BILLINGS — Just ahead of Valentine’s Day, a new Billings bookstore devoted to "romantasy" is opening its doors amid a surge in the genre’s popularity online and in local book sales.
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Late Night Chapters, a new independent bookstore specializing exclusively in a blend of romance and fantasy, or romantasy novels, held its grand opening on Friday on the city’s North Side.
Owner Elizabeth Hansen created a space filled with color, book references and novelty decor.
“I really wanted the feeling to be when somebody walks in the door that they feel immersed in it, and that they feel like they're in their favorite books," said Hansen.
The bookstore, located at 3115 Ninth Ave. N. occupies a space Hansen previously used for her insurance agency, Five Rings Financial, across from McKinley Elementary School. The idea came after Hansen discovered romantasy novels herself and struggled to find a place that catered specifically to the genre, so she decided to write her own chapter.
“I was like, 'That's what I want, I want to go be immersed in it,'" she said. "I thought, 'Gosh, if I can't find that, and that's something that I want, then maybe that's something that I could provide.'”
With over 500 title options, she's tapping into a niche and growing market that's cast a spell on a primarily female audience.
"Escapism is huge. No matter what's going on in the world, just being an adult can be overwhelming sometimes," said Hansen. "It's really normalizing intimacy and romance, and that's something that, it's been a taboo topic that people don't talk about, but it's part of normal, adult, healthy relationships."
Romantasy’s rapid rise has been fueled in large part by TikTok, where the online reading community known as BookTok has become a global phenomenon. Creators post reviews, reactions, memes, and recommendations to share with fans of the same books.
"BookTok has been huge for the popularity of romantasy coming back into play," said Hansen. "Through those social media channels, you can conglomerate, so if you're reading a certain book, then you can find all of this fun information, not just a review about the book that you're reading.”
In 2025, videos tagged with #BookTok accumulated over 380 billion views, forming a massive but tightly knit community of readers.
That online enthusiasm is translating into real-world results.
“Book influencers are a big part of romantasy in a way they aren't necessarily for other genres," said Julie Schultz, treasurer of This House of Books.
This House of Books is a cooperative independent bookstore in downtown Billings that was established in 2016. Last year marked its strongest year of sales in a decade.
"Last year was especially exciting because it was almost 20% up from the year before, which is a particularly solid jump in sales," said Schultz. "People are wanting physical books across a variety of genres, especially in fiction.”
Schultz said romantasy novels have been a huge driver in that success.
Nationally, the romantasy subcategory has grown roughly 40% year over year for several consecutive years, according to Schultz. While it remains a relatively small portion of the overall U.S. book market, which totals about $25 billion annually, its rapid growth has drawn attention from publishers and booksellers alike.
"It's been growing substantially each year,” said Schultz.
She said readers are increasingly seeking physical books across genres, bucking long-standing assumptions about the dominance of digital media. Decorative covers, limited editions, and collectible design elements are helping fuel the trend, as well as a nostalgic tie to the past.
"I think there's something to be said for Generation X nostalgia," said Schultz. "But even younger generations are getting in on the trends to maybe feel a little more connected ... It just feels more real."
"They're doing sprayed edges, they're doing limited editions, they're adding bonus chapters to the physical books," added Hansen. "It's an accomplishment to read a big book, and you have your shelf trophies with all the books that you've read, and they're all beautiful.”
For Hansen, the appeal of Late Night Chapters goes beyond sales numbers. She hopes the store becomes a gathering place for readers to connect with one another as romantasy continues its surge from TikTok feeds to bookstore shelves.
"It's really fun to read the books, but it's so much more fun, and so much more rewarding, when you can have those conversations with other people,” said Hansen.
With multiple independent bookstores now thriving in Billings, Schultz said the city’s literary scene is benefiting from variety.
"There's a lot going on in the literary sphere in Billings, and so that's one reason why it's nice to have multiple bookstores where people can source exactly the kind of books that they're hoping to read," said Schultz. "More people reading is always a good thing."
