Meet The Romance Mafia: “Canberra’s procurers of deluxe edition smut”
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They used to be considered a guilty pleasure, but romance books are experiencing a renaissance – and Canberra has its very own dedicated online bookstore.
Taking over the city one dog-eared page at a time, The Romance Mafia is an online bookstore that launched in 2023 to bring locals all things romance, from warm and fuzzy love stories to dark romance.
Described as “your procurers of deluxe edition smut” (ahem – you’re welcome), the business was founded by Lauren Bearzatto – a dark romance author who has quite literally been living and breathing happily ever afters for years – and Tara Wolf, who was a stay-at-home mum looking to dive into something new.
“We met when our daughters, who are now 10, started Kindergarten at the same school. Every time we crossed paths we’d end up in a discussion about books, and our mutual obsession with the romance genre, in particular,” explains Tara.
“One day at a chaotic kids’ birthday party – as all great origin stories begin – we started talking seriously about turning our love of romance books into a business. That’s when The Romance Mafia was born.”
Focusing on indie authors, the books stocked at The Romance Mafia range from fantasy romance (or romantasy) to LGBTQ+ romance to books you probably wouldn’t want to read around your parents, children, friends or anyone remotely judgy (if you know what I mean).
Leaning into the breadth of the genre, the duo behind the Romance Mafia say that they wanted to curate a collection of books that would appeal to all sorts of romance readers.
“We read everything, and we know a lot of romance readers do, too. One minute we’re reading about a broody fae prince, and the next it’s an unhinged mafia don. Romance is such a broad genre, and we didn’t want to box ourselves – or our customers – in,” explains Lauren.
“Indie authors are absolutely killing it! They’re writing the boldest, most creative stories in the genre and they’re doing it on their own terms…Supporting them means we get to showcase fresh voices that often don’t make it into mainstream bookstores, and it also means we can bring special editions to Aussie readers who have never really had easy access to it before.”
“Romance books aren’t just about love stories.”
The statistics are enough to make other genres blush: romance books account for over one-third of all fiction sales worldwide, generating more than $1.4 billion annually.
Capturing hearts across demographics, genders, and generations, the rise of BookTok has seen romance books transform from a low-brow guilty pleasure into some of the coolest titles readers can be seen consuming.
Lauren and Tara believe that the hype around romance isn’t going to die down because the books aren’t just about finding true love – they’re also a form of escapism and empowerment in a turbulent world.
“It’s the one genre that always guarantees a happy ending and who doesn’t want that?” says Tara.
“Romance books aren’t just about love stories. They’re about women empowerment, healing, and satisfying our need to escape our everyday lives sometimes. We don’t think it’s a trend that will die down anytime soon. If anything, it’s only getting bigger!” adds Lauren.
The rise of the Mafia
As more and more readers discover The Romance Mafia, Lauren and Tara are slowly building a little reader romance community in Canberra – including hosting pop-up stalls at various locations throughout the year.
And as romance books continue to dominate bestseller lists and social media feeds, it’s no surprise that The Romance Mafia has been met with open arms by bookworms.
“The name came from an idea that we’re all part of this big, passionate, slightly chaotic crew of romance lovers. We didn’t want it to be about us – it’s a whole community and we’re all in the romance mafia together,” explains Lauren.
“We’ve had so many readers come to our pop-ups and say, ‘Wait, this is all romance?” with so much excitement. People linger, they chat, and they discuss popular romance books – it’s exactly what we dreamed of.”
Hoping to open a brick-and-mortar store in 2025, the Googong locals want to continue to build the community and create a space that’s more than a bookshop.
Noticing that romance readers have a genuine hunger to connect with like-minded people, along with stocking books and bookish merch, they want it to be “a true hub for romance readers”.
“Think in-store author signings, weekly book clubs, themed readalongs, and maybe even a sneaky glass of bubbles while you browse!”
“It will be a place that you can fan girl loudly, find your next favourite book – or book boyfriend – and feel completely at home.”
Whether you’re into dark romance, or romantasy, or just looking for your next fictional obsession, visit theromancemafia.com for more information.
