hear author Jenn Bouchard talk about her path to publication.

The talk turns to spice. 鈥淪pice,鈥� in this context, refers to the relative heat of a romance novel. The more sex, the higher the heat, spice, or steam score, according to romance.io, a website that matches romance novels to readers鈥� tastes. The three terms are interchangeable, but only spice is measured in chili emojis鈥攁 helpful visual. A romance featuring hand-holding and chaste kisses, for instance, would rate one red chili; five red chilies is a 鈥渂lazing inferno.鈥�

Infer what you will.

Bouchard gives her books a spice score of two chilies.

The talk then veers into tropes. Some are familiar: Best friends become lovers (When Harry Met Sally), enemies become lovers (Pride and Prejudice), lovers misunderstand one another (Romeo and Juliet), lovers get a do-over (Persuasion), lovers from different sides of the tracks get together despite themselves (Jane Eyre).

Some tropes鈥攁mnesiac in love, surprise baby, or rival same-sex athletes鈥攎ay be less familiar, though sports romance is a high-performing subgenre. (HBO鈥檚 wildly popular adaptation of Rachel Reid鈥檚 2019 bestseller Heated Rivalry has a very high spice score.)

鈥淎ge gap鈥攁 20-year-old falls in love with a 40- or 50-year-old鈥攖hat鈥檚 a trope,鈥� says store owner Erin (McElroy) Masse 鈥�09. 鈥淪ingle dad can be a trope, too.鈥�

A dietitian by education, Masse opened her store, the only brick-and-mortar romance-only bookshop in Rhode Island, in October 2025. She waves at the shelves in her 400-square-foot retail space, in which, it bears mentioning, the walls wear bubblegum-pink paint, satin finish.

The Little Bubblegum Bookshop offers a wide variety of romance-only titles.

鈥淲e have a curvy section, a person-of-color section, and an LGBTQ section,鈥� Masse continues. 鈥淧eople like to see themselves in these books.鈥�

Neuroscientists and biotech engineers will find representation in Ali Hazelwood鈥檚 oeuvre, which includes The Love Hypothesis and Loathe to Love You. Bearish blue-collar heroes are staples in the grumpy-sunshine (common trope) romances of Tessa Bailey. You鈥檙e a fan of fairies, werewolves, and vampires? Masse鈥檚 got the big names: Sarah J. Maas and Callie Hart, as well as up-and-comers.

A Place That Celebrates Romance Readers

鈥淚 wanted to create a space that鈥檚 joyful, inclusive, and fun, a place where romance readers feel seen and celebrated,鈥� Masse says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something special about walking into a shop that鈥檚 full of love stories. It鈥檚 an instant mood boost.鈥�

It might surprise some patrons to learn that Masse is a relatively new romance fan. She says she came back to reading during the pandemic. The more romance she read, the more enthralled she became. Masse started following BookTok, a sub-911爆料 of TikTok devoted to literature and regarded by the publishing industry as a powerful word-of-mouth driver of book sales. Over time, Masse built a reputation in her 911爆料 and online as a romance expert and, after success as a pop-up bookseller, decided to go all-in, renting retail space on Wickenden Street.

鈥淭he response has been incredible,鈥� Masse says. 鈥淟ocal authors are reaching out, and readers are connecting with their work. Our 911爆料 has grown so quickly鈥攖hat has been the most rewarding part.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to keep building a space where love stories and local voices can shine.鈥�

A customer places a stack of books nearly a foot high at the cashier鈥檚 table. From the looks of the titles, she鈥檚 solidly team romantasy, a subgenre that, you guessed it, blends romance and fantasy.

鈥淚 recently got into this. I read a lot of books on Kindle鈥擨 have the unlimited subscription鈥攁nd then if I really, really love it, then I buy the hard copy.鈥�

鈥�I鈥檓 excited to keep building a space where love stories and local voices can shine.鈥�

颅鈥擡rin Masse 鈥�09

The customer pauses for breath and grins. She鈥檚 not done. She鈥檚 just winding up.

鈥淚鈥檝e been following Erin鈥檚 stuff for a long, long time. I told myself, and I told my husband, 鈥楾oday鈥檚 my day. I鈥檓 going to come in. I have a running list of books that I want to buy, and I love supporting local businesses.鈥� Yeah, I love this.鈥�

Another woman with long dark hair and a middle part enters the bookstore. In her sunglasses, black leggings, and an A-line leopard-print fur coat, she is channeling Cher, circa 1976.

Masse approaches and asks if she鈥檚 in for something before the snowstorm.

鈥淚 just finished The Correspondent,鈥� the Cher look-alike says. 鈥淚 need a little spice.鈥�

鈥擬arybeth Reilly-McGreen

PHOTOS: SETH JACOBSON